Natalie Jameson has a handsome husband, three wonderful children, and one very big secret. She’s managed to keep it under wraps for over twenty years, but recent events lead her to decide she has no choice but to reveal the terrible truth.
Alex Jameson has had one goal in life since the minute he met Natalie on their college campus. Do whatever it takes to make this woman happy. When circumstances threaten to unravel the web of secrets and lies they’ve built around themselves, will their love be strong enough to survive?
“Author Jamie Hill has a knack for pulling a reader deeper and deeper into her stories as they try to figure out where she is leading them.” ~ Tammy, Fallen Angel Reviews
Excerpt:
Part One
“How dare you speak to me in that manner?” Natalie Jameson clenched her fists. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so furious, while at the same time full of anguish and regret.
“No, Natalie. How dare you?” Her husband’s normally handsome face reddened, the veins in his forehead growing bigger the angrier he became. “You started this. It’s your fault.”
Natalie stomped past her living room sofa, pausing long enough to pick up a decorative pillow. She squeezed the small, blue square and slammed it down on the couch again. “So you’ve said. Repeatedly. I’ve got it, Alex. All our problems are my fault. Read you loud and clear.”
“I never said everything was your fault. Just this one thing. This one very huge issue.” He ran a hand through his closely cropped, brown hair.
“You’re making it huge, that’s for sure.”
Alex blinked in apparent disbelief. “You saw our daughter when she stormed out of here tonight! Gigi was damn near hysterical. She’s got an hour’s drive ahead of her. Frankly, I’m concerned that she makes it home safely.”
Natalie glanced over her shoulder as she headed into the kitchen. “Great, pin that on me too, while you’re at it. Now I’ll worry until she has time to get home and we can phone her.”
Alex stayed on her heels. “I doubt she’s going to talk to either one of us tonight.”
“She might.” Natalie dredged some optimism from deep inside. Gigi had been upset. Even though Natalie had the best intentions, nothing about their conversation had gone the way she’d hoped or planned. Natalie’s stomach churned with uneasiness.
“Now you’re delusional. We’ll be lucky if she talks to either of us again this month.”
Natalie filled the kettle and placed it on the stove. “In case anyone wonders where Geege gets her flair for drama…”
“I’m not being dramatic,” Alex insisted. “Realistic is more like it. And I think I’ve figured out your motive for stirring this pot.”
“My motive?” Natalie raised her voice again. “I told you my motive. Gigi is having some medical issues. Her doctor referred her to a specialist, and before she even sees him, she has to fill out a really long family medical history. I wanted her to have accurate information.”
“You honestly think it’s better for her to put ‘unknown’ than to possibly list inaccurate information? Because that’s what it is, you know, a great big stinking ‘U’ for unknown.”
Natalie’s heart sank. “I never thought about it like that.”
“Exactly. You didn’t think, Nat.”
“Why should I?” she snapped. “You’re thinking about it enough for both of us. You’re over thinking it to death. You always do this, Alex. Give me a break!”
“Don’t turn this around on me. I told you I figured it out. You’re bored with the kids out of the house for the first time ever. You’ve lost your purpose. I think you stirred all this up so you’d feel needed again. So Gigi would need you.”
Natalie coughed, choking back amazement at Alex’s assessment. He was so totally off base, she wondered if her husband really knew her anymore. “How dare you?” She fumed.
“Here we go again. Round and round in circles. This conversation is going nowhere. I, on the other hand, am out of here.” He grabbed his coat and yanked his keys from the hook on the wall.
“Where are you going?” Her voice sounded shrill to her own ears. Natalie knew she needed to reel herself in, but couldn’t quite handle that just then. “Don’t you walk out on me!”
Alex steeled his blue-eyed gaze at her and scowled. He tugged the door open with a jerk, and slammed it on his way out.
“Alex!” She stared after him but he didn’t return. She heard the garage door go up, and the sound of his car backing out. The overhead door lowered again. Alex was gone.
Two hours later, he still hadn’t returned.
(C) 2012 Jamie Hill
Available in ebook format only, at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashword and All Romance eBooks. Find all the links here: http://bookswelove.net/jamiehill.php
