Chapter 12

Linda was nervous. For a date with her own husband.

It had taken all her willpower to leave Dennis last night. Not because of his touch, although that alone was powerful enough. No, it was the effort. He was trying really hard.

It would have been so easy to stay the night. Move back in. Trust that everything would get better. But she knew there was so much more to work through.

She was fighting for the future they’d envisioned. She would stay true, she would wage a war for their survival as a couple.

A knock on her room door had Linda turning around, “Come in.”

A smile shone on Laura’s face. “You look hot in that dress.”

“Why, thank you,” Linda twisted her hips side to side. “I’m excited. It feels like a first date and I haven’t had one of those since middle school.”

The doorbell rang and she descended toward the front door. Amazing that she could get this nervous and excited about seeing her husband, but there it was. Dennis, dressed like he was playing to win, stared back.

“You look gorgeous, Linda, but no surprise there. You always look incredibly beautiful to me.”

“You look handsome, too.”

“Do you want to come in?”

“Sure.”

Laura was staring at them like the cat who’d caught the canary. “Look at you two. You look like a couple of teenagers in love.”

Linda looked so familiar and beautiful, he wanted to get on his knees and ask her forgiveness for being a selfish bastard. I’m sorry, my love.

“When is her curfew?” Dennis said, winking at Laura.

Laura just laughed.

“Ready to go?”

She nodded slowly and crossed to the passenger side. Dennis followed, opening the door for Linda and boosting her onto the seat.

“I have news about the Daycare. Grace McAllister called me. She found a place that is exactly what I’m looking for.”

His wife’s words caused Dennis a pang of guilt.

He had always known she wanted open her business. From the time they were in high school, her dream had been front and center in conversations with him.

Instead of helping her to make her dream come true. He had spent his savings on a house. If he had talked to her more, or listened, he wouldn’t have buried the importance of Linda fulfilling her dream.

“Dennis, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he rasped, avoiding her eyes. “Ready to go?”

He’d finally admitted to himself he’d let her dreams hang in limbo for so long. She’d been pining for something in secret while he’d worked toward an entirely different goal. All of which could have been avoided if he’d talked to his wife. Kept her close instead of at arm’s length where she could never suspect he wasn’t invincible.

“Dennis, what’s wrong? I tried to show you my appreciation by cleaning your truck and making you dinner. And I thought we were getting somewhere ... I tried to change.”

“You weren’t part of the problem in this marriage. Stop saying that.”

“I was.”

His jaw bunched and he shook his head.

“I let the years pass without trying to achieve my dream. I could have pursued it harder. This isn’t your fault.”

They reached to the restaurant and grabbed their seats. She had been here before with Dennis. A long time ago. They placed their orders to the waiter.

“Do you want to show these kids how to dance?”

“I’d love to,” she said breathlessly, finding it hard to speak. He took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor.

“Can you hold me tighter?” she whispered.

“I’ll do anything you ask me to do,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Except walk away.”

He looked into her eyes, that contact holding, and for that moment, he was sure they were going to make it. Then, he remembered the Damocles’ sword hanging over his head and he wasn’t certain anymore.

He needed to tell her about the house had bought and hidden from her.