Love Me Again Read online

  This wasn’t something yoga could fix. No amount of deep breathing, yoga Uttanasanas, or Savasanas could fix this.

  America’s sweethearts file for divorce. That was just the kind of juicy gossip that the small town of Willow Oaks—no matter how much she loved it—would feast on. Jenna shut the car door gently, so as not to wake the neighbors and rouse suspicion. It was times like this that she hoped she lived in the big city where good fences made good neighbors.

  Chapter 7

  Dave heard Jenna’s car come up the driveway, as he’d stayed up waiting for her. He really hadn’t intended for her to find those darned papers. He was careless, and it was, without a doubt, his fault. In fact, what he hadn’t told Jenna was that he had taken the next two weeks off work.

  Their thirteenth wedding anniversary was coming up, and he wanted to try to work on their marriage. He truly did love her. But somehow, they had gotten to a place where he didn’t know how to tell her that what was happening—or had been happening—was affecting their family life. At least that’s how he felt.

  He heard the door shut. Gently this time, no slamming. Dave wasn’t sure if he should get up and meet her downstairs. But before he could decide, he heard her footsteps coming closer to the bedroom.

  Jenna opened the door a crack and then slipped in.

  He turned in bed to face her and sat up.

  Jenna stopped and paused for a moment. “Hi,” she said in a voice, almost a whisper.

  Dave got up and walked over to her. He tentatively reached for her. And when she didn’t push him or pull away, he enveloped her in a big, tight embrace. “I’m sorry.”

  Jenna hugged him back. “I’m sorry too.”

  They stayed in that embrace for what felt like five minutes. Maybe ten. However long it was, they hadn’t had that kind of connection in years. “I got a call from Brad this evening.”

  “Brad?” Jenna looked up at him and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

  “Chief Knight.”

  “Ugh,” Jenna let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. She went to the bathroom to wash her face. “What did he say?” she asked, as she brushed her teeth.

  “Told me that he pulled you over today. Didn’t give you a ticket, but that he thought I should check in on you.”

  “Of course.” Jenna wiped her face with a towel and got changed in to her pajamas. “It won’t be long before the big news hits the rest of the town. Wait till my mom gets a wind of it.”

  “Look, Jenna,” Dave said from bed as he waited for her to join him. “It was never supposed to be like this.”

  She said nothing and continued with her nighttime routine. Jenna unscrewed the cap off the tube of hand cream and squeezed some into her palm. “What we need to do is figure out how to move forward, without letting the rest of the town know. Before they even get a whiff of it, we need to have made a decision. Cut it clean. Hot knife to butter.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean”—Jenna climbed into bed and laid down, pulling the covers over her—“we stay together in this house until I find a job and you get a new place.”

  Dave leaned against the headboard. “I’ve got next week off. We can sort something out then.”

  “Next week? Why?”

  He shrugged. Did she know it was their anniversary?

  “You haven’t taken a vacation in years. Why next week, all of a sudden?” Jenna asked. And as if something inside her clicked—“Ah, I see, never mind”—she said.

  Dave rubbed his face again. “Jenna, no—you’re jumping to conclusions, here.”

  “I get it, Dave.”

  “You’ve got to stop acting as if you know everything, Jenna!” Dave blurted. It angered him slightly—a lot—that things were always black or white with her. One or the other. Right or wrong. “You don’t always have to have the answer. You don’t always have to be in control. I planned the next two weeks off, because I wanted to spend time with you—to work on our marriage! You were never supposed to see those darned papers.”

  JENNA TURNED TO FACE him, but in one swift move, Dave turned his bedside lamp off and all that was left the soft glow of the clock.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, Jenna awoke to the sun peering through the pale pink velvet curtains that covered the windows. As luxurious as their bedroom was, only tension and worry filled it now.

