Page 24 of Chasing the Other Woman

She needed space. And as much as I want to blame Tony, I know that I’m the one who made her need that space.

Luci finds me in the warehouse late that afternoon, trying to unwrap the bandage from my arm.

She rushes over, taking control of the bandage.

“You’re just going to make that worse,” she says. “Do you want an infection?”

“I’ve got it,” I lie.

“Yeah, I can see that. That’s what worries me.”

She steps in before I can argue, taking the loose end of the tape and working it around my forearm. Her hands are cool and careful.

“You heard from Sam?”

I grit my teeth. Everyone wants to know my business, and I can’t even talk to my wife about my business.

“No.”

Luci makes a sound under her breath. “I’m sorry. Maybe she just needed a little time to cool off.”

I say nothing, wanting to talk to Sam more than anyone.

“She’s my wife,” I say before I can think better of it. I don’t even know why I say it. Maybe just to hear the words.

“She is,” Luci agrees, smoothing the tape over my skin. “That’s why you need to be careful. You don’t want to rush in there, guns blazing.”

That’s exactly what I want to do, I think, clamping my teeth shut. I want to drive to Muncie, TX tonight and make her talk to me.

More than that, I want to figure out how to say all the damned things I’ve been needing to say for two years and say them.

“She just needs time.”

I’d said the same thing earlier, and it had sounded like a convenient way of passing the buck. But Luci’s a woman. She would know. Wouldn’t she?

I glance past Luci’s shoulder at Tony. He’s fumbling with his phone near the edge of the warehouse. Others are sifting in, getting ready for whatever’s next. I want to tell them all to go home. That this operation isn’t anything without Sam.

But they all need this. Furthermore, the sponsors need this. Need to see that we can get back on our feet after getting hit. It’s not just my job that depends on it. Sam and I could coast on what we’ve made for decades. But they depend on me.

Luci’s eyes follow mine to Tony’s. She lets go of my arm and looks up at me.

“You can give him the stink eye all you like. He’s not going to turn into a puddle of cow shit just because you do.”

I smile down at her, the thought of Tony turning into a cow patty giving me more joy than it should.

“You promise?”

When I look back over, he’s aiming his phone at the crew, recording everyone getting back to work while my entire world is ending.

It’s close to sunset when Hershel finally corners me. He’s been short with me all day long.

He finds me alone in the office, slamming the door shut behind him.

“You going to tell me what the hell is going on?”

I lean back in the chair, trying to appear as casual as possible. “That’s a broad question.”

“And I’m a broad man. Tell me what’s going on.”