Micah Whittaker had an uneasy feeling,which was something he did not take lightly. Cara was up to something, and he was pretty sure he would not approve, hence the secrecy.
For months after Mead left, she could not sleep through the night without waking up in a cold sweat. Plagued by nightmares, fearful if she called out to him and he didn’t respond immediately, she watched him like a lioness watches her cub. It drove him insane. Cara followed him around the house like a little lost puppy and rushed in and out of his office at work several times a day.
“Cara, what in the name of all that’s holy are you doing?” he finally demanded.
“Nothing.”
“Darling, something is clearly upsetting you. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing and everything,” she responded, looking at the floor. “I can’t talk about it here,” she whispered, glancing around the lab. “You know that.”
“Yes, I understand, but you have to stop it. It’s highly unprofessional. There is nothing we can do in any case. You know that, don’t you?” he quietly asked.
Cara did not answer.
“Don’t you?” he repeated.
Again, there was no reply.
“Cara Mia, answer me,” he scolded sharply.
Her cheeks became flushed as others looked at them curiously. Immediately he was sorry he’d embarrassed her in front of co-workers, but this trailing his every move was out of hand.
“Cara, please,” he whispered.
“Yes,” she finally replied. “I’ll get right on that, Dr. Whittaker.”
“Tell me you understand and agree.”
“I understand.”
Then she was gone, her heels clicking across the tile floor. He noted that she had not said, “I agree.” That was the last time she’d been in his office, the last time she’d entered his lab using her keycard, and sadly the exact moment when he knew her mind was scrambling for a solution.
Since then, she’d been extraordinarily cool and professional at work. At home she acted fairly like her old self, other than staying up much later than usual. From their bedroom, he could not hear what she was doing downstairs.
Oddly, despite the distance that seemed to have sprung up between them, the sex was incredible. Cara seemed insatiable for the physical act, but somehow he felt it lacked genuine emotion. He did not understand her increased desire until he accidentally intercepted a message from her gynecologist reminding her she’d missed an appointment for her Depo shot. Why would a woman, who’d always swore she didn’t want children, miss such an important appointment, especially when they were engaging in the most intense intercourse since their honeymoon? Was she deliberately trying to get pregnant? Why? And all without consulting him!
Then it hit him like a hammer to the head. Cara wanted something to cling to should he vanish as he had before. A child would be a physical reminder of him and what they once shared. It was a bit heartbreaking to say the least and clued him in on how desperate his wife had become.
She spent a great deal of time in her office on her computer. If he asked her what she was doing, he got a one-word reply:
“Research.”
“Reading.”
“Studying.”
“Gaming.”
Lately, he’d begun to wonder if she was also talking to other men. It wasn’t like her, but then again, most husbands who’d been in similar situations often said they’d had no idea. Was she scouting for his replacement should he disappear again? Was she still searching for answers, even though he’d told her repeatedly to let it go?
Probably. When Cara got her teeth into a project, she was like a dog with a bone. She would not rest until she’d solved whatever problem she decided to tackle. And now this was a problem, another one. He could no longer trust her. She was keeping things from him, and it was all related to whatever was going on in 1880 Kansas!
His adorable, determined little wife was sneaky as hell. He felt it in his bones like a chill, but what to do about it? He considered confronting her head on. She might tell him the truth, but she also might clam up even further. Was she having some kind of mental breakdown? Damned if he knew, but she certainly wasn’t acting like the responsible, intelligent woman she was.
Frustrated, he decided he better keep a closer eye on her. Several times in the last week she’d disappeared from work. Her explanation was plausible, so he could not argue. Cara insisted she was having some dresses made by Lucille, her friend from college, and a highly sought after designer. She also said they’d met for lunch. Nothing strange about that, right? Then why was he filled with trepidation? Only time would tell. In the meantime, he had some secrets of his own. If things worked out the way he hoped they would, all of this would be a nightmare best forgotten.
CHAPTER 10
