We worked on cleaning off the steps and sidewalk. When we were done, she stored the shovels. The snow wasn’t good for making snowballs, but I grabbed a loose chunk and lobbed it at her torso. It splattered in a weak shower of flakes.
Her mouth dropped and a scandalized expression filled her features. “You did not start that.”
I picked up another from the bank of cleared snow. “Nope.” I tossed the second chunk. It shattered against her coat.
Her lips flattened into a line, but her eyes? Pure mutiny filled them. “Did you forget I have three older brothers?”
I’d been counting on it.
My firecracker launched herself at me. I was hit with a sweet-smelling bundle before toppling backward. I landed with an oomph. Laughter burst out of me, mixing with her giggles. Cold seeped through my clothing, but her heat chased it off.
“You think you can take me?” I flipped us. She was fully covered except for her face. I didn’t have to worry about her ass freezing off like mine.
Her laughter grew louder. The whole neighborhood was probably watching us. She grabbed a handful of snow and spritzed me in the face.
My girl fought dirty. I pushed up and yanked her with me as I went. She wobbled on her feet and I bent to throw her over my shoulder.
“Gideon!”
I smacked her ass and her laughter turned to a squeal. The neighbors were witnessing more than they’d bargained for, but I didn’t care. I was frolicking with my wife.
Reality sank in.
I was having fun. With my wife.Playing in the snow.
Who did I think I was? A real married man, ready to settle down and watch everything I wanted become someone else’s?
The writing was on the wall. In only days, it’d be on the contract, making my childhood home someone else’s. Was there a point in prolonging the inevitable? I’dhad enough discomfort growing up. I’d also had an email from Harold asking me if we could meet this week. Of course, he’d asked about Wednesday. The day the deal was final—both the sale and this marriage.
I had been going to dump her in a snowbank, but I slid her down my body instead. My decision was made. “I have to leave early.”
Her smile froze, then melted like I was a toxic flame. “Oh.” She placed her gloved hands on my shoulders. “Okay. How early?”
“Tuesday.” The rest of the story piled in my head, ready to spill. I should’ve told her last week, but I’d thought a concrete decision would make itself clear. I wasn’t ready to leave Silver. But I also wasn’t ready to leave Bourbon Canyon. In business, that sometimes meant you had to do what you weren’t ready for. There was no other way to grow. In this case, there was no other way to move on but to actually move on. “I called Taya last week to hear what she had to talk about.”
A delicate brow arched. Did I spy a hint of jealousy? I missed the laughs and the smiles from only a minute ago.
“There’s this guy.” I was a massive dick. The sense I should’ve told her sooner was strong. Why? This was my job. My life. A major decision that was only mine to make. Since I wasn’t married for real. “We—Taya and I—have done business with him before through Silver.”
She tucked her chin into her scarf. Her freckles were stark against her reddened cheeks.
“He’s starting an investment group and he wants us to work for him.”
“You and Taya?”
I nodded. The emotion I’d first thought was jealousyturned to disappointment. “One of his first major projects is a casino. At least three of us will be involved, but it’ll be ours.”
“Yours?”
“He wants to meet on the same day Dad closes on the land. Fitting, isn’t it?”
Her breath puffed out. “Yeah. It is.”
I hated myself for ruining her mood. “Since you work during the day, I’ll hire a ride to the airport.”
“No. I can take you. I’ll find a sub.” She stepped away. “We’ll have to find a way to, uh, celebrate. The end.” She grimaced. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know what you meant,” I said softly. We’d failed, but in this moment, it wasn’t the unfulfilled bargain that felt like the failure. No, that was my plan to leave town. “We did a thing.”
