Page 81 of Out Of A Fix

“And the anger was never for me to begin with. Who cares how she treated me? It’s how she treated the kids that makes me homicidal.”

I understood that, but still. “You realize you deserve to be happy as well.”

“Yeah, but once you become a parent, that’s your most important job. I have to be devoted to the welfare of my kids before any other consideration.”

“Except that, modeling a happy, healthy, equal relationship for your children shows them what they deserve in their own lives.”

At the stop sign, he turned to me. “No. Your parents’ marriage is supposed to show you what you don’t want, so then you go out and find the exact opposite. Everybody knows that.”

“That is so messed up,” I assured him, shaking my head.

“I should have known you’re not married,” he muttered.

“And why is that?”

“Happy marriage, healthy…whatever, gimme a break.”

“Listen, my boss just got married after waiting most of his adult life for his husband, so yeah, I’m a romantic. You have to have faith.”

He grunted. “It must be nice to look at the world through rose-colored glasses.”

“Better than ones that magnify every little problem you see.”

We were quiet for the rest of the surprisingly short drive. Even going from one side of town to the other did not take more than ten minutes.

“We’re here. Where do you want me to park?”

I scanned the lot, saw the car with the license plate I was after, and had him back up close to where we’d come in. “Okay, you stay here and⁠—”

“Absolutely not,” he snapped. “I won’t talk, but what if he’s got a gun or⁠—”

“Are you listening to yourself? Why do you think you’re not going in with me?”

He shook his head. “This is a nonstarter. You go only if I go.”

“I never agreed to that.”

“I don’t care,” he argued, passing me a pink Hello Kitty umbrella from the console between our seats.

“The hell is this?”

His smile was instant and huge. “That’s yours.” He then reached behind his seat and retrieved a large black one. “This is mine.”

“I would rather drown,” I said dramatically, getting out of the car and starting across the lot toward the rooms.

I heard the chirp of the car alarm behind me, and then he was there, hand on the back of my jacket, shielding me from the rain with his golf umbrella.

“You’re an ass,” I grumbled as his hand moved to my shoulder.

“Well, guess what,” he teased, “you bring it out of me.”

“Well, that’s terrible,” I said, darting forward to stand under the motel overhang.

“It’s not terrible,” he replied when he reached me, closing the umbrella and slipping behind me. “I haven’t been myself since Caitlyn left. I’ve been polite and quiet and distant, but today, I was barking orders and was, from what everyone said, a real prick.”

I looked over my shoulder at him. “You don’t get how that’s not great?”

His flashing grin made my stomach flip over, which was not good at all. “But see, that’s where you’re wrong. It was amazing, and all my guys were smiling like I haven’t seen them do in a long time. It’s like the sun finally came out.”