Page 74 of His One True Wish

The sweet voice of Sara McLachlan replaced Steven Tyler. I had to agree with Angel. The vibe change was welcome.

“Smells delicious in here,” I said.

Angel took a seat on a stool, spinning as Alfie finished packing my to-go bags. “So did you grow up here?” Angel asked.

“Yeah, I did.”

“You want some cheddar and sour cream, Billie?” Alfie asked.

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

“You are so lucky,” Angel said, continuing to twirl. “I grew up in Florida. Born and raised. And this is one thing Axl and I do have in common. I got so damn tired of sunshine.”

I laughed as Alfie placed the chili in the insulated bags. “You need anything else, you call us on the radio,” he said.

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “Weather is clearing. Axl will check on Cam, and I bet I can head out tomorrow morning.”

“You drive safe,” Alfie said. He gave me a quick hug. “Good to see you, Billie.”

“You, too,” I said, hugging him back. It was hard to believe that both Mason’s boys were grown and taking care of me now. “Thanks for the food.”

“Well, I suppose it’s time for me to get my sweet ass up and make some more cornbread,” Angel said, sighing. As she stretched her long arms in the air, a diamond ring on her left hand flashed in the light.

My stomach dropped. It was an enormous, brilliant cut stone. It had to be over four carats. She must have kept her hand in her pocket. I had no idea how I’d missed it in the dining room.

Angel saw me notice her ring. She glanced down at her hand, raised it in the air, and then put it squarely on the table in front of me.

“Axl worked for me,” she said, “and my husband, Larry. We’ve been married for ten years.”

I felt nauseous. “Oh,” I said, struggling to find words. “I didn’t realize you were married.”

“Oh, yes.” Angel lifted her hand into the light. The diamond cast tiny rainbows on the walls. “Axl and I had a torrid affair. It was hot and burned fast.”

“I see,” I whispered.

“I can tell from your expression that he didn’t mention that part to you,” Angel said. She opened a cupboard and took out a bag of corn meal, sugar, and other ingredients.

“It didn’t come up,” I said, still queasy. I was aware of my heartbeat. How could he? Axl slept with a married woman, not just once, for months.

“Is that why he ended it?” I swallowed. My throat constricted. “Because you were married?”

“Oh, hell no.” She laughed as she measured out corn meal and poured it into a mixing bowl. “Axl ended it because I told him that I was thinking of leaving Larry.”

My face flushed. My heart beat so hard in my chest that I worried I might get a head rush. “He didn’t want that?”

“Sweetheart, the only woman Axl Grey wants is an unavailable one, the more unavailable the better. I fit that bill for a long while, let me tell you.”

“He was fine cheating with you.”

“Fine?” Angel laughed. “He wouldn’t fuck me until he was sure I was married.”

My mouth watered, and my stomach clenched. Axl knew she was married, and he hadn’t cared about betraying her marriage vows orbeing a part of a relationship built on lies. I opened up and shared my vulnerabilities with Axl about my past and my parent’s ugly divorce, and he said nothing. My disappointment in him threatened to bloom into anger. Fuck him. How could he do something like that?

“I can tell it bothers you, honey,” Angel said. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you. It’s just, I remember you now, and I figure you deserve the truth about a few things.”

“You do?”

“Yes.” She sighed and stopped stirring. “You were the nice woman who asked me if I needed help at the rest stop.”

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