Page 3 of The Wedding Ranch
Lorri wrapped her arms around him. With a lap full of dog and a face full of puppy breath she couldn’t do anything but laugh.
When she glanced up, Craig stood looking down at them. “What is all this? Why now?” she asked.
“Why not?” Craig shrugged. “He loves you already. See?”
The pup’s soft fur tickled her cheek.
“I know things have been off lately, Lorri.”
“You’ve been more than a little distracted.”
“And you’ve been angry for over a year.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“I thought the dog would make you happy. That’s all I ever wanted to do.”
There was hope in his eyes, but could she trust him? It was true. Craig had navigated her through troubled family life since she was a teenager, and as soon as he had a job, he married her. “Things have changed. It’s not even polite between us anymore.” She stroked the dog. “Sometimes I don’t even want to come home.”
“We’ll fix it. We’ll do more things together. The dog’s an olive branch. It’s my way of letting you know that your happiness is my priority.”
The pup lapped at her ear.
“He makes you happy, doesn’t he?”
When Craig smiled like that, the lines pulling at the corners of his eyes, it reminded her of days when they laughed more. She pressed her face to the dog’s. “You are adorable.”
The dog licked her cheek as if he knew what she’d said.
“I can make you happy too,” Craig said.
“You’ve been there at my side through the hardest times in my life.” A tear slid down her cheek. She sat back on her heels, and Craig lowered himself beside her.
He moved his hand to her lower back, the way he knew would melt any resistance she had left. He hadn’t touched her like that in so long. Before she could calculate the last time, he kissed her with a gentleness she’d never known with him.
She tried to resist all of his efforts.
“You like him, don’t you?” Craig’s eyes were wide as he waited for her answer.
“He’s sweet.”Plan B: Can I take the dog and run?Why would Craig give in after fifteen years? A red flag waved, but it quickly turned into a cute garden flag with puppies on it.
The dog lapped his tongue up one side of her face, then nuzzled her ear.
“Craig, this doesn’t fix our problems. We need to talk about it.”
“You’re right.” He wasn’t angry, his voice surprisingly calm. “I’m tired of talking about it, Lor. I hate reliving my mistake over and over and over.” He looked away, shaking his head.
She stared at him. He hadn’t gotten defensive. It was also the first time he admitted he was at fault. “Youwereseeing someone else.” She held her breath.
He stood there quietly for what seemed like forever.
She waited, resisting the urge to lash out and push for answers.
Finally, he lifted his chin. “I’m sorry. It was a mistake.”
She pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling. She was wrong, it wasn’t better to know for sure.
“Please say something,” he pled. “It’s Valentine’s Day.”
