Sandra accepted it now. There’d been nothing subtle about his interference, but she knew he only wanted her happiness.
“How long has he worried about me?” she asked.
“Since I invited Eb and Rue to come to the airport to meet you guys.”
Sandra blinked. She had sure deluded herself about hiding it better.
“Walt says something happened then, something more than you being sick.” Linda met her gaze. “He said you were fine, and then you weren’t. Was it something Eb said? Because Walt has threatened to beat him up for you if he needs to.”
Sandra had taken a sip of her shake and choked on it. “This has nothing to do with Eb,” she finally said with a cough.
“I will accept he might not have instigated whatever’s going on.” Linda tilted her head and then shook it. “But I don’t believe he’s not linked to it.”
Sandra heaved out a breath and put down her cup. “I saw my ex-husband at the airport.”
“Ex-husband… Walt has never mentioned you were married before.”
“That’s because he doesn’t know.” Sandra rubbed at the ache in her chest, which always came with the memory. She hurriedly explained about the accident in a rush. “Dom said he wanted to have a family, and I couldn’t give it to him.”
Linda’s entire body had stiffened, and her eyes flashed. She would tell Walt, and it gratified Sandra to think of his reaction.
“It happened a long time ago. I’ve managed not to think about it and move on with my life.”
“Uh… No. Sorry. I’m not buying you’ve moved on, or it wouldn’t be so hard for you to talk about.” Linda studied Sandra. “This is why you’re pushing Eb away?”
“Of course it is.” Sandra stood and gathered her trash.
“But why push him away? It’s obvious the man’s crazy about you.”
“Because he deserves a whole woman.”
Linda made a sound of disgust. “Did you seriously just say that?”
Sandra turned to glare at the woman. “Yes, I did. One man has already thrown me away because of it, and you wouldn’t ask me if you’d seen the look on Eb’s face when I told him. And when I left, he didn’t call me back, so he said plenty without saying a word.”
Linda stood and pulled Sandra into an embrace. If she’d seen pity in the older woman’s eyes, Sandra would have pushed her away. Instead, she saw only love and compassion, and then she lost it, burying her face in Linda’s shoulder.
After a few minutes, Linda’s phone pinged.
“You should answer that.” Sandra stepped back and wiped her face.
“Yes, I do, but you need to see someone about this.” Linda held up a finger, reminding Sandra of her mother when she’d admonished her as a child. “What your ex-husband did to you was wrong, but what’s worse is the way you’re still letting it hurt you.”
Linda picked up her purse and started fumbling inside, muttering to herself. She growled Eb’s name as she went out the door, so she must not have been any happier with Eb’s response to Sandra’s revelation.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
Atap on Eb’s office door pulled him from the documents he was studying. It had been the first day at work without the awkwardness which had followed the shooting. Life was finally returning to normal. If he could get Sandra to accept his calls.
Another tap, this time louder, had him on his feet. “Come in.”
Gretchen swept into the office, followed by Walt and Linda. Eb’s boss looked irritated. Had he done something wrong?
“Welcome.” Eb indicated they should take seats at the conference table. “Do you have any questions about the Santa Run? I can have our publicist join us if you’d like.”
“This isn’t about that,” Gretchen began.
“Part of it is,” Walt interrupted. When both women gave him flat looks, he didn’t quite roll his eyes. “Well, it is.”
