AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is that a bad thing?” Laura blinked.
“When we were married, he asked me—” Tielle returned to the sofa and cluster of arm chairs designating the office living area “—asked me to stay out of trying to revamp his relationship with his brother. His asking meant I had the option of declining, which I did.
“I did everything I could to bring him and Faro closer even after he stopped asking me to stay out of it and told me to.” She slapped a hand to the side of her pencil mocha-colored skirt. “Now we’re divorced and he expects me not to take the blame for any part of that.”
“Honey, we’ve talked about this before.” Laura leaned forward. “You already know it would’ve been next to impossible for you to abide by that, no matter how he asked you to. This is who you are. It never would’ve turned out any other way than it did.”
Tielle settled into one of the chairs flanking the sofa. “Grae being here every day isn’t the only reason I can’t let it go.” She sipped from her coffee, relished the taste hitting her tongue and swallowed.
“Faro wants the family to come clean about everything that’s driven them apart over the years. The night started passably enough, but then it swerved off course and went someplace no one seemed sure of except Faro.”
Laura exchanged her place on the arm of the chair for the seat cushion itself. “What are you saying, Ti?”
“All those years ago, I didn’t stick up for Faro because I was just a bighearted fool, or because helping’s just in my blood, or because I was trying to live up to some standard my grandparents had put in place.” She rubbed her hands against suddenly chilled arms bared by the capped sleeves of a black sweater. “I did it because he struck me as a man who’d been a horrible big brother, and he finally wanted to make it up and repair a relationship he’d destroyed.”
Laura appeared bewildered. “Are you saying you think he’s no longer interested in getting things right with him and Grae?”
“No, Laura.” Tielle’s smile was sad. “I’m saying that I don’t think he was ever interested in getting things right with Grae.”
Laura’s bewilderment cleared as she straightened on the chair. “When did this occur to you?”
“Something about him last night.” Tielle slumped back in the chair and let her hands dangle over the arms. “I never noticed it before in all the times I talked to him. Guess that’s because I never spent much time around him in a family setting—certainly none like what we’re so privileged to be part of now.”
Tielle rested her head back on the chair. “Last night I felt like I was looking at a stranger, Laura, and if I was wrong about Faro, that means I jeopardized my marriage for nothing.”
Chapter 7
Since breakfast that morning was set to be more of a drop-in affair, Tielle made no effort to…drop in. Not that she’d had any intention to do so regardless. Following her chat with Laura, she decided that to venture completely outside the house would be a better plan. She was willing to try anything that would save her from running into those members of the Clegg family who still had a cross word or an evil eye to throw her way.
Grae found his ex-wife bundled on one of the cushioned chairs outside the pool cottage. “Being around my family is so bad you’d rather brave these morning temps,” he noted.
She smiled, but kept her eyes on the screen of her tablet. “Being around your family is so bad, I’d rather brave these morning temps,” she confirmed.
“Still pissed.” He phrased the question in his usual manner of statement.
Tielle didn’t lift her head from the work she studied. “Still such a slave to your ego that you think me denying myself the full pleasure of your company means I’m pissed at you?”
“You’ve avoided me all day.”
She almost laughed. “It’s still the morning!”
“Tel…” he virtually purred while easing both hands into the front pockets of the white fleece hoody he sported. “You know how much I like to ‘get up’ early.”
“That’s right…” She ignored the suggestion in his words. “It’s still sex on your terms, your time…”
