"I'm heading bush. Finding the quietest country town I can, changing my name, living the quiet life. If I'm exceptionally lucky, your mother won't have moved on, she'll find her way back to me, and I'll finally make an honest woman out of her."
Jax didn't believe in fairytales or happily ever afters. And with the number of lies Denver had told to his closest friends before ripping them off, Jax had a hard time believing him now. But for his dad's sake, he hoped he stayed true to his goals.
"Good luck, Dad."
Denver's hand shook as he replaced the receiver before snatching it back at the last moment. "I'm going to stay out of your way, son, I promise."
Jax had had enough of his dad's empty promises in the past, but considering what he'd learned today, he was in a charitable mood.
"We'll see what happens when you get out and find that place in the country."
Denver nodded and hung up, signalling to the guard to take him back. Jax felt nothing but relief as his father walked away, his heavy heart considerably lighter than when he'd arrived.
Yeah, the Maroney men were capable of redemption.
He now had to make his wife believe it.
Chapter 36
Ruby contemplated changing the locks while Jax had been away.
Childish? Yeah, but she hadn't been thinking straight since he left. The realisation she might have overreacted about the promise ring didn't help.
The longer she thought about it, the more cringe-worthy her reaction became. What had she been expecting? They barely knew each other, had fallen headfirst into a sham marriage that had miraculously morphed into something more all too quickly, and she'd expected that ring to be a lifelong promise?
She could apologise when he returned, but she wouldn't. They had a business deal, and love wasn't on the agenda. Besides, she didn't have time to sit around and wait, hoping his promise might turn to something deeper.
She loved him.
She needed him to love her back. Now. Not sometime in the future, if ever. That wasn't enough for her. She deserved more. She wanted more. She wanted it all.
Restless and unable to sleep like every other night over the last week, she flung off the top sheet and slipped into her robe.
She'd been working on a new radiant cut sapphire in a collet setting. Maybe that would take her mind off pining for her soon-to-be ex-husband.
She padded downstairs in bare feet, pushed open the iron door, and followed the floor lit sconces towards her workshop. She pulled back the curtain to enter when a hand clamped on her shoulder and she screamed.
"Hey, it's me."
She should've relaxed at the sound of Jax's voice but she didn't, her nerves snapping taut at their inevitable confrontation when she'd barely slept all week.
She whirled around and shoved him. "What the hell do you think you're doing, sneaking around here and scaring me half to death?"
"Sorry." He held up his hands in surrender. "I thought you were asleep. I just entered through the back door and was trying to be quiet when I saw you heading towards the workshop."
She folded her arms, hating how grumpy and out of sorts she sounded, hating the way her heart thumped and her body subconsciously craved him more.
"You could've called out."
"And spoiled the surprise?"
His mouth kicked into a crooked grin, his uncertainty surprising her.
The Jax Maroney she knew was many things; uncertain wasn't one of them.
"Did you come to pick up your toothbrush?"
His smile faded and she mentally kicked herself for sounding so abrupt.
