The house felt odd without Simon, probably because he’d been such a part of it. With the amount of work he’d been putting in and his excitement over the improvements, not to mention the time they’d spent here making love or simply sleeping together, it had begun to seem like a home. Their home. Their marriage had begun to feel real, too. But it had all ended even quicker than Gail had anticipated. He’d abstained from alcohol and behaved perfectly since they’d made their agreement, only to be drawn back to Los Angeles by Bella, the one variable Gail hadn’t expected to play the part it did. She’d thought they’d have to battle tooth and nail to get Bella to let Simon see Ty. The restraining order had convinced her of it. Now she felt as if she’d been leaning hard on a door that had suddenly opened.
She should’ve known better than to rely on anything she’d been feeling since marrying Simon, especially the happiness and false sense of security that enveloped her while living in her hometown. She hadn’t trusted it. Not really. And yet she’d embraced it—eagerly. Once she learned about Bella and Tex she should’ve realized that Bella had been manipulating Simon all along and would continue to do so—and that he would never be able to resist a friendly offer from her. After all, Bella had the one thing Simon cared about most. Ty trumped every other consideration.
Hugging her pillow close, Gail rolled over and squeezed her eyes shut. She’d known she’d face this day sooner or later. There was no point in feeling sorry for herself. But all the self-talk in the world couldn’t ease the ache in her chest.
Maybe if she got out of 811 Autumn Lane, she’d recover faster, revert to her old in-charge, able-to-handle-anything self. If she returned to her father’s place, she’d have to tell him and her brother that Simon had left her, but she’d have to do that fairly soon, anyway. Might as well get it over with.
She kicked off the covers and got up, then pulled on an old sweatshirt of Simon’s. But before she could reach the hall the doorbell rang.
For a moment, she hoped it was Simon. He’d only been gone an hour. He could’ve come back. But she knew in her heart he wouldn’t, not when he couldn’t wait to see his son.
So who could be visiting at ten-thirty?
She wiped her face on her sleeve and padded out to the living room barefoot. He’d turned off the lights and locked up, but he’d replaced the burned-out porch light and left that on. Nice of him to be so considerate, she thought sarcastically, and pushed the sheet covering the front window to one side.
It was Sophia, pretty much the last person in the world she wanted to see. Wasn’t dinner enough?
Gail almost didn’t open the door. She wasn’t sure she could put a smile on her face and pretend, as she’d done through dessert and an hour or so of small talk at Sophia’s house earlier, that everything in her life was A-OK. But she also couldn’t leave Sophia standing on the porch when the Lexus was parked out front, giving away the fact that someone was home. She couldn’t have done that to anybody she knew, especially in Whiskey Creek.
Hoping the woman she’d once disliked immensely, and for good reason, wouldn’t be able to tell she’d been crying, she opened the door.
“Hi.” Contrary to what Gail had believed possible, she managed another of the fake smiles she’d been conjuring up all evening.
Sophia didn’t immediately respond. She shoved her hands in the pockets of the lightweight jacket she was wearing and studied Gail carefully.
Growing uncomfortable, Gail cleared her throat. “What brings you out so late, Sophia?”
“Alexa forgot her toothbrush so I took it over to her.”
“And that brought you here because...”
“I saw a limo pass by.” She paused as if she expected Gail to say something, but Gail couldn’t bring any words to her mouth. Initially, she’d been tempted to whisper, as though Simon was still in the house and she didn’t want to wake him, but now she was glad she hadn’t. Getting caught in such a pretense would’ve been even more embarrassing than acknowledging the sad reality.
“It was Simon, wasn’t it?” she said. “He’s leaving town.”
Of all people to be the first to know. Would Sophia gloat? She would have when they were in high school. Gail wasn’t even sure she could complain if Sophia did. She’d been slow to respond to Sophia’s attempts at friendship, and she’d been less than wise to take the risks she had. “Yes.”
“I thought so. I heard him call for a car after he spoke with... I’m guessing that was his ex-wife?”
“Yes.” Although Gail wasn’t thrilled to see Sophia put the pieces together so perfectly, she didn’t see any point in trying to present the facts in any different way. As much as she and Simon had tried to pretend that nothing had changed, Sophia had watched him make his decision from a front-row seat.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“I appreciate that. So you came because...”
