Page 6 of Indescribable

My desk is covered in papers. Estimates I’m working on, plans for various projects we’re working on, invoices that I need to review before sending them over to accounting. Six years ago, my siblings and I started an electrical company and it took off quicker than any of us expected it to. Lake Electrical was Cash’s brain child. After he graduated from college with a business degree, he found it hard to find a good fit career-wise. My brother Boone and I had been working for another electrical company in a different town and loved the work, mentioned it to him, and well, here we are. My sister is the office manager, Cash, Boone, and I are all project managers and we each run our own crews. All four of us are equal owners in the business but tend to take on different roles.

“Like what you’ve done with the place,” Corbin murmurs, looking around at my mess. It’s the end of the month so it shouldn’t surprise her that my office is a disaster zone. It would drive her crazy, but this is how I work. I can’t focus otherwise. Strange, maybe, and definitely not for everyone, but it works for me.

I smirk. “Glad you like it.”

With a swift roll of her eyes, she launches in, placing her hands on my desk and leaning in close as if she’s about to tell me a juicy secret. “Okay, so you know how I have lunch at the diner with Naomi on Thursdays?”

I offer her a nod, my stomach already souring.

Naomi was once my best friend, but marriage to another man changed everything. Wyatt had never been bothered by our friendship, but once they’d signed their marriage certificate, everything changed. We slowly drifted apart. We’re still friends, but it’s different. Yeah, it makes sense because she’s married and her priority needs to be with her husband, but it stung. Still does.

Too bad my love for her didn’t drift away right along with the friendship.

She scoffs and waves a hand in the air. “Of course you know that. Anyway, she told me something today and it’s, well... it’s amazing. I think you’ll be crazy happy because you should be considering, you know,” she points to me and gives me a look, “with how you feel.”

I stop her from her rambling by placing my hand on hers. “Breathe, Cor, breathe. Holy shit, I feel like you’re about to have a panic attack.”

“I am! I’m just… excited. This ishuge,Brock! Huge!”

“Out with it already!” I say, chuckling. I fear she’s about to tell me that Naomi is pregnant. I knew they’d been trying for a while without success but they’ve been separated for a year and assumed they’d quit trying. Just the thought of her carrying Wyatt’s baby should make me happy for her. Instead, it makes me green with jealousy. I’m such an asshole.

“They’re divorced!” she shouts, then quickly covers her mouth.

“What? Who’s divorced?”

“Naomi and Wyatt, you dodo.”

My entire body stills. I know I should have a reaction right now but considering that my heart is racing as fast as Corbin Rae’s was a few minutes ago when she came bursting in here, I don’t think I can form a coherent sentence.

“What?” I ask, even though I don’t need her to repeat it. I definitely heard it the first time.

She nods, happily, which is strange because Corbin Rae and Naomi are basically sisters and this shouldn’t be happy news. Although, I knew they were having problems because Corbin tells me everything, or mostly everything, anyway.

“Damn. She actually went through with it, huh?”

She gives me a funny look. “Did you really think she wouldn’t?”

“Well, they’ve been separated for a year but still live together. I guess I figured they were going to work things out.”

“They tried. Or, rather, she did. I don’t know if he really tried at all from the sounds of it. But yesterday she handed him the divorce papers and apparently he was kind of mad that she was actually going through with the divorce.”

“It surprised him?”

She rolls her eyes. “It shouldn’t have, but he acted like it did. Honestly, though, it was long past time. I don’t even think she’s sad about it. She acted like nothing even happened, which is strange.”

“Do you think she’s in denial or truly just not sad about it?” It really makes me wonder what went wrong in their marriage. I knew they were having troubles only because Corbin told me they’d gotten a separation but he was going to stay living in the house, just in the guest room instead. But I have never heardwhy. Maybe because it’s none of my business, which is admittedly annoying. There was a time whenIwould have been the one sharing news about Naomi’s life with my family but those days are long gone. That reminder pisses me off, too.

“Not sure. My gut instinct is that she’s truly not that sad about it. Not because she didn’t love him at one time, but everything that brought on the divorce trumped her feelings, I think. She told me she fell out of love with him a long time ago so yeah, I don’t think she’s sad.”

I sit back in my seat, look at her a long while, then reach into my bottom drawer and pull out the bottle of whiskey I keep stashed for times like these. I grab two glasses, pour a couple fingers in each, slide one to Corbin, and we both swallow down the sweet and smoky liquid.

Corbin winces a little at the burn and I chuckle as she motions for a refill.

“There’s more that I need to tell you, and I just found this out, too, because Naomi didn’t tell me until today so don’t think I was hiding it from you.”

Without responding, I pour more whiskey into our cups and tip it back, knowing whatever she’s about to tell me isn’t going to make me happy.

She stands nervously and walks around my small office. Her eyes are huge when she blurts out, “He’s infertile.”

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