Chapter 11 #2
"Something else is bothering you," she observed quietly.
"Yes." He told her about the conversation with their dad.
A frown etched her brow as she stared at him. "Think he's telling the truth?"
"He has no reason to lie. So yes, I think he is."
"I knew there was something off about that man, the first time I saw him." She toyed with her baby potatoes and realized her appetite had also diminished. "Will you tell her?"
"I don't want to spoil the week we will be spending with each other." He put the glass down again, the restlessness inside him making him edgy. "I don't want to be the guy who turned her against her own father. She loves him."
"And you're her husband," his sister pointed out.
He gave a small, humorless laugh. "That's exactly why I feel stuck. I know what I owe her, but I also know what it would do to her. Sometimes it feels like love asks you to hold back as much as it asks you to fight."
Lisa's fingers drummed quietly on the table. "Maybe honesty's not about sides. Maybe it's about letting her see the truth and trusting her to decide what to do with it." She paused, searching his face. "Protecting someone isn't the same as deceiving them. You can't carry this alone."
He nodded, the weight of her words settling inside. For all his doubts, he trusted Lisa's clarity, the way she could cut to the heart of things with a few careful words. The room around them felt suspended, as if waiting.
"She's stronger than you think," Lisa added, softer now, almost as if she were speaking to herself. "Don't underestimate her, or what you both can survive together."
He exhaled, the knot in his chest loosening just a little. "I'll talk to her," he said finally. "But... after the week. I want her to have this time, unburdened."
Lisa gave a quiet, accepting nod. The conversation drifted, but an understanding lingered between them. Love wasn't about shielding each other from every hurt. It was about facing what came, side by side, even if the path ahead was uncertain.
"You and dad," he began.
"What about us?"
"There's always been that tension between the two of you..." He waved a hand. "That need of yours to argue or buck his will for you."
"He's a bully," she said tightly.
Leon nodded. "But underneath, you love him."
"Of course I do. He's my dad. What... Oh." Understanding dawned. "I see where this is going." Reaching across the table, she covered his hands with hers. "I would like to say it's not the same thing, but it probably is."
He nodded. "There's always these compelling dynamics between a father and a daughter.
It has been that way for centuries and still is.
I don't want to wedge myself between them, Lisa.
I don't want to be the bad guy here. All I ever wanted was to love her above anything else.
" His expression was bleak. "Now it's starting to be so damned hard, that I'm losing hope. "
She squeezed his hand. "You said it yourself. You love her."
"Yes, but I'm not happy and I doubt she is either."
"Leon..."
He shook his head. "I cannot talk about it anymore. I'm sorry."
She was about to say something else when her pager beeped.
"Dammit, I'm not supposed to be on call." She dragged it out and rose. "I hate to leave you alone..."
"No," he shook his head. "I'm going to turn in for the night anyway." Walking over, he kissed her cheek. "Thanks for being here."
"I love you."
"I know. I love you too."
But he could not settle. Even minutes after his sister left, he was still wandering around the dining area restlessly, his mind in a turmoil.
He had not been with his wife for more than a week, and he had a feeling that some of it was sexual frustration.
He needed her. At first, he would call and ask her to meet him somewhere and they would sneak away to be with each other, but that was something he was no longer interested in.
The novelty had worn off and the frustration had started to set in.
He had foolishly thought that he could deal with the situation.
Had even assured her that they would and could work it out.
That being apart from each other would make the coming together even more special.
But he had been quickly disabused of that idea.
Dragging his fingers through his hair, he left the mess on the table and headed upstairs.
His apartment had started to feel like a prison.
When he first married her, he had been so excited with the idea of her coming to live with him.
He had never wanted that before. A woman sharing the same space with him.
His relationships in the past had never gotten to that stage.
But all of that had changed with Kadian.
Ignoring the biting cold from the wind that had sprung up, he opened the terrace doors and stepped out.
Plans of them having dinner out here and making love on the plush sofa had become a bitter dream. He ached for her. He was hungry to feel and taste of her skin. He needed more and if that did not materialize, then what?
