Page 2 of Heartbeat Harmony (Hearts in Hawthorne #2)

Autumn watched them spring apart, their heads whipping toward her voice. Panic filled Gloria’s eyes, and she started babbling.

“Get out of my shower and my apartment,” Autumn ordered, her voice tight.

Gloria stepped over the edge of the tub, squeezing past Autumn, who had planted her feet and didn’t intend to go anywhere. She glared silently at Flint, even as she heard Gloria still jabbering apologies, gathering her clothes.

For a full sixty seconds, she locked eyes with her cheating husband. Autumn knew how long because she counted the seconds off in her head. She heard footsteps. The apartment door opening and closing.

Then she slammed her fist into Flint’s nose.

Her knuckles hurt like hell, but the crunch she’d heard was very satisfying. Her brother would be very proud she had made contact with the punch.

“Autumn!” he shouted, his hands flying to his face, blood spurting.

While Flint was busy cradling his nose, she swung her foot back, bringing it up and kicking him hard in the balls.

His shriek was even more satisfying.

Turning, she left the tiny bathroom and returned to the kitchen, redressing in her work scrubs. She was shaking, but she didn’t want to give her husband the satisfaction of seeing it. Taking a seat at the kitchen table, a wedding gift from her parents, she crossed her arms and her legs.

And waited.

Less than five minutes later, Flint appeared. Instead of looking contrite, anger sparked in his eyes. He was dressed haphazardly, toilet paper stuffed up his nose.

“What the hell was that, Autumn?”

“That was me tired of being a doormat, Flint,” she said. “Finding out my husband is cheating on me seems to have shaken me out of the haze.”

A sudden calmness blanketed her. She took a deep breath and expelled it.

“I want an uncontested divorce,” she told her husband of seven years.

“Autumn, listen. I?—”

“No! I have done all the listening I’m going to do.

It’s your turn to pay attention to me for once.

I want an uncontested divorce. I could ask for fault grounds, which means my spouse engaged in misconduct.

Like banging a colleague of mine. I won’t do that and embarrass you or me.

No-fault divorce means neither of us will accuse the other of wrongdoing. ”

Flint looked as if he were about to speak, and she held her hand up to stop him.

“We have no children. No real estate to divide. I’ve played ATM for you for years, so we have no debt.” She shook her head. “I cannot believe I’ve wasted my entire twenties, living like a pauper, paying entirely for your medical school, doing everything for a man I rarely even saw.”

She shook her head. “You owe me, Flint. I will file for divorce today. You will accept the papers without objection. We’ll have to wait sixty days and then ask the court to schedule the divorce hearing.”

He looked at her, completely perplexed by the new Autumn she had suddenly become. “How do you know so much about all this?”

“Because a fellow nurse at work recently went through this,” she explained curtly.

“When you come home after your shift, you will sign any document I have waiting for you. You will give me your key and then pack and go somewhere for those sixty days. I don’t care where.

You will not talk about our divorce to anyone at work.

If you do, I will drag this out and make you sorry. ”

He looked at her, a stubborn look in her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Just try me.” Autumn stood. Not just physically, but she wanted him to know she was standing her ground. “I’ve been such a fool,” she said, an overwhelming sadness rushing through her, the sudden death of her marriage hitting her as her adrenaline wore off.

Flint snorted. “You certainly were. You were a way for me to get me through med school for free, Autumn. You’re a lousy lay. And you are so dumb. Blind to everything.”

She felt herself begin to crumble, digging her fingernails into her palms. “Obviously, Gloria wasn’t the first,” she stated, thinking back to all the times Flint had said he needed to work late.

To stay by the side of a patient he was worried wouldn’t pull through or one who needed his support.

Now, she knew those patients had been few. If they had existed at all.

He laughed easily and then winced. “You can have your divorce, Nancy Nightingale. Always swooping in to help everyone else. You should’ve looked after yourself. I was going to divorce you anyway. You’ve served your purpose. Just be glad I don’t file assault charges against you.”

Autumn glared at him until the cocky look left his face.

“If you do, I’ll tell the medical director and the hospital’s board my side of the story,” she said crisply.

“You still have the rest of your residency to get through. Hospital boards don’t like gossip.

Or besmirched reputations. They want their surgeons to have a pristine reputation.

Keep quiet, Flint, and I’ll do the same. ”

He stormed from the kitchen. Seconds later, the door slammed.

Autumn sat again, numbness overwhelming her.

She thought she might cry, but she supposed she was in shock.

She didn’t want to live here anymore. Shower where Flint and Gloria had.

Sleep in a bed where countless other women had lain.

But she couldn’t afford to break the lease and pay for another apartment.

She would tough it out. Fortunately, their lease was up in two months.

If the court date went too far beyond that, she’d go to one of those residence hotels and stay.

At least there, they had hot meals and happy hours.

She changed clothes and looked up no-fault, uncontested divorce in Texas.

She found a website which had all the forms and simple directions.

Within an hour, she had used the electronic filing system to send in the completed documents, saving her a trip to the Harris County’s district clerk’s office.

Still dry-eyed, she decided to get some sleep. She didn’t think she could eat. The idea of food made her nauseous.

Just before she closed her eyes, her cell rang. She picked it up from the charger and saw Summer’s name. Swallowing, she answered.

“Hey.”

“I know something’s wrong,” her twin said from Manhattan. “Tell me.”

Autumn let out a long wail. The tears which had not come now arrived like a monsoon. She held the cell to her ear, crying, listening as Summer spoke soothingly to her, telling her it was all right. That they could do anything together.

Finally, she managed to get herself under control and said, “I just asked Flint for a divorce. No, I didn’t ask. I told him I wanted one.”

“I thought that was going to be what you said.”

In times of trouble, no matter how far apart they were, she and Summer had some kind of sixth sense that the other one was hurting, even knowing what might be wrong before being told.

“I came home and caught him with another woman. A nurse I’m friendly with.”

“That sucks.”

“I know.”

They were quiet a few moments, and then Summer asked, “Should I fly to Houston?”

“Not now. I just submitted the papers online. Did you know you can file for divorce in Texas on the internet?”

“No, but maybe I can use it in a book,” her sister joked. “When do you want me to come?”

“Give me some time. If Flint doesn’t contest it, we can ask for a court date in sixty days.” Autumn wiped away a tear. “That’s when I’ll need you. Stay in New York for now.”

“Will you keep your job at the hospital? It might be hard because he will still be there.”

“I know. I need to think about things. A lot of things,” she said quietly.

“I have an idea, Autumn. I was talking to Mom last night. Just about stuff. You know, she’s always wanting her ducklings to come home.

Anyway, she mentioned a new community hospital and medical offices that are opening just outside Hawthorne.

She didn’t say when, but I gathered it would be pretty soon. What do you think?”

Nodding to herself, Autumn said, “Yeah. She brought it up to me before. I brushed it off. Now? It’s a real possibility, Summer.”

Her twin cursed under her breath. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Dragon Lady is giving me the evil eye. Can I call you tonight? After work?”

“I’ll be here. I’m going to try and get some sleep now. I just finished working a double shift.”

“Love you.”

She sighed. “I love you, too.”

Autumn ended the connection and placed her phone back on the charger. She closed her eyes.

This chapter in her life was ending. Messy as hell, but it meant she had the opportunity to make a fresh start somewhere else.

And somewhere else just might be back home in Hawthorne.