A Conflicted Woman by T.B. Markinson

Author:T.B. Markinson [Markinson, T.B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: series, romance
Publisher: T.B. Markinson
Published: 2018-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

In the car, after dinner, Sarah sank into the passenger seat. “She’s nothing like what I expected.”

Knowing she was referring to Meg, I asked, “And what did you expect?”

Sarah hitched a shoulder. “A hot mess. Like the last time I saw her.”

“You saw her at her worst.” I conceded with a half shrug.

“And, by that, you mean drunk in a hotel lobby, screaming about a John stiffing her,” she added, “twice, if you get my meaning.”

I peeked at her, not wanting to take my eyes off the road for too long, considering the dark back road from Boulder to Fort Collins. I was mentally and physically drained from the conference and surprise dinner party invite.

Sarah continued. “If I didn’t know anything about her past, I’d consider her pleasant. Charming, even.” Her voice was much harder given the sentiment spoken. “She got a few not-so-subtle zingers in that even your father seemed to notice. I’m pretty sure Allen is the only one who thinks the dinner was a smashing success.”

I nodded, not wanting to acknowledge that was my biggest worry when it came to Allen. His naïveté and Meg’s ability to win him over with the same ease she did with me. How had I not seen her for what she was? Admitting this to Sarah would be akin to disclosing I was desperate for love, making me weak. Even after years of therapy and being in a loving relationship, this was still a major obstacle. Not just knowing my Achilles’ heel but dealing with it and letting Sarah in completely. I gave her glimpses but hadn’t reached the full disclosure stage at all times. What was wrong with me?

“What did she say to you? In Russian?” She slipped off her heels and rubbed the bottom of her right foot. “I’d forgotten you could speak the language some, and I wasn’t thrilled when she ventured into this secret communication.”

“Neither was I, especially in front of you and Allen.” I pulled on the seat belt to loosen it some. “I’m surprised it took you this long to ask. I half expected you to use the twins as an excuse to get me away from the table.”

“The thought did enter my mind, but I didn’t want to leave her alone with Allen. So, what did she say?”

“She said it was clear you were the one and only. Or something like that. Admittedly, even when I practiced, my Russian was rudimentary, and I fear it’s much worse now. You know what they say, use it or lose it.”

“And you said…?” She gave me her full attention.

“‘Without a doubt.’ Or possibly I asked if she had any goats to sell.” I passed a car traveling slower than a grannie in a wheelchair.

“My guess is you got it right. How else do you explain her asking if I wanted a child of my own?” Sarah huffed. “What kind of bitch asks that about our children?”

I merged back into the right-hand lane. “One who never thinks she’s in the wrong, even after all the shit she’s pulled.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.