Sweet Indulgences 2 (3 page)

But then, girlfriend support was a whole different thing from male admiration. The question that mattered was, did Will still like her face? Perhaps more to the point, did he even see it any longer? Or her body, still trim and firm thanks to regular workouts?

Well, to be fair, did she really see Will? Once you’d been married to someone for decades, it was natural to begin taking them for granted. She shouldn’t expect more from her husband than she gave him in return.

She closed her eyes, trying to remember how he’d looked when he left home that morning. Now that he was the principal, his work wardrobe was conservative, yet he had a certain presence even in the boring “uniform” of tailored trousers and jacket, long-sleeved shirt and conservative tie. Coaching soccer kept him lean and fit. Really, he was still an attractive man, she thought with some surprise.

When on earth had she stopped seeing, and appreciating, that? When had she stopped letting him know?

Darn it, it was one thing to stop really looking at a painting that had hung on your wall for years, but it was quite another to treat your husband like a bit of furniture.

It took two to make romance, and she’d definitely not been doing her part.

Vowing to do better, she left the ladies room. Maybe she’d buy him a rose. Too bad she hadn’t thought of it earlier, so she could have rushed over to the school and left it in his car for all his students to see.

She stepped into her office. “Oh my!” A florist’s box lay on her desk. She tore into it. A dozen long-stemmed yellow roses. What a darling Will was. Their minds must be on the same track today.

A little misty-eyed, she slipped open the sealed envelope. “Oh!” They weren’t from Will. The tiny card read:
To the lady who brightens my days. Yours, Kevin.

She sank into her chair. The new head of marketing was—there was no other term for it—a hottie, not to mention intelligent and charming. He could have his pick, so why on earth would he choose her?

She was still gaping at the roses when Kevin stepped into her office and closed the door. “You got the flowers.”

“I’m stunned. You can’t do this.”

He grinned. “Apparently I can.”

“I mean, you shouldn’t. I’m married.”

His face went serious. “I know. But maybe not so happily married? I never hear you talk about your husband. You deserve to do more than settle, Carol. You deserve the best.”

She tilted an eyebrow. “And you’re the best?”

He laughed aloud. “Try me.”

“Oh, Kevin, I don’t know what to say.”

“I’d like to get to know you better, Carol. You’re a lovely, intelligent woman.” He reached across her desk and touched the top of her hand.

She didn’t feel a tingle, the way she had on her first date with Will.

Kevin a small, self-conscious laugh. “I know that sounds trite. A marketing man ought to be able to come up with a better pitch, but when it comes to you I’m more or less tongue-tied. Please, think about it. That’s all I ask. And enjoy the roses.”

When he’d gone, she leaned forward and rested her head in her hands. The man actually seemed sincere. The corners of her mouth lifted. He thought she was lovely and intelligent. Her mouth straightened again. He thought she was settling.

She reached for the phone and punched in her best friend’s number. “Brenda, it’s Valentine’s Day.”

“I’d noticed.”

“You and John doing anything special?”

“We’re off to eat at Las Tapas. It’s not ritzy, but we love Spanish food. We’ll drink a bottle of Sangre de Toro and pretend we’re back on our honeymoon, driving through Spain.”

“Sounds lovely.”

“It will be.” She sounded smug. “How about you?”

“We haven’t talked about it. It’s been such a hard year, what with Mom’s illness and all the stresses with Will’s job. He says if they cut his budget any further, the teachers will rise up en masse and quit. And I miss Marty something fierce.” Her youngest had flown the nest to attend college. “And Pepper too of course; the house just isn’t the same without him.”

“That old mutt had been with you forever.”

“We got him from the pound the year we bought the house. Will said a house didn’t feel like a home without a dog. Pepper was part of the family.” Her eyes had grown misty again. She ran a finger under each lower lid. “Bren, do you feel like you’ve settled? In your marriage, I mean?”

“You mean, settled for second best? Absolutely not. I’ve settled, but in a good way. Settled down with the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. Settled into a new phase of our relationship, with the kids grown up and more time for John and me to have fun together.” She paused, then said, “Do you, Carol? Feel like you’ve settled for second best?”

