Page 44 of Winning Back His Wife
As if Cullen loved Sarah that much. A lead weight settled in the bottom of her stomach. He might care, he might be concerned, but not the way a devoted husband would be if something happened to his beloved wife.
Sarah glanced his way.
Tenderness filled his gaze.
Her heart bumped. Flustered, she looked away.
“You have more color than this morning,” Leanne said. “Feeling better?”
Sarah might still be flushed after being kissed so thoroughly. Or it could be embarrassment. She cleared her throat. “I went for a walk today with Bill. Got some fresh air.”
“And now the brewpub,” Carly said. “That’s more excitement than you’re used to.”
Especially when you added in Cullen’s kisses. Sarah nodded.
The server placed a pitcher of root beer and a glass on the table. Cullen already had a beer in his hand. Carly filled the glass and gave it to Sarah.
“Thanks.” She took a sip. Thick and rich with the right amount of sweetness. “This is great.”
Carly grinned. “Jake makes the best root beer in Oregon.”
Leanne grinned. “The two of you are so cute. You act like newlyweds, even with a baby.”
“Nicki is officially a toddler now,” Carly said.
Sarah noticed how Jake and Carly smiled at each other a lot. The same with Sean and Zoe.
A diamond-engagement-ring-size lump lodged in Sarah’s throat. These happy couples gave her hope some marriages could succeed. They also were a harsh reminder of how hers had failed.
How did some people get so lucky? That was what she wanted to know.
A plate with two large pretzels and a small bowl of mustard dipping sauce appeared in front of her. She looked over her shoulder to see Cullen standing there.
He smiled. “You wanted to try a pretzel.”
His gesture touched her. If only they could have been one of the lucky couples. “I do.”
“The pretzels are almost as good as the root beer,” Carly said.
Zoe flipped her hair. “The pretzels are better.”
“Try one,” Cullen urged.
“Listen to the good doctor,” Leanne said. “He would never lead you astray.”
No, he had only turned Sarah’s world inside out by making her believe happy endings were possible. But they weren’t for her. She took another sip of her root beer.
Cullen held a piece of pretzel in front of her face. Mustard covered an end. “Open up.”
The lump in her throat doubled. She looked up at him.
A devilish smile curved his lips. “You know you want it.”
Her heart slammed against her chest. What was he doing? This felt like...flirting.
As he brought the pretzel closer, wicked laughter lit his eyes.
She parted her lips and cautiously bit off the end of the pretzel. The bread, salt and mustard sauce complemented each other perfectly. But she was more interested in the way Cullen looked at her—as though he wanted to taste her.
“How is the pretzel?” Jake asked.
The pretzel. Right. She focused on the men at the far end of the table. “Delicious. Like the root beer.”
But not quite as yummy as Cullen. Her pulse picked up speed, accelerating as if she were tumbling downhill. Which was what she’d be doing if she didn’t stop acting like a lovesick teenager. She looked away to find Zoe, Leanne and Carly staring at her with rapt interest.
Sarah sipped her root beer. She understood their curiosity. Cullen feeding her made them seem like a couple. She had no idea what was going on and wasn’t sure she had the strength to find out. Kissing him had been bad enough. Getting her hopes up and then discovering this was another fantasy would hurt worse than being hit by another steam blast.
No, thank you.
* * *
On the drive home from the brewpub, Sarah closed her eyes. The evening had taken its toll, physically as well as emotionally. If anything, seeing Carly and Jake Porter and Zoe and Sean Hughes together had made Sarah realize how far apart she and Cullen really were. And always had been. She sighed, not a sigh of frustration but of resignation for what would never be.
The truck’s engine stopped. She opened her eyes. The porch light illuminated the path to the cabin’s front door through the darkness. The night was playing tricks on her vision. The distance appeared longer than it really was. Too bad that wasn’t the case with the separation between her and Cullen and their dreams.
“Tired?” Cullen sounded concerned.
Through the shadows in the truck’s cab, she saw his worried gaze upon her. Their situation would be easier to handle if he didn’t act as though he cared what happened to her.
Cullen is so overprotective of you.
Too bad he was the same way with everyone he knew. Strangers, too. “I’m a little tired.”
