My Wife Seeks Excitement Outside Our Relationship, But Her Nightmare Comes, Audio Book

Have you ever felt the sharp sting of betrayal pierce through the fabric of your trust? I have endured that agony. My life, once a harmony of love and loyalty, crumbled when I uncovered my beloved's deceit. "If you did love me, you never would have cheated on me this way."

I confronted Angela, each word soaked in betrayal and disbelief. Her response was quick, yet hollow. "But I was lost and confused." Used her feeble attempt at justification. "There are simply no perfect relationships." Did nothing to soothe the pain. This is my walk through a landscape marred by deception. "Enjoy watching it."

Life sure has a funny way of throwing curveballs, doesn't it? There's a saying that goes something like this: "We make plans and then life laughs right in our faces." That's pretty much the story of my life.

Here I am, Lucas Blue, living in Lewiston, Michigan. A small but quickly growing town. It's one of those places where news and the internet talk about a lot these days. It's small enough that everyone sort of knows each other, but it's also big enough that you can't know everyone by name. What's cool about towns like this is they have the friendly vibe of small places, but also the perks of bigger cities. And before you jump to conclusions, let me tell you, I'm no farmer. We're not stuck in the past here.

You know how in the old days, guns were supposed to make everyone equal? Equal nowadays, it's the internet doing that. I went to the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and decided that big city life in places like Detroit or Chicago wasn't my thing. I was looking for a spot where I could meet the perfect girl, settle down, and raise kids in a community that teaches them right from wrong. Well, that was the plan.

But here I am, with everything turned upside down. I've ended up doing something terrible. I've taken someone's life, and now, as I sit here, I'm waiting for the cops to come and take me away. All I can say is, sometimes people push you too far. And that dream girl? Let's just say we can't stand each other now. Our divorce is dragging through the courts with a few messy bits that'll keep us tied together a bit longer, but not for much longer.

I guess you're wondering how things got so messed up for me, huh? Let me take you back to the start. It all kicked off a few months back during our town's Fourth of July bash. My wife, Angela, and I don't often mingle in town. We hit it off in college. Me in manufacturing, and her in finance. We were kind of on the edge, you know? We were all right looking, not enough to strut on runways, but okay. We were into our jobs, yet not out to break records. What clicked, though, was us. We were like two peas in a pod. We loved the same food, the same TV shows, and shared the same dreams. Neither of us aimed for riches or fame. All we wanted was a cozy life. Above all, we valued family and being there for each other more than climbing the career ladder.

After graduation, we made our home here in Lewiston and began crafting our future. We snagged a small farm and handed off the fields to a local farming group. The farm's buildings were our main interest. I took out a business loan, spruced up the barn, and brought in a few horses and sea machines. I wasn't aiming to be a manufacturing whiz. My gig was simple: I made basic parts on small orders, selling through an eBay store. Door. I'm into making lookalike parts. So, if a company wants to mimic another's product and needs specific bits, they reach out. They send over designs or a code, and I whip up what they need. Then, off the parts go via UPS, and it's on to the next job. Business is booming. I also push various items on eBay. Pretty much anything that can be spun out on a lathe or a mill is fair game. I have a bunch of online shops where I sell all sorts of stuff, from car parts for speed lovers to ninja stars. I make them all in my big old barn. The best part? I'm my own boss, and I work whenever I want. I earn pretty good money too.

Angela has a job at the bank in town. She's the one right under the manager. I feel bad for her sometimes. She has to wake up early every day and ends up doing all the hard stuff that the other workers can't do or the boss won't do. And when things go wrong, she's the one who has to deal with it. But she doesn't always get the thanks she deserves. But there are days when she really likes what she does. Does. Recently, she was super into it, going in early and leaving late. She said it was because her boss was away and they were teaching new people. I didn't get why that was so great, but she said it let her teach them her way, and it showed the big company people what she could do as a boss. So maybe if her boss left or if they opened a new place, she would be the one they'd pick. I joke that she wouldn't be working much longer anyway since she was planning on being a full-time mom soon. She laughed and agreed that was the next big step for her.

So, we were at the Independence Day party in town, just enjoying ourselves. I decided to join in on the Declaration Track, a cool event our town does. It's all about fun and keeping the peace. Another town nearby does something big too. Our event is the double D, a drag race that's open to anyone. People bring whatever car they've got and race down a couple of blocks right in the middle of town. Last year, a guy named Tyler Stevens won it with his Dodge Challenger. Charlie Green got a fast car from Dallas last year and thought he might win the big race this time, but I knew better. It was a no-go. The cops, all four of them, were always there. They were smart. They kept track of all the cars in the race. That way, if someone was driving too fast or crazy later, they knew who it was and where to send the fine. Only 32 cars could join the race. If more showed up, the race went on for 2 days. If fewer, then racers who did well last year could skip some rounds. This was my first race, so I had to do them all.

I was sitting near the start line in my almost new fast car. I looked for Angela in the crowd and saw her chatting with some guy I didn't know. She was all smiles, and they stood real close. That sight made me uneasy. Since it wasn't my turn yet, I thought about going over to check him out, but I didn't get the chance. Someone tapped my car window. Looking away from Angie, my frown went away. A small woman was peering in. I rolled down the window for a better look. She was tiny and in good shape. I blinked a few times to see her clearer. She was barely 5 feet tall, tops. She had those bright, pale gray eyes that looked magical. Her dark hair was cut short in a style that kept falling over her face. One side was longer and always got in her way while she pinned back the shorter side. She kept brushing the long side out of her eyes. She had on a light blue jean shirt that seemed too small for her big chest. She was holding a clipboard and peered in at me through the window.

"What's your name?" she asked me, real slow.

"It won't help you any," I replied, wondering why I'd never seen her around our small town before.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because I'm married," I said with a sigh, "and I wouldn't cheat on my wife, no matter how pretty you are."

Then she grinned in a funny way and pointed down at her belt. At first, I thought she was trying to show me her backside, until... until I noticed the shiny gold sheriff's badge.

"Let's go again," she said. "What if I tell you my name first? I'm an officer. As in, I'm with the police. They call me Officer Tanya Bradley at work. Some of you call us bacon or pigs. Got it?"

Now, she mumbled something about good-looking ones always being dumb. I couldn't help but smile. "Got it, officer. That was my mistake. Won't happen again. What can I do for you, officer?"

"Tell me your name and about your car."

"Car?" she said with a smile. I didn't smile back. "I'm Lucas Aaron. My car is a blue 2012 Ford Mustang 302 Boss."

"How much power?" she asked.

"Before or after I changed it?" I asked.

"What's it at now?" she wanted to know.

"Around 650 horsepower," I said, "but I've never been caught speeding here."

"Why tell me that?" she asked, looking at me. She smiled again, and her hair fell in front of her face. "You know," she said, "you can relax. We got off on the wrong foot. No need to be so stiff."

"Maybe it's my fault. I'm not here to bust you or anything. The police team was in charge of the race signups. I was walking along the line of cars, jotting down details."

"Okay," I nodded. "Yes, ma'am. So, being a cop means I'm not pretty anymore, right?"

"Just the facts, ma'am," I replied.

She grinned at me again. She bit her lip and gave me that look. A lot was said in that moment, both of us feeling it. Then we snapped back to reality, knowing this wouldn't lead anywhere. As she turned to leave, she paused and glanced back, tossing her hair from her mesmerizing eyes. "One last time," she called out, "good luck," and went to the next car.

Watching her walk away, I had a big thought. People have been on this Earth for a really long time. If you follow science, it's millions of years. If you go by the Bible, it's over 2,000 years. All this time, and we've finally gotten it right with women. They used to come in three types: big, thin, and medium. But since the '80s, we found all these different shapes. There's been talk of BW, SBB, W, mils, and golf types. But now, it's like every time I look around, I'm surprised by how different women can look. Officer Tanya Bradley was something else. At just about 5 feet, she was hard to describe. She wasn't big or thin. Typically, you'd expect someone her size to be pretty average, but she was far from it. Her shirt was tight, and her jeans fit like they were made just for her. She had a tiny waist that flared out, making her look like an hourglass. And her legs? They were something else. Her jeans were rolled up to her calf, and she had the most defined calves I've ever seen. I wondered how her thighs looked. Even her face was not the usual pretty. Her eyes were a light gray, not a common pretty color, but they looked right on her. They were different. She looked like she could be in a vampire story, but it fit her. Her nose was wide, and her lips were full. And her hair? She couldn't stop fixing it. Tanya Bradley was the most eye-catching woman I had met. That's probably why I sat in my car, forgetting I had seen my wife looking happy with another man.

Watching Officer Bradley move from car to car until it was time for my race, I thought I'd need to win a lot, especially if I didn't lose. My first race was with a guy who had a mullet. He drove an old car, a Monte Carlo from the late '70s. Nice car, but not for racing. He was too caught up looking at the cheerleader who started the race, and I took off before he even moved. My next race was with a geeky guy in a small car from Japan. He really liked those racing movies, you could tell by how his car was done up. I think he had a special system for fast speed in his car, but by the time he sped up, the race was done. He must have hit 200 mph when he finished, but it didn't matter. I was already there. Angela was looking at me, then she came over to talk, but I just shook my head. The more I thought about her being happy with that guy, the angrier I got. I could have been chatting with that pretty cop, but the first thing out of my mouth was that I was married. Not that she was into me, but I told her. That's all Angie had to do too. She just had to say if she was done being married. We could fix that easy. But I had to keep my head clear for the races, so I stayed in the car. Still, I planned to talk to her after.

Now, let's see things from Jerry's view. My life wasn't getting any better. Was I in Vegas? Nope. Was I in LA again? Uh-uh. Back in the big city? Nah. I was stuck in some tiny place that barely counted as a city. We'd been here around 4 weeks, and I was ready to leave. Nothing much to do here unless you liked family fun. Today, for the first time, there was something interesting, but I had to work. Me and a few others were hitting small towns. Each stop, we'd lay low, not seen together. Each did our thing, then hit the bank and ran. Arie, an old buddy, brought me in for two reasons: my charm and driving were top-notch in our small team. Everyone had to ace their part because we each had different roles. No doubling up on tasks made it hard sometimes, but it meant just splitting the loot three ways. My job was to check out the bank, learn everything about it, its workers, and how they did things. I'd also find the best roads out and have cars ready for any escape plan, all while making sure no one would remember seeing me. Arie was the one who got all the info on the local cops, how many there were, their history, and how they acted to stuff. Darren was our tech guy. He could turn off alarms and jam radio signals so the cops couldn't talk to each other, right?

I spent about 3 weeks getting close to the assistant manager at the bank. Angela Blue. Sounds like a name from a naughty movie, right? Well, let's just say Angela got pretty close to me too. Angela was like many small-town wives. It didn't take long to win her over. The first time we talked, she went on about loving her husband, but soon she was all over me, sharing more than just talk. All I had to do was listen and say what she wanted to hear. It was easy, especially with women who think they love their husbands. No love story is perfect. Angela started with how much she adored her husband, but ended up sharing all her complaints. She talked about how he did love her, but was too caught up in their old plans, like waiting until a certain age to have kids. And she really disliked her job. She wanted to quit her job. Plus, the bank's manager was messing around, causing trouble. He took some time off to sort things out, but it made no difference to Angela. She was doing all the work anyway and was fed up. She knew she wouldn't get any higher up in the bank. The town was too small, and this bank was the only one around. She was also the only one there with a college degree in finance. It was kind of a letdown. She spent four years in college to earn just a dollar more each hour than the bank tellers who mostly just finished high school or didn't at all. The two who ran the place got extra cash bonuses in their pay every week, so they made more than she did. She felt more like she was watching kids than working at the bank. Her husband didn't get how much she didn't like her job. He made way more money than her and didn't even have to leave their home. He paid off his small business loan quicker than needed and was making more money than they could spend. He also owned the farm outright and made even more by renting out the fields. All he really used was the barn he turned into a fancy workshop. There was also space in that big barn for a gym and a garage for his new Mustang. He kept his old Mustang too, but the new one was his true love. What she wanted was to tell her husband, "Listen, I'm over the bank job. I want to quit." But she wasn't sure how he'd react.

