mistaken for other people. Don’t know why,” Brad
said, his cautionary gaze fixed on Marnie.
Leave it to Brad to take the coward’s way out, but Cindy
clearly loved her husband, and Marnie wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. She
forced a smile. “Probably that’s it.”
There was a long pause during which Brad waved the bartender
over. “I’ll have a double bourbon.”
Cindy finished her drink in one long swallow, and placed the
empty glass on the bar. “Honey, I’m going to the ladies’ room, but I’ll be back,
and then the three of us can have a drink together.”
“I’ll be right here, waiting for you,” Brad said, pulling her
hard against him and kissing her on the mouth.
Marnie waited until Cindy left the bar. “Brad, I—”
“What are you doing here?” Brad asked, as he looked her up and
down.
For years she’d dreamed of meeting Brad somewhere and calling
him out on his scandalous behavior, but not tonight. Tonight she intended to
rise above all the pain that he’d caused her.
But as she gazed into his eyes and saw not a hint of remorse
for what he’d done the words spilled out. “I’m here to enjoy myself, and that
means staying away from you. Remember me? I’m the woman you almost married. Let
me see, it was just a couple of weeks before our wedding day as I remember it,
and you and…what was her name?” She frowned to cover the hurt she was feeling
inside. “You had an urgent meeting in her bedroom. I believe she was a lawyer
from the law firm your company dealt with—Mary Ellen something or other.”
He downed his drink. “Marnie, I’d really appreciate it if you’d
not mention this in front of my wife.”
“Give me a little credit,” she snorted.
He glanced past her, frowning as he twirled his empty glass.
“We’re here for the Christmas getaway, or whatever the hell they call it.”
“Trying for a few brownie points? Is she catching on to your
story? The one where you pretend to be so busy at work that you can’t be at home
with her?”
“Your bitchiness is showing,” he muttered.
She caught the bartender watching her, bringing her back to her
senses. “Brad, I want you to know that as angry as I was back then, I now
realize that marrying you would have been the biggest mistake of my life.”
“Okay, so can we leave it there?” he asked, anxiously glancing
around.
“Is everything okay?” Cindy asked, appearing around the corner
of the bar and startling them both.
“Everything’s just fine, darling.” He put his arm around Cindy,
towering over her. “I’ve got a surprise for you. I was saving it for
tonight.”
“What’s that?” Cindy asked, her face turned up to his.
“We’re going back to our room and ordering champagne, followed
by room service, followed by a little rug time in front of the fireplace.” He
winked at Marnie behind his wife’s back.
Cindy blushed and smiled sheepishly at Marnie. “I’m sorry, but
can we have a rain check on the drinks? I’m sure we’ll see each other again
during our stay. Maybe you and your boyfriend can have dinner with us some
evening.”
“Sounds lovely,” Marnie said, dredging up as much sincerity as
she could muster.
“Then it’s settled. Maybe you and I could go into Wakesfield to
shop tomorrow?”
“Maybe,” Marnie said, making a mental note to steer clear of
both of them.
“Let’s go,” Brad said urgently.
Cindy giggled and linked her arm through his as they moved off
toward the door, and Marnie immediately started planning how to stay clear of
Brad and Cindy for the remainder of her stay. Since they were here on their
anniversary they wouldn’t come down early for breakfast, she figured. As for
lunch, she’d be sure to arrive early and sit at a table for two, and for dinner
she could always order room service—whatever it took to avoid them.
She was still mulling over her plan when she saw the bartender
approaching her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes, why?”
“You
said, his cautionary gaze fixed on Marnie.
Leave it to Brad to take the coward’s way out, but Cindy
clearly loved her husband, and Marnie wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. She
forced a smile. “Probably that’s it.”
There was a long pause during which Brad waved the bartender
over. “I’ll have a double bourbon.”
Cindy finished her drink in one long swallow, and placed the
empty glass on the bar. “Honey, I’m going to the ladies’ room, but I’ll be back,
and then the three of us can have a drink together.”
“I’ll be right here, waiting for you,” Brad said, pulling her
hard against him and kissing her on the mouth.
Marnie waited until Cindy left the bar. “Brad, I—”
“What are you doing here?” Brad asked, as he looked her up and
down.
For years she’d dreamed of meeting Brad somewhere and calling
him out on his scandalous behavior, but not tonight. Tonight she intended to
rise above all the pain that he’d caused her.
But as she gazed into his eyes and saw not a hint of remorse
for what he’d done the words spilled out. “I’m here to enjoy myself, and that
means staying away from you. Remember me? I’m the woman you almost married. Let
me see, it was just a couple of weeks before our wedding day as I remember it,
and you and…what was her name?” She frowned to cover the hurt she was feeling
inside. “You had an urgent meeting in her bedroom. I believe she was a lawyer
from the law firm your company dealt with—Mary Ellen something or other.”
He downed his drink. “Marnie, I’d really appreciate it if you’d
not mention this in front of my wife.”
“Give me a little credit,” she snorted.
He glanced past her, frowning as he twirled his empty glass.
“We’re here for the Christmas getaway, or whatever the hell they call it.”
“Trying for a few brownie points? Is she catching on to your
story? The one where you pretend to be so busy at work that you can’t be at home
with her?”
“Your bitchiness is showing,” he muttered.
She caught the bartender watching her, bringing her back to her
senses. “Brad, I want you to know that as angry as I was back then, I now
realize that marrying you would have been the biggest mistake of my life.”
“Okay, so can we leave it there?” he asked, anxiously glancing
around.
“Is everything okay?” Cindy asked, appearing around the corner
of the bar and startling them both.
“Everything’s just fine, darling.” He put his arm around Cindy,
towering over her. “I’ve got a surprise for you. I was saving it for
tonight.”
“What’s that?” Cindy asked, her face turned up to his.
“We’re going back to our room and ordering champagne, followed
by room service, followed by a little rug time in front of the fireplace.” He
winked at Marnie behind his wife’s back.
Cindy blushed and smiled sheepishly at Marnie. “I’m sorry, but
can we have a rain check on the drinks? I’m sure we’ll see each other again
during our stay. Maybe you and your boyfriend can have dinner with us some
evening.”
“Sounds lovely,” Marnie said, dredging up as much sincerity as
she could muster.
“Then it’s settled. Maybe you and I could go into Wakesfield to
shop tomorrow?”
“Maybe,” Marnie said, making a mental note to steer clear of
both of them.
“Let’s go,” Brad said urgently.
Cindy giggled and linked her arm through his as they moved off
toward the door, and Marnie immediately started planning how to stay clear of
Brad and Cindy for the remainder of her stay. Since they were here on their
anniversary they wouldn’t come down early for breakfast, she figured. As for
lunch, she’d be sure to arrive early and sit at a table for two, and for dinner
she could always order room service—whatever it took to avoid them.
She was still mulling over her plan when she saw the bartender
approaching her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes, why?”
“You
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