Page 39 of Kissing My Soulmate

Lorelei: I’m so sorry, things have been crazy. We have to have you guys over to the new house.

I slip on my heels and then head out into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, I smile. There is a container with my name on it. I look inside and my stomach growls. It’s my favorite turkey and avocado wrap. Some veggies and my absolute favorite, the grapes that taste like cotton candy.

There is a note as well. I open it and swoon.

Baby, sorry I was gone this morning. Bring your lunch to the clinic today at noon and we’ll eat together.

I set the note on the counter and stick my food in my lunch bag. For my breakfast, I grab a yogurt and granola. The whole time, Bob watches me from the opening of the kitchen. Once he’s fed, I head to work.

When the clock strikes eleven forty-five, I lock my computer, and head into the break room. I grab my lunch bag and head out to my SUV. It takes me almost twenty minutes to get to Jasper’s clinic.

Inside I find Jan, one of the vet techs, behind the desk. “Hey, Lorelei.”

“Hi, Jan. How are you?”

She smiles at me. “Great, the kids are getting big and driving me crazy, but I love it. Jasper said you were coming and to go ahead and hang out in his office. He should be back anytime now.”

“Sounds great, thanks.” I head down the hall to his office and step inside, shutting the door behind me. I set my bag on his desk and take a seat in his chair.

Jasper likes to keep Sour Patch Kids in his drawer, so I pull it open and peer inside. Freezing, I notice two envelopes with Jasper’s name on them. It’s obvious it is a feminine scrawl. Nausea pools in my belly thinking of what it might be and from whom.

I reach out, grabbing the one that’s thicker, but I don’t open it. Although I want to because it is killing me. This would be a complete invasion of his privacy. He would never cheat on me, he wouldn’t. My stomach pitches as a thought occurs to me. What if he feels like I pushed him into having a baby, and things have moved too fast.

“Lorelei?” My head flies up and I find Jasper standing in the doorway. “What are you doing?”

“I-I was looking for your stash of Sour Patch Kids. What are these?” I hold them up a little higher.

He steps farther in the room, shutting the door behind him, holding out his hand to me. “Please hand me those.”

The tone of his voice is flat, and it worries me, so I do as he says. I step toward him. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“A month ago, my mom showed up here. She wanted to talk and handed me this.” He holds up the thicker envelope. “My sister is married, and I have a half-brother. It feels like there are pictures in here.”

Sadness fills me for the little boy who lost his mom and sister. “What are you going to do?” I wrap my arms around his waist. Freezing, I step back. “This happened a month ago? Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

“Why would I?”

I shake my head. “I’m your wife. How can I help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on?”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know what I was going to do and I was afraid you’d talk me into seeing her, even if I didn’t want to.”

Jasper’s words hurt me. “How could you think I would do that? I love you and know how it hurt you that she left. That would be like if my parents suddenly came looking for me, I’d hope that you’d support me in whatever I decided to do.”

“You’re right,” he says quietly and comes toward me, but I stop him. “What?”

“You kept something this important from me, for a whole month. Did you talk to Jefferson about this?” His silence is telling. I shake my head. “I’m heading back to the office.”

I grab my lunch bag and purse, step around him, and walk out. It’s clear he’s following me, but I ignore him. Maybe it’s immature to be walking away right now, but I’m freaking hurt. We’re supposed to be a team.

Luckily, no one is at the front desk when I walk by and out the door. I reach my SUV and spin around when I reach the driver’s side door. “I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

“It was fucked up, I know that, and I’m sorry I kept this from you.”

I open the door and stick the bag inside. “So, what? Were you just going to keep working early and late, letting me start conjuring up my own ideas of what you’re doing?”

“Lie, it’s just not that simple,” Jasper says.

My stomach pitches, but I swallow it back. “Oh, I think it’s very simple.” I climb in my SUV and before I close the door, I tell him, “You know what? Maybe we rushed into all this.”

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