the moment I only have time for my family.”
“Did you go to Cedar Creek High?” Joe asked as he looked straight at Adele.
“Yes.”
“We were in the same art class. I graduated a year after you.”
That finally got Genevieve’s attention. “You went to Cedar Creek?”
“Yep,” Adele answered, and told her the year she’d graduated.
Genevieve studied her face. “Oh. I remember you now.” She turned to Zach. “Did you get an invitation to the Night of a Million Stars benefit?”
“Yes.”
“You’re going, aren’t you? I know it will be painful without Devon. We still miss her horribly, of course.”
Zach placed hot dogs next to the patties, then set the tray down.
“We were best friends since our very first Little Miss Sparkle Pageant. We were close as sisters. Devon was just one of those special people, and the Junior League just isn’t the same without her.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“I know how much you loved her, we all did.” Genevieve shook her head, and her perfect bob brushed her chin. “Life just isn’t the same without Devon.”
“True.” Zach rearranged the hot dogs. “But somehow we manage to live on.”
Adele looked down in her glass of wine and almost felt sorry for Zach. He must have loved Devon a lot. For years she’d told herself that they were miserable together. That he’d only married Devon out of responsibilty. That they weren’t in love. Not really. Not the kind that lasted a lifetime. It made her feel better to believe it, but it wasn’t true. It had never been true.
She thought of the life-sized portrait in the living room. That scary freaky picture of a dead woman. Zach must have loved Devon. He must still love her a lot.
Chapter 6
Z ach had wanted out of his marriage. An hour before Devon t-boned that garbage truck, he’d handed her divorce papers. After ten years, there’d been no love left. Just a civil, if not always peaceful, coexistence that had no longer been enough. At least not for him.
The difference between them had been that Devon had wanted to go on living that way forever. She’d loved living the life of an NFL quarterback’s wife, even a retired quarterback, far more than she’d loved him. She’d loved the cachet that it gave her, especially in the small Texas town. For a long time, he hadn’t minded living in a sham marriage. If he was honest, he’d admit to himself that it had worked for him. He’d lived in Denver. Devon in Texas. He’d lived his life. She’d lived hers. She hadn’t really cared what he did as long as it didn’t hit the news and embarrass her in front of her Junior League friends. He hadn’t cared what she did as long as it didn’t affect Tiffany.
By the time he’d filed for divorce, he hadn’t loved his wife. He hadn’t even liked her much, and he’d wanted out before that growing dislike turned to something stronger. She’d been the mother of his only child, and the last thing he’d ever wanted was a court battle, but that’s exactly what she’d promised that morning he’d handed her the papers.
“You can’t do this to me, Zach. I won’t let you,” she’d vowed, just before she’d slammed the door and sped away to one of her meetings. As he’d watched her go, he hadn’t been surprised by her response. He’d known the day he’d contacted his lawyer that he was in for a shitstorm.
Zach closed the lid on the barbecue and looked up. Through the smoke he watched Adele swirl the wine in her glass. He couldn’t say that he knew her, but he was pretty sure that she wasn’t the type of woman who wouldn’t care what the hell her man did as long as it didn’t hit the news.
Adele glanced up and again he felt like he was back at UT, staring at her from across a classroom. Like there was something about her that he wanted to know better. Something that drew his gaze and attention. Something more than the heavy pull of desire. Back then he’d wondered what her hair would feel like tangled
“Did you go to Cedar Creek High?” Joe asked as he looked straight at Adele.
“Yes.”
“We were in the same art class. I graduated a year after you.”
That finally got Genevieve’s attention. “You went to Cedar Creek?”
“Yep,” Adele answered, and told her the year she’d graduated.
Genevieve studied her face. “Oh. I remember you now.” She turned to Zach. “Did you get an invitation to the Night of a Million Stars benefit?”
“Yes.”
“You’re going, aren’t you? I know it will be painful without Devon. We still miss her horribly, of course.”
Zach placed hot dogs next to the patties, then set the tray down.
“We were best friends since our very first Little Miss Sparkle Pageant. We were close as sisters. Devon was just one of those special people, and the Junior League just isn’t the same without her.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“I know how much you loved her, we all did.” Genevieve shook her head, and her perfect bob brushed her chin. “Life just isn’t the same without Devon.”
“True.” Zach rearranged the hot dogs. “But somehow we manage to live on.”
Adele looked down in her glass of wine and almost felt sorry for Zach. He must have loved Devon a lot. For years she’d told herself that they were miserable together. That he’d only married Devon out of responsibilty. That they weren’t in love. Not really. Not the kind that lasted a lifetime. It made her feel better to believe it, but it wasn’t true. It had never been true.
She thought of the life-sized portrait in the living room. That scary freaky picture of a dead woman. Zach must have loved Devon. He must still love her a lot.
Chapter 6
Z ach had wanted out of his marriage. An hour before Devon t-boned that garbage truck, he’d handed her divorce papers. After ten years, there’d been no love left. Just a civil, if not always peaceful, coexistence that had no longer been enough. At least not for him.
The difference between them had been that Devon had wanted to go on living that way forever. She’d loved living the life of an NFL quarterback’s wife, even a retired quarterback, far more than she’d loved him. She’d loved the cachet that it gave her, especially in the small Texas town. For a long time, he hadn’t minded living in a sham marriage. If he was honest, he’d admit to himself that it had worked for him. He’d lived in Denver. Devon in Texas. He’d lived his life. She’d lived hers. She hadn’t really cared what he did as long as it didn’t hit the news and embarrass her in front of her Junior League friends. He hadn’t cared what she did as long as it didn’t affect Tiffany.
By the time he’d filed for divorce, he hadn’t loved his wife. He hadn’t even liked her much, and he’d wanted out before that growing dislike turned to something stronger. She’d been the mother of his only child, and the last thing he’d ever wanted was a court battle, but that’s exactly what she’d promised that morning he’d handed her the papers.
“You can’t do this to me, Zach. I won’t let you,” she’d vowed, just before she’d slammed the door and sped away to one of her meetings. As he’d watched her go, he hadn’t been surprised by her response. He’d known the day he’d contacted his lawyer that he was in for a shitstorm.
Zach closed the lid on the barbecue and looked up. Through the smoke he watched Adele swirl the wine in her glass. He couldn’t say that he knew her, but he was pretty sure that she wasn’t the type of woman who wouldn’t care what the hell her man did as long as it didn’t hit the news.
Adele glanced up and again he felt like he was back at UT, staring at her from across a classroom. Like there was something about her that he wanted to know better. Something that drew his gaze and attention. Something more than the heavy pull of desire. Back then he’d wondered what her hair would feel like tangled
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