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“I’m coming to you,” she announced over the phone the next Wednesday. “When you come here, you work on the house. I want to have you all to myself, no chores.”
“About this weekend—”
“What this time?” Her voice was resigned.
“We have a retreat to determine the direction for the new year. Mr. Abbott is coming himself.” The boss had been in communication with him during the summer months, but this was the first time he had shown up at the office since Nick’s move.
“I’ll come home next weekend, no matter what,” he added.
Her long sigh echoed over the line. “All right. I can’t go two weeks without you, Nick.”
The longing in her voice warmed his heart. They might not say how much they missed each other, but he knew the need was there. He felt it every night when he crawled into his lonely bed.
THE RETREAT WAS DEEMED a success, Mr. Abbott calling him aside to praise the work he was doing. Nick was certain the business would continue to thrive if they took advantage of the growth spurt that was happening in the town. He was in daily contact with the home-builders’ association, working with the contractors developing new neighborhoods. He had heard a rumor that a large company was considering the area for its latest factory and he was following up on that possibility. Abbott’s Heating and Air could benefit from both the new factory construction and employee housing that would be needed.
He missed talking with Caroline about the progress that was being made. After the first month and the arrival of their phone bill, they had curtailed the long evening phone calls in favor of shorter calls each morning. He’d call and wake her up, they’d chat for a few minutes, and then both rush off to get ready for their day.
Little talk had gone on during the two weekends he made it home. He had tossed in a load of laundry and they had jumped into bed. Once, Caroline had started to tell him about her latest workshop, but he had been distracted by the movement of her lips and they had fallen back into bed, surfacing only when it was time for him to leave.
“Come down next weekend,” he urged at the end of September. He had an important meeting on Friday with the factory manager that would no doubt last late into the night. If she drove to Wheeler, they could salvage the rest of the weekend. “I’ll make sure nothing interrupts our time on Saturday. We’ll hide away from the rest of the world,” he whispered into the phone. “Have that affair you talked about.”
“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing when you come back here?”
He laughed and then glanced around the small space he was calling home. The current state of his apartment couldn’t be further from a secret love nest. Clothes from his week were spread on the chairs and couch. His running shoes and shorts trailed a path to the bathroom. Papers from the current project were piled on the dinette table and chairs. Dirty dishes littered the small sink, and old newspapers were stacked against the overflowing trash can.
He had a week to clean up or she would leave him for being a slob.
“Just come,” he begged. His adrenaline over winning the bid for the factory’s heating and air-conditioning systems threatened to overtake him and he needed to release steam. With his wife.
He arrived home late Thursday after an intense meeting with the department heads. Hammering out their figures before the next day’s meeting meant the team worked through dinner. He was confident the final negotiations would go well for both parties.
Now he needed to spend some quality time with his apartment. The days had blended into the nights and the mess had grown. He planned to crank up some rock and roll and get down to the dirty business of straightening the place before Caroline saw that their love nest had deteriorated into a sloppy bachelor pad.
Whistling, he walked up the two steps to his front door, his tie loosened and the top button of his shirt undone. The suits were the worst part of his day. Who had ever decided a man needed a cord tied around his neck to be successful? He stuck the key in the door and pushed it open.
“Surprise!” Caroline jumped from the couch and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He staggered and caught the edge of the door to keep his balance. “What are you doing here?”
She blinked and he shook his head, sorry his voice had sounded so rough. “I didn’t mean it that way.” He dropped his tie and hooked an arm around her neck, tugging her close. “I didn’t expect you until tomorrow.”
“I gathered that.” Her voice was dry and he glanced around the room.
She had washed and dried the dishes, putting them away in the open cupboards that flanked the kitchen window. His clothes were gone from the various places he had flung them each night. The covers on the bed were smoothed down and he saw a wad of bedding in the hamper. She had even changed the sheets.
He sat down on the couch, keeping her close to him. The citrusy perfume she favored wafted over him and he inhaled deeply. “I expected you tomorrow night. Did you take the day off?”
She shook her head. “Fall break. I forgot to tell you and then decided to surprise you.”
Her scent was causing his insides to twist and he had a strong desire to check out the clean sheets.
Her fingers were busy on his shirt. He sprawled against the back of the couch, watching her work her way down his shirt and onto his belt through half-closed eyes. When she slid the zipper down on his pants, he stilled her hand. “I’ve had a long day.”
“Oh.” Disappointment shone in her green eyes.
He laced his fingers through hers, tugging her to her feet. “I think I’d do better in the bed. Just in case I fall asleep.”
Desire flickered again on her face. “I don’t think you’ll be falling asleep.”
“Really?” He backed her to the bed and gave her a light push, grinning when she bounced on top of the spread.
She raised her arms, holding them wide. “Not right away. After I’m through with you, though, you may wish you had tomorrow off.”
He dropped onto her, rolling them over and over the bed. The meeting with factory management flickered through his mind. No, he had to be there. But a few hours’ wrestling with his wife could only heighten his ability to negotiate the final terms. He buried his hands in her thick curls and prepared for the next day.
“MR. EDDINGTON? YOUR WIFE is here.”
Nick lifted his head from the budget report he’d been studying and frowned at Mildred, his secretary. “Caroline is here?”
He didn’t wait for her response, pushing his chair back and rushing across the room. Why was Caroline here in the middle of the week?
She rose from her seat on one of the soft chairs. “Hi, Nick.” Her cheeks were flushed and her voice sounded nervous.
“What are you doing here?” His hand cupped her elbow and he ran his gaze over her quickly.
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