Page 60 of An Ex Affair

I shoved my phone back in my pocket and headed inside.

No matter what Joselyn called back with, I wasn’t going to let the past steal my future.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Colson

“Hey,shitheads. Any of you know a good marriage counselor?”

You could have heard a pin drop. Frank even froze with his hand halfway to his mouth, a giant cinnamon roll dripping frosting onto his pant leg. Danny’s mouth hung open like he was trying to catch flies. Joey was the one to finally break the awkward silence, slapping me on the back, a ready smile on his face.

“You looking to get married again, Wolfe?”

I reared back, realizing my error. “No. Dude. No, I just meant I’d like to find a relationship counselor for me and Tully.”

Frank took a huge bite of the pastry and talked with his mouth full. “You want atherapist?”

I frowned at him, wondering if he’d always been this big of a lug. He said the word therapist like I’d asked for a colonoscopy. Although one of those was probably in my future too, I wasn’t going to bring it up around these assholes.

“Yeah. I’m forty-two and not getting any younger. I’m not afraid to admit that things could be even better with Tully if we had professional help. You should try it next time you con a woman into dating you.”

The boys erupted, ribbing each other and being the exact shitheads I’d called them. Then Captain walked in the room and we all quieted down.

“Heads up. I have a meeting with the city council this afternoon to go over the revised budget now that we have the fundraiser money in our coffers.” He turned to me and I felt myself standing up a little straighter. “Colson, you’re coming with me. You did a fine job with the fundraiser and I’d like the city council to know it. Meet me at the truck at three.”

“Yes, sir.”

He headed back out and the guys were quiet until the door clicked shut behind him. Then they erupted, smacking me on the back, the top of my head, and my ass with words of encouragement and pride. They were a bunch of shitheads, but I loved them.

When they calmed down and went back to eating the tray of cinnamon rolls Sofia had sent me to work with, Joey pulled me aside.

“Hey, man. I’m proud of you. You’re making a difference around here. You’re back with Tully and even telling the boys about her. Hell, asking for a therapist? The guy I used to know wouldn’t have done that. He’d have worked harder and longer hours, thinking he could outwork all his problems.”

Well, fuck. That made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. “Thanks, man.” We did the bro hug with lots of back slaps before he pulled away and showed me his phone.

“Here’s the counselor Gabi and I go to. She’s amazing. Helped us a lot when the kids were younger and we felt like we had zero time for us.”

I pulled my own phone out and logged the counselor’s name and number in my phone. “Thank you. I just…I want to be better this time around, you know? Loving her has never been the problem. It’s everything else that we need to work on.”

Joey nodded. “I get it. Committed relationships are a lot of work and it’s work we want to do because it shows respect for our partner. And for what we’re building together. I think couples who don’t get counseling are missing out on a valuable tool.” His grin turned playful. “And Gabi’s always super in the mood after one of our sessions. It’s like make-up sex but without the fight.”

We both laughed and I turned to grab a cinnamon roll before they were all gone. Joey pulled my arm back and lowered his voice.

“Hey. Just promise me you won’t hide away and isolate yourself if things get hard, okay? Last time you left me in the dark and then moved away for two decades. Don’t do that shit again.”

I dipped my head, realizing that I, too, had done some things that had hurt the people around me. I spent so much time back then blaming Tully for what she’d done when I’d been hurting people too.

“I promise.”

I was still on a high from being in front of the city council, seeing people my parents were friends with and a few people I’d gone to school with sitting around that table. They all had complimentary things to say about the fundraiser I’d organized with Tully. They’d even included me in the discussion of how to allocate those extra funds, which was interesting to be a part of. The whole session with the council made me feel like an important part of the fabric of Blueball again. And it felt damn good to be home.

When I pulled up to the carriage house Wednesday evening, there was a G-wagon parked next to Tully’s fancy Range Rover. The bougie cars were multiplying around here. I slid out of my truck, trying not to notice the scratches and dings that were inevitable with a five-year-old vehicle. Looking back on the moment, I had a bad feeling about things but I brushed it aside, too excited about the last few days and where I felt like I was in life to pay any attention to that sixth sense.

I opened the door and stepped inside, letting the strap of my bag slide off my shoulder and land in the tiny entryway. Tully was sitting on the love seat with a woman with soft red hair and blonde highlights. Her hands were moving through the air, diamonds and gold sparkling in the afternoon sunshine streaming through the windows. Tully’s head snapped up, like she was shocked to see me. She stood and the other woman did too, turning around to see who’d arrived.

“Colson!” Tully rushed over and reached up to kiss me. I returned the kiss, but I didn’t take my eyes off the intruder. Tully eased back and pointed to the woman. “This is Joselyn. My agent.”

Ah. The agent who’d been blowing up her phone lately. The agent that wanted to pull Tully right back to Hollywood. I disliked her on sight.

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