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Tara pulled in a deep breath and turned to face him. “She’ll have to relive it at some point and I think it’s better coming from us than to have her smacked in the face with a blindsided thought.”
“Not today.” He took another step forward until he was too close. “Today, let’s be the family she needs.”
“And the family you want?”
The muscles in his jaw clenched. “I can’t change the past, Tara. But I can sure as hell make the future better for all of us.”
She’d never heard him speak with such conviction. Before he’d entered rehab, Sam had begged her to give him another chance, but she’d been all out and knew if she didn’t push him away, he’d never get better. She simply couldn’t risk letting him in again. Not into her heart, not into her bed.
Since he’d gotten out of rehab, he’d been the epitome of a gentleman and she wasn’t sure if that pleased her and made her life easier or if it irritated the hell out of her because she couldn’t figure out his angle. She thought he wanted her back, but he’d never said the words. He was just always present in one way or another.
Damn it. Her nerves were utterly shot.
“You need to sign those papers.”
Sam opened his mouth, but Marley came into the room and dropped her stuff right at their feet.
“Can we watch cooking shows instead of movies?” she asked, looking between her parents, completely oblivious to the turmoil.
Well, she hadn’t been oblivious. Marley knew something was up, but Tara vowed to make sure her daughter didn’t suspect anything was wrong from here on out.
“Of course,” Sam replied. “Then maybe you can make dinner.”
“No way. You promised me tacos and I want corn cakes to go with it.”
Sam ruffled Marley’s hair. “You’re lucky I love you.”
And he did. Above all else, Sam loved Marley like she was his very own. He had from the moment he’d come into their lives. Even during his treatment, he’d made sure Marley knew he would be okay.
But he couldn’t be the man she’d married. He would never be that man again and for that reason alone Tara had had to come to grips with the fact they were over.
Playing house was not helping her already battered heart and this was only the beginning.
Chapter Four
“Where’s the picture when we were skiing?”
Sam stilled in the recliner across the room from Marley. Tara had gone into the other room to call Kate and Lucy since they kept texting and were worried.
“Which one?” he asked, knowing full well which photo she referred to.
There was only one that had been displayed on the mantel before. The ski trip had been one of their first getaways as a family.
Marley paused the television show as the chef set the dessert on fire. Sam watched as she slid from her makeshift bed on the sofa and crossed to the mantel. The same photos Tara had fiddled with earlier were spread across the top of it. Sam had noticed some were missing, but he hadn’t said a word earlier. This was no longer his house, and as much as his obvious absence hurt him, he had no right to question Tara. She’d had to move on; she’d had to cope however was best for her.
“It always sat right here.” Marley pointed to a spot where a decorative black lantern now sat. “It’s my favorite family picture because we had that lady take it right after we got to the top of the mountain and you had to hold on to me so I didn’t fall off the lift. Remember, Dad?”
He remembered. He recalled every single detail of their trip. His addiction hadn’t swallowed his life at that point and his family had been whole and happy. They’d taken a spontaneous trip to the mountains and Tara and Marley had taken to the snow like champs. He, on the other hand, had not only hurt his backside by falling so many times, his ego had taken a hit, as well.
“Sometimes Mommy likes to rearrange things,” he explained. “I’m sure it’s here somewhere.”
Marley crossed to him. When she climbed onto his lap, it took all of Sam’s strength not to lose it. He’d seen his daughter since the separation, she’d stayed over at his apartment multiple times. But he hadn’t been in this chair, in this house, cuddling with his girl.
