harder than the one that came before. “Well, he isn’t here to stop me, is he?”
And clearly, thought Sean as she practically slammed the door in his face, he’d better not, either.
“He’s watching us, isn’t he?”
“I don’t know, Mark. What Sean does is his own business.”
For a moment there she’d thought he was going to insist on coming with her. She never would have let him do that in a million years… so, then, why did she appreciate knowing he was, in fact, watching over her? Especially because Mark’s behavior did suddenly make her more than a little nervous.
“I don’t like the way he looked at you,” her ex said as if he had any claim to her at all.
Rebecca stared at him. Had she really been in love with him? Or had she just been in love with a fantasy of the perfect man?
It was almost funny just how imperfect Mark had ended up being.
Maybe next time around instead of searching for perfect she should look for imperfect so that things could only get better, instead of worse.
The thought had her mouth moving up into an unexpected smile.
“You’re so beautiful, Rebecca,” Mark said, brushing her cheek softly with the back of his knuckles.
A year ago, she would have nuzzled into his caress, rather than flinching and pulling away.
Things had changed.
“I need to get back to the inn, Mark. I just came out here to tell you that I’m not going to get back together with you.”
Anger simmered in the eyes that she’d once looked to for approval. For what she’d thought was love. But he banked it and tried to give her a caring look.
“I remember the way you cried when you found out about my wife. You can’t have gotten over me that quickly.”
“I cried because I was ashamed of what I’d done.”
He blinked, before recovering quickly. “Oh, baby, you weren’t to blame for anything. Dating you on the side was the only way we could be together. But now we won’t have to hide our love from anyone.”
He was reaching for her again, but before he could touch her she backed even farther away. Sean had been right about one thing—coming here to try and talk some sense into Mark had been a mistake.
“I don’t love you, Mark. How could I, when you don’t even know what love really means?”
The wind whipped up around them and she pulled her jacket tighter around her.
“And you think you do?” His laugh was harsh. Mean. “I saw the way you looked at that guy in that podunk little inn. You think he’s going to give you what you’re looking for?”
His words almost made her stumble. They certainly had her heart filling with dread at the knowledge that what she already felt for Sean was big enough for Mark to see.
“Do you really think there’s a man out there who is ever going to be able to live up to your fairy tale?”
Anger had her whirling around to face the man she wished with all her heart she’d never met, never wasted two years of her life on. “There’s a big difference between lying about every single thing for two years and wanting a fairy tale.”
Letting the wind whip her hair and her clothes around on the public dock, she let the anger drain out of her. The man standing before her simply wasn’t worth it.
“Good-bye, Mark. Good luck with your marriage.”
But instead of heading back to the inn, she walked across the park and headed for Lake Yarns on Main Street even though the Monday night knitting group wasn’t meeting for another hour or so, and she didn’t have any of her things.
She just couldn’t go back to the inn. Not yet. Not until she’d calmed down. At least she had something to thank Mark for. He’d just reminded her of all the reasons to keep her distance from Sean. Facts were facts: she always fell for powerful, self-absorbed, cold men.
She wasn’t going to do it ever again.
Sean kept his eyes trained on Mark until he got back into his car and sped away too fast on Emerald Lake’s icy roads.
The whole time she’d been out
And clearly, thought Sean as she practically slammed the door in his face, he’d better not, either.
“He’s watching us, isn’t he?”
“I don’t know, Mark. What Sean does is his own business.”
For a moment there she’d thought he was going to insist on coming with her. She never would have let him do that in a million years… so, then, why did she appreciate knowing he was, in fact, watching over her? Especially because Mark’s behavior did suddenly make her more than a little nervous.
“I don’t like the way he looked at you,” her ex said as if he had any claim to her at all.
Rebecca stared at him. Had she really been in love with him? Or had she just been in love with a fantasy of the perfect man?
It was almost funny just how imperfect Mark had ended up being.
Maybe next time around instead of searching for perfect she should look for imperfect so that things could only get better, instead of worse.
The thought had her mouth moving up into an unexpected smile.
“You’re so beautiful, Rebecca,” Mark said, brushing her cheek softly with the back of his knuckles.
A year ago, she would have nuzzled into his caress, rather than flinching and pulling away.
Things had changed.
“I need to get back to the inn, Mark. I just came out here to tell you that I’m not going to get back together with you.”
Anger simmered in the eyes that she’d once looked to for approval. For what she’d thought was love. But he banked it and tried to give her a caring look.
“I remember the way you cried when you found out about my wife. You can’t have gotten over me that quickly.”
“I cried because I was ashamed of what I’d done.”
He blinked, before recovering quickly. “Oh, baby, you weren’t to blame for anything. Dating you on the side was the only way we could be together. But now we won’t have to hide our love from anyone.”
He was reaching for her again, but before he could touch her she backed even farther away. Sean had been right about one thing—coming here to try and talk some sense into Mark had been a mistake.
“I don’t love you, Mark. How could I, when you don’t even know what love really means?”
The wind whipped up around them and she pulled her jacket tighter around her.
“And you think you do?” His laugh was harsh. Mean. “I saw the way you looked at that guy in that podunk little inn. You think he’s going to give you what you’re looking for?”
His words almost made her stumble. They certainly had her heart filling with dread at the knowledge that what she already felt for Sean was big enough for Mark to see.
“Do you really think there’s a man out there who is ever going to be able to live up to your fairy tale?”
Anger had her whirling around to face the man she wished with all her heart she’d never met, never wasted two years of her life on. “There’s a big difference between lying about every single thing for two years and wanting a fairy tale.”
Letting the wind whip her hair and her clothes around on the public dock, she let the anger drain out of her. The man standing before her simply wasn’t worth it.
“Good-bye, Mark. Good luck with your marriage.”
But instead of heading back to the inn, she walked across the park and headed for Lake Yarns on Main Street even though the Monday night knitting group wasn’t meeting for another hour or so, and she didn’t have any of her things.
She just couldn’t go back to the inn. Not yet. Not until she’d calmed down. At least she had something to thank Mark for. He’d just reminded her of all the reasons to keep her distance from Sean. Facts were facts: she always fell for powerful, self-absorbed, cold men.
She wasn’t going to do it ever again.
Sean kept his eyes trained on Mark until he got back into his car and sped away too fast on Emerald Lake’s icy roads.
The whole time she’d been out
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