I learned all this the first day I met her. I walked into the bank spinning a tale about scouting locations for a movie that might film in her town. I mentioned needing to make big deposits and setting up credit soon. I hinted I'd need help finding places and getting to know the area. She jumped at the chance to help, probably from being so bored. She'd do anything for a change. I started saying she was pretty. She's okay, but not stunning. Her husband probably stopped telling her she's pretty, thinking she knew it by now. He was sure she did. Years ago, she might have been pretty, but time changed that. My kind words made her smile. I started by running into her by chance so she'd get used to me. Then I looked at her in a way that made her shy. I went further by saying her husband wasn't smart. "If she were mine, we'd never leave bed because of love, not because we didn't want to work." Small, sorry touches turned into more, leading to a kiss. After that, there was no going back. Now she thinks she owns me, but... but soon she'll see I don't care much for her. By that time, the money will be gone, and so will I. If she's wise, she'll keep quiet, stay with her husband, and have a secret memory for later years. I wonder if she knows I don't enjoy being with her. For me, being close is more than just an act. It's like sports. Some play for love, and some for other reasons. When love is there, it feels great. You want to make each other happy. Your love makes everything feel right. Her husband probably really loves her, even if she's not great at showing love back. She's from a small town and maybe thinks too highly of herself. She mostly just lays there when we're together. Sometimes she makes a soft little sound. It's gotten so boring I could fall asleep. The only thing that tells you she's not a fancy doll is that she's alive. After she looks at me like she expects me to be forever grateful, that's not going to happen. Angela, her chest doesn't touch her arms. That's not attractive unless you really love the person, and I don't.

So here I am, lost in the crowd at this weird event called the Declaration Track. I don't get these folks. Did they think the people who started this country raced cars in the streets? It actually looked fun. If I wasn't busy, I might have wanted to join in. I checked out the cars, trying to guess who might win. It was hard because all the cars looked amazing. I couldn't believe this place had so many nice cars. There was a Chevelle SS that was perfect, a Nissan 350Z that looked awesome, and a brand new 2012 Dodge Charger SRT, right from the shop. There were amazing cars everywhere. Just as I was really getting into it, someone spoke next to me. She said her husband was likely to win. I pretended to be happy to see her, calming myself by thinking I'd soon leave and never have to see her again. But I knew she liked the risk of us being seen together here by people who knew her but didn't know us. It was the excitement of almost getting caught. I turned to see what she was pointing at and spotted a cool guy in a wild Mustang. It was painted a bright lime green. I had never seen a new Boss 302 looking like that. When he revved the engine, I knew it was not just any car. The car shook because of the powerful engine inside. Then I saw the girl he was talking to. She was just my type, making two things in this town catch my eye. First, I wanted to spend time with that interesting girl, and second, I wanted that flashy Mustang. His winning in the race made two things clear to me: one, I wanted his car; two, the girl called "banana tits" was with a loser. He easily won the first three races. His win against someone in a new Charger was even more impressive, but I was distracted. Banana tits tried to get my attention right as the race started. She acted as if she owned me. His next race was a tough one, but he still won. He was up against another Mustang and just barely won in the end. The final race was coming. The Mustang was up against an orange Camaro LS1. I already guessed what would happen. After chatting with ba—I mean, Angela—I found out her man's car had over 600 horsepower. The Camaro had around 450, and the Mustang was lighter by over 200 lb. So, unless he was really slow, he should win easily, but it would still be fun to watch. I thought, and it was. The two bright, old-style muscle cars made a big show. A little cheerleader waved a flag, and both cars roared loudly like wild animals. The Mustang shot off fast. The Camaro tried, but then choked as its driver, all jumpy, messed up a gear shift and killed the car halfway down the road. The Mustang slid to a halt. The driver hopped out and waved at the folks. I thought he was just showing off, but then he got back in his ride and backed up the whole way, stopping close to the Camaro. I was cracking up, thinking he was teasing the guy or something. Then I heard the voice over with the loudspeaker say the drivers were going for a do-over. My jaw dropped. "That's not how racing goes. No second chances." What a joke, I thought. The guy must be living in a dream world, but the crowd was all for him. Even those nearby were patting Angela on the back, saying what a cool dude her husband was. I then noticed that the nosy lady who was just all over me had backed off. Good riddance, I thought. Then it hit me. I had been there, done that. Angela was too caught up with people praising her husband to notice the lean lady with the clipboard giving him the eye. I know how these things work, and that lady was all in for Angela's man. Everyone's eyes were glued on the racers as they got ready again. Seemed I was the only sour one there. I kept turning it over in my head. I've seen a lot of races, but a do-over? That's new to me. Anyway, they were off again. Hubby spun his wheels too much, and the Camaro got a jump on him. Halfway, the Camaro was a bit in the lead. Everyone gasped. I was thinking, "Well, serves you right." But then the Mustang just powered through, and by the end, it was way ahead of the Camaro. The drivers got out, shook hands, and lifted their hands together. The crowd lost it. I had planned to meet with her tomorrow, but it seemed she preferred to be with him now. That was fine by me. She'd come back to me for help soon enough. This also gave me a chance to figure out who that woman with the dark hair was.

Now, let's see it from Angela's side. Spotting Jerry in the crowd caught me off guard. At first, I thought I should steer clear of him. After all, anyone seeing us together might recall spotting us another time. But soon enough, my desire overpowered my sense of right, and I found myself walking over to him. I can't say why I let things go so far with him. My heart belongs to Lucas. Perhaps I was just fed up with this small town, or maybe it was my deep dislike for my job. I feel like a complete idiot. There, I worked hard in college for 4 years, earning a degree that cost me and my parents over $100,000, and what job did it land me? I earned just $1 an hour more than folks who only finished high school, and one of them didn't even do that. The funny thing is, with some extra pay, they get. The one who didn't finish high school ends up earning the most. My days are spent fixing their errors. I'm also the go-to for errands or any unwanted task. So, in January, when we were hit by the worst snowstorm ever, and the boss wanted to cheer everyone up, guess who had to trudge through the snow for coffee and donuts for these folks? And he didn't even bother to ask if I wanted anything. It felt like a slap in the face. Jerry showing up in town was the only thing that stopped me from leaving my job. After his film crew wrapped up and left, but I'm done with the bank now. Jerry made sticking around worthwhile. I kind of felt bad for what I did with him, but it was thrilling, and in years, it wouldn't count. I had also sworn that once he left town, I wouldn't cheat on Lucas again. Plus, Lucas got all the love from me he could want. I never said no to him, so it's not like he missed out.

As he checked out the cars for the races, I moved closer to him, and when he least expected it, I talked to him. "My hubby is likely to win this," I said. This way, if people were listening, they'd think I was just talking about Lucas. Jerry turned and gave me that lovely smile. He talked about cars, but I didn't really listen. I was more into getting closer, and with the noise, noise from the cars, I sneakily touched him. Lucas was bigger, but Jerry was just wilder. He made me try things I liked, which my husband never did. Then came the last race, and people were patting my back. Lucas had done something cool I missed. I stepped away from Jerry, but we knew we'd meet again tomorrow at lunch. Lucas won, as I thought he would. I ran to him with the crowd. He saw me and looked away. It hurt. I had never meant to hurt him. I wondered what was up with him. I found out that night at home. "Who was that guy you were smiling at?" he asked, straight. At first, I didn't know what to say. I hadn't seen Lucas notice me with Jerry. "That's Jerry from work," I said. I didn't like the look on Lucas's face. "Are you jealous?" I teased with a smile. "You are, aren't you?" I laughed so much I nearly fell. "Honey, Jerry's company is going to shoot a film here in town. He was getting a credit line at the bank. I'm his only friend here, so he waved at me during the race. You're the only one here I'm wed to. Jerry wouldn't even give me a glance. I told him he can stick with those fancy actress types. Why would he care about an old married lady like me?" As I cooked our meal, I saw Lucas's race trophy left outside. He won it, but didn't care much about keeping it safe. For Lucas, the fun was in the race itself. He didn't care for prizes or praise. After we ate, we watched TV for a bit. I usually try to get Lucas to bed before I see Jerry. That way, Lucas is the first one I'm with. Jerry gets what's left, good or bad. Plus, if things with Jerry get too wild, I can just say Lucas wore me out. But this time, Lucas said no, which was new. Did he feel something was up? He's got good gut feelings. I knew he'd find out. If I didn't stop, this place is too small to keep secrets, right? There, I knew I had to end it with Jerry. I'd miss him, but it was just a temporary thing. Lucas was my true love. I couldn't risk losing him for anything. It made me see how wrong I was. I knew I had to stop, but I also felt bad for breaking a promise to Jerry. I had told him I'd see him tomorrow, and I knew what that meant. I decided tomorrow would be the last time. If Lucas got over his bad mood and wanted me back tomorrow, I'd be the one not feeling it.

Next day, I got ready for Jerry, putting on a skirt because I like my legs. I wore no underwear because the skirt was long, making things easy. But being with Jerry wasn't really about the sex. It was okay, but he made me feel important, like I had a secret nobody at my boring job knew. He made me feel wanted and sexy, way better than just being seen as old by some old guy with no hair and a big belly. That morning, I knew leaving Jerry would be tough. I tried to kiss my husband goodbye, but he turned away. He was mad, but his jealousy made me think he still cared a lot. But if he didn't want my kisses, Jerry did. I drove to work, parked, and went in. I locked the door since we didn't open till 9:00. I made coffee and checked the numbers from yesterday to make sure I didn't miss anything. I made myself a cup of coffee and thought about how things had changed in the last few weeks. It had been almost a month, really. Back then, all I wanted was to leave my job. Now, I liked going in on some days. A month ago, I was trying to find the guts to tell Lucas I wanted to change our plans. I still wanted what we always talked about, but I wanted to start sooner. I was ready to stop working and start having kids. Was I ready to be a mom, or was I just so tired of the bank job that it seemed like an escape? But sitting there, feeling upset and thinking about what Jerry said, made me wonder if I wasn't right for this place. The places Jerry talked about sounded thrilling. Maybe that was the life for me. Lucas could run his business anywhere. We didn't have to stay here. The only reason we stayed was for a safe place to raise kids, but there are safe spots in every city if you have the money. Lucas did well, so we could pick. That was another thing I needed to talk about with him. When we first moved, Lucas and I had to meet halfway on money stuff and other things we didn't see eye to eye a lot. I wanted a house in the city. Lucas wanted the farm. I needed to clear my student debt and pay back my parents. Lucas wanted the farm and a small business loan. We couldn't agree, but I have to say, Lucas was right. I didn't want more debt, so Lucas got the farm and the loan on his own. Although I lived there with him, it was all in his name. Lucas never did the official paperwork to make his work a real business. It was just him doing his thing. He made sure to pay his taxes with the help of a local accountant. I tried to help him out before, but Lucas was still mad because I didn't take his side at the start. Now, I really wish I did. If we had shared everything like most couples do, my loans would have been gone by now, but here I am, just getting by with the least payment each month.

