Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104869 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104869 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
“I think—” Her voice was unsteady and she paused for a moment, trying to compose herself. “If we applied ourselves, we could still…still save this marriage. We could have a good life together and—”
The obscenity that flew from his mouth startled them both. And she stared at him with huge eyes, his unpredictable mood stunning her.
“There’s nothing to save. It’s over. It never really began,” he told her from between gritted teeth, clearly fighting to maintain the calm she usually so admired in him.
“I’ve tried to make this work. For a year and a half I’ve tried. But we have nothing in common. And the thought of adding an innocent child into this cold, sterile atmosphere, I can’t even…” His jaw clenched as he bit off what he was about to say and stared at her for a long moment as if deciding whether to say it anyway. “You’re like a Barbie doll. All this waxy perfection on the outside but nothing substantive on the inside. I’ve tried. God knows I’ve tried, but liking you is hard, Kenna. And loving you? Fucking impossible.”
Kenny was numb. She felt like she was wading through mud. Thick, viscous, chest-deep mud. It suffocated her, slowed her reactions, and—blessedly—stifled her emotions.
She was on autopilot, smiling at the right times, trying to make conversation with Niall’s lovely, somewhat shy, new wife Fern, while always aware of Smith quietly brooding in the background. He hadn’t said much since that last painful indictment in the bathroom.
She hadn’t spoken to him either. She’d retreated, fled like a wounded animal seeking a safe, dark haven where she could hole up and lick her wounds…or maybe wither up and die.
But she didn’t have the luxury of taking shelter for too long. She’d had to cocoon herself within the shredded remnants of her pride and dignity, drag her mask firmly back in place, and climb into a car with the man who’d just emotionally eviscerated her. And then they’d both had to put up a pretense of normalcy for her family.
Only Smith wasn’t pretending. He wasn’t even trying to make it look like they were okay. He didn’t bother exchanging pleasantries with any of her brothers or their wives and had been steadily drinking since arriving half an hour ago.
Kenny tried to focus on other things, tried to put the conversation she’d had with Smith to the back of her mind for now.
“Where’s your father?” Fern asked. She and Niall had arrived late, both smiling, eyes glowing. Even in her own distracted state, Kenny could tell that her brother was different. The possessive, almost predatory, way he stared at Fern when he thought no one was watching was enough to make anyone blush.
Kenny had met Fern only once before but she quite liked her, even though she wasn’t sure they could, would, or should be friends. Not when the woman was a temporary fixture in their lives. As a result she’d found herself unable to truly relax around Fern. And she sensed a similar reservation in the other woman.
Beth appeared to have no such qualms and, as was her way, had immediately warmed to Fern. The two seemed to have bonded in a way Kenny had been unable to with either woman. She liked Beth, but her sister-in-law always seemed a little uneasy in her presence.
Kenny didn’t have many—or any—close female friends. She’d always been a bit of a loner, the outsider in every group. And honestly, other women didn’t seem to like her much at all. It was hard for her to relate to women like Beth who had a number of close friends.
“His flight was delayed,” Kenny told Fern. “He only arrived about forty minutes ago. According to Beth, he’s freshening up and will join us soon.”
“He must be exhausted.” Fern was much too sweet for her own good and looked concerned. Kenny said something about her father enjoying making an entrance and being an attention hog.
She wasn’t fully invested in this exchange, especially not when she caught sight of Smith topping up his drink yet again. He looked up and caught her watching him. His gaze sharpened and he began moving toward her, his movements spare, graceful.
Fern laughed at whatever throwaway comment Kenny had just made. She couldn’t quite remember what exactly she’d said and to make up for that lack of attention, as well as to ease her nerves while Smith approached her at a snail’s pace, she desperately searched for a new topic of conversation.
Fern was staring up at Beth and Gideon’s over-the-top Christmas tree and Kenny desperately grasped at that straw.
“Gideon and Beth really go overboard this time of year.”
Well, way to sound like a Grinch, McKenna!
But Fern smiled, her eyes bright with excitement.
“Oh my God, I love it!” she said, her voice loud and enthusiastic. Wow. The girl really seemed to like Christmas decorations.