Page 82 of Inferno

He swallowed tightly. “It’s important.”

She shook her head. “I’m tired, Stanton. And you must be, too.”

“That doesn’t mat—”

“We had a wonderful time at the ball. You won a well-deserved award. So let’s just savor that for tonight, okay? Besides, you have to be up early for work, and I need to get some rest so I can take care of Maddox tomorrow.”

Her words sent a sharp jab of guilt through Stan. He knew how exhausted she was, so the last thing he wanted to do was burden her. But he couldn’t allow the chasm between them to grow any wider than it already had.

So he had to get through to her. “Pris—”

She made a strangled sound of frustration. “Damn it, Stanton! I can’t deal with anything else right now! The bond election is only a few days away, and I still have a lot of work and campaigning to do. When I come home from the polling station on Tuesday night, we can talk then. Whatever you have to say, I’ll listen. But I can’t—” Her voice broke, catching in her throat.

Fighting back tears, she eyed him almost piteously. “I can’t deal with anything else until after Tuesday. All right, baby?Please?”

Stan held her gaze for several moments,thenrelented with a nod.“All right.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

As she rose from the bed and sidestepped him, he slowly rubbed his hands over his face and exhaled a ragged breath.

“I’m going to sleep in the boys’ room in case Maddox wakes up in the middle of the night and needs me,” Prissy announced quietly.

Stan stood and turned to face her.

She’d paused at the door with her hand on the knob, head bent as she stared blindly at the floor. She looked like she wanted to say more.

Stan waited tensely.

After a prolonged silence, she whispered, “Good night.”

His heart twisted painfully. “Good night, sweetheart.”

Without another word, she opened the door and walked out.