Love Inspired January 2014(42)

                “I didn’t know. I found out afterward.”

                “Afterward. So were you having problems?” What was he pumping her for information for? Did you love the guy when he died? The question slammed into him and he held it back.

                “Not as far as I knew. Well, some. Things had gotten tense. But you know, that happens.” She took a deep breath and stared at the clouds as if seeking her next words. “I woke up and found I was in a burn center and my husband was dead. I was grieving when...the next day a woman came to my room.”

                He didn’t like the way this story was going at all.

                Her eyes glittered. “She was bitter and blamed me for the fire that had killed the man she was in love with. She told me about the affair and that Tim had planned to leave me for her. I mean, honestly, how could I have been so blind?” She took a deep breath but he couldn’t find words.

                “Once I got out of the hospital, several friends came to me and told me they’d known of Tim’s infidelities. Infidelities. As in more than this woman. But they hadn’t known how to tell me...so they’d said nothing.”

                Rowdy started to speak but she picked back up as if once she’d started talking she couldn’t stop.

                “I haven’t looked at anything the same since. So many things came to light about the real Tim that I had to take a good hard look at my life. I think I knew deep in my heart something wasn’t right, but I just hadn’t wanted to face it.”

                The look on her face told him she’d begun to question herself in that time. He couldn’t even imagine how horrible that had been for her. Burned as bad as her neck and arm were, and the pain she must have been in both physically and emotionally. And that was before being confronted by the other woman.

                “Unbelievable,” he said at last. “That explains the walls.” It all made perfect sense now.

                And he was toast.

                She shivered though it wasn’t cold. “Yes, it’s been two years and I’m still angry. But coming here has been good for me. And those walls, though great therapy, haven’t been completely satisfactory in ridding me of the anger. Or my other issues.”

                “Other issues?” Please, Lord, don’t let her have gone through something else.

                She looked almost apologetic. “You’ve been nothing but nice to me, but I can’t get past the broken trust. I don’t know that I’ll ever trust a man to get close to me...ever. I think you should know that since I reacted so badly the other day.”

                Burned toast. Rowdy rubbed his jaw, completely understanding Liz’s husband trying to break it with his fist. Rowdy would have found great satisfaction in breaking Tim Dense Calvert’s jaw.

                “And now that you know, you’ll understand why I’d like you to not kiss me again.”

                His blood was rushing in his head so fast he was dizzy. “Sure,” he managed. Any chance he might have thought he had with Lucy was gone. Period. If she found out about what he’d done, she’d probably hold it against him.

                “Now, what were you going to tell me?”

                “Aah, I... It’s not important.” God forgive him but he couldn’t tell her. Not right now. She suddenly looked tired, defeated and he just couldn’t add more on top of that—at least that was his excuse to keep his mouth shut.