real with me. You ran into a woman you were clearly not over. You slept with her. At no point did it ever cross your mind that you’d given me a ring, made a commitment to me?”
“Sunny, please. It was one night. No conversation, no strings, no promises. She asked me if there was someone else, and I said no. I wanted what she was offering, and I knew if I told her the truth, she would have kicked me out. I don’t know why she was here,” he defended, albeit poorly.
“I don’t care why she was here. I want to know why she looked like I had punched her in the gut when I told her we were going to be married in a month. And I gotta tell you, if you’d been here, I’m pretty sure she would have beaten the shit out of you—she was that angry.”
“I can only imagine. Emmalyn has a very short temper. She didn’t yell at you did she?”
Sunny rolled her eyes. “Thanks for your concern, but she was very cordial as I pulled the rug from under her feet.” She shook her head in disbelief. She then pulled her engagement ring off and set it on the dresser.
“Sunny, please don’t do that. This will work.” He knew as soon as the words were out of his mouth how grossly untrue they were. This wasn’t ever going to work.
“It shouldn’t have to work. It should be. You should be looking at me the way you look at her. I saw you. I watched your face as you realized who she was. I saw the distress you felt at not being able to go after her. I can’t be Emmalyn, and I can’t be some consolation prize, Lukas. I thought I was okay with it because I wanted the life we’ve been building, the life you promised me. But this isn’t right.” Sunny fought the tears that had been building behind her eyes. Clearly, Emmalyn wasn’t the only one to have the rug pulled out from under her today.
“Sunny, I am so sorry. This isn’t what I wanted. You don’t have to go.”
“You’ll let me keep your house,” she laughed. “No thanks. I don’t need to live among the life I can’t have. Can you give me a few days to find somewhere else to go?”
“Take all the time you need. I’ll stay at a hotel this weekend.” He took a chance and stepped toward her. When she didn’t cringe, he pulled her into a hug. “I am so sorry. You deserve better than this.”
As she moved away from him, she smirked and said, “Well, don’t think I’m all charity. Even though you won’t have me standing in the way, your precious Emmalyn is never going to forgive you for not being straight up with her. I could see it in her eyes.”
“You’re probably right. But I think I have to try.”
14
Pitching a Fit
“ O kay , how about this one?” Isabel and Emmalyn were deeply engrossed in the pages of a baby furniture catalog. Em had been back at work for a week. During the drive back to Yuma, Delma was able to provide some perspective. Emmalyn hadn’t told Lukas about the baby, but since he hadn’t told her about his fiancé, she thought they were even. Let him stay in California and be with his new wife. Emmalyn would be just fine. She decided not to tell Zavia and Isabel about her side trip. She didn’t need them adding to the angry voices in her head.
“Too fancy. If the baby is as clumsy as I am, it’ll just get its head stuck in between the slats.” Isabel laughed, and Em swatted at her with the book. “You weren’t supposed to laugh. You were supposed to say, ‘Hey, you’re not a klutz.’ Jeez.”
“You want me to lie to you?” Isabel tried to stifle her laughs, but it was a waste of time. Em couldn’t walk across carpet without stumbling at least twice.
“Yes. Aren’t you supposed to be sensitive to pregnant women?”
“Oh Lord, do not start that crap.”
The phone rang, cutting off their banter. Isabel picked it up, ducking a flying pen.
“We’ll be right there,” she said sharply before hanging up the phone. “New client is here. Gotta get back on the grind.”
“Fine. I need to get some water first.
“Sunny, please. It was one night. No conversation, no strings, no promises. She asked me if there was someone else, and I said no. I wanted what she was offering, and I knew if I told her the truth, she would have kicked me out. I don’t know why she was here,” he defended, albeit poorly.
“I don’t care why she was here. I want to know why she looked like I had punched her in the gut when I told her we were going to be married in a month. And I gotta tell you, if you’d been here, I’m pretty sure she would have beaten the shit out of you—she was that angry.”
“I can only imagine. Emmalyn has a very short temper. She didn’t yell at you did she?”
Sunny rolled her eyes. “Thanks for your concern, but she was very cordial as I pulled the rug from under her feet.” She shook her head in disbelief. She then pulled her engagement ring off and set it on the dresser.
“Sunny, please don’t do that. This will work.” He knew as soon as the words were out of his mouth how grossly untrue they were. This wasn’t ever going to work.
“It shouldn’t have to work. It should be. You should be looking at me the way you look at her. I saw you. I watched your face as you realized who she was. I saw the distress you felt at not being able to go after her. I can’t be Emmalyn, and I can’t be some consolation prize, Lukas. I thought I was okay with it because I wanted the life we’ve been building, the life you promised me. But this isn’t right.” Sunny fought the tears that had been building behind her eyes. Clearly, Emmalyn wasn’t the only one to have the rug pulled out from under her today.
“Sunny, I am so sorry. This isn’t what I wanted. You don’t have to go.”
“You’ll let me keep your house,” she laughed. “No thanks. I don’t need to live among the life I can’t have. Can you give me a few days to find somewhere else to go?”
“Take all the time you need. I’ll stay at a hotel this weekend.” He took a chance and stepped toward her. When she didn’t cringe, he pulled her into a hug. “I am so sorry. You deserve better than this.”
As she moved away from him, she smirked and said, “Well, don’t think I’m all charity. Even though you won’t have me standing in the way, your precious Emmalyn is never going to forgive you for not being straight up with her. I could see it in her eyes.”
“You’re probably right. But I think I have to try.”
14
Pitching a Fit
“ O kay , how about this one?” Isabel and Emmalyn were deeply engrossed in the pages of a baby furniture catalog. Em had been back at work for a week. During the drive back to Yuma, Delma was able to provide some perspective. Emmalyn hadn’t told Lukas about the baby, but since he hadn’t told her about his fiancé, she thought they were even. Let him stay in California and be with his new wife. Emmalyn would be just fine. She decided not to tell Zavia and Isabel about her side trip. She didn’t need them adding to the angry voices in her head.
“Too fancy. If the baby is as clumsy as I am, it’ll just get its head stuck in between the slats.” Isabel laughed, and Em swatted at her with the book. “You weren’t supposed to laugh. You were supposed to say, ‘Hey, you’re not a klutz.’ Jeez.”
“You want me to lie to you?” Isabel tried to stifle her laughs, but it was a waste of time. Em couldn’t walk across carpet without stumbling at least twice.
“Yes. Aren’t you supposed to be sensitive to pregnant women?”
“Oh Lord, do not start that crap.”
The phone rang, cutting off their banter. Isabel picked it up, ducking a flying pen.
“We’ll be right there,” she said sharply before hanging up the phone. “New client is here. Gotta get back on the grind.”
“Fine. I need to get some water first.
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