My thoughts stopped when I heard a knock. I stood and let Ted Granger in, our guard. He greeted me with, "Good morning. You look nice, Angela." That's what he said every day. Not hot, pretty, or sexy, just nice. "Seriously, Ted?" I thought. "A kid gets called nice. A woman my age? Not so much." But all I said was, "Thanks, Ted," and off he went to start his day, opening the vault with my help and key. We did this right before opening so folks could get to their safe boxes all day. By 9:00, the tellers were ready, and we let customers in. The bank got busy fast, especially because shops were dropping off their weekend money. This Monday was busier since we had the 4th of July on Friday, which was odd. Usually, we have those holidays on a Monday, but not this year. I kept a smile for the customers and looked around to make sure I wasn't needed, but I knew I wouldn't be. This town was so dull. Watching paint dry was more interesting. At 11:45, I walked over to Marge Blair. She'd been at the bank so long it felt like forever. She taught me how. As I walked up, she looked at me and smiled. "I know," she said sweetly, "you're off to eat lunch with your man. See you when you're back. You should bring that cute man of yours here for lunch sometime." Mary Clark cut in. Her smile hit me differently. I got mad. Mary was one of the higher-ups at the bank, much higher than just a local gossip. Only 22, with long blonde hair and fake looks. I didn't like her eyeing Lucas. "That'd be nice," another worker said, messing up my day even more. All these annoying women talking about how cute my man was. I guess it was because of the race yesterday. I just nodded and left. I didn't head home. Instead, I drove across town to the Stafford Motel. Reaching the motel, I was thrilled but felt odd, too. Maybe it was those annoying women at the bank making me feel bad. I shook off the guilt by thinking that Lucas had turned me down last night. I had every right to look elsewhere. But then, thinking of him doing the same made me mad again. Did what I was doing mean he could too? Jerry opened the door and pulled me in. Even though he was eager, I could tell he was excited. Once inside, he kissed me. "So, how was work today?" he asked. That's what I liked about Jerry. He asked about my day at the bank, not Lucas or his car or the race. He cared about me. He asked me lots about the bank and the big safe car while he touched me. I was hot all over, but it felt odd, odd for some reason. I tried to get Jerry's pants off, but he didn't seem into it. That was odd, too. Lucas was always up for it. I had to work on Jerry to get him going. That seemed odd, but I thought it was just how some guys are. As I started on Jerry, something felt off. It wasn't my body; it was like when you know you forgot something. Soon, Jerry got me on the bed. As always, Jerry was quick. I didn't even take my clothes off, just lifted my skirt, and there we went. Right after, he was up, looking at his watch. That was Jerry for you, always worried about my job time. He went to check the door like he was in a spy film. He did this a lot, but this time was different. When the door opened, it sounded like a hit. Jerry was sent flying back into the room. I was on his bed, cleaning up. I looked up, shocked, and saw my husband standing there. With one kick, Lucas sent Jerry sliding, then just shook his head. Lucas didn't speak. He just spit on Jerry and walked out. I ran after Lucas, yelling for him, but he kept walking. People saw us, so I ran back to Jerry's. Jerry was on the ground, hurt. His nose looked bad. It looked broken. "Jerry, are you okay?" I asked. He just stared at me like I was dumb. "Do I look okay to you?" he said. "Just leave, Angela. I'll call a friend and head to a clinic in the next town. You go deal with your stuff." Jerry, so we're done, huh? "You think?" he smirked, then he shook his head and grabbed his cell phone. I walked out and went to my car. Sat inside, but didn't leave. I tried calling Lucas, but he didn't answer. Left him a message at home saying how sorry I was and that I'd give him space before we talked again. I said sorry again and that I loved him. Tried to calm down and drove back to work. The rest of the day was quiet, just some jokes about me smelling because I missed my shower after lunch. At 3:30, a lawyer from a nearby town called me. He said he was speaking for Lucas about our divorce and wanted to chat. I wrote down his number and called him from my office. "Mr. Mason," I said when he answered. "This is a mistake. My husband and I aren't splitting up. It was just a small fight. I'm sure once we talk, he'll agree." "I believe you, Mrs..." he said. "You don't need to convince me. I hope it all works out like you said. But for now, I've got to tell you what your husband wants. Do you have something to write with?" "Yes," I said. "Good," he said. "Your husband says you need to find a lawyer fast. Pick one from a town over so it's less awkward for you both. He's giving you 3 days. Move out of the big house. During this time, he'll stay in the barn he fixed up for work. He went to town, got a small fridge and a microwave for the barn so he won't need to come into the house while you're here, just to shower or go to the bathroom." "But where will he sleep?" I asked. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that, ma'am," he said. "I can only say what I was told to say." "I want to talk to Lucas before things get too far," I said. "I'll make sure to tell him, ma'am," he said. "Once you find a lawyer, please give them my details so we can start the process. I've got a meeting with your husband later today to talk about how to split your stuff. Is there something you want him to think about when we make the papers?" "Yeah," I said. "I want him to remember I love him. I made a mistake. I'm very sorry for what I did. I don't want a divorce." "I'll let him know," he said. "Do you want the papers given to you at home? Your husband thought it would be less embarrassing for you than getting them in a public place." "Mr. Mason, can I ask something?" I said. "Of course, ma'am," he said. "And call me Perry. In situations like mine, I guess the husbands are often shocked. They're upset and make choices without thinking. It's often the hurt that drives them. Is that right?" I asked. "In most cases, yes," he said. "What about my case?" I asked. "Your husband came to my office calm. He wrote down what he wanted and had thought it through. He also brought some of your money papers related to his house and work so we could talk about splitting stuff up. I don't think your husband is being rash. I think he's just set his pain aside for now and thought about what he wants."

I hung up the phone, trying to keep cool, but then tears came. I worked all day, leaving the bank last. Going home felt bad for the first time ever. I got to our place and saw light in the barn, but none in the house. The door lock was new, but left open for me. I set my case down and turned on the house lights. The kitchen was clean. Lucas, if still up, would have cooked. Dang. Lucas would usually hug me tight as I got home. It's strange how you miss things once they're gone. I took two beers from the fridge. On a night like this, Lucas might need a cold one. Maybe then he'd chat. As I went to the barn, it was quiet, no machine sound, so he could talk. The barn door was locked. I knocked and waited. I heard water on the barn's other side. Just like him, I thought. I found Lucas washing his car. It seemed right since he didn't plan to see me. He'd spend time on his next favorite thing. He didn't look up as I came close. I went to pull his earphones off, smiling, but he dropped his cloth and grabbed my hand fast. "Don't touch me," he snapped. If I thought I was shocked when he pushed Jerry back into the room, that was nothing to what came next. Looking into the eyes of the man I loved so much, I hoped for anger. Early in the mess, I expected hate or mad feelings. I wouldn't have been shocked to see hurt, upset, mixed-up thoughts, or even tears. But none of that was there. All I saw was giving up. It was the same look Lucas had every time he had to do something he didn't like or want to do, but had to because it was a must. When I asked him to take out the trash, that look was there. As soon as he was done with with whatever task he didn't like, his smile would come back. Now, I was the task he didn't want to deal with. Things were way worse than I ever thought. "Did Mr. Mason give you my messages?" I asked. He just nodded as he kept cleaning his car. "Lucas, I'm really..." I tried to say before he cut me off again. "No anger, no hurt in his voice. Just because I got the message doesn't mean I agreed to it," he said. "You have one big reason to talk to me," Lucas I said louder than I meant to. "I'm your wife. I love you. You love me. We have a big problem. We really need to talk about." "There has never been a time since we met that you and I couldn't sit and fix our fights. We need to talk, Lucas. No matter how mad you are, we still have to talk." "When did we ever get to a point where we couldn't talk?" he put down the cloth and stood to face me again. I expected anger, but it wasn't there. "How about yesterday, after the race, when I asked you who that jerk was, and instead of talking, you lied to me?" he said. "Or how about today, when I found you with the same guy in that bad motel?" "I had to try to lie about it. Lucas, I shouldn't have been in that room with him, but we weren't doing anything," I said. Lucas just smiled at me. "That's why we can't talk," he said. He took out his phone and tapped a few buttons. Then he held the phone close to my face, and I saw a video of me and Jerry. "No point in talking if you're going to lie," he said. "You have two days to take all your stuff out of my house. Don't waste time." "But this is my house too," I told Lucas. "I've been here since we moved in." He just gave me a smile. "Remember how mad you were about the house cost and the loan?" he asked. "You made me sign a paper so you wouldn't have to deal with the debt I took on buying the house. That means you don't own any of it." "Lucas, where will I go?" I asked. "I don't care," he said. "Just not here. And get a lawyer. You'll get your papers tomorrow. Let's finish this fast." "Why can't we talk?" I begged. "Lucas, I don't want a divorce." "Should have thought of that before you were with other men in cheap hotels," he said. "You knew I wouldn't stand for that, so you must have wanted out." "Lucas, I've been sad for a long time," I said, starting to cry. "Well, now you can be free and find your happiness," he said, trying to wipe a mark off his shirt. "Lucas, it wasn't like that," I said. "I was just bored and I hate my job." "But you weren't lying to the bank in that hotel," he said. "You lied to me. If it was about the bank, you could have just stayed home and spent time with your husband or taken a fake sick day or even quit. We have plenty of money." "Lucas, after everything, can't we try again?" I asked. "Sure," he said. "The same chance you gave me when you decided you were unhappy and started meeting strangers, which is no chance at all. I really need to wrap this up, so we'll talk again in the lawyer's office." "You'll wait a long time then," I shot back. "I'm ready to fight." With that, I walked off. Lucas didn't even glance my way, just kept on shining his car on the other side.

I, Jerry, woke up looking around. This room wasn't my usual spot. Then my face and side hurt, reminding me where I was. Sitting up was pain. My side felt like it might knock me out again. "Grab some pain meds, here dummy," Arie's rough voice said. "You messed up good, but we can still do it. No cops in either town know about us. And with the mess in big guy's house, maybe we speed things up." "Speed up to when?" he asked. "To tomorrow," I said. "It's when small shops in town put their money in the bank, and it's also when the big company's cash for workers will be there. That bank will be stuffed with cash, and we can leave before my divorce mess finds me." "Go," he laughed. "Hey, bring your lady." "No way," I said. "She means nothing to me. I needed pills just to think about being close to her. Better not," said Arie.

Last thing we want is a loud, bright green car making noise. Now, what about Lucas's side? Angela was to leave days ago. It's been 4 days since I gave her three to go. I called my lawyer this morning. He said to chill. My words to her weren't really something we could use. He'd make it official today. He hadn't heard back about the divorce papers he gave her. He said some folks just hope problems fade away if they ignore them.

Angela kept calling and leaving messages. She was trying to think of ways to fix things. The only time I replied was when she said I should go out with someone else for a month. That made the pain worse because she was with another guy for a month. But I stayed calm and just said if she thought it could be fixed that easy, then she didn't love me like I loved her, and I was ready to move on. She called right back, yelling. She thought I must have someone else to leave so fast, or maybe I had someone in mind. "There's no one else, Angela," I said. "Cool, then why won't you give us another shot?" she begged. "It won't happen again, I promise." Then she went very soft and quiet. "I miss you, Lucas. I love you. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just needed something." "What you mean is you didn't want to get caught. Now you can go find what you need. If you loved me, you'd never have cheated, and you're right, it won't happen again because you won't get the chance."

That talk was yesterday, and still hurt. I loaded another pallet into the machine. It was set to make four parts at a time. About to start it, I heard tapping at the door. I really thought it was Angela. Then it hit me. She had driven to work that morning, so how could she be back by 1:00 in the afternoon? Maybe she felt sick, or maybe she was about to say she's leaving. That'd be good news. But just yesterday, she said only an army could make her go.

