Parentmoon by L.B. Dunbar

Author:L.B. Dunbar [Dunbar, L.B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: L.B. Dunbar Writes, Ltd.
Published: 2023-04-12T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

While I’m still upset about the lost opportunity near the pier, I’m equally stewing about Dallas flirting with another woman moments after things didn’t happen between us. Then there’s the call from Keli, leaving me a turmoil of emotions clashing into one another.

Dallas is quieter than normal. However, I refuse to feel guilty for not having sex in a public place in broad daylight, but something else niggles inside me. Dallas making that other woman laugh sets off triggers of times when Craig told me I needed to be more insistent about wanting him. As in, I needed to initiate sex, make him feel wanted which is a difficult task when you don’t feel desired yourself. An additionally difficult directive when you’re certain your husband is sleeping with someone else.

By the time we return to the resort, we haven’t said two words to each other. Dallas handles the golf cart return and I take my time to walk to his place, reflecting on the past hours. The day started out so beautiful and sweet. His words in the chapel. His desire to distract me at the beach.

He asked us not to discuss Michael and Keli today. Not until tomorrow could we mention them, but his daughter’s call has flipped his mood.

Suddenly, I worry I haven’t done enough for him. Despite his laid-back attitude, Dallas might have his own concerns for his daughter. Ones he isn’t expressing to me.

I check my phone for a call from Michael, noticing he finally sent me a text.

Doing better. <thumbs up emoji>

The stupid symbol and two words are not something I can properly interpret.

Dallas enters the house shortly after me. When we left the beach, he’d slipped his T-shirt and green clam-jammer shorts back over his bathing suit. He stands with his hands on his hips while I lean against the kitchen counter.

“I don’t want you to betray your daughter’s confidence, but I just want to know how she’s doing.”

“She’ll be fine.” Dallas’s voice is too gruff, and I don’t like his answer any more than I liked Michael’s text. “I’m going to shower unless you want to go first. I have some emails to check.”

On a Saturday? The trigger has me vibrating with flashbacks of Craig again.

I need to make a call. In the middle of the night.

I’m heading to the office. On a weekend.

I’ll be in Ohio, for business. Since when did he need to travel for work?

“Go ahead.” I wave in the direction of the bathroom.

Standing in the kitchen, I’m left alone, feeling like a pressure cooker of hurt and an emotional stew of words that need to come out. Before I know it, my feet march their way to the bathroom, because I’m not doing this with him. I’m not letting him make me feel bad for my decisions.

As I turn the corner to the sunken shower, Dallas stands facing the spray. With water cascading down his broad back and funneling along his spine, he’s a sight. Those fine globes of his backside are bright white against the deep tan of his skin and fresh sunburn from today.

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