She started to walk away, but Eliot grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. He gazed down at her, his mahogany eyes moist with tenderness.
“What?” she asked.
“The kids and I are lucky to have you.”
“I’m lucky, too. You work hard to give us a great life.”
“What I’m saying is, I wouldn’t be where I am if you didn’t hold our home and family together. You always step up and never complain. There were so many times when I could have done better at helping, but you never called me out.”
Eliot always complimented her on what a great wife and mother she was. However, she’d caught something different in his tone just now. She couldn’t put her finger on it. Was it gratitude that he didn’t find himself in the same position as Kat—his children hating him?
“We’re a team. We balance each other out. Besides, you working all the time comes with great perks. I’m looking forward to Paris.”
“You need a break sometimes, baby. This trip is a great idea. I wonder who thought of it?”
They grinned like two teenagers anticipating sneaking away past curfew. She stroked his cheek. There was no such thing as the perfect life, but they came pretty darn close. What did she have to complain about? Her husband adored her. Her kids were happy, healthy, and thriving. She lived in one of the wealthiest zip codes in the country. She could have anything she wanted under the sun. So why, then, was a cold finger of unease clawing at her heart?
He pulled her out of her musings when he said, “Speaking of Paris, I need to grab the file from my study.” He excused himself and left, but not before planting a kiss on her cheek.
The sound of a vibrating phone startled her. She glanced at Eliot’s where he had left it next to his briefcase on the island. It vibrated again, but she couldn’t see the screen from her position. The strange call from the other night materialized before her eyes. It was probably nothing, just work, but she still inched closer to the phone.
People who go looking for trouble usually find it. Kat’s warning echoed in her mind.
Should she check his phone? What if Eliot caught her? The dang thing just kept on vibrating. It was taunting her, daring her to have a peek. Impulsively, she reached out and pulled the phone closer to her.
Nathan Hunt, Tillerson Brenner.
Footsteps approached. Alicia quickly pushed the phone back to its original spot near the briefcase and eased over to the opposite end of the island. She clumsily picked up her coffee mug and took a large swig. The liquid scalded her tongue, and she bit back a scream. No point in drawing attention to herself.
By the time Eliot came into full view, she was a vision of contented domesticity, a housewife enjoying her morning coffee in her gorgeous, state-of-the-art kitchen.
“Are you all packed for tomorrow?” he asked.
“Almost done. I picked out a few suit-and-tie combinations for you, too.”
He picked up the phone and slipped it into the pocket of his suit jacket. After he grabbed his briefcase, he said, “Thanks, baby.” He kissed her on the lips and then headed out.
CHAPTER 7
Alicia stood up from the kitchen table, where she’d been hunched over her laptop since Eliot left, and stretched, feeling reassured. She felt ridiculous for peeking at his phone this morning. Ashamed of herself, if she were being honest. Clearly, Eliot was telling the truth when he said it was work calling during dinner last week—the call that had caused him to panic. How could she have doubted her husband? His corporate clients were often demanding, and his office, probably Nathan, had most likely called to address some problem that had popped up out of the blue and Eliot hadn’t wanted to deal with at the time. Or perhaps Nathan was part of the legal team heading to Paris, and he needed to check something.
She picked up the bottle of water next to her computer, twisted the cap, and chugged it down. The refreshing liquid quenched her thirst and also recharged her mind. She’d been staring at a screen all morning, researching colleges around the Boston area that offered public administration degrees, the first step in pursuing her goals.
Alicia had said nothing to Eliot about it yet. She wanted to have a firm plan before broaching the subject. Should she return to Suffolk University or transfer her credits to a different school? It depended on which school provided the fastest route to a bachelor’s degree.
The doorbell rang. She closed her laptop and went to see who it was.
Rina Stark, her neighbor from three houses down, stood at the entrance, her hair in a semi-messy bun. Before Alicia could greet her, Rina’s narrow face beamed.
“The kids are at school, David is working, and I’m all alone with these ludicrously delicious donuts. You want some?” She waved them under Alicia’s nose as if the box were a fine perfume. Alicia never could resist Krispy Kreme donuts. She took the box and stood back from the door, inviting Rina in.
“So, what’s new?” Rina asked as she pulled out a chair at the kitchen table.
“Same old, same old.” Alicia moved her laptop out of the way and placed the box of donuts on the table. Rina was a lovely woman, but a notorious gossip, so Alicia thought it wise not to confide in Rina, just yet, about heading back to college. Otherwise, Alicia’s business would be all over the neighborhood before she had a chance to discuss it with her family.
“Are you trying to get me fat?” Alicia greedily eyed the donuts as she made coffee for her and her neighbor. Alicia had a weakness for the crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside, melt-in-your-mouth treat. She didn’t care that it was basically fried dough with glazed icing on top. It was insanely delicious. Sometimes, after Eliot left for work