I opened the door. It was the cop from before. She looked stunning, even in her Sheriff outfit. Her light eyes were hidden by shades, but her smile wasn't. "Miss Mr. Blue, you need to come with me," she said, all serious. She glanced around the barn like cops do, checking every corner. "Officer," I started. "Gorgeous," she cut in. Then she went red. She remembered my words from a week ago. I had said, "Sorry, then. I didn't know she was a cop." "So you didn't mean it?" she asked. "Which answer gets me out of going with you?" I tried. "Is the town that broke your arresting me for a compliment?" "You're not being arrested," she said firmly. "There's been trouble in town. Stay calm, okay?" I nodded. "The bank was hit. The guard, Ted Granger, is dead, and your wife got shot. She's in surgery. They hope she'll make it, but you should come to the hospital." "No," I said.

But she was already walking to her car, thinking I'd follow. I paused, watching her move. She caught me staring. "Excuse me?" she said sharply. "Your wife's in the hospital." She looked at me as if I was a bug. "Maybe I'll lock you up," she said. For the first time since all this started, I couldn't fake it anymore. "When was the worst time?" I just let my feelings out. "My wife's gone!" I yelled. "So whoever you've got in the hospital, she's on her own. If you want to lock me up, do it. I have a lawyer." The same one who's dealing with the split. I saw her hand move near her gun. She looked in my eyes, then her look got soft. She pushed me back into my barn, scanning the place as she entered. She made me sit on the couch in the corner.

"You still had a wife on Sunday at the race," she reminded me. "Remember you threw that in my face?" I nodded. "So what happened?" "I found out Monday she'd been with another man in a motel for a month. I asked for a split the same day." "Maybe you guys can fix it," she said. "Excuse me, officer," I said, "but that won't happen." "You're smarter than me, then," she said. "My ex fooled around on me for over 5 years. I only left after catching him three or four times." My eyebrows rose in shock, and she caught it. "What?" she said. "I'm sorry," I said. "I just can't see why anyone would cheat on you. He must have been dumb." She gave me a weird look. "Then no," I said. "I'm not doing that again." "I know you don't want to do this," she said. "And by law, I can't force you. I'd have to go back to the Sheriff's office and get a warrant to make you talk or something. But it would mean a lot if you'd come with me."

I locked up the barn and followed her. We drove almost in silence to the hospital, 8 miles from my house. "Who knows," she said as we got out of the car, "maybe this will bring you two back together." "No chance of that," I said. She led me to the nurse's desk. I knew both nurses there already. She handed me one of her cards. "I'll head back when the docs let us know she's done with her op," she said. "I got to go talk to more folks who saw what went down. If she wakes up for I'm back and says anything, jot it down." "All right," I nodded. "And Mr. Blue," she added. I looked up. Hearing that made me smile.

Then I woke up. Angela, with such bad pain in my shoulder and head. Tried to touch my head, but my arm just wouldn't go. My other arm was hooked up with tubes. My throat was super dry. "Lucas," it was all I could say, real rough like. A nurse came by, gave me some water. Felt a bit better. Then she smiled. "Good to have you back," she said. "Lucas," I said again. "I'll get him," she promised. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, Lucas was there by my bed.

"Lucas," it was Jerry, I said. "Darling, I'm so sorry. I should have..." I stopped, 'cause a cop walked in. Looked at Lucas, who was by my bed. "She okay?" he asked. Lucas just kind of shrugged. "Can I leave now?" he asked. The cop gave him a weird look. "This your wife?" he asked. "Don't you care?" "Look, Lucas," said. "We're splitting up." "We are not!" I said. The cop looked lost. "She cheated," Lucas blurted out. "Biggest mistake ever," I said. "And I got tricked into it. Told him it's a one-time thing, but he ain't forgiving." "Would you, Lucas?" asked. "If your wife, after 10 years, was with another guy, what would you do?" "Could be easier to get over if it was just once, but a whole month, and she lied so many times about it. What then?" The cop had no words. Lucas was upset. "Look, I wasn't there, I didn't do it. My main worry is this mess will slow down my divorce," he huffed. "Oh, and one more thing," he went on. "A deputy took me here thinking I might help if she could talk. The nurses told me she'll be okay. It's bad, but not deadly. She was shot in the head and shoulder. They took the bullet out of her shoulder. The head shot just grazed her skull. She can talk, so you can ask her your questions." Lucas told the deputy. Then he asked for a lift back to his farm. Strangely, that deputy decided to take him himself, even though another Sheriff was supposed to do it. They argued until she walked in. She had black hair that was longer on one side. It was a stylish look that not everyone could pull off. "Guys dig this kind of style," I thought. "I can't stand her," I decided and chose not to speak to her.

"Mrs. Bell, is it?" she began. "What's that supposed to mean?" I shot back. "Angela Blue. That's me. Lucas made it sound like the divorce was sure." "It's not," I said, sharp. "Lucas is still mixed up in all this. Not that it matters to you. What do you want?" I was on edge. "I need to ask about what happened at the bank," she said. "It was a robbery," I told her. She gave me a look, so I looked at her the same way. "I was shot in the head. I can't recall much," I said. "When will your memory improve?" she asked. Then I did the silliest thing I've ever done. "The doc said I might not get all my memory back. They said it's 'cause of bad stuff that happened. But when Lucas is with me, I can remember more. Even before all this mess, just him being close or holding my hand helps my mind." She stared at me, then put her pad down and nodded. "Your husband, or I guess your ex-husband, isn't a suspect or someone we're looking at in this case. If I bring him here again and you don't remember anything new, I might have to charge you with something." My head just started hurting so much. Then I yelled out in pain. Three nurses rushed in. "I think trying to remember so much is making me stressed," I complained. She just laughed, shook her head. "Tomorrow morning," she said. "Yes," I smiled. "Maybe by then I'll be ready."

After she left, I went inside, grabbed a steak from the freezer, and started to prepare it. I pounded it to make it soft and added some spices. Then I headed outside to start the grill. I could have done more work in the barn if not for the hospital drama. I was checking the grill when a car pulled up. I tried to ignore it. "Come on, I'm not that bad," she yelled, catching up to me. "Mr. I really need your help," she said. "How so?" I wondered. She spoke into her radio. "This is Tanya. I'm off. We'll try again at the hospital tomorrow morning." Then she went back to her car. I saw her moving around in there, thought I saw some skin, but wasn't sure. When she came out, she wore short shorts, showing off her strong, toned legs. Her pants were long enough to hide her backside, but tight enough to catch your eye. She wore a real thick sweater, too warm for the season, but she seemed to need it. "Mr. Blue, one want to have dinner with me? I've got a big ask," she smiled and brushed her hair back. It was a quick no from me. "I said, 'Wait, I can't. Got a steak getting ready.'" "Sounds good to me," she said. "Got one for you too." We laughed, and she came to the kitchen with me.

Being a woman, she told me I was cooking the steaks all wrong. I let her take over, and we went out to the grill. After putting the steaks on the grill, we sat back on the deck as the sun started to go down. "It's really nice here," she said. Said I nodded. "Okay, Officer," I began. "Tanya," she cut in. "Tanya," I tried again. "Why are you here?" "Just here for your steak, beer, and the sunset on your deck," she smiled. "I hung out with your wife." "You mean my soon-to-be ex-wife?" I fired back. "Wow," she said, still smiling as she went to flip the steaks. "Glad to see you're not bitter." I just watched her. "Anyway, your ex is something else. You'd think she'd want to help us catch the bank robbers who killed Ted Granger. They shot her too, but no, she wants to use what she knows to make you talk to her. I don't get her." "That makes two of us," I said.

"We moved here right after getting married. Seemed like the perfect spot to start a family, far from the big city mess. I thought we were happy. Then I learned she'd been with that guy for a month behind my back. So the last five or six weeks of my life have been a lie. She told me it wasn't about us, she was just bored and hated her job. I couldn't understand why that led her to cheat." "Has she started saying she loves you and that the sex was meaningless?" Tanya asked. "That was the part that hurt the most. If it was nothing, why did it wound so deeply? To me, it meant something." "Clear. It meant I couldn't stay with her." "I hate to ask," Tanya said, brushing her hair away and moving to get the steaks from the grill, "but can you come with me tomorrow morning to see her?" Her light gray eyes locked on mine, full of a silent message. They showed me she understood my pain because she'd been through worse. That's probably why she didn't see her own worth. Someone cheating on her over and over had broken her down. At that point, I felt like I couldn't say no. But to both our surprises, I did say no.

"Lucas, for me?" she increased the power of her gaze, making me nervously swallow, which made her smile. "Oh, my, you really do like me, don't you?" she said, trying to shift the awkward mood. "What time should I get you in the morning?" she asked. "We don't need to go," I replied. "Why not?" she wondered. "Because," I started, "when she woke up, she said Jerry was the one who shot her." "Who's Jerry?" she pressed. "Seriously, Jerry is the jerk she was seeing," I said with a bit of anger. "Maybe you don't have to go," she said with a grin. "I can make your wife point him out now. If she says no, I can say she's hiding stuff, blocking the law, then she'll act like she forgets things." "But you don't need her," I said. "Why?" she asked. "Because I got this." I showed her the video on my iPhone. It's clear video, HD. "You'll want the first one. Just give back my phone after you copy it. I've shown my lawyer too. I'll use it in the divorce." Before I could speak, Tanya kissed me. It looked like it was for the cheek, but we moved weird, and it was on the lips. We froze, surprised. "Sorry," she said. "That shouldn't have happened. You're still married." "But you liked it," she smiled. "I hated it." "If you hated it, why not push me away?" she said. "But okay, if you hated it so much, no more for you." "I don't mean it," I said fast, making her laugh. She took my phone and said, "I need to drop this at work so we can pull images from the video and find this guy." "Thanks, Lucas." "Sure," I tried to say, but then she kissed me again. This one lasted longer. "I meant that one," she said.

