A Chance at Love (A Ferry Creek Novel): (a billionaire romance novel) by Karolyn James

Have
you two talked? I mean, just because you can ’ t
get pregnant doesn ’ t mean
it should end. ”
    Katey nodded. “ Of course I know that. He
probably knows that, too. But... he cheated on me. I know he did and he won ’ t admit it. ”
    The news appeared to floor Jess. It
was no real secret though that Katey and Nick had their disagreements. To be
honest, from the moment Katey and Nick got together, she knew they seemed like
such an odd couple. Nick was thick, with tattoos. He loved cars and women and
that addiction went back into high school. Katey was a bookworm. She managed to
sell a romance novel and make some money. Together, they looked opposite and
apparently opposites didn ’ t
always attract.
    “ How
do you know? ” Jess asked.
She didn ’ t want to stay on
the subject but maybe Katey needed to get it out.
    “ I
just know, ” Katey said. “ And not some kind of
paranoid-crazy-woman kind of know. I know. In his office. With this woman... ”
    “ Katey,
you don ’ t have to do this. ”
    “ I
do, ” Katey said. “ I have to get this off my chest
before I go crazy. ”
    Jess moved back and was all ears.
    “ This
woman came up from Georgia after talking to Nick online about a car. She had a
sports car and wanted Nick to customize it. From the second I met her I knew
she was trouble. Everything about her was fake. Jess, I mean... everything .
Okay? She was beautiful and the way Nick ’ s
eyes lit up when he saw her, I worried right then. I mean, sure, Nick always
looks at women. But this was different. I felt self conscious after that and
Nick started working late to please this woman. He told me it was because she
came from Georgia. He needed to get her car done. Fine. I went along with it.
He spent days and hours, sometimes not coming home at all. He told me she was
in a hotel... and I had to check. Okay? I just had to check. I did and she wasn ’ t staying at a hotel. She was
staying with Nick in his flat above the shop. I confronted him and he denied it
and refused to talk about it. When she was around, Nick and I didn ’ t have sex once. When she left,
he couldn ’ t get enough of
me.
    “ But
that wasn ’ t it, Jess. A few
weeks later this woman needed more work done. She came back two more times
before she told Nick she was moving to California for a job. Ever since then,
Nick has been lost. Like he regrets me. He hates being married. Everything is
different now. Everything has been different. We started arguing two weeks ago
and each time I try to bring it up and fix it, he leaves and stays at the shop
overnight. ”
    “ Oh,
Katey, ” Jess whispered. “ I ’ m
sorry. ”
    “ Me
too. I can ’ t do it. How can
I? ”
    “ What
are you going to do then? ”
    “ Maybe
I ’ ll move back here. I ’ ll start over. ”
    “ Well,
it ’ s a good place to do
just that, ” Jess said. “ But I think you should talk to
Nick first. Find a way to force him to talk. ”
    “ Maybe
if I get a fake pair of boobs and some tattoos... ”
    Katey ’ s
chin quivered and Jess lunged forward to hug her friend.
    “ I ’ m not going to cry, ” Katey said. “ I ’ m
not. I refuse to. ”
    “ Okay.
Don ’ t cry then. ”
    “ I
won ’ t. ” Katey moved away from Jess and
stood up. She took deep breaths. “ Tell
me something. Tell me something that ’ s
happening around here. ”
    “ Okay, ” Jess said. “ I ’ ve
got a story for you. Bobby might have a brother. ”
    “ Bobby...
wait, Bob ’ s Bobby? ”
    “ Yeah, ” Jess said. “ It all started a few weeks ago.
You know Bob is dying, right? ”
    “ I
heard, ” Katey said. “ It ’ s
sad. ”
    Katey started to walk toward the
kitchen and Jess hurried after her. Katey knew Jess was tracking her down to
make sure she didn ’ t find
her keys and try to leave. That ’ s
not why Katey went to the kitchen. Katey the cupboard and grabbed a glass. She
filled it with water and drank it in one big gulp. When Katey turned, Jess
looked