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Authors: Victoria Christopher Murray
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in.”
Hosea laughed and Ivy (now relieved) joined him. The two shared that memory again, and Jasmine stood there, looking silly, feeling stupid.
“I guess I should be going,” Ivy said, although she didn’tmake a move.
“Yes, you should,” Jasmine said. “And you don’t have to worry about cleaning any of this up.” She shoved Ivy’s purse—as politely as she could—into her hands. “I’ll take care of everything ”—she glanced at Hosea—“here.”
“Uh, Ivy,” Hosea said, “thanks for coming by.”
“Okay?” she said, as if it were a question. As if she couldn’t figure out how one minute she’d been giggling with an old friend, and the next she was being kicked out. She scurried toward the door, her small feet taking short steps.
Turning to Hosea, Jasmine said, “I brought you a surprise.” She held up the basket, then dropped it back onto the desk. “But it seems like you’ve already eaten.”
“Jasmine,” he said, his tone carrying patience, “Ivy came by to see how I was doing. Mrs. Whittingham told her I’d be here, and she didn’t want me to be alone.”
“She should’ve called me.”
“Jasmine—”
“I’m sorry,” she said, putting her arms around him. “But can you blame me? I don’t want anyone taking care of you except for me.”
He embraced her and looked into her eyes. “Are you sure that’s all there is to this?”
She was silent, though she knew the thought behind his question.
He asked, “This isn’t about Natasia, is it?”
Jasmine pursed her lips, ground her teeth, squeezed her hands. She could hardly stand to hear the name—Natasia Redding.
Natasia was Hosea’s ex-fiancée. Eight months ago, she had stalked into their lives, a predator intent on snaring her prey.
“I never think about Natasia,” she lied, knowing that she had flashbacks about that dragon all the time.
She and Hosea were still in recovery, recuperating from thegreatest threat ever to their marriage—a man-stealing woman who’d been determined to make Hosea her prize.
Natasia had joined the staff of Hosea’s television show during their remote taping in Los Angeles, and from the moment they’d met, Jasmine knew the woman’s game. Natasia had set a web of tricks and traps and had wreaked all kinds of havoc in their marriage.
He said, “You know all of that is behind us, right?”
She nodded.
“We’ll have our troubles, but we can get through anything.”
She relaxed her jaw, eased open her fingers. “I know. We were meant to be.”
But even though Jasmine believed what she’d said, there was no way she’d ever again go through anything like those months with Natasia. Especially not after what Hosea had told her…
It was the night Hosea had come back home after they’d been separated for weeks. Together, they’d sat in the living room, their shoulders pressed together, holding hands, and Hosea had told her the truth.
“I never slept with Natasia,” he said as he looked down at their hands, their fingers entwined. “But…”
When he stopped, her heart pounded so hard she wondered if her chest could contain it.
He finished, “But I wanted to.”
A sob escaped from deep inside of her. And when she tried to pull away, he held her tighter.
“I want you to know the complete truth, Jasmine.” And after a pause, he said, “I did some things I’m not proud of.”
Even though she didn’t want to know, she asked, “What?”
It took him a moment to say, “I’m only telling you because the most important things we need besides love are truth and trust. I want to tell you the truth so that you’ll trust me again.” He stopped. He swallowed. “We kissed. We did…more.”
It was the “more” that brought all kinds of pictures to hermind and reminded her of the day she’d barged into Natasia’s hotel room, finding her husband with his pants down and Natasia barely clothed. It was the “more” that made her snatch her hand away and rush into
Hosea laughed and Ivy (now relieved) joined him. The two shared that memory again, and Jasmine stood there, looking silly, feeling stupid.
“I guess I should be going,” Ivy said, although she didn’tmake a move.
“Yes, you should,” Jasmine said. “And you don’t have to worry about cleaning any of this up.” She shoved Ivy’s purse—as politely as she could—into her hands. “I’ll take care of everything ”—she glanced at Hosea—“here.”
“Uh, Ivy,” Hosea said, “thanks for coming by.”
“Okay?” she said, as if it were a question. As if she couldn’t figure out how one minute she’d been giggling with an old friend, and the next she was being kicked out. She scurried toward the door, her small feet taking short steps.
Turning to Hosea, Jasmine said, “I brought you a surprise.” She held up the basket, then dropped it back onto the desk. “But it seems like you’ve already eaten.”
“Jasmine,” he said, his tone carrying patience, “Ivy came by to see how I was doing. Mrs. Whittingham told her I’d be here, and she didn’t want me to be alone.”
“She should’ve called me.”
“Jasmine—”
“I’m sorry,” she said, putting her arms around him. “But can you blame me? I don’t want anyone taking care of you except for me.”
He embraced her and looked into her eyes. “Are you sure that’s all there is to this?”
She was silent, though she knew the thought behind his question.
He asked, “This isn’t about Natasia, is it?”
Jasmine pursed her lips, ground her teeth, squeezed her hands. She could hardly stand to hear the name—Natasia Redding.
Natasia was Hosea’s ex-fiancée. Eight months ago, she had stalked into their lives, a predator intent on snaring her prey.
“I never think about Natasia,” she lied, knowing that she had flashbacks about that dragon all the time.
She and Hosea were still in recovery, recuperating from thegreatest threat ever to their marriage—a man-stealing woman who’d been determined to make Hosea her prize.
Natasia had joined the staff of Hosea’s television show during their remote taping in Los Angeles, and from the moment they’d met, Jasmine knew the woman’s game. Natasia had set a web of tricks and traps and had wreaked all kinds of havoc in their marriage.
He said, “You know all of that is behind us, right?”
She nodded.
“We’ll have our troubles, but we can get through anything.”
She relaxed her jaw, eased open her fingers. “I know. We were meant to be.”
But even though Jasmine believed what she’d said, there was no way she’d ever again go through anything like those months with Natasia. Especially not after what Hosea had told her…
It was the night Hosea had come back home after they’d been separated for weeks. Together, they’d sat in the living room, their shoulders pressed together, holding hands, and Hosea had told her the truth.
“I never slept with Natasia,” he said as he looked down at their hands, their fingers entwined. “But…”
When he stopped, her heart pounded so hard she wondered if her chest could contain it.
He finished, “But I wanted to.”
A sob escaped from deep inside of her. And when she tried to pull away, he held her tighter.
“I want you to know the complete truth, Jasmine.” And after a pause, he said, “I did some things I’m not proud of.”
Even though she didn’t want to know, she asked, “What?”
It took him a moment to say, “I’m only telling you because the most important things we need besides love are truth and trust. I want to tell you the truth so that you’ll trust me again.” He stopped. He swallowed. “We kissed. We did…more.”
It was the “more” that brought all kinds of pictures to hermind and reminded her of the day she’d barged into Natasia’s hotel room, finding her husband with his pants down and Natasia barely clothed. It was the “more” that made her snatch her hand away and rush into
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