“I was worried that maybe you were having a hard time. I know you don’t consider me a close friend, but I didn’t want you to be alone if...if you needed someone.” She shifted, obviously feeling awkward, but soldiered on. “I’m sure what you’re going through can’t be easy. I can tell that you love him very much.”
Gail wished she could deny it. She wanted to say it was fine, that she’d known she was taking a chance when she married him and had been prepared for the worst—something that would salvage a bit of her pride. It was fun while it lasted. But Simon’s defection was too new, her emotions too raw. She couldn’t seem to raise her defenses.
So she didn’t try. The redness of her face had probably given her away. “You’re right,” she said. “I do love him, more than I ever thought I could love someone. And it hurts like hell that he’s gone.” How was that for full disclosure? She figured she might as well give Sophia what she’d come for. The “mean girl” from high school could gloat if she wanted to.
But Sophia didn’t seem to be taking any pleasure from her pain. Empathy filled her eyes, then she put her arms around Gail and gave her a long hug.
“I’m really, really sorry,” she murmured and Gail could tell she meant it.
“Sometimes life just sucks, doesn’t it?” Sophia added.
Gail got the impression she knew what she was talking about. “You’re not happy with Skip, are you?”
Sophia hesitated as if it was difficult for her to reveal the truth. She’d been selling the “perfect family” illusion for so long. But eventually, she stepped back and admitted the truth. “No.”
“Sometimes life sucks, all right,” Gail said with a sad laugh. “Want to come in for coffee?”
Sophia returned her smile. “I’d love to.”
They spent the next two hours discussing whether or not Gail should return immediately to L.A., what her father and brother would think of Simon’s defection and how she should tell them, and whether or not Sophia should keep fighting to save her own marriage. She claimed that the bruise on her cheek wasn’t from Skip, but Gail suspected the reality of that was too personal to share even within the confines of their new friendship.
Gail supposed she’d find out someday. She definitely planned on maintaining the relationship. Sophia as an adult was nothing like Sophia as an adolescent. She’d held back, too, hadn’t told Sophia about the original reasons for the marriage. That was too risky to tell anyone.
“Look at the time,” Sophia said, pulling out her cell phone. “I’d better go home.”
“You could stay here,” Gail said. “I have an extra bed.”
“No. Skip might call.” She grimaced. “He does that every once in a while just to check up. He’s so afraid I’ll cheat on him while he’s gone.”
“Do you think he’s been cheating on you?”
It was another hard question, but they’d built up enough trust that this time she didn’t hesitate. “I’m pretty sure he has.”
“Why don’t you divorce him?”
“Because he’d do everything he can to take Lex and leave me with nothing. Maybe when she gets older I’ll be willing to brave that, but...not now. She means too much to me.”
She’d be in Simon’s situation, fighting over her child. “I see.”
“I’ve got to go, but first I need to use the bathroom.”
As she walked away, Gail was thinking how much it helped to have a friend who understood and didn’t judge her for her decisions, and how easy it would’ve been to miss that friend in Sophia.
“Gail?” Sophia had reached the bathroom but was calling her.
“Yes?”
“Have you seen this?”
“What is it?”
“Come here.”
More than a little curious, Gail headed down the hall. Sophia was standing outside the bathroom and gestured for her to peer in. There, on the vanity, was a plush velvet box sitting on a scrap of paper with Simon’s handwriting.
Sending Sophia a look that said she had no idea what was going on, she read the note first. “I’ve been trying to figure out a good way to give you this. Now that I’m leaving, I realize there is no good way, but I still want you to have it.”
She handed the note to Sophia while she opened the box. Inside was one of the giant-size diamonds Mr. Nunes had brought to show her before she and Simon were married.
“Holy cow,” Sophia breathed when Gail turned to show her. “I’m tempted to believe that’s a cubic zirconia but I know it’s not.”
So did Gail. After Mr. Nunes’s visit, she also knew how much it was worth.
“Try it on!” Sophia said, and held the box while Gail slid the ring on her finger. The setting was a simple one done in yellow gold, but it offset the diamond beautifully. The combination was stunning.