Meanwhile, Angela. "What the heck?" I yelled, looking in the mirror for the first time in days. They shaved my head near the bullet wound. It was needed, and it would grow back. But Lucas loves my hair at night. He brushes it. He takes his time, enjoys it, doesn't rush. Last night, he sometimes warms lotion and gives me a soft, full-body rub that makes my whole body buzz. We end up loving each other deeply until it'll grow back. "Ma'am," said the nurse, giving me a mirror. My left arm couldn't move. If I did, they worried the stitches might make an ugly scar or get infected. They removed the tubes from from my right arm last night, but looking nice with one hand is tough. "When will the cops be here?" I asked. "They come and go all day," she said. "It could be any time, but they know you've been shot. You don't need to look nice for them." Her smile made me doubt how she passed medical school. "That mean lady from last night will bring my husband," I said. Her eyes sparkled. "Oh, is your husband the guy who won the race last week? He's so dreamy. You're braver than me," she said. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Well, my husband isn't like yours, but I wouldn't want him near that woman. It's like letting a cat near a bird you love," she said, then quickly changed the topic. "But you two are strong, right? So he wouldn't look elsewhere. But if not, I'd be worried." I did my best, put on makeup and lipstick, making myself look nice. Luckily, doctors only shaved where the bullet hit, so I could hide it with my hair. If you didn't know where to look, it was hard to see. After the nurse left, I thought about what I'd say to the cops, and more so to Lucas. First, after some thought, I figured telling the cops about my link with Jerry was a bad idea. I was not sure they'd buy my story. I didn't know he was planning to rob the bank. Jerry had me fooled with his movie company job tale. Better to keep that to myself. I'd let them think I was just a bank staffer who got shot in the chaos. Only Ted knew about Jerry and me, sadly, and lucky for me, Ted was gone because of me. About Lucas, I needed to play my cards right. The more time passed, the less chance I had to win him back. He seemed to be moving on quicker than I thought. Those bank ladies and the nurses showed me Lucas could find someone else if he felt alone. I had to find a way to make him come back. After missing breakfast and no cops showing up, I was annoyed. I even thought of calling them myself. Lying in bed, worrying about my marriage, then it dawned on me. I didn't have to do much, just just play it cool. I'd get the doctors to say I needed care at home. They had mentioned if someone was there for me, I could leave in 2 days. I'd also make my hurt arm seem worse than it was. Lucas was always good to me. That showed me he'd be a great dad. He's kind, caring, and fair. While he looks after me, I'll tell him my new guess. I think Jerry used me for bank info. He played tricks on me because I was bored with my life. He wanted info about the bank. I had to tell Lucas not to talk to the cops about Jerry. Jerry might try to harm me again, I thought. Jerry shot me to show the cops I was not guilty. I saw love in his eyes when he did it, but I wouldn't tell Lucas that. What he doesn't know won't hurt, anyway. Jerry and I were done. It all ended when Lucas caught us. It was fun, but not worth losing my marriage. Just as I was planning my next steps, a nurse came in. "The deputy is coming," she said with a big smile, "and she's got a man with her." I tried to look good and weak at the same time. I wanted Lucas to remember his love and feel protective. Spending so much time together, Lucas and I knew how to read each other. Seeing me hurt would make him want to protect me. But then Lucas and this proud-looking lady came in. I let out a loud moan of pain. The pain wasn't real. I was just shocked. I was full of drugs and didn't feel much, but seeing a man with her surprised me. This man was not Lucas. He looked like an old cowboy wearing a sheriff's badge. "Where's Lucas?" I asked, annoyed. "He didn't come," she answered, just as annoyed. "Boy," I said, feeling woozy, "I might need to call the nurse. Maybe I should deal with this the guy. Something's up with you two. Bad for my work. I'm the Sheriff," he said. "We want to ask some stuff. You're link to Rod Shorter." "Who's that?" I said. "HEK, the guy you knew as Jerry," slowly he said. "Might be another fake name. Don't know any Jerry," I said. He stood, walked around, gave a look to the female Deputy. "Well, Tanya," he said, "tried to keep you from this stuff, but you got to learn." She just nodded, grinned. I was lost. When he stopped, looked hard at me. "Okay, which," he hissed, "here's the real deal. I don't care about you. Your big troubles are the hurt on your head. A good guy's gone just so some from another place could take the cash. Many here worked hard for it. I was clueless about these men until last night. We got a tip, helps us a lot. But what my tip says you know, and what you say don't match." My eyes got big. He saw it. "Using my gut, I'd trust him. From what I've seen, he's straight and fair. You, though, seem like you're using my work or hiding stuff. Then he's got proof to show he's right, and his proof shows you're lying to me. So unless you want jail over this nice hospital, start talking," he said. I thought he was faking, so I kept to my story. "Call the nurse," I shouted. "Yeah," he said. "Tanya, dear, get the nurse." That's when I knew he meant it. The moment the nurse stepped in, he went at her. "What's wrong with her?" he asked. The nurse seemed taken aback. "I can't share info on a patient or what's wrong with them without they okay," she said. "Bring the doc here," he demanded. I let out a quiet breath. Soon enough, a doctor showed up. He faced the doctor. "Doctor," he started, "I get the whole deal with HIPAA rules and how you can't spill any beans about a patient without them saying it's fine. I also get that I can just call up a judge and get a warrant for her files and make everyone's life hard. So you and Miss Blue here got to work something out, either together or on your own. One way or another, I'm getting what I need. So Miss Blue needs to start being honest with me, or you need to answer some 'what if' questions for me that might not directly be about Miss Blue. You good with that?" After a quick lookoff, the doctor caved. "What do you want to know?" "Just guess," he almost was. "Stana," hypothetically, the sheriff went on, "if someone got shot in the head, but it was just a scratch, could they get just just as good care in a jail hospital a few days after it happened?" "In theory," the doctor started. "Okay," I said. "I'll spill the beans." "Out with it, Miss," he said. "Do the doctor and nurse need to stay?" I asked. "Thanks, Doc," he said, then he nodded at the nurse, and they left the room. "Listen, Miss," he started, trying to smooth things over. "I think we started on the wrong foot. I'm not trying to make things hard, and I swear, your love troubles and divorce aren't what I'm after. I'm just here to catch a kill." "I'm not getting divorced," I said, tired of it all. This made the female deputy laugh out loud. He gave her a sharp look. "We need to chat more about this later," he told her. "Miss, I don't want to take much of your time. All I need you to do now is clear some things up for me. How long have you known Rodney Shorter?" "I met him about 5 or 6 weeks ago," I said. "How long have you been with him?" Tanya asked. "I... I paused, and they both stared at me. "Look," he said, "it'll be easier if you just answer, then we can go and you can do your thing. Maybe I should show you something first. Okay, I'm going to be very open with you. That way, you know what we know, and then you can be open with us. But if I think you're hiding stuff again, I'll lock you up for a while. Good luck getting your husband back." Then he took a phone out of his pocket. It was an iPhone 4S, like Lucas's. He showed me a video. The video had Jerry, or his real name, close to me. Me. We were both clear in the video. My eyes were shut from shame or joy, I couldn't tell. The worst part, something I hadn't seen before. Jerry's face wasn't showing lust or joy. He looked disgusted. He was sticking his tongue out and making faces at me while we were together. It's odd. I always thought what I had with Jerry was deep and special, but seeing it now made it look like a quick, cheap moment. "So you see why I haven't believed a word you've said," he told me. "You see I have a good cause for saying your holding back info, right?" I nodded and looked away, feeling embarrassed. "Just answer the damn questions, okay?" he asked. "I didn't start being with Jerry right away. It took him some time to get to me." "How long?" he asked. "A 2 weeks? A month? 2 days?" I said. "But really 2 days," Tanya said, shocked. "My God, weren't you with your husband then?" "It didn't mean a thing, and it's not about my marriage," I said. "It was just for fun." "He heard me out, and did your man hear you out too?" she asked. "Yeah, always," I said. "We would talk every day." "And did your man ever hit you or come home all drunk and wild?" she asked. "Not at all," I said. "Lucas is too kind to harm." "He did he cheat on you or take from you?" she asked. "No," I said. "Lucas isn't like that." I tried to say more, but she cut me off again. "Then what's wrong with you, lady?" she asked. "Do you know how many would love a man like you threw away? Tanya, wait outside," said the sheriff. "You and I need to talk later, Missy." "I'm sorry about that, Mrs. Blue," he said. "So you and Mr. Shorter got close fast. We have that down. Was Mr. Shorter in the group that hit your bank?" "Yes," I said. "Was Mr. Shorter the one who shot you and Ted Granger?" he asked. "Yes," I said. "Since all the men had masks, how did you know?" he asked. "I knew him by his voice. When we went to the safe," I said. "I tried to get him to stop. I wanted him to just go. Ted, Jerry, and I were in the safe. The other two were at the front." "Keep going," said the sheriff. "Well, there, he had Ted fill bags with money, and I knew it was Jerry by his talk," I said. "Jerry, that you? I could tell because we were tight, but also I knew it was him as his masks seemed to hurt him. He kept moving it from his nose, and it looked like his side was in pain every time he moved. Last time I saw Jerry, Lucas had really hurt him after catching us at the hotel. He broke Jerry's nose and maybe some ribs too." "Thank you, Mrs. Blue," said the sheriff. "It wasn't tough for him to say." He looked at me kind of sad and disgusted all at once. He tried to hide it, to act professional, but he didn't do it well. Most of what he knew came from Mr. Blue and his video. "Your husband did a good thing by giving us that video. It was brave and useful," he said. He told us how giving us the video could have put Lucas in trouble. "I asked how." "He put his phone down in the window to record, so he didn't turn it off in time," the sheriff explained. "The video caught him hitting and then kicking Jerry. That could have gotten Lucas in trouble for assault, but he gave us the video anyway. That showed he wanted things to be right. My niece tried to help by cutting off the bad part of the video, but we needed to see it all. After seeing Jerry hurt, we looked everywhere until we found out who he was. He has a record, so maybe that's his real name. We're looking for him now, everywhere. Stay close, we might have more questions," he said as he left.

