Page 27 of Chasing the Sun

Then she glanced down at her clothes and considered changing. She was wearing a sunny yellow tank top, denim shorts, and flip-flops. She’d dressed for a day of hanging out with a five-year-old, not having dinner with her charge’s sexy dad, or her employer (which was more appropriate).

At least her nipples were no longer engorged. Still, maybe she should throw on a short-sleeved top over the tank. Then she heard the distinct sound of the garage door raising. She had a split-second decision to make, and she sucked at those, which was why she was still standing by the table when Bryce walked in.

“Hey,” he said, coming into the kitchen loaded down with bags.

“Wow. You really did get some of everything,” she said as he set them on the counter.

“I figured something in here would qualify as really good Chinese.”

She laughed and started unloading the bags. Together they carried the boxes of food to the table.

“Thanks for setting the table.”

“Thanks for giving me a reason to. Everything smells delicious.” Including you, but I’ll keep that little nugget to myself.

Her indecision about having wine was removed when he took a bottle from the fridge and filled their glasses.

Chloe spooned samples of everything on her plate while Bryce looked on with amusement. She was bringing a bite of sweet and sour pork to her mouth when she realized he was watching her. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“I’m waiting for you to take the first bite.”

Feeling self-conscious, she opened her mouth and slipped the fork inside, hoping the sauce wouldn’t drip down her chin. She chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds, and after she’d swallowed, he said, “Well?”

“You were right. This is really good Chinese.”

“Ahh. I can eat now.” With that, he picked up his fork and dug in.

They ate quietly for a few minutes until Chloe felt inclined to speak.

“Victoria seemed really nice.”

He popped his head up and wiped his lips with a napkin, looking slightly uncomfortable. “She is, and she’s a great mom.”

That begged the question, Why get divorced, then? but she filled her mouth with rice to prevent herself from asking it.

“You’re probably wondering why we got divorced.”

Her eyes went wide, and she nodded.

He took a long drink of wine, set down the glass, and folded his hands under his chin. “I wasn’t a very good husband.”

Of all the things she’d expected him to say, it wasn’t that! “Really? Why not?”

“The same reason a lot of men fail at marriage. I put my job first and neglected my wife.”

“Women can be guilty of that too,” she said. It sounded like she was defending him, but she’d known it to be true.

“Yes, but in this case, it was me. When I first started my practice, I put all my time and energy into it. I assumed that Victoria appreciated and understood that I was doing it for us, for our family. But over time, it wore on her, and well, you know the ending.”

“How did Molly handle the split?”

“She was so young, and I don’t think she fully understood what was happening. Victoria and I vowed to make the transition as seamless as possible, which is why she lives here most of the time. We wanted to maintain some element of continuity in her life, and this place is home to her.”

“Is it possible that you and Victoria could get back together?”

He shook his head. “That ship has sailed. She’s seeing someone else now, and he’s a good guy. He’s actually a patient of mine.”

Chloe dropped her fork with a clatter. “You put your hands in the mouth of the guy who’s kissing your ex-wife?”