Page 51 of Winning Back His Wife
Pathetic.
Sarah should be immune to him, not reacting like a lovesick teen to every word he said. She tilted her chin. “I’m doing well.”
“Well, but frustrated.”
He was part of her frustration. That gave her an idea. “You’ve been working hard. You need a break.”
“You’re the one who needs a break. Time away from the data so you can relax.”
Time away from Cullen to clear her head. That might do the trick. She closed her laptop. “Sounds good. I’ll take a nap. Grab your board and join your friends.”
“I have a better idea. Let’s take a break together.”
Her heart rate resembled the data she’d been looking at. Inconsistent and all over the place. “Don’t waste your free time on me.”
“I’d rather enjoy it with you.”
Sarah melted. She couldn’t help it. She should decline politely. But the words wouldn’t come. Not when her heart was clamoring so loudly it drowned out all sense of self-preservation.
Mischief, as worrisome as a ticking bomb, glinted in his eyes. “I know what we can do. Are you up to checking out Main Street with me?”
Temptation exploded with enough force to do significant damage. Sarah wanted to spend time with him. Be with him. She might regret this. Who was she kidding? She would regret this. But she didn’t care. “I’m up for it.”
As long as Cullen would be with her, she was up for anything.
* * *
Half an hour later, Cullen strolled down Main Street with Sarah at his side. She spun to see all the shops and sights. Her excitement added a bounce to his step.
A layer of snow clung to her black parka and colorful wool beanie. The cold air turned her cheeks a cute pink. She looked pretty and, most important, healthy. “This was just what I needed.”
“Doctor knows best.” That was why he’d suggested this. Her health.
Yeah, right.
He’d been counting the hours—minutes—until he could be with her. She was on his mind constantly when he was away from her. When he was with her, too. “I have a surprise for you.”
She rose on her tiptoes. “I love surprises.”
Her excitement pleased Cullen. Seeing her upset earlier with a life-as-she-knew-it-was-over expression on her face had made him feel as if he’d failed her somehow. He was relieved she was more like her old self, up for fun and adventure with him. “You’ll like this one.”
Friends greeted him from across the street. Cullen waved.
“Are you planning to stay in Hood Hamlet permanently?” Sarah asked.
“Yes,” he said. “My lease on the cabin is up next month. I might sign another year lease or go month-to-month awhile. I’m considering buying a place.”
“That’s a big step.”
True, but owning a house had always been part of his plan. So had a wife and kids.... He glanced at Sarah and pushed the thought from his mind. “I like living here. It’s a buyer’s market.”
“Strike while the iron is hot.”
“Not quite.” Cullen had learned his lesson by rushing into marriage. He jammed his hands into his jacket pockets. “I need to do more research first.”
“What if you miss out on the perfect house?”
He’d thought Sarah was the perfect woman.
But that hadn’t worked out the way he hoped. He didn’t want to think about that today. “Then I’ll wait for the next perfect place to come on the market.”
Her gaze met his. “We’re so different.”
Understatement of the year. “We had some good times together in spite of our differences.”
She nodded. “More good than bad.”
Then why had she asked for a divorce? The question echoed through his head. But he knew the answer.
Sarah didn’t love him. Oh, she’d never said those exact words when she’d brought up a divorce. She’d told him he deserved better. She’d told him to find another wife who could give him all he wanted.
All what? He’d had no idea what she’d been talking about. He’d wanted only her.
She glanced into the coffee shop. A customer exited. The scents of freshly baked cookies and coffee beans drifted out the open door. “No wonder everyone around here is so active. You need to burn off calories from all this delicious-smelling food.”
“You figured out our motivation.” Cullen played along. “The more time we spend on the mountain, the more we can eat without guilt.”
“When have you ever felt guilty about eating?”
“At the hospital. When you couldn’t,” he admitted.
Sarah’s gaze softened. “You’re so sweet.”
Brothers and friends were sweet. He would have preferred hot or sexy. But maybe that was where ex-husbands fitted in. He didn’t much like the moniker. “Do you know where you want to settle?”
