Smoke And Ashes. Danica Winters

you think Andrew would be there? Were you parading yourself for him?” He looked her up and down. “He can do better.”

      “I don’t know how to prove to you that I’ve never cheated.”

      The road buzzed by. “So you’re a liar and a whore? Real classy. I married you to be a pure wife and a wholesome mother. First you couldn’t give me the children I wanted, and now you’re a cheater. There’s no reason to keep you in my life.”

      “I...” She tried to swallow the sickness back, but it was no use. She threw her hands over her mouth. She tried to tell him to pull over, but it was too late. She was sick all over his black dashboard.

      He’d never forgive her. He loved the car more than anything, and definitely more than her.

      “What the hell!” He pulled the car to the side of the road. He reached across her and opened the door. “Get out! I’m never going to be able to get your stench out of the leather.”

      They were only a few houses away from theirs, but distance didn’t matter... She was sick. If he’d been sick, she would have spent the rest of the day being the dutiful wife her mother had taught her to be. Yet he cared so little, he was kicking her out on the side of the road.

      “I can’t believe you, David.”

      “Get. Out.” His fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

      She grabbed her purse and stepped out of the car. He slammed the door and sped away with a spray of gravel.

      Once again, she was alone, just as she had been as a child when her parents had fought. Sometimes it frightened her how much David reminded her of her father. They were cut from the same cloth, constantly berating and putting down their wives—and this time, instead of her mother, it was Heather being demeaned.

      David stopped at their house. He didn’t pull the car into the garage; instead he got out and walked in through the front door.

      What would happen if she didn’t go home?

      David would probably love it. He’d never have to see her again. He’d get everything. All he’d need was a new wife. A wife to give him the family he’d always wanted—something he was only too happy to remind her she’d failed to give him no matter how hard she’d tried.

      She stepped up onto the sidewalk and made her way toward the house. Before she could go inside she needed to clean herself up. She walked around the side of the house and washed up with the hose.

      When she entered the kitchen, David threw a manila envelope at her.

      “I’ve had the divorce papers written up. All you have to do is sign them. Do it now.”

      She stared at the envelope that lay on the counter just where his note had been only hours before. She didn’t dare touch the paper out of fear that, if she did, it would make everything real.

      “David...no...”

      “Just sign the papers. You have to be as unhappy as I am.”

      For the first time in memory, she agreed with him. She wasn’t happy. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she had been happy with him. But that was what marriage was, right? It had ups and downs, and the job of both people was to make it work. Wasn’t it?

      “Things will get better. We just need to work together. Maybe you could take some time off. I don’t remember when we spent real time together.”

      “Did it ever occur to you that I was avoiding you? We should’ve put a stop to this relationship a long time ago, but I know you’re nothing without me. It was an act of sheer kindness that I’ve allowed you to be my wife this long.”

      Something inside her broke.

      “You’ve allowed me to be your wife? Hasn’t it occurred to you all I’ve given up to be with you? I gave up my education for you. I gave up my hopes of a job.”

      “A job,” he said with a smirk. “That would take dedication.”

      “Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean that I’m not dedicated—if I love something, I give it everything... Even if my love turns out to be misplaced.” She looked at him and tried to control the hatred that welled within her.

      “If you loved me so much, maybe you should have tried a little harder.” He reached into a drawer and pulled out a pen and laid it on the envelope. “Just sign the paperwork. It’s over.”

      She stared at the envelope but didn’t move. “We made a promise to each other. You told me you never wanted to get a divorce. That marriage meant something to you.”

      “Marriage does mean something to me, Heather. It means fidelity, trust, honesty. You haven’t given me any of those things.”

      She shook her head, trying to get rid of the ringing of his words. “Why do you always accuse me of something I haven’t done? I’ve never given you reason to think—” She paused as a terrible thought came to mind. “Are you cheating on me, David? Is that what all this is about? Are you accusing me out of your own guilt? Are you trying to make yourself feel better about something you’ve done?”

      “How dare you accuse me. I spend my days saving people’s lives. I’m a damn hero.” He ripped open the envelope and pushed the papers in front of her. “Sign them.”

      Her hands shook. It wasn’t that she hadn’t imagined the possibility of him asking for a divorce; she had just never thought it would be today.

      There was no coming back from this—not right now. He was too angry. There was only one thing to do that could make it any better—she had to hold him off.

      “I’ll have a lawyer take a look.”

      “Don’t you trust me, Heather?”

      “If you had asked me two hours ago, I would’ve said yes. But now, it would be stupid if I did.”

      She picked up the papers and her car keys and walked out.

       Chapter Six

      After Heather’s forced disappearance, Kevin hadn’t been interested in the Millers’ party and he’d found an excuse to leave. He shut his daughter’s door. Surprisingly Lindsay had dropped into her bed without protest, just as she’d easily agreed with him to leave the party.

      Colter sat behind his computer in his bedroom as Kevin made his way down the hall.

      “Where were you, Colter?”

      His son shrugged as he faced his screen. “I dunno.”

      “Try it again, bud. Where did you go after baseball practice?”

      “Baseball practice ran long.” He didn’t turn around. “When I made it to the Millers’, the party was over.”

      “You mind looking at me? I’m trying to talk to you.”

      His son shifted a few degrees in his seat. “What? I’m talking to you.”

      Kevin had never been much of a disciplinarian—that had always been more Allison’s job. God, he wished she was here.

      Once again he was reminded how badly he wanted a woman in their lives, someone he could share the ups and downs with, someone he could hold in his arms at night—someone like Heather.

      “Is Heather going to come to my game?” Colter asked, as if he could somehow sense what was on Kevin’s mind.

      “I don’t know. If you’d made it to the party, you could’ve asked her yourself. Where were you?”

      “God, don’t you get tired of asking the same questions? I told you... Baseball practice ran late. When I got to the party it was shut down. I didn’t stick around.”

      “You