Kissed Blind (Hot Pursuit #2)(95)
“Mommy! Did you see me! I made it all the way across the monkey bars without letting go. I did it!” He giggled.
She forced a smiled. “Darn it! I missed it.” Her voice shook. “Show me again and I’ll keep my eyes on you the whole time. Make sure your brother isn’t eating the mulch, okay?” He nodded and ran back off. She looked out in his direction but with vacant eyes.
“Sarah, he’s got a lot going on and marriages have ups and downs. Remember the fights Mom and Dad had when we were growing up. Dad bought a motorcycle during his mid-life crisis. Mom practically lost her mind every time he drove off on it, but when he came to his senses a year later, he sold the bike and life got back to normal. I’m sure it’s the same thing—just a little rough patch. Give it some time and I’m sure it’ll blow over.”
“I hope you’re right,” she whispered. “I’m hoping we can talk tonight when he comes home.”
A ding came from her pocket. She reached in and grabbed her phone. When she read the screen, her eyes filled with tears again.
“What’s wrong?”
“He said he’s not coming home tonight.”
Chapter Two
Two years later…
I’ve always had a pretty concrete vision of what I wanted. My dad always said I was as determined as an ant building an ant hill, even back in the days when I colored with crayons and climbed trees. I’d work and work until my picture was perfect, and I’d climb and climb until I reached the top of the tallest tree. I never stopped until I thought I’d achieved the best result. And somewhere early on, I decided I wanted to be a lawyer. Maybe it was from watching episodes of L.A. Law with my mom when I was little and the seed was planted, but as far back as I can remember that was what I always wanted to be. My plan was to become a lawyer, get married, and when the time came, add a couple of children to the equation.
At twenty-eight my ducks were in a row. I graduated law school at the top of my class, passed the Bar on my first try and landed my job at the prestigious family law firm of Alexander, Richards, and Williams located in downtown Cincinnati. After meeting John, I moved in with him after only a few months of dating. Life was grand and I hoped a marriage proposal was right around the corner.
In the bathroom, I’d finished washing my face and patted my skin dry. I called to John, “You coming to bed?”
“Yeah, in a sec. I want to catch the end of this game,” he said.
“Come back here and join me. I want to lay with you for a little before I fall asleep.”
I pulled the twisty holding up my long chestnut hair and fluffed my tresses, pinching my cheeks for a touch of natural rouge. Leaning into the mirror, I swiped the remnants of my black mascara out from under my eyes and slipped between the sheets almost naked. He huffed in the next room, tossing the remote on the side table next to the couch. When he walked through the door, he walked straight back to the bathroom. I waited patiently knowing the surprise I had waiting for him. He was normally the aggressor in our relationship, but I needed him tonight.
I’d had a tough day because my sister, Sarah, had had a tough day. Sadly, a little over a year ago, Sarah caught Anders on the phone with another woman and it confirmed her suspicions. As the story unfolded, she learned Anders had cheated during their entire relationship with numerous women. She was completely devastated and was having a difficult time getting herself and her kids through the break-up. She briefly tried to salvage her marriage, but eventually, when she saw it was hopeless, filed for divorce. Since then, a river of problems had rushed her way.
I was happy to help Sarah in any way I could, but starting my career and listening to her troubles wore on me. John listened to some of my stories, but he couldn’t relate to the problem. And somehow whenever I did share something with him, I always felt worse about it afterward. He had a lot of great attributes, but knowing the right thing to say wasn’t one of them.
He worked for a big ad agency and was under his own lot of pressure. He always called it a rat race and said if he let his guard down for even one second, someone would gladly be nipping at his heels waiting to take his place when he fell. So, I’d resolved to keep Sarah’s divorce mostly to myself. We both could’ve used some relief.
He shut the lights off in the bathroom and walked around the bed. He stripped down to his boxers and got under the covers. I assumed my position on his bare chest and waited for him to notice my absence of clothing. His arm wrapped around my shoulder, and then he leaned over for the remote. Somehow he hadn’t noticed. He was known to overlook the obvious sometimes and practically needed to be beaten over the head. So, I slid my hand over the soft curves of his stomach and underneath the waistband of his boxers.
“What’s going on with you tonight?” He laughed.
“Nothing. It’s just been awhile and I’ve had a tough day. Sarah’s been—”
He sighed. “I thought you were tired?”
“I am but not that tired. We’ve both been under a lot of pressure, and I miss you.” I scratched my nails up his side and nibbled on his ear lobe.
“Not tonight, sweetheart.”
I exhaled. “Really?” I rolled off him. “That’s not the reaction I was hoping for.”
“Oh, come on. I didn’t mean it like that.” He turned on his side and patted my stomach. “I just need to watch this game. We have an account we’re trying to land, and their current agency’s spots are on during this game. I need to know what we’re up against.” He raised his brows, and a sly grin spread across his lips. “Can I have a rain check?”