Then I got the doctor to come back. He seemed sorry for nearly letting the sheriff put me in jail. I asked when I could go home. He said I could leave that day if someone could take me and take care of me for a few days. I asked him to call Lucas. Meanwhile, Lucas was measuring parts at work when his phone rang. The phone showed it was the hospital calling. I didn't go near it. It could be the doc or someone from the hospital about Angela's health or her bills. I did not care for either. Her health bills were my insurance's worry since she was on my plan, and if it wasn't to say she had passed in her sleep, I had no wish to know how she was. Or it might have been Angela calling. I'd have even less interest. Then I checked the thickness of the parts with a basic micrometer. The parts were just right, no need to adjust the machine for the next lot. I hit the start button and watched the machine start on the next piece. I put the parts I just checked into a box. Back on track, taking short naps, I worked through the night. My UPS truck was due at 4:00 p.m. today. I should finish by 2:00 p.m. Figured I could use another short nap. The machine would take an hour to do this batch, and I felt sleepy. I yawned. Just when someone knocked at the door. It bugged me. How was I to keep my work going with all these stops? But opening it, there was Stan, our mail guy, all smiles. Stan was always in a good mood, whether it was hot like now in July or freezing in a Michigan winter. He always made you smile. It was tough to stay mad with him around. Right after Stan left, the phone rang again. I picked up just to get the caller to go away. "Mr. Blue, can you come today to take your wife home?" said the voice. "No, I can't," I replied, trying to sound light. "When can you come?" he asked. "I took her home 'cause I didn't know where she lived. I thought she lived with you," the voice said. "Shek need someone to look after her for a few days, it seems. Call her mom," I said, "or try a care home." Then I hung up, thinking a shower before my nap would be good. But then someone knocked on the door. It seemed sleep wasn't for me. The one at the door would hear my angry shout. I was about to shout when I saw those pale gray eyes and stopped. "Hi, Lucas." Her soft Southern voice and her look made me forget all about being mad or tired. She smiled, moving hair from her face. I forgot about the nap right away. My face smiled back. "Bad time?" she asked. "Just came to give back your phone." "Never too busy for my favorite cop," I said. "Are you this nice to all deputies?" she teased. "Only the pretty ones," I replied. "All the pretty ones?" she asked, hugging me, "or just those who kiss you like this?" She reached up and kissed me. Everything else faded. I think even the background noise stopped. "This kiss is what I needed," she said, holding me close. "That's what I thought," she said. I tried to clear my head. "We need to practice that more," she joked. "Maybe with more tries," I nodded with excitement. So she steered the chat to something else. "We need to talk. What's up with you now?" she asked. "Nothing," I replied. "The work I'm busy with will be done in an hour. I finally shook off the hospital." "What do you mean?" she was curious. "A doctor kept ringing me until I picked up the call," I explained. "He was asking me to bring Angela back home. I think I made it clear to him that she doesn't live here anymore." "I wish you hadn't done that," she said, looking at me. "But part of me is kind of glad you did." "Why is that?" I was confused. She smiled. "The part of me that's all about law enforcement thinks that keeping her somewhere we know, with you watching, might stop her from trying to run away before we solve this case. My uncle would be happy about that too. But the just plain Tanya part of me is happy hearing you're really trying to kick that troublemaker her out of your life for good." I smiled. "That's what I wanted to talk about," she said, sitting next to me. "I think there's something between us." "Is there?" I asked. "Absolutely," she confirmed. But she wanted me to know a few things. I looked at her, waiting. "First," she started, "this isn't me. I don't chase after married guys, even if they're divorcing, and I really stay away when they haven't moved on from their wives. I also don't just kiss people I've just met. I don't jump into bed with someone on the first or second date. It's just not me. I don't mess with any marriage, strong or not. I've always been the good girl." "And I believe you," I said. "I'm not like that either." "But," she continued, "I've been the good girl my whole life, and it's only brought me hurt. But I feel like you're supposed to be very important to me, so I'm not letting you go easily. I got to grab my shot at joy with all I got, no matter what folks say about me. I've been through too much hurt to not know when something's right for me, and I think you are. So I just need to hear it one more time: are you really going to leave Angela?" I was quiet for a long beat. "Am I talking to Officer Bradley or just my Tanya?" I grinned. "Both are here," she said, "and I ain't just your plain old Tanya. Well, Officer," I said, "I plan to leave the old Mrs. Blue right away. Her recent doings have pushed her away from my heart and broken our marriage for good." I stood up and went to my desk, came back and laid the divorce papers in her lap. "I've got a lawyer and already served these to the old Mrs. Blue." "Okay," she said with a smile. "Officer Bradley feels good about your plans. She's out now. What did you want to say to Tanya?" I pulled her close and kissed her again. "Like before, when we needed to breathe," I said, "I couldn't say this to the cop. It would mean I might break the law, but I'd face anything for a kiss like that." "You don't have to," she said. "You can have as many as you want, but that's all till you're really divorced." I looked at her and smiled. I could spot two big dogs showing through her cop shirt. She looked down at them herself when she caught my gaze. "Probably," she said. Then her phone rang, and she picked it up. She smiled and put the call on loud. I heard the sheriff, clear as day. "Darn it, Tanya," he said. "How long does it take to go 2 miles and give someone their phone?" "Keep cool, Uncle Steve," she said. "You just want me back to grab lunch. The whole town knows you like that waitress. My shirt's still on," he shouted, "but I'm starting to wonder about yours." She told him about the problem at the hospital, and he thought it was a good idea for Angela to stay with me for a bit, so I said yes. As we walked to her car, Tanya looked at me. "Where's she going to sleep?" she asked. "In the old room," I answered. "And you?" she eyed me. "Been sleeping out here," I said. "We'll keep doing that. Doesn't your house have more rooms?" she asked. I nodded. "It's got three or four. We use three for sleeping, and one's an office." "Then why out here?" she asked. "I've never been untrue to Angela, and I wouldn't start now," I said. Finding out she was, I just couldn't stay inside. Moved out here so she could pack her stuff without me seeing her." "Oh my," she said, hand to mouth. "And I kept making you see her." She gave me a kiss as a sorry. "I'll check on you later," she smiled. After she left, I called the hospital to say I'd be there at 3:00 to pick up Angela, but I needed it to be quick because I had to get home by 4:00. They said it would be fast. I drove my Jeep to get Angela. Right when she left the wheelchair, she stayed close to me, trying to touch as much as she could. She called the bank people to check on things. She learned the bank was still closed. People were using ATMs for money, and big clients used the special drop. I took her straight home. After that, the UPS truck came up right after we got there, so I stepped outside to help the driver with the boxes of parts. Then I went back in to find Angela. "I'm really happy you're okay with me coming back," she said. "Now that you're thinking clearer, can we talk?" "What do you want to talk about, Angela?" I asked. "Us," she said. "Angie, there's no us anymore," I told her. "It's just you and me now. We stopped being us the day you got involved with Jerry." "But don't you get it?" she said. "That was all him, not me. He played played me. He just wanted info about the bank." "Angela, you're grown," I said. "You know what's right and what's not. But Lucas," she tried again. "No butts," I said. "Did he drug you?" "No," she shook her head. "Did he make you too drunk to think straight?" "No," again she said. "Did he force you?" I asked. "Maybe he had a gun to you?" "No," she repeated. "So you had a choice, Angela. You always did. You just chose the one thing that killed us." "But Lucas," she said, "I messed up. I know it, and I'll do anything to fix it. Why end all we've built over years over one mistake that hardly anyone knows about?" "We've talked about this, Angela," I said. "You messed up. You were bored, hated your job at the bank. You got played or tricked. You liked it, or you'd have stopped before getting caught. Now you want to fix it. Everything you say is about you. This was all for you. It wasn't about us. You said it had nothing to do with us. So Angela, to balance things, we need to consider what I want." She nodded. "Well, I want out of this. I want you gone from my life. I wanted someone who'd love me right, but you showed me you're not that one." "Lucas, you can't be serious," she said. "You're just mad and hurt. That's why I didn't even bother with those silly papers you sent. We'll get past this, just wait." Things stayed like that for weeks. I made Angela breakfast and left it for her. I spent my day in the barn fixing stuff and making new things. I made her lunch, then back to the barn, made dinner, then back again. I wasn't alone in the evenings. It seemed like my barn had its own cops checking in on me. I finally got Angela to agree to meet at my lawyer's place. I asked her a lot, and he even wrote to her, but she changed her mind and got her own lawyer. She also said yes to the meeting to talk about the divorce. She said she had reasons that might make me change my mind but kept them secret. We went to the lawyer's in my Jeep on the day. "Lucas," she asked, "it's sunny out. Why not take your Mustang? You love that car." "The Jeep's better for you," I said. But really, I thought about my car having a 304 detector that she couldn't beat. But I stayed quiet. After all, she was headed to see the lawyer, which is what I wanted. An hour later, I left the office so mad I forgot she came with me. I just drove off without her. She did a great job at the meeting, agreed to everything I wanted. Her lawyer told her not to take my deal. I said we could split all our cash and stocks in half, but I didn't want to include our house and my business. A third of my cash was for the business, so only our own bank stuff should be in this. He wanted everything to be split half and half. My lawyer and I showed him the papers where Angela had said she didn't have to deal with the house, so not my business either. Then I told him how Angela never put her own money into our home stuff. Her cash mostly went to her own needs, paying off her school loans and giving back to her parents. He saw it our way. Then he tried to ask for money after we split. I didn't listen and warned Angela with a hint about a video. She got it and told him to stop. She quickly signed the papers, handed them to my lawyer, and said she had no questions for him. But then she asked if we could talk about money for the kid and seeing them after the baby was born. My lawyer and I were shocked. Angela showed us her doctor's report. I had taken her there 2 days ago. She had been so happy since. Now got why. Both of us knew we had to talk again, so those papers she signed meant nothing. No judge would agree to them. I went to the barn to dive into work. About half an hour after getting back, a cab pulled up. Angela got out and asked me to pay the driver. I just handed over some cash and told him to keep the change. I didn't want to talk. Angela came into the barn. "Leave," I said. But Angela just wanted to talk. "We have much to discuss now," she said with a smile. "Like what?" I snapped. "What room will we make the baby's room?" she asked. "We need names for the baby. I can't see the baby with a scan yet, so we need names for both a boy and a girl. She smiled, touching her belly. "Honestly, I like Pauline after my mom, and for a boy, Lucas Jr. What do you think?" I joked. "Jerry won't be happy if you name his kid after me," she looked shocked and sat down fast. "Lucas, don't joke like that. It scared me." "Think, Angela," I said, looking at her. "We've been together a lot. You never took the pill because it made you sick. We didn't use protection, just spermicide. The only time you didn't was with Jerry." Her mouth opened wide. "How far along are you?" I asked. "About 2 months, right?" she nodded. "So it looks like you and Jerry will have a baby soon. We need to speed up the divorce. I won't support Jerry's child," I said. "But the spermicide might not have worked," she said. "Lucas, I'm sure this is our baby. It's what we wanted. It's a bit early, but we have a home, a town, the money. We can keep going as we planned." "But we can't," I said. "There are three big reasons I don't love you anymore. My new life doesn't have you in it, and it's not my baby." "But Lucas, it could be your baby. No one has to know if you forgive me, we could be happy again. I need you. I don't love Jerry, I love you. The baby, no matter whose kid it is, he needs a good, good dad, and that's not Jerry. Lucas, it's you. I've messed up big, the biggest ever. I'll spend my life fixing it. I promise it won't happen again," she said. Then her face changed. I turned to see Tanya driving up. "What are you doing here?" Angela asked. "Does the sheriff's team always bug people? Every guy knows how his woman acts before it happens." Angela just made Tanya mad, and I knew trouble was coming. Tanya walked past Angela, not even looking at her. She stood on her toes and kissed me like it was all she needed. Angela's jaw hit the floor. "This kiss is what I needed after today," Tanya said, holding me close. She looked at Angela. "Sorry, did you say something?" Angela was shocked. From our talk about the baby and our marriage, this kiss made things worse. "Why are you kissing my husband?" she yelled. "Ex-husband," Tanya shot back, "and yes, he kissed me back." Angela froze, not knowing what to say. She looked like she might grab one of the big rigs I use on the machines, but then she saw Tanya's gun. "Anyway," Tanya said, "I came to tell you both that Rodney Shorter was caught. He was at a bank in Kansas. He started seeing another woman there. This time it took him longer to sneak into bed with her. Another worker at the bank saw him on an online list of bad guys and called the cops. While Rodney was out to lunch with her, they nabbed him at the hotel, caught with her man. He should just join the adult film world. Always caught in the act. Maybe that should be his job. He'll be back soon." Angela just gaped. I pulled Tanya close and kissed her. "Babe," when they bring him in, get a DNA test," I said. "Why?" she asked. "Helps with the divorce," I said. After Tanya left, Angela wrote again. "That's going to upset him," she said. "Because we're not splitting up." I just walked away, shaking my head.

Two days later, the sheriff himself showed up. "Hi, Sheriff," I greeted. "Call me Steve," he said. "Said, 'Okay, Steve. Why not send a deputy?'" "She'd enjoy this too much," he grinned. "I'm here for your wife." "All right, I'll get her," I said, trying to hide my grin. "Don't you want to know why?" he asked. "Not really," I said, but he shared anyway. "Apparently, there's a mixup with something my wife did or didn't do. Now she's got to go with him to sort it out." "Fine by me," I said. "I almost kicked her out myself." "That bad, huh?" he asked. I nodded. "I once loved Angela deeply."

She hurt me, though I tried to be fair, splitting everything except my house. 50/50. She had her money, I had my business. She wouldn't leave. Now she's pregnant. Turns out she only used birth control with me. So much for her only love.

"Talk tough break," he told me. "I was lying."

"Your eyes are brown," Angela said behind me. "I did love you, and I still do. This just happened to us. If I got sick or had an accident, would you leave me then too?"

"Of course not," I said. "But that's not the same."

"How is it not?" she asked.

"Because getting sick or an accident isn't your choice. It happens to you. You chose to be with another man, and now you're not happy with what happened, so you want a second chance?" I said.

"Remember at your race?" she said. "You let that guy in the Camaro try again. Why not give your wife another chance?"

"That guy made a mistake," I said. "I didn't want to win if he wasn't at his best."

"That's my point," she smiled. "I made a mistake. But your mistake was only a mistake after I found found out."

I lost it. "You planned to be with that guy, and you did, for a month. The guy in the race didn't mean to mess up. He was trying, maybe too nervous or slipped up. He wasn't planning to lose."

