To Be Cherished E-Book

R.C. Wynne

• Herausgeber: Sandy Shores Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

A faithful husband betrayed, a cheating wife broken, and their second chance of repairing their marriage.

Glen Lansky had his suspicions; he just didn’t want them to be true. But they were. His wife had cheated on him.

Cherish Lansky had responsibility thrust upon her at a young age—motherhood, marriage, her life changed forever. However, she wasn’t ready for it. She still had so much she wanted to do, things she wanted to experience. And then, the most exciting adventure of her life stood in front of her, all six-feet, two-inches of him.

Glen loved her and had sacrificed everything to protect her and provide for her and her unborn child, dropping out of college, taking a manual labor job. All for Cherish. And then she cheated on him with her boss, throwing everything he did for her in his face and ripping his heart out. Now he’s faced with a miserable decision: give in to the pain and allow his family to fall apart or bury his shame and fight to keep them together.

To Be Cherished is a second chance romance filled with angst and betrayal, hope and plenty of family drama. 



Read the complete series:
Book 1: Losing Faith
Book 2: Roll the Dice
Book 3: To Be Cherished
Book 4: His to Command
Book 5: Sharing Hearts
 

Leseprobe

To Be Cherished

R.C. Wynne

Sandy Shores Publishing

Copyright Wynne

To Be Cherished

By R.C. Wynne

Second Edition

Copyright © 2020 by R.C. Wynne

All rights reserved

Cover art & by graphics by Beautiful Mess Graphics

Editing by CTS Editing & Weis Editing/Proofreading Services

Formatting by CJC Formatting

www.rcwynnebooks.com

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are strictly products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be reproduced in any form, except in assisting in a review. This book may not be resold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Contents

Dedication

1.

Chapter One

2.

Chapter Two

3.

Chapter Three

4.

Chapter Four

5.

Chapter Five

6.

Chapter Six

7.

Chapter Seven

8.

Chapter Eight

9.

Chapter Nine

10.

Chapter Ten

11.

Chapter Eleven

12.

Chapter Twelve

13.

Chapter Thirteen

14.

Chapter Fourteen

15.

Chapter Fifteen

16.

Chapter Sixteen

17.

Chapter Seventeen

18.

Chapter Eighteen

19.

Chapter Nineteen

20.

Chapter Twenty

21.

Chapter Twenty-One

22.

Chapter Twenty-Two

23.

Chapter Twenty-Three

24.

Chapter Twenty-Four

25.

Chapter Twenty-Five

26.

Chapter Twenty-Six

27.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

What's Next

Need More Wynne

Acknowledgments

Review Request

About the Author

Also by R.C. Wynne

Writing as Robbie Cox

Merchandise Store

Dedication

To my sister, Laurie

Chapter One

“AREYOUFUCKINGEDWIN?” Glen Lansky stood in their kitchen, palms down on the Formica counter, his eyes begging Cherish to say no and just laugh it off.

She didn’t laugh it off, however. Instead, she became pissed. Really pissed. “What the hell are you talking about? Faith’s the one fucking Edwin. Not me. He barely talks to me anymore, too busy bending my sister over his desk more than likely. Where the hell did that come from, anyway?” How the hell did their evening escalate to him accusing her of having an affair? Glen came home just like always, played with Jordie for a bit, the two of them on the floor playing with plastic dinosaurs all over her living room, the living room she just finished cleaning, actually. Of course, they didn’t clean up after themselves, assuming Mom would do it just like she always did. Not that Cherish didn’t bust her ass all day at Rutherford Construction. Hell, she had to do twice the load at work with Faith on the West Coast with Morgan, not that Edwin or Faith cared for that matter. As long as Cherish’s sister was off having fun, no one cared if Cherish got stuck doing all the work in the office. She turned back around, snatching the sponge out of the sink and grabbing the next plate. “That was a gutsy accusation.”

Glen shrugged beside her, keeping his gaze fixed on her even though she refused to look at him. How could she after that accusation? “It’s just you seem more on edge than normal, especially about work. You’ve done nothing except complain about Faith’s trip and how Edwin doesn’t seem to care about the effect it’s had on you. All you’ve talked about over the last couple of weeks is how much time Edwin spends with your sister. It’s all you talk about, actually. Faith and Edwin. I know it’s not because you’re worried about her.”