“See that?” Sophia said, admiring it. “He does care about you. I bet he comes back.”
Gail smiled, but shook her head. “No.”
“Why not?”
“He has too much going on in his life right now,” she said. But that wasn’t what she was thinking. She was remembering the moment when she’d bared her soul to him. He couldn’t come back to “I love you,” not to continue a fake relationship. After that, it would have to be for real.
And she’d always known he wasn’t ready for real.
* * *
Ian climbed out of his car as soon as he saw Simon pass through the doors of the baggage claim area and into the pickup zone. “How was your flight?”
It hadn’t been pleasant. As eager as Simon was to see Ty, he felt bad about leaving Gail. He kept picturing her sleeping in their new bed in their new century-old house—and wished he was there with her. She kept him sane, introduced an element of calm and rightness to his life that seemed to be missing without her. Just flying into Los Angeles brought back the past couple of years, which made him tense and irritable. The way Ian kept smiling bothered Simon, too. Ian acted as if he’d somehow outmaneuvered Gail in his quest for attention and control. But he hadn’t. Only Ty could beat Gail.
“Fortunately, it was short,” he said. “What’s going on here at home?”
Ian had brought his Mercedes and not the Porsche, so he had somewhere to stow Simon’s luggage. Simon shoved it in the trunk as Ian answered.
“Bella’s been calling me, freaking out. She wants you to come over right away.”
Simon checked the time—11:40—and walked to the passenger door. “Have you seen Ty?”
“No, I’ve just heard from Bella on the phone.”
His cell rang as he slid into the seat. Hoping it was Gail checking to see if he’d gotten in safely, he pulled the phone out of his pocket, then frowned. It wasn’t Gail. Of course it wouldn’t be. She’d told him she loved him, but then she’d sent him off as if she never planned on seeing him again. He knew in his heart that unless he contacted her, he’d never hear from her again.
Instead, it was Bella. Already. “This is her,” he said to Ian, and pressed the talk button. “Hello?”
“Oh, good!” Bella gushed. “You’re in?”
“Just arrived.”
“So...are you coming over?”
“On my way.”
“Thank God.” The sexy, breathless quality of her voice wasn’t quite the turn-on it used to be. Actually, it wasn’t a turn-on at all. She just sounded like she was trying too hard.
“Is Ty there?” he asked.
“Where else would he be?”
Simon wanted to be sure. At this hour, his son would be asleep, but it’d been so long since Simon had seen him he didn’t care. He couldn’t wait to hug Ty’s small body against his chest. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”
As he buckled his seat belt, Ian pulled into the steady flow of traffic. “It’s good to see you, man.”
Simon eyed him. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m serious. Why?”
“You just saw me in Whiskey Creek.”
“That was different.” He tapped the steering wheel to the beat of the rap music playing on his expensive stereo system. “Whiskey Creek isn’t L.A. This is where you belong.”
“Is it?”
Ian’s hands stilled and he glanced over. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Simon didn’t even know. He used to love L.A., never dreamed he’d consider moving. Now, he wasn’t so sure it was the best place for him. Whiskey Creek had been such a welcome change. He liked the innocence of it, the people. He had room to breathe there. “Nothing,” he said. “It doesn’t mean anything.”
Ian put on his blinker and changed lanes in preparation for exiting the airport. “Can you believe you got out of your bogus marriage so easily?”
Simon arched an eyebrow at him. “Excuse me?”
“Now that Bella’s willing to forget about that stupid restraining order, there’s no need to bother with Gail.”
Simon said nothing. After the initial agreement, Ian hadn’t wanted his arrangement with Gail to work. That much was clear.
“Right?” Ian prodded.
“Whatever you say,” Simon muttered.
Seemingly happy, Ian turned up the radio. “It’s all going to work out, buddy. The way things stand now, you’ll be able to start your next project in no time.” He did a quick drum roll to the stereo. “We’re back in business.”
Considering the recent improvements in his situation, Simon supposed there was no reason not to return to work. He knew how fickle fame could be. If he pissed away the opportunities he had right now, they could disappear, and he could end up like his father. Someone who missed the spotlight. Someone who was yesterday’s news. Besides, there were a lot of people who’d been disappointed when he backed out of his commitments. Maybe he could reschedule some of them. For the most part, he was interested in those projects, or he wouldn’t have signed on for them.
