One Tuesday Morning & Beyond Tuesday Morning Compilation by Karen Kingsbury

future? The loveless routine she shared with Eric was hardly that. And what good could possibly come from their life together?
    Then, like the streaky lines across the summer sky, the answer came. Josh, of course. Josh was the good that had come from the two of them. Back from a time and place when she and Eric had loved each other more than life itself. And Josh was the one who would pay the price if she asked for a divorce.
    She turned her car into the church parking lot, pulled into a front row space, and turned off the engine. For a moment she sat there, letting her head fall against the steering wheel. No, she couldn't divorce Eric, not ever. He hadn't done anything wrong. He'd never cheated on her or slapped her or called her a bad name. He'd rarely said an unkind word.
    The familiar sting in her eyes grew stronger. She whisked her sunglasses off and tossed them on the seat beside her. As she did, a tear fell on her jean shorts and made a tiny wet circle on the denim. She'd been looking forward to the time alone, but not so she could break down. This was no time to cry. The committee would be there in five minutes, and the next few hours would culminate months of planning and collecting. Their efforts would help dozens of children in Haiti have food and medicine and school supplies.
    So what was the problem? Why did she feel like her world was falling apart, like a part of her heart would never breathe again?
    Laura wiped her eyes and sniffed twice. The answer was obvious. It wasn't what Eric had done that made her miserable, it was what he hadn't done. What he'd stopped doing somewhere along the trail of years. Whenever it was that he'd stopped keeping promises, when he'd stopped taking her on dates or spending a few moments with Josh.
    With Eric she shared little more than a functional business relationship. None of the love and passion she'd hoped to find by marrying the man, none of the magic they'd shared in their first few years together. But those weren't grounds for divorce—not even close.
    She gripped the steering wheel. God … there's no way out. Give me something, a sign, a reason to believe it'll get better one day . She was trapped in a prison of pretense and promises, and unless Eric had a change of heart, her sentence would last a lifetime. Because being president of Koppel and Grant wouldn't be enough for Eric; neither would making a million dollars. There would still be one more deal, one more meeting, one more corporate account to conquer.
    And those things would always take precedence over her and Josh.
    She wiped her eyes and lifted her head just as she heard footsteps come up along the side of her car.
    “Laura?”
    She jerked her head up, and there, standing just outside her car door, was Eric's brother, Clay. “Oh, hey.” As quick as she could, she grabbed her sunglasses and slipped them back on. She managed a smile. “You scared me.”
    Clay leaned closer and rested his forearms against the roof of her Escolade. “You're crying.”
    “No.” A plastic laugh forced its way across her lips. “Just a long day.”
    He cocked his head and studied her. “You sure?”
    “Yes.” She sniffed again. “What're you doing here?”
    Clay nodded over his shoulder to the church building. “Picking up a packet for Sunday school.” His grin was easy. “Second grade starts a new unit this Sunday.” He hesitated. “You here for the mission meeting?”
    Laura nodded. She was grateful for the chance to collect herself. Clay knew her too well to be tricked, and the last thing she wanted was for this to be the moment when Clay finally understood the truth about her marriage.
    Clay took a step back and leaned against a van parked next to Laura's. “Isn't Eric supposed to be with you?”
    “He's too busy. Couldn't make the meetings.”
    “Oh.” Clay hesitated. “What about Josh?”
    “Eric's with him.” She forced the corners of her lips up again. “Just the two of them.”
    “That's