“Of course not,” she replied quickly. The truth was, she didn’t really know how she felt.

After hanging up, Carol thought of Brenda and John enjoying special time together. Her own house, without the kids and Pepper, felt so empty. And she and Will had been so busy—making arrangements for her mum’s care, sending Margie off to college, discussing how to deal with his problems at work. Fun? What was that? It had been as missing from their lives as romance.

But on the bright side, she and Will had dealt with the problems together. For the first time, Carol imagined what it would have been like if she’d had to cope with her mother’s illness without Will’s support. He’d helped her with the practical details and held her while she cried. Maybe they hadn’t done anything romantic in ages, but whenever she needed a hug, he was there.

Damn it, that counted.

Her eyes skimmed the photos on her bookshelf, finding the one taken on Santorini on their honeymoon. Two slightly sunburned young people, beaming at each other, hoisting glasses of retsina and toasting their undying love.

Carol felt a surge of emotion. Maybe the feeling had lost its freshness, maybe it had changed over the years, but it was definitely still love she felt for Will. Brenda was wise, with her upbeat definition of settling.

Carol decided to borrow another of Bren’s ideas. She dialed Will’s number. “Love? How about eating out tonight, at that Greek place we discovered last year? Share some dolmades and souvlaki and a bottle of retsina?”

“Oh! Well, that sounds great but . . . Uh, would you mind terribly if we made it another night? I’m, uh, awfully tired.”

Yet again, moisture flooded her eyes. “That’s all right. It was just a thought. See you later.”

“It was a good thought,” she heard him say as she put down the phone.

Did he even remember that it was Valentine’s Day?

She squared her shoulders. Whether or not he remembered, she did. And her idea was a good one. If he was too tired to go out for Greek food, she’d bring it to him. She’d persuade the restaurant to give her take-out, she’d buy a bottle of retsina, and she’d even get him a rose. This was her marriage, and it was worth a little effort.

If she wanted appreciation and romance from her husband, she needed to realize he deserved the same.

She glanced at the yellow roses and picked up the phone again. “Kevin? I’m immensely flattered, but the answer is no. You see, I really am happily married. I’d just . . . lost track of that fact for a moment.”

“And I helped you sort it out? That wasn’t exactly the effect I’d been hoping for.” He gave a rueful laugh and she knew he’d be all right.

* * *

That night, juggling a red rose, a bag from the Greek restaurant, and another from the liquor store, she nervously unlocked the front door.

“Carol?” Will emerged from the kitchen, shutting the door behind him. “Sorry about supper, but . . . Oh, what’s this?”

“I brought Greek take-out. And this is for you. Happy Valentine’s Day.” She handed him the rose.

“Oh, sweetheart, just like our first year. The day we got engaged.”

He remembered! Not only that, but his face glowed with love.

“Let me put these down so I can give you a hug.” She headed for the kitchen.

“Before you go in there . . .”

But she’d already opened the door. Toenails skittered across the tile and a floppy-eared spaniel pup hurled itself at her feet. “What the . . . ?” She stared at Will.

“We were missing Pepper. I thought . . .”

Oh, yes! “You thought right.” She dumped the bags and picked up the adorable puppy, a squirming bundle of warmth that kept trying to lick her face. Dodging his tongue, she dropped a kiss on the top of his soft head. “Aren’t you adorable?”

Then she gazed up at her husband. “Oh, Will, I’ve done some serious thinking today. I’ve been taking you for granted, but no more. You’re the best, best husband a woman could wish for. Darn, if my arms weren’t full of dog I’d give you a big hug.”

“I can take care of that.” He wrapped his arms around her, wriggling pup and all. “And you’re the best wife, Carol. I wouldn’t have made it through the last year without you. You’re beautiful and strong and wise. I love you, sweetheart. More now than ever before.”

Again her eyes grew damp. But this time the tears were tears of joy and she let them fall as she stretched up to kiss her husband.

The puppy gave a yip of protest and Carol pulled back in the circle of Will’s arms. “Let’s open the retsina,” she said, “and toast our undying love. Then let’s think up a name for the newest member of our family.”

