Home to You

by Robyn Carr

  Suddenly Matt glanced up and met Simon’s eyes. Something passed between them. Simon wasn’t sure what. An acknowledgment of their interest in the same woman, perhaps. Simon expected Matt to realize he was being rude if not confrontational by staring at him with that challenging expression, but he didn’t seem to care. He didn’t glance away until someone addressed him again.

  “You heard about Gail, right?” A man at Matt’s table had noticed the exchange. Seeing Simon had obviously reminded him of Gail.

  Lowering his gaze to his computer as if he was no longer paying attention, Simon strained to hear Matt’s response, but it was impossible. The football player mumbled his words while turning in the other direction.

  Simon almost got up to leave. There was no point in staying if he was too distracted to comprehend what he was reading, but before he could sign off his computer, Gail walked in.

  The memory of waking with his hand up her shirt brought a deluge of testosterone. He hadn’t touched her on purpose, but once he came awake he’d known instantly what he was doing. He’d stayed where he was for a few minutes, savoring the feel of her. It’d been an effort not to roll her onto her back so he could put his mouth where his fingers were. But then he grew so hard he was afraid she’d be able to feel his erection. So he’d gotten up and left before she could accuse him of trying to seduce her.

  “Over here,” he called with a wave.

  She smiled brightly—until she saw Matt. Then she almost missed a step.

  Wanting to be sure she came to him first, Simon stood to regain her attention. But Matt had spotted her, too. Getting up, he limped quite handily past Simon, despite his knee, and swept her into his arms. His bigger body all but engulfed hers, reminding Simon of the comment she’d tossed at him yesterday: He’s so big.

  Even with the memory of that statement ringing in his ears, Simon might not have minded. It was just a hug. Except that Matt held on a little too long—and Gail closed her eyes during the embrace, making Simon feel he was witnessing a far more intimate exchange.

  When Matt finally released her, they had a short conversation. Then, without even glancing at Simon, Gail headed to the counter to place her order and Matt started back to his seat. Simon thought he’d pass right by. He’d already put on a show that underscored his importance in her life, which, Simon suspected, was exactly what he’d hoped to achieve. But he stopped, and he seemed more upset than smug when he rapped his knuckles on Simon’s table. “She’s a good woman,” he said.

  He gave Simon no clue how he was supposed to interpret that remark, but Simon could guess. And he didn’t like the implication: She’s too good for you. “Is that why you backed off last summer?” he asked.

  A flicker of surprise appeared on Matt’s broad face. “Damn right. It’s the only reason. She’s the type you take seriously.”

  “You don’t call marriage serious?”

  “Not when you don’t have any idea what marriage means.”

  Leaning back, Simon crossed his arms. “You’re saying you do?”

  “Damn right.”

  “Then I guess your loss is my gain.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Matt retorted.

  “Excuse me?” he said, abandoning his relaxed pose.

  Matt lowered his voice. “I’ll be waiting when you screw up. And if I know you, that won’t be long.”

  Simon couldn’t help clenching his jaw. “You don’t know me. That’s the point.”

  “Everybody knows you,” he said, and moved on.

  Gail joined Simon a second later. She must have seen their interaction, but didn’t ask what her old flame had to say. Obviously she didn’t want to talk about Matt. “How do you feel this morning?” she said instead.

  Simon felt as if he’d just been slugged in the stomach, which was an odd reaction considering his fear that she might get too attached to him. “As if I’m standing in your way,” he admitted.

  “Why?” Lines of confusion appeared on her forehead, but then understanding dawned. “You mean...” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “You’re not standing in my way. I told you, it was one date. And he never called me after.”

  Simon sipped his espresso. “I think he’s regretting not making his intentions clearer.”

  “I doubt it.”

  He definitely was, but Simon didn’t argue. He wasn’t used to being with a woman who wanted someone else. His ex had cheated on him almost from the start, but only because she relished his jealous reaction. No matter how much he professed his love, making him prove it was the one thing that reassured her he still cared. She’d thrived on getting him so angry he was ready to kill whatever man she’d been with, and the second their relationship settled into a calm or even semiregular routine she’d pull something else. Especially after Ty was born, because threatening to split up and take him with her instantly threw Simon into the panic she was hoping for.

  Gail wasn’t like that. She was emotionally stable, didn’t indulge in theatrics. But she’d married him even though she was in love with someone else, and he wasn’t quite sure what he should do about it.

  Maybe nothing. In two years she’d be free to marry Matt. Still, making her put her life on hold for so long felt pretty selfish, particularly now that Matt seemed ready to step up.

  Somehow Simon had lost interest in reading scripts. “Have you heard from Kathy?” he asked.

  “I have.” She put her cup on the table. “She left a voice mail while I was in the shower. She has a purchase agreement for us to sign, said we can drop by her office anytime.” She motioned to his computer. “What have you been working on?”

  “Nothing.” He closed his laptop. “Can we get the key today? Move in?”

  “If we sign a rental agreement covering the period until escrow closes, I don’t see why not.”