  Jenna rose to find that Dave was no longer in bed. The sheets on his side felt cold against her bare skin. The sense of emptiness overwhelmed her. Jenna needed to pull herself together. She quickly jumped into the shower and got dressed. As she sat facing her antique French vanity, she pulled a notebook out of the left-hand drawer and scribbled an agenda.

  Talk to girls re Dave

  Find job - where? B&B? Charlotte’s Cafe?

  Talk to Brad - was nothing. Forget about it.

  Go for a run Yoga - relax

  Talk to Mom

  Jenna tucked the notebook in her bag and slung it over her shoulders as she went downstairs. She could hear some shuffling—clanging, even—in the kitchen.

  “Jenna?” Dave called out.

  Jenna closed her eyes and stood still as she tried not to make a sound. She didn’t want to have to explain to him where she was going in case he asked.

  “Jen?” Dave popped his head through the kitchen doorway.

  She opened her eyes and forced a smile. “Hey—uh—I was just on my way out to get some things done. While the kids aren’t home, you know. And I’m meeting Charlotte and Jenna for coffee afterwards.”

  “Oh no, you don’t,” Dave said as he came around and put his hands on the sides of her shoulders. He wore the apron that she and the kids bought for him about three, maybe four, father’s days ago. “You’re coming in to the kitchen with me. I’ve made you an incredible breakfast—fit for a queen.”

  “Oh, Dave, no. I’ve got to—” She didn’t want to sit down to breakfast with him. She was angry. No, she was fuming!

  “Nope, no excuses. Breakfast is the most important part of the day! Trust me—I’m a doctor.”

  DAVE GUIDED JENNA INTO the kitchen and pulled a seat out for her. Determined to set his plans in motion and make their marriage work, he woke early that morning and prepared breakfast. He’d made a run to the shops to get some breakfast mushrooms, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and a loaf of ciabatta, and made sure they had bacon and eggs on hand before leaving the house.

  Jenna’s eyes widened in what he hoped was surprise when she saw the breakfast he had prepared. “Dave...”

  “My lady.” Dave pulled a chair out for her. “For breakfast today, we have crispy bacon—just the way you like it—and cherry tomatoes with wilted spinach, and poached eggs on grilled ciabatta, drizzled with olive oil.”

  “Oh, my goodness...” Jenna looked at him. “When did you do all of this?”

  “I got up a bit earlier this morning—I went out for a run and then went off to the grocery store to pick up some stuff.” Dave was pleased with what he’d achieved that morning. And it wasn’t even 9:00am.

  “Dave, this is—” Jenna unfolded her napkin and laid it on her lap. “I don’t know what to say...”

  “Well, I say, bon appétit!” Dave raised a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and winked at her, just like he did when they were dating. It didn’t make smile her smile like it did when they were dating... but had to keep trying. He’d messed up.

  Chapter 9

  After breakfast, Jenna headed to the Strawberry Fare Cafe, which was owned by her best friend, Charlotte. She knew Charlotte would be there, and Jenna really needed to talk to her. Her mind was so full—she was practically bursting from the ears. A good chat with a friend was exactly what she needed.

  As she pushed the glass door open, the smell of sweet cakes, pastries, and freshly brewed coffee greeted her. From behind the counter, Charlotte’s assistant Carly gave her a wave. Jenna blew out a sigh of relief when she saw that it wasn’t too busy. There were only about four tabl
es with customers seated. The breakfast crowd had gone, and she’d hoped that Charlotte would have a moment to chat. “Hi Carly! How’s it going?”

  “I’m good,” she beamed. Carly looked around rather suspiciously and then leaned over to the counter as she spoke in a hushed voice. “Are you okay?”

  Jenna gave her a sideways glance. “What do you mean?” she asked, slightly taken aback.

  “Well! Joanne March told Donna Finlay, who told me that she’d seen you get pulled over by Chief Knight.” Carly took a quick breath in. “And then Melanie Marshall—you know her, she works at the hospital. Anyway, she told Josephine Pickle’s husband, Michael—he also works at the hospital—that Dave, your Dave, had taken two weeks off work.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Seriously? All that for a traffic stop?”

