Page 40 of Mine to Keep

He had promised her that when he hit twenty years as a firefighter, he’d retire and find a second career. But he still hadn’t hit that mark, and now he was glad that he was divorced because he thought he still had another ten or so years in him.

“No. Not really. I mean, we had our problems like every couple,” he said. “When I showed her the house, I explained that we didn’t have to take it, but I also had an interior decorator walk the property with us, talking about what we could do in the future. How the house could grow with us. Cheryl seemed to be on board and decided it was okay to keep it. Only, when we couldn’t do everything right away, things started to go bad. We fought over what needed to be done first. Still, we formulated a plan, one that we were both happy with. Or so I thought. Until Steve and my mom showed up on my doorstep wanting a DNA swab.”

Bryn lowered her chin. “They literally dropped by like that?”

“My mom is quite forward. I both love that about her and resent the fuck out of it.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what does that honestly have to do with you buying and keeping your home?”

“I don’t mind,” he said. “Because Steve is rich and my biological father, she believed he owed me and thought I should ask him for the money we needed to make the house exactly like she wanted. I don’t want to owe anyone. Not him. Not the man who raised me. Not my mother.”

“I can relate to that, but I still have to side with her on buying the house in the first place. I would have appreciated seeing it before the offer went in.”

“Trust me. I’ve learned my lesson, though I doubt I’ll ever get a chance to make the mistake a second time.”

“Why do you say that? You don’t want to get re-married?”

“I don’t want to move,” he said with a smile.

“Fair enough.” She pushed Zadie back and forth in the car seat. “Can I ask you a really personal question?”

“Sure,” he said.

“When did the affair happen?”

“I think it started right when I found out about Steve.”

“Shit. That really sucks. I’m sorry.” Bryn reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Is she seeing anyone now?”

“She’s in an on-again/off-again relationship with the man she cheated on me with. A guy by the name of Troy. Unfortunately, it’s someone I work with.”

“Wow. And she still wants you back?”

“It’s a bit fucked up,” Jamison said.

“You can say that again.”

“I do wish the best for her, but she doesn’t make it easy.” Thing was, he actually meant that. He didn’t want to have any ill will toward Cheryl, but she made it so damn easy.

“How long have you been divorced?”

“Just a year,” he said.

“That’s still pretty fresh.” Bryn picked up a fussy Zadie. “And I stand by my observation that she’s still in love with you.”

“Perhaps, but I’m not in love with her anymore.” And that was the truth. His love had died the day he’d caught her in bed with Troy. It was bad enough that his wife had cheated.

It was worse that it was with someone he’d once called a friend. And someone he missed and wanted back in his life.

“We’d better get that girl of yours home. It’s getting late, and I’m sure you want to get a routine going.” He waved to the waitress to get the check.

“Thank you for tonight. It was nice to get out.”

“You’re welcome.” He glanced at the bill and tossed a wad of cash on the table.

“Hey,” she said, “we were supposed to split that.”

“You can pay me back for your half however you see fit. I kind of just want to get out of here, if you don’t mind.”

“I can appreciate that.” She gently placed her daughter in the car seat and slipped from the bench. “But the next dinner is on me.”

“I’m just tickled that you’re agreeable to a second date.”

“Don’t call it that,” she corrected. “I suggest that it’s a business dinner.”

“I can live with that.” Jamison waited for her to secure Zadie in the car seat before taking it from her hands and leading the way through the busy maze of people. He wasn’t sure what to think of how comfortable he felt being in Bryn’s company or the fact that, for the first time in the last year, he didn’t actually care what his ex-wife thought.

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