Broken Open
Page 41
“I was planning our wedding, getting ready to move away from my hometown to Seattle, where Eric had a job. Boxing stuff up. I confronted him as he walked in the door. He confessed immediately. He begged my forgiveness. He said he loved me and wanted to be with me. He’d chosen me, deliberately every single day of his life since he returned from that program he’d been in over two years before. I went home, because that’s what you do. Anyway, my mom was awesome. She said love can start a marriage, but a commitment is what kept it together. Did I think Eric would do it again or did I think if I forgave him I could have a really wonderful life with a man who wasn’t perfect but one who loved me? You listen to me, Kelly. Lots of people will say if he or she ever cheated I’d break up with them forever. And maybe you should, given the circumstances. Hell, you did. But it’s how long ago now?”
“Eight years. I served him with papers eight years ago.”
“You’re a different person now. Maybe he is, too.” Tuesday shrugged. “Maybe not. But you get to think about it if you want to. Screw what anyone else says about it.”
“You were glad then? That you gave him another chance?”
Tuesday nodded. “Yes. I never regretted it.”
“Thanks for that. I needed to hear it. Can I say something else? Not about men or marriage.”
“Sure.”
“I wasn’t sure what I expected when you said you owned and ran a custom framing shop. But, Tuesday, this is so much more than that. This is a gallery. You should call it that.”
“I guess you weren’t the only one who needed to hear something today. Thank you.”
Kelly hugged her as they walked to the door. “I’m excited about this. I’ll have our agreement sent to you so you can have your attorney look it over. In the meantime, I’d like to buy that choker. The blue-and-citrine one.”
“Damn, you have good taste.”
Tuesday believed in her gut when it came to meeting people. Kelly fit into Tuesday’s life a lot like Natalie had. Pretty much instantly. Which Tuesday believed was exactly what was supposed to happen.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“I REALLY THINK all four of us and the dog in one vehicle up to the mountains is a bad idea. Paddy is a horrible passenger and an even worse driver.”
Tuesday looked at his reflection as he moved around in the room behind her. They were set to leave for the cabin in the mountains within the next hour and he’d jumped her the moment she’d come through his front door that morning, so she needed to get herself back in order.
“Honestly, you two.”
“You smell good.” He ranged around, always busy, but got increasingly closer until he was close enough to kiss her shoulder.
“Coconut oil. I use it in my hair.”
She caught a flash of white in his reflection as he dragged his teeth over her skin where her shoulder met her neck.
“Don’t get started on something you cannot finish to my satisfaction, Ezra.”
The gaze he flicked to hers was full of amusement. “Your exacting standards, as always, must be met.”
“I’m glad we can agree on that.” She turned into his arms as he picked her up and put her on the edge of his bathroom counter. “Just tell Paddy and Nat to go up first because we have the dog.”
“I’ll tell him he’s a fucked-up driver and I don’t want to have to dig my heels through the floorboard for an hour and a half.”
“Or you could say that so the two of you can get your punching out of the way before the trip.”
He thought it over and she sighed, smiling. “Go on. Call him or go over there or whatever. I’ll finish loading your truck.”
He rolled his eyes before dropping a kiss on her forehead. “Yeah, that’ll happen. Never. Anyway, I’ll finish loading the stuff and then we’ll drive over to his place on the way out and tell him then.”
“I’m perfectly capable of lifting things to put them in the bed of a truck.”
She followed him out, catching a cat before he could dig those little claws into Tuesday for an assist up to her arms. Tuesday held the squirming cat so they could get eye to eye. “You, rogue, go use those claws in a tree, not my leg.” She kissed the top of a furry head and put him down.
He wound through her legs and then trotted alongside as she grabbed her duffel bag and headed out the front door.
Ezra gave her a look, but she tossed her duffel up to him, satisfied with his oof when he caught it.
“Oh, wait, was that heavy? The thing I just tossed to you?”
He fit the bag into some slot, Tetris style. “I’m not disputing your ability. Or your strength. I like to do things for you. It pleases me when you let me.”
He was so good at that stuff.
“Whatever. It’s not like I suffer watching you bunch and flex.”
Paddy and Natalie pulled up as Ezra finished strapping down everything in the back of the truck.
“He’s coming over here to suggest we drive separately. Saves me from having to do it,” Ezra muttered as he jumped down.
Natalie gave Ezra a hug as she approached with Paddy at her side. “Hey there, sweetheart.”
