Page 37 of Between Our Hearts

“Dada!”

Her shoulders dropped with an exhale. “I’ll get her.”

Sadie was out the door and opening Lottie’s before he could reach out to stop her. As frustration raced through his veins, he ran his hand over his face, painfully snagging it on his fresh wound. The hard whispered expletive leaving his mouth weighed heavy with double meaning.

?Chapter 19?

Walking through the large tent-covered parking lot beside the small strip of shops on Main Street wasn’t a new experience. Sadie had done it with Clark and Lottie a handful of times before she’d started signing up for weekend call shifts. Walking through the Northwood Farmer’s Market with Mike and Pam in tow, carrying supplies from Clark’s truck parallel-parked several blocks away, was completely novel.

Because of the holiday weekend, the market was decorated with all sorts of red, white, and blue banners and flags. There was a light and jovial feeling in the humid air, even though the heat from the asphalt seemed to be scorching her feet straight through her flip flops. By the time they’d made it to Clark’s spot the second time, they were all covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

She’d seen all his creations in the woodshop, but seeing them displayed under a navy canopy tent with a modest woodgrain banner that read “Clark Benson, Woodsmith” was a different sight entirely. Two narrow banquet tables formed an L-shape, the panels either stacked on top or propped against the legs. As usual, her fingers itched to touch every piece. A design of layered sea stars and what looked like a wooden river flowing down the middle of a topographic map had been added to his repertoire.

Mike settled the kids’ table and chair he’d been carrying to the right of the L-shape, creating an uneven U, before Pam unpacked the colored pencils and coloring book from Clark’s grey backpack-style diaper bag. Sadie engaged the brakes to the stroller and unbuckled their daughter. Though she wanted to pull Lottie onto her hip and keep her there for the rest of the morning, she let her daughter join her grandparents for a snack around the small play table.

“How do you do all of this when it’s just you and Lottie? There’s so much to carry.” The question left her lips before Sadie reminded herself that she was supposed to be minimizing her interactions with Clark, pulling away from him. She’d already made it infinitely harder by kissing him in Lottie’s bathroom two days ago.

His eyes were cautious as they flitted up to hers. “We take trips. Or Thatcher watches her sometimes at his tent. He’s always here super early.”

“The blacksmith.”

Clark’s smile warmed that she’d remembered. “Yeah. You’ll meet him today. And Robin.”

Sadie swallowed over the excess saliva in her throat, knowing that today would be the first and last time she’d see the people who were now important in her husband’s life. She forced her shoulders back and down. It was good he had so many people to call friends, who supported him since soon she wouldn’t be able to.

“Sounds great.” She made herself pull her gaze away from Clark’s breathtaking blue eyes and busied herself straightening the smaller twelve-by-twelve designs on the front table. She rearranged them so her favorite designs were in the center before reverently tracing the lines with her fingertips.

“They’re so intricate, aren’t they?” Pam’s warm voice was right beside her. “I always knew he had an artistic side, but it took thirty-five years for him to finally tap into it.” A laugh burst from her mother-in-law’s lips. “I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

“Me?” Her eyes darted to Pam’s twinkling hazel ones before noticing that Clark, Mike, and Lottie were gone. They’d likely headed back to his truck for the last of the wood pieces, the cash box, and the small computer he used for credit card transactions.

“Of course. You bring out the best in him. Always have.” His mother picked up a small wood piece and brought it to her nose for scrutiny. “Not that he didn’t create incredible things while he was working or doing all those projects at your house, but it’s nice to see him trying something different. Expanding. Changing. We all have to do that. We all have to push out of our little shells and try to walk around naked a bit before finding a bigger one. You help him not to get stuck because you’re always pushing your own professional boundaries. You’re a good influence.”

Tension pricked at the edges of Sadie’s vision as congestion swelled at the bridge of her nose. Pam’s words were incredibly kind, but they were also completely false. She wasn’t good for Clark. Not anymore.

“I’m not sure you get this often”—Pam settled her hands on Sadie’s shoulders—“but I’m proud of you, and I know Clark is too.”

Sadie was glad dark sunglasses covered her startled expression.

“You must be Sadie.” A deep baritone voice excused her from having to respond to Pam’s words.

Her mother-in-law released her shoulders so she could turn to shake hands with the burly gentleman behind her. “Yes. And you’re Thatcher?”

His sculpted mustache rose, revealing perfect white teeth over his beard. “That’s me. Nice to finally meet you.”

Sadie’s heart snagged on “finally” while Pam introduced herself and then Mike as the trio returned to Clark’s table. She tried to stay engaged in the conversation going on around her, but all she could focus on was how happy Clark seemed here. Halfway through Clark explaining how he created a piece, a woman who looked like a late-twenties version of Pam arrived by their group. Numbness pulsed up Sadie’s arm as she shook the bubbly stranger’s hand.

Lottie rushed to Robin’s long billowy skirt, hands raised to be picked up. When this other woman settled Lottie on her hip and her daughter’s happy fingers started playing with the dangling gemstones around Robin’s neck, Sadie’s breath punched out of her. Robin purred a greeting into Lottie’s hair, and her daughter giggled.

The display table hit her bare leg before Sadie realized she’d backed away from the group. Their voices were taken over by this persistent ringing in her ears. She could see their smiling mouths opening and closing, their lips making words, but heard none of it. Sweat pooled under her arms and a drop ran from her neck below the collar of her tank top. Robin said something, and the whole group burst into laughter.

Sadie felt as if she’d been hit in the chest by an IV pole.

Clark didn’t need her. He was better off without her. The evidence was in his joyous, careless,dimpledsmile. A smile that had been missing in their home for nearly a year. He’d made all these friends, built himself a business and a community without her, and around these people he was happy.

Without her, he was happy.

“Are you okay?”

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