Authors: Heather McCoubrey
To Love Twice
To
Love Twice
By:
Heather McCoubrey
Copyright © 2013 by Heather
McCoubrey
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including
information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from
the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts
in a review.
This book is a work of fiction.
Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living
or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Heather McCoubrey
Visit my website at
http://heathermccoubrey.com
Printed in the United States of
America
First Printing: March 19, 2013
Amazon Kindle
Dedication
For
my Dad.
I
miss you.
Feel
no guilt in laughter, he'd know how much you care.
Feel
no sorrow in a smile that he is not here to share.
You
cannot grieve forever; he would not want you to.
He'd
hope that you could carry on the way you always do.
So,
talk about the good times and the way you showed you cared,
The
days you spent together, all the happiness you shared.
Let
memories surround you, a word someone may say
Will
suddenly recapture a time, an hour, a day,
That
brings him back as clearly as though he were still here,
And
fills you with the feeling that he is always near.
For
if you keep those moments, you will never be apart
And
he will live forever locked safely within your heart.
--Unknown
Acknowledgements
This book could not have been
completed without the extraordinary assistance of my friends and family.
I would first like to thank my
husband and children for their love, encouragement and patience while I wrote
my heart out and followed a dream.
A huge thank you to my readers and
critiquers: Darlene, Mel, Carla, Kathy, Vicki, Niki and Heidi. Thank you
for your support, ideas, honest critiques and your time. I hope you’re
all up for round two!
J
Throwing her hands in the air, Kate walked into the closet
and pulled out a suitcase. “I’m done, Brad. I’m just done.” Putting
it on the bed, she unzipped it and started filling it with the clothes she’d
need over the next week. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“Does that mean you’re leaving?” Brad stood in the
doorway, blocking her way out.
“Yes, I’m leaving,” Kate said, her eyes pleading for
understanding. “I can’t do this, Brad. It’s so obvious that I can’t
be what you need and you make that abundantly clear at every opportunity.”
Tears streaming down her face, she ran into the bathroom for her
toiletries. Her heart was breaking into shattered pieces as she packed
her things. All she wanted was for Brad to take her into his arms and
tell her things would go back to the way they were before she got pregnant with
Mary.
“Well, what are you going to do about Mary?”
“I’m bringing her with me. It’s not like you have time
to care for her, let alone the fortitude,” Kate told him. It made her cry
harder to say these words. They’d created Mary out of love, it just
didn’t make sense that Brad didn’t love her anymore.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Brad snapped.
“Brad, you tell me to get a babysitter if I need to use the
toilet or take a shower! You’re really going to take care of her now?”
Brad snickered at the idea. “No, I’d hire a nanny,” he
said matter-of-factly.
“That’s exactly my point, Brad.” She shook her head
sadly. “No, she’s coming with me. You won’t even notice we’re
gone.” Finished with her own packing, she zipped the bag and put it in
the foyer. Picking Mary up, she climbed the stairs to Mary’s room to
pack.
“What will you do for money?” Brad asked harshly.
“We’ll get by. I know how to work. Don’t worry,
I don’t expect anything from you.” She finished with Mary’s clothes,
selected a few of her favorite toys, and then went to the kitchen for Mary’s
food. Once done with that, she started loading the car. She put
Mary in her car seat and went back into the house for her purse, cell phone and
keys.
Kate looked at Brad, praying and begging in her heart for
him to change his mind, to realize what he was allowing to happen. When
he stayed quiet and refused to look at her, she took one last look around her
beloved home. Stepping up to Brad, she raised her eyes to his face
– memorizing all she loved. Before he could move or know what she
was about, she rose up on her toes and placed a bittersweet kiss on his cheek.
“I guess this is goodbye,” she choked out, heart breaking as
she tried to look into his eyes.
Brad quickly moved to the other side of the foyer. “I
won’t beg you to stay, Kate. If you do this, if you walk out that door,
there’s no coming back,” Brad said.
His words were like razor cuts on her heart. All hope
gone, she nodded and whispered goodbye. Opening the door, she quickly
walked out of the house and away from her husband of ten years.
Unable to drive for the tears in her eyes, Kate pulled over
to the side of the road and called her sister. If there was anyone who
could help her sort out the mess her life had become, it was her.
“Georgina, I left Brad,” Kate cried when her sister answered the phone.
Laying her forehead on the steering wheel, she allowed the tears to flow freely
down her cheeks.
“You did what? Where are you now?” Georgina
asked.
“I don’t know, just outside the neighborhood, I think.
I can’t believe he let us go. Georgie, he didn’t even fight me about
taking Mary! What kind of man lets his wife and daughter walk out and
leave? Didn’t he ever love me? Love Mary?” Tears continued to
roll down Kate’s face as this thought settled on her heart.
