“It’s okay, baby. I’m here.”
“I love you, Tristan. I really love you.”
“I know, Vicki. I’ll be with you soon. I promise.”
After they said their goodbyes, Vicki allowed herself to cry. Her release was amazing, but it wasn’t enough. How much longer could she take without him in her life?
Chapter Eleven
Two months later
Vicki let out a sigh as she pulled another month off her calendar with still no sign of Tristan back in her life. The summer months were gone in Law Castle, and they were back preparing for the winter. Fall was turning out to be one of the coldest ones yet. The baking festival around the town for the locals might still be cancelled. Every year there was a big fire in the town where people went and threw something on. They were riding the summer wave and getting ready for winter.
It was a dangerous and stupid tradition but one Vicki attended regardless.
“Another month has gone by. When was the last time you heard from him?” Zoe asked. Her friend was sat in the sitting room with her feet up. She was over eight months pregnant and very close to giving birth. Jake, Brent, and Connor were beside themselves with worry. Vicki couldn’t believe they let Zoe stay with her for any length of time.
“It has been a couple of days since we last spoke.” She wasn’t going to mention the teary end to the last conversation. Tristan was adamant of hearing her touch herself during their phone conversation. The orgasm that came from their phone calls to each other left her unsatisfied.
“What’s the matter, Vicki? You sound upset.”
“I don’t know. I’m starting to think I’m being led on,” Vicki said, grabbing her hot chocolate and joining her friend in the sitting room.
“How come?”
“It has been over three months, Zoe. How long is a girl supposed to wait? This is not just about the divorce anymore. It’s about him cutting ties or something from his old life. Tristan has told me when he comes back that will be it. He could have come back to Law Castle at any time, but he hasn’t. Surely business doesn’t take this long. I’m all alone here, and I’m starting to think he’s having a laugh with his pain whore of a friend, and how he messed with the life of a small town girl.”
Vicki let go of everything. There were no more tears to be spilled. She’d spent a great deal of time crying over him already. She wasn’t going to spend another day wishing for something she was never going to have.
“You can’t mean that. Tristan loves you.”
“Does he? I mean, what proof do I actually have that he loves me?” She raised her hand and started counting off the faults she recorded from her time spent with Tristan. “He lied to me about being married. At every opportunity he pushed me away. He’s gone, and I don’t even know if he’s coming back. He’s older than me, and his wife was way prettier than I will ever be, and I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
Zoe stayed silent as Vicki calmed herself by sipping coffee.
“Can I remind you I’m supposed to the hormonal one?” Zoe rubbed her stomach.
Moving to the sofa Vicki curled up against her friend. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m tired and stressed. Stefan’s getting irritable because Marla refuses to go on a date with him. He also hates acting as a Sheriff and is about ready to appoint someone else.”
“Everything will be all right, Vicki. I know it will.”
Zoe stroked her hair.
“How is everything going with you?” Vicki asked, rubbing her stomach.
“Connor is driving me crazy. Brent and Jake wait on me hand and foot, but Connor is reading all the books on what can go wrong with pregnancy. I sneezed the other morning, and he took me to the hospital for a check-up. I swear the nurses have got a bet going on how many times I go.”
Vicki laughed. Connor was the most protective out of all of Zoe’s men.
“Are you going to the baking festival this weekend?” Zoe asked.
“Yeah. Stefan is letting me have the weekend off, and I’m going to bake ready for the event. I don’t know why we have so many events,” Vicki said.
“You’re succumbing to sullenness. I didn’t think it was possible for someone so happy to be so sad.”
“I can’t help it,” Vicki said. “There’s nothing to be happy about.”
With her parents begging her to move closer to them and Tristan asking her to stay in Law Castle, she felt torn. Which way should she go?
“You’re starting to sound like me before I let myself love. Don’t turn into me, Vicki. It won’t be healthy for you.”