When the Glitter Fades (Cowboys of Whispering Winds) by Renee Peterson Page A

the narcissistic cowboy he had become at the height of his career. He wouldn’t cheat on her, have affairs that were played out in the tabloids. This Jeremy was the man she’d fallen in love with so many years ago and had never stopped loving.
    “Let’s eat and then we’ll talk,” she told him.
    Separating, Jeremy went back to the stove and Lanie went to the coffeemaker, preparing a pot to brew. She scooped three overflowing piles of grinds into the filter, poured water into the reservoir and turned the switch to the on position. 
    “Where are the plates?” Jeremy asked with a spatula in hand.
    “I’ll get them.” She reached up and grabbed two plates from the cabinet to the upper left of the sink.
    Jeremy took them from her, letting their hands entwine in the process. They shared a smile before Jeremy let go and served up breakfast on the dishes. Lanie grabbed a slice of bacon from her plate, took a bite and chewed it slowly as she mulled over what happened.
    “Let’s talk now,” she found herself saying. “I can’t eat, pretending not to think about last night.”
    “Okay,” he drawled. “Where do we start?”
    “First, I need you to know that making love didn’t happen just because I’d had a bad day or was emotionally vulnerable. I wanted it. A lot.”
    A cocky grin appeared. “You sure know how to boost a man’s ego.”
    She couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t let that head get too big or you’ll have to buy a new hat.”
    “Small price to pay.”
    “So what now? Does anything change between us?”
    “That’s up to you, sweetheart.”
    “It takes two to tango. It’s not my sole decision to make.”
    Jeremy raked his fingers through his mussed hair. “Yes, it is.” He sighed deeply.  “I lost any right when I ruined our marriage the first go around.”
    “Why’d you do it, Jeremy? Why couldn’t I be enough for you?” She had to know. She’d refused to ask questions years before, too broken and hurt to hear them. Now she wanted the answers.
    He pushed his plate away. She, too, had lost her appetite.  His chest rose with each deep breath he took before answering. “I was stupid. I got caught up in the commotion, let the attention go to my head. I thought I was invincible.”
    “How many were there?” 
    “Do you really want to know?”
    She nodded her head weakly. If there was any hope of going forward, she had to know. It was the only way she could put it behind her.
    He closed his eyes, his features drawn tight. “Three,” he whispered, rubbing the back of neck.
    “Did they…did they make you…” She couldn’t bring herself to ask the question.
    Jeremy looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Don’t do this to yourself, Lanie.”  He reached across the table and took her hands. “It was sex. Cheap, meaningless sex and I’d give my last breath to go back and undo it; to never have hurt you.”
    She’d heard enough, didn’t want to hear more. It no longer mattered. The damage had been done, the price paid and penance served. They were each different people; stronger and wiser, than they’d been back then. But the question remained, could the person who broke her heart be the same person to heal the shattered pieces?
    “Do you think it’s possible for us to have a second chance? Is that even what last night was about, or was it just two people satisfying a craving?” She asked the question cautiously, needing to know what he thought.
    Letting go of her hands, he ran his fingers through his hair again. “Hell, Lanie. You have to know it was more than that. Do I think we can have a second chance? I’d give anything to be a family again, do it right this time. But it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and trust if we attempt it and there’s a lot at stake.”
    “Hard work has never fazed us.”
    “I have a question for you, and think carefully before you answer.  I want the truth even if it hurts.” He paused for a second,