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Sandra looked up again. “It might be too late for Ryan. Laura told me Lisa told her he’s leaving.”
Laura and Will lived in a cottage farther up the beach from Ryan and Lisa.
“I don’t believe it, and I’ll physically try to stop him if he does.”
“Don’t interfere, darling. Their pseudo marriage might finally have run its course. It’s Lisa I’m worried about.”
“Why? She’s tough,” Andy said. “He’ll be lost without her.”
“I think Lisa has something up her sleeve,” Sandra said, glancing over at Andy. “She’s got a secret.”
“Besides her husband being a douchebag?”
“Yes. I have a feeling I know what it might be, too.”
***
Three cottages north from Sandra’s, Lisa Smith Ford Maddox had spread a sheet over her bed. On the sheet, she’d arranged two large suitcases. The children’s laughter coming from their playroom distracted her as she brushed a tear off her cheek. They were hopefully oblivious to the problems that had unfolded in the bedroom where she now worked.
The nightmare of their relationship had continued. Ryan, her half-brother/lover/father to two of her children, Madelyn and Sierra, was going to move out of the beach cottage they’d renovated together. The process that had led to them giving up on the relationship had started with Lisa catching Ryan cheating twice a year ago, although cheating was fairly new on his behavior spectrum. His mood swings were at the top of the list, and everyone was sick to death of it.
No, it was more than that. He’d been secretive, and although Lisa hadn’t hired a PI like she’d wanted to, she was sure he was seeing Betsy Franklin, a nurse who had taken care of him during a brief illness the previous year. It was easier to stay in denial. Finding out the truth would have meant holding him accountable, and Lisa didn’t have the energy.
Despite her heartbreak, relief was in sight. During the brief moments he was out of the house, the children noticed the peace. Ryan just wound things up wherever he was. She bowed her head and wept. They had been so much in love. The stress of the family might have been the tipping point, although he claimed to love the children.
He’d admitted that the last baby, Sierra, now a toddler, had been the last straw. He felt like he was suffocating. Lisa did her best to minimize his exposure to the children, but was that really fair?
Shaking her head, she decided not to psychoanalyze what had gone wrong. They’d been to therapy and counselors and tried every exercise available. Ryan just wanted to play.
And now, to make matters worse, among other fears, Lisa was frightened that her mother, Pam Smith, was going to do as she’d hinted and give Ryan his share of their father’s estate. If Ryan had his own money, chances were that they’d never resolve their issues.
She heard rattling at the main door. Curiosity and nerves made her step out of the bedroom. It was Ryan with a fresh haircut and shave, a reincarnation of the handsome Ryan she’d met so many years ago who resembled her late brother and father. The similarity was uncanny. But it was a fresh punch to the heart. He wasn’t hers, had never been hers, and would never be again.
“Wow, who are you?” she asked.
Looking pleased, he smoothed his hand over his head and smiled. “I thought it was time to rejoin society. Thank you for letting me drop out for the past two years.”
“It’s been longer than that. And maybe I didn’t do you such a favor if you’re happy about reentering.”
“We’ll see. Anyway, I got my apartment. I can move in this morning. All I need are my clothes and toiletries.”
That news shocked Lisa, pulling her down into the depths of despair. But she’d fight not to let him see it.
“I will not pretend I’m happy, okay, Ryan? You’re not doing me any favors.”
“Aw, I thought you’d want to see the place. I want to bring the kids there. I got the largest model they have.”
“You did?” She’d never considered that he’d take the children to visit.
“Of course. Daniela can come to my place when it’s my turn to have them.”
“Do you want to do this legally?” Lisa asked, returning to the bedroom.
Ryan followed her. “I’ve already looked online, and we can work something out ourselves. The best thing would be for you and me to switch places, but that wouldn’t be fair to you.”
“No, it really wouldn’t, since I don’t want this to happen. You’re not driving me out of my house.”
“I’d never presume—”
