AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good, actually.Thanks for the caffeine and tablets.They did the trick.Well, that and…confession.”
“So you told them.”
She shoved her hands into the back pockets of her shorts, and he couldn’t help but admire the gifts God had given her.
Hadley had always been pretty.As a teenager he didn’t remember her ever having an awkward stage.But he’d take the woman over the girl any day.
“Yup.Ripped the Band-Aid off like you suggested.”
Impressive.She’d looked so scared at the thought, he’d wondered if she’d actually go through with it.“How’d they take it?”
“About as expected.My dad got up and left the house, and my mom sat there crying in between yelling at me.So I left.Now I’m here.”
She untucked her hands and stared down at the rings she still wore.
“I suppose I can take these off now.”
He didn’t comment.The set was beautiful.Big and sparkly and the kind he supposed women got all excited about.But they represented her belonging to someone else.Someone who hadn’t appreciated her.In that sense, to him they weren’t worth the money spent on them, and he’d much rather she not wear them.
“You should’ve heard my mom.I mean, it’s not like I wanted the divorce or planned it.I never thought I’d be this age and starting over.I know it happens, but usually it happens early on, you know?When you make it as long as we did andthenit happens, it really blindsides you.”
“I’ll bet.”As hard as Tish’s death was to handle, he knew she hadn’t chosen to leave him or their marriage.In that sense he imagined divorce was worse than a spouse’s death.Vows weren’t meant to be broken.Lives torn apart.Hadley mourned a man who was very much alive and a life no longer hers.Question was…did she want to go back to that?
“Yeah, well, now it’s time to come up with a plan so…that’s the goal for today.”
“A plan?”
“Yeah.My parents know, so that pressure is off, but I still have a life in Raleigh, and this house needs a lot of TLC.And once that’s done, I have to find a way to fund the cost of it.”
“You don’t get support from your doctor ex?A good attorney should’ve gotten you that given how long you were married.”He realized how personal of a topic it was and shifted uncomfortably.“Sorry.That’s none of my business.”
“No, it’s fine.After seeing me less than my best, it’s safe to say this topic isn’t as embarrassing,” she said with a wry grin.“I get spousal but the child support ended when Abby graduated high school.The agreement was that I could stay in the house until the kids graduated college, but then one of us would have to buy the other out, or else we sell the house and split the proceeds.Now that I have Nan’s, I have another option.But I’m not sure how the kids will feel.It’s a lot to consider.”
“What’s your gut tell you to do?”he asked.
“My gut says to never drink so much again,” she said wryly.“But other than that, it’s not much help.”
“You’ll figure it out.You just need to think on it some more.”
“I suppose.But regardless of what I get in spousal, I still have to do something.I can’t sit on the beach here or do lunches with the ladies in Raleigh every day.I’ll go stir-crazy without a purpose, not to mention the fact I need to be earning.”
Some women would do just what she’d said, but he was glad to know Hadley wasn’t one of them.He also had a feeling there was more to it than the story she shared, but he negated the urge to ask.Hadley would tell him what she wanted him to know in her own time…or during her next vent.“So your goal is to figure out what to do now that you own two houses,” he said.
“Well, a house and a half,” she said dryly.“But it’s definitely easier to think about now that I’m not worrying about telling my parents.”
“Confession has done you good.”
She grinned.“It has, hasn’t it?It is a relief, even though things are going to be tense for a while.”She took a step back.“I’ve talked your ear off.Sorry about that.Thanks for the tarp.And the advice.I appreciate it, Bryson.”
Bryson dipped his head and smiled at her.“You’re welcome, Haddie.Thanks for the laughs.”
“Laughs?”she said.
When she realized he teased her about her tipsiness last night, her cheeks colored a rosy hue and he chuckled.“Have a good day.”
“Wait…one more question.How hard would it be to fence the backyard?”
He shook his head and shrugged.“Not hard at all.Why do you ask?”
