conclusion that she was too emotional.
“So you’re demoting me.”
“Not at all. This is an excellent opportunity to learn another part of the business. Consider it a sideways promotion.”
She wanted to tell them to take their measly sideways promotion and shove it sideways. But she had thirty-one years of good-girl behavior against one short night as a rebel.
There was no contest.
D YLAN WAS LOOKING FOR a missing sock when his cell phone rang.
“Dylan?” the soft voice of his ex-wife greeted him.
“Ashlee? Aren’t you supposed to be on honeymoon?”
“Honestly, Dylan, you never listen to a word I say.” He’d heard that line often enough when they were married. “Our plane to Nassau doesn’t leave until Thursday.”
“Right.” There was a pause. Since he was the ex-husband, asking about her wedding night didn’t seem appropriate, although he couldn’t think of anything more inappropriate than her calling him on her first morning married to another guy.
“What’s up?”
“I wanted to tell you how happy I am that you’ve found someone special. At first I thought she was awful, but then I saw you two kissing and I could tell that you and Kendall are totally in love.” Her voice lowered.“It’s the only thing that made me go through that ceremony last night. If you’re happy in love, then maybe I can find it, too.”
Oh, great. He and Ashlee had had a pretty wretched marriage, all told. Between the yelling and the scenes, her being in love with the excitement of what he did and then freaking out before every race, there’d been little peace. Then there was the issue of her being a spoiled little rich girl and him being an equally spoiled little rich boy. They hadn’t stood a chance.
Still, he harbored a stubborn affection for Ashlee. She was flighty and spoiled, but she was also sweet. When she’d said she wanted a divorce, he’d felt nothing but relief. It took him months to realize that when she’d thrown those words at him she’d been loving the drama and expected him to talk her out of leaving. In the three marriages between, she still hadn’t given up on getting back together. He was fairly certain that she was drawn to the excitement of his world, but what she really craved was stability. He also wished she’d figure out soon that she didn’t love him any more than he loved her.
However, to blow her off would be like kicking a little Persian kitten for scratching up the upholstery. He couldn’t do it.
Ashlee’s biggest problem was that she was a born fool for romance. Being a three-time loser at marriage hadn’t dampened her sentimental notions an iota. Usually her starry-eyed romantic routine irritated him, but in the case of him and Kendall, he was glad Ashlee had decided to see true love where none existed. Kendall might not be a real actress, but she’d ended up doing a good job last night of acting crazy for him.
“I am telling you, Ashlee, that woman means the world to me. Like you mean the world to Harrison.”
“I know. I’m so happy for you. She seemed really slutty at first, but maybe that’s the kind of woman you need,” his ex-wife said with no irony that he could detect.
“Yeah, well, it might be a good idea to stop calling her a slut. I don’t think she appreciated it.”
“I guess it was prewedding jitters. Look, honey, if she’s going to be a part of your life, she’s going to be a part of mine. Put her on the phone, will you? I want to apologize.”
“Um, she’s in the bathroom right now.”
“Oh. You’re not just saying that, are you? Because if she’s right there and doesn’t want to speak to me, well, I’ll have to drive over there and apologize in person.”
“No. No! Don’t do that.”
“But she’ll be at the race tomorrow. I’m bound to see her. I want everything smoothed out now. You know how I am. I worry.”
“You’re going to the race?” What was wrong with Harrison that he couldn’t grab his wife and get
“So you’re demoting me.”
“Not at all. This is an excellent opportunity to learn another part of the business. Consider it a sideways promotion.”
She wanted to tell them to take their measly sideways promotion and shove it sideways. But she had thirty-one years of good-girl behavior against one short night as a rebel.
There was no contest.
D YLAN WAS LOOKING FOR a missing sock when his cell phone rang.
“Dylan?” the soft voice of his ex-wife greeted him.
“Ashlee? Aren’t you supposed to be on honeymoon?”
“Honestly, Dylan, you never listen to a word I say.” He’d heard that line often enough when they were married. “Our plane to Nassau doesn’t leave until Thursday.”
“Right.” There was a pause. Since he was the ex-husband, asking about her wedding night didn’t seem appropriate, although he couldn’t think of anything more inappropriate than her calling him on her first morning married to another guy.
“What’s up?”
“I wanted to tell you how happy I am that you’ve found someone special. At first I thought she was awful, but then I saw you two kissing and I could tell that you and Kendall are totally in love.” Her voice lowered.“It’s the only thing that made me go through that ceremony last night. If you’re happy in love, then maybe I can find it, too.”
Oh, great. He and Ashlee had had a pretty wretched marriage, all told. Between the yelling and the scenes, her being in love with the excitement of what he did and then freaking out before every race, there’d been little peace. Then there was the issue of her being a spoiled little rich girl and him being an equally spoiled little rich boy. They hadn’t stood a chance.
Still, he harbored a stubborn affection for Ashlee. She was flighty and spoiled, but she was also sweet. When she’d said she wanted a divorce, he’d felt nothing but relief. It took him months to realize that when she’d thrown those words at him she’d been loving the drama and expected him to talk her out of leaving. In the three marriages between, she still hadn’t given up on getting back together. He was fairly certain that she was drawn to the excitement of his world, but what she really craved was stability. He also wished she’d figure out soon that she didn’t love him any more than he loved her.
However, to blow her off would be like kicking a little Persian kitten for scratching up the upholstery. He couldn’t do it.
Ashlee’s biggest problem was that she was a born fool for romance. Being a three-time loser at marriage hadn’t dampened her sentimental notions an iota. Usually her starry-eyed romantic routine irritated him, but in the case of him and Kendall, he was glad Ashlee had decided to see true love where none existed. Kendall might not be a real actress, but she’d ended up doing a good job last night of acting crazy for him.
“I am telling you, Ashlee, that woman means the world to me. Like you mean the world to Harrison.”
“I know. I’m so happy for you. She seemed really slutty at first, but maybe that’s the kind of woman you need,” his ex-wife said with no irony that he could detect.
“Yeah, well, it might be a good idea to stop calling her a slut. I don’t think she appreciated it.”
“I guess it was prewedding jitters. Look, honey, if she’s going to be a part of your life, she’s going to be a part of mine. Put her on the phone, will you? I want to apologize.”
“Um, she’s in the bathroom right now.”
“Oh. You’re not just saying that, are you? Because if she’s right there and doesn’t want to speak to me, well, I’ll have to drive over there and apologize in person.”
“No. No! Don’t do that.”
“But she’ll be at the race tomorrow. I’m bound to see her. I want everything smoothed out now. You know how I am. I worry.”
“You’re going to the race?” What was wrong with Harrison that he couldn’t grab his wife and get
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