The Choice by Katherine L. Evans

Author:Katherine L. Evans [Evans, Katherine L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

JACK leaned against the counter, gripping the edge so tightly that his knuckles were white, while he glared at his reflection.

That was exactly the wrong way to handle that.

He shook his head.

She cheated on me.

No, stupid. She said she didn’t.

And I’m supposed to believe her?

She’s your wife, dumbass. Yes, you’re supposed to believe her.

Well I don’t.

Yes, you do. And she just reached out to you to try to fix this, and you shut her out. If your marriage fails, it’ll be your fault.

He gritted his teeth while he lifted his gaze to the ceiling in total exasperation before standing up straight to adjust his jacket. Just for good measure, he dabbed on one more drop of the cologne. The cologne was an intoxicant to Shannon and he figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a little extra help after the way he’d shut her down.

He made his way down the hall and was relieved to find that the guestroom door was cracked open slightly. He slipped inside to see her back to him while she was struggling to tug down the zipper of her dress, so he crossed the room and placed a hand on hers to stop her. She immediately whipped around and glared at him through teary eyes.

“What do you want?” she barked.

He nodded toward the door. “Let’s go.”

She coughed twice. “Go where?”

He grabbed her small purse off the bed and held her elbow gently. “You’re still pissed at me. I’m still pissed at you, however you’re still my wife. I still love you. I still couldn’t have done any of this without you, and I still want you there with me tonight.”

She scoffed. “So you suddenly feel like parading me around in public?”

“Shannon,” he snapped, but stopped to reel himself in. “I can be angry and still not want to give up.”

Her glare softened and she appeared to swallow before lifting her chin a bit defiantly. “So can I.”

He gave a deft nod. “Well, all right then. Let’s go.”

She coughed again and nodded back. “Let’s go.”

* * * *

It may have been because Jack had spent so many weeks brooding over his stilted marriage and missing his wife, but over the course of that same period of time his vision for the restaurant had morphed into one that echoed a single night they’d spent in New Orleans. So the fare he’d chosen was Creole, and while he hadn’t chosen a name for his place or selected the final furnishings and accoutrements, he knew he wanted it to be full of rich jewel tones and luxurious finishes. And for the cocktail reception, he wanted the space decked out in a way that resembled the large dining space from that dinner three years ago. Earlier that evening, after giving the culinary team their final guidance and instructions, he poked his head into the main dining area and was pleased to find that everything was on par. They’d brought in garnet-hued velvet drapes, massive antique paintings in ornate, gilded frames, Tiffany lamps, marble-topped cocktail tables, and plush gold sofas.

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