She wanted to close this chapter of her life, for good.
“Five minutes.” She stepped aside and he entered. He was wearing a white button-down shirt, loosened tie, and navy pants. Looked like he’d come from work.
“Can we sit?”
“No. Just say what you have to.”
He shoved his hand in his pocket and shuffled. A few more seconds passed. “I’m sorry. I ruined our marriage with my drinking and cheating. I regret that I wasn’t there for you, for us. I’m sorry I turned to someone else when the only person I’ve ever wanted has been you.”
She’d give him props for an actual apology. “Thanks. I appreciate your saying that. It was a terrible time, for both of us.”
He studied her. “Are you okay?”
No, I’m not.“Yeah, sure, why?”
“You look pale and totally stressed.” He headed toward the kitchen. What had once beentheirkitchen. She followed. He poured her a glass of water and she drank it down.
“Are you over-worked?”
“Thanks for the apology. Now, you can cross me off your list and move on.”
“Providence, I don’t appreciate that.”
Ah, crap, here comes the lecture.If there was anything Jimbo Reynolds loved, it was the sound of his own voice. She pitied his students. All she picked up from his nonstop babble was, “Let’s try again.”
“Whoa, what did you say?”
“Let’s try again,” he repeated.
“Try what again?”
“Us. A family. I can move back in—”
“Jimbo, I’m not a do-over. Our marriage ended a long time ago. You moved on, then I moved on. It’s over. Look, I accepted your apology—” She returned to her small foyer, but when she glanced back, he hadn’t followed her. “You need to leave.”
He meandered toward her. “C’mon, let’s have a conversation, a real conversation. That’s all I’m asking.”
The hair on the back of her neck prickled. “Did you come by earlier tonight?”
“What? No.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yeah, I was teaching a night class.”
Knock-knock.“Providence, it’s me.”
She flung open the door and the tension running down her back fell away the second Dakota pulled her into his arms. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Who the hell is this?” Jimbo asked.
Providence broke away. “Jim Reynolds, Dakota Luck.”
Dakota’s eyes narrowed and his jaw muscles started ticking in his cheeks. The two men nodded to each other. Neither man smiled.
“How do I know that name?” Jimbo asked.