But did he really want to fall back into his old lifestyle? What about the woman who’d made him happy to live in an eight-hundred-square-foot house and work as a carpenter?
* * *
Bella’s house was every bit as opulent as Simon remembered. Located in Beverly Hills, not far from his, it was a fifteen-thousand-square-foot Mediterranean with plenty of palm trees and three different pools. She’d never earned much money of her own. She’d been a news anchor when he met her at an after-party, working for sixty thousand a year, but she’d quit that job as soon as they became an item.
He waited at the gate until the security guard buzzed him through, then pulled up behind her Escalade. He’d had Ian take him home to get his car, so it was after midnight, but he never knew what to expect with Bella and wanted to be able to leave at a moment’s notice, if necessary.
She was waiting for him on the front stoop. Her eyes searched his face. Then she slipped into his arms. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she murmured, pressing her cheek to his chest.
Her perfume brought back myriad memories, both good and bad, but Simon didn’t feel the poignant emotions he’d associated with that scent before. Sadness weighed on him, for what they used to have that was now lost, but he felt nothing else. Apparently a lot had changed in the past few weeks. Or maybe the changes had been taking place much longer and he just hadn’t noticed because of all the drinking.
“Where’s Ty?” he asked.
“In bed. Come on, we can talk in the family room.” She tried to lead him into a large but cozy kitchen/family room with hardwood floors, a huge rock fireplace, granite counters and stainless-steel appliances. It was tastefully decorated, but everything about Bella was tasteful and always had been. He couldn’t fault her sense of style. With her large brown eyes, olive skin and sleek black hair, she was beautiful, too.
“Would you like something to drink?” She held up a bottle of wine—a pinot noir that was one of his favorites.
The alcohol tempted him. It felt like he hadn’t had a drink in forever. But he shook his head. “No. I’m fine, thanks.”
“Really?”
“I don’t drink anymore.” He was almost as surprised as she was to hear those words come out of his mouth, but he remained committed to them. He felt more in control of himself than he’d been in a long time; he wanted to stay that way.
“I see.” Although she should be acting happy about this, which could only be an improvement in his life, he saw that her smile wilted. Obviously she’d envisioned a different kind of night than this was turning out to be. Still, she adjusted and shored up her attitude. “You look tired. What about some coffee?”
“That’d be great.”
“Good. Have a seat.”
He stopped her as she started to walk away. “Before we do anything else, I really want to see Ty.”
She hesitated. No doubt she could tell he was much more excited about seeing their son than he was her. Simon knew that wouldn’t go over too well. But he wasn’t willing to deal with her until she’d given him what she’d promised.
“Of course. I’ll take you up. Our boy is getting so big. Every day he looks more like his handsome daddy.”
Simon followed her up a set of stairs to the second story, then down a long hall to the right wing. Had they kept going they would’ve come to a set of double doors—he guessed that was the master but he’d never been inside it. He and Bella had certainly made love since their separation, but not since she’d bought this house.
Ty’s room wasn’t far from hers. “He wanted his room decorated with race cars this time,” she whispered as she opened the door.
There was a night-light burning on the far wall, providing just enough of a glow for Simon to see his son’s face as he moved closer.
Smiling, he sat on the bed and pulled his little boy out from under the covers and into his arms.
“Don’t wake him up,” Bella whispered as if she’d thought he was only going to look.
Simon ignored her. He’d anticipated this moment for too long to hold back. “Ty, it’s Daddy,” he whispered. “God, I missed you.”
Ty opened his eyes, smiled sleepily and tightened his arms around Simon’s neck. “Daddy, where did you go? Can I go with you next time?”
Simon wished, more than anything, that he could say yes. But he wasn’t sure Bella would allow him to take Ty anywhere. Not once she figured out that he didn’t intend to try again with her. “I hope you can come with me someday soon.”
“Maybe Daddy will stay here with us.” Bella looked at him as she ruffled Ty’s hair. The invitation in her eyes was clear. For whatever reason, she was ready to welcome him back into her bed, into their lives, into the family.
But Simon was no longer in love with her.