was younger. You guys are married, right? So it’s okay.” Abbey smiled then pointed to the ground. “See? Raccoon tracks.”
“Right,” I said and watched her walk back and sit with Maria.
Boy, Cole wasn’t kidding when he said Abbey really liked me. I may not have experience with kids, but I could tell his daughter was completely in favor of our union. I thought of everything I had gone through the last few days. The bonds I had formed and my dreams of Cole Martin come true, all because of a crazy mixed up situation in Vegas.
Even with all of this craziness, my life couldn’t be more perfect than at this very moment. Aside from the short time at his house, I hadn’t been tied to my phone or laptop in days. No impatient clients and no groveling Grant. As a matter of fact, things here in Maryland were so ideal Grant was the farthest thing from my mind. And for the first time in a very long time so was my career. The craziest thing of all being that I was starting to think maybe this sham of a marriage stood a chance.
I helped the girls make party favors by gluing small sticks into picture frames and sprinkling them with gold glitter. Cole gladly took the truck into town to purchase the few supplies Abbey and I missed. We’d just packed the last one into a box for Maria to carry back to her camp when he returned.
“Hey, who is that following Dad?” Abbey asked, and I followed her stare to the silver sedan behind Cole’s SUV.
“I have no idea.” Brushing remnants of glitter from my hands, I stood and walked toward them.
“Look who arrived a day early!” Cole slammed his door and swept his hand toward the open window of the sedan.
“Matt?” I guessed, although I could see a resemblance from the Matt Drake of sixteen years ago. His prominent nose was a dead giveaway, and he seemed to have the same wire framed glasses from his youth. The receding hairline was a shocker.
“How are you Shelby?” he asked once he’d stepped out of the vehicle. “Are you about ready to dump this big loser?” He pointed to Cole.
“Hey! Watch it or I’ll take you out in the woods and get you lost. Remember, you dropped out of boy scouts.”
“Oh my God, Dad, really?” Abbey said from where she stood behind me.
“What? He knows I’m only kidding.” Cole patted Matt on the shoulder.
“Wow, Abbey, you’ve gotten so big. I haven’t seen you since you were six. Pretty, just like your mom.”
“Thanks,” Abbey said and shared an uncomfortable glance in my direction. The reminder of Heather was enough to break the spell I’d been under.
“You’re early,” I said and clasped my hands together because I didn’t know what else to do.
“The case didn’t take as long as I thought, so I had my secretary overnight the documents to me at my hotel and came straight here instead of home. I knew you guys were in a hurry to get this mess cleaned up.” Matt held up a large manila envelope.
“Right,” I answered absentmindedly.
“What are you talking about? Shelby, I thought--” Abbey jumped in front of me as I mechanically reached for the paper in Matt’s hand.
“Not now, Abbey.” Cole’s voice held a strain I’d never heard before. “Go clean your mess at the table. We have something important to discuss here.” He set his hands on her shoulders and steered her in the direction of the picnic table.
“I just need you two to initial in the highlighted boxes and sign on pages three and ten,” Matt explained. “This is basically stating you are not in agreement and that you are not holding each other responsible. There are no assets or liabilities to be taken from this union. All parties will leave with what they came with, blah, blah, blah.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said, with a bravado I didn’t feel, and did as I’d been instructed.
“Fine.” Cole signed as well but didn’t look at me.
“I now pronounce you exes,” Matt said while sliding the paper back into the envelope. “Hey, is
“Right,” I said and watched her walk back and sit with Maria.
Boy, Cole wasn’t kidding when he said Abbey really liked me. I may not have experience with kids, but I could tell his daughter was completely in favor of our union. I thought of everything I had gone through the last few days. The bonds I had formed and my dreams of Cole Martin come true, all because of a crazy mixed up situation in Vegas.
Even with all of this craziness, my life couldn’t be more perfect than at this very moment. Aside from the short time at his house, I hadn’t been tied to my phone or laptop in days. No impatient clients and no groveling Grant. As a matter of fact, things here in Maryland were so ideal Grant was the farthest thing from my mind. And for the first time in a very long time so was my career. The craziest thing of all being that I was starting to think maybe this sham of a marriage stood a chance.
I helped the girls make party favors by gluing small sticks into picture frames and sprinkling them with gold glitter. Cole gladly took the truck into town to purchase the few supplies Abbey and I missed. We’d just packed the last one into a box for Maria to carry back to her camp when he returned.
“Hey, who is that following Dad?” Abbey asked, and I followed her stare to the silver sedan behind Cole’s SUV.
“I have no idea.” Brushing remnants of glitter from my hands, I stood and walked toward them.
“Look who arrived a day early!” Cole slammed his door and swept his hand toward the open window of the sedan.
“Matt?” I guessed, although I could see a resemblance from the Matt Drake of sixteen years ago. His prominent nose was a dead giveaway, and he seemed to have the same wire framed glasses from his youth. The receding hairline was a shocker.
“How are you Shelby?” he asked once he’d stepped out of the vehicle. “Are you about ready to dump this big loser?” He pointed to Cole.
“Hey! Watch it or I’ll take you out in the woods and get you lost. Remember, you dropped out of boy scouts.”
“Oh my God, Dad, really?” Abbey said from where she stood behind me.
“What? He knows I’m only kidding.” Cole patted Matt on the shoulder.
“Wow, Abbey, you’ve gotten so big. I haven’t seen you since you were six. Pretty, just like your mom.”
“Thanks,” Abbey said and shared an uncomfortable glance in my direction. The reminder of Heather was enough to break the spell I’d been under.
“You’re early,” I said and clasped my hands together because I didn’t know what else to do.
“The case didn’t take as long as I thought, so I had my secretary overnight the documents to me at my hotel and came straight here instead of home. I knew you guys were in a hurry to get this mess cleaned up.” Matt held up a large manila envelope.
“Right,” I answered absentmindedly.
“What are you talking about? Shelby, I thought--” Abbey jumped in front of me as I mechanically reached for the paper in Matt’s hand.
“Not now, Abbey.” Cole’s voice held a strain I’d never heard before. “Go clean your mess at the table. We have something important to discuss here.” He set his hands on her shoulders and steered her in the direction of the picnic table.
“I just need you two to initial in the highlighted boxes and sign on pages three and ten,” Matt explained. “This is basically stating you are not in agreement and that you are not holding each other responsible. There are no assets or liabilities to be taken from this union. All parties will leave with what they came with, blah, blah, blah.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said, with a bravado I didn’t feel, and did as I’d been instructed.
“Fine.” Cole signed as well but didn’t look at me.
“I now pronounce you exes,” Matt said while sliding the paper back into the envelope. “Hey, is
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