“Hell no, I’m not worried about her. She can fuck whoever she wants.” Cherish scrubbed the plate with vigor, releasing her anger onto the ceramic dish. “Faith’s had her nose so far up Edwin’s ass lately, she could probably tell you what his boss had for lunch.”

“If you don’t care, then why are you so angry about it? Why do you even care?” He took a deep breath, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Cherish, but you sound jealous.”

“Jealous? Of Faith? Why the hell would I be jealous? She’s a timid little mouse who’s finally broadened her experiences. I just hate that she’s chosen to do it at work. Hell, she only has that job because of me.”

He shrugged as he slipped his hands into his jeans’ pockets, turning and leaning back against the kitchen counter. “Because she went to Tampa with Morgan and you didn’t. Because Edwin spends more time with her than with you these days. Because she seems to enjoy her life right now more than you’re enjoying yours. To be honest, I really don’t know why you’re jealous. I thought you enjoyed your life. I’m just telling you how you’re acting.”

Cherish rolled her eyes. “If she wants to play house with Morgan in Tampa, what do I care? She’s probably trying to sleep her way up the corporate ladder, and Morgan has a hard-on for anything with a vagina. She’s already banged Edwin. It only makes sense that Morgan would be next. Hell, Neal might even get a shot.”

Cherish could see the pain in Glen’s eyes and knew he figured out the truth. He didn’t have proof, of course, just his intuition. But he knew, and he reached out trying to get her to admit her affair so they could figure out what to do next. If she just stopped fighting and admitted she cheated on him, they probably could fix their marriage; she could keep her family together. Yet, she was too hurt, too damn angry. It wasn’t just Glen’s accusations or the fact he busted her. Those were actually small items she could fix if she would just take the time. No. What pissed her off so much was the fact that it was Wednesday night, the week half over, and Edwin had barely paid her any attention in Faith’s absence. Cherish assumed—hoped, actually—with Faith out of the picture for a week, Edwin would need his itch scratched, and Cherish could work her way back into his life. Yet, he maintained the buffers between them, never allowing the two of them to be alone for her to attempt to regain his attention. It was obvious his mind remained on Faith. Cherish still had two days to make it work, and she wasn’t about to give up and throw in the towel, confessing all to Glen. She started herself down this path, and there was no way she could back up and admit defeat now. Edwin just needed to realize he needed her more than he needed Faith.

Cherish just stared at Glen, her shoulders rising and falling with her heavy breathing, the tension twisting her gut, the conflicting worlds of work and home threatening to undo her.

Glen stared back at her, but whereas her eyes were daggers of fire daring him to challenge her, to accuse her once more, his resembled a kicked puppy who only wanted the pain to end, for someone to love him, to cherish him. He stood for a moment longer, staring at her, and then just nodded and walked out the door. “I need some air.”

She should run after him, call him back, done something. Instead, she just watched him leave, listened as his car started and then faded off into the distance. Ten minutes passed before she realized she still stood in the same spot.

GLEN’SHEADHURT,HIS stomach a twisted mess, his heart… His heart broke. He kept taking deep breaths, doing his best to keep the tears from falling. Everything made sense now. All the time Cherish spent working late, the weekends where she had to go in suddenly, the texts and late-night phone calls. He should have known, should have seen it happening. Yet, he had closed his eyes and stuck his head in the sand, ignoring the signs and pretending his family wasn’t falling apart. But it was falling apart, collapsing around him.

He turned down New Haven Avenue, heading to the one person he knew he could talk to about Rutherford Construction and the drama that was Edwin Coldwell and the Driscoll sisters—Selby Greer. Glen tried Selby’s house first, but he wasn’t there, so Glen assumed his brother-in-law stayed busy at the bookstore he owned while Faith was in Tampa. Glen stopped, bought a six-pack of Shock Top, and headed downtown for advice more than company.

Faith and Selby were the happiest couple Glen knew, and Selby did a great job keeping the Driscoll family from interfering with that happiness, something Glen had failed to do, especially with Valerie, the Driscoll matriarch. Instead, he permitted his mother-in-law to control more of their lives than he ever should have, because it seemed Cherish needed her mother’s mothering. The woman even controlled their schedules too much, a mistake Glen now regretted deeply. If only Glen could have pushed Cherish to stand up to her mother, like Faith had, and loosen up some and have fun with him. Instead, Cherish decided to have fun without him, her adventures private and behind closed doors. He bit his lip, twisting the steering wheel in his hands as he did his best to keep his anger down.