Was he going to leave her? Could he? What the hell then was the solution? She had told him that her old man was changing or had not complained about her taking the week off. What did that even mean?
And why the sudden change of heart?
Heaving out a breath, he stepped away from the rail and shoved his hands into the pockets of his sports jacket. They were going to have a very long conversation and based on the result, it would be a turning point in their lives.
*****
Anthony kneaded her knotted shoulders slowly.
"You've always carried your tension here." He concentrated on the base of her neck, clever fingers rubbing away the knots that had tangled and settled until now. Lisa could already feel them untangling.
"And you have a way with your hands." She smiled wearily and leaned into him. "That hits the spot. Darling, you're even more drained than I am."
"I can take it." He continued to rub slowly. "While I do this enormous service which is taking quite a bit out of me, why don't you tell me what's eating away at the marvelous mind of yours?" he asked gently.
Lifting her head, she looked at him and felt her heart melting.
In the theater, he was a magician, with steady hands and rock-hard focus.
His hair was mussed with strands falling carelessly over his forehead.
He was not super star handsome, but more endearing.
But he was the love of her life. He annoyed her with his inability to keep an area clean and tidy, but she would never exchange him for anyone else.
He was well and truly hers and he understood her more than anyone else did. She was a very fortunate woman.
"The mangled leg of that teenager not enough to make me feel sad and pissed off?"
"No. Unfortunately we have seen worse." Lifting his hands, he reached down to pull her up and led her to their bed. "What is it my love?"
She waited until he had slipped out of his comfortable and ratty old robe which she had never been able to persuade him to get rid of and slide in next to her.
"I had dinner with Leon." She snuggled against his hard wiry body.
"Ah." The single word had a wealth of meaning.
It had taken him considerable courage and several days of praying for courage to face her family when he realized that he had completely gone over her.
The men in her life intimidated him, the father more than the brother.
While he admired and respected his brother-in-law, the man was too handsome, too much of everything for Anthony to ever really relax around him. "What now?"
"He's having problems with the marriage."
His hand was around her shoulder, his fingers absently rubbing at the bare skin. "I'm not surprised. I have yet to meet the wife, but the circumstances of their union make it difficult for them to really be happy and steady."
Turning her head, she gave him a quizzical look. "You think it's not going to work out?"
He shrugged. "I'm not a psychic who can predict the future, but in my opinion, marriage needs a solid foundation and a hell of a lot of communication. They live apart and have stolen moments. The excitement and novelty are bound to wear off eventually."
"He loves her."
Bending his head, he kissed the tip of her pretty nose. "I'm sure he does, or he would never have gone as far as to tie the knot. Your brother and you are the types to have pretty much anyone." His eyes met hers in amusement. "Makes me wonder what on earth you're doing with me."
"The sex is amazing and you're adorable. And you give a good massage."
"Glad to be of service." He grinned at her and sent her heart into a dizzy spin. "Aren't they going away to Scotland?"
"Yes." She moved against him restlessly, hooking one foot over his thighs. "I'm hoping that during that time away, they will manage to sort out their worries."
"Isn't her dad and yours a big part of all of it?"
"Something like that. It's more her dad than mine. There is something about the man that's not quite right. I think he wants to keep the poor girl under his thumb for the rest of her life. And he lied to her about what happened in the past."
"Is he going to tell her?"
"He's tormented and torn in two. He does not want to come between them."
"The bond between a man and his daughter can be very strong and very daunting." He gazed at her. "I was afraid of doing that once."
"Coming between me and dad?"
He nodded, a faint smile touching his lips. "As much as you argue and fuss at each other, the bond is still strong. He's always of the assumption that you could have done better."
"That's where he and I part ways." She started unbuttoning his top.
"I thought we were too tired?"
"Never. I did mention the great sex."
"I believe you said amazing."
"Whatever." She sat up and tossed her silk nightie over her head. "Let's get started."