Page 76 of Worst in Show

I try not to laugh, but I can’t help it. “No way.”

“Laugh all you want. It’s a family name—oldest son gets it. To Bennett’s great joy.”

“And the third… Very regal. Fitting tonight.”

“I think so. Cheers to that.” He clinks his paper mug to mine.

The pieces of him are slowly coming together. Of his background. But there is still so much I don’t know.

“You know, you’ve told me you were in finance before this, but you’ve never actually explained how you ended up back here.”

He takes another sip of his cider and looks off toward a group of laughing teens.

I had to open my mouth. I already know this is a touchy subject for him. “Sorry, it’s none of my business. We can talk about something else. How did Tilly like her cape?”

“No.” He rests the mug against his leg and turns back to me. “I’ll tell you. I don’t mind.” He pauses as if considering where to start. “The first thing you should know is that I grew up knowing exactly what the expectations were for me. If at any point Bennett or I strayed from that path, we felt it. My dad is not a bad person, but he’s very traditional. His word was law.”

“What would he do?”

He must hear the concern in my voice because he hurries to say, “He’s not physically abusive or anything. Let’s just say he’s turned the silent treatment into an art form.” A wry smile. “Anyway, success was always important. Grades, sports, what have you. Good college, impressive job.”

“And you did all that.”

“Without questioning. I mean, I enjoyed the status that came with it, and I didn’t mind the work, at least in the beginning. Investment banking can be exhilarating if you’re good at it, and I was.”

“But?”

“But I was working all the time. My relationships suffered, my health…”

At the mention of relationships, I suppress an urge to cover my ears. He probably had a string of glamorous, uber-intelligent girlfriends. I want to know, and I don’t.

“Last year, I started having weird physical symptoms. I was dizzy, my mind felt foggy, I could never get enough sleep—and I nearly lost a client millions of dollars. It would have been bad. Lawsuit bad. Fortunately, my boss caught the mistake.” He lifts his shoulders high and releases them. “That was it. I quit. I was burned out, my wife left me, and I came out here to rest. Diane’s farm was the first place I thought of when everything fell apart. I have some of my happiest childhood memories there.”

I blink at him, wanting to make sure I heard him right. “Your wife?”

His lips pop open. “Um, right.” He runs a hand across his forehead. “Shit, I didn’t mean to… Yeah, I was married. Her name’s Samantha. But I’m not anymore. We signed the divorce papers not long ago.”

Samantha. The letter. The pieces fall into place. Still, getting it confirmed is a doozy. He had a whole life somewhere else before this. A grown-ass life. And here I am with nothing to show for myself. Is that why he didn’t kiss me?

His fingers brush my hand for the briefest of moments. “What are you thinking?”

“That that’s a lot.”

“I didn’t mean to pile it all on you.”

“No, I mean a lot for you to deal with. A lot of change. Are you doing better now? The physical symptoms are gone? That must have been hard.”

“It was, but Diane and Dawn totally nursed me back to health. I needed space and quiet. Being out there with them and the dogs—it was the smartest decision I ever made.”

Something dawns on me. “So Tilly is your emotional support dog.”

“For all intents and purposes.” He smiles.

“And you don’t regret giving up any of it? Your life before this, I mean.”

He shakes his head. “No. There were perks, of course, but they’re not worth everything else. The sacrifices.”

“And your marriage?”

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