Page 114 of The Clover Chapel (Jamison Valley 2)
Not a bad way to spend my night.
“Where’s your kitchen cleaning st
uff?” I shouted to Emmy upstairs.
I had given up searching after opening five cabinets, including the one under the sink, to find only coffee mugs.
“By the fridge!”
“By the fridge,” I muttered. “Because when I’m looking for a glass to get some water, the most logical place to start is under the sink. Certainly not in the eye-level cabinet right here next to the ice and water dispensers.”
I found the cleaning supplies and got to work. Not long after I started, the countertops were dust free and the stainless appliances wiped down.
“Fuck, she gets a lot of junk mail.” For weeks, I had watched Emmy pick up her mail and shove it in a drawer. Now the drawer was overflowing and a huge stack was piled on the wet bar.
“Can I throw out your junk mail?” I shouted.
“Okay!”
Catalogs. Holy shit, my woman got catalogs. Home decorating catalogs. Swimsuit catalogs. Clothing catalogs. More clothing catalogs. I was going to need another recycling bin just to keep her damn catalogs after she moved in.
I worked my way through the pile and decided to start on the drawer. My eyes caught on a large manila envelope stamped URGENT. The postmark was dated the end of January, nearly three months ago.
I grumbled and pried open the seal.
Emmy was so organized normally. I was astounded that she was so bad about going through her mail. I just hoped that whatever was inside wasn’t actually urgent.
The first words that caught my eye were Divorce Decree. The second were my name and Emmy’s, both spelled out in full.
I got so light-headed, I nearly toppled over. Gripping the counter with both hands, I let my head fall between my arms while I tried to pull in some air.
Why did she still have these? Did she want a divorce? After everything we had gone through these last few months?
I racked my brain, trying to figure out where we had been in January. She had gotten back from Italy. We had gone to Gigi and Maisy’s ridiculous kidnapping anniversary party.
Was it before or after she’d promised to give our second chance a real shot?
Before. It had to have been before, so at least that was something.
She hadn’t stopped her attorney from drafting them but maybe that was just because of timing. She wouldn’t want to divorce me now, would she? How could she want to end our marriage when we were finally putting it back together?
This all had to be a misunderstanding.
But that didn’t ease the ache in my chest.
Emmeline
“I thought you wanted to go for a ride?”
“Not anymore. Besides, you said there was no way you were getting on the back of my bike. So, no. No ride,” he snapped.
Sometime between sex on my living room couch, Chinese food and cleaning, Nick had gotten pissed at me. I just wasn’t sure why.
I had warmed up to the idea of riding with Nick. His bike was so big and shiny. And when I had pulled up and Nick had been straddling it, I’d flushed at how hot he looked.
“Okay,” I said. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
