Page 120 of The Christmas Wife

She nods. "After the cops rescued Weston and the other boys from the kidnappers," she leans forward, "he felt like he had been given a new lease on life. He wanted to make sure he made the most of the opportunity. It's one of the reasons he wanted to become a surgeon." She crinkles her forehead, "Then our father died of an heart attack and that strengthened his resolve."

So, I'd been right about the second part, at least. I meet her gaze, "He seems to think it's because it gives him control over life and death."

"Do you believe him?" she scoffs.

"I am not sure what to make of him," I say honestly.

She looks me up and down, "So you guys had a fight this morning?"

"More than that." I heave out a sigh.

To her credit, she hadn’t been taken aback when she'd found me standing by the doorway to her suite. She hadn't asked me any questions either. She’d loaned me her clothes, then handed me the cup of hot chocolate. Hell, she hadn’t even been surprised that I’d asked her for cocoa, instead of tea… And that, puts her right at the top of my list.

"What happened between you two?" she asks.

"I…" I glance away, "I think we broke up."

"Fights are normal. They’re healthy in a relationship?—"

"This is more than that." I jump up and begin to pace. "He told me to leave."

"The room?" her tone sharpens.

"His suite, his life… He told me it was over."

"He told you so, in no uncertain terms?"

Had he?I turn to her. "Yes," I reply.

"I don’t believe it," she scowls. "I saw the way he looks at you?—"

"How?" I fold my arms around my waist. "How does he look at me?"

"Like he wants to eat you up?"

"Yeah." My cheeks heat. "I mean, we don’t have any issues in that, uh, department."

"The kind of chemistry between you two? It could boil water at fifty paces."

I laugh, "I thought I was the only one who made cooking analogies."

"I’ve been spending too much at home with the kids, ensuring dinner’s on the table when my husband arrives from work every evening."

"Do you regret it?"

"Not for a second." She leans back in her chair, reaches for her mug of tea. "I had a corporate career as a lawyer. I enjoyed it, but I wanted more. I needed the entire 360 experience—home, kids… I’ll go back to practicing part-time when the kids are older."

"And you’ll be fine with that?"

"It’s all about balance, Amelie." She smiles, "Once they are old enough to leave home, I am sure I’ll go back to practicing full time."

"And you don’t see it as a compromise?" I head back to the couch, drop into it.

"For whom?" She chuckles, "I have it all, as far as I can see."

And I have nothing.I twist my fingers together in front of me.

Her features twist, "Hell, I didn’t mean it that way. The last thing I want to do is hurt your feelings by rubbing in my..." she circles her hand, "...all this, in your face."

---