As he drove away from the house, he glanced at her. “I’ve thought about our divorce. We can get a dollar figure on what the ranch and livestock are worth and I can buy you out. We can add the vehicles and the plane to that estimate and I’ll pay you for those. You keep your car. We won’t count it.”
His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. She knew him well, and knew by his tone of voice that he was unhappy.
“We don’t have to decide yet,” she said.
“We might as well make the decisions and be ready. When the time comes, it’ll be easier and quicker and then we can say goodbye.” He drew a deep breath and she hurt inside.
When he parked at the church, he walked around the car to open the door for her.
“Thank you,” she said as she emerged into sunshine.
“Smile. We don’t know this troll’s identity, but I want Maverick to see that his damned email didn’t do anything except get us together.” She smiled and he took her arm. She thought they probably looked like a happy couple. She hoped the person hiding behind the name Maverick thought they were happily together again. Then she recalled how shocked she had been looking at the picture of Tom and the Valentines. Next Saturday she would meet them, and she was looking forward to it. She glanced up at Tom, sorry she had doubted him. He was a wonderful guy who had been a good dad and husband. That’s what hurt so badly.
After church he took her to eat at the Texas Cattleman’s Club, and afterward they drove back to her house to paint again. It was the first Sunday in March and it was a perfect spring day. She pulled on cutoffs and another T-shirt.
She found him downstairs in the front parlor, prying open a can of white paint. Plastic drop cloths covered the hardwood floor. The ladder stood to one side and he had papers spread with brushes and stir sticks laid out.
“Calm yourself, because you’ve seen me in shorts and less plenty of times,” she said when she joined him to get the can of paint he had opened for her.
He straightened, turning to look at her.
“Although I think I’m the one who might not be able to concentrate,” she amended, fanning herself as her gaze roamed over him. Tom was all muscle, in excellent physical shape and incredibly strong. She tried to avoid memories of making love and how exciting he could be. As her gaze drifted over him again, she looked up and met his hazel eyes.
“We could put off painting,” he said in a husky voice.
She shook her head even though she didn’t want to. “Did you open a can of paint for me?” Her voice was raspy and she couldn’t stop looking at his broad shoulders.
He stepped over the paint cans and approached her. She threw up both hands. “I’m going to work. Give me the paint. I have to get this house painted, and you’re here now and can help.”
“What room? I’ll carry it for you,” he said.
“The front bedroom,” she said, turning to go. He walked beside her. “We’ve already lost the morning and part of the afternoon. I want to get something done today.” She felt as if she was babbling. In the bedroom she waved her hand. “Thanks. I’ll start here and work my way around.”
He put the can on the floor, turned to her, stepped close and caught her chin lightly in his fingers. “You want to kiss and so do I.”
“I’m trying to be sensible and not complicate our lives more. Not to mention getting my house painted.”
“See which you like best,” he said and drew her close, leaning down to kiss her. She stood in his arms for about two seconds before she hugged him back, sliding her hand over his broad shoulders and down one arm over rock-hard biceps. Then
she wrapped her arms around his narrow waist. It always amazed her how narrow his waist was and how flat his stomach. She finally stopped him and stepped back, trying to catch her breath, pulling her T-shirt down.
“We could make love and get that out of our systems.”
She smiled at him. “Good try.”
He grinned and shrugged. “It’s definitely worth a try. I might bring that up again after you’ve painted for seven or eight hours and the sun goes down.”
“You can try me and see,” she said in a sultry voice, unable to resist flirting with him.
Something flickered in the depths of his eyes, and a faint smile raised the corner of his mouth. “Ah, I think I’m on the right track. I will try again. That’s a promise.” He stepped close and touched the corner of her mouth. “It’s good to see you smile and laugh. We used to have lots of smiles and laughs and it’s nice to share them again.”
“It’s temporary, Tom. Nothing has changed,” she stated, hurting because of all they had lost and still stood to lose.
His smile faded. “I know.”
“Now, it’s time for you to go to work, too, and make yourself useful. You insisted on this,” she said, picking up a brush.
He leaned close and placed his hand on her shoulders. She looked into his eyes and was aware his mouth was only inches away. She drew a deep breath, wanting to kiss him and knowing she should not.