Page 25 of Spring UnVeiled
To his surprise, Genevieve took his hand.“Quite the speech.Since we’re not married anymore, I know you can’t share details with me.Maybe you can give me the media soundbites on our way to the hospital.”
Chapter10
Genevieve was shockedat just the few incidents that Evan told her about.She had no idea there were so many problems with Group 1.She’d been out of the SEAL loop since he’d left years ago.Well, mostly.
When they were first separated, several other lieutenant junior grade men had asked her out but she’d refused.She knew these men well and didn’t feel right dating someone else while still legally married to Evan.
As soon as they were officially divorced, Evan’s former commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Jameson, asked her to dinner at one of Coronado’s best Mexican restaurants.She’d always liked Brian and thought he was one of the most handsome officers on the Teams.He thought so, too.
Throughout dinner, he never once asked her about herself or even mentioned Kylie.Instead, he spent an hour and a half talking about the actress—who was a rising star and rented a house right next to his on the beach—and all the wonderful restaurants they’d visited.When he started describing the models he’d dated, Genevieve demurely dabbed her lips with the paper napkin, stood, and promptly told the pompous ass that she would see herself home.I’m obviously not beautiful enough to be seen with you.Thank you for the pity date.
The next day she accepted his phone call and his apology but didn’t hold back telling him why she would never go out with him again.She also explained to him why he was still single.
There were a few more terrible dates with SEALs and two Navy men attached to ships on the mainland before she swore she’d never date a military man again.And she hadn’t.
Genevieve had turned her attention to her daughter who’d encountered problems in junior high.Her grades had started to slip.She suddenly hated being in the marching band.Once again, boys were stupid and childish after she’d shown interest in them the previous year.Several of her friends, daughters of Navy SEALs, had been transferred to the East Coast…like her father.It was her mother’s fault that she didn’t have any friends.Hormonal teenagers were the worst.
And now she was gone.Forever.Genevieve would do anything to turn the clock back to those days.
As Evan maneuvered over the bridge and through the still-busy San Diego streets, Genevieve wondered—if she had moved with Evan, would their lives have been different?Would they have argued less?Would Kylie have been happier even though she would’ve been in a new school filled with all new people?Her friends’ parents may have chosen to live in a different area and the girlfriends she’d known in Coronado could have ended up in different schools in Virginia Beach.
Genevieve worried, not for the first time—had she been selfish refusing to move with Evan?Wanting an entire country to separate them?Demanding a divorce?
As he held the door to the hospital open for her, she felt the heat of his hand on the small of her back.Not only had he always been a gentleman, but he’d also been thoughtful.Most of the time.But when she forced herself to think of times when he had been attentive, she could only think of those occasions when he hadn’t thought of her at all.
He never remembered her birthday, yet she threw huge parties celebrating his.When she’d reminded him of her birthday, always after the fact, he’d act like he was so sorry.The next day he’d come home with something he’d picked up at the exchange.The first year, it was slutty lingerie, obviously a gift forhimrather than her.
The next year, when she was extremely pregnant and feeling fat, his gift was the same as the year before…in a small.He thought her tears were of happiness and joy until she took a knife from the butcher block and cut the red teddy to shreds in front of him while explaining that she’d never been a small, and after having a baby, she’d certainly never fit into his thoughtless gift.The third year, he was away training and she’d almost forgotten the day as well.
He never remembered their anniversary the entire time they’d been married, nor had he ever once brought her flowers.
Asshole.
As they walked down the hallway to the nursery, she wondered if he’d actually changed.“Do you remember my birthday?”
“Which one?”He asked with raised eyebrows.
“The date,” she snipped.
“Of course I do.”There was a long hesitation before he gave the correct date.
“How about our anniversary?”This time his eyebrows drew together.When he gave the correct date in June, she was shocked.
“And I know never to buy size small lingerie.”He looked her up and down as they stepped off the elevator.“You’ve filled out a little.”He grinned.“Those curves look good on you.I guess you’re now a size eight?Maybe a ten?”
She couldn’t hide the shock on her face.“Yes.Some styles an eight, others a ten.How do you know that?”
They stood outside the nursery door.
“You don’t really want to know the answer to that question.”His eyes were intense as he glared down at her.
She couldn’t seem to inhale a full breath under his intense gaze.“I do.”No, she didn’t.Until that very minute, she hadn’t considered Evan dating.
He looked away before returning his gaze to her.“We were legally separated and living two thousand miles apart, then divorced.I enjoyed being single…for a while.Then I realized that lifestyle wasn’t for me.I liked being married.I wanted that life again.I dated…a lot.”
“But you never remarried.”Damn.She couldn’t seem to keep her mouth shut.
“Neither did you,” he threw back at her and walked into the nursery.