  Carly shrugged. “Hmmm, that’s true. Well, you know how our little town gets when there’s a whiff of gossip,” she laughed.

  “Ugh! Do I ever?” Jenna tried to shake the speckles of annoyance that pricked at her skin.

  “Sorry, Jenna.” Carly sheepishly wrinkled her nose.

  At that very moment, Charlotte waddled in from the kitchen. “There you are,” she said as she spotted Jenna. She stopped for a moment as she rubbed her belly, taking slow, calm breaths.

  “You okay there, hun?” Jenna asked.

  Charlotte pulled her shoulders back and continued around the counter to where Jenna stood. “Honestly! I sometimes feel like these babies are going to be soccer players. They really get into their kicks—like they’re going for a goal or something—and it just knocks the wind out of me! Whew!”

  As Jenna told her best friend everything that had happened the day before, Charlotte’s face crumpled into different phases of shock, confusion, anger, bewilderment, and determination.

  “I just don’t understand,” Charlotte said as she leaned back into the booth. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know... find a job, I guess,” she said, her chin resting on her hand. “Are you hiring?” Jenna laughed at her measly attempt at a joke. Or at least she thought she was joking. Or maybe not.

  “Is he not going to support the children?”

  “I’m not sure. I mean—I’m sure he will. This is Dave we’re talking about after all.” Jenna slumped back in her seat. “Everything he’s ever done has been for the family.”

  “But then again... yes, this is Dave, and this is something I never expected of him. I’m actually a little angry with him right now!” Charlotte unraveled the napkin she’d been folding into halves as Jenna spilled the beans.

  “A little?”

  “You know what I mean.” Charlotte waved a hand. “I think we should call Amy. Three heads are better than one.” She pulled her phone from her pocket.

  Jenna looked out the cafe window as Charlotte spoke to Amy. Ironically, it was a beautiful day and the warmth of the sun embraced the town; unlike the cold confusion that chilled her from the inside. And it was just as well... Jenna didn’t think she could handle any more than what she’d been served up.

  “Wait—so why were you pulled over by Brad?” Charlotte asked Jenna after she ended the call. “And Amy’s on her way, by the way.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes again and breathed a heavy sigh. “Goodness! Does everyone know about that? Seriously—have they not got anything better to do with their time!” She buried her face in her hands. There was no point in talking to Brad, seeing as it looked like the whole town already knew about it.

  “Oh honey, you know how Willow gets when there’s something to talk about,” she said sympathetically. “We’ve all been there.”

  “It was just a dumb traffic stop!” Jenna’s voice was muffled under her hands.

  “See, I guess that’s the thing... no one ever gets pulled over by the Chief. Were you speeding?”

  So Jenna told her about the kerfuffle and her mad driving to the hospital to confront Dave—and then changing her mind and doing a U-turn. And then doing the same thing all over again.

  “It’s a good thing you weren’t hurt. Were there many cars on the road?”

  Jenna shook her head. “Not at the time, I don’t think.”

  When Amy arrived, Charlotte filled her in on the details, sparing Jenna from having to go through it again. “No!” Amy blurted. “That doesn’t sound like something Dave would do... he’s crazy about you!”

  “That’s what I said too,” Charlotte agreed.

  They brainstormed about what Jenna could do in terms of work. Amy suggested she could work at the B&B that she and her husband Sam owned.

  Sam was a secret billionaire who didn’t really care for the fancy life and moved into Willow Oaks a few years ago with his daughter, Gracie. Together, Sam and Amy turned the old White Willow into the town’s most successful (and only) bed-and-breakfast. It even upped their small town’s tourism so much that they’d become somewhat of the local heroes.

  “I’m sure that Sam won’t mind, and we can think of something that you can do,” Amy offered.

  “That’s the problem... I don’t know what I can do. I mean, I haven’t worked in over twenty years!”