"Well, folks," the sheriff said. "M is losing her Freedom now. You can come too, Lucas."

"No need," I said. "She knows who to call. Also, I've got plans tonight."

"Someone I know?" he asked.

I nodded. "Treat her well, always," I said, serious as he started to read Angela her rights. She kept asking what was happening, yelling, breaking his focus until he had to quiet her to finish. Then she turned on me. I walked off, happy thinking about my time with Tanya. Meanwhile, Angela had to ride with the sheriff in cuffs. At first, he was just going to take her without them, but when she got loud and started yelling, he had to cuff her.

I had to keep in mind these folks were not my friends. I couldn't see why they held me back. I wasn't the one who took money from the bank. I was the one who fired the gun. They put me in a small room and began asking me stuff. I told them I was expecting a baby and I needed water and to rest. Every time they hit me with a question, I hit back, asking for stuff.

After hours, the sheriff walked in, looking none too pleased. "Why didn't you talk to my people?" he asked me. I could tell he meant business and might lock me up for real. They weren't considering my situation.

"You're not so far along to be having troubles," he said. "I even talked to your doctor. He said besides your shoulder, which should be getting better, you're okay. Do we have to do this dance again, Mrs. Blue? I'll say it again, you're not doing yourself any favors acting out. You can fight your divorce all you want, and honestly, it's kind of amusing to see my niece all worked up because of your stunts. It's good for her and for you. It makes them take their time before jumping into things. But this investigation of mine, no place for games, understand?"

I just nodded. "Here's where things get tangled. We have two folks who love to twist the truth, and what you both say doesn't match up. You haven't really given us a clear story. All signs point to him getting close to you, playing you to help pull off this bank job. But he's spinning a different tail."

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He's saying you were in on it from the get-go, pushing him to fire. According to him, there was a big fight, and when he shot Ted, it was to defend himself. You," he said, "got hit by a stray bullet during the mat, and he aimed to shoot Ted but hit me instead. He claimed he left me to get help. He'd come back once he knew I was okay."

"That's a lie," I said. "Why not ask the sheriff? Every time you grill me, I end up lying until you push harder, and even then, we can't trust what I say. You haven't jailed me because with my husband around, you think I won't run. But that's not true."

"Prove it," he replied.

"Okay, I'll get a recorder for this talk." He left and took a long while to get back. I spilled my gun guts about the last 2 months. I shared my love for Lucas, my hate for my bank job, and my thing with Jerry. I never really liked being with Jerry. It was more about feeling wanted. It showed I was still attractive, not just to guys at work, but others too. I didn't see it coming, but our chats shifted from personal stuff to bank security talks. Jerry pretended to worry about his firm's money in our small bank, but he was really fishing for info.

The sheriff laughed at that. "How's your husband take this?" he asked.

"He'd be crushed," I admitted. "Jerry made me try things I'd never done with Lucas. Lucas was always kind and loving to me. Maybe that's why I went so deep with Jerry. I let him do it."

The sheriff cut me off quick. "You might not want to say more," he said.

"Okay, come in now."

"I'm here already," I said.

"Not you," he told me. "He needed someone who knew me well to check if I was lying or not." Then Lucas walked in. He couldn't even look at me. Looked like he was going to cry.

"From what I can see, she's not lying," he told the sheriff.

"Lucas," I said. He looked away.

"Sorry, Lucas," the sheriff said. "I wouldn't make you hear that if it wasn't big, but I had to know. Shorter can't win by lying. He's facing a lifetime behind bars, and since bank robbing is a big federal crime, he might even face death. This wasn't his first big crime, either. We want him to tell on his friends, too."

Lucas, my Lucas! Just when I thought I couldn't make him sadder, I did it again. And there she was, holding his hand and kissing him gently on his cheek. She was doing what I should have done. I got so mad I couldn't hold back without thinking of my shoulder or anything else. I jumped at her, wanting to hurt her bad.

"It's okay, darling," she said to him. "I'll fix everything."

"Not while I'm around!" I shouted, just when the sheriff caught me and pushed me back into the chair.

"If you can't calm down, I'll have to tie you up," he said.

"I need to talk to my husband," I said.

"That's his choice. I was thinking of putting you in a cell and letting you enjoy our jail until I figure this mess out. But if Lucas is okay with you staying with him a bit longer, that's fine too. It saves the county some money."

Lucas looked at me hard. I never thought he might not let me come back home. Maybe I wasn't as clever as I thought. Even when Lucas found me in that cheap place, I didn't think my marriage was really done. I always thought Lucas's love for me was a sure thing. But then I realized I messed up way more than I thought. And it seemed like all the ladies in town were ready to help Lucas move on. But I didn't need to worry about those women at the bank because this Deputy was looking at my husband like she was super hungry, and he looked like he could eat too. There she was, all over him, showing off in front of me. Damn it, couldn't she wait until we were officially done before making her move?

Then it hit me. It was all my fault. I went for Jerry, or let him come for me, even though I was still married. And doing that, I never thought our marriage was having trouble. It was my cheating that broke us. Lucas, though, saw our marriage as done the moment he saw me in that motel. He said it again and again, we were finished. So in his mind, he was free to find someone new. The fact that she was younger, prettier, and had a better body than me made me mad more than the fact that she clearly loved him a lot. I needed to make Lucas let me come back home, and I needed to make him give me another chance. All this time, I thought our years together would mean he couldn't move on from me. I was wrong. My plan of just saying "I love you" when everything I did said otherwise didn't work. She was winning because I didn't even try to fight for Lucas.

"If you let me come home, I'll stop fighting the divorce. We can chat about settling things every day until we ink the last dock. And if we hit a wall, I'll head to my mom's place right after the local law guys give me a thumbs up to bail to town." I laid it out. "And you'll cut the crap with us in our deep dig."

"Deal," the lead jumped in.

"Agreed," Lucas gave a nod and said his bit to the lawhead.

"All right, Mrs. Blue," the cop chief said. "I'll get someone to drop you off at your spot."

"No big deal," I replied. "I'll hit a ride back with my man. We were hitting up a date," said Tanya, "we're going to jump back into our plan."

"Sure thing, officer ma'am," said Lucas, cracking a smile. Tanya grabbed his hand, and they left the room.

"Damn, I really hope you snag him back," said the lawhead. "She's top-notch for me. If those two stick, and she's got ties to her uncle, I ought to be rooting for her. Since she's been down and now she's up, but wearing this badge, I'm a touch on edge." I almost let slip a big "F you" at him, but I swallowed it just in time.

The weeks that came flipped my world. Months back, I couldn't see this coming. Lucas and I kicked it off that day. After I returned, we had morning talks, kind of like old times when we chat about life and dreams over breakfast. Only twist, we weren't bunking together. Lucas was still that same thoughtful guy I'm into. He'd whip up breakfast before our talks. A bunch of times, he brought breakfast to bed. My strength was fading, but only a bit of belly was showing.

One morning, Lucas knocked, and I told him to come in. Some days, getting out of bed felt like a marathon. He'd make me breakfast in bed and sit by the bed while we talked things out. That morning felt big for me. That was when I knew Tanya had to go. And as Lucas came in that morning, I left the covers off, showing a lot. He saw me and said, "Sorry," then left. It was the first time Lucas had acted like that with me. Even when we fought, my body always pulled him back. I could usually make him do what I wanted just by showing some skin. I watched him that morning, but he showed nothing. If Lucas had shown he wanted me or had just taken me, it would have stopped all this talk of splitting up. But he didn't.

I only tried it because the day before, while we were sorting out our split and had hit two big snags, we started talking about happier times. I saw a look in his eyes. I thought then I had a shot to break them up. But I forgot how straight Lucas is. What I did clearly bothered him because he didn't come back to talk divorce. I was glad and saw it as my first hit in the fight for my husband. Little did I know, my move was bad timing and cost me everything.

When Tanya came over later, she always did after work. Lucas must have told her. She came up and knocked on the door. It was her first time doing that.

"Lucas isn't here," I started.

"You," she cut in, "need to stay dressed around Lucas. Isn't that why you lost him?"

"No," I said with a smile. "First, remember, I haven't lost him yet. It wasn't stripping down around Lucas that pushed him away, Missy. It was doing it around other guys, and I don't do that now."

She was so mad she pushed her hair back, gave me a hard look, and just left. I was sure she'd try to get even. I grinned because she was so angry. I felt like I'd finally scored. I thought I was back in the game. From talking to Lucas and just knowing him, plus what he said about her, I knew they weren't sleeping together yet, just fooling around, getting to know each other. You can't spend years with someone and not understand them, like how Lucas could tell the sheriff if I was lying. I knew Lucas wanted to speed up our divorce to be with his new Deputy love. They were both waiting to be official before getting together.

When Tanya stormed off that night, she was boiling. I laughed, laughed as she left, not seeing the mess I made. The next day, Lucas came back different. He was the Lucas I knew again, happy and smiling, something I hadn't seen since he caught me at the motel. It seemed like I'd somehow lifted his spirits. He didn't wait for an invite this time; he just walked in. I wrongly thought he was back for more after yesterday. My mind jumps to conclusions way too fast. Realizing my mistake would take much longer. I thought yesterday's naked shock got him excited for more. Sadly, I had on a nightgown. If only I could, I'd have taken it off, but the neck of my dress was really low.

My heart was racing. Even as Lucas placed my breakfast before turning to grab my coffee cup from the tray, I slipped one of my breasts out of the dress and leaned forward, pretending to reach for something. Right away, he reacted.

"Manuela, you might want to cover up," he said with a smile. But that was it. No blush, no rush to look away. He wasn't shy or thrown off. Still happy, as we. At my mind was racing. We started to talk about one of our big issues when it hit me.

"Angela, we both know the baby isn't mine," he said. "So I don't see why we should wait for the birth to divorce. There's a new DNA test we can do now. It's really accurate and safe. Let's do it that way. If the baby isn't mine, we could be done by next week. And if it is, we can talk about who the child lives with and money support in clear terms."

"What do you mean, custody and child support?" I snapped. "Lucas, this is your baby. We don't need to talk custody because when he or she is born, we're both going to raise our baby together. We'll forget all about Jerry and Tanya and move on with our plans for a family. So if that's what we need to do to move past this, I'll book it today."

He just smiled and said, "Great, Angela. Do that. Isn't it a beautiful day?"

My jaw dropped in shock. Then it clicked. The first time Lucas and I, and anytime we tried something new, he would be on cloud nine after it. It was like his heart overflowed with love, and it made everything seem perfect.

"Lucas, what on earth are you on about?" I asked. "It's 95° and the skies are gray. It's going to rain and get worse. There's even a warning for floods in the low areas."

"I know," he said, still smiling. It was a hot, sticky day with rain on the way. A good day for what happened.

"Lucas," I told him, "rain means no driving your fancy car, dear." Lucas was real careful with his Mustang. He didn't drive it in the rain or after storms to keep it from getting rusty.

"I can drive it tomorrow," he said with a smile. Before, Lucas would get really down on rainy days when he couldn't drive. But today, he seemed okay. That's when I knew something was up.

"I'm tired, Lucas," I said. "We did a lot today. I want a nap."

"Okay, okay," he was too happy when he said it. After he left, I started to cry. I thought about all my wrong choices. This was worse than anything before. Lucas had not cared when I tried to be close. This was not like the old times or how it was with Jerry. But being with Jerry was just exciting because it was secret. It was not even that good. I knew now I was in a tough spot. T had gone further than I thought she would. I pushed her, but she pushed back, making things even harder. My hope was the baby DNA test. I believed Lucas was the dad. I knew he really wanted kids. Telling him he was going to be a dad could help fix things. Lucas might leave me, but he wouldn't leave his kid. Right when the first baby was born, I began nudging him to plan for another. We didn't want just one kid; siblings are important.

