Page 98 of Happy Wife

“Hey,” he said in a soft voice. “God, I’m so happy to see you.” He pulled me into him, and the hug was warm. But I was frozen, keeping my arms at my sides. “You were right about everything.”

He released me, and I looked up at him, perplexed.

He’s contrite. I was not counting on contrite Will.

“What are you…?” I frowned, taking in his face, expecting him to be bleary-eyed, like someone who’d waited up all night for me or something. But he wasn’t. He was just sorry.

“I acted like an ass last night. I don’t mean to shut you out. I’ve just been so busy looking out for the future that I haven’t looked out for us. I fucked up.”

“Fucked…up? Will, fucking up is forgetting an anniversary or something. You threw a glass. It was scary and not okay.”

“You’re right. I’m so embarrassed.” He nodded. “I’ve been thinking about what you said. Maybe we should go away next weekend. I’ll have Autumn plan something for us. Let’s go to the beach. Why don’t you go spend an offensive amount of money on bathing suits?”

“The beach?” Twenty-four hours ago, I would have swooned over this offer. But now…I can’t just whisk off to someplace that makes it all seem like problems can be blown away with fairy dust. “We can’t ignore last night, Will.”

“I know. I was inconsiderate and childish, and I’m sorry.”

“Why didn’t you call? After I left, I mean. Don’t you want to know where I was all night?”

“I assumed you went to Este’s to cool off. Didn’t you?”

“I drove around most of the night,” I lied. “I popped a tire near Phelps Park. I had the car towed to Leroy Tire to get fixed.”

My second lie.

Staying at Marcus’s was innocent. I don’t know why I was covering it up. I just didn’t want to make things any worse than they already were.

He frowned in concern. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have come to get you.”

“What’s going on at work, Will?” I parried.

He took in a long, drawn-out breath. “There’s a big case—Martinez. If we handle it the right way, it could be an earth-shattering win. Eight or nine figures. A career milestone. Maybe I could slow down, and we could spend more time together. But Fritz keeps trying to let his ego get in the way of things. All he sees is dollar signs. I’m having to manage himandthe case. It’s twice the work. Sometimes three times.”

“That’s the case Gianna mentioned at dinner,” I said.

“Fritz shouldn’t be running his mouth about cases at home.”

“Fritz’s ego getting in the way isn’t exactly new.”

“True. But when there’s tens of millions of dollars on the line, the stakesandhis ego are…heightened. He keeps trying to insert himself, and if I don’t keep him on a short leash, we’re going to end up with a fraction of what the case is worth. It takes patience to work a case like this up. Not a strength of his.” He put his arms around me. “None of that is an excuse. I’m so sorry, Nora.”

I looked at him for a long minute. I was grateful to be let into the conversation, but I couldn’t overlook his bad behavior. “Will,” I said. It was equal parts a plea and a warning.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. But if you ever pull shit like last night again, I’m leaving, and I will not come back. Not ever.”

He kissed the spot on my forehead where my hairline begins. “If I ever pull shit like last night again, I’ll handpick your divorce attorney. Just to make sure I get taken to the cleaners. Because I’ll deserve it for fucking something this important up.”

I laughed a little.

Damnit, Nora.

He was saying all the right things, but something still didn’t sit right. I wanted to believe my hesitance was just the regret-hangover from the fight.

He kissed my cheek. “It’s a beautiful day.”

“Maybe so.”

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