Her Secret by Tara Fox Hall Page B

I picked up the prescription,
paid the bill, and then headed to the pharmacy at Alan’s Creek.
    The pills were small and yellow. The
instructions said to take one every day with food. Shrugging, I
popped one, and then Theo and I got an early lunch at the Chinese
place in Alan’s Creek. Theo asked a few times during the meal if I
was feeling okay.
    “I don’t feel any different. Do I look
different?”
    “Kind of sad,” Theo replied. “But that might
be because you’re usually smiling, and you aren’t now.”
    “I hadn’t noticed,” I said slowly.
    “We can get through this,” Theo said, taking
my hand in his. “By Christmas you’ll be your old self.”
    I nodded but didn’t reply.
    “Do you want dessert? We can stop at the
bakery down the street.”
    “No. Let’s go home.”
    * * * *
    After we’d arrived home, and Theo had gone to
walk the dogs, I showered again and then brushed out my hair. It
was long now, almost to my hips. Irritated, I made a mental note to
get it cut. While I was at it, I should get the highlights touched
up, too...
    “Ready for a dinner?” Theo said from behind
me.
    “That was fast,” I said, cracking a
smile.
    “What do you mean?” he said curiously. “We’ve
been gone an hour.”
    I was about to correct him when I caught
sight of the clock. He was right, an hour had passed. “I lost track
of time.”
    “It’s from all the traveling yesterday and
today,” Theo said, kissing my cheek. “Next week will be
simpler.”
    “I’m going to Danial again next Saturday,” I
said. I meant the words to come out flat and bold, but for some
reason they were not only hesitant, they were almost pleading.
    “Why?” Theo growled.
    “Because I want to spend time with him. It
won’t be anything but friendly—”
    “No,” Theo said curtly. “You aren’t
going.”
    I felt a sudden sense of helplessness and
despair, then anger surged up, drowning that out. “The hell I’m
not. Now that I can control myself, I want to spend more time with
him and with the kids—”
    “This has got nothing to do with the kids,”
Theo growled. “So don’t pretend it does.”
    “We aren’t going to fuck,” I said nastily.
“And that’s all you’re concerned about, right?”
    Theo stared at me aghast, his eyes flashing
from blue to yellow. “I don’t want you rediscovering your desire
for him,” he growled. “You’re my wife.”
    Don’t remind me . “I’m not spending the
night. I’ll go for dinner, and some conversation. Most likely
Theoron will be there, and probably Elle, too. You made a big deal
about me not spending enough time with Theoron a month ago. Now
you’re telling me I can’t?”
    “If the kids are going to be there, I’ve got
no problem with it,” Theo said, his eyes fading back to blue. “I
just wish you’d asked me instead of springing this on me.”
    “I’m sorry I didn’t,” I said haltingly. “But
I feel confident that the drug will work, and I want to feel normal
again. That means spending time with the kids. Danial also has
taken up riding, something I liked years ago—”
    “He did that sometimes out West,” Theo said,
nodding. “He’s always liked horses. It was something I couldn’t
share with him. They get very nervous around me.”
    “Then Elle will probably have trouble, too.”
I let out a sigh. “But I’m sure he’ll want Theoron to learn to
ride.”
    Theo hugged me. “I understand you’re going
through something, Sar. If you need this, that’s okay. This I can
handle.”
    “How was last night?”
    “Terrible,” Theo said darkly. “I couldn’t
find enough to keep me busy. I brought over three loads of wood,
and took Ghost and Darkness for a long walk until about midnight.
They finally refused to walk any further. When we walked today, we
went very slowly, as they weren’t eager to go. Both dogs have
barely moved all day.”
    I went quickly over to Ghost. Sure enough,
his paw pads were tender when I touched them. “You