Who’d have thought that, at the ripe old age of forty-five, she’d be experiencing the most romantic evening of her life?

* * * * *

If you enjoyed these stories and if you have the time, please consider posting a short review on Amazon or Goodreads. And please tell your friends!

Check out
Sweet Indulgences 1
and watch for the next volume of
Sweet Indulgence
s, coming next month.

Award-winning author Susan Fox, who also writes as Savanna Fox and Susan Lyons, writes “emotionally compelling, sexy contemporary romance” (
Publishers Weekly
).

She is published by Berkley (Penguin) Heat and Kensington’s Zebra, Brava, and Aphrodisia lines. Her books have won the HOLT Medallion, the Booksellers Best Award, the Book Buyers Best, the Aspen Gold, the Golden Quill, the More Than Magic, the Lories, the Beacon, and the Laurel Wreath, and she was nominated for the RT Reviewers Choice Award.
Publishers Weekly
gave
His, Unexpectedly
a starred review and ranked it as a Top 10 Romance.
Sex Drive
was a
Cosmopolitan
Red-Hot Read.

Her short stories have been published in women’s magazines in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and by Harlequin, The Wild Rose Press, Quarry Press, and Freya’s Bower.

Susan is a Pacific Northwester with homes in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. She has degrees in law and psychology, and has had a variety of careers, including perennial student, computer consultant, and legal editor. Fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor.

Visit Susan’s
website
at
susanlyons.ca
for excerpts, behind-the-scenes notes, discussion guides, recipes, articles, newsletter sign-up, contests, and give-aways.

Find Susan on
Facebook
at
facebook.com/SusanLyonsFox
.

Contact
Susan through the
Contact
page on her website.

Subscribe to Susan’s
e-newsletter
,
Champagne News
.

(writing as Susan Fox, Savanna Fox, and Susan Lyons)NOVELS

Finding Isadora

He’s the worst man in the world for her. So why can’t she resist him?

Finding Isadora
by Susan Fox; Susan Lyons Books

Caribou Crossing Series

Welcome to Caribou Crossing, a western community made for love, adventure, and second chances.

1.
Caribou Crossing
by Susan Fox; Kensington Zebra

2.
Home on the Range
by Susan Fox; Kensington Zebra

3.
Gentle on my Mind
by Susan Fox; Kensington Zebra

Dirty Girls Book Club Series

Don’t you wish your book club read “dirty” books? Each time this club does, one of the members embarks on a sexy romance that in some ways parallels the one in the book.

1.
The Dirty Girls Book Club
by Savanna Fox; Berkley Heat

2.
Dare to be Dirty
by Savanna Fox; Berkley Heat

3.
Bound to be Dirty
by Savanna Fox; Berkley Heat

Classic Bodies Series

Because sometimes reality can be even better than your wildest fantasies!

1.
Body Heat
by Susan Fox; Kensington Brava

Wild Ride to Love Series

A sexy “planes, trains, automobiles, and a cruise ship” series. Three older sisters travel home for their baby sister’s wedding, and each of their journeys is a wild ride to love!

1.
Sex Drive
by Susan Lyons (planes); Kensington Aphrodisia

2.
Love, Unexpectedly
by Susan Fox (trains); Kensington Brava

3.
His, Unexpectedly
by Susan Fox (automobiles); Kensington Brava

4.
Yours, Unexpectedly
by Susan Fox (cruise ship); Kensington Brava

Destination Wedding Series

At exotic destination weddings, it’s not only the brides and grooms who find the love of their lives!

1.
Sex on the Beach
by Susan Lyons (Belize); Berkley Heat

2.
Sex on the Slopes
by Susan Lyons (Whistler); Berkley Heat

3.
Heat Waves
by Susan Lyons (Greek islands); Berkley Heat

Awesome Foursome Series

Four girlfriends laugh, cry, bond—and find their own very sexy romances! Think Sex And The City, set in Vancouver, BC.

1.
Champagne Rules
by Susan Lyons; Kensington Aphrodisia

2.
Hot in Here
by Susan Lyons; Kensington Aphrodisia

3.
Touch Me
by Susan Lyons; Kensington Aphrodisia