Crossroads of the Heart

by Savannah Maris

  She finishes the water by the time “I Can Love You Like That” by John Michael Montgomery starts playing. “Dance with me?” I lead her to the empty dance floor and pull her in tight.

  “Listen to the words, Tamryn.”

  We start to sway to the music, and I kiss the side of her head. She pushes my chest. “No, no, no. You can’t do that. I’m still married.” She stumbles back to the table. “I can’t do this.”

  I raise my hands. “Okay, okay, we’re just friends. Nothing more.”

  “I need to go.” She snatches her keys and starts for the door, but I grab her arm.

  “No, ma’am. You’re not getting behind the wheel of a car like that. Either you stay here and sober up, or I’m driving you home. Even if you stay, I’m still following you.”

  “Fine.”

  I guide her back to the table and wave Becky over. “Would you please bring her some black coffee and dry toast?”

  Becky nods before she turns toward the kitchen while we remain at the table. I can’t say it’s a comfortable silence, but it’s a needed one. Maybe I pushed too far, too fast, but I gave her courage. What was she going to say about one day? Maybe one day she’ll be with me? For that alone, I’ll protect her from anyone, even herself.

  She eats the toast and drinks the coffee. “I’ve gotta pee,” she announces before she tries to scoot the chair back, but I pull it for her. She isn’t completely stable in her heels, but close enough that I don’t think she’ll fall walking to the restroom.

  While she’s gone, someone I’ve never seen before walks in and sits at the bar. When Tamryn walks back to the table, the man watches her. She’s wobblily at best. The man may have worn jeans and a T-shirt, but those shoes say city. He’s not from around here. I see him pull his phone from his pocket and discreetly turn it toward Tamryn. Oh shit, her worst fear has come true. The paparazzi have found her.

  I meet her several feet from the table with her keys in hand. I lift my chin to Dale in a gesture he knows means to put the charges on my tab, and I’ll stop by tomorrow to pay. When I wrap my hand around Tamryn’s upper arm, she leans into me. She’s going to be the death of me.

  I whisper into her ear. “You need to get out of here. I think they’ve found you.”

  Tamryn furrows her eyes and tilts her head. “No,” she whispers.

  I guide her outside to the passenger side of my truck. “I’m taking you home. Either Becky or I can bring you back for your Jeep tomorrow.”

  15

  Da

  “Your buddy looks like he’s going to have his hands full with his girl.”

  I smile. “Yeah, that’s not his girl. They’re just friends.”

  The stranger nods. “They seem close.”

  I shrug. “They just met on Friday, so they can’t be too close.” I rub the stubble on my cheek. “He did help her out over the weekend and today, though. So who knows, maybe they’re getting closer.”

  The man lays a ten-dollar bill down on the counter and walks out of the bar and grill.

  Noah

  Tuesday morning my alarm wakes me up early so I can send Carol an email about my schedule and potential clients who need contracts. I pick up my phone to see a new message from Bash. I opened it, and there are two pictures—one of Tamryn by herself and the other of her with a man. The same man from the car rental at the airport. Fuck! She doesn’t look like she normally does, so I enlarge the picture. Son-of-a-bitch. I know that look. She’s drunk, something she hasn’t done in years. Well, not that I know of. Does she drink on photoshoots?

  The text that follows says:

  She met him Friday night and have become fast friends.

  What the hell does that mean? Why would a man and woman become fast friends? The man wants in her panties, if he hasn’t been there already. I place a call to Bash.

  “Hey, man. You on your way to the airport?”

  “Getting ready now. What did you see?”

  “If the way she was walking was any indication, she was wasted.”

  “Fuck! Do you know who he is?”

  “Not really, but his picture is on a wall in this bar beside yours.”

  “Mine?”

  “Yeah, apparently they have pictures of the winners of some rodeo on the wall.”

  “I won some local events. That’s how I paid for law school.” My phone beeps with an incoming call, so I pull it away to see who’s trying to reach me. Carol’s name flashes on the screen. I’ll call her back later. “So, what happened?”

  “I followed them to a small house on the lake. I assume it’s his.”

  “She accused me of cheating, but what the hell is she doing?”

  “I don’t know, Noah, but she was in no condition to consent to anything.”

  I flop into a chair in the living room. “Oh, God, no!”

  “Hold it together, man. Let me know when you land, and I’ll meet you at the only hotel they have here. We’ll devise a plan then.”

  “Thanks. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  I disconnect the call just as the doorbell rings. I check my watch as I walk toward the door. My brows furrow because Donald is early. “Don—"“Noah Carmichael?”

  “Yes, I’m Noah.”

  “Would you please sign here?” the man at the door asks.

  I sign then the man gives me a thick envelope.

  “You’ve been served.” The man turns and walks away.

  What the hell? I tear open the envelope and read: “Dissolution of Marriage.” She’s filed for divorce? I make it as far as the kitchen sink where I regurgitated my coffee. My phone rings again, and Carol’s name appears. “Carol?”

  “Noah, a process servicer was waiting here for you when I walked in this morning. I told him you weren’t here. What do you think that’s about?”

