and work day and night, so I could get a decent job and support my daughters. My daughters, whose father decided he had better things to do than be responsible for a family. Maybe someone else could forgive you that, but I’m sure as hell not that woman.”
“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I explained what happened. My God, Gail, I was married with two kids almost before I could turn around. And the offer, it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I couldn’t turn it down.”
“Even if it meant taking all our money and losing it.”
“It wasn’t supposed to happen that way. Besides, you’re the one who pushed for the divorce.”
“Gee, imagine that,” she said, dripping sarcasm. “I divorced the man who deserted me and left me destitute with two kids. Not to mention, a man who was unfaithful, probably from the day we married.”
“Gail, that isn’t true.” At her look of patent disbelief, he added, “I stumbled. I admitted that. I thought we’d gotten past it.”
“You thought wrong.” Stumbled, had he? That’s how he described an affair that had broken her heart, and her faith. For her daughters’ sake she’d tried to forgive him. But it had happened again. Several times, she suspected. By the time Barry left, she’d been on the verge of divorcing him anyway. Only the thought of her children had made her hesitate. Then Barry took the decision out of her hands by walking out on them.
Which didn’t say a heck of a lot about her judgment.
“Can’t you consider forgiving me? Trying again? For the girls’ sake, if nothing else.”
“To tell you the truth, Barry, it’s been all I could do to let you back into their lives, period. I have noguarantee you won’t turn around and do the same thing to them all over again.”
“I wouldn’t do that. I love my daughters.”
“That didn’t stop you the first time. You said you loved them then, too.”
“So that’s it.” He sighed heavily. “You’re never going to forgive me. No matter how many times I tell you I’ve changed, you’re just not going to believe me.”
“I’d say that sums it up real well. I don’t trust you, Barry, and I never will.” She’d made that mistake once, she would never make it again. She looked for Jay but didn’t see him. “I’ve got to go. Don’t bring this up again. I won’t change my mind.”
She stopped by the bar to talk to Gabe. “What happened to Jay? I was supposed to meet him.”
Gabe took a long pull of his beer before setting it down and looking at her. “He left. Maybe he got sick of watching you and lover boy there cozy up to each other. I know I did.”
Astonished, she stared at him. “We were not cozying up to each other. The reverse, if anything. Jay couldn’t have thought that.”
“I don’t know what he thought, but I can tell you it’s been giving me some bad moments.” His mouth thinned into a grim line. “You’re not thinking about taking that slime bastard back, are you?”
“Don’t be an idiot,” she said crossly. “Why would Jay leave like that?”
“You spent the last twenty minutes oblivious to anyone but your ex-husband. What’s the poor suckersupposed to think?” He took another sip, closed his eyes and rolled his head. “Well, at least I don’t have to go break Barry’s face. Again.”
Gabe was exaggerating. Surely Jay didn’t think she and Barry… Yet obviously something was bothering him, or he wouldn’t have left without even waiting to speak to her.
“I need you to do something for me, Gabe. Will you take the girls home and put them to bed? I’m going to find Jay and clear this up.”
“Yeah, I’ll take care of Roxy and Mel.” He paused, then added, “Good luck. You’re gonna need it.”
J AY LEFT the Scarlet Parrot for a very good reason. If he’d had to watch Gail and her ex-husband gazing into each others’ eyes for one more damn minute, he’d have thrown up. So he left.
He picked up his glass and took another sip
“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I explained what happened. My God, Gail, I was married with two kids almost before I could turn around. And the offer, it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I couldn’t turn it down.”
“Even if it meant taking all our money and losing it.”
“It wasn’t supposed to happen that way. Besides, you’re the one who pushed for the divorce.”
“Gee, imagine that,” she said, dripping sarcasm. “I divorced the man who deserted me and left me destitute with two kids. Not to mention, a man who was unfaithful, probably from the day we married.”
“Gail, that isn’t true.” At her look of patent disbelief, he added, “I stumbled. I admitted that. I thought we’d gotten past it.”
“You thought wrong.” Stumbled, had he? That’s how he described an affair that had broken her heart, and her faith. For her daughters’ sake she’d tried to forgive him. But it had happened again. Several times, she suspected. By the time Barry left, she’d been on the verge of divorcing him anyway. Only the thought of her children had made her hesitate. Then Barry took the decision out of her hands by walking out on them.
Which didn’t say a heck of a lot about her judgment.
“Can’t you consider forgiving me? Trying again? For the girls’ sake, if nothing else.”
“To tell you the truth, Barry, it’s been all I could do to let you back into their lives, period. I have noguarantee you won’t turn around and do the same thing to them all over again.”
“I wouldn’t do that. I love my daughters.”
“That didn’t stop you the first time. You said you loved them then, too.”
“So that’s it.” He sighed heavily. “You’re never going to forgive me. No matter how many times I tell you I’ve changed, you’re just not going to believe me.”
“I’d say that sums it up real well. I don’t trust you, Barry, and I never will.” She’d made that mistake once, she would never make it again. She looked for Jay but didn’t see him. “I’ve got to go. Don’t bring this up again. I won’t change my mind.”
She stopped by the bar to talk to Gabe. “What happened to Jay? I was supposed to meet him.”
Gabe took a long pull of his beer before setting it down and looking at her. “He left. Maybe he got sick of watching you and lover boy there cozy up to each other. I know I did.”
Astonished, she stared at him. “We were not cozying up to each other. The reverse, if anything. Jay couldn’t have thought that.”
“I don’t know what he thought, but I can tell you it’s been giving me some bad moments.” His mouth thinned into a grim line. “You’re not thinking about taking that slime bastard back, are you?”
“Don’t be an idiot,” she said crossly. “Why would Jay leave like that?”
“You spent the last twenty minutes oblivious to anyone but your ex-husband. What’s the poor suckersupposed to think?” He took another sip, closed his eyes and rolled his head. “Well, at least I don’t have to go break Barry’s face. Again.”
Gabe was exaggerating. Surely Jay didn’t think she and Barry… Yet obviously something was bothering him, or he wouldn’t have left without even waiting to speak to her.
“I need you to do something for me, Gabe. Will you take the girls home and put them to bed? I’m going to find Jay and clear this up.”
“Yeah, I’ll take care of Roxy and Mel.” He paused, then added, “Good luck. You’re gonna need it.”
J AY LEFT the Scarlet Parrot for a very good reason. If he’d had to watch Gail and her ex-husband gazing into each others’ eyes for one more damn minute, he’d have thrown up. So he left.
He picked up his glass and took another sip
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