Chapter One
He didn’t even kiss me goodbye. Jessica knew it was
silly to get upset over something so minor, but she couldn’t help it. In the
eight years they’d been married, she couldn’t remember another morning when
Eric had forgone the farewell kiss. Sure, the kids were running amok, a sea of
backpacks and lunchboxes, but that was normal. Eric saying goodbye with a wave
was not.
“See you later.” He’d thrown her his trademark sexy grin.
She’d stood still for a few seconds, holding the door open as the kids piled
out of the house, waiting. And…nothing.
While queued in the drop-off line at the elementary school, she
flipped open the vanity mirror. She didn’t look like a beauty queen but at
least she’d showered. Her skin was clear, her cheeks even a bit rosy from
gardening the day before. She grimaced. I should have brushed my hair. Dark hair, wavy and out of control, pulled into a loose ponytail paired with
t-shirt and yoga pants. I look like a teenager. Not exactly sexy. Frowning at her reflection, she heard the car behind her honk.
“Mom, pull up, it’s our turn.” Timmy, though only seven, had
been a backseat driver for nearly five years.
“Sorry.” She inched the car toward the orange drop-off cone
and stopped. “Have a good day, guys. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom,” the chorus of three came from the
backseat as they scrambled out the door.
Taking a last quick glance in the mirror, she snapped it
shut and eased back into the parking lot. As she was about to turn onto the
main road, her cell rang. XXXXX , Eric’s ringtone. She fumbled in her
purse and slid the purple case open. Holding the phone to hear ear with her shoulder,
she pulled onto the street, not wanting to get beeped at a second time this
morning.
“Hey, sweetie,” Eric said. “Can you do me a favor?”
Sighing, Jessica shifted to keep the phone in place as she
changed lanes. “What’s up?”
“I know you said you were going to the grocery store, but I
need you to stop home first. I think I may have left the toaster oven on.”
“Can’t you go check?”
“I’ve got a really important meeting this morning. I need
you to do it. Please?” She could hear the smile in his voice. The charming,
irresistible smile to which she’d never been able to say no.
“Fine.” Even if you didn’t bother to kiss me this
morning.
“Thanks.”
Did he just chuckle?
She hung up and tossed the phone back into her purse. Great.
Now I have to go all the way home, which means I won’t get to the store for
another hour. Not that it was a huge deal. With all three boys in school
this year she had her days to herself. She’d been looking forward to that for
years, but it wasn’t as fun and freeing as she’d expected. All the same
responsibilities were there. The house still needed to be cleaned, dinner still
needed to be made, laundry was always piling up. And she always had a stack of
work on her desk. Freelance graphic design was the perfect work-from-home job
and she could do it any time of day or night, but lately she felt as though
everything was getting away from her. Somehow she’d had more structure to her
days when the kids were home than she managed to have with them in school all
day.
As she turned onto her block she couldn’t help but look for
signs of smoke pouring from her windows. God, I hope he didn’t really leave
the toaster oven on. What the hell was he even using the toaster oven for? Eric ate cereal for breakfast, though now that she thought about it she hadn’t
seen him pour himself a bowl this morning. She’d been too distracted by the
fact that he was wearing only pajama pants as he plodded around the kitchen.
She’d been so busy the past few weeks with back-to-school shopping and
beginning-of-term projects they’d barely spent any time together. Seeing him
bare chested, hair tousled from bed, reminded her that it had been a while. Too
long. Her stomach fluttered from a combination of
He didn’t even kiss me goodbye. Jessica knew it was
silly to get upset over something so minor, but she couldn’t help it. In the
eight years they’d been married, she couldn’t remember another morning when
Eric had forgone the farewell kiss. Sure, the kids were running amok, a sea of
backpacks and lunchboxes, but that was normal. Eric saying goodbye with a wave
was not.
“See you later.” He’d thrown her his trademark sexy grin.
She’d stood still for a few seconds, holding the door open as the kids piled
out of the house, waiting. And…nothing.
While queued in the drop-off line at the elementary school, she
flipped open the vanity mirror. She didn’t look like a beauty queen but at
least she’d showered. Her skin was clear, her cheeks even a bit rosy from
gardening the day before. She grimaced. I should have brushed my hair. Dark hair, wavy and out of control, pulled into a loose ponytail paired with
t-shirt and yoga pants. I look like a teenager. Not exactly sexy. Frowning at her reflection, she heard the car behind her honk.
“Mom, pull up, it’s our turn.” Timmy, though only seven, had
been a backseat driver for nearly five years.
“Sorry.” She inched the car toward the orange drop-off cone
and stopped. “Have a good day, guys. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom,” the chorus of three came from the
backseat as they scrambled out the door.
Taking a last quick glance in the mirror, she snapped it
shut and eased back into the parking lot. As she was about to turn onto the
main road, her cell rang. XXXXX , Eric’s ringtone. She fumbled in her
purse and slid the purple case open. Holding the phone to hear ear with her shoulder,
she pulled onto the street, not wanting to get beeped at a second time this
morning.
“Hey, sweetie,” Eric said. “Can you do me a favor?”
Sighing, Jessica shifted to keep the phone in place as she
changed lanes. “What’s up?”
“I know you said you were going to the grocery store, but I
need you to stop home first. I think I may have left the toaster oven on.”
“Can’t you go check?”
“I’ve got a really important meeting this morning. I need
you to do it. Please?” She could hear the smile in his voice. The charming,
irresistible smile to which she’d never been able to say no.
“Fine.” Even if you didn’t bother to kiss me this
morning.
“Thanks.”
Did he just chuckle?
She hung up and tossed the phone back into her purse. Great.
Now I have to go all the way home, which means I won’t get to the store for
another hour. Not that it was a huge deal. With all three boys in school
this year she had her days to herself. She’d been looking forward to that for
years, but it wasn’t as fun and freeing as she’d expected. All the same
responsibilities were there. The house still needed to be cleaned, dinner still
needed to be made, laundry was always piling up. And she always had a stack of
work on her desk. Freelance graphic design was the perfect work-from-home job
and she could do it any time of day or night, but lately she felt as though
everything was getting away from her. Somehow she’d had more structure to her
days when the kids were home than she managed to have with them in school all
day.
As she turned onto her block she couldn’t help but look for
signs of smoke pouring from her windows. God, I hope he didn’t really leave
the toaster oven on. What the hell was he even using the toaster oven for? Eric ate cereal for breakfast, though now that she thought about it she hadn’t
seen him pour himself a bowl this morning. She’d been too distracted by the
fact that he was wearing only pajama pants as he plodded around the kitchen.
She’d been so busy the past few weeks with back-to-school shopping and
beginning-of-term projects they’d barely spent any time together. Seeing him
bare chested, hair tousled from bed, reminded her that it had been a while. Too
long. Her stomach fluttered from a combination of
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