storm threatening. One of anger and frustration. The thundercloud was sitting directly behind her, and she did her best to restrain her indignation. After taking a moment to compose herself, she turned around. “Is something bothering you, Rich?” she asked in a level voice.
He leapt off the sofa as though he’d been sitting on a giant spring. “Is something bothering me?” he repeated coldly. “What do you think you’re doing, dating that joker?”
“It wasn’t a date.”
“I heard you thank him for dinner.” He spat out the words as though to have to say them was a detestable task. “At least you could’ve returned my phone calls.”
“I…haven’t checked my messages. Good grief, I didn’t get home until five minutes ago.” Moving across the room, she went to her phone to listen. Six messages, all from Rich, played back, each sounding progressively less patient and increasingly anxious. The last one had been to demand to know “where the hell” she was.
“When I couldn’t stand waiting for you to call, I drove over here to wait for you. Lo and behold, your car was in your parking space and you were here—with Floyd .”
“I can understand your concern,” Jamie said calmly, willing to grant him that much.
“You’re my wife, dammit! How am I supposed to feel when you turn up missing?” He raked his fingers through his hair and stalked to the opposite side of the room.
Jamie drew in a long, soothing breath, determined not to let this escalate into a full-fledged argument. “I was never missing. I’m sorry I worried you, Rich, but you’re overreacting, and frankly, it’s beginning to annoy me.”
“Annoy you? I’ve been pacing the floor for the past three hours….”
“I would have phoned.”
“You brought a man home with you!” He made it sound as though that was grounds for divorce.
“Floyd’s an old friend.”
The kettle whistled, and Jamie hurried into the kitchen and turned off the burner, all thought of tea forgotten. The boiling water bubbled from the spout, nearly scalding her. Rich had followed, stalking into the room behind her.
“Apparently you don’t have a problem letting old friends take you out to dinner,” he accused her, his words inflamed with impatience.
Jamie gritted her teeth, biting back an angry retort. “He needed someone to talk to, someone who’d listen to his problems. You’re making it sound as though I did something underhanded. I was just being a friend.”
“You’re a married woman,” Rich bellowed. He slammed his fist on the counter. “ My wife. How do you think it makes me feel, knowing you chose to go out to dinner with another man instead of your own husband?”
“I didn’t choose Floyd over you! Good heavens, how was I supposed to know you wanted to take me to dinner? I’m not a mind reader.”
“If you’d come home after work the way you’re supposed to, you would have heard the first of my six messages.”
“That’s ridiculous! I can’t run my life according to your whims.” She’d managed to keep her temper intact, but she didn’t know how much longer her precarious hold would last.
“I thought you were different.” A spark of pain flashed in his eyes.
“What do you mean by that? ”
“I would’ve trusted you with my life, but you’re like every other woman I’ve ever known. The minute my back’s turned, you think nothing of seeing someone else.”
The emptiness in his voice cut at Jamie’s heart. “That’s so unfair.”
“We’re married, and even that didn’t make a difference.” His eyes accused her of—what? Being unfaithful? That was completely irrational!
“This isn’t a real marriage and you know it,” she said heatedly. Her voice was shaking with the effort to keep from shouting. “You’re the one who insisted on the ceremony, but it was for convenience.”
“We’re married!”
“Maybe, but you have no right to storm into my home and insult my guests.”
“And you have
He leapt off the sofa as though he’d been sitting on a giant spring. “Is something bothering me?” he repeated coldly. “What do you think you’re doing, dating that joker?”
“It wasn’t a date.”
“I heard you thank him for dinner.” He spat out the words as though to have to say them was a detestable task. “At least you could’ve returned my phone calls.”
“I…haven’t checked my messages. Good grief, I didn’t get home until five minutes ago.” Moving across the room, she went to her phone to listen. Six messages, all from Rich, played back, each sounding progressively less patient and increasingly anxious. The last one had been to demand to know “where the hell” she was.
“When I couldn’t stand waiting for you to call, I drove over here to wait for you. Lo and behold, your car was in your parking space and you were here—with Floyd .”
“I can understand your concern,” Jamie said calmly, willing to grant him that much.
“You’re my wife, dammit! How am I supposed to feel when you turn up missing?” He raked his fingers through his hair and stalked to the opposite side of the room.
Jamie drew in a long, soothing breath, determined not to let this escalate into a full-fledged argument. “I was never missing. I’m sorry I worried you, Rich, but you’re overreacting, and frankly, it’s beginning to annoy me.”
“Annoy you? I’ve been pacing the floor for the past three hours….”
“I would have phoned.”
“You brought a man home with you!” He made it sound as though that was grounds for divorce.
“Floyd’s an old friend.”
The kettle whistled, and Jamie hurried into the kitchen and turned off the burner, all thought of tea forgotten. The boiling water bubbled from the spout, nearly scalding her. Rich had followed, stalking into the room behind her.
“Apparently you don’t have a problem letting old friends take you out to dinner,” he accused her, his words inflamed with impatience.
Jamie gritted her teeth, biting back an angry retort. “He needed someone to talk to, someone who’d listen to his problems. You’re making it sound as though I did something underhanded. I was just being a friend.”
“You’re a married woman,” Rich bellowed. He slammed his fist on the counter. “ My wife. How do you think it makes me feel, knowing you chose to go out to dinner with another man instead of your own husband?”
“I didn’t choose Floyd over you! Good heavens, how was I supposed to know you wanted to take me to dinner? I’m not a mind reader.”
“If you’d come home after work the way you’re supposed to, you would have heard the first of my six messages.”
“That’s ridiculous! I can’t run my life according to your whims.” She’d managed to keep her temper intact, but she didn’t know how much longer her precarious hold would last.
“I thought you were different.” A spark of pain flashed in his eyes.
“What do you mean by that? ”
“I would’ve trusted you with my life, but you’re like every other woman I’ve ever known. The minute my back’s turned, you think nothing of seeing someone else.”
The emptiness in his voice cut at Jamie’s heart. “That’s so unfair.”
“We’re married, and even that didn’t make a difference.” His eyes accused her of—what? Being unfaithful? That was completely irrational!
“This isn’t a real marriage and you know it,” she said heatedly. Her voice was shaking with the effort to keep from shouting. “You’re the one who insisted on the ceremony, but it was for convenience.”
“We’re married!”
“Maybe, but you have no right to storm into my home and insult my guests.”
“And you have
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