Sisters by Choice (Blackberry Island #4)(119)

“I want more, Sophie. I want you to admit you’re in love with me. That’s all. No commitment, no promise of forever. Just that you love me. When you can say that, then I’ll seduce you fifty ways to Sunday. But until then, no.”

She stood on the large front porch, staring at the front lawn, her mind swirling and sputtering. Love him? Love him!

She spun to face him, opened her mouth only to realize the man had already shut the door.

“That’s all?” she yelled. “Sure. Why not? Do you need a kidney, too?” As if saying she loved him was no big deal. As if she loved him at all. Because she didn’t. She couldn’t. Love was hard. It left her vulnerable. She didn’t want love.

“I just wanted to get laid,” she grumbled as she made her way to her car. “I hate men. All of them.” Love. As if. She wasn’t good at relationships. How could he not know that? Except for her immediate family, she had failed at pretty much every relationship she’d had. She’d probably failed with her family, too, only they were stuck with her.

She got in her car and looked back at the house. How could he just say that? Love him. No. She couldn’t. She didn’t. She wouldn’t. Of that she was sure.



Chapter Thirty-Two


Jaxsen set down his spoon and pushed his bowl of ice cream away. His brow furrowed as he stared at her intently.

“What I hear you saying is that you think we should review the family budget to see if there’s enough money for us to buy the tent trailer I talked about before.”

Kristine nodded. “That is what I was saying.”

He looked at the printed page on the table as if trying to use the format there to form his sentences. “That statement confuses me. I’m happy to talk about the tent trailer, but I also feel guilty because the last time I brought it up, we had a fight.” He hesitated. “I was trying to get you to spend your grandmother’s money. That makes me feel bad about myself.”

He swore under his breath. “I swear I can feel myself growing breasts.”

She held in a giggle and glanced at the timer. “Only three more minutes.”

They were working on their homework assignment after their first therapy session. They were to talk about something they’d fought about before, using the structure the therapist had suggested.

“I don’t want you to feel bad about yourself,” she said, looking at her own page. “I want you and the boys to have fun together. That’s important to me. It makes me feel good about us. I know you were trying to guilt me and I understand the reasons. I don’t like the behavior but I separate that from who you are as my husband.” She raised her gaze to his. “I feel really awful that you thought I was saving the money to leave you, Jaxsen. I would never do that.”

He reached out his hand and squeezed her fingers. “I know that now.”

“I wish you’d known it before.”

The timer dinged.

“Hallelujah!” he said, pulling his bowl toward him. “The homework is hard.”

“It is, but I’m glad we’re doing it. I know the way she wants us to do stuff is awkward, but in time it will be easier and I think it will help when we have a real fight.”

“We’re never going to fight again, baby. You know that.”

She grinned. “If only.”

He tilted his head. “The homework is done, the boys are all at sleepovers and we have the rest of the evening to ourselves. Let’s go upstairs and have some fun.”

She smiled. “I’d like that.”

He stood and circled around to her side of the table, then pulled her to her feet. “What I hear you saying is you’re interested in us making love.”

“That is what I’m saying.”

“This homework thing is starting to work for me.” He led the way to the stairs. “Remember when we were on our honeymoon and we got into the bathtub together? You were in front and I did all kinds of things to you while you watched?”

“I remember everything about that night.”

“Good. Then let’s see if we can re-create it.”

She shivered at the thought of it, then grabbed his hand and started up the stairs.

“Let’s!”

  “I can’t believe you’re leaving,” Daphne admitted as she helped carry boxes to the car.

Heather put one on the backseat, then took the second from Daphne and shoved it beside the first.

“I can’t, either,” Heather said, knowing she couldn’t possibly explain the overflow of emotions swirling around inside her.

She looked around at the quiet neighborhood, not that different from where she’d grown up. She knew every inch of the island and still couldn’t comprehend that in two days she would be in Los Angeles, moving into her new apartment. A few weeks after that she would take her first class at USC. It was equally miraculous and terrifying.

Daphne linked arms with her. “So I’m thinking of going to grad school. I have no idea what I want to do with myself when I graduate and the parents would be thrilled for me to continue my education. Especially my dad. You know he’s all about higher learning.”

“An MBA?” Heather asked. “Or law school?”

Daphne rolled her eyes. “Law school? No and no. Definitely an MBA, so here’s the thing. USC has one of the best MBA programs in the country. I’ll be done in two years and when that happens, you’ll still have two years to go. I could get my MBA there. We could share a house and you know, hang out.”