much time trying to make their marriage work. I just wish they wouldn’t have waited, that’s all. When they could no longer convince themselves they were happy, they should have ended it.”
She worked as she absorbed what he said. “You must feel like every memory of them together was a lie.”
“Some of them, yes. They basically played roles for my benefit. The good, loving mother who doted on her husband. The steady, kind, disciplinary father who took care of his wife. Now that I can see what phonies they were, it makes me bitter. I’d rather they fought and threw things. At least it would have been real.” He handed her a glass from the sink, which was full of about a day’s worth of dishes.
She took it from him. “You must not like your parents much.”
“Oh, no. Contrary. I love them both very much.”
She breathed a laugh. “Really.”
“Yes, especially now that I know who they really are.”
“Is that what you think you have with women? Real relationships?” She put the glass in the dishwasher.
“Unconditionally.” He truly believed in sticking with the truth no matter how ugly or harmful. Maybe that was the homicide detective in him. Maybe he’d learned from his parents.
With the water still running in the sink, she rested her hands on the counter and turned her head toward him. “Do you believe in love?”
This qualified as personal, but he didn’t object. She needed to understand. “I believe we’re meant to love lots of people, not just one. And I don’t mean that it’s okay to be unfaithful. Monogamy is important while the relationship lasts.”
“That’s not love.”
“It’s a form of love.” He rinsed a plate and handed it to her.
She took it. “No. That’s impulsively going from one relationship to the next and not holding out for the one that really matters.”
But the one that really matters didn’t exist. To him, every woman he was with mattered, not just one, exulted one. One, superior woman was the stuff of fairy tales. Like Cinderella. Pure fantasy. A wonderful, magical dream. She walked into that ballroom alone and everyone stopped just to watch her come down the stairs in her fairy godmother gown that outshined all others. Something like that would never happen in real life. A man didn’t find a woman who made all others seem plain and insignificant.
But he didn’t think he could make Drury understand.
“It’s love to me,” he said.
She put the plate in the dishwasher. “No. That is not love. Clearly you’ve never been in love.”
“I only know what works for me.” He handed her another plate.
“Well. Thanks for the warning, then.” She put the plate in the dishwasher and glanced at him from behind a sexy curtain of hair.
He didn’t say she likely idolized her husband in death and merely thought she had true love with him. He wouldn’t argue over this. He wouldn’t have a chance with her. He’d scared her off. Well, good. He didn’t need his ideals put to any kind of love test anyway. Especially since he also had to put aside the nagging feeling that his attraction to her rose above anything he’d ever experienced before.
His Cinderella...?
Chapter 3
C arter Nichols stepped out into the reception room of the Division of Alaska State Troopers, Bureau of Investigations Unit. A tall, burly man with close-cropped medium brown hair and light gray eyes, he wore a state trooper’s uniform, blue shirt with an insignia, and black pants with a gun on his belt. He must have left his hat at his desk. Drury had seen some of the other officers wearing them and Carter had always gone without whenever he could. Seeing him reminded her of Noah, but this time the sight of him seemed strangely less impactful. With Brycen by her side, she had to wonder if he had anything to do with that.
Carter went straight to Drury. “Hey, Drury.” He took her into a hug and leaned back. “How are you doing?”
He hugged her every time she came to see him
She worked as she absorbed what he said. “You must feel like every memory of them together was a lie.”
“Some of them, yes. They basically played roles for my benefit. The good, loving mother who doted on her husband. The steady, kind, disciplinary father who took care of his wife. Now that I can see what phonies they were, it makes me bitter. I’d rather they fought and threw things. At least it would have been real.” He handed her a glass from the sink, which was full of about a day’s worth of dishes.
She took it from him. “You must not like your parents much.”
“Oh, no. Contrary. I love them both very much.”
She breathed a laugh. “Really.”
“Yes, especially now that I know who they really are.”
“Is that what you think you have with women? Real relationships?” She put the glass in the dishwasher.
“Unconditionally.” He truly believed in sticking with the truth no matter how ugly or harmful. Maybe that was the homicide detective in him. Maybe he’d learned from his parents.
With the water still running in the sink, she rested her hands on the counter and turned her head toward him. “Do you believe in love?”
This qualified as personal, but he didn’t object. She needed to understand. “I believe we’re meant to love lots of people, not just one. And I don’t mean that it’s okay to be unfaithful. Monogamy is important while the relationship lasts.”
“That’s not love.”
“It’s a form of love.” He rinsed a plate and handed it to her.
She took it. “No. That’s impulsively going from one relationship to the next and not holding out for the one that really matters.”
But the one that really matters didn’t exist. To him, every woman he was with mattered, not just one, exulted one. One, superior woman was the stuff of fairy tales. Like Cinderella. Pure fantasy. A wonderful, magical dream. She walked into that ballroom alone and everyone stopped just to watch her come down the stairs in her fairy godmother gown that outshined all others. Something like that would never happen in real life. A man didn’t find a woman who made all others seem plain and insignificant.
But he didn’t think he could make Drury understand.
“It’s love to me,” he said.
She put the plate in the dishwasher. “No. That is not love. Clearly you’ve never been in love.”
“I only know what works for me.” He handed her another plate.
“Well. Thanks for the warning, then.” She put the plate in the dishwasher and glanced at him from behind a sexy curtain of hair.
He didn’t say she likely idolized her husband in death and merely thought she had true love with him. He wouldn’t argue over this. He wouldn’t have a chance with her. He’d scared her off. Well, good. He didn’t need his ideals put to any kind of love test anyway. Especially since he also had to put aside the nagging feeling that his attraction to her rose above anything he’d ever experienced before.
His Cinderella...?
Chapter 3
C arter Nichols stepped out into the reception room of the Division of Alaska State Troopers, Bureau of Investigations Unit. A tall, burly man with close-cropped medium brown hair and light gray eyes, he wore a state trooper’s uniform, blue shirt with an insignia, and black pants with a gun on his belt. He must have left his hat at his desk. Drury had seen some of the other officers wearing them and Carter had always gone without whenever he could. Seeing him reminded her of Noah, but this time the sight of him seemed strangely less impactful. With Brycen by her side, she had to wonder if he had anything to do with that.
Carter went straight to Drury. “Hey, Drury.” He took her into a hug and leaned back. “How are you doing?”
He hugged her every time she came to see him
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