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I backed away from the bag and wiped my face on my shirt. My stomach felt hollow. I hated the thought that there were things about Grace I didn’t know. It showed how self-centered I’d been. Not that that should come as a surprise. I’d been a bad husband too. Maddy had told me so in excruciating detail when she’d asked for a divorce.
“Do better,” I muttered to myself as I stripped off the gloves and hung them to air out. I yanked off my shirt as I strode out of the garage into the house and tossed it into the laundry. I then stripped off the rest of my clothes and took a hot shower. Winters in Destiny Falls could be harsh, and I let the water warm me all the way through.
I got out, and I’d only just started drying myself when I heard a knock at the door. Tentative. Probably Grace. I slung the towel around my hips and went to answer. I opened the door and waved her in quickly, wanting to keep the cool air out of the house.
“Am I a bad friend?” I asked as we appraised each other in the confined hallway.
“Of course not.” She looked stunned that I’d ask.
I could tell from her expression she meant it. Something inside me relaxed. “Then why didn’t you tell me?” I didn’t specify what I meant, but she couldn’t possibly misunderstand. “And what else is there you haven’t mentioned? Do you secretly have a kid too?”
Her jaw dropped, and I immediately felt bad. This was on me as much as it was on her. “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “Of course I don’t have a child. Now, get dressed. I don’t want you catching a cold on my watch.”
I pressed my lips together to avoid smirking. She was such a caretaker. At least I knew that much about her for certain. I nodded and went to the bedroom, where I pulled on jeans, a T-shirt, and a light jacket. I found her perched on the sofa in the living room and sat beside her. She offered me a beer, and I took it gratefully.
“You left these,” she said.
“Thanks.” I cracked the tab open and drank. “So, are you going to tell me more?”
She drew in a shaky breath and squeezed her eyes shut. As she exhaled, they fluttered open and focused on me. I gazed into them. I’d always loved the hazel of her eyes. Warm and comforting, like a hug after a stressful day. I offered her the beer, but she shook her head.
“I was in a bad place when I met Ryan,” she said, turning those hazel eyes away from me. I wanted them back, damn it. I wanted to see her innermost thoughts. “He was having a rough time too. We got horrendously drunk together and came up with the brilliant idea that getting married would solve our problems.”
I scowled. I didn’t get it. “Did he need a green card or something?”
She laughed, but it sounded strained. “No. He’s as Kiwi as they come. It was something else. The point is, we did it. We got married within about a week of meeting. We figured we’d give the relationship a shot. We liked each other.” A smile softened her face as she spoke, and I felt it like a punch in the gut. “We had a lot in common.”
I scoffed because from what I’d seen of him, he didn’t look like someone she’d have much in common with. She silenced me with a look.
“We did,” she said. “Still do. We dated for a while. Tried living together for a couple of years. But in the end, we decided we were better as friends than husband and wife, so we divorced.”
I pondered her words, something she’d said earlier bothering me. “You were upset when you met him?”
Her mouth curled down at the corners. “Just man troubles.”
My heart ached at the idea of her hurting and feeling like she’d had to turn to someone else about it. I should be the one she talked to when she needed support.
“You should have called.” I touched her hand. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
Her mouth didn’t move, but I could see strain around her eyes. “You’d just gotten married,” she said. “Maddy was due in a month. You had enough on your mind without me adding to it.”
The ache worsened. I gave her a one-armed hug and kissed her temple. “Whatever is going on in my life, I’ll always be here for you if you need me. All you have to do is ask. I’m a dumbass. Sometimes I need you to tell me what’s going on.”
Her lips tilted with amusement, and tension eased from my jaw in response. I hated seeing her worked up like this. I was pleased she was able to find some humor in the situation.
“You’re not a dumbass.”
It was a statement that didn’t invite disagreement, but I disagreed anyway. “I feel like one.”
She shrugged. “So do I. I married a man I didn’t love who never loved me back.”
I shook my head in disbelief. This Ryan guy had had Grace as his wife and been stupid enough not to fall in love with her? “He’s an idiot.”
5
GRACE