  “It’s okay, Carol. He found me here. Tamryn filed for divorce.”

  “What?”

  “I sent you an email that I’m out of town the rest of the week. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “When she realizes her assumptions are a complete misunderstanding, it’ll be fine. If you need me, send a text because I don’t know how good cell reception is where I’m going. I’ll check in when I can.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Thanks, Carol.”

  A few minutes later, Donald pulls up. The papers are clutched in my fist as I pick up my carry-on. With Atlanta traffic, it could take an hour or more to get there, so I use the time to look over the divorce papers. I read through them and can’t believe she’s initially asking for so little. Either this is a knee jerk reaction or she really just wants out. I call the number on the business card attached to the document.

  “E.T. Lee, attorney at law,” the female voice says.

  “This is Noah Carmichael. Is Mr. Lee in?”

  “Um, yes, sir. H-Hold one moment please.”

  My foot taps on the floorboard while I wait. “E.T. Lee.”

  “Mr. Lee, this is Noah Carmichael. It appears my wife has been to see you, and you’ve assisted her in filing papers to dissolve our marriage.”

  “Yes, Mr. Carmichael. That’s correct.”

  “I’m on my way to Saluda as we speak. Please inform my wife that I will not be signing these papers until she and I sit down to talk—alone.”

  “I don’t know if Mrs. Carmichael will agree to that. Plus, I’d insist on being present if she does.”

  “We’ll see, Mr. Lee. Tomorrow would be preferable. Say, over breakfast since it’s her favorite meal of the day.”

  “I-I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Did my number come up on your caller ID?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Unless I’m in the air, you should be able to get in touch with me. Otherwise, tell Tamryn she has my number.”

  I disconnect the call. I was able to hold my shit together while I was on the phone, but now I feel like I’m about to hurl again. After taking a deep breath to
gain some composure, I immediately call Bash.

  “I know you haven’t landed already.”

  “Why the hell didn’t you tell me she went to see an attorney?”

  “What? I figured it was just a consultation, and you’d be here before

  anything was done. How did you know?”

  “Because I was served with damn divorce papers as I was walking out the fucking door!”

  “Are you serious?”

  I sigh in frustration. “Yes.”

  “Well, don’t worry. We’ve got her in a house with another man for the entire night. I stayed in my car waiting for his truck to leave, and it didn’t, so you’ve got her red handed, my man.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me, right now? That is not what this is about.”

  “It may not have started that way, but if she’s filing for divorce, you’ve got to protect yourself.”

  I run my hand down my face. “I’m at the airport. I’ll call you when I land.”

  16

  Tamryn

  When I wake, my head is pounding so hard I think my eyes may explode. I’m never drinking tequila again. I make my way to the bathroom to wash my face and retch into the toilet. Oh God. After brushing my teeth, I find the ibuprofen and shuffle to the kitchen for a glass of water. I start a pot of coffee in hopes I’ll be able to drink it. When I turn toward the living room, I see Colt just waking. What the hell?

  I place my hands on each side of my head to keep it from erupting. “What are you doing here?”

  “I stayed to make sure you were all right. You’re welcome.” The frown on his face tells me he isn’t happy with the way I greeted him.

  “Colt, you can’t be here. It doesn’t look right. I’m married.”

  “You’re separated, and nothing happened. I slept on this lumpy old couch.” He stands and rubs his back. “That thing has more lumps than poorly made milk gravy.”

  I can’t help but smile at his reference because I never learned to make milk gravy well. Noah always teased me about my gravy. “I know, but you just can’t, okay?”

  He places a finger under my chin and tilts my face toward his. “Okay. So, you’re hung-over, huh?”

  “Yeah, I haven’t done this in years.”

  “Darlin’, there are better ways to work out your issues. You may have regrets the next morning, but at least you wouldn’t be sick.” Colt wiggles his brows.

  “I don’t cheat, Colt. That would make me no better than Noah. I’m not doing that.” My voice is barely above a whisper.

  “So that’s what he did? He cheated?”

  I raise a shoulder. “Evidence says he did, but I don’t have any hard proof.” Tears sting my eyes.

  “Why would someone who has every man’s walking wet dream cheat?”

  I close my eyes. “I don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult.”

  “Oh, believe me, it’s a compliment.” He flashes a crooked smile.

  “No, it’s based on my looks, not who I am in here.” I point to my heart.

  “And I want to know who you are in there too. In fact, I want to know everything about you. For example, do you prefer a man to make love to you slow, or do you like it quick, or down and dirty? What time of day is your favorite time to have sex? Do you like to eat afterward or cuddle?”

  My mouth falls slightly open. I can’t believe Colt is saying these things to me, but I’m a little turned on by them as well. Noah knows these things about me, but he hasn’t been around that much in years. Maybe he’s forgotten.

  “You can’t do that, Colt.”

  “Too much, too soon?”

  “Yes, and quite frankly it kinda freaks me out.”

  “I’m sorry, darlin’, but I never thought I’d have an opportunity like this with you. I want you to know how I feel, so you know what’s waiting for you on the other side.”

