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“It’s not like that, Delaney.” The note of resignation didn’t make me believe him.
Betrayal burned hot as a forge in my chest. “It isn’t my business, is it?” I spun on a heel.
“Delaney, dammit.” He cupped my elbow. “It’s not—I’m not seeing anyone.”
I shook my arm free. His touch was too familiar, too welcome. “What are you doing, then?”
His expression shuttered. “I’m not dating, but Briony and Wilson have a friend who works with Briony at the bank—”
“How nice of Briony and Wilson to preapprove your next wife.”
“I haven’t said I’d date her.” His gaze hardened. “It just made me think…You left and never came back. I tried to contact you, but you wouldn’t answer. You quit returning my messages. I get that I could’ve acted better, but you never gave me a chance.”
I hadn’t returned his messages. It hurt too bad. I was afraid I’d hear exactly what he came here to tell me and the feelings of not being wanted once again would come roaring back. And they did.
Not one message said “I’m sorry” or asked “what happened?” I might’ve answered otherwise. “Aw, you poor guy. I hope you two are a good fit. Maybe when you marry her, you’ll awardthatas the most important day of your life.”
He recoiled, then clamped his jaw down. He hadn’t realized how hurtful it’d been to hear him dismiss our wedding day like he had.
I strode away, calling over my shoulder, “Come by and try to catch me. Unlike you and your clients, we do more around here than jump on a horse in designer jeans and pretend like we know what the hell’s going on.”
If I’d thought I died a little inside earlier, now my heart was disintegrating into ash and blowing away.
* * *
Ma stood over my shoulder while I scowled at the computer screen. She’d brought the fresh scent of rain inside with her but had left Portia on the porch. I didn’t hear the steady patter on the roof anymore. The hour it had lasted was the best music I could’ve listened to.
I’d looked up annulments in Texas yesterday, and my heart had sunk clear down to the bottom of a watering hole.
I hated having Ma in my private matters, but when I felt like it was me against Archer and his partners, I’d needed someone on my side.
Ma squinted at the screen. “What’s the difference between an annulment and a divorce?”
“It’s like our marriage never was.” The memory of giggling and falling into his arms rose in my mind. We hadn’t quit touching the entire weekend we’d gotten married. If I had to pretend I’d never been married, I wanted those memories to go away too.
“Meaning you get no money.” No one ever accused Ma of being stupid. Stubbornness and pride interfered with her decisions, not a lack of smarts.
I’d be in the same boat if I wasn’t careful. I tapped a finger on the screen. All the reasons why an annulment wouldn’t be approved in Texas. “There’re stipulations for an annulment.”
Ma read over them. “Are they valid?”
Archer and I hadn’t been intoxicated. Giddy on young love and champagne, but we’d knowingly married each other. I hadn’t been underage. I’d met Archer after I finished college in Dallas, and we’d saidI dobefore I turned twenty-five. Definitely old enough to know better.
But I hadn’t been transparent. He could claim fraud. I’d lied about who I really was, and since Archer had access to better legal everything, I was screwed.
“Since I just now told Archer I dated his cousin for years and his uncle’s my neighbor and I’d gone to school with a ton of his family, yeah, I’m sure they can claim I lacked transparency.”
Ma propped her hands on her hips and cleared her throat. She did it so often, I doubted she realized she had that much phlegm. “Demand a divorce.”
“I don’t want his money.”
She narrowed her eyes. I wasn’t sure what look crossed my face. Panic? Obstinance? Pride? She rolled her eyes. “What do you want, then?”
Wasn’t that the question? I wanted him to fight for me, but that ship had sailed. He was freeing himself so he could get it on with Briony’s possibly gorgeous and legitimately sophisticated friend and not be the bad guy. Mostly what I wanted was to be able to pretend the marriage hadn’t happened as easily as Archer would.
I took too long to answer, so Ma said, “Well, my two cents. Make ’em pay. One way or another. Lord knows Barrons can afford it. You ain’t gonna get that kind of money here.”
She left me alone to stare at the computer.