Natalie beamed at him and then winked at Tuesday.
Tuesday tipped her chin. “We’ll see you guys up there.”
Natalie wasn’t surprised at all. Tuesday knew this because they’d discussed this very thing a few days before. Neither woman had a problem driving up together, but they didn’t have any issue going separately, either. Especially because Paddy and Ezra could be superfun or work each other’s nerves until a scuffle broke out.
“Eight years. I served him with papers eight years ago.”
“You’re a different person now. Maybe he is, too.” Tuesday shrugged. “Maybe not. But you get to think about it if you want to. Screw what anyone else says about it.”
“You were glad then? That you gave him another chance?”
Tuesday nodded. “Yes. I never regretted it.”
“Thanks for that. I needed to hear it. Can I say something else? Not about men or marriage.”
“Sure.”
“I wasn’t sure what I expected when you said you owned and ran a custom framing shop. But, Tuesday, this is so much more than that. This is a gallery. You should call it that.”
“I guess you weren’t the only one who needed to hear something today. Thank you.”
Kelly hugged her as they walked to the door. “I’m excited about this. I’ll have our agreement sent to you so you can have your attorney look it over. In the meantime, I’d like to buy that choker. The blue-and-citrine one.”
“Damn, you have good taste.”
Tuesday believed in her gut when it came to meeting people. Kelly fit into Tuesday’s life a lot like Natalie had. Pretty much instantly. Which Tuesday believed was exactly what was supposed to happen.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“I REALLY THINK all four of us and the dog in one vehicle up to the mountains is a bad idea. Paddy is a horrible passenger and an even worse driver.”
Tuesday looked at his reflection as he moved around in the room behind her. They were set to leave for the cabin in the mountains within the next hour and he’d jumped her the moment she’d come through his front door that morning, so she needed to get herself back in order.
“Honestly, you two.”
“You smell good.” He ranged around, always busy, but got increasingly closer until he was close enough to kiss her shoulder.
“Coconut oil. I use it in my hair.”
She caught a flash of white in his reflection as he dragged his teeth over her skin where her shoulder met her neck.
“Don’t get started on something you cannot finish to my satisfaction, Ezra.”
The gaze he flicked to hers was full of amusement. “Your exacting standards, as always, must be met.”
“I’m glad we can agree on that.” She turned into his arms as he picked her up and put her on the edge of his bathroom counter. “Just tell Paddy and Nat to go up first because we have the dog.”
“I’ll tell him he’s a fucked-up driver and I don’t want to have to dig my heels through the floorboard for an hour and a half.”
“Or you could say that so the two of you can get your punching out of the way before the trip.”
He thought it over and she sighed, smiling. “Go on. Call him or go over there or whatever. I’ll finish loading your truck.”
He rolled his eyes before dropping a kiss on her forehead. “Yeah, that’ll happen. Never. Anyway, I’ll finish loading the stuff and then we’ll drive over to his place on the way out and tell him then.”
“I’m perfectly capable of lifting things to put them in the bed of a truck.”
She followed him out, catching a cat before he could dig those little claws into Tuesday for an assist up to her arms. Tuesday held the squirming cat so they could get eye to eye. “You, rogue, go use those claws in a tree, not my leg.” She kissed the top of a furry head and put him down.
He wound through her legs and then trotted alongside as she grabbed her duffel bag and headed out the front door.
Ezra gave her a look, but she tossed her duffel up to him, satisfied with his oof when he caught it.
“Oh, wait, was that heavy? The thing I just tossed to you?”
He fit the bag into some slot, Tetris style. “I’m not disputing your ability. Or your strength. I like to do things for you. It pleases me when you let me.”
He was so good at that stuff.
“Whatever. It’s not like I suffer watching you bunch and flex.”
Paddy and Natalie pulled up as Ezra finished strapping down everything in the back of the truck.
“He’s coming over here to suggest we drive separately. Saves me from having to do it,” Ezra muttered as he jumped down.
Natalie gave Ezra a hug as she approached with Paddy at her side. “Hey there, sweetheart.”
Natalie beamed at him and then winked at Tuesday.
Tuesday tipped her chin. “We’ll see you guys up there.”
Natalie wasn’t surprised at all. Tuesday knew this because they’d discussed this very thing a few days before. Neither woman had a problem driving up together, but they didn’t have any issue going separately, either. Especially because Paddy and Ezra could be superfun or work each other’s nerves until a scuffle broke out.
