Infinity(77)

Julie, of course, agrees. I have the best sisters.

Next, I go into our bedroom and shut the door behind me. I pick up my phone and dial Carmen. I’ve never been particularly close to my stepmom. Us girls began calling her Aunt Carmen when she was Daddy’s nurse ages ago. Then, when Daddy left Mom for Aunt Carmen we realized that one, she wasn’t really our aunt and two, she was becoming Stepmom Carmen. In the end, I have two beautiful half-sisters out of their marriage that I adore, and all has been forgiven.

Carmen answers on the third ring, and we spend the next five minutes making small talk. I know her first Christmas without my father was difficult. It was hard on us girls, but then again, he hadn’t spent Christmas with us since my half-sister, Sarah, was born, which was more than half my life ago.

Finally, I dive into the heart of the matter. “Carmen, I’m at an impasse. I want to continue working at the practice. The last couple of months, in spite of the circumstances, have been the most fun that I’ve had since I started practicing medicine. However, Colin is no longer willing to let his wife and daughter reside in another city.”

Carmen interjects, “As he shouldn’t, sweetie.” Her voice breaks. “Life is too short to not spend your nights with the one that you love.”

I collapse onto the red college chair and stare out the bay window in our bedroom. Our backyard looks like a resort. Memories of our wedding flood my senses. It was such a happy day. Carmen’s right. Life is too short to not spend the meaningful moments with the one that you love.

Talk about a knife in the gut. “You’re right. That’s why I’m hoping that I can come back and work until Colin’s next playoff game, which is next week. Then, I’d like to stay with him until the season is over, and we can return to Houston as a family.”

“Of course, of course,” she reassures me. “We’ll make it work.”

“I plan on discussing this with Brad, and see if he’ll stay in Houston to help you out. He’s very capable of doing everything that I do, except for the whole doctoring part.”

She laughs and agrees, “Bradley is something else.”

I hang up with her, feeling better. I’m hoping that my plan will pacify Colin, and begin the repair work on our marriage.

My next phone call is to Brad, and it takes me a good ten minutes to work up the courage to hit the dial button next to his name. When he answers in his usual upbeat way, I say with a heavy heart, “Brad, I need to have a very frank conversation with you.”

Brad exhales. “I’ve been expecting this chat. Am I fired?” He sounds so pathetic that I swear my soul weeps.

Before I can respond, he continues. “I can understand if Colin doesn’t want us working together anymore, but Ainsley is my goddaughter. I’m her guncle. Caroline, I’ll never have kids of my own, please don’t take Ainsley away from me.”

Poor Brad gets choked up, and I feel like a complete ass. Brad’s done nothing wrong except doing his job too well. “Calm down. Look, I’m not firing you, or banning you from Ainsley’s life. Think of this as a time-out. I need for you to help out Carmen in Houston, and give Colin and me a chance to figure out solutions to our problems.” I don’t add because your presence is like pouring salt in a fresh, bloody wound.

He sniffs. “Promise me I’m not losing my best doctor friend.”

“Never,” I reply with a smile in my voice. “You know that I can’t tie my shoes without you.”

“Well, honestly, Caroline, you shouldn’t be wearing shoes that tie. They’re way too matronly. Legs as gorgeous as yours should only be in heels.” He’s back to sounding like my Brad, which is such a relief.

We spend another fifteen minutes on the phone, bantering back and forth about nothing in particular.

Colin’s feelings toward Brad are justified, so I’m going to have to spend some time setting boundaries for all of us. He’s too important to me to not have him in my life, but Colin? Well, he’s my heart. Somewhere, there has to be a middle plane where we can all coexist.

I step outside and begin heating the hot tub. Operation Win Back My Husband commences now.





Chapter Seventeen




Colin





If you’d have ever told me that I wouldn’t want to come home because my wife is there, I’d have called you a lying bastard. Now, I drive under the speed limit, attempting to avoid the inevitable—being at home.

I pull into the driveway and leave Bertha sitting near the road. Neighbors are going to love her, out front of their pristine neighborhood.

As I walk towards the backyard, the sound of the hot tub bubbling greets my ears. Honestly, the last thing that I want to do right now is see my wife in a bikini, because my heart and brain remember very clearly why we’re so angry. My dick, on the other hand, has no clue, and is quite upset that we’ve been ignoring her.