“Give him some time to calm down. Maybe he just thinks
you’re blowing smoke and when you don’t come home later, he’ll come looking for
you both.”
“I don’t think that’ll happen, Georgie,” Kate said
tonelessly. She repeated Brad’s parting words to Georgie. “Do you
think that sounds like a man who is coming for his wife and child when he
finally calms down?”
“No. But anything could happen, Kate. Come here
for the weekend. Let’s see what happens.”
“Oh Georgie, I can’t do that. You’ve got Tim’s family
flying in on Sunday. I know you need to get ready for that. I’ll go
to Mom’s.”
“What? Are you crazy? Mom’ll spend the whole
weekend gloating and telling you she was right all along. You don’t need
that now, especially since you don’t know what’s going to happen with Brad.”
“I appreciate the offer Georgie, but I don’t want to
intrude. Mary is bound to be fussy tonight anyway since we’re away from
home,” Kate hedged.
“Kate! Mary is the sweetest baby and she’ll be
fine. Please come, Kate. This is the best place for you right now.”
“Alright, Georgie,” Kate sighed, giving in to her sister’s
pleas. “But just for the night. I’ll figure out what we should to
do tomorrow. See you in ten.” Hanging up the phone, Kate wiped the
tears off her face and put the car in gear.
“I think it’s a mistake, Kate.”
Kate sighed and shook her head. “It’s been a month,
Georgie. He doesn’t want us. I have to move on and I have to be
strong. Mary is depending on me.” Looking through her clothing
choices, Kate realized she had nothing to wear to an interview.
“You’re the strongest person I know. I just don’t want
you to rush into a decision that you’ll regret later. We have plenty of
space here and there’s no reason for you to rush into a job, an apartment, and
all that until you know for sure.” Georgie stood up and took the clothes
from Kate’s hand. Gently turning Kate toward her, she looked into Kate’s
eyes. All she saw was misery. “You’re my sister, Kate. I love
you and I won’t let you go out there before you’re sure and ready. You
don’t owe us anything, we’re family. If it makes you feel better, keep a
running tab and we’ll discuss repayment at a much later date. Right now
you need us, Mary needs us.”
Tears streaming down her face, Kate reached out and hugged
her sister. “I love you so much and I have no idea what I did to deserve
you as a sister, but I’ll be forever grateful that you are.”
“Me too. I’m so sorry he hurt you.”
Kate closed her eyes and counted slowly to ten. When
she opened her eyes, she had herself under control. “I still want to go
on this interview. I need the practice at interviewing, even if I don’t
get the job. But I need to feel independent and I need to at least know
that I can support Mary and me. Can I borrow something to wear?”
“Of course. Come on, let’s go raid my closet.”
“Ms. Walker! I’m Donovan Campbell. It’s such a
pleasure to meet you,” Mr. Campbell said as he clasped both of her hands with
his. “Please follow me,” Mr. Campbell gestured down the hall.
As they walked down the corridor, Kate took in the
ambiance. The walls were a pale gray, with modern art hanging at two-foot
intervals. The carpet was a dark gray berber, with white specks
interspersed throughout. The doors were all painted dark gray, the trims
painted white. The contrast was amazingly simple, elegant and modern.
Mr. Campbell led her into a conference room, and
pulled out a chair for her to sit in. Surprised, Kate stood a moment too
long before taking her seat. When was the last time a man held her chair
for her?
Mr. Campbell took the seat on the opposite side of the
table. “We’re just waiting on Ms. McNamara, and then we’ll get
started. Can I get you some water?”
“No thank you, I’m fine.” Kate opened her purse and
withdrew her resume. “I have two copies of my resume. Would you
like to review it before we start?”
“I actually have a copy here in your file. Keep those
though, I’m not sure if Erin has a copy.”
Just then, Erin walked in. Kate stood up and shook
hands. “Hello Ms. Walker. So glad you could make it in today!
How was the traffic?”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. McNamara. Traffic was fine, it
was actually moving along nicely. I don’t suppose it’ll continue that way
though.”
“Please, call me Erin. No, I doubt it will.
Traffic and taxes – two things you can always count on around here!”
Clearing his throat, Mr. Campbell motioned Erin and Kate to
sit down. “Thank you again for joining us today, Ms. Walker. The
position we’re interviewing you for is Executive Assistant. You’ll be
responsible for Erin completely and will also assist my EA with special projects.”
Mr. Campbell continued the job description, surprising Kate with the amount of
work that would be expected. She had been hoping for a part-time position
that paid well, but this sounded much more like a full-time position.