“No, I’m not! I’m a one-woman man, I swear.”
“Look me in the eyes and tell me I wasn’t ever your second choice.”
The way his eyes widened was all the answer I needed to know.
"At first—I was just trying to forget her,” he said, panting heavily. "But that was only at first! Now I know you’re the only woman for me. I just gave into temptation. It was a mistake!"
I shrugged. My chest felt tight.
My stomach felt sick at the thought of thistemptation.
"How can I convince you how sorry I am if you won't talk to me?"
“I’m no one’s consolation prize,” I said. “Get your documents out of the filing cabinets because you’ll need them. How do you want to proceed with the Perk Up & Read. Are you open to me buying you out of it?”
But he refused to discuss anything to do with our divorce, his face looking drawn and miserable. But it didn’t matter.
I did what I had always done when confronted with a problem. Got out a pad of paper and began to make a to-do list. Everything would have to be split up. Difficult because everything in my life revolved around Frankie and our business.
Did my husband expect me to go home and cry? Nope!
I was going to do my best to ignore this and serve the customers as usual.
Cash sauntered in.
“Want me to fix that leaky toilet?” his low gravelly voice rumbled.
Frankie had delusions of fixing it, but he was truly hopeless at all mechanical things, and his only attempts had made the situation even leakier.
Well, I was done caring about his feelings, so I immediately agreed.
“I’m ready to have a toilet that works perfectly again,” I said. "Not an unexpected bidet."
He chuckled. “No problem. Just give me a few minutes to drink a cup of your amazing coffee.”
“You don’t need him! I can do it!”
Frankie grabbed the toolbox in the corner, but Cash only raised his eyebrows.
“Don’t hurt yourself there.”
It was time to get a few more errands done, and my first call was to the only lawyer in town, Earnest Farnsby-Woof.
“Well, if it isn’t the town’s leading lady! What can I do for you, Mrs. Mayor?” Earnest caroled in my ear.
My stomach was sinking into the ground and I desperately needed to eat something, but I was still tied up in knots inside.
“I would like to make an appointment,” I said, suppressing all quavers in my voice.
I stopped briefly to give Athena a little piece of papaya and stroke her beautiful emerald-green feathers.
Just you and me now, girl.
“Of course,” he said. “What’s it for?”
“My divorce,” I said.
“Mfhnnghapaa,” Earnest choked, and I heard the sputtering sound of him spitting a mouthful of coffee all over that fancy wooden desk. “Really? You and Frankie are donezo?”
