Page 14 of Falling Again
Studying her now as she slept, his chest expanded. He was so lucky to have her in his life, and he hoped she knew how he felt. Lord knows he’d done a poor job telling her—and showing her. Edging his face closer to hers, Anthony pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. The movement startled Natalie who threw her head back in surprise. A sickening sound filled the room as pain erupted in Anthony’s nose.
“Ouch!” Anthony exclaimed as he pulled free to cover his bleeding nose. He muffled a few choice profanities as he sat up and reached for a tissue on the nightstand.
Now awake, Natalie turned over to see Anthony shoving tissues up his nose. “What the hell?” she asked, taking in the unusual sight. “What happened?”
“I was trying to have a moment,” Anthony said between wads of tissue.
“A moment of what?” Natalie asked, incredulous.
Anthony waved his free hand in the air while the other pressed more tissues to his bleeding nose. “I don’t know.” He flailed. “Tenderness?”
Natalie scoffed. “Tenderness?”
The sheets rustled as she pulled herself up. It was then she realized what he was, or wasn’t, wearing. Her gaze greedily took in his bare chest and her neck flexed with a swallow. Was that desire he saw in Natalie’s eyes? He hoped so, because even with a potentially broken nose, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“Where are your pajamas?” Natalie asked, her voice low and raspy.
“Never put them on. I didn’t want to wake you last night.”
Natalie gulped, then collected herself. “Let me see,” she said as she peeled back the tissues. “The bleeding has already slowed. I don’t think it’s broken.” Gingerly, she touched the sides of his nose until she was satisfied. “You’ll live.”
“Thank God for that,” Anthony mused.
Natalie went to get out of bed, but Anthony took her arm. Her nearness had Anthony forgetting about the pain in his nose as Natalie’s eyes flashed.
“Wait. Can you stay a minute?” he asked, hoping they could have a quiet morning moment like they used to.
Before the alarm would sound, they’d talk about their days, the kids—anything at all. Anthony had grown to love those stolen moments before the rest of the world beckoned for their time and attention. Now as they sat awkwardly in bed, he wondered how the hell they’d gotten here. Pillow talk seemed like a fantasy.
“Nat, I—” But it was no use. The alarm sounded and Natalie reached out to turn it off. She flung her legs over the side of the bed and headed toward their bathroom.
Pausing at the door she asked, “Mind if I shower first?”
On the tip of his tongue, Anthony had a million other suggestions he wanted to make.
Mind if I join you?
Come back to bed.
Stay.
Talk to me.
But all the possibilities died on his tongue, and he merely shook his head. Natalie nodded and closed the door, leaving Anthony with his bloody nose and broken heart.
He would figure this all out. It shouldn’t be that hard, really. He was used to running a town for crying out loud. How could marriage be more complicated than town council meetings and politics? Yet as he sat in his empty bed and looked around, Anthony realized it was far more complex.
If this situation was at work, Anthony would know who to call for support. There would be countless people willing to step up to help Buckeye Falls. The trouble was, with marriages, there were a lot fewer people willing to lend a hand. And how would they anyway? It wasn’t their fault that Anthony had turned into a workaholic like his old man. He bristled at the comparison and pulled himself from bed.
As he looked through his closet for something to wear, Anthony started thinking about people he could ask. He still kept in touch with his college buddies, but they hardly seemed like the right people to call. He certainly wasn’t about to ask his parents. The thought of admitting defeat to them made his blood run cold.
Then a surprising face sprung to mind: Max Sanchez. While hardly Anthony’s BFF, Max knew something about marriage and second chances. Could Anthony possibly swallow his pride long enough to ask Max for advice? It had been well over a decade since their high school disagreements, and years since they’d butted heads over the possible highway expansion. Hell, Max had invited him to his bachelor party. Surely, they were friends again. Right?
Standing in the closet, he watched Natalie come out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. The sight of her glistening skin made his mouth water, and Anthony knew he’d ask the devil himself for advice, if needed. She was worth it.
