Page 38 of First Date: Divorce (Wyoming Marriage Association #1)

WEDNESDAY

K.D. heard Eric coming down the hall from his bedroom to the one where she’d stayed … until last night.

Last night, spent in his bedroom, his bed.

Her core clenched at the memories.

They’d made love the first time in a ragged rush that had them stumbling over their desire, then tumbling into it.

The second time — or a continuation of the first? — was barely less frenetic. Then they slept.

She woke to the smell of food. Followed it to the kitchen for his scrambled eggs and bagels in the dark of the small hours. Egg-flavored kisses resulted in only half the dishes reaching the sink. He pulled her onto his lap, onto him.

After, they returned to bed. Slow this time. And found their passion in delay, until she moaned “Please, Eric. Now. Please.”

Earliest light brought a stretching, lazy entanglement. Kisses that needed to lead nowhere, yet did.

But the night ended.

They always did.

And here she stood now, preparing to leave.

“What are you doing?” he asked from behind her.

His voice was husky from sleep. His chin bristled. She knew that without looking, because she’d stroked it through each phase of growth. The last as he’d slept, just before she eased out of his bed.

“Packing to leave. I left a few things here when we left for Marriage-Save.”

“Leaving to make it look like we’re a couple in trouble for the investigation.” He wasn’t asking.

“Eric.” She meant his name as a warning. It might have slid toward a plea. She continued putting the few things she hadn’t taken to Marriage-Save into a bag.

She didn’t turn around. Hearing his voice, feeling his presence behind her, drawing in his scent with each breath was hard enough.

“We can figure out how to see each other until this is over without anyone from Marriage-Save or Bardville knowing. Our version of the closets for the outside world.”

She knew from his voice that he’d grinned at the memory.

She didn’t.

“That would have to include Cully not knowing, because we agreed to how he set it up and that included separating after we left Marriage-Save. Even last night…” She swallowed.

“I have to be ready to move immediately on the next phase of the investigation if — when Gail Bledsoe contacts me. At any moment. We can’t risk…

” She stopped, then aimed for light. “Going our separate ways was part of the plan from the beginning. After all, we had rings that belonged to a couple that never made it.”

“They made it — they’ve had great lives. Happy lives, with wonderful kids. That’s my definition of making it.”

“Not with each other. That’s my point — great lives but not with each other.” A tear slid down her cheek. Another escaped right behind it. They weakened her argument. But he couldn’t see them, and she thought she’d kept them out of her voice.

“You think that’s what happens now? You walk away, walk out of my life?”

“Yes. As we planned. We can’t risk contact—”

“Fine, yeah. Great. For the good of the investigation. I know. But after—”

“Eric, your life is here. Mine’s in Cabot County. Long distance? That’s hard enough, but—”

“Stranger things have worked.”

“—with my schedule and you wanting kids — four kids, Eric—”

“Maybe three.

“—and—”

“You terrified of marriage. Yeah, I know. None of that’s enough to stop us from seeing where this might go. Because I also know neither of us is the person we started out as. You know I—” He turned her to him. The tears she’d kept out of her voice must have shown. “Aw, K.D.”

He reached to put his arms around her. She stepped back.

His arms dropped.

As they stared at each other, Pauline’s voice floated up the stairwell. “Cully wants to know if K.D.’s left yet so he can monitor her communications for anything from that Bledsoe woman.”

“Tell him I’m leaving right now.” K.D. touched Eric’s arm, then turned and started down the stairs.

Eric followed after a moment.

Pauline enfolded K.D. in a hug that nearly undid her, especially as she returned it.

“You take care of yourself, young lady,” the older woman scolded. Then she cleared her throat, turned away, heading for her office, but saying over her shoulder, “Got to tell Cully. Remember, anybody could be watching you two out there. Eric, for heaven’s sake, carry that suitcase for her.”

Eric got to its handle before K.D. could.

“You heard the woman.” His voice lacked its usual warmth. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

He carried her suitcase to the rental vehicle and stowed it behind the driver’s seat.

She opened the driver’s door, then turned to him.

Turning toward … You build or you tear down in the many small moments.

But she had to leave. It was what they’d planned from the start … Turning away.

Their eyes met. She thought she could see every moment of their time together in his.

Was that what she loved about his eyes?

Then she looked up — because if she looked down, gravity could turn the moisture in her eyes into tears that didn’t fit her role.

She was the one ending this.

“I nearly forgot.”

Not letting herself hesitate, she drew off the rings, took his unresisting hand and placed them on his palm.