hear you say that you made a mistake and chose the wrong husband,” he said. “I love you, Mattie. From the day I met you and you dumped your coffee all over me, I think I fell in love with you. But you can’t stay with me out of a sense of obligation. And I seriously doubt Grayson would be happy if you did that to him, either. You have to make a choice. No one ever said it was going to be easy.”
He stalked to the door, and she thought he was going to leave. With his back to her, he shoved his hand through his hair. “Our bags are still sitting in the foyer. Come with me. Let’s go to the city. We’ll pick up Phoebe on the way. That’ll give you time to figure out how to explain this mess to her. You could even meet with a child psychologist, get a professional’s opinion on the best way to break the news to her, the least damaging way to handle the situation for her sake.”
She stared at his back, unable to agree to his demands, although she did like the idea of seeking advice from a professional with regard to Phoebe. Mattie might be confused and unsure what she was supposed to do, but running off to Dallas with him was not the answer. That much she did know.
He turned slightly when she remained silent. His expression hadn’t softened, but he had pulled his anger back under control. “Well?”
“You’re not making any of this easier.”
“It’s real simple, the way I see it. You’re married to me now. Grayson has to go.”
“That’s a very simplistic resolution to a complicated situation,” she argued. “You know that as well as I do.”
“So, no, then,” he said, his voice tinged with a heartbreaking combination of determination and disappointment. “You’re not leaving.”
“I can’t go,” she said. “Not now.”
“Now?” he asked. “Or ever?”
She let out a huff of breath in frustration. “Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Being so unreasonable. Making this harder on me.”
“Because you’re my wife. You buried your husband and you moved on with your life. With me.”
“It’s not that simple,” she said for what had to be the nine-hundredth time. Why couldn’t he see how difficult this was for her? Couldn’t he see she was being torn apart?
“Yes, it is,” he countered.
“Dammit, Trenton. I really need for you to be patient with me.” She drew in a quick breath. “Please.”
He looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. Eventually, he gave her an abrupt nod. “Fine,” he said. “I get it. This is not a snap decision. I’ll try and be as patient as I can. Just don’t expect me to wait forever.”
A car pulled into the driveway. Frowning, she went to the window and pushed back the curtain. Her stomach dropped at the sight of her brother-in-law easing out of his Cadillac Escalade, then circling the front to open the door for her sister, Griffen.
“Oh, my God,” she said, letting the curtain fall back in place. “They’re here.” She rushed to the door. “I can’t believe I forgot.”
“Forgot what?”
“To call Griffen and ask her to keep Phoebe one more day.”
“Mattie,” he called as she reached for the knob. She stopped and waited for him to speak.
“Tell me what you need.”
A wave of nervousness had her insides all jittery. “I need you to not make this any more difficult for me,” she told him as she jerked open the door. She walked into the hallway, Trenton behind her, just as Ford exited the bathroom.
Ford’s gaze eyes hardened and his jaw tensed. “What the hell?” he barked, his eyebrows pulling into a fierce frown.
“Not now,” she said, her voice sounding as brittle as her tightly stretched nerves. “Phoebe’s here, and I’m warning both of you right now. Make one wrong move, and I’ll have Jed physically toss you both out on your asses.”
Ford’s frown deepened. “Who’s Jed?”
“Griffen’s husband,” she explained. “And he’s big and bad enough to do it, too.”
Ford
He stalked to the door, and she thought he was going to leave. With his back to her, he shoved his hand through his hair. “Our bags are still sitting in the foyer. Come with me. Let’s go to the city. We’ll pick up Phoebe on the way. That’ll give you time to figure out how to explain this mess to her. You could even meet with a child psychologist, get a professional’s opinion on the best way to break the news to her, the least damaging way to handle the situation for her sake.”
She stared at his back, unable to agree to his demands, although she did like the idea of seeking advice from a professional with regard to Phoebe. Mattie might be confused and unsure what she was supposed to do, but running off to Dallas with him was not the answer. That much she did know.
He turned slightly when she remained silent. His expression hadn’t softened, but he had pulled his anger back under control. “Well?”
“You’re not making any of this easier.”
“It’s real simple, the way I see it. You’re married to me now. Grayson has to go.”
“That’s a very simplistic resolution to a complicated situation,” she argued. “You know that as well as I do.”
“So, no, then,” he said, his voice tinged with a heartbreaking combination of determination and disappointment. “You’re not leaving.”
“I can’t go,” she said. “Not now.”
“Now?” he asked. “Or ever?”
She let out a huff of breath in frustration. “Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Being so unreasonable. Making this harder on me.”
“Because you’re my wife. You buried your husband and you moved on with your life. With me.”
“It’s not that simple,” she said for what had to be the nine-hundredth time. Why couldn’t he see how difficult this was for her? Couldn’t he see she was being torn apart?
“Yes, it is,” he countered.
“Dammit, Trenton. I really need for you to be patient with me.” She drew in a quick breath. “Please.”
He looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. Eventually, he gave her an abrupt nod. “Fine,” he said. “I get it. This is not a snap decision. I’ll try and be as patient as I can. Just don’t expect me to wait forever.”
A car pulled into the driveway. Frowning, she went to the window and pushed back the curtain. Her stomach dropped at the sight of her brother-in-law easing out of his Cadillac Escalade, then circling the front to open the door for her sister, Griffen.
“Oh, my God,” she said, letting the curtain fall back in place. “They’re here.” She rushed to the door. “I can’t believe I forgot.”
“Forgot what?”
“To call Griffen and ask her to keep Phoebe one more day.”
“Mattie,” he called as she reached for the knob. She stopped and waited for him to speak.
“Tell me what you need.”
A wave of nervousness had her insides all jittery. “I need you to not make this any more difficult for me,” she told him as she jerked open the door. She walked into the hallway, Trenton behind her, just as Ford exited the bathroom.
Ford’s gaze eyes hardened and his jaw tensed. “What the hell?” he barked, his eyebrows pulling into a fierce frown.
“Not now,” she said, her voice sounding as brittle as her tightly stretched nerves. “Phoebe’s here, and I’m warning both of you right now. Make one wrong move, and I’ll have Jed physically toss you both out on your asses.”
Ford’s frown deepened. “Who’s Jed?”
“Griffen’s husband,” she explained. “And he’s big and bad enough to do it, too.”
Ford
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