take a vacation when all this is over. Maybe just
stay home and veg out,” she suggested. The key was getting away. Even when he
was on vacation Cole could get called in, unless they were across the country.
Cole wiped his face and didn’t reply for a moment.
Tanya sighed and rolled her eyes. She could practically feel
him resisting her suggestion. She didn’t know if it was his workaholic
tendencies or that he was really opposed to going away.
“It could be nice to stay home for a while. I need to do
some work on the backyard,” he countered.
“Have the landscapers not been going back there?” She
frowned and tried to remember the last conversation with the company’s owner.
With what they paid him, their yards should be amazing.
Cole threw the towel on the counter and stalked into the
bedroom. “Yeah, it’s fine.”
His sudden anger was completely from left field.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I think I’m missing
something. Why do you sound mad?” How had her amorous lunch turned into the
beginnings of a battle?
“It’s nothing.” He snatched his uniform pants and began
getting dressed.
“Cole, it’s not ‘nothing’. Will you tell me what’s bothering
you?” Hello, two steps forward and five steps back.
He continued pulling on his uniform, resolutely not
answering her. God, she loved the man, but his stubborn streak could drive her
up a wall.
“Cole—”
“I would really rather not have this conversation.”
“I’m just supposed to be okay with you being upset at me?”
“It seems that every time something comes up, instead of
taking care of it yourself, you throw money at the problem until it goes away.
The house isn’t nice enough? Get a new one. The yard isn’t green enough? Hire
someone. Your clothes aren’t pressed enough? Get someone else to do your
laundry. We used to do all these things ourselves, and now it’s like, I don’t
know, I’m obsolete in my own house.”
Tanya stared at her husband, no idea how to reply to that.
She had been ready for something about her being late, working too much or even
their sexual escapade the day before. This was unexpected and left her
speechless.
He was upset because they had enough money to pay people to
do some of the chores? She knew he’d never loved the house design as much as
she had, but the idea he flat-out hated it had never occurred to her.
All the stuff he mentioned was miniscule compared to the one
major thing that stuck out to her. Tanya had always had a gift for picking up
on the deeper issues at hand, but this one had blindsided her.
Cole felt obsolete.
She got off the bed and went to where he was furiously
shoving his shirt in his pants.
“Cole?”
“What?”
“Will you stop for one second, please?”
She thought he would tell her he needed to go, that he
didn’t have time for this, but he stopped and turned toward her, his lips
tightly compressed and his gaze going over her head. That didn’t matter. He was
giving her a moment. He’d told her what was wrong. They had communicated.
Tanya wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him as
tight as she could.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you felt that way. You’re not obsolete.
You’re why I want to try to make everything easy for you. You work so hard, I
just wanted you to be able to come home and relax. Not do chores. I’m really
sorry. Can we talk about this later? Tomorrow? Figure something out? I’m not
sure when our schedules will align.”
Cole sighed and hugged her back, resting his chin on the top
of her head. “Yeah, I think we should talk about it.”
“I’m sorry,” she said and meant it.
“Me too. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.” He
kissed her forehead.
“It’s okay. You’re under a lot of stress and I probably
haven’t helped any.”
He chuckled and slid his hands down to squeeze her hips. “I
think you’ve helped just fine.”
Tanya laughed, relief washing over her. Cole was like
stay home and veg out,” she suggested. The key was getting away. Even when he
was on vacation Cole could get called in, unless they were across the country.
Cole wiped his face and didn’t reply for a moment.
Tanya sighed and rolled her eyes. She could practically feel
him resisting her suggestion. She didn’t know if it was his workaholic
tendencies or that he was really opposed to going away.
“It could be nice to stay home for a while. I need to do
some work on the backyard,” he countered.
“Have the landscapers not been going back there?” She
frowned and tried to remember the last conversation with the company’s owner.
With what they paid him, their yards should be amazing.
Cole threw the towel on the counter and stalked into the
bedroom. “Yeah, it’s fine.”
His sudden anger was completely from left field.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I think I’m missing
something. Why do you sound mad?” How had her amorous lunch turned into the
beginnings of a battle?
“It’s nothing.” He snatched his uniform pants and began
getting dressed.
“Cole, it’s not ‘nothing’. Will you tell me what’s bothering
you?” Hello, two steps forward and five steps back.
He continued pulling on his uniform, resolutely not
answering her. God, she loved the man, but his stubborn streak could drive her
up a wall.
“Cole—”
“I would really rather not have this conversation.”
“I’m just supposed to be okay with you being upset at me?”
“It seems that every time something comes up, instead of
taking care of it yourself, you throw money at the problem until it goes away.
The house isn’t nice enough? Get a new one. The yard isn’t green enough? Hire
someone. Your clothes aren’t pressed enough? Get someone else to do your
laundry. We used to do all these things ourselves, and now it’s like, I don’t
know, I’m obsolete in my own house.”
Tanya stared at her husband, no idea how to reply to that.
She had been ready for something about her being late, working too much or even
their sexual escapade the day before. This was unexpected and left her
speechless.
He was upset because they had enough money to pay people to
do some of the chores? She knew he’d never loved the house design as much as
she had, but the idea he flat-out hated it had never occurred to her.
All the stuff he mentioned was miniscule compared to the one
major thing that stuck out to her. Tanya had always had a gift for picking up
on the deeper issues at hand, but this one had blindsided her.
Cole felt obsolete.
She got off the bed and went to where he was furiously
shoving his shirt in his pants.
“Cole?”
“What?”
“Will you stop for one second, please?”
She thought he would tell her he needed to go, that he
didn’t have time for this, but he stopped and turned toward her, his lips
tightly compressed and his gaze going over her head. That didn’t matter. He was
giving her a moment. He’d told her what was wrong. They had communicated.
Tanya wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him as
tight as she could.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you felt that way. You’re not obsolete.
You’re why I want to try to make everything easy for you. You work so hard, I
just wanted you to be able to come home and relax. Not do chores. I’m really
sorry. Can we talk about this later? Tomorrow? Figure something out? I’m not
sure when our schedules will align.”
Cole sighed and hugged her back, resting his chin on the top
of her head. “Yeah, I think we should talk about it.”
“I’m sorry,” she said and meant it.
“Me too. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.” He
kissed her forehead.
“It’s okay. You’re under a lot of stress and I probably
haven’t helped any.”
He chuckled and slid his hands down to squeeze her hips. “I
think you’ve helped just fine.”
Tanya laughed, relief washing over her. Cole was like
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