After congratulating him on getting the job of his dreams, Tessa had fixed a celebratory meal and tried very, very hard not to worry or fret about what would happen next. It had always been somewhat understood that once Tessa had a steady job and a means to support herself that she and Peter would go their separate ways. He had stayed on in Tucson this long largely to finish his degree, and then because of the lack of job opportunities in his field. But now that he’d finally landed his dream job, Tessa knew that meant their divorce was imminent, and she would be left here on her own. The thought alternately saddened and terrified her, but she was determined not to ruin this for Peter or make him feel guilty in any way.

It was Mrs. Carrington who’d put the idea in her head of moving to San Francisco with Peter. Tessa had told her boss about Peter’s new job and imminent move, and Mrs. C. had, in her usual blunt way, urged her to go along with him.

“You’re wasting your skills here working for me, you know,” she had chided. “While there certainly needed to be a learning period initially, you’re now much too overqualified to remain here indefinitely, Tessa. And given your own past, I think it would be the best thing in the world for you to have a change of scenery. You’ve lived in this part of the country your entire life, haven’t you? Time to move on, missy, and see something of the world.”

Tessa had felt a little thrill of anticipation rush through her at Mrs. C.’s words. “You really think so? I mean, what would I do? Jobwise, that is.”

“Humph.” Mrs. C. had made a dismissive motion with her hand. “Don’t forget that this company’s American headquarters are located in San Francisco. There are hundreds of employees there, plus the Gregson hotel itself. I’m quite sure that there would be several open positions that you would be completely qualified for. I’ll tell you what, young miss. I’ll call the head of Human Resources up in San Francisco and see what sort of things might be available. Put in a good word for you at the same time, too.”

Mrs. Carrington hadn’t wasted any time in making that phone call, and had assured Tessa that there were in fact half a dozen or so job openings at the regional headquarters that she could be considered for. With that information in hand, Tessa had then steeled herself to share her news with Peter that evening.

He’d been visibly surprised to learn that she, too, wanted to move to San Francisco. “Are you sure about this, Tess?” he’d asked warily. “I mean, living in a big city like San Francisco is going to be a whole different lifestyle than what you’ve been used to. It’s noisy and crowded, the weather’s a whole lot colder, and it’s crazy expensive to live there. Not like we live extravagantly here, of course, but we’d really have to tighten our belts living in San Francisco.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” she’d offered quietly. “It wouldn’t be the first time, after all. And if I don’t go with you, how are you going to be able to afford living there? Especially since you won’t be earning a regular paycheck.”

Peter had looked sheepish. “Frankly, I hadn’t thought that part out too well. Guess I was so excited about getting the job that I haven’t considered the more practical aspects. I figured I’d have to rent a room somewhere, a shared rental with a few other guys. The news agency might have some ideas, maybe I could bunk with some other employees who have the same sort of job I’ll have.”

“But if I went along with you, we could afford a place of our own,” Tessa had pointed out excitedly. “I’m guessing it won’t be as big as this place but hopefully we wouldn’t have to settle for a shared rental.”

“Maybe.” Peter had been dubious at the idea. “What about your job?”

She’d told him then about what Mrs. C. had discovered, as well as the fact that all of the openings at regional headquarters paid much better than her current salary. “So transferring wouldn’t be a problem at all,” she had assured him. “And it would be a good career move for me. I don’t want to keep doing the same thing for much longer, Peter. I mean, I like my job but Mrs. C. is right – I’m sort of wasting my time there. And, well, I want to get out of Tucson, too. The whole southwest in fact. You aren’t the only one who has ghosts, you know.”

He had still been hesitant, not convinced that she wasn’t offering to make this move for the right reasons. “Are you sure that’s your real motivation, Tess?” he’d asked gently. “Or is it just because you can’t handle the thought of being alone if I went without you?”

“That’s part of it,” she’d admitted reluctantly. “You know I’m a coward, Peter. As well as insecure and introverted. And I’m still afraid that I’m going to become like my mother, and have to fight off the bouts of depression.”

“Hey, none of that now, okay?” he’d told her firmly. “You’re not like your mother, Tess. You’ve never once had anything resembling a manic episode, and you’ve dealt with the depression really well. But I do worry about you moving to San Francisco under these circumstances, given that I’ll be away for weeks at a time. Wouldn’t you be better off staying here where things are familiar to you? And I realize you don’t have a lot of friends but at least you know people at work. If you go to San Francisco with me, you’ll be a stranger in a strange city, and I’m concerned about how you’d cope.”

Tessa had nodded. “I know. Believe me, I’ve thought about all of that. And, well, maybe it would be good for me to be left alone for a few weeks at a time. You know, to learn how to depend on myself, manage things without you. And since I’d know you were coming back in a few weeks, it wouldn’t be like I’d be totally alone forever.”

Peter had sighed. “You’re just postponing the inevitable, Tess. You know that, don’t you? This can’t go on for much longer – what passes for a marriage between us. I know you need more – a whole lot more – and it frustrates the hell out of me because I can’t give it you.”

“I don’t need -” she’d begun to protest, until Peter had held up a hand.

“Stop,” he’d insisted. “You do need it. All of it. Even more than you realize. And you have to stop hoping that one day I’ll be able to give it to you. Come on, Tess. We’ve been together for five years now and I can still barely tolerate being touched. Whereas you – well, you’re the most affectionate person I’ve ever known. You need someone in your life who can return that affection, who can be a real husband to you, give you children. And I wish with all my heart that I could be that man, because I know I’d never come close to finding someone like you ever again. But I – can’t, Tess. I just can’t. And every time I realize that I feel like hell. So I should really set my foot down right now and tell you a flat-out no, that I’m moving to San Francisco alone and filing for divorce so that you can finally be free to have the sort of life you deserve. But, well, you do bring up some good points.”