Reclaiming My Wife

by Jessica Blake

  I ordered and paid for our beers. There was a group of women waiting behind me, and all of their eyes were glued on me. Some I had rebuffed and some I had not, but at least I recognized these women.

  None of them looked very happy to see me.

  “It seems, my boy, that you make an impression wherever you go,” Harry chuckled as he walked up to me. “And since you have a beer in each hand, I’m going to assume that you aren’t happy about tonight’s attention.”

  “Mr. Blackwell.” I gave him a courtesy nod. Of course I would see him when Jillian was nowhere to be found. “One of these is for my wife, or it will be once I find her. She’s supposed to be getting some food, but it’s easy enough to get swallowed up in this crowd.”

  “It is quite a turnout.” There was a twinkle in his eye. “I wonder what’s new this year.”

  His gaze strayed to the women behind me, and I clenched my jaw. I didn’t like what he was insinuating. I wasn’t going to deny that I enjoyed women after Jillian and I split, but I never led any of them on. They all knew what I wanted from them, and they knew not to expect anything more from me.

  There was no reason for them to turn Jillian and me into a spectacle.

  “You’re upset,” Harry said softly.

  “Jillian grew up in the city. She’s always lived there. I wanted to show her a good time, and instead, she’s being treated like a leper,” I growled. “I wanted to dance with my wife and show her that our small town still knows how to have a good time.”

  “And the fact that I’m here has nothing to do with it?” Harry pointed out dryly.

  Taking a deep breath, I tightened my grip on my beer. “Actually, Harry, it did have a lot to do with it. In the beginning. Making sure your land falls in the right hands is important to me. It’s important to my family and my livelihood, but Jillian is also important to me, and this transition that I’ve asked her to make isn’t easy on her. Right now, she’s my first concern.”

  Harry didn’t respond, and I turned and scanned across the crowd, searching once again for my wife. When I finally found her, she was also searching the crowd, and our eyes locked. I held up the two beers, and she held up a tray full of food and gestured to an empty picnic table in the corner. Nodding, I turned my attentions back to Harry. “Will you excuse me, Mr. Blackwell? I have a party to enjoy.”

  “So I see. Enjoy the evening, Brendan.”

  I barely heard him as I made my way to Jillian. She was already munching on her fries.

  Well, my fries.

  Raising my eyebrows, I turned the chair around and straddled it as I looked pointedly at the salad on her plate. “Not very hungry?” I teased.

  “I’m just saving you from yourself,” she said as she plucked a few more fries from my tray and sprinkled them over her salad. “So where is your gaggle of women?”

  “Word got around that I was married, and now they all want to murder me,” I responded easily as I smiled. I liked the light and teasing tone in her voice. She looked relaxed and at ease.

  “Tell them that I get first dibs. So what’s the point of this party anyway? Just a chance for everyone to get together and dance and drink and… fight.” She scrunched up her nose as a loud shout arose behind me, and I turned to see two younger guys going at it.

  “That’s the Markham brothers. They’ve been trading the same girlfriend back and forth for five years now. They don’t need a party to fight. Originally, this was a time for the different ranches to show off their newest ponies or their most prized horses. Some ranches still do that, but most of us just come for the beer and the food.” I’d staunchly ignored the annual gathering until now. As a kid, I’d loved it, but the older I got, the more I realized it was more about rubbing elbows than having a good time.

  Up until a few minutes ago, that was exactly what I had planned on doing, but not anymore. I just wanted to see a smile on her face again.

  “I saw you talking to Harry. Is he happy?”

  “Honestly? I don’t know. I decided not to use tonight to further my agenda. I just want to get a few more dances in with you and maybe convince you to partake in the women’s mud wrestling at midnight…” I bobbed my eyebrows.

  She just stared at me, a fry lingering a millimeter from her pretty lips. “You are kidding, right?”

  “And then we can enjoy the rest of the night.” I winked. “You forget that I’ve seen you naked and covered in mud. I think you’d put on quite a show.”

