Page 44 of The Wife
“Is this because Ellie got so freaked out? She’s obviously into you. You broke her poor baby heart. That sucks for her, but if you’re not into her, then oh well. Her loss.”
I broke Ellie’s heart. For this.
“I came over to say I don’t think it’s a good idea we see each other any longer.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious? You’re telling me after the other morning you don’t want to fuck me?”
“Yes. I am very certain I don’t want to fuck you. Goodnight, Carol.”
“Asshole!”
“Not the first time I’ve been called that. Good luck with your next conquest.”
I shut the door behind me and dropped my head.
I hurt Ellie. I broke Ellie’s heart. I told Ellie I hated her.
I did all that because Bobby MacPherson thought I would be his cousin’s type.
I wanted to drive out to the cabin. I wanted to explain everything to Ellie, but as I got closer to the ranch I realized it didn’t change anything. My reasons for getting involved with Carol in the first place hadn’t changed.
Instead I drove up to the house and got out of my truck.
When I opened the door I had this thought that maybe she would have come home. It was in the forties. Even with a fire the cabin had to be cold. She said she was coming home tomorrow anyway, why not come back now? Once inside I jogged up the steps to the second floor, but when I pushed open her door I saw it was still empty.
I had done that. I had driven her out of her own damn home for someone as superficial and one-dimensional as Carol.
And I might have permanently altered my relationship with Ellie. Who was pretty much the only family I had left. My best friend, my family… my wife.
There was no one I could talk to about this. Except of course Ellie. Ellie, who was going to come home tomorrow and cook me dinner. Because she hates it when I only eat sandwiches. She thinks it’s not enough given all the physical work I do during a day.
I knew that about her.
So even though I had hurt her, even though she had to witness me about to screw another woman in her kitchen, she was still worried enough about what I ate to overlook that and come home.
I was a rancher. A simple man who got up and worked hard all day. I didn’t do complicated. I didn’t do dramatic. I didn’t ask for much.
Only now I was in this shit storm, and I didn’t see any way out of it.
There was only one thing left to do.
It was time to get drunk.
* * *
Ellie
Iwasn’tcertain what woke me. I only know I had been asleep dreaming this crazy dream that Petunia could actually talk to me, and now suddenly I was awake. I was nicely cocooned under a ton of blankets, but I could tell my nose was freezing.
Which meant the fire had long since gone out, which meant it was probably the middle of the night.
“Ellie! Open the door, Ellie!”
Jake was banging on the door. It must have been his knocking that woke me.
There had to be some kind of emergency. Maybe something with one of the horses. I didn’t think, I got up and ran to the door, unlocked the dead bolt and swung it open.
The first thing that hit me was the smell. Jake reeked of whiskey. The second thing I noticed was him leaning against the door frame with said bottle of whiskey still in his hand.
