Starting Over by Cheryl Douglas

soon for that,
sweetheart.”
    “No, it was
good for me.” She took a deep breath and braced her hands on the
arms of the chair. “Aunt Sharon knew exactly what to say to help me
find the clarity I needed.”
    His gray eyes
were wide with hope or fear—she couldn’t tell—and he asked, “What
does that mean?”
    “Sit down,
Alex.” Eve knew it was going to be the most difficult conversation
she’d ever had, but there was no doubt in her mind… it was time.
She watched his jerky movements, fear displacing his easy
confidence, and she realized she was doing him a favor by setting
him free.
    “Jesus, don’t
look at me like that.”
    “Like what?”
she asked, shaking her head.
    “Like you’re
about to read me my last rites.”
    Her news may
feel that way, like an ending instead of a beginning, but in time,
he would realize it was for the best. He would find someone
wonderful who fit into his world. Her mind flipped through images
from the past. The twelve years she’d spent with Alex were some of
the happiest and saddest of her life, but she wouldn’t have traded
a single day with him for a lifetime with anyone else. “You were
the right man at the right time.”
    “I don’t want
to hear you talking about me or our marriage in the past tense,” he
said, shifting in his seat. “I want to figure out how we’re going
to move forward… together.”
    She believed
that’s what he wanted, but only because he felt guilty he hadn’t
given her or their marriage the time and attention it deserved. But
if she returned with him, she knew nothing would change. He would
still be an absentee husband, and she would still be a miserable,
lonely wife looking for fulfillment by peeing on a plastic stick
once a month and praying for a miracle.
    “I’m afraid
that’s not going to happen,” she said, praying her voice didn’t
betray her. Alex was an indomitable businessman used to railroading
people if necessary. She didn’t know if she was strong enough to
stand up to him if he fought her decision. “I’ve decided to stay
here. My aunt has left me the inn, and she’d like me to move
forward with her expansion plans.”
    For the first
time since he’d entered the office, Alex glanced at the papers
Morris had left on the desk. “Surely your aunt didn’t suggest you
leave me so you could move back here and—”
    “She suggested
I do what makes me happy, and that’s what I intend to do.”
    His handsome
face tightened as his brows drew closer. “You’re not leaving
me.”
    It was a
statement, not a question, and that set Eve on edge. She knew Alex
would resist when she finally asked for a divorce, but she’d hoped
he would agree it was for the best and decide to let her go without
too much of a fight. Apparently he had other ideas. “Alex, I don’t
want to hurt you. This doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out affair.
We don’t share children, and I don’t want anything from the house
or—”
    “You think this
is about some settlement?” he asked, raising his voice. “After what
we shared last night—”
    “I told you,
that shouldn’t have happened.” She’d hoped he wouldn’t remind her
of her moment of weakness last night, but apparently he was
determined not to fight fair.
    “It happened
because you wanted me as much as I wanted you.” He got up and came
around the desk, his eyes dark and his fists at his sides. Turning
her chair around, he braced his hands on the desk behind her, his
eyes holding her captive. His face was mere inches from hers. “We
didn’t just have sex last night, Eve. We made love. You admitted
you’re still in love with me. As far as I’m concerned, that means
we still have something worth fighting for.”
    “But I—” Eve
licked her lips, wishing those memories weren’t still reeling
thorough her mind, making it difficult for her to deny his
claim.
    “I love
you.”
    Those three
little words still had the power to make her melt. The first time
he’d said it,