  “There can’t possibly be a women’s mud wrestling event,” she said as she narrowed her eyes.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle. It was so easy to get her riled up. “Not officially, but usually by the end of the night, Donna Seagram has tried to go home with some other woman’s man, and, well, I’m sure you get the picture.” I polished off the ribs and wiped my fingers clean.

  “You always make such a mess with ribs.” Jillian laughed as she leaned over with a napkin. I froze as she wiped a spot just next to my mouth. It was far too tempting to take those fingers and slide them into my mouth just for a chance to get a taste of her again.

  Her eyes widened slightly as she realized what she was doing. As she tensed, I gave her an easy smile. “You were the one who got the ribs,” I pointed out.

  “True.” Clearing her throat, she leaned back in her chair. “So, you said that you wanted a few more dances?”

  “I did. Are you game?”

  Her gaze slid to the dancers, and she took a deep breath. “Actually, I think I’m tired. Would it be okay if we called it a night?”

  “Sure.” I shrugged like I wasn’t disappointed, and when I got up and glanced over my shoulder, I saw what gave her pause. Most of the couples looked like they’d had a few too many drinks and were dancing a little too dirty.

  We finished our beers, tossed our trash, and headed for the car. I didn’t bother saying goodbye to anyone when we left. I had a feeling that Harry was definitely keeping an eye on us and already knew.

  She was quiet on the way home. Her discomfort tempered my desire for her, and when we got back, I just kissed her forehead, wished her a goodnight, and let her walk away.

  As I closed the door to my bedroom, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This whole friendship thing might be the death of me.

  ***

  “I told you that I already looked through Dennis Blackwell’s financials. There’s nothing there,” Gordon complained as he squinted at me. Behind me, the sun was already setting, but I was still an hour behind with work. Two of the ranch hands didn’t show today, and I’d barely gotten two hours of sleep. My nights had been plagued with memories.

  “Jillian, talk to me, please,” I begged from the doorway to the bedroom. It had been weeks, and she hadn’t said a word to me. I ached for the child we’d lost, but she was wasting away right in front of me. “At least eat something.”

  She turned in the bed and stared out the window. I wasn’t sure she even heard me. I wasn’t even sure that she knew that I existed.

  She’d escaped to her own little world, and I couldn’t touch her.

  I rubbed my knuckles over the spot in my chest that still ached from the memory.

  “So, go beyond his financials,” I snapped as I hauled the saddle from the stallion and hung it up. “I’m telling you, there is something shady about the man. He looked at me like he wanted to kill me, and I don’t like the way that he was looking at Jillian.”

  “Was he looking at Jillian like he wanted to sleep with her? Because I’m pretty sure that’s what most of the men were doing last night. Your wife is stunning,” he pointed out.

  “Easy,” I growled.

  “What? I’m just pointing out what you clearly already know? So are you asking me to investigate Gordon? I could hire a private investigator if you want and keep your name out of it, but I’m curious about your motivation. Do you really think the guy is up to something or are you falling in love with your wife?”

  At that, my head snapped up. “Excuse me?
”

  “You said it yourself.” He gave me a lazy grin. “You didn’t like the way Dennis was looking at Jillian. So, are you protecting her or just protecting the land you want?”

  “I’m protecting the land I want.” I led the horse into the stall and locked the door behind me. “And I don’t want Harry to get wind that I’m investigating his son. Will you do it or not?”

  “Sure.”

  “And not give me any lip about it?”

  “Not a chance.” He laughed, slapping a hand on his thigh. “Give me a couple of days to find the right person. I don’t want to use the firm’s investigator since this is personal. I should have someone hired by midweek.”

  “Fine. Don’t worry about the money. I’ll give you whatever you need.”

  “You always do.” He reached down to brush the dust off his shiny leather shoes. “You could have told me all of this on the phone. Is there a reason you made me drive all the way up here?”

