Always Look Twice by Geralyn Dawson Read Free Book Online Page A

established a relationship of sorts with their father, he had not. He would not. Torie understood and didn’t pester him to forgive Branch for his culpability. Without his saying another word, he knew that Torie would also understand that fatherhood wasn’t for him. Not again.
    She slipped her hand in his and they walked a few moments without speaking. ‘‘How long ago was that, Mark?’’
    ‘‘A couple years.’’
    ‘‘Has there been a problem with the divorce going through?’’
    ‘‘We never actually talked about divorce,’’ he said with a shrug. They hadn’t talked at all since he’d shut their hotel door in New York and walked out of the Waldorf feeling angry, empty, and alone.
    ‘‘Out of sight, out of mind?’’
    Not hardly. But he didn’t intend to give Torie that ammunition. She sighed and they continued their walk along the flagstone path, where a groundsman lit tiki torches and the exotic fragrances of tropical flowers perfumed the air. She waited until they’d passed another strolling couple to ask, ‘‘What are you going to do now?’’
    ‘‘Go home. I have a bunch of work piling up on my desk. This thing with Sophia put me behind.’’
    ‘‘Nope.’’ She tugged her hand away, then slipped her arm through his. ‘‘What you are going to do is hang with your family while we’re here on vacation. We’re all due some time together. What I meant is, what are you going to say to your Annabelle when you see her?’’
    Mark’s muscles tensed. ‘‘I’m not going to see her.’’
    ‘‘Luke says her office isn’t far from here.’’
    ‘‘So?’’
    ‘‘So you need to settle things between the two of you.’’
    ‘‘ Things are fine between us. Things don’t exist.’’
    ‘‘But what about what she wants?’’
    ‘‘Hell, Torie, if she wanted anything from me . . . believe me, Annabelle isn’t shy about asking. She’s fine with things .’’
    ‘‘I doubt that, Mark Callahan. Look, you can’t stay married to someone you don’t speak to for two years. It’s wrong for you to leave her hanging, especially if her clock is ticking. Believe me, I know.’’
    He heard something in her voice. ‘‘Is your clock ticking, Torie?’’
    Her mouth slid into a satisfied smile. ‘‘Not anymore. I’m pregnant. I’m due in May.’’
    He stopped, grinned down at her, and gave her a big hug as she grinned back and continued, ‘‘But don’t say anything. Matt wants to make a big announcement when we’re all together. Now, back to your Annabelle. You need to do right by her, Mark. If you’re not going to keep her, then let her go.’’
    ‘‘Torie, honey, it’s not like that. You don’t know Annabelle. She’s the most direct woman I’ve ever met. If she wanted a divorce, she would have asked for one by now.’’
    ‘‘Maybe she doesn’t know what she wants. Maybe she’s been holding out hope that you’ll change your mind.’’
    Mark stared out at the gently rolling surf. ‘‘That is not gonna happen.’’
    ‘‘I won’t comment on how sad that is,’’ Torie replied. ‘‘Does she understand how you feel? You’re not exactly the most open person when it comes to emotions. Did you make it clear to her?’’
    He thought back to that last time in New York, her hurt silence, his defensive panic, right before she stole his clothes and decamped. ‘‘Yes.’’
    Okay, even he heard the defensiveness in the word. ‘‘Maybe we ought to head back. Your husband’s probablyworrying that you finally wised up and ran off with me.’’
    ‘‘Ha. What he’s worrying about is that I’ll overtax myself while taking a simple walk. The man has always been overprotective, but since the minute that test stick turned blue, he’s been a bear.’’
    Mark recalled the moment Carrie’s test turned up positive. The timing couldn’t have been worse what with him about to deploy overseas, but still, they’d been giddy with happiness. The memory was