“And you never thought about splitting the duties, Leander? You both just decided to dump it all on Cori and leave your son out of it?” When Dad doesn’t respond, Dax continues, “Well, she should feel guilty about how she treated her daughter.” I exhale in relief at my husband’s defense of me.
“Not just that.” I hear another sigh and the sound of a squeaky chair. “Things are going well with you and Cori, right?” I don’t hear a response, so I can only imagine that Dax nods his head in response. “Well, since that’s the case, can you ask her to ease up on her mother? The guilt trips aren’t helping with her recovery.”
“I don’t understand why she’s suddenly feeling all this guilt. All of this happened almost a decade ago. And be honest, Leander, neither one of you feels bad.”
“That’s not true.” My dad’s voice rises. “I feel awful, but you’re the one who pushed for this marriage. I told you to court her and get her to fall for you, but you wanted what you wanted.” There’s silence until my dad speaks again. “That’s not what Annette is feeling guilty about.”
“Then what? I don’t have all damn day.”
“I don’t keep secrets from my wife. I told her everything.” I cover my mouth while I wait to hear what everything entails. “I told her about your bribe the same day.” I stop breathing.
“You don’t say.” Dax sounds more bored than surprised. I wonder if he already knew. “And she didn’t say no to save her daughter?” Silence. “She chose her son again.”
My heart drops. What the hell does Devin have to do with this?
“I told her to act like she didn’t know. To pretend that she believes you and Cori fell in love.” It makes sense why she never questioned me about it. The only time she ever saw Dax and me together was the day he crashed our family dinner at Paulene’s, but she was thrilled about our engagement. “She feels guilty about it and wants to tell our daughter everything. I’m worried it will stunt her recovery.”
Convenient timing.
“Now, she wants to confess? After she got her surgery, and after I decided not to press charges against your son for stealing from me?”
“For all I know, you could have set up Devin to get what you want,” Dad says.
“Yeah. I set him up to steal. Get real.” My husband lets out a fake laugh. “I told him to take money from the register and create fake returns? That was me?” As much as I want to wrap my hands around Dax’s neck and squeeze until the light dims from his eyes, I can’t blame him for that. Devin has a history of stealing.
But what if Dax knew that?I shove the thought away. How could he have known that? Devin has never been arrested for stealing, so there wouldn’t be a paper trail.
“I’m not here to talk about Devin.” My father clears his throat. Like always, he wants to throw Devin’s misdeeds under the rug. “I need your help in getting Cori to get off her mother’s back.”
“And how am I supposed to do that? I’m on thin ice myself, Leander. And I’m not the one who created this mess. You andyour wife did because you didn’t put your daughter’s needs above your own. And you keep choosing your son over her.”
“We love both our children. Stop throwing that in my face. It’s untrue.”
“Really? Why were you taking five hundred dollars from Cori every month, only to turn around and give it to Devin? What have you ever taken from Devin to give to Cori?”
A gasp slips from my mouth, and for a moment, I fear they will hear and discover my presence. My eyes dart around, looking for a room to hide in, but the two men continue their conversation.
“I only started doing it when he lost his job. I didn’t have it myself to give to him. You don’t understand that—”
“I understand completely. You chose your son. Again. When it comes to Cori, all you do is take and take some more.” Dax’s last word is met with nothing but silence from my father. “My suggestion to you is that you handle your wife. I’m not going to manipulate mine. She’s been through enough, and if she finds out the truth, then good. She has me now. She doesn’t need you for shit, and I’ll be damned if you’re going to use me to do your dirty work.”
.
Chapter 43
Dax
Something’s shifted with my wife in the past week, but it’s subtle. She doesn’t realize how well I know her.
On the surface, everything appears to be the same. She’s working on the business, finalizing her school application, and planning her bridal shop. She’s still affectionate and rarely does a night or morning pass without making love. I was half asleep last night when she climbed on top of me and rode me until we both cried out.
Maybe I’m a fool, but I want to buy what my wife is selling. She’s always been a little liar. The woman is many things, but she’s not docile. She’s never tried to be, and I never want her to be anything but herself. It would be like putting a bull in a China shop and expecting it to behave. I love all sides of her, even the duplicitous side.
The woman I married is a fighter, and she’s savage. That’s why I married her. The only thing I can trust without reservationis that she wants me, and that everything that happens in the bedroom is real.
The chemistry is there, and it intensifies each time we’re together. But, as much as I want to believe she’s forgiven all my transgressions and is giving this marriage a real try, I can’t fully trust it. There’s been a shift, and I can’t put my finger on what could have happened.
Each time we’re together, she appears happy. She lets me take care of her. I can’t get enough when she cuddles next to me in bed and opens up to me about her family and her feelings.
