Page 60 of The Clover Chapel (Jamison Valley 2)
So I did my best to cry quietly, hoping I could get control again before morning.
“Let it all out, my sweet Emmy,” Nick whispered as his arms circled me, pulling me into his lap.
I didn’t fight him off or try to stifle my tears. I burrowed completely into his bare chest and let him hold me. When I’d finally cried myself dry, I raised my chin and stared into his vibrant hazel eyes.
His hand moved to my jaw and his thumb stroked my cheek, wiping away the wetness.
“Sorry,” I whispered.
“You don’t have to apologize, Emmy. Ever. This is all on me.”
“No. It’s not just you,” I said. “This has been building for a while now.”
“You wouldn’t be crying if I’d stayed in the first place.”
I didn’t have a response to that. What could I say?
Yes, you’re right? We could have had nine wonderful years together? We could have been blissfully happy and in love? You threw it all away because you were too much of a coward to talk to me about your fears?
“I don’t know if I can ever get past it, Nick.”
His forehead dropped to mine. “What can I do?”
The answer was simple. “Stay.”
“I’ll never leave you again,” he promised. Maybe if he said it enough, I’d start to believe it was true. “Does this mean you’re going to give us a chance?”
I nodded.
His arms squeezed me tight and he sighed against my temple.
Relief washed through me too. Admitting to him how I was feeling and agreeing to give us a chance allowed me to give up the fight. I hadn’t realized how much energy I had been using to keep up my guard.
Exhaustion settled into my body. It was only a Monday night, or Tuesday morning now. I had no idea how I was going to make it through my day tomorrow.
“We need to get some sleep. We’ve both got work tomorrow,” Nick murmured.
I nodded but
otherwise didn’t move. All my energy was gone.
Nick knew it too, because I didn’t have to summon the power to move. He lifted us both off the couch and carried me upstairs to bed.
When he’d situated me in his arms, my back to his chest, he took a few deep breaths against my hair.
“Good night, Wife,” he whispered.
My heart swelled at his endearment. I managed to swallow the lump at the back of my throat. “Good night, Nick.”
The Saturday after the break-in, Nick and I were walking downtown toward the café to meet Silas and Maisy.
After we’d lost the pool game last weekend, Nick and Silas had insisted we settle up on the bet quickly. Silas hadn’t wanted us to renege and Nick had wanted to lock in another date.
Not that he needed to coerce me into dates anymore. I meant what I had told him. I was giving us a chance.
So here we were. Dating.
I had shoved my divorce papers in a kitchen drawer and decided I’d get them out again if and when the time was right.
