Honest Love by CM Hutton Read Free Book Online Page B

wishing and hoping for a miracle or simply pack up my kids and move on.  The facts were clear that we’d never be a family again.  I was in control of my happiness now.  Jake couldn’t be a factor or an excuse anymore.  I flat refused. 
    “I think for Jake, it was all about his guilt.  He would send mixed signals because he felt guilty for what he’d done to me…to us.  Maybe it’s the same for her.”
    “Maybe.”  He didn’t want to believe me and that was okay.  I could see he still loved her and it made me smile as much as it made my heart hurt for him. 
    “What’s her name, by the way?” 
    “Abbi, her name is Abbi.”  Yeah, he was still hung up on her.  The way he said her name was like a beacon.  I smiled and for the first time since I’d met Derek, I felt a small amount of ‘pity’ for him and I hated it, but there was no other way to describe it.  He was hung up on a woman that had strung him along for years.  I knew it all too well…had known it intimately for nearly twenty years.
    We stood silently for a few seconds before I said, “I’m glad it’s Friday.  You?”
    “Sure.”  Derek looked lost in his thoughts. 
    “Big plans this weekend?”  I was desperately trying to snap him out of whatever funk I might have put him in with our conversation.
    “No, you?”  Finally.  He was back.
    “Well, I’m sure you can imagine how busy I am.”  I made a grand gesture like I was important royalty and it made Derek laugh.
    “I’ll be at the station all weekend.  I told my captain I’d come in and help do a few minor things around there.  Don’t worry.  I won’t re-injure anything.”
    “You’d better not make it worse.”  I scowled at him.  “We’ve worked hard this week.”
    “I know and I don’t want to repeat any of this, believe me.”  I smiled at him.
    “Okay go, get out of here.”  I shooed my hands for him to leave.  “Go rescue a few cats or whatever it is you firefighters do for work.  I’ll see you Monday.”
    “Sounds good.”  Derek limped out of my little room and I followed, headed to my office. 
    “Claire?”  Derek turned to face me. 
    “Yeah?”
    “Have a good weekend.  Give me a call if you get bored or lonesome…whatever.”  He handed me a piece of paper with his number on it.  When had he written that down?  I looked up to see that his face was a little red.  Embarrassed maybe?  His sweet tone was genuine, not teasing and didn’t hold any innuendoes. 
    “Thank you, Derek, I will and you have a great one, too.”
    He left and I sat in my office replaying my week with my new friend.  He could use a little touch of tough love when it came to his ex-wife, but he wasn’t ready.  I needed to be gentle with my words and I hoped that I could. 
     

Chapter 9
    Derek
    I didn’t sleep worth a damn Friday night.  Thoughts of Claire spending the weekend alone really bugged the shit out of me.  I hated it for her.  Sounded crazy to feel something about a woman I’d just met, but I understood her.  I understood starting over.  When Abbi first left me, I couldn’t function.  I hadn’t seen it coming.  I thought we were happily married.  I knew she was worried about me…about my injury, or at least I thought she was worried.  It wasn’t until we were told that I was done with football that our life started to unravel.  Looking back, I should have seen the signs. 
    I’d noticed the rather ‘cool’ reception toward me when she would come home from work or shopping, from anywhere really.  She’d claimed to be busy at work and I thought it was odd.  I mean, I’m not some chauvinistic pig, but how busy can a high school teacher be?  Still, I chose to believe her.  Then, the fights would start about pretty much anything.  It was crazy because in all the years we’d been together, there weren’t any real fights.  We’d enjoyed each other. 
    So, when I’d try to point out the ridiculousness of our