  “Dinner,” I said gruffly. “You’re here to eat some damn dinner with me.” I’d only seen Jillian in glimpses today. She was dressed in a tight pair of jeans and a tank top that showed off just an inch of her midriff. It didn’t fit the Jillian of today with her pants suits and sensible pumps. It was something that she would have worn back in college. Something that she knew would drive me crazy. I knew that she wasn’t doing it on purpose, but God help me, if she was still wearing it at dinner, I wouldn’t even begin to know how to control myself.

  I needed a buffer and since Kim was never around at dinner, that meant Gordon.

  “You made me come up all the way up here for dinner,” Gordon said slowly. “Are we celebrating something? Did I forget our anniversary again, honey?”

  I was about to tell him to cram it, but part of me was afraid he might have something else planned. “Please.”

  His eyebrows arched, and he actually took a step back. “Please? Are you dying or something, man? Has Jillian resorted to poisoning your food? Man, I don’t want to die tonight. I’ve got a date with a yoga instructor this weekend, and I really don’t want to die without seeing her wrap her leg around the back of her head.”

  I snorted, appreciating my friend’s humor even if it wasn’t enough to make me laugh outright. “Dinner has been tense lately. I thought some company might help lighten the mood.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

  “Buffer. You want me to be your buffer? Christ.” He sighed. “Will your sister be there? She drives me insane.”

  “Doubtful. She’s been avoiding Jillian like the plague. Hates the woman although I have no idea why. She didn’t even meet Jillian when we were married.” Sighing, I rubbed the back of my neck. “Look, I’d owe you one. Okay?”

  “Reservations,” Gordon said instantly. “Use that wealthy name of yours to get me a table at Bella Vie this Saturday night, and I’ll spend every dinner with you from now until this weekend.”

  It wasn’t the first time I’d made reservations for Gordon, and it certainly wasn’t difficult. I’d done my fair share of rubbing elbows at fancy restaurants to make sure certain deals would go through.

  “Done. I need to clean up and get ready. Try to stay out of trouble while I’m in the shower, okay?”

  He grinned. “I don’t make any promises.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Jillian

  “Out late again?” I whispered in the dark as he came stumbling in. The stench of beer was heavy in the air, and just as I had during the last month, I closed my eyes and feared what might come next.

  The smell of another woman’s perfume.

  It was an unfounded fear. I’d never seen any evidence that Brendan was stepping out on me, but I wasn’t touching him. I hadn’t in three months, and Brendan liked sex. Could I blame him if he found it somewhere else?

  “Worked late. Had a drink with Gordon,” he muttered. Even in the dark, I could hear him stripping out of his clothes. My heart ached. I wanted him to touch me, but he didn’t anymore. He hadn’t since I’d burst into tears when he tried to kiss me.

  “More than a drink.” I was picking. I should have left it alone.

  His sigh cut through the thick silence like a knife. “I’m going to sleep on the couch.”

  As the door closed, I buried my head in the pillow and hoped it muffled the sound of my sobs.

  My phone rang just before dawn. Even in the pitch black and still struggling through the haze of sleep, I knew instantly who was calling. Who always called at the most inappropriate times.

  Cindy.

  Groaning, I rolled over and squinted as the screen lit up. Professionally, I knew that I shouldn’t take her call, but personally, I liked Cindy. The way I’d up and left wouldn’t have been easy on her.

  “Hello?” I said groggily.

  “Jillian!” Cindy wailed. “I’m so sorry to call you this early, but I just had to talk to someone. Please don’t hang up on me!”

  “Breathe, Cindy.” Pushing the tangled mess of hair out of my face, I sat up and pushed a pillow up behind me. “I’m not going to hang up on you. What’s going on?”

  “Patrick Galloway asked me to be his date for some fundraiser gala event, and I accepted. I don’t know what I was thinking! Steven is going to be so mad when he finds out!” Her labored breathing grew more intense, and I was worried that she was going to pass out.

  Patrick Galloway. I knew the name, but I wasn’t sure why. Actor? Singer? Movie producer or director? “Cindy, you and Steven broke up six months ago. He has no right to voice his opinion about who you go out with now, remember? And even if he did, you’re the only one who gives it any power.”

