Chapter 7
Madeline leaned casually against her car, studying Colton Hayes with deliberate calm. She couldn’t help wondering: if she were still “Mrs. Hayes,” would he be standing here like this–speaking more to her now than he ever had during their five–year marriage?
A wry smile tugged at her lips, and she shook her head.
Colton’s brow furrowed. “What’s so funny?”
Unbothered by his gaze, her smile sharpened with a hint of mockery. “Don’t you laugh when you hear something ridiculous? Colton, divorce or not, we’re not the type to sit around swapping old stories. You barely knew me then, and I have no interest in digging through the past.”
W W W W W
She didn’t wait for his reply or for him to say whatever
and sped off.
clearly hovering on his tongue. Sliding into her car, she fired up the engine
Back home, she washed up and all but collapsed into bed. His sudden reappearance had stirred up memories she’d worked years to bury. For five years, she’d poured herself into being the perfect wife and mother, never once living for herself.
In the six years since leaving Fort Sentinel, she’d hidden away in a cabin deep in the Rockies, chasing the adventurous life she’d missed. She rarely thought about the past until tonight, when he’d forced it all back into the light.
Curling under the blanket, she rolled over and drifted into a heavy sleep.
The sharp barking of a neighbor’s hunting dog tore her awake sometime after midnight. The lingering images of Colton’s cold stare and Ethan’s guarded expression faded. She pulled on a robe and went to the window.
To her surprise, Colton was standing outside her front door, bundled in a black coat. His aide was nowhere in sight–unusual for a general. In a Rockies winter, with the temperature well below zero, he’d freeze solid if he stayed there much longer.
She had no idea what he was doing, but she opened the door anyway. The last thing she wanted was the headache of a frozen general on her porch.
By the fire, she handed him a mug of coffee. His fingers, red and stiff from the cold, trembled around the cup. After a long moment, he managed a faint smile. “Thanks.”
Something in her chest gave a small jolt. He had almost never smiled at her before; his default was a
Her frown returned. “What the hell are you doing here?”
cool, distant reserve.
He lowered his gaze. Frost melted from his lashes in tiny droplets. “I want to know why we got divorced.”
She stared at him-
–
at the open confusion on his face–and a mix of emotions swirled in her chest. So, her five years of struggle had meant nothing to him.
“You don’t know why we divorced?” Her voice was flat. “That’s exactly why we did.”
He went still, rare uncertainty clouding his eyes. Colton Hayes had always been privileged, focused, expecting the world to move to his rhythm. Maybe she’d been one of the few disruptions he’d never accounted for.
Her throat tightened, but she forced it down. “Before the divorce, I told you over and over. Since you and Ethan both wanted Vanessa, I agreed to the divorce, gave up custody, and walked away with nothing but my freedom. I signed everything over to Ethan as support. I spelled it all out for you. Do you remember any of that?”
His grip on the mug tightened. The blank look in his eyes told her everything he didn’t remember a thing.
She almost laughed at herself for expecting otherwise. Back then, he’d never really listened to her. She’d been nothing more than a placeholder his wife on paper, a homemaker, Vanessa’s stand–in caretaker.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I honestly don’t remember. Maybe I was buried in work. But is that really the reason you left? I can’t accept that.”
“Oh? Then what about coming home every night smelling like her perfume? Is that enough for you?”
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Every twist in the series in surprising
Chapter 7
3
He froze, disbelief flashing in his eyes. “Vanessa? You divorced me because of her?”
Her mouth curved in a humorless smile. “You came home every night smelling like her. Ethan kept telling me he wanted her to be his new mom. Was I supposed to cling to the title of ‘Mrs. Hayes‘ just to keep pretending? I wasn’t going to be a wife in name only.”
His lashes trembled, as if he hadn’t expected her to say that–or maybe because he’d never cared enough to notice her feelings in the first place.
But to her, the reason was simple. He’d liked Vanessa enough to remember her birthday, plan surprises, and actually listen to her. His
love had never been hers.
By 4:30 a.m., sorry.”
exhaustion was setting in, and she moved to show him the door–until he said, clearly and without hesitation, “I’m
She froze, his gaze steady on hers as he repeated, “I’m sorry. I didn’t see how much I was hurting you. That was my fault.”
A laugh slipped out before she could stop it. Making the almighty Colton Hayes apologize–now that was a rare feat.
And yet, a quiet melancholy settled in her chest. Saying it all out loud, laying bare the small, constant wounds of their marriage… maybe even he could see she had been hurt.
She pressed a hand to her chest, the weight there easing just a little. Maybe this was what letting go felt like.
“But I didn’t cheat. And I don’t have feelings for Vanessa,” he said suddenly, guilt and something like longing flickering in his eyes. “I looked after her because it was my brother’s dying wish. When people called her ‘Mrs. Hayes,‘ I didn’t correct them because—if he’d lived–she would’ve been his Mrs. Hayes.”
She waved a hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Yes, it does,” he said, the words quick and sharp, as if afraid she might walk away before he finished. “You’ve been gone six years. Ethan and I missed you. I want to clear the air and bring you back to the family.”
A stunned laugh burst out of her. Bring her back?
After ten years of clawing her way to freedom, he thought she’d return to being a live–in nanny and housekeeper?
“I’ve built my own life since the divorce. Why the hell would I go back? If you feel guilty about your brother and want to take care of Vanessa, that’s on you–but leave me out of it. I don’t owe you, or her, or anyone else a damn thing.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she yanked the door open, letting the icy wind and swirling snow rush in.
“Get out,” she said coldly. “Don’t make me say it twice.”
Every twist in the series is surprising
