Page 69 of This Means War

“Lydia,” I call her name before she rounds the corner. She turns, her eyes hopeful. I wish I knew what she was hoping for; if I did, I’d do whatever it took to give it to her. “Speaking of Saul, Josh and Delia decided to take Saul up on his offer to invest in the Robin’s Nest.”

“Cole, that’s great!” Lydia grins. “That’s going to be such a great partnership. What will it mean for his merger with Benton Hotels though? Is that still having problems?”

I frown. “I don’t have a great feeling about that deal. Pat Benton, the owner, can’t seem to get over his cold feet. Saul wants us to take a trip over to their main headquarters in Traverse City later this week. He thinks doing some face-to-face business might be good.”

“Oh.” Lydia nods. “Right. A trip to Traverse City.”

I can hear the anxiety in her voice, and I want to take my diabetes diagnosis and flush it down the toilet. I’m a grown man. I can handle traveling a few hours north.

“I’ll be fine, Lydia.”

“I know,” she blushes. “I just, well…Saul is Ashley’s client too, right? Will she, uh, be going on the trip?” She’s trying hard to sound nonchalant.

Relief floods through me.That’swhat she’s worried about? “She won’t be coming,” I assure Lydia. “I’ve actually decided to avoid working with her when I can. I don’t think she’s the sort of partner I want to have anymore.” A spurt of guilt tweaks my insides. I haven’t told Lydia about what happened with Ashley in the elevator or about my proposal to her so many months ago. I push the guilt away, though. Now isn’t the time. Not when I feel like a disappointment to Lydia in so many other ways.

“Wow, that’s a big change.” What looks like pleasure flashes across Lydia’s face, but it’s there and gone in an instant. She leans her head against the door jamb. “Well, I’m going to eat some lunch. Do you want to join me?”

I open my mouth to say yes, but I’m interrupted by the ringing of my phone. This time it’s Harrison. I look at Lydia apologetically. “I should take this,” I tell her.

“Oh, sure. Of course.” She nods. “How about I just bring you something then?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” I agree. There’s a stiltedpause, then my phone rings again, somehow even louder this time. “I’d better, you know…” I gesture to the phone.

“Of course,” she says again, then swivels on her heels and out of the room. As I answer the call, worry churns in my gut. When did my life get so out of control?

Chapter 50

Cole

“Were you goingto leave without saying good-bye?” I turn from where I’ve just set my suitcase in my truck to see Lydia standing in the driveway, her hair mussed from sleep, slippers on her feet, and a yawn on her lips. The ache in my chest that I woke up with grows stronger. I don’t want to go on this trip. Everything is wrong between me and Lydia, and I don’t know how to fix it.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” I tell her. “You’re in your third trimester; you need your sleep. I’ve been worried about you overdoing it since you got off bedrest.”

Lydia frowns. “Oh, so you’re allowed to worry about me, but I can’t worry about you? That makes a lot of sense.” As soon as the words are out, she puts her hand to her mouth in regret, but it’s too late. She’s said them.

“You’re pregnant with our children,” I retort. “Of course I’m allowed to worry about you. I’m a grown man, Lydia, I don’t need or want you worrying aboutme.”

Lydia’s hand drops from her mouth, and I can see the fury there. “For someone who keeps telling me what a grown man they are, you’re certainly acting like a child. Honestly, Cole, you’re like a petulant 3-year-old insisting they can do everything themselves.”

“Oh, I’m the child?” The anger that’s been simmering in my chest since my diagnosis erupts. “You put a sleeping pill in my food! You threw cereal at me! You told Delia I peed in the grass at her rehearsal dinner.”

“You decorated my entire room with frogs!” she shoots back. “You know I hate frogs!”

“You used flowers to endorse my political opponent!”

“You told Gabby to pretend we were having twins!”

“So did you! Besides, wearehaving twins!” I glare.

“Which brings up another point,” she seethes. “You got me pregnant out of wedlock, and now I have no job.”

“Igotyoupregnant,” I snort. “You’re the one who got things started in the first place, all because you wanted to get back at me for some stupid spin the bottle game that happened ten years ago. So, I rejected you when you were 13, get over it.” Instantly I know I’ve gone too far. Lydia’s whole face turns white, and she steps back from me. “Lydia, wait. I didn’t mean that, I–”

Lydia shakes her head not listening, “Oh mygosh. You’re right. I am so stupid, so unbelievably pathetic.”

“What? Lydia, no.”

“I mean here I am,” she keeps talking as if I haven’t spoken, “trying to make our marriage work, and you’re just over there laughing at me for being such a sad little lap dog.”

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