  If they were in their new place, he couldn’t wake with his hand up her shirt again because they’d be sleeping in separate beds. Now, more than ever, they needed to give each other space. “What about furniture?”

  “We could head over to Sacramento and do some shopping.”

  “Sounds good.” After meeting Matt, he could use a break from Whiskey Creek.

  He packed up his laptop and led Gail out of the coffee shop. To her credit, she didn’t so much as turn toward Matt, but Simon could feel the other man’s eyes following them all the way to the door.

  * * *

  Gail knew she was being too quiet. It was becoming obvious that encountering Matt at the coffee shop had left her reeling. If he hadn’t seemed so upset that she’d gotten married, maybe she could’ve taken it in stride. In the past few months, she’d convinced herself that he wasn’t interested in her. But when he hugged her he’d muttered, “I blew it,” and sounded genuinely disappointed.

  She hadn’t responded to that. There wasn’t time, and she wasn’t about to undermine the believability of her marriage to Simon with a “Wait for me. This isn’t real.” For one thing, she’d look too mercenary, as if she’d done it for the money. She’d kept the secret for other reasons, too. Simon seemed to be stabilizing. The last thing he needed was for his new wife to become regretful or act as if she wanted to break up with him on account of an old crush.

  She felt she’d handled the situation well, but she didn’t have it in her to make small talk. She kept wondering...if she’d left Simon to solve his own problems and tried to figure out another way to rebuild her business, as Callie had suggested, would she and Matt have had a chance? Would they finally have gotten together? She’d planned on marrying him since she was thirteen!

  As they drove to Sacramento, she stared out at the passing landscape, remembering how she and Callie used to take turns peering through a knothole in Callie’s back fence while Matt threw a football with his father or older brother.

  Maybe his knee inj
ury and the possibility that his football career might be coming to an end were making him consider settling down. Maybe he wouldn’t go back to Wisconsin, after all. He could stay in Whiskey Creek. He could even marry someone else while she was tied to Simon.

  Wouldn’t that be ironic? It was probably what she deserved for telling the world such a lie about Simon and her....

  “You okay?” Since they’d left Whiskey Creek, Simon hadn’t spoken much, either.

  She dug through her purse for her lip gloss so she wouldn’t have to look at him. She was afraid of what he might see in her face. “Fine, why?”

  “Are we going to pretend?”

  “Yes,” she said simply.

  He had the sunroof open. The warm, midmorning air ruffled his hair, but she’d put hers in a ponytail to keep it out of her face. “Why didn’t you tell me you were in a romantic relationship?” he asked.

  They were both wearing sunglasses, which helped hide their feelings and reactions. Today, Gail liked the buffer those glasses provided. She didn’t necessarily want to know what Simon was thinking, and she sure as heck didn’t want him to discern her thoughts. “I told you—I wasn’t. I don’t know what’s going on. I think... I think Matt’s return home is just bad timing.”

  “When you’re ready, he’s not. When he’s ready, you’re not.”

  “Something like that.”

  “We could make some changes in our...arrangement,” Simon pointed out.

  This was a business deal. She didn’t mean anything to Simon on an emotional level so she didn’t have to worry about hurting him. She understood that. But she couldn’t dissolve the marriage too soon. He’d lose all the ground they’d just regained. And if that happened, it could be the trigger that would send him back to the bottle. He needed more time.

  She could give him that, couldn’t she? “I’m okay. I’ll take one for the team.”

  His lips thinned. “Choosing me over him is taking one for the team? Wow, you really know how to flatter a guy.”

  “You have enough women drooling over you. You don’t need me for that.” Actually, she drooled over him plenty. She just didn’t want him to know it. Whenever she was sure he wasn’t aware of it, she found herself watching him. It was a good thing she understood the difference between reality and fantasy. Matt was someone she’d known her whole life, someone she had a right to hope for. Except for this brief period of time, and their very practical reasons for being together, Simon was as out of reach as the moon. Once their two years were up, he’d shoot back into orbit.

  She just hoped she’d still have some semblance of her old life to resort to—and that she’d be satisfied with it.

  His phone buzzed on the console, but he didn’t even glance at it.

  “You have a new text message,” she said in case he’d been too preoccupied to hear.

  “I know.”

  “Want me to read it to you?”

  “No.”

  “Want me to drive so you can read it?”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m not interested right now.”

  “Why not?” She looked down and saw the message. “It’s from Bella.”

  He didn’t seem surprised, which concerned her.

  “Why would she be texting you?”

  Lifting his bottom from the seat, he shoved his phone in his jeans pocket. “If you knew Bella you’d understand.”

  “What does she have to say?”

  “Nothing new, I’m sure.”

  Another ripple of alarm went through Gail. “You haven’t been contacting her, have you?”

  “No. Not once—at least, not in several weeks.” He sounded adamant. Whether she was right to take his word for it or not, she believed him. She hadn’t caught him lying to her yet. He’d actually told her some pretty harsh truths—including the fact that he was incapable of falling in love again. She figured he deserved the benefit of the doubt.

  “She’s been reaching out to you?”

  “I wouldn’t call it reaching out.”

  “What would you call it?”

  “Bella’s own brand of torture.”

  “Which means...”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “Sure it matters. Why is she texting you?”

  “She sends shit she thinks will make me mad.”

  “Such as...”

  He grimaced. “‘Meet Ty’s new daddy.’ ‘Before long your little boy won’t even remember your name.’ Crap like that.”

  Outrage gnawed at Gail’s soul. “That’s not fair! She has a restraining order against you. How is it that you can’t contact her, but she can contact you?”

  “Welcome to Bella’s world, where nothing ever makes sense. You can’t fight emotion with logic. I learned that years ago.”

  “So you haven’t gone to the police.”

  He looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “What do you want me to say? ‘My ex-wife keeps sending me upsetting texts?’ How do you think that’ll make me look?”

  Gail supposed it did sound a little whiny. “Well...can you block her, at least?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never blocked anyone. But even if I could, I wouldn’t.”

  “Why not?”

  His gaze slid over to her again. “Because she has my son, and I need to know if anything happens to him.”

  Gail adjusted her seat belt so she could turn toward him. “Does she ever send you anything to do with him?”

  He passed a slower-moving Honda. “I’ll get a picture every now and then.”

  “So she tries to be nice sometimes.”

  “Definitely not,” he said with a laugh. “She’s twisting the knife, but that’s better than nothing.”

  Having full custody of his son had empowered his ex-wife. It tied Simon’s hands behind his back while she was free to slug away. That drove Gail crazy. But as long as Bella had Ty, Simon would remain defenseless. He wouldn’t fight her if there was any chance Ty could get hurt.

  “She’s taking advantage of your love for your son.”

  “Is that news?” he asked.

  She thought most people would be pretty surprised if they ever learned the rest of the story. Bella had done such a good job of smearing Simon as a heartless, irresponsible, selfish bastard. “We’re going to get him back.”

  He slid his glasses down until he could see over the top of them. “And Matt?”

  “Matt’s going to Green Bay to play football.”

  “While you keep up appearances with me.”

  “Yes.”

  “I can depend on that?”

  She slipped her hand inside his and felt far more gratified than she should have when his fingers curled through hers. “You can depend on it.”

  * * *

  “What is it you want me to do?”

  Simon checked to make sure Gail was still engaged with the furniture salesman across the display area. Ian sounded understandably shocked, but what good was money if Simon couldn’t use it to assuage his conscience? “I want you to call Mark Nunes, the diamond guy.”

  “I heard that part. But then I thought you said to buy Gail a five-carat diamond.”

  “That is what I said. Have him design the setting himself. Tell him it better be good, too.”

  Just out of hearing range, the salesman was having Gail try out another leather couch, one with a recliner at both ends.

  “Why are you doing this?” Ian asked. “You got away with a gold band, man. Why would you buy her anything else? You know she’ll just want to keep it when this is over, don’t you?”

  He didn’t care about that. She was sacrificing more than he’d expected so she deserved a nicer ring. Or maybe it was the sudden competition. He wanted to appear more favorable than some dysfun
ctional movie star destined to devastate the town sweetheart. He had his shortcomings but he wanted people like Matt to know that at least he was generous with his money. Professional athletes made a fair amount, but chances were good, very good, that Matt couldn’t give Gail a diamond of quite the same value. There weren’t a lot of men who could.

  “Just do it.”

  “Okay, but...how am I supposed to get it to you?” Ian asked. “I can’t imagine the insurance company would cover it if it got lost in transit. They have stipulations on stuff like that.”

  They’d learned a few of those stipulations when Bella had lost her wedding ring and demanded that he replace it with one twice as expensive. Turned out, the insurance company was right to be careful. She’d been lying about losing the ring, had merely wanted to get another rise out of Simon.

  “Drive it to me if you have to,” he said, and hung up because Gail was coming toward him.

  “Who was that?” she asked when she was close enough. “Not Bella...”

  “No. Ian.”

  “What did he want?”

  He could tell by her tone that she didn’t hold Ian in the highest esteem. “He was giving me an update on some business at home.”

  “Everything okay?”

  She was searching his face so he manufactured a bland smile. “Fine.”

  “Do you like this?” Drawing him over to the brown leather couch he’d seen her sit on, she insisted he try it out.

  “Feels comfortable to me,” he said as he settled into the recliner at one end.

  “I like it, too,” she mused. “But...it’s almost ten grand.”

  The salesman, an older guy with a toupee, stood at a respectful distance so they could discuss their buying decision. If he recognized Simon as a celebrity, he didn’t show it. He probably hadn’t seen a movie since Casablanca.

  “Would you quit that?” Simon murmured.

  “Quit what?”

  “Worrying about price!” Bella hadn’t thought anything was too much if she wanted it. Buying her the best of everything was just another way he was required to prove his love. Gail acted as if she didn’t want to be a burden.