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“You had no doubts?” Miss Bernard asked.
“None. I knew when I put the ring on her finger, she’d belong to me and no one would ever be able to take her away from me.” Was he trying to give her another hint of no divorce?
“You both look so sweet together.”
“Thank you,” Rachel said. “If you love your man, then it won’t matter what you look like coming toward him. He will love you, and just be happy you arrived.”
Miss Bernard laughed. She clapped her hands. “Can we have a break? I really need to go and see him, right now.” She was already rushing off to the small dressing room.
“Of course. I’ll wait for you.”
Within minutes, the dress was off, hung up, Miss Bernard was changed, and out of the room.
Taking a seat on the steps, Rachel rubbed at her eyes.
Wolfe sat beside her. “I brought you lunch.”
“Did Benjamin get to school okay?”
“Of course. I even got to read with him. It was really good.”
She glanced at him, wondering if he was joking around or meant it.
“Our wedding was the best day of your life?” he asked.
She opened up the brown paper bag to see a sandwich waiting for her. She didn’t care what it was, she was so hungry.
“Yes. You know that. It’s everything afterward I can’t stand to think about.”
“The wedding night?”
“After that,” she said, feeling her cheeks heat.
She’d been as nervous as Miss Bernard for her wedding night. To have a man finally make love to her, she’d felt a little sick with anticipation and apprehension.
“I didn’t mean for you to hear any of it.”
“It doesn’t matter what you meant for me to hear. I did, and I’m glad.”
“Really? You see when I think about it, I would have been able to be part of Benjamin’s life a whole lot more if you hadn’t.”
“You would have gotten a doormat. I didn’t get my happy ending the way I wanted it, but I wouldn’t trade the life I decided to have for the world. I love my son, where I live, and my job. My mom always said I’d find my happy when I settled down and stopped looking for it. I did it.” She’d always been looking for her happiness. For a short time, she’d believed Wolfe would be hers.
“I didn’t want a doormat, regardless of what you think.”
“It doesn’t matter now. Our life changed.” She shrugged.
“I felt how hot you were for me, Rachel. We could have that again.”
She took a bite of her sandwich. “Sex and attraction don’t make for a happy marriage.”
“And you think that girl is going to find hers? There’s no way I’d marry someone who made me feel that way.”
“You weren’t nervous about marrying me? You didn’t love me. Like you said, I was the easiest target out of all of my sisters. You couldn’t stand Mary.”
“I still can’t stand Mary. She doesn’t count.”
“Then there’s Alice.”
“Again, not the best example.”
“So it left me for you to get what you want,” she said. “Easiest target. You don’t get to judge other women on their nerves, or compare them to your feelings. You had your own agenda.”
“Do you really think I couldn’t have taken Mary and Alice, either of them, both of them, if I wanted to?”
“I’m not even going to try to think about you with my sisters.” She stood up.
“I saw a picture of you, and it didn’t do you justice. Your long, blonde hair and blue eyes mesmerized me.” He chuckled. “I saw you before I even bumped into you, Rachel. It’s when I knew I’d marry you. You’re more stunning in person than any picture could capture. It doesn’t show your pretty smile, or the love shining in your gaze. There’s no way anyone could ever know what you’re thinking about or feeling. I can see it, though. All I’ve got to do is look at you closely.”
His words.
They touched her deeply, but again, she couldn’t allow herself to believe them.
“I’ve got work to do.”
Turning on her heel, she left him alone.
Now her hands were shaking.
Chapter Eight
The days passed slowly, but for Wolfe, he wasn’t giving up. Rachel made any excuse not to spend time with him, from work, to visiting someone in town, to even more work, or going to the school.
When it came to the school, at least he could be with her. There was no reason for her to be alone, not anymore. Then of course at night, she spent a great deal of time with their son, until he heard Benjamin telling her he needed to sleep.
She’d been reading to him for two hours. It was a little after ten.
Leaning against the opposite wall, arms folded, he waited as Rachel left their son’s bedroom.
It was Friday night, no school tomorrow, which was why Benjamin got to stay up.
