Page 5 of The Wedding Ranch
She leaned closer, letting Craig drape his arm around her while the puppy scampered in front of them. Craig’s charm was an asset and a big part of why he was such a darn good salesman. No one could resist him, not even her after over fifteen years of marriage. Or maybe it was just easier than starting over.
Chapter One
By the time summer was in full swing, Mister was as tall and gangly as a teenager, and according to the vet he still had a lot of growing to do. Craig had kept his promise, taking Mister to puppy class and on through intermediate training. Mister had more certificates than Lorri and Craig combined, and despite his size Lorri felt that she could handle him.
Lorri had never enjoyed exercise, but she’d grown to love the time she spent walking Mister through their large neighborhood. Her friends had even commissioned a bedazzled pooper scooper from Etsy as a gag gift for her birthday, but the joke was on them, because she carried it proudly.
She was in the best shape of her life, both physically and mentally, and she knew she had Mister to thank. He was a lot of work, but with no kids she didn’t mind one bit. Craig had definitely gotten Valentine’s Day right this year.
She’d had a long week putting in extra hours to wrap up a project rebranding one of the oldest and most profitable accountswith her company, Brand Creative. The client, a sausage company, was now in its one hundredth year, and the great-great-great-grandson who just stepped into the CEO role wanted a fresh look. It had taken rounds and rounds of redrafting to appease him, but this project had allowed her to get creative, even painting an original scene for the client, and she liked that.
When she got home, Mister met her at the door as he did every night. There was no rambunctious jumping, but rather a very respectable greeting followed by him calmly sitting at her feet to get his head rubbed. Well, he looked calm, but his nub of a tail wiggled like a caffeinated guinea pig with a mind of its own.
“How’s my good boy?” She put her things down, and gave him a loving pat. He lifted his chin, pressing it into the palm of her hand. “I missed you too.”
She looked up and saw Craig sitting on the couch. “Hey, how was your day?” He looked as worn out as she felt.
“Not great. Lorri, I’ve got something to tell you.” He stood, shifting his weight.
“Are you okay?” She walked into the living room. Craig’s eyes darted to his suitcase sitting next to the door. “Ah, another unexpected business trip? That’s okay. I can—”
“Not exactly.” His face pulled to the left. “I’m leaving.”
The word echoed. Not leaving on a business trip. Just leaving. Her stomach dropped as if it had been kicked from the top of a skyscraper. “Leaving?” She almost choked on the word.
“I met someone.” He rushed to add, “I wasn’t looking. I meant it when I said I was going to make it right. This just happened. I’m sorry.”
“You’releaving?” How could he? She’d forgiven him. Opened her heart again.
“You know things had been…”
“Off.” She filled in the blank.Yes, I know.“You said that when you said we were going to be okay.”
“I want to be with her. It’s not like the others.”
“The others.” She wondered how many there had been, but was afraid he might tell her if she asked. “The ‘it’ll never happen again’ others?”
“They meant nothing. Tiffany is different. I feel alive again with them.”
“Them?”
“She has the most precious two-year-old. She calls me ‘Popster.’ I swear it melts my heart.”
The shine in his eyes was undeniable. It pierced her heart. In the past she’d suspected something was going on. In her gut, she’d known. She’d even asked. He’d lied straight to her face and never blinked. How many had there been? And why did it take her by surprise this time?
“I love her.”
Which only means you don’t love me. Probably never did.Jealousy filled her. “But we’ve been through so much together.” He’d been there for her when her family struggled through her brother Jeff’s addiction and all the problems that went along with it. The arrests, rehab, the stealing and lying, and then when he’d died. “It was supposed to be forever.”
“You were there for me too,” he said.
She’d worked two jobs so he could go to college and made the mortgage when his sales jobs weren’t going so well. She’dbeen there every step of the way when he had that lung cancer scare five years ago. It had been terrifying. Thank goodness doctors were able to remove it and he’d been cancer-free ever since.
“I never meant to hurt you, Lorri.”
“You’re not.” She was strangely calm. There were no tears, and once she pushed aside the bitterness of being beaten to the punch, she knew the marriage was over. She was happy because of Mister’s companionship, not because of Craig. Nothing had changed. “There won’t be another chance this time. Ever. You understand that, right?”
He nodded.
