Every Wrong Reason

Fresh tears filled my eyes. “I believe you.”

He swept the sweetest kiss on my lips and pulled back. We weren’t finished talking. “It wasn’t just the job. I, the, uh, the mediation was because of you too. I couldn’t let you go. Not even after you made it so clear you wanted nothing to do with me. I got the best lawyer I could and I made your life a living hell just to keep you from leaving me. I hired Ryan Templeton to drag out our divorce for as long as he could.”

I felt my stomach pick up out of my body and start spi

His voice pitched low, “I wanted the house… with you in it.” One corner of his mouth kicked up in a half-smile. “And I wanted the dog as long as you got her too. I wanted the TV and the kitchen table and the bed upstairs and whatever else I made that asshole lawyer fight with you about because they came attached to you. I couldn’t let you go, Kate. Until the other morning when I thought you would leave me anyway. I didn’t know what else to do besides give you what you wanted. But you should know that if you had gone through with it, I would have still belonged to you. You own me, Kate. You will always own me. You are my wife till death do us part.”

My heart swelled in my chest until I was certain it would burst. Until I knew I would die from happiness.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you for fighting for me.”

He pulled me against his chest again and I rested there. I gave up everything at that moment and just breathed in my husband.

He was right. He was mine. I was his. He owned me and I owned him.

Till death do us part.

We stayed there the rest of the afternoon and evening. We stayed there, on our couch and talked and talked and talked. We made more apologies. We made more promises. We decided to find a couple’s counselor that could help us through the next part of this journey. And we finally made love.

Right there on the couch.

Afterward, wrapped in the throw blankets from our living room, we ate a meal of cheese and crackers and ice cream. Then we walked hand in hand to our bedroom where we made love all over again.

This time when Nick wrapped me in his arms, I didn’t wake in a panic. I fell blissfully asleep in his arms and didn’t stir until morning.

And when we woke, we kissed without brushing our teeth. We held each other closely and made promises all over again.

It wouldn’t always be like this. Seven years of marriage had taught us that every day would be different, that life would throw us curve balls and we wouldn’t always get along. But our eyes were wide open now. We knew what we wanted. And that was each other.

He would drive me crazy and I would inevitably make him furious.

But he would also make me happier than I had ever been. He would also take care of me, adore me, love me. And I would love him in return. I would support him. And I would respect him.

We had a long way to go toward healing, but we were starting in the right place.

We were starting hand-in-hand and together.

And neither one of us would ever let go.

Chapter Twenty-Five

31. He loves me.

32. He will always love me.

“Are you finished?” Kara’s pretty red head poked in my doorway and she took in the room with lightning fast quickness. “You look finished.”

I stood up from a box I had been taping closed and stretched my back. “I think I am. Nick is going to pick me up and carry all this.”

She gri

I smiled wryly, “I can. I’m ready for summer.” I sighed. “I’m ready to actually start summer.”

She rolled her eyes at me. “Why, Kate? It’s not like you have a job in the fall. What does it matter to you?”

I laughed as my hand landed gently on my slightly swollen belly. “I didn’t take you for the jealous type. I thought you had a purpose here.”

She stuck her tongue out at me. “Well, mostly my purpose is to a

“You’re such a liar. You love the kids here. And you’re only half serious about a

“I’ll give you the kids. I do love the little monsters. But I’m serious about my parents. My life work is to drive them to their early graves and inherit their estate.”

I just shook my head. There was no arguing with her. “I am coming back,” I told her. “Maybe not right away… but I will be back. I can’t walk away from teaching forever.”

Her gray gaze found mine and glistened with unshed tears. “I know you will. You’re too good at what you do to give it up forever. You’ll just have to turn that endless inspiration on your own little ones now. They get to keep you for a while. As they should.”

Hearing the sorrow in her tone, I had to assure her. “Good thing they have their Auntie Kara to keep it real for them. I’ve been told I’m a little delusional with my optimism at times.”

She let out a bark of laughter, “Who told you that?”

“Mostly my students. The same ones I’m trying to inspire.”

She gri

“We would have made terrible spinsters,” I agreed. “We’re way too hot for cats.”

She snorted. “Because only ugly people have cats?”

“Oh, no. That’s not what I meant.”

She waved me off. “I know what you meant. Your secret hate for people with cats is safe with me.”

It was my turn to laugh. “Well, I am a dog person you know.”

“How could you not be? A dog saved your marriage and knocked you up.”

“The dog did not knock me up.”

She winked at me. “Not what I heard.”

I shook my head and joined her at the door. “I need to check my mailbox.”

She sighed. “I need to go fill out paperwork. Apparently your powers of inspiration worked better than usual. Jay Allen signed up for summer school.”

“Why?” I gasped. “His grade in my class was excellent. What classes does he have to retake?”

She leaned in as if she were telling a secret. “He’s not retaking anything, Kate. He’s taking as many AP classes as I’m going to let him. Apparently, he wants to get into a good school.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I am very serious.”

My smile was so big I practically glowed. Tears filled my eyes and I blamed hormones. I rarely cried under normal circumstances.

Just kidding.

“Good.” I finally said.

“Thought you’d be happy.” We reached the hall where her office was nestled next to the teachers’ lounge. “I’ll call you later, k? Andrea and I are pla

“Oh, my god, what is wrong with you?”

“It was her idea.”

“Kara, I’m not going through with that. You can’t make me. Besides, last I heard everyone thought I was a drama queen for calling off my divorce.”

She shot me a mischievous grin. “But now that you’re preggers they understand why you called off your divorce. You can’t raise a baby alone. Plus he got that nice job. Clearly you’re in it for the money.”

I groaned. “Do none of them realize there was no possible way for me to know I was pregnant when I called off the divorce? Or that I thought it was literally impossible for me to have a baby? Are they all morons?”

Her smile dimmed, “Every last one I’m afraid.”

“And these are people in charge of educating the future leaders of America. I’m actually afraid.” She laughed at me but didn’t argue. I turned to her and said seriously, “I don’t want to do the baby shower.”