him.”
“I didn’t say that.” She didn’t deny it, either.
“You didn’t have to.”
“But—”
His expression remained hard, unrelenting. “But you love me, too.”
She reached out and placed her palm against his jaw. He winced, reminding her of his fight with Ford. “What the hell were you thinking?” Even though he’d lost weight, Ford still outweighed Trenton by a good twenty pounds or more. And there was the fact that Ford was a trained warrior. He could’ve done serious damage to Trenton, not just bruised his jaw and given him a black eye.
“What did you expect me to do?” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “I walk in to find some guy, manhandling my wife. It’s gonna get violent.”
She smoothed a lock of hair from his forehead, then lowered her hand, unable to shake the sensation she was somehow being unfaithful to Ford. “You didn’t have to hit him.”
“Probably not my finest moment,” he admitted. “But it sure as hell felt right at the time.” He took hold of her hand again. “I’ve given this a lot of thought the past few hours. I don’t think you should stay here. Come with me to the city.”
She snatched her hand back. Dread tightened her throat. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” he demanded. “School doesn’t start for another month. There’s no reason you need to stay here.”
No reason? She could think of a few dozen reasons why she needed to stay. “I have to think of Phoebe,” she told him. “The fact that Ford’s alive is going to be confusing enough for her. I can’t complicate that by taking her to Dallas when she needs to get to know her father. It wouldn’t be right.”
“Right for whom? Her?” he asked roughly. “Or for Grayson?”
“Does it matter?”
He muttered a soft curse as he stood and moved away from her. He walked to the window and leaned forward, resting his forearm on the frame. More than space separated them now. If she stayed in Hart, would they ever be able to breach the widening chasm between them?
“It should,” he said. “Are you staying because it’s the right thing for Phoebe, or because you’re unwilling to leave Grayson?”
“What do you expect me to do?”
“I expect you to pick me,” he said, his voice rising. He looked in her direction, his gaze intense. “Divorce Grayson and pick me, Mattie.”
She bit the inside of her lip. If only his request were that simple. “Trenton...”
He looked away. “That’s what I thought.”
“You’re not being fair.”
“And you’re not being honest.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“There shouldn’t even be a question.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “My God, the man was presumed dead. I didn’t divorce my husband, Trenton. I buried him.”
“And I thought you’d moved on,” he fired back. “With me. Now I’m supposed to just walk away?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“That’s the problem, Mattie. You’re not saying anything.” He came toward her, stopping only when he was close enough to touch her. But he didn’t. Instead he kept his arms at his sides and glared down at her. “I thought I was your goddamned husband,” he ground out angrily. “If I had my way, I’d draw up the divorce papers and serve Grayson with the complaint myself. But it can’t be that way.”
“Trenton—”
“I’m not finished.” He hurled the words at her, his eyes glowing hot with anger and frustration. “This is a nightmare from the word ‘Go,’ but if you think there isn’t a damned thing I can do about it except wait, think again. Maybe I can’t force Grayson out, but I sure as hell can make you think twice before you turn your back on me.”
“It isn’t that simple,” she said again, wishing she could find the words to make him understand that while she did love him, she’d never stopped loving Ford, either.
“I’ll be damned if I’m going to be sitting here two years from now and
“I didn’t say that.” She didn’t deny it, either.
“You didn’t have to.”
“But—”
His expression remained hard, unrelenting. “But you love me, too.”
She reached out and placed her palm against his jaw. He winced, reminding her of his fight with Ford. “What the hell were you thinking?” Even though he’d lost weight, Ford still outweighed Trenton by a good twenty pounds or more. And there was the fact that Ford was a trained warrior. He could’ve done serious damage to Trenton, not just bruised his jaw and given him a black eye.
“What did you expect me to do?” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “I walk in to find some guy, manhandling my wife. It’s gonna get violent.”
She smoothed a lock of hair from his forehead, then lowered her hand, unable to shake the sensation she was somehow being unfaithful to Ford. “You didn’t have to hit him.”
“Probably not my finest moment,” he admitted. “But it sure as hell felt right at the time.” He took hold of her hand again. “I’ve given this a lot of thought the past few hours. I don’t think you should stay here. Come with me to the city.”
She snatched her hand back. Dread tightened her throat. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” he demanded. “School doesn’t start for another month. There’s no reason you need to stay here.”
No reason? She could think of a few dozen reasons why she needed to stay. “I have to think of Phoebe,” she told him. “The fact that Ford’s alive is going to be confusing enough for her. I can’t complicate that by taking her to Dallas when she needs to get to know her father. It wouldn’t be right.”
“Right for whom? Her?” he asked roughly. “Or for Grayson?”
“Does it matter?”
He muttered a soft curse as he stood and moved away from her. He walked to the window and leaned forward, resting his forearm on the frame. More than space separated them now. If she stayed in Hart, would they ever be able to breach the widening chasm between them?
“It should,” he said. “Are you staying because it’s the right thing for Phoebe, or because you’re unwilling to leave Grayson?”
“What do you expect me to do?”
“I expect you to pick me,” he said, his voice rising. He looked in her direction, his gaze intense. “Divorce Grayson and pick me, Mattie.”
She bit the inside of her lip. If only his request were that simple. “Trenton...”
He looked away. “That’s what I thought.”
“You’re not being fair.”
“And you’re not being honest.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“There shouldn’t even be a question.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “My God, the man was presumed dead. I didn’t divorce my husband, Trenton. I buried him.”
“And I thought you’d moved on,” he fired back. “With me. Now I’m supposed to just walk away?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“That’s the problem, Mattie. You’re not saying anything.” He came toward her, stopping only when he was close enough to touch her. But he didn’t. Instead he kept his arms at his sides and glared down at her. “I thought I was your goddamned husband,” he ground out angrily. “If I had my way, I’d draw up the divorce papers and serve Grayson with the complaint myself. But it can’t be that way.”
“Trenton—”
“I’m not finished.” He hurled the words at her, his eyes glowing hot with anger and frustration. “This is a nightmare from the word ‘Go,’ but if you think there isn’t a damned thing I can do about it except wait, think again. Maybe I can’t force Grayson out, but I sure as hell can make you think twice before you turn your back on me.”
“It isn’t that simple,” she said again, wishing she could find the words to make him understand that while she did love him, she’d never stopped loving Ford, either.
“I’ll be damned if I’m going to be sitting here two years from now and
Similar Books