  “Right.” She sniffed. “I’m supposed to be living my life without him. Oh, Jillian, I really do need to see you. Can’t you just pop by the city for some lunch on Saturday? You always calm me down, and I need to put on my best face at the awards show.”

  “Are you nominated for anything?”

  There was a beat of silence. “Jillian, I can’t believe you’d even ask. Of course I’m nominated. My work in Summer Skies was excellent.”

  I hadn’t even seen the movie, but I didn’t want to tell Jillian that. “You don’t need to have lunch with me. In fact, you don’t even eat the day of the awards.”

  “Well, of course I won’t be eating.” She sighed loudly. “Jillian, please. You’re my friend, and this is a big night for me.”

  Boundaries, I reminded myself. We were working on boundaries. On the other hand, it would be nice to spend the weekend in the city and get away from Brendan for a few days. Since the hoedown last weekend, things had been tense between us, and I only had myself to blame.

  The truth was, with the exception of Dennis and some of the women who seemed to hate me on sight, the night had been fun. Dancing in his arms, I’d been dangerously close to slipping back into my old self. The old self that had always just melted against him. We were supposed to be friends, and I had been ready to jump his bones.

  I needed to control myself, and some distance would help with that.

  “Normally, this is something I would advise against, but I could use a break here. I’ll check into a hotel Saturday morning and meet you for lunch around noon. How does that sound?” I didn’t want to head back to my apartment. I wasn’t ready for all the questions Danielle would no doubt have for me.

  The actress squealed with delight. After saying goodbye, I hung up and settled back in the pillows. Through my window, a small shaft of light filtered through as the sun rose. I could have gotten at least another hour of sleep, but I was wide awake. Sitting here alone in the dark would only invite more flashes of memories and what-if questions that I didn’t want to entertain.

  Instead, I got up and dressed quietly. I figured the rest of the house wouldn’t be up yet, but as I opened the door and stepped out, I immediately ran into Brendan.

  A half-naked Brendan.

  He didn’t see me. Running his hand through his hair, he navigated the dark hall while he muttered quiet oaths unde
r his breath. I’d never known him to be a morning person, and from the looks of things, he hadn’t changed much.

  “Want me to make some coffee?” I asked quietly.

  Hissing, he whirled around and blinked at me. “You’re up?”

  “I am. A little hungover after spending half the night drinking with Gordon?” By the time I’d gone to bed last night, the two of them were still knocking back beers out back.

  “Not hungover. Just can’t find my damn shirt,” he swore.

  “And you thought that it would be in the living room?”

  “No. I thought maybe I dropped it last night when I grabbed the laundry. Why the hell are you up so early? I like my mornings quiet.” As he brushed past me, my fingers reached out like they had a mind of their own and grazed across his hard abs. He froze and inhaled sharply.

  What was I thinking? I almost stopped to apologize, but that would just prolong the humiliation. “I got a phone call. I’ll start coffee while you look for your shirt.”

  “Fine.”

  Turning on the light above the sink, I grabbed the coffee pot. It still had some of yesterday’s coffee in it, so I dumped it out and rinsed it clean. Starting a new pot, I leaned against the counter and watched as Brendan emerged from the laundry room. To my relief, he was fully dressed.

  “I think there are still some biscuits left over from dinner. Want me to warm up a couple for you?”

  “Coffee first.” Yawning, he straddled the stool at the breakfast bar and wrinkled his forehead. “Who would be calling you at this hour? Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. I have a client who thought she was having a panic attack. Actually, she asked me to have lunch with her on Saturday, so I’m planning on going to the city this weekend. Is that okay?”

  “Clients? I thought you weren’t practicing yet.”

  “I’m not. She’s more of an informal client.”

  “Right.” He tapped his fingers on the counter. “Actually, I’ve got a party on Saturday night in the city. I was just going to drive up for the night and get a hotel room, but we can go together and spend the weekend.”

  “Together?” I practically squeaked. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”