A little story I’m working on about lost, then found, love….
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When she swallowed again and her chest lifted a hair with the quick breath she hauled in ( and Jesus, was she braless?) he knew her nerves were swarming and she was stalling for time in order to think of a response.
Old habits he knew well.
“Husband?”
“Yeah. You know? Mr. Hamilton?”
“It’s doctor, actually,” she mumbled.
Of course it is. His first name’s probably Alexander.
“And we’re not married anymore.”
His heart rate quickened at the disclosure.
“How long?”
“A little less than a year.”
Curiosity compelled him to ask, “Is that why you moved back home?”
She nodded.
“What happened?”
Sage lifted the pizza to her lips, took a small bite and simultaneously shrugged. “Simple and clichéd story. We wanted different things and neither of us was prepared to compromise.”
Well, that certainly sounded familiar.
“You’re divorced, according to Corrine,” she added. “You must now how it is.”
Nodding, he took his own bite of the delicious pizza and wondered if his ex sounded as bitter when she talked about their failed marriage as Sage did. Barbara had no cause to be, but he didn’t think it would stop her from badmouthing him if given the opportunity.
“What didn’t you agree on?” he asked.
She sighed again and he did a quick eye-dip to her chest.
Yup, no bra.
“I wanted children. He didn’t. Unfortunately, I didn’t find out until we were married almost seven years.”
Nodding, he said, “You always wanted kids. Even when we were teenagers you were a born nurturer. Remember when my grandparent’s cat had kittens? You took care of the mamma and her babies for over a month. Every day before we’d start working you’d make sure mamma was comfortable in the store’s back room, had enough to eat and that the kittens were thriving.”
The smile he’d loved the very first time he’d ever seen it cross her face lit up her eyes at the memory. “I think that was when I really decided to become a doctor.”
“It’s a wonder you didn’t become a Vet with the amount of animals you took care of back then. Mrs. Barclay’s chickens, old man Paley’s dog.”
“People are easier. They can tell you where it hurts.
“Truth.” He took another bite of pizza, his gaze staying on her. “So. What did Doctor Hamilton want that you didn’t?”
When she nailed him with a look so filled with hurt and yet so swimming in anger, he knew it was something big.
“Other women.”
His hand stopped its assent to his mouth, the point of the pizza wedge dipping down toward the plate. “He cheated on you?”
“Several times. It was his favorite hobby. Most doctors play golf on their days off. Leland played the role of happy bachelor. When I found out and confronted him he told me I didn’t need to worry about any of the women. They meant nothing. It was just sex. His libido was strong and he needed…more, than I could give him. He came home to me every night and I had his name, he said. That proved he loved me and me alone. Seems we differed on the definition of the word. Another thing about us I didn’t learn until several years after we married.”
“What a dick.”
Details about the story will be available soon.. But it’s got a Holiday 2020 release, so…
Until next time, peeps ~ Peg
And if you’re looking for me, I’m usually here: Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me// Triber// BookMe //Watch me
Peggy Jaeger, Author 