“Look, Jack. I need to clear the air.”
I nodded, said nothing.
“First of all, I’m sorry for being a jerk. You—” She looked everywhere around the room but at me. “You driving to Ohio to get our things might be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I reacted like I did because I felt guilty. I was upset about something else, and then you were being so nice to me and I felt like I didn’t deserve it.”
She rubbed her hands down the front of her pajama pants. She looked so huggable in the plaid flannel pjs and white t-shirt. If things were well between us, she wouldn’t stand a chance looking that cute.
“So, thank you for doing that.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
She quickly swiped a knuckle over her eyelashes. “Yes, I do. How did you even find him?”
“I know people.”
She sniffed. “How on earth did you get Chris to agree to this?”
“Money.”
“You paid him for my things?”
I nodded.
“Jack, you shouldn’t…” She stopped, shaking her head. “No, thank you. I don’t know why you did, but I’m glad. Kacey was on cloud nine all day. He fell asleep holding one of his Peterbilts.”
She lifted one shoulder, screwing up her face. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but is Chris still…alive?”
I laughed a little. “Yeah, unfortunately.”
“I’m surprised.”
“Pat was there. He promised to keep me out of prison. But I got a few punches in.”
“Have you iced your lip? It’s puffy.”
“Yeah, a few times. It looks worse than it is, I promise.”
“Okay.” Her gaze cut around the room as she shifted. “Uh, do you think he’ll be looking for us?”
I thought for a moment about the things he’d said about Miranda and how easily he’d given up her things. Answered as honestly as I could without disclosing those hurtful details. “No, I don’t think he will. He got the message loud and clear.”
“The message?”
“That we’re married. That you’re mine. That if he tries anything funny, he’s a dead man.”
We sat there. Quiet and staring. Correction: I was the one staring. She was looking at the fan, the dark TV, the cushion edge she was picking at.
She gently scraped at a fuzzy on the couch. “The secondthing I need to talk to you about is…” She chanced a glance at me. “Your old ring. I didn’t even know you kept it.”
“What about it?”
“Why are you wearing it?”
“Because I’m married.”
“Jack, but—we aren’t married like that.”
“I am.”
