Cynthia Hamilton - Madeline Dawkins 01 - Spouse Trap by Cynthia Hamilton

you… According to Burt, Steven didn’t actually go to Dallas. He took a flight from Santa Barbara to L.A., but he got on a flight to Boston instead.”
    “So, you think maybe he’s two-timing you?”
    “Why else would he make a big point of saying he’s got a business meeting in Dallas if he’s really going to Boston? Burt’s got his ‘feelers out’ to confirm his final destination.”
    “Well, that was a good move on your part, hiring your own spook.” Mike became reflective again. “Maddie, Maddie, Maddie. You poor baby. You do not deserve shit like this. That son-of-a-bitch is very damn lucky he’s not within driving distance. I’d risk prison time to give him just a taste of what he deserves.”
    Though she could tell Mike was almost as infuriated as she was, hearing his reaction was a balm for her raw nerves. She relaxed against the sofa, effectively letting some of her load transfer to her old friend and former lover.
    “So, you’ve got a couple days left before that asshole gets back to town. What’s the agenda?”
    “I hope I can get in to see an attorney, or at least set something up. I’m worried about money. I don’t know if he’s going to want anything up front. I really don’t have access to much, and who knows how long that’s going to last me—even without exorbitant legal fees. I’m thinking about selling my car…”
    “What’s it worth?”
    “I don’t know. It’s less than a year old. I think I’ve only put about 6,000 miles on it.”
    “What’s the make, model and year? I’ll check it out on Kelley Blue Book,” Mike said as he logged onto his computer.
    “It’s a 2011 Porsche Carrera S,” Madeline said, knowing she was going to get some ribbing for this. Mike let out a low whistle.
    “Well, at least you’ve got some chips to play with. I take it the car’s in your name…?”
    “Yes, it was a fortieth birthday present.”
    “At least you got that out of him,” Mike said. His pragmatism struck her as being a little crass until she remembered who they were talking about. “I’ll assume it’s got everything but the butler… Okay…retail price, $91,300. Private party sale, $87,700. Does that make you feel any better?”
    “A little. Now how do I go about selling it? I don’t have the time to be placing ads and dealing with inquiries,” Madeline said.
    “I think you’d have better luck selling it down here—bigger market and bigger egos. What color is it?”
    “Ruby red.”
    “Nice. Sure you don’t want to just give it to me? After all we’ve meant to each other?” Madeline let out a soft snort. “Okay, just checking…”
    “I don’t see how I can sell it down there while I’m up here—unless I take it to a dealer, but I wouldn’t get as much for it.”
    “When will you know if you’re coming down?”
    “I don’t know. It depends on if I can get in to see an attorney down there. I’ve got a list of things I need to take care of up here… I don’t know—I’ll just have to wing it.”
    “Alright, when you know what your agenda’s going to be, call me. I’m not sure what help I can offer, but I’ll do anything for you, Maddie. You know that.”
    These were the words she’d been craving to hear. She let all the air escape from her lungs. It made her feel like she was ridding her body of toxic gases. At least she had one more person on her side.

    When Madeline awoke from a deep slumber, she yawned and stretched, a peaceful expression on her face. But reality soon sabotaged her naturally sunny disposition. She sat up abruptly and took stock of her surroundings and registered their implications. She sighed heavily, her spirits taking a tumble as she came to grips with all the chores and errands on her list, none of them qualifying as habitudes.
    She allowed herself five more minutes to get adjusted to her new status and review the objectives of the day on her mental list. After plotting a path that would take her through Santa Barbara