“Callie, are you all right?” Marilee asked anxiously as she approached them.
“Certainly. I simply fainted and Morgan overreacted, as usual. I’m fine, truly I am. Put me down, Morgan,” she insisted.
“I will once I have you upstairs. Then you’re going to lie down and rest.”
“I’ve been resting for several hours!”
“I don’t care. Doctor’s orders. Maybe later you can get up for a while.”
“Good heavens,” she said with a sigh. “Girls, I guess I’ll see you later. Take me up then,” she snapped, “since you won’t listen to reason.”
They all watched as Morgan carried his wife upstairs, quiet until they heard the door to the bedroom close.
“See what we mean?” Fancy asked.
“Maybe he’s just worried about her,” Matthew stated, sticking up for his brother.
“And maybe he’s just abominably controlling.”
“Fancy, try to cut him some slack, will you? You ladies don’t know all that he’s been dealing with. There’s more involved than just The Duchess. Morgan has other problems, bigger than what goes on here.”
“Would you care to explain?” Marilee asked gently. “It might help if we understood.”
“It’s not my story to tell,” Matthew replied uncomfortably. “I’ve said too much already. Let’s leave things as they stand. I’ll be back in town tomorrow to check on Callie Mae. Ma will be worried sick until she knows what happened. “You should all try to keep a cool head until you can talk to Callie.”
Three pretty heads nodded and watched him walk through the bat-wing doors.
Mounting his horse, Matthew cursed himself for his big mouth as he headed home. It had been a hell of a day.
CHAPTER 11
PRESENT DAY
The time had come. Cara could not put it off any longer. Each day, a piece of her heart seemed to break away every time she had angry words with Micah. He was a man used to stating what was on his mind. Clearly, he had grown suspicious, questioning her every move. They were like caged animals, circling each other, wary and alert. The tension in their home had become untenable.
Today, they’d barely spoken. He’d been strangely quiet on the ride home from work and all through dinner.
She had to leave, now, tonight, before he finally figured out what she was planning and tried to stop her. Her husband was an exceedingly intelligent man. Cara knew her window of opportunity was closing fast. From a chaise on the patio, she watched the sunset, beautiful blazing colors streaking across the horizon, and wondered if she’d ever witness it again from this vantage point.
They hadn’t made love all week. Exhausted by her preparations and research, her heart heavy at having to deceive him, she lacked the desire. Understanding she knew she might never touch him again if things backfired, she finished her wine and walked slowly up the stairs.
Micah had gone up a while ago, telling her he planned to read in bed. Cara had other ideas. She undressed as she walked through their bedroom, kicking off her heels and dropping pieces of clothing along the way. When she reached the door to the master bath, she stopped naked and turned to look at him.
“Care to join me?”
The bedside lamp was on, but the rest of the room was in shadows. Still, she could see him looking at her; feel his eyes traveling down her body.
“Not tonight,” he coolly replied before turning back to his book. “I already showered.”
Shrugging her slim shoulders, she entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Once inside, she turned on the water to a comfortable temperature, added her favorite bath salts and sank into the Jacuzzi tub. Resting her head back against the side, she closed her eyes.
It was the right thing; she assured herself. No matter what happened, at least she could say she’d done everything in her power to ensure she and Micah had a long life ahead of them. If it all went horribly wrong and she was not able to return, her stubborn husband, who would do nothing to help her, would know what she’d suffered while he’d been gone.
It was a spiteful thing to think; she knew that. But she also doubted he truly understood the anguish she’d suffered in his absence, or her complete devastation while fearing their entire world had been snuffed out like a candle that had burned too brightly for too long. She would never be able to completely let that go, never forget what it felt like to have her heart ripped from her chest. If not for Mead’s support, she would not have survived.
On some level, it galled her, realizing how weak she truly was. The threads of her life were so tightly woven with Micah’s, it terrified her. Prior to that, there had been a time when everything was new to her. It was a maze that was both exciting and frightening, yet she’d come through it to discover she loved and was loved. The importance of that had seemed staggering. Never before had she needed another human being. Never before had her wellbeing and happiness depended on another individual. Now, knowing what she knew, Cara understood that without Micah she would never again be truly alive. She could not allow that to happen, not without a fight.
Cara shaved her legs and rose from the tub. Stepping into the shower, she shampooed her hair and rinsed off. Taking a thick towel from the heated bar, she stepped out and moved to the lighted mirror. There she dried off, applied lotion, deodorant, and a spritz of Micah’s favorite perfume.
