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Her gaze was wary, like she had no idea why I would ask. “There’s a barber in town.”
“Can I schedule an appointment online?”
Her lips adopted a wry twist. “You can stop in. And bring cash. I doubt Bernie has Squarespace in the barbershop. Otherwise, Dickinson or Bismarck would have more choices.”
“I need to grab some pants.” I had packed clothing that was better for the office, and I didn’t feel like standing out like a throbbing thumb. “Does that place on the edge of town have clothing? Isn’t it called Dollar something?”
She barked out a laugh. “No. Tractor Supply carries some men’s clothing. The gas station has a few T-shirts, otherwise, Dickinson or Bismarck.”
“Aren’t they an hour away?” I couldn’t even buy underwear in Coal Haven? “What about shoes?”
“I’m sure you can find flip-flops somewhere in town.” She grinned like she knew I’d never worn flip-flops in my life. “Otherwise, Tractor Supply might have some, but I can’t guarantee what kind of selection and sizes they carry.”
I could take my chances with the tractor supply place or go somewhere I should be able to get everything I needed. And I had a killer idea I couldn’t ignore. “All right, funny girl. Get in the car. You’re coming with.”
Her eyes widened. “Why?”
“Because we need to talk, and I need to buy some clothes.”
“Aren’t you leaving soon?”
“No.” I held her gaze as I leaned back against the door frame and crossed my arms. My decision was immediate, and I couldn’t take it back. “I want to get to know my wife.”
She opened her mouth and closed it again. “You want an annulment.”
“That was before you kissed me back.”
Her eyes flared, and her gaze darted to the hallway. “Archer.”
“Delaney, you told me I wouldn’t want you if I knew the real you. Prove it.”
Her gaze went frosty. “See, I’m not interested in proving anything when another woman’s got her lacquered claws in you.”
“What other woman? Briony’s friend? No, she’s got nothing in me, and I’ve had nothing in her or anyone else.”
“But you want to. That’s why you’re here.”
“No. I thought I should move on.” Frustration roiled under my skin. “Everyone was tellin’ me I should move on. I listened cuz I didn’t know what else to do. That’s why I’m here.”
I dropped my hand to my side. I had believed them because it had seemed like a way out of the fog I’d been living in. Each message, each attempt to call, had put me in a near panic attack. Would she answer and tell me she was done with me? It was why it took eighteen months to do something. I didn’t want us to be over. “Look, I don’t know what to do any more than you do, but I haven’t touched another woman since I first laid eyes on you, and I haven’t wanted to. So how ’bout we start with you helpin’ me get some clothes and a haircut?”
She considered me. Yeah, I’d heard the twang come out too. Which I promptly forgot about when she said, “You’re assuming I haven’t moved on.”
Her words were like an ice pick to the gut. “I— Wha— Are you datin’?”
Her back was ramrod straight as she gave me an imperious look. “No, but you seemed to assume it was impossible.”
“I know it’s not impossible. Look at you.”
She cocked her head as if she was stunned I would think she was dead sexy in her work clothes. “I guess I assumed you were in the same place I was. Not sure what to do and waitin’ for the other to make the first move.”
“Well, you made the first move count.” Hurt echoed through her words.
I wanted to shred those annulment papers. I wanted to go back to that conversation with Wilson and Briony when they discussed how an annulment was the best route, and, by the way, they knew a good lawyer. I wanted to have a long, hard talk with myself about what I had expected when I showed up here.
“I can’t deny what I tracked you down for. But I also can’t regret that I did. Can we at least spend some time together and talk? We shouldn’t end this marriage as spontaneously as we began it.”
Delaney dropped her gaze to her hands. I wished I could read her mind. When she looked up, she said, “We might as well go to Dickinson first. You can get both a haircut and clothing.”