Downtown Melbourne was lit up for a Wednesday night, the dinner crowds shifting to the mid-week bar-hoppers. Streetlamps illuminated the cobblestone sidewalks and streets as people walked from one bar to the next, browsing the store displays they passed. Pulling into a vacant spot in front of Selby’s Downtown Books, Glen shifted his car into park and turned off the engine. He just sat there for a moment, staring at the front of the store, debating whether or not opening this part of his life up to Selby was a smart decision. He already talked to Selby about the jealousy between Cherish and Faith, Cherish’s obsession with Edwin. Selby told him Faith and he had an open marriage, and he knew his wife screwed around with Edwin. It wasn’t a secret. Or at least, Selby implied that’s what was happening. He never came right out and said Faith slept with her boss, just that he knew she flirted around with other men, teased them, and allowed them to cop a feel once in a while. He even admitted it turned him on and suggested Glen talk to Cherish about opening up their marriage. Now Glen wished he had talked to her about it, maybe then she would just admit she cheated on him, maybe then they could be having fun and laughing, instead of him sitting in front of Selby’s store with his heart torn out. If only she told him what she wanted…

Glen shoved his driver’s door open and slid out of the car with a deep breath. Pushing the door open to Selby’s bookstore, the cowbell gonging over his head, he called out, “Selby!” He watched as Selby weaved his way through the bookshelves to the front of the store. “I swung by your house, but obviously you weren’t there. So, I thought I’d gamble you’d be hiding here.” He held a beer out for Cherish’s brother-in-law.

Selby took it, a curious expression on his face, and the two men clinked bottles. “Cherish doing better with Faith out of the office?”

Glen shook his head as he leaned back on the counter. “Yes and no. She’s busting her ass and working overtime, bitching that Faith isn’t there to do anything. I don’t know if Cherish will ever be happy.”

Selby just laughed. “They all have too much of their mother in them.” He took a long swig from his Belgian white.

“Bite your tongue. Why would you wish that on us?” The one thing Glen didn’t need was a miniature Valerie Driscoll. He didn’t need the full-sized one, either, for that matter.

Selby shrugged. “Genetics. Arni’s the only calm one.” That itself was an understatement, and both men knew it. The entire time Glen knew the Driscolls, he never once heard Arni so much as raise his voice. The truth of the matter was the Driscoll children all possessed their selfish sides, and that was all Valerie, because Arni would give you the shirt right off his back. Valerie and the kids were every-man-for-himself, even Cherish, something which came out more and more over the past couple of weeks.

Glen watched as Selby stared at his beer bottle, obvious that his mind was somewhere else right then. As the other man lifted his bottle to take a drink, Glen said, “I asked Cherish if she was fucking Edwin.”

Selby spit out some beer as he choked on what he managed to swallow before Glen’s abrupt announcement. Selby’s eyes watered as he tried to get his coughing fit under control. “You timed that,” he said, his voice strained.

Glen gave him a sheepish smile as he flipped through a children’s book on the counter. “Sorry. I guess that was kind of random.”

Selby took a deep breath as he said, “Don’t worry about it. And?”

Glen shrugged. “She got pissed I even asked.” Glen looked up, his chocolate eyes fighting back tears. “She’s always laughed off comments like that before, but this time she actually got pissed.”

“So she denied it?” Selby leaned back on the counter, his gaze focusing on something far away, even though he did his best to listen to Glen. Perhaps he was going through the same thing Glen was, wondering how much of the Driscoll sisters’ exploits he actually knew.

“Have you heard anything? I mean, has Faith said anything that would indicate that Cherish was banging their boss?”

Selby shook his head, his shaggy blond hair swishing across his forehead. “No, Faith has only talked about herself lately.” He shrugged. “You know how it is, any mention of the other and both sisters get ridiculous.”

Glen sighed. “Yeah, I know. I really wish I knew what was up between the two of them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them get along.”

“Faith’s never said anything outside of Cherish being Val’s precious baby. I just assumed it was sibling jealousy. Of course, Val is great at digging the trench between them deeper. As it sounds, Edwin is only adding fuel to the fire.”

Glen lifted his beer bottle to his lips. That’s an understatement.

