Page 89 of Married to the Frenemy

“I did some research. They’ve bought other vineyards and turned them into one-stop vacation destinations for wine-enthusiasts. It would be a win, not just for us, but all the other small vineyards in the area.”

He exhales, shaking his head. Then he slowly lifts his gaze back to mine. “Are you sure this is what you really want? Think about everything you’re giving up.”

I swallow hard. He has no idea how much I’m giving up. Then again, he just might.

Still, I have to do this. For Haley. And Maggie.

“This is what I really want.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

HALEY

My eyes glide over the words on the page, each one blending into the next. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve read them, they still don’t sink in. I keep waiting to wake up, to learn I’ve been dreaming and that’s the only reason Oliver would do this.

But I’m not dreaming. This is real.

Oliver has withdrawn his petition for custody modification.

I have no idea what could have prompted him to change his mind. According to my lawyer, he made it sound like Oliver wasn’t willing to negotiate on the matter. Why would he change his mind and withdraw his petition altogether?

My lawyer reminded me this doesn’t mean he won’t file again at a later date. The only guaranteed way to prevent him from doing that would be if he were to voluntarily terminate his parental rights. Most courts in the state are only likely to grant that in the case of extreme abuse or if a stepparent were seeking to adopt and the biological parent had never been a part of the child’s life.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t briefly consider that route with Beckham. Then I remembered our marriage isn’t real.

In the beginning, it wasn’t even a chore to remember that. But over the past several weeks, everything about it has felt real. From waking up in his arms. To dropping off Maggie at preschool together. To him coming home for lunch just so we could have sex without worrying about Maggie hearing us. To him sinking into me before I fall asleep in his embrace.

After Oliver abandoned me, I swore I’d never let anyone else in again. Would always guard my heart with everything I had.

That was before Beckham weaseled his way back in.

If he ever left.

I doubt he had.

“What’s that?”

At the sound of Beckham’s voice, I whirl around to see him standing at the edge of the kitchen.

Normally, he rushes toward me and sweeps me into his arms, unable to wait another second to feel my lips on his.

Then again, he hasn’t been doing that this week.

I keep telling myself it doesn’t matter. Like he mentioned when I asked him about it, he’s under some stress at work. I don’t know a lot about making wine, but it sounds like each month has its own challenges.

Still, I sense something else is bothering him.

“Mark Sellers called me earlier and asked me to come see him.”

“Oh, yeah?” Beckham moves toward the refrigerator and grabs a bottle of water, cracking it open and taking a long sip. “Is everything okay?” He shifts his eyes toward me but doesn’t look directly at me.

“Better than okay, actually. Oliver withdrew his petition for custody. He’s even paying my attorney’s fees.”

“That’s great, Haley.” He approaches and wraps me in his somewhat lackluster embrace. “I’m happy for you.”

I draw in a breath, savoring in the feel of his warmth. But something still seems off. His voice is calm, as if I just told him I scored a great deal at the grocery store. Not that my daughter’s sperm donor is no longer attempting to rip my life to shreds.

“After we pick Maggie up from preschool, we should go to the Wicked Hop and celebrate. Even if she has no idea what we’re celebrating.”

---