Page 66 of Winning Back His Wife
Hughes grinned. “I’m sure Doc’s all fun and games when he’s with Sarah.”
“She does keep me smiling.” Cullen would give anything to be with her now, to feel her warm body and soft curves snuggled up against him. The thought raised his temperature a degree, maybe two. That might work to his advantage here.
“Being opposites is good,” Moreno said. “Rita can’t stand anything I like to do except hike. And only when it’s sunny and warm. But we’re about to celebrate our eighth anniversary.”
“Rough life having one gourmet meal after another cooked for you,” Hughes said. “Unlike me with a gorgeous wife who can’t boil water without the fire department showing up.”
“It’s amazing Moreno isn’t pushing three hundred pounds,” Paulson teased.
Moreno smirked. “I burn off the calories other ways.”
“Yeah, chasing little Wyatt,” Hughes joked.
“That’s right,” Porter said. “Kids make those long, lazy mornings spent in bed a thing of the past.”
Moreno unwrapped a granola bar. “Unless the kids are with you.”
Porter nodded. “I can’t wait to see my girls. I’d love one of Carly’s cookies right now.”
“She’ll have a plateful at the base when we get down,” Hughes said.
Moreno nodded. “And Zoe will be there with piping-hot cups of coffee.”
A faraway look filled Hughes’s eyes. He tightened the cord on his jacket’s hood. “Too bad she can’t deliver up here.”
Paulson made a sour-looking face. “Marriage has turned you all into a bunch of saps. Well, except Doc. He’s the same as always.”
Cullen wasn’t sure that was a compliment. He wiggled his fingers to keep them warm.
“Nah,” Hughes said. “He smiles more now.”
“I actually heard him laugh,” Porter teased.
“Very funny, guys,” Cullen said.
Things might be up in the air between him and Sarah, but for all their troubles, he couldn’t deny he was a better man for having her in his life. She brought spontaneity to his life and tried to make him see what was important, that there was more to living than making plans. Just because he lost control, whether a little or a lot, didn’t mean he was going to fall over the edge like Blaine. He wouldn’t with Sarah as his anchor.
Even though he was stuck up here, Sarah was the one who kept his thoughts focused. She was good for him. Not dangerous.
Sarah was the one who had soothed his fears about Paulson. She’d been the reason Cullen had opened up when that was the last thing he wanted to do.
Being open was his biggest fear, not being reckless. The people he was closest with, people like Sarah and Blaine, could hurt Cullen the most and send his emotions out of control. But this second time around with Sarah, being more open with her had made him stronger, not weaker. The same with Blaine’s memory.
But Cullen hadn’t realized that. Not until now. Would his acknowledging it be enough to keep Sarah from leaving? He didn’t know, nor did he care. But he knew one thing. Love was worth the risk.
* * *
With a trembling hand, Sarah removed the papers from the white envelope. She scanned each page of the dissolution of marriage petition. Neither of them had any assets the other wanted to claim, so it was pretty cut-and-dried. If she agreed with the petition, she didn’t have to respond. The paperwork would go before a judge and their marriage would be over.
With a blue pen in her left hand, she set the tip against a piece of paper. Tears stung the corners of her eyes. Her heart didn’t want her to write this note. But she’d learned long ago she couldn’t trust her heart.
Sarah refocused, ignoring the pain in her chest. Her heart thudded like a bass drum. The steady beat made her think of a post-battle scene when those who had survived the melee gathered the bodies of dead soldiers. She pushed the graphic image from her mind.
This wasn’t war. More like a surrender, a quiet one without any fanfare.
With a shaky hand she wrote what needed to be said and scribbled her signature at the end of the note.
There. She dropped the pen. It was done. Over.
She inhaled, thinking she would feel better. Instead she felt worse.
For the best, Sarah reminded herself. She’d better get busy. The shuttle would be here soon to take her to the airport.
She placed the divorce papers back in the white envelope and set them on the breakfast bar. She placed the note on top.
Last night she’d pulled her wedding ring out of the zippered pocket in her toiletry kit and stuck the gold band on her finger. She’d wanted to wear it one last time. For old times’ sake...