But then my life flipped upside down. In truth, I was already in a mess; it just got worse. I got used to the morning sickness and tiredness and tried to show Lucas the same care he gave me. I started to make breakfast for him. Some days, we had to go hear what the DNA said. That morning, we both wanted to go. I wanted Lucas there to fix things quick. Lucas didn't trust me fully. He wished to hear the test outcome straight from the doctor. I was going to cook breakfast for Lucas as a surprise, but then I heard sounds from the kitchen. I thought Lucas was cooking for me. It reminded me of our good old days. I went to the kitchen and saw her. Tanya was wearing one of Lucas's old t-shirts. It looked like she wore nothing under it. Her figure made the shirt look good, way better than than me. My legs are nice, but hers are just wow. She looked at me and said she wanted to grab breakfast with Lucas before work. No smug look, nothing, but it felt like she was rubbing it in my face that she was with my husband. Not like the quick thing I had with Jerry. They were in deep. I didn't stay. I went back to my room.

The affair, I could sort of handle. I had to, since I messed up first. In my mind, I figured he'd be with her a few times, and things between us would be square. It might even help us because if Lucas was with her, it wouldn't hurt as much when he thought about me cheating. I thought after today's test, he'd just tell her it was okay, but time to split. Lucas being close with her felt too deep. I hated it more than them just being together. I never stayed the night or got cozy with Jerry like that. It was just not what we did. It would feel strange. Lucas was the only one I wanted like that, but he was taking things too far. Then I thought he might be trying to hit back in a different way, remembering how I went to Jerry then came back to him for comfort. It had to hurt knowing his wife would go to another man, then come back wanting his arms around her. I was so dumb. Another thought was why Lucas would want me again. Each time he saw me, he'd remember another man had been with me for more than a month. I've heard that for some guys, even once is too much. They could go out with someone else, but if their own woman did it, she was no longer worth it. And why would Lucas want me if he could have Tanya? Physically, I couldn't match her. Sure, she's younger, but I never looked like that, not even at her age. Lucas loved me, and that's why he was with me, but I messed that up by cheating. I still had some tricks left, but I was running out of moves. The DNA test today was my biggest play. When the doc tied the knot with Lucas, that would seal the deal for me.

If you haven't heard the word "morbid" before, it's one of those new words that keep popping up in the dictionary. "Moring" is being told you're a dad, like what Mory does on his TV show. So when Lucas gets hitched, "moring," I'll let out a big breath and start dreaming of a life without Tanya. I'll be the top wife and mom out there. I won't even think of looking at another guy. I'll be so against any man's touch, I won't even let the pastor peck me on the cheek after he dips one of my kids in water. From here on, Lucas will think I'm scared of all men but him. I'll be so man-shy, Lucas will have to swap our boys' nappies for sure.

As I walked up the stairs to weep in my room, it got even worse. What could be worse than the images in my mind of Lucas and Tanya together? The phone rang as I entered the bedroom. It was the sheriff on the line. He asked if I knew where Tanya was.

"Yes, Sheriff," I answered. "She's here."

"That figures," he said. "I tried calling her five times last night, and she didn't come home, or she was too caught up to answer her damn phone. Can you ask her to come with you this morning?"

"Sure, Sheriff," I replied, trying to be kind and helpful. "Like I promised."

"I really hate doing this," he said. "The DA wants to throw the book at you this morning."

"Charge me with what?" I shouted.

"He wants to charge you as a helper in Ted's death. He's trying to get you named as a plotter in the theft, and he even wants to tag you as a helper in your own shooting."

I was speechless. There was silence on the line.

"You're too smart to run, right?" he said. "I mean, you're expecting, plus Tanya is right there with you, and running would just make you seem guilty."

"I might get off easy. The only proof they have is Shorter's say-so."

"Sheriff, can we do this later today or even tomorrow?" I asked. "I've got a big doctor's meet this morning."

"Said over 2 weeks ago. Let's Shorter wait a bit this time. Just call me to let me know if it's later today or tomorrow."

"Sorry," he said, and when he hung up, I felt he meant it.

Hours later, sitting in the doctor's place, I was all nerves, waiting for her. My doctor is a happy, big woman, mid-50s, with her own bunch of kids. "Time you two started," she said. "After years of you two saying you had to wait for the right age or enough cash to have kids, I was about to tell you to make up your mind."

I gave a nervous laugh. "But you're smart," she went on. "Getting a full DNA check for the baby early to catch any problems is smart. It's nice because I usually do DNA tests for teens trying to find out who the dad is. Nice to see happy married folks using tech, too."

"Can we get the results?" I asked.

"Someone's in a mood," she smiled. I nearly lost it and thought about just grabbing the results. "Okay, what do you want to know?" she said. "There's no signs of baby sickness or DNA issues."

"Will the baby look more like me or Angela?" Lucas asked. Then I saw how smart he was. He got straight to the point, in a good way.

"Let me see," said the doctor. Her eyes grew wide. "No other way to say it," she said. "The baby can't be Angela's. Is she helping for someone else?"

Lucas and I looked at each other, shocked. He grabbed my hand, trying to calm me. It felt good to touch him again after so long.

"Sorry," said the doctor. "I got the tests mixed up. Angela is indeed the mom."

"But my..."

"Don't worry, doctor," Lucas said.

My heart jumped. I thought it would stop. "Was there a mixup? Were you hurt?" asked the doctor.

Lucas pushed my hand away like it was so gross. "Yes, doc," he said. "There was a mixup."

"Well, it doesn't really matter who the real dad or mom is," the doctor started. "What matters is that the child is loved and taken good care of, right?"

"Exactly," Lucas said loud.

We left the doctor's office with me close to crying. As we got back into the Jeep, Lucas wouldn't even look at me. From across the seat, I saw he was nearly crying too. I realized then, without meaning to, I had hurt him again. Having kids was a dream we both had. He was so close to being a dad, he could almost feel it, only to have me take it away. It was like taking a candy from a kid before they could even taste it. What made it worse was the doctor's mistake. Even though Lucas was sure the baby wasn't his, the doctor told him he was a dad, only to take it back. When Lucas reached for my hand, I thought we were going to get back together.

"Luke, we can raise this baby," I said. I grabbed his hand and held on. "Look, I can fix this, and we can have another one together. That one will be ours, just like we wanted."

"That would be like you," he snapped. "Ending a life just to hide what you did to us. It's so easy for you to say, 'Forget it, we'll make a new start.' Sometimes, I think I never really knew you, Angela."

We wrote in quiet for a bit. "I expect you to keep your word," he said. "The divorce papers are signed. I'll send them to court. Half of my money will help you live for a few years. It might last longer than that if you go live with your mom. It'll help you and your baby start well. I'm not mad about the money, Angela. Take it and know it's for the good times before you broke us. But I need to close this chapter and move on. So please find another place to stay because seeing you hurts me a bit each day."

I didn't answer. I almost had him back when he held my hand and told me all I needed to know. It was time for Plan B. I thought hard about this since the day I found out he was with that woman. I signed the divorce papers, even if I didn't like it, because I knew Lucas would give me over $150,000. That money will help, sure. I'd pay a lot more to get Lucas back. Spending this won't make me sad; he can make more money, but I can't replace Lucas.

As soon as we got home, I called the Sheriff's Office and asked for Tanya. When she answered, she was shocked I called.

"What do you need, Mrs. Blue?" she said, cautious.

"Just call me Angela," I said. "You won, Tanya. The results are in today. Lucas needs you now, and I need a favor."

"You want me to comfort Lucas?" she said.

"To get it straight, yes," I said, sad.

"And you need a favor from me?" she asked.

"Yes," I said again.

"What do you need?" she asked. She was way nicer than me. I saw that. Then, if I were her, I'd have been harsh without a thought. If Lucas had been the dad, the first thing I'd have done was to make him swear to avoid seeing. We'd have left town in weeks for sure.

"Your uncle thinks the main reason they want to charge me is because of what Jerry said," I asked. "Could you set up a meeting with him so I can talk? He's lying about me planning the robbery. I also need to tell him he's going to be a dad."

"I'm sure I can do that, Angela," she replied. "Tell Lucas I'm coming. And Angela," she added, "I'm really sorry."

Let's hear Jerry's side now. I was shocked to get a visitor. Couldn't imagine anyone from town visiting me. I was surprised when they took me to a small room and chained me to the ground. This wasn't like my lawyer visits. Here, I was face to face, no bars, just a table and two chairs. Nothing else. A deputy came in, took off my handcuffs.

"Ooh, are we getting it on here?" I joked. She checked the door, then faced me, smiling and pushing hair from her face. Then, out of nowhere, she slapped me.

"First, killer," she snapped, "don't call me baby. I can't wait for your end." She took my cuffs off as a favor. "Show your hands." I did, and she cuffed me again. "You acted bad," she said. "No favors for you." She looked different, almost happy, not even thinking of me. She seemed lost in thought. She opened the door, and I was stunned when another person walked in. Her boobs looked a bit bigger than I remembered, maybe fuller too, but she wasn't in the same league.

"Miss Amazing," she sat down across from me. "Jerry, I need you to do something for me," she said.

"Why would I do anything for you?" I asked back.

She listed a bunch of reasons. "Wow," I said. "That's a lot of reasons. What are they?"

"First off, because you love me," she said. I tried not to laugh. This was dumb. I pointed at her head, pretending I shot her because she thought I loved her.

"Secondly, because I'll get you out of here," she said. I started smiling, giving her the dopey look I used when I was with her.

"Third, because I'll give you $100,000," she said. Now I was listening. And lastly, because I'm having your baby." She touched her stomach as she spoke. She was checking my face. I tried to smile even wider, pretending to be thrilled, but I didn't care. I don't know why she called it my baby. The little monster was growing inside her, not me. She better tell her husband and make him think it's his. But the rest about getting me out and the money sounded good. With that money, I could run to Mexico. They don't send you back from there. After some time, the fuss about me would calm down, and I'd get a new name and come back.

"Baby, you got me, and I love you," I said. "I just wish I wasn't in these cuffs so I could touch your belly."

"Why did you tell them I was involved?" she asked. "I knew you only shot at me to make it look like we didn't know each other, so why tell them I was involved?"

I looked down, giving her my best act. "You're right, honey," I said. "I shot you to throw them off and to keep you safe. But those cops mess with your head. First, they told me you were dead, and I lost it. Then they said you were okay and just messing with me. They said you were back with Mustang man. Then they showed me snaps of you two cruising around. They asked how it felt knowing my girl was with another guy each night."

"You're mine, Angela," I said. She just stared at me. I could tell she was falling for it. How dumb could she be, really? "I got to say this, babe," I continued. "I was jealous. I mean, that kitty belongs to me. So I lied about us planning the heist together. That way, they'd lock you up too, and maybe we'd be together. I'm sorry." I looked into her eyes for any sign of dumbness, and there it was. She had that look, the look a skilled scammer hides when he's found an easy target. She thought she could scam me. The gal was even dumber than I thought.

"What do you need me to do, honey?"

"First off," she said, "I need you to tell them I didn't do it. They don't trust you anyways, but this way, I don't have to blow our cash on a lawyer." I nodded because I knew that was true. The grizzled old sheriff told me I was lying every day, so saying that bit wouldn't cost me a thing.

"After that, I'll gather the cash," she said. "You'll need most of it in bills and some on money cards. Money cards can get you gas or stuff like that, or to book motