Page 80 of About that Fling
“Yep. She was aiming for her jaw, but just got her shoulder. Still, it was a good punch. She grabbed the cane back and told the woman not to touch any member of her family ever again. Guess it worked. No one ever messed with Gramps—or with Nana—after that.”
Still laughing, Jenna shook her head. “I’d have loved to see that.”
“I’ll have to show you the video sometime.”
“There’s video?”
“Yeah. It was at my wedding. Actually, Gramps’s tormentor was Mia’s mom.”
Jenna blinked. “Seriously?”
Adam nodded, while Jenna’s mind reeled. She’d heard this story before, but from a completely different viewpoint. She could hear Mia laughing a little sadly over cocktails one night not long after they’d become fast friends.
I’m divorced, yes. Probably should have known the marriage was doomed when someone from his family punched my mom at the wedding.
Mia had chuckled uncomfortably at that point in her story.
It was the only time all day that my new husband stopped complaining about how much everything cost and actually smiled.
Jenna must have fallen quiet for a few beats too long, because Adam shot her an inquisitive look. “What’s on your mind?”
Jenna looked out the window, considering. “Do you think there’s any chance Mia regrets leaving you?”
Adam didn’t respond right away. He also didn’t ask what prompted the question, which surprised her. She studied the side of his face, enjoying the way his eye color changed in the flash of oncoming headlights.
“Do I think she regrets the affair? Sure, in hindsight I think she realized it wasn’t the most graceful way to exit a failing marriage.”
“No, I don’t mean that, exactly,” Jenna said. “I guess I meant—I don’t know, do you ever think she wants you back?”
Something dark flickered in his eyes, but it might have been headlights again. The sun had dropped low behind the coastal range to the west, casting dark shadows on the interstate. “Why would you ask that?”
“I don’t know. Just wondering. Is it harder to be the person who leaves or the person who’s left?”
“That’s a question I’ve thought about myself.” He turned and looked at her as if assessing something. Jenna waited, hands folded in her lap.
“I’ve never told anyone this before,” he said.
“What?”
He drew a deep breath, hands still steady on the wheel. “About six months after she moved out, Amelia’s car broke down. She was in a seedy neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. It was late at night and her tire blew out.”
“That must have been terrifying.”
“She called me. Mark was out of town, and the place she got stuck wasn’t too far from my office. It was late at night, but she knew I’d still be working.”
“She couldn’t have called a tow truck?”
“She could have, but she didn’t.”
Jenna tucked her other leg up under her, feeling chilled even though Adam had switched the heat on a minute ago. “What did you do?”
“I went to get her, of course. It was nearly midnight, and I was scrambling on a case I had to present the next morning, but I didn’t want her to get hurt. So I went.” He took a breath, and Jenna waited, not sure she wanted to hear the rest of the story.
“Did something happen?”
She tried to keep her voice from shaking, but must not have succeeded. Adam glanced over, then shook his head. “Nothing like that. Not like you’re thinking. But I can’t say it wasn’t on her mind.”
“How do you mean?”
