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“I’m done. Did you need something in here?”
“Just a respite,” Dallas said.
“From a certain pretty veterinarian?” Zach’s unique eyes smiled.
“Damn. Am I that transparent?” Dallas plunked into one of the leather armchairs across from Zach’s desk.
“’Fraid so. You seemed to be getting along great last weekend. What happened?”
“It’s complicated.”
“How so?”
“Well, she’s divorced.”
“Last time I checked, so are you.”
“I just found out something she did that I’m having trouble accepting.”
“Which is?”
He sighed. “She lied to her husband about something. Something important.”
“Do you know the circumstances?”
“No. I didn’t ask, and I don’t want to know. I’m not getting involved with another deceptive female. I can’t make that mistake again. I never make the same mistake twice.”
“Annie is nothing like Chelsea.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Well, for one thing, I can stand to be in the same room with her. No offense, but that was never true of your wife.”
“You all hated her. I know. But you hated me as well.”
“I never hated you, Dallas.”
“Okay. Disliked me immensely then.”
“How about tolerated with disfavor?”
“Ha. Funny.”
“Dallas, you’ve changed. You’re not the same man you were. You’ve stopped being so mind-numbingly unbearable.”
“Thanks.” He rolled his eyes.
“Look, Chad and I know Pa was hard on you. He made you a man before you were ready, and he saddled you with a lot of the responsibility for the two of us. That couldn’t have been easy, and hell, Chad and I sure didn’t make it any easier on you. So I don’t blame you for how it used to be.” He chuckled. “Especially now that you’ve unloaded Chelsea.”
“Should’ve done that years ago.”
“You’ll get no argument from me.” Zach absently rubbed his goatee.
“Yeah, I should have, but I didn’t. I knew it wasn’t working. Hell, it was apparent within the first year or so. But I didn’t want to fail, Zach. And I didn’t want to admit I’d made a mistake by marrying her in the first place. I still hate myself for it.”
“Marriage is a two-way street, Dallas. She helped you fail. You can’t shoulder all the blame.”
Dallas sighed.
