No Place Like Home. Maxine Morrey

I’m afraid I can’t take your call right—’

      Ben hung up. She must already be on her way to the apartment, and rarely chose to connect her Bluetooth in the car, telling him that she enjoyed the feeling of being unplugged for once.

      Parking behind Cyndi’s Porsche, Ben got out and locked the door. A grin played on his mouth as he walked away. The battered, dusty truck looked so out of place among the sleek saloons, SUVs and shiny sports cars that decorated the apartment lot. He kind of liked it. Approaching the entrance, Ben punched in the code. The buzzer sounded and he pushed open the heavy glass door.

      ‘Evening, Mr Danvers.’

      ‘Hi, Jerry. I don’t suppose you saw my sister go up this evening at all?’

      ‘I’m sorry, sir, no. I just came on duty a minute ago.’

      ‘That’s OK. Goodnight.’

      ‘Goodnight, sir.’

      Ben bounded up the stairs two at a time. Cyndi always tutted and sighed at him whenever he did that. He was still upset about the house but maybe they could find some sort of compromise – he’d been right to come back tonight instead of sitting there, brooding over what could have been. Despite her faults, he loved his wife and knew that he was nowhere near perfect himself. He should have known not to buy something as major as a house without discussing it with her first. Although, he had a feeling if he’d have bought a place in Barbados, there would have been a lot less drama.

      The elevator doors pinged open just as Ben walked past them and Sandy stepped out followed by Todd.

      ‘Ben! What are you doing here? I thought you were staying at the ranch tonight?’

      He bent and kissed her, before shaking Todd’s hand. ‘Yeah. Slight change of plan. I’ve been trying to call you.’

      ‘Not to worry.’ Sandy paused, studying his face. ‘She didn’t like it, did she?’

      Ben looked up from the bunch of keys he was fiddling with. She could read him like a book. Always had. He could never lie to her. ‘No.’

      ‘I’m sorry,’ Sandy replied, her heart breaking a little at the look in Ben’s eyes – a look he was trying to hide. He shrugged his shoulders as he picked out the correct key. ‘We’ll be on our way,’ she said, taking Todd’s hand and turning to go as Ben opened the door to the apartment.

      ‘No.’ He raised a hand. ‘We’re fine. You may as well stay for a coffee, just so’s it’s not an entirely wasted journey. I’ll go get Cyndi.’

      Cyndi’s shout of surprise made both Todd and Sandy jump. Exchanging a quick glance, Sandy moved a few paces across to peek towards the bedroom where the scream had emanated from. The look on her face made Todd follow, coming to stand behind her. Ben was leaning on the wall outside the bedroom door, his head tilted back, eyes raised to the ceiling, his skin pale, and looking desperately like he was trying not to throw up. ‘Ben?’ Sandy prompted, as she began to approach him. Suddenly she was halted by a man leaving the bedroom. Looking dishevelled, he hurried past them all, eyes lowered. The latch of the front door clicked loudly in the stunned silence. Ben pulled his head back, took a deep breath and then turning, looked back into the bedroom.

      ‘Apparently we need to talk.’

      ‘We should go,’ Sandy stated as they stood in the living room, waiting for Cyndi to make her entrance. ‘I think that’s a good idea,’ Cyndi agreed as she entered, tying the belt on a shimmering silk robe. Her expression was hard to read – she seemed neither embarrassed nor proud of being caught with a lover by her husband. But then she caught the look in her husband’s startling blue eyes. For a moment, it shocked her. They were filled with such pain and such anger – something she’d never seen before. It unsteadied her haughty demeanour and her eyes darted to her sister-in-law. There, in brown eyes instead of blue, she saw the same pain and a whole lot more anger.

      ‘How long, Cyndi?’ Ben asked.

      ‘Ben, I don’t think this is a conversation we ought to be having in front of company.’

      For once Sandy agreed with Cyndi. Moving across the room, one hand gripping Todd’s, she stopped briefly and gave her brother’s balled fist a squeeze and then let herself and Todd out of the apartment.

      ‘How long?’ Ben asked again after the door had closed behind his sister.

      ‘How long what?’

      ‘For Christ’s sake, Cyndi!’ Ben exploded, making her step back in shock. ‘I know you’re not as dumb as you try to make out so just answer the damn question. How long have you been sleeping around?’ The slap took him by surprise.

      ‘How dare you!’

      ‘How dare I?’ He felt a strange desire to laugh, as his hand touched the sting on his cheek. ‘I wasn’t the one caught with my panties down!’

      ‘Oh, grow up! You can’t tell me you didn’t know.’

      Ben sat down heavily, as though his knees could no longer support him. Cyndi hesitated and then sat opposite him. In a way it made it all so much worse. In the past when they rowed, she would storm off, slam the bedroom door and sulk for half an hour. Ben would potter around and then, after the set time had elapsed, he’d go in with a peace offering and they’d make up. But apparently Cyndi had no intention of stomping off this time. That fact meant that she wanted to deal with it, and that in turn confirmed to Ben it really was over.

      He looked back at the beautiful face. There was little emotion to be read on it and he no longer knew how much of that was due to Botox and filler and how much was just due to Cyndi. In complete contrast, Ben’s eyes were red, his hair was off in a bunch of different directions from where he’d been running his hands through it and his throat felt rough and constricted.

      Cyndi looked back at the man she had loved.

      ‘Nearly a year,’ she said quietly.

      ‘Why?’

      ‘I don’t know. I guess I was bored. The tour was great but then when that finished, I guess – it was just so … normal.’

      Ben smiled but it was cold and didn’t warm the ice of his eyes.

      ‘Why are you smiling?’ Cyndi asked, warily, unsure whether she truly wanted to know the answer.

      ‘I suppose that answers everyone’s questions as to whether you would have married me if I wasn’t part of Cheyenne.’

      Cyndi lowered her eyes. Ben had hoped for a denial, or at least an attempt at one, but she made none.

      ‘I always told you I was just a regular guy, Cyndi, but I guess that wasn’t enough for you?’

      ‘I did love you, Ben.’

      He looked at her and tried to believe it.

      ‘Do you love him?’ he asked, his fingers twiddling the gold band on his left hand

      ‘I don’t know.’

      Cyndi could see the muscles in Ben’s jaw working.

      ‘So you threw our marriage away on a “don’t know”?’ She made no answer. ‘What else is there, Cyndi?’ Ben’s uncharacteristic anger was bubbling up again. If she’d admitted to falling in love with someone else, he might have been able to understand it – in time at least. Ben was an old-fashioned romantic at heart and true love would win him every time. But this? This, he couldn’t understand. He’d loved Cyndi with all his heart. He’d meant every single vow he’d made and the thought she had destroyed everything on a whim was beyond him.

      ‘It’s just sex then?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘So, it’s not love and it’s not sex. What is it, Cyndi? What else is there? Why else would you bring him into our house, into our bed?’ He raised his palms to the ceiling. ‘You’re really gonna