“I hate that I’m jealous.” She wiped at her eyes and pressed her body closer to his. “I hate that it bothers me.”

He pulled her to him again. “You have the kindest heart.”

“It’s getting a workout lately. I can’t shake it and it bothers me.”

“I know.” He ran his hand over her hair as if the touch could take away her pain, but he had so much of his own, no amount of soft strokes with his hand was going to heal her heart. “I’m taking her to the doctor tomorrow. She’s very weak, and I’m worried about her. Curtis says it all sounds normal, but she’s never down like this.”

Kathy pulled back and looked up at him. A crease formed between her brows as it always did when something worried her. “Are the kids too much on her? They could come back home.”

“No. Actually, I think they keep her going. But I want to hear for myself what’s going on and what’s next. I owe that to her and the kids.”

Kathy ran her fingers under her eyes, smearing the black mascara smudges that had formed. “I know my throwing temper tantrums doesn’t seem like I care, but I do.”

“I know you do. And I’m being totally up front with you, even if it seems like I’m not.”

“I know you are. I just can’t believe Matt wouldn’t stick around.”

Carlos let out a breath and backed away from Kathy. He picked up the glass of wine she’d left on the table, which she’d obviously poured for him, and drank it down. The sweetness landed in his gut, but the alcohol did nothing to dull the pain he was feeling. “He’s getting married.”

“Married?”

“Yep.” He picked up the bottle and filled the glass again, hoping a second helping would ease the anger he had brewing over the man he once called his best friend. “They’re having a baby, isn’t that sweet?” The words burned against his tongue.

“Oh.” She covered her mouth. “That’s awful.”

“Some stand-up guy.” He finished the second glass of wine and set down the glass.

“I really think I should go spend some time with her. I need to let her know I support her.”

Carlos gathered her back in his arms. “That’s what amazes me about you. You’re so compassionate.”

“I don’t feel amazing or compassionate. I feel petty.”

He laughed and kissed her forehead. “You’re nothing of the sort.”

“I’ll wait until you know what’s going on with her.”

He nodded. “Curtis thinks we should bring her to dinner at Mom and Dad’s on Sunday.”

The tightening in her jaw didn’t go unnoticed, but she smiled and batted away tears. “I think that would be wonderful for her.”

“I’ll talk to her about it tomorrow. But for now…” He hoisted her up to his waist, and she wrapped her legs around him. He planted a kiss on her lips that made her go pliant in his arms. “Didn’t you say something about going to bed early?” he asked with a playful rise of his eyebrows.

“That was the idea.”

He held her tight, pressing his face into her shoulder and wishing he could clear his mind of Madeline. “Let’s go mess up those sheets.”

Chapter Five

Madeline had paced the floor in the kitchen from the moment she’d awoken until the kids had left for the school bus. How was she going to talk Carlos out of going to her appointment with her? No possible excuse she could come up with was going to hold.

The point was, he was going to go whether she wanted him to or not. He was going to drive her in her own damn car if she refused to get in his. And no matter what, she knew it was the right thing to do. After all, she’d gone through the surgery without having told anyone only to find him by her bedside. He’d given up everything in his life to take care of her—she owed him that much, to let him go and ask his own questions. Besides, it would be good to have more than one set of ears listening to what they had to tell her.

She finished as much of her breakfast as she could. Her nerves twisted her stomach. With a gulp of her cold coffee, she took her medicine and then lay back down on her bed. Already she was exhausted. He’d be here in two hours. She had plenty of time to take a nap before she showered and got ready.

“Maddie!” She heard her name called in her quiet house. It was familiar—a comforting sound. “Maddie!”

She sat up quickly, her heart racing at a record pace. She sucked in a breath when she realized she’d been alone when she’d fallen asleep.

“There you are,” Carlos said as he leaned against the doorjamb to her bedroom.

Madeline rested her hand on her chest and calmed herself down. She looked him over, standing in the doorway as he had a million times before. He looked just as relaxed now, as a guest, as he always had as her husband. That made the uneasy feeling in her stomach return.

Carlos shifted his weight. “I knocked, rang the bell, knocked again.” He laughed. “It’s a damn good thing that husband of yours never thought I was enough of a threat to change the locks.”

She rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”

“Time to go.” He walked closer to the side of the bed.

“I didn’t mean to sleep this long.” She kicked back the covers and landed her feet on the floor. “I need to take a shower.”

“You look fine. We don’t have time for a shower.”

We don’t have time for a shower. He didn’t mean it the way she heard it, but it warmed her just the same. Oh, how she wished they didn’t have to go to the appointment and they could stay right there. Her mind had been filled with him holding her in his arms, just as he had done the day before when he fed her soup.

Why was this man with dark chocolate eyes and handfuls of wavy black hair not her husband anymore? Where had it all gone so terribly wrong? She couldn’t even remember.

She swallowed hard and fought back the sadness that hovered in her chest. He belonged to Kathy now, just as she’d belonged to Matt for so many years.

“Are you all right?” He stepped even closer to her.

“I’m fine.” She smiled up at him then leaned back, away from him. She needed her space. It was as if the cancer wasn’t the only thing trying to kill her. Her emotions were doing their best to finish the job. “Let me get changed and I’ll be right out.”