  I take a step back. “I can’t.”

  Colt closes his eyes and holds up his hands. “Okay, I’ll back off, slow it down. We’ll take it one day at a time. I can’t help that even the most remote possibility of my dream with you coming true has me excited. I don’t want to waste a second of our time together.”

  I tentatively smile. “I’m flattered, but right now I’m not ready to think about another relationship in my life when I’m ending the only one I’ve ever known. I hope you can understand that for right now, I just need a friend.”

  “You’ve got it, darlin’.” Colt leans forward and kisses my cheek. “I’m going to get out of here so you can rest. Call me when you want to get the Jeep, and I’ll take you to Crossroads.”

  “Just pick me up at seven. I need to apologize to Dale and Becky.”

  “See you then.” Colt walks out the door and takes the porch steps in two strides while I watch from behind the screened door. When he’s behind the wheel of his truck, he flicks his hand for me to go inside before he drives off.

  For the first time since I’ve been here, I feel truly alone. I need to get in touch with Harold, maybe go back to work. I’ve been in vacation mode for the last few days, so I need to check me emails and decide if I want to stay in Saluda or go to Aiken to be with my parents.

  I sip my coffee and close my eyes, enjoying the feel of the warm liquid taking over my body.

  Once I start to feel human again, I take a shower and decide to look at my emails. There’s one from Noah from Saturday. My hand flies to my mouth as tears streak down my face. He misses me? Oh God, when he finds out what I did, it’ll be too late. He’ll never forgive me.

  With my hands trembling, I send him a quick response.

  Noah,

  I’m sorry.

  Tamryn

  17

  Noah

  As soon as I’m allowed to turn on my phone, I do while I wait for the plane to come to a stop. People shuffle around, and I’m glad that I’m close to the front door so I can disembark quickly. I step foot inside the airport and walk toward short-term parking while I text Bash. Landed. When I look up from my phone, I see one of the men who works for my father waving at me. As he approaches, I stick my hand out to shake his.

  “We’re parked over here. The truck has a full tank of gas, so you should be good to go.”

  “Thank you.”

  As soon as we turn the corner of the parking garage, there sits my old white pickup. Perfect. She wants a walk down memory lane, this may as well be a flashing neon sign. My dad is leaning up against the truck waiting on me. He’s aged since the last time I saw him which I can’t even remember when that was. Christmas? No, I went to see Tamryn on location in the tropics. I massage my forehead. It must be almost two years, then.

  “Dad, how are you?” I hug my father.

  “I’m good. So, what’s going on?”

  I take a deep breath. “Seems Tamryn is giving me an ultimatum.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She served me with divorce papers when I was leaving this morning. I guess I’m at a crossroads of what’s more important, my career or my wife.”

  “Damn.” My father places a hand on my shoulder. “What are you going to do? You still think she’s worth it?”

  I narrow my eyes at him, trying to figure out his angle. “I told her attorney that I wouldn’t sign anything without talking with her alone first.” I run my hand over my head. “If she still wants out after that, then I’ll sign and give her every damn thing she wants, but if there’s the smallest chance we can make it work, get back to where we both want to be then I’ll move Heaven and Earth to make it happen.”

  I look my father square in the eyes. “She’s been my world since before I started high school. I’m not ready to lose my world, Dad. Do you understand where I’m coming from?”

  My father nods. “Yeah, son. I was just wondering if you did.” He hugs me tight and slaps my back. “Go get your girl back.”

  Tears pool in my eyes as I give a confirming nod to my dad then climb into the truck and crank her up. This truck fits me like a comfort
able pair of jeans. I check my phone one more time before I put the truck in gear and see an email had come in from Tamryn. My heart races as I pull it up. She’s sorry? I pull out of the parking lot, and I can still see Tamryn sitting in the middle of the seat with her hand resting on my upper thigh and her fingers tucked under it.

  Two weeks before our senior year of high school starts we’re driving to a rodeo in Saluda. Even though her hand is in its normal place on my thigh, she seems nervous. “Tams, what’s wrong? Are you nervous about tonight?”

  “I’m always a nervous during a rodeo.” She gives me a weak smile.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “Well, we’ve been, um, talking about sex, and, um, well, I think I’m ready to take that step.”

  She picked one hell of a time to drop that bomb. I swerve and part of my tires run off the road. I get control of the truck and see a place where we can pull off. When the truck comes to a stop her eyes widen, but I don’t care. I cup her face in my hands.

  “I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect that to come out of your mouth.” I kiss her as tenderly as I possibly can before I place my forehead against hers. “Tams, I want that so much, but only when you’re ready.”

  18

  Tamryn

  I’m sitting in an Adirondack chair on the dock overlooking the lake and sipping a glass of water. He wants to fix us. He wants to talk. If he knew where I was, would he know why I’m here? My mind drifts to the last time Noah and I were in Saluda.

  We’re driving over from Aiken for a rodeo just before our senior year of high school. We’ve talked about having sex, but I haven’t told him I’m ready.