what’s going on in my mind.”
“So what is going on in your mind?” Bear was
concerned about the rising temper in the room and nuzzled at Daniel’s legs
again. He nudged her away, appearing unconscious of what he was doing since he
was entirely focused on the conversation.
“I don’t have to tell you everything I’m thinking.” She’d
finished the button so she tossed the jacket toward him on the bed. She got up,
returned the kit to the drawer, and then closed it a little harder than
necessary. “You certainly don’t tell me.”
“What is thatsupposed to mean?” He pushed Bear away
again.
“She wants you to say hi to her,” Jessica burst out. “Is
even that too much to ask?”
His eyes widened in obvious surprise, but he leaned over to
pat the dog’s head. Evidently satisfied in getting a greeting, Bear ambled over
to Jessica again.
“What do you mean by ‘even that’?” Daniel asked, a different
resonance in his tone.
She knew exactly what he was asking, but she didn’t know how
to answer the question, so she acted confused. “What?”
“You said ‘even that ’ is too much to ask, like you’ve
asked more of me and I haven’t delivered.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. Don’t get hung up on a random
comment.”
He was peering at her in a way she didn’t like at all—like
he might see things he wasn’t supposed to see.
Jessica just wanted the whole discussion to be over. It was
irrational and futile and accomplishing nothing. “We should get going. They’ll
be over here to pick us up any minute.”
“Yeah.” He was still looking at her, but he leaned down to
brush a few white dog hairs off his pants. He was frowning as he did.
For some reason, the gesture made Jessica mad. She glared at
him and then went to her closet to grab an old-fashioned lint brush that used
to be her mother’s. Making sure she turned it the right away, she leaned over
to brush off his trousers.
“If you don’t want her hair on your pants, then you can just
keep pushing her away,” Jessica muttered.
“What has gotten into you?” he demanded. He took the brush
from her hand and took her by one arm to straighten her up.
“Nothing. Bear is important to me.”
“I know she is. I’ve never said a word about her, except she
should sleep on her own bed.”
“I know you’ve never liked her.”
“I like her fine. I just don’t like her as much as you do.
She’s your dog, after all.”
“I know that.”
“Then why are you in a snit about this?”
He couldn’t have chosen a word more poised to rile her up if
he’d tried. “I am not in a snit,” she gritted out.
“You are too in a snit. I’ve been trying to have a normal
conversation here, and you’re acting like everything I do and say is a source
of resentment.”
He was right. Of course , he was right. But the fact
that he had no idea why she might be upset—why she might have wanted more from
this marriage—just made her feel even worse.
She’d made a mess of this whole thing. She needed to pull it
together and not expect more than he wanted to give her.
His arm tightened slightly on her upper arm. “Would you just
tell me what’s wrong with you? You don’t have to come tonight if you don’t
want.”
“Of course, I’m going to come tonight. What do you think
I’ll do? Tell Will and Holly that I don’t feel like going out, so I’m sending
my husband to have dinner with them alone? Give me a little credit.”
“Then what the—”
His frustrated question was interrupted by the ringing of
their front door.
Bear barked excitedly, and Jessica grabbed her purse, relieved
at the narrow escape.
“Don’t forget your jacket,” she told him.
***
Will drove them in his expensive
SUV, and Jessica spent the entire ride to the restaurant trying to be friendly
and make casual conversation.
Since Holly was a talker, she dominated the conversation, so
fortunately Jessica didn’t have to interact with Daniel very much.
“So what is going on in your mind?” Bear was
concerned about the rising temper in the room and nuzzled at Daniel’s legs
again. He nudged her away, appearing unconscious of what he was doing since he
was entirely focused on the conversation.
“I don’t have to tell you everything I’m thinking.” She’d
finished the button so she tossed the jacket toward him on the bed. She got up,
returned the kit to the drawer, and then closed it a little harder than
necessary. “You certainly don’t tell me.”
“What is thatsupposed to mean?” He pushed Bear away
again.
“She wants you to say hi to her,” Jessica burst out. “Is
even that too much to ask?”
His eyes widened in obvious surprise, but he leaned over to
pat the dog’s head. Evidently satisfied in getting a greeting, Bear ambled over
to Jessica again.
“What do you mean by ‘even that’?” Daniel asked, a different
resonance in his tone.
She knew exactly what he was asking, but she didn’t know how
to answer the question, so she acted confused. “What?”
“You said ‘even that ’ is too much to ask, like you’ve
asked more of me and I haven’t delivered.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. Don’t get hung up on a random
comment.”
He was peering at her in a way she didn’t like at all—like
he might see things he wasn’t supposed to see.
Jessica just wanted the whole discussion to be over. It was
irrational and futile and accomplishing nothing. “We should get going. They’ll
be over here to pick us up any minute.”
“Yeah.” He was still looking at her, but he leaned down to
brush a few white dog hairs off his pants. He was frowning as he did.
For some reason, the gesture made Jessica mad. She glared at
him and then went to her closet to grab an old-fashioned lint brush that used
to be her mother’s. Making sure she turned it the right away, she leaned over
to brush off his trousers.
“If you don’t want her hair on your pants, then you can just
keep pushing her away,” Jessica muttered.
“What has gotten into you?” he demanded. He took the brush
from her hand and took her by one arm to straighten her up.
“Nothing. Bear is important to me.”
“I know she is. I’ve never said a word about her, except she
should sleep on her own bed.”
“I know you’ve never liked her.”
“I like her fine. I just don’t like her as much as you do.
She’s your dog, after all.”
“I know that.”
“Then why are you in a snit about this?”
He couldn’t have chosen a word more poised to rile her up if
he’d tried. “I am not in a snit,” she gritted out.
“You are too in a snit. I’ve been trying to have a normal
conversation here, and you’re acting like everything I do and say is a source
of resentment.”
He was right. Of course , he was right. But the fact
that he had no idea why she might be upset—why she might have wanted more from
this marriage—just made her feel even worse.
She’d made a mess of this whole thing. She needed to pull it
together and not expect more than he wanted to give her.
His arm tightened slightly on her upper arm. “Would you just
tell me what’s wrong with you? You don’t have to come tonight if you don’t
want.”
“Of course, I’m going to come tonight. What do you think
I’ll do? Tell Will and Holly that I don’t feel like going out, so I’m sending
my husband to have dinner with them alone? Give me a little credit.”
“Then what the—”
His frustrated question was interrupted by the ringing of
their front door.
Bear barked excitedly, and Jessica grabbed her purse, relieved
at the narrow escape.
“Don’t forget your jacket,” she told him.
***
Will drove them in his expensive
SUV, and Jessica spent the entire ride to the restaurant trying to be friendly
and make casual conversation.
Since Holly was a talker, she dominated the conversation, so
fortunately Jessica didn’t have to interact with Daniel very much.
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