Page 40 of Escape to the Sun

“Don’t be.” She laughed. “I had a husband up until very recently. It wasn’t right and it ended.” A wave of relief washed over him, which was ridiculous because, like he kept telling himself, they weren’t serious. “And that’s why my mother keeps emailing me. She wants me to go home to recover.”

“Ah, a mother.” He took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “And I take it you don’t need to go home and recover?”

She looked straight into his eyes. “I think I’m recovering just fine right here. Not that I need to recover,” she added quickly. “Like I said, it wasn’t right. And sure, there are some hard feelings for sure, especially since he decided to end it like a coward by finding someone else.” He could see the hurt in her eyes when she told him that, but as they talked, and Heather told him the details, he could also see the sense of relief in her face as she let it all out. While she was talking, Ash realized she was sharing her story. The story Sherri told him all women had. Everything in the past had helped shape her and define who she was. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was clear to see that Heather’s story had made her stronger.

“So, then I came here,” she finished her story. “And I think all things considered, I’m doing okay.”

Better than okay, Ash thought. And he couldn’t help but think he was at least a small part of that. “I’m happy to hear that.” He squeezed her hand and then tugged her close for a kiss.

“I told you about my past,” she said when his lips left hers. “Tell me about yours. How is it a guy like you isn’t married?”

“A guy like me?” Ash hoped his chuckle hid his discomfort. He didn’t talk about his past with anyone and he didn’t want to start now. But it didn’t look as though that was going to be an option for much longer.

* * *

Heather knewshe was risking the easiness between them by asking about his past but she had to do it. It’s not that she was looking for anything between them, but whether she’d been looking or not, there was something. And if it was going to continue, she needed to know.

She waited.

“I was married once.”

She hadn’t expected that. “It didn’t work out?”

“I wasn’t there for her the way I should have been.”

It wasn’t quite the response she’d expected. Not that she really knew what she expected, but maybe something more along the lines of infidelity or money issues. Not that she thought he had either of those problems…it was just…she had no idea.

“What do you mean?”

“I worked a lot,” he said. “No. That’s an understatement. I was a total workaholic.”

“What did you do?” It was a question that the old Heather would have asked right away. The fact that they’d known each other for as long as they had and she didn’t know such a basic fact about him should have been strange. But that was the old Heather.

Ash shrugged. “Without getting into too many details, I invented a computer chip technology. It was pretty cutting-edge and in high demand. I should have brought on a manager to run the business side of things but I couldn’t let go. It was a power trip for me and as a result, I worked too much. It’s not that I didn’t know it was a problem—I did. We had more conversations about it than I can even remember. I knew everything could be on the line, but I still couldn’t seem to make myself slow down. It was always ‘after this project’ or ‘as soon as I get this proposal done’ or…well, it doesn’t matter.” His eyes got a faraway look, as if he were remembering saying those exact things to his ex-wife. “It doesn’t matter because I never did seem to find the time to slow down and put her first.” He shook his head and managed a wry smile. “I can’t even tell you how many holidays I canceled because something ‘more important’ came up.”

“Holidays? No?”

He nodded solemnly. “One time we were supposed to go to Mexico for her cousin’s wedding but at the last minute I had this huge project come up. I couldn’t say no. As a start-up, you have to take every opportunity that comes your way. No matter what. No matter the cost.”

“Oh no.” Heather’s hand flew to her mouth. Joe had made a lot of mistakes, but he’d never made her miss her cousin’s wedding. “And you guys had to miss it?”

Ash shook his head. “No. She was a bridesmaid—she couldn’t miss it.”

“She went without you.”

Ash nodded.

“Wow.”

“Wow indeed. I was a total dick.”

She couldn’t disagree with that, but it wouldn’t have helped to say anything, so she didn’t. “I bet she was mad?” It occurred to her that he hadn’t told her his ex-wife’s name. “Was she?” Heather emphasized the word, hoping he’d get the hint.

“That’s the thing. She wasn’t mad.” His eyes clouded as he got lost in a memory and Heather couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. “She was never mad. She always understood. I could see it hurt her when I canceled or left her at parties alone, or didn’t come home because it was easier to sleep at the office. But she never once said anything.”

If she’d never complained or gotten upset, then how did they get a divorce?Heather couldn’t wrap her head around what he was telling her, but he didn’t look as if he was ready to explain. “So, what happened?”

He looked startled, as if he was lost in a memory and she’d interrupted him. In fact, that’s exactly what had happened. Heather felt like an intruder watching the emotions play on Ash’s face. He was clearly lost in his thoughts. She asked again. “If she never got mad, then what happened?”

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