Fake Christmas

“Something like that.” He must’ve been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed she had been trying to get his attention. He knew he should focus on helping Mrs. McKenzie while Allyson ate breakfast in the kitchen, but that was impossible. Not when he had suspicions about his wife.

Little things seemed to point toward Allyson having an affair. Her closeness with Cameron. Texting Cameron during the flight. Desperately wanting to be in New York today. Especially today. She had said she only wanted to get home today to spend time with her new nephew. But that couldn’t be the reason she had cried in his arms in the kitchen. Her tears had been for something far more serious.

He had seen it in her eyes. Those hadn’t been the eyes of a woman who was upset about a delayed reunion   with her nephew. She looked haunted. Desperate. He had never seen her look that on-edge before. Not even when she had been fighting to stay out of prison.

“Do you want the Christmas tree in the living room?” Mrs. McKenzie asked. “Or near the front door?”

“The living room is fine,” he said. “I’ll look through the boxes for the tree and then assemble it.” He began to open the remainder of the boxes, searching for the plastic Christmas tree.

In his heart, he wanted nothing more than to ignore his suspicions about his wife. It would be easier to just go on like nothing was wrong. He could focus on assembling the tree until Allyson showed up to help put up the decorations. They could spend quality time together. Away from the noise of work, and their two families, and social obligations. Away from what had been distracting her lately.

Because she was distracted. And she was also hiding something from him. Last night, when he had demanded an explanation for why she had acted so strangely after he found her on the beach, she had lied to him. He knew from one glance at her face that she hadn’t really wanted him to search her phone.

They hadn’t been married long, but he knew his wife well enough to know when she wasn’t telling him the whole truth. Whenever there was a little intake of breath and she averted her eyes for just an instant. Allyson probably had no idea she was even doing it.

Which meant that if she didn’t really want him searching her phone, she had been calling someone she shouldn’t have been calling. That left only one possible explanation. There was no way she would be that secretive over something trivial. This was serious. And that pointed to an affair.

He sucked in a breath, but it still felt like his heart was being ripped to shreds.

“I’m going to go check on Allyson,” he informed Mrs. McKenzie.

Talking to his wife now that he had come to such a horrible conclusion probably wasn’t the best idea, but he had to talk to her. He had to get the truth out of her. Enough was enough.

Dane walked into the kitchen, but she wasn’t there. She had washed her plate and glass, which was so like her. Knowing her, she had probably already made their bed as well. If it was something Allyson could do herself, she would probably do it.

Shoving aside his tenderness for her, he headed out of the kitchen. Maybe she had gone back upstairs. He crossed the foyer. The rumble of a car engine made him stop in his tracks.

He frowned. “Allyson?”

The roar of the engine was getting fainter and fainter. Quickly, he headed to the front door, threw it open, and found a white car pulling away from the villa. Allyson was sitting in the back seat, her mane of glossy black hair unmistakable.

How the hell could she leave without telling him? Ordinarily, she would never do something like that. But she hadn’t been herself for weeks. Allyson just disappearing like this had to be confirmation of his suspicions. She was having an affair. Right now, she was probably trying to get away so she could talk to her lover without interruptions. Without him overhearing.

His body tensed with anger. Blood boiling, he marched back into the house. Without a word to Mrs. McKenzie, he headed through the living room and stepped outside. Didn’t stop walking until he made it to the white-sand beach.

Dane’s phone was still in his pocket. Right now, he felt the weight of it. Maybe he should call his wife. Let her know that she had been caught in the act. Let her know that he wasn’t going to put up with being betrayed.