Page 86 of I'll Carry You

This couldn’t be happening all at once.Not today, Satan.His gaze narrowed at Amanda once again. “I need to talk to Jen. Alone. We can talk after.” He pointed at Yardley’s. “Meet me at that bar in a half hour.”

Amanda sighed. “Don’t you think I should be here for—”

“In a half hour or not at all, Amanda.” He wasn’t in the mood to negotiate with her.

She pressed her lips together. Without responding, she stalked away, the heels of her boots smacking against the sidewalk. She’d toyed with modeling in her early twenties, an attribute Jason had considered a turn-on when they’d started dating. Her power strolling was less appealing these days. His fury at her bringing up that paternity issue had him ready to burst.

One glance at Jen, though, told him he had a lot more to be worried about.

She hadn’t come out with a coat on, and her glance back at the Depot made it clear that she was considering fleeing back to its safety.

“Jen—wait. Let me explain.”

She didn’t look at him, raking her fingers through the knots in her messy bun. A passerby squeezed her forearm, giving her congratulations and a wide smile.

Jason stepped closer to her. “Can we talk somewhere more private?”

She gave him an odd look, then shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Look, I didn’t tell you I was still married to Amanda because I don’t really love to talk about her. And we’re almost divorced. It was a brief marriage that meant little to me. The dumbest decision I’ve ever made. And a few months ago, I hired a private investigator to track her odd behavior and discovered that she’s been cheating on me with my best friend from college since before we were married. She’s with him now, and he’s the CEO of my grandfather’s company.”

“Great job, you two!” Another woman shook both their hands. Jason and Jen pasted polite smiles on their faces, then watched her go.

Jen still said nothing, so Jason continued. “Anyway, because we hadn’t officially separated when my grandfather died, she was present when they went over the will with me. She knows about the inheritance stipulations. And now I’m pretty sure she’s trying to make up a pregnancy to take me to court for the whole thing.”

Jen blinked up at him, looking confused. “So she’s not actually pregnant?”

“No, well . . .” Jason cleared his throat. “I think she’s pregnant. I’m just saying I’m not the father.”

“And you know this for sure?” Jen gave him a sharp glance.

“Pretty positive.”

Jen stared at her own reflection in the Depot's window. “You know, Jason, I’m not saying I don’t believe you. It’s just that we’ve only known each other for what? A couple of weeks? And every few days, I find out something new. Some big surprise that has the potential to devastate me.” She swallowed hard, then met his eyes. “I can’t keep doing this to myself.”

“Jen—”

“No, I’m serious. It’s not fair to me. And it’s not fair to Colby. I need to be a functioning person, you know? I don’t get to just stay in my pj's and cry all day eating ice cream. Not to mention, I must think of him first. Who would be good to have in his life.” Jen straightened, but the hurt in her eyes brimmed with her tears. “And you’re just not that person.”

“Jen, please. I know I lied about so many things. And if I could do it all again—”

“You would do the exact same thing!” Jen’s words broke out in a cry that was clearly louder than she intended. She scanned the vicinity with an embarrassed flush on her cheeks. “Think about how many times you had the opportunity to tell me the truth. And you just couldn’t bring yourself to it, could you, Jason? You took the easy route because you’re a liar. Because you never cared about me in the first place.”

“That’s not true.” He tried to think of a way to prove his point, but how could he? Mildred had been convinced he loved her because of the damn hardware store, but if he told her about the bakery plan, she might refuse it.

“It is. Thank you for paying off my debts. If we won tonight, then I’ll pay you back as soon as I get the winnings. Otherwise, it might be a while. And thank you for showing up tonight. But it’s really over. I can’t trust you or your intentions.” She struggled for a steady breath. “And I don’t think I ever will.”

He reached out to her, but she slipped out of his grasp. Then she turned and hurried back into the Depot, wiping her cheeks of tears as she went.

Amanda waitedfor Jason in a booth in the back of Yardley’s. He regretted having told her to come and wait for him immediately. The restaurant was crowded, and from the way people looked in his direction as he walked through the place, they knew who he was.

Which made sitting down at a table with his ex-wife particularly uncomfortable. Not that other people knew who Amanda was. But they didn’t really seem to care either. Jen was clearly a beloved member of the community. He was an outsider.

He always would be an outsider.

Amanda had already ordered a drink—a Coke—which wasn’t like her at all. She sipped it, then lifted her eyes to him. “This is about the only thing I can stomach lately. Coke and soda crackers.”

Right.Because of the pregnancy. He gave her a sharp look. “Are you really pregnant?”

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