CHERISHSATONthe couch, sipping wine, when Glen finally returned home. He said nothing, at first, just dropped his keys on the small table by the front door and went into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge. She decided not to start any conversation, waiting to see where his mood was at the moment. She didn’t want to start another fight.

She heard him pop the top and take a long swallow before he returned to the living room and plopped down into the recliner. He still said nothing, the silence deafening.

For a moment, Cherish debated asking where he went, but only for a moment. She didn’t want to know, wasn’t even sure she had a right to ask right then. Instead, she decided to just pretend nothing happened earlier and life was normal. Deny all accusations, even when the evidence stared you dead in the face. She took a sip of wine, and then said, “Mom called while you were out to talk about Jordie’s birthday. She’s offered her house for the party again.”

“Now, there’s a great idea,” Glen rolled his eyes as he lifted his beer bottle to his lips for another swallow.

Her temper flared. “What’s that supposed to mean? My mother loves Jordie. She’s just trying her best to give him a great birthday, like she always does. We have the party there every year. I don’t see what the problem is.”

Glen held his beer with both hands, dangling it between his legs. “Yeah, it’s just everyone else she hates. Every time we have his party at your parents’ house, things get tense and awkward, and you know it. You know damn well she does her best to instigate my mother into a fight. Why do we always have the party at her house as opposed to neutral territory? I think it’s time for a change.”

Cherish’s eyes went wide as she gawked over at Glen. “My mother does not hate your mother. That’s pretty rude. How dare you!”

“What it is, is pretty damn honest. Your mom always tries to put on a show for my parents, doing her best to make them somehow feel inferior to her. She does it all the time, doing her best to one-up everyone. It’s childish. No. We’re not having the party at your parents’ house. We can have it here or at a park, even the playroom at McDonald’s for all I care, but not at your parents’ house.”

“Is this because of earlier? You think I’m screwing around behind your back, and so, you’re taking it out on my mother?”

He blew out a sigh, shaking his head. “This has nothing to do with earlier and everything to do with how your mother treats my family. Treats everyone, actually. No. It’s not happening.”

“I’m not having Jordie’s party at McDonald’s. I’m not celebrating my son’s birthday around a bunch of strangers.”

“Fine, then we’ll have it here,” Glen said with a shrug. “It’s two weeks away. I’m sure we can clean up the place by then and make it presentable. Do we have a list of who we’re inviting?”

What the hell? “Wait. Are you saying our home isn’t presentable for company? Excuse me, but I work for a living just like you. I’m not going to come home and spend all night working on the house after dealing with a bunch of idiots all day long.”

“I never said you had to. What I said was, we had time to clean house before inviting people over. Do you really want people to see the house like this? It’s a mess.”

“And that’s my fault?” She couldn’t believe him.

“I never said it was anyone’s fault. It just is what it is. Why are you arguing with me about the house? Now who’s holding onto the angst of earlier?” He shoved himself to his feet, walking back toward the hallway. “I’m going to bed.”

“We need to settle this about the birthday,” she called out after him. She couldn’t believe he just got up and walked away. What the hell was he thinking?

“It’s settled,” he called back over his shoulder, still walking away. “We’re having the party here. We can clean this place up this weekend.”

She felt her eyebrows pinch above her nose. She couldn’t believe how stubborn he was. “My mother is not going to be happy.”

“See, it’s a party already.”

“Glen!” Cherish shoved herself off the couch and started walking toward the bedroom. He popped his head back out of the hallway, his arm at his side, fingers around the top of the beer bottle. She stopped, her heart thudding in her chest with her frustration. And her worry, if she was honest with herself. “I just want Jordie’s party to be perfect,” she said, trying to rein in her frustration.

Glen stared at her, his expression unreadable. “I’m sure he’ll have a great time wherever we have his party. He’s turning five for crying out loud. Parties are still pretty simple at this age and rarely remembered. He’ll be fine.”

There was more she wanted to say and none of it about Jordie’s birthday party, but three glasses of wine and two hours spent waiting for Glen to return home had not given her the courage yet to admit her infidelity. She didn’t want to risk screwing up her family by admitting something before it was necessary. Jordie didn’t need a broken family as his birthday present, and if she told Glen about her affair, she would hand him the ammunition to end their marriage. He had stepped up to the plate once; that didn’t mean he’d keep running around the bases when the ball headed his way.

“Anything else?” Glen asked as he stood there staring at her.

There was quite a bit more, but she decided not to pursue it. There was too much at risk. Besides, she still wasn’t sure what she would do about Edwin. She was hurt by a man she had no commitment to while she devastated the man who stepped in and saved her life. She was torn, and she saw no way to repair the rip that was about to tear her life apart. She couldn’t stop, even if she wanted to. She had to see how it all ended. Had to see how far she could go, keeping it all together.

Chapter Two

THURSDAYMORNINGDAWNEDjust like every other morning. Glen had breakfast with his family, even if his mood was more sullen than usual, and then went off to work. Cherish played the dutiful wife, saying all the right things at all the right times, going through the motions, but her mind was anywhere but on what she did. Faith was due back tomorrow, and that only gave Cherish one day to get Edwin back in her grasp. So far, nothing she attempted that week had worked. She followed him around the office, brought him lunch, even stayed after work hoping to get him alone. Yet, he seemed to do everything in his power to avoid her. He went home early. Left the office for lunch on some trumped-up business meeting. Arrived to work late. He did everything he could to avoid her, and so far, it worked. Today would not differ from the looks of things, either.

By the time work was over, Edwin Coldwell was nowhere in sight, and she had no real reason to hang around. Nessa Sanchez, the part-time office help who filled in for Faith that week, was already packing up and heading out the front door, leaving Cherish alone in the room affectionately known as the Girls’ Den.

Jed Jorrell, one of Edwin’s main office managers, walked into the room about ready to flip the lights off when he saw Cherish sitting there in her chair, staring at her computer screen. “You okay?”

Cherish blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m fine. I just expected more than I should have.” The truth is, I shouldn’t be expecting anything. I have a family. Yet, she couldn’t help it. Edwin became more than he should have in her life, and she just couldn’t let him go. Not yet. “I’m going home. See you tomorrow.”

“Only another day, and then the office returns to normal,” Jed said as Cherish passed through the door.

“Oh goody,” was all she said as she passed out of his sight. She didn’t want her sister to come back. Faith could stay away forever for all Cherish cared. She wanted to scream. Why wasn’t life going in her direction?

Once home, she picked Jordie up from her neighbor, Aubrey McDonald, and headed home to cook dinner. Glen came home from work, his mood still somber and distant. Obviously, what she told him the previous night still didn’t satisfy him, but he didn’t press the issue. For that, she was glad. She didn’t need another evening of defending her actions, of which there was no defense.

Friday morning was much the same thing, only this time Cherish dropped Jordie off at preschool before going to work. Edwin was actually at the office this morning before her, which didn’t surprise her, really. Faith was due back this morning. He’d want to make sure he didn’t miss his precious piece of ass. Cherish’s temper already boiled by the time she dropped her purse on her desk in the Girls’ Den. Nessa walked right in behind her and offered her a good morning to which Cherish only offered a growl in return.

Glancing back at the office door, she decided it was time to push her advantage, and it didn’t matter who was around. Faith was due back, and Cherish needed Edwin’s attention before then. Saying nothing, she left the Girls’ Den, heading for Edwin’s office. Jed and he stood at the giant whiteboard in the hallway outside of Edwin’s office, going over the list of jobs for Rutherford Construction. They both turned to look at her when she approached, Jed with a smile, Edwin with a tense frown. “Can I talk to you?” she asked Edwin. “Alone.”

“Sure.” He gestured toward his office as he turned to Jed. “Get Grady up to the Melbourne Medical Buildings. We need to push those guys a little more.”

“Will do,” Jed said as he turned to leave the two of them alone.

Cherish stood in Edwin’s office by the corner of his desk, her arms across her chest, her foot tapping when he entered. He left the door open; she assumed he hoped she would be careful with what she said, worried others might overhear her. He was wrong. She was way past the point of others knowing her business.

She followed him with her gaze, turning so she always faced him as he made his way behind his desk and into his chair. Already, he acted protective of himself, putting a barrier between them whereas before he would usually sit on the edge of the desk, his jeans tight against his cock and thighs, tempting her. She had lost. She knew it. She just wanted to know why. “What happened to us?”

“Us?” He feigned ignorance with his expression, his brows crinkled over the bridge of his nose. “Nothing happened to us. You’re a great employee. You’re doing a fine job.”

“Don’t be an ass, Edwin. And don’t think just because that door’s open, I won’t shout out our business for the whole office to hear. Glen is already asking if I’m fucking you, so there isn’t much else for me to risk now, is there?” Why did men always play stupid? Did they think it was their superpower? That by ignoring or pretending something never happened, it would just go away? “So again, let me ask, what happened to us?”

Edwin ran a hand through his dark hair, his gaze darting to the open door as he blew out a breath. “Nothing happened to us, Cherish. We were having fun, and now, we’re not. That’s all.”

“But why not? What did I do? What does my sister do that I don’t? Tell me, and I can do it. Tell me!”

Edwin held his hand up, gesturing for her to lower her voice as he glanced out the door again to see if anyone was there, listening. “Cherish, you didn’t do anything. Look, the longer we went on, the more obvious it was you needed something I couldn’t give you. You were looking for a relationship, something you’re missing apparently in your marriage. I’m not wanting a relationship. I was just in it for the fun.”

“Don’t assume you know a damn thing about my marriage. And so what, my sister was more fun than me?”

“What makes you think anything is going on between your sister and me?”

“Because I know you. I was the one you were sleeping with, remember? I know what it looks like—what you look like—when you’re screwing one of your employees. Don’t even deny it.” He’d deny it until his dying day, and she knew it, but it didn’t matter. She knew the truth. She lived it.

“I won’t be the one who comes between you and your husband, and it was obvious that’s what was happening. You weren’t just wanting to have fun anymore. You wanted a white knight, and I am far from that for anyone.”

“That’s for damn sure.” She glared at him. “You’re afraid of coming between Glen and me, but you have no problem coming between Faith and Selby.”

He sighed. “I told you; there’s nothing going on between your sister and me.”

She knew he lied. She knew him. She knew her sister. Or, at least, she did at one time. Faith became someone totally different from the timid little church mouse she used to be a year ago. Now, she was more like some nymph on steroids.

Cherish said nothing else. She simply turned and walked out of the office. This isn’t over, Mr. Coldwell. I swear, this isn’t over.

The morning went by quickly, phones ringing off the hook as people prepared for their weekend, trying to get as much into the day as they could without really doing too much at all. When she finally allowed herself to glance up, Edwin stood in the doorway, a cigarette tucked behind his ear. “Join me for a smoke break?”

She nodded, scrounged in her purse for her own cigarettes and lighter, and then followed him through the office and out the back door. It used to be their daily ritual, a few moments when they could be alone and talk, flirt, talk about what they wanted to do to each other when the rest of the employees left. That is, until he started banging her sister. Then it all changed. Cherish couldn’t get her cigarette lit fast enough. She needed the calming nicotine and action of smoking.

“Look, I’m sorry,” he said after he had his own cancer stick lit. “I should have talked to you about it, instead of just dropping things like I did. I was wrong.”

“You were an ass,” she said. “And I don’t doubt for a moment that your attention went somewhere else. If you weren’t screwing my sister, you’d still be sniffing around my skirts. Men like you don’t give up a piece of ass for no reason, and I highly doubt your pulling away had anything to do with your conscience and worrying about my husband. You were getting your jollies somewhere else, even if you don’t want to admit it.”

He sighed, blowing out a stream of smoke as he did. “You can believe what you want. I just wanted to clear the air and apologize.”

The sound of tires on gravel drew their attention to the side of the building as Morgan Brewer drove into the back parking lot of Rutherford Construction. He parked his massive truck beside Faith’s small Toyota, and Cherish could see the two of them talking as he turned off the engine. Probably thanking my dear sister for playing house all week. She must be a lot better piece of ass than her personality dictates.

When Cherish saw Faith come around Morgan’s truck, Cherish took a step closer to Edwin, letting her sister think things were back to normal, even if they weren’t. Cherish watched as Faith took a deep breath, shaking her head as she turned her attention to Edwin.

“How did it go?” Edwin tossed his Salem into the distance as he left Cherish’s side and approached Morgan and Faith. “Ready to return my girl to me?”

Cherish wanted to scream. Not even back two minutes, and already, Faith had Edwin’s undivided attention again, leaving Cherish behind. She glanced at Faith. “Welcome back,” was all Cherish said as she dropped her cigarette and went back inside, leaving the two men alone with Faith. She refused to stay and watch them fawn all over her sister. Not when she stood right there wanting to be the object of at least one of their attentions.

She dropped into her desk chair with a growl. She had failed to get what she wanted this week. She lost. She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, keeping the tears from rolling down her cheeks. It had been a long time since someone dumped her. Almost six years, actually. This time hurt just as much, if not more, than that one because this time there wasn’t someone stepping in to fill that void. This time, she was alone.

GLENSPENTALLday trying to shake the feeling that his wife had betrayed him, sneaking around behind his back for some sexual adventure with her boss. Yet, the feeling never went away. The worse part was that since he arrived home, the feeling only grew into a nauseous knot in the pit of his stomach. All Cherish did was bitch about her sister and how Edwin immediately went all gooey when she returned. She didn’t even care that Glen dropped Jordie off at his Grandma Lansky’s for the night. Barely even noticed it, actually. She obsessed over Edwin and his infatuation with Faith. You just don’t talk about someone that much unless there’s something happening between you. Glen knew. He knew his wife cheated on him, even if she hadn’t admitted it the other night, and now he just couldn’t take hearing it anymore.

“You’re fucking Edwin,” he whispered. It wasn’t an accusation. He didn’t yell. He merely made a statement.

“Are we really going to do this again?” She glared at him.

He shrugged. “It’s the only explanation as to why you won’t stop talking about him. It’s the only reason you’re so obsessed about him and Faith. It’s the only thing that makes sense. You’re fucking him. You’re jealous.” The pain of the statement seared his chest, constricted his lungs forcing him to fight for each breath. He held out hope that his gut instinct was wrong. He prayed he was wrong, scolded himself for even contemplating such a thing. Cherish was not the same woman she had been almost six years ago. She settled down, turning her focus on raising Jordie and being a family, being a wife. She wouldn’t just throw that away on a whim, would she?

He stood there in their kitchen and stared at her, silently begging her to deny his accusation, to laugh the notion off like she always did. He had dropped Jordie off at his mother’s, not wanting his son around just in case his gut was right. It was a smart decision.

At first, he thought she would still deny it, starting another fight, instead, full of denials and false statements about how ridiculous he acted. He almost wished she had done that, kept denying it. Then, he could pretend as well. But she didn’t deny it this time.

“Yes! I fucked him! Is that what you want to hear? I had an affair with Edwin. There. I said it.” She stood there, her arms wrapped around her waist. Her face grew red with anger, but she shed no tears. She didn’t apologize or say that it was a mistake she regretted. She said nothing like that. She wasn’t sad at all. Instead, she was furious.

He should be furious as well. Perhaps that would come later. Right then, he only felt broken. “Why?” His voice came out as a distant whisper. This couldn’t be happening. He had pulled her away from that lifestyle. Stood by her when others walked away. He gave up his life to create a new one with her, with Jordie. He covered her sins with his love, and his sacrifices weren’t enough for her.

“Because it was exciting. It gave me a rush to sneak around with Edwin. I missed that excitement in my life.” She squeezed herself tighter as she looked away. For just a moment, he thought he saw the glistening of tears in her eyes. “I grew bored with my life. Up until I had Jordie, my life was one giant party. I missed that feeling, the feeling of being chased and then of finally allowing someone to catch me.” She turned her gaze back to him, and he saw the pain on her face. “Life had fallen into a rut, and Edwin offered me an escape. I took it.”

“So all this jealousy with your sister, all this…anger…is because he stopped fucking you?”

She turned her lips up in a sneer. “He’s been fucking Faith, if you can believe it. The timid, little Faith Greer isn’t the saint she pretends to be.”

He gave a weak chuckle as he shook his head, his gaze looking at anything except her. “You’re mad because the man you cheated on me with cheated on you? You don’t see the hypocrisy in that? You don’t even care that you cheated on your husband. Nice.”

“Glen…”

“No!” Tears finally began to fall from his eyes, streaking his cheeks. He didn’t wipe them away. He wanted her to see the pain she caused him. “No. There’s nothing you can say. I’m sorry I bored you. Perhaps you’ll be better off without me then.” He nodded, decision made. “I’m leaving.” He pushed past her toward his bedroom, their bedroom.

She grabbed his arm, attempting to jerk him back around. “What do you mean you’re leaving? You can’t leave. Hell, Faith fucked Edwin, and Selby didn’t leave.”

He spun around, and she collided into him. “I don’t care what Faith and Selby do!” His voice was a snarl. Cherish took a step back, her eyes wide with the shock of his outburst. “He, at least, knew his wife was fucking Edwin. You were cheating on me! You’re not even ashamed of being caught, only that Faith got to play with your toy.” He took a menacing step forward. “You no longer get to have your cake and eat it, too. I loved you enough to come to your rescue once. I don’t love you enough to allow you to cheat on me. I’m done.”

“What about Jordie? What are you going to tell him?”

She stared at him with wide eyes, and he could tell she was afraid. After all this time, after everything they’ve been through together, she still didn’t know what type of man he was. It turned his stomach. “I’ll figure that out when I get there, but don’t worry. He’s my son. I’ll always protect him and take care of him. I’ll drop him off in the morning, but I won’t be staying with him.”

She just stared, her lips moving, but nothing came out. She played her hand as long as she could, and now, Glen called her bluff. With all the cards on the table, there really wasn’t a winner. Everyone lost this time.

He packed enough clothes for a couple of days. He’d stay at his parents’ place until he figured out his next move, whatever that was. To be honest, he didn’t know. He just knew he couldn’t stay here. Not tonight. Maybe never.

He jerked his car door open and threw the quickly packed bag into the passenger seat. With one foot in the car, he stopped, his hand gripping the door as he turned back and stared at the front door of his house. She didn’t chase after him, didn’t beg him to stay and not leave her. She just stood there, watching in her stoic silence as he stormed past her, leaving her with the pain she caused him. His throat constricted as he stood there, staring, fighting back the tears that wanted so badly to burst from his eyes, shedding his pain. Why hadn’t she tried to stop me? Not even once did she say, “Please don’t go.” He wasn’t sure which hurt worse, the fact she slept with Edwin Coldwell or that she hadn’t asked her husband not to leave her.

He slid into the driver’s seat, shoving the key into the ignition. He needed to leave, to get out of her sight for a while. Yet, if she had just once asked him to stay, said she was sorry and for him not to leave, he would probably have caved right then. But she didn’t. She just stood there, arms across her chest, and watched him walk out the door. He shoved the car into drive and hit the accelerator as he punched in his father’s name on his cell phone.

“Glen? Hey, son. How’s your night going?”

He took a deep breath. “I’m coming home for the night. Mind if I crash in the spare bedroom?”

Silence. Then, “No, no. Not at all. I’ll put on some coffee.”

“I may need something stronger.”

He could hear the worry in his father’s voice. “It’ll be waiting for you when you get here.”

Glen ended the call and tossed the phone in the seat beside him. He was going home.

SHESTOODINthe hallway, her arms wrapped around her stomach doing her best to keep her insides from spewing all over their living room floor. Cherish hadn’t meant to hurt him, to say the vile excuses for what she did. Her words were hateful and hurtful. She didn’t even apologize. She spewed her venom and watched the pain of her words dim the light in his eyes. If she was given time to cool off after her day with Edwin, she probably wouldn’t have gone off on Glen the way she had. Yet, she still fumed, her body pumping with the adrenaline of her encounter with Edwin and then watching him go all puppy-eyed over Faith when she returned.

Glen didn’t deserve what Cherish did. He was right. He had stepped in when everyone else had stepped out. He kept her secrets, gave her a life without shame. Yet, how did she repay him? She screwed around behind his back, betrayed him. And she didn’t even show remorse.

She heard him shuffling around in the bedroom; drawers opening and slamming shut. She heard the bi-fold closet door jerked open. Hangers rattled as he ripped clothes from their place. She could hear the hurt in every movement, even though she couldn’t see what Glen was doing. She fought the urge to throw up.

She was remorseful. Very. Yet, she was too hurt and angry to rein in her outbursts. She couldn’t stop. She couldn’t even stop him from walking out the door.

When the front door clicked closed and the car engine started, she crumbled to the floor, sobs wracking her body as her world fell apart.

Chapter Three

WHENSHEWOKE,still crumpled on the floor in the hallway, she had a text from Glen. I dropped Jordie off at your parents’ home. You can pick him up there. Don’t worry. I didn’t tell them anything. But what did he tell Jordie? That was the question rattling around in her brain right then. She moved, every muscle screaming at her for the way she slept last night. She deserved the agony. She deserved worse. All she had wanted was to feel again, to have the adventures she used to have that made her feel alive, even those adventures in the end left her high and dry. She wasn’t sure when she fell asleep. When Glen left, all she could do was crumble to the floor and cry until no more tears flowed. It felt like forever ago.