  “What about acting?” Charlotte blurted excitedly. “You love acting! Go back to theater, Jen, you’ll be awesome!”

  “Where? We don’t have a theater in Willow. I can’t move the kids from here. They love it. I love it.”

  “Whoa”—Charlotte stopped Jenna—“no one is leaving Willow Oaks! Let’s just get that straight right now.”

  “Oh my goodness, that’s it!” Amy jumped, knocking over the salt and pepper shakers she’d been mindlessly playing with.

  Jenna and Charlotte listened as Amy shared her idea.

  “Sam and I have been thinking about what else we could do for the town. The B&B had been bringing in tourists—”

  “It literally put Willow Oaks on the map,” Charlotte laughed as she smoothed a hand over her belly.

  “Exactly!” Amy continued. “So anyway, we’ve been thinking of what else we could do and I think this could be it! We can totally promote more of the arts. I mean, the town is so beautiful and amazing; people will definitely come to visit. And if there’s a show on—like a musical or something—that will also attract people from different cities. We can even do art exhibits and book signings.” Amy stopped to take a breath. “What do you think? It’ll be great!”

  “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, this is so exciting!” Charlotte clapped. “It will give the theater students a chance to perform as well. We could totally come to an agreement with the college! Remember when we were younger, Jenna, and you wanted a place where you could perform?”

  Oh, Jenna remembered! The thought of it brought a smile to her face. The only place she ended up performing in was at the town square. As a young ten-year-old girl, she would set her props up by the old Willow tree in the middle of the square. She sang songs in a capella or played her violin. “I even put a tutu one summer and performed my rendition of the Swan Lake ballet,” Jenna recounted with a laugh.

  “See? It’ll be great!” Amy said.

  “But if you need a pregnant lady in the cast, that role is totally mine! I’m totally well-practiced. Just don’t make me sing!” Charlotte laughed.

  “You guys,” Jenna said tentatively. “It all sounds great...”

  “But?” Amy asked. She knew Jenna so well.

  “But I haven’t been on stage in like... forever.” Thoughts of what should have—could have—been her big break resurfaced. She thought she’d never live it down. But Dave had held her, got her through it, and made everything better. It was then that she gave up on the ridiculous idea of ever being a professional actress. Maybe her mother had been right all this time—that a degree in theater was a waste of time.

  “Don’t poo-poo the idea just yet, babe. Let me talk to Sam and we can all get back together and brainstorm. This is going to be great!”

  Chapter 10

  It was only after Dave assured Jenna that
he would take care of clearing the dishes and cleaning up, that she relented and left to meet with her friends. He wanted to show her that they were partners—in everything. And that included cleaning, cooking, shopping, and parenting the kids.

  All the changes that had come between them was not just Jenna’s fault, and he knew that. He wasn’t around as much as he should have been, as he climbed a never-ending ladder to so-called success. When did it end? And wasn’t he successful enough?

  Over the years, things have gotten out of hand. He could see it now. As Jenna scrambled to craft a picture-perfect life, he raced to the top like there was no tomorrow.

  So now he was the top surgeon in the county. So what? There were others more successful than him. Top surgeons in other counties. Top surgeons in the country. Top surgeon in the world. Endless nonsense—and for what? A failed marriage and children who didn’t know him?

  All he wanted was a happy family.

  He’d toyed with the idea of opening up a small-town practice in Willow Oaks. They didn’t have a local family physician—not since Dr. Waters passed away. Nowadays, everyone had to travel to the next town’s medical center or drive up to the county hospital where he worked.

  The thought of opening a small practice energized him. He could be home with Jenna and the kids at a decent hour and still give back to the community. Never mind chasing after the money. He’d made it, hadn’t he? His mother said he’d never amount to anything. She had even refused to pay for college and held it against him when he left home to pursue medicine. It was sheer luck and a lot of hard work that he was offered a college scholarship.

  In fact, everything he’d achieved to date was off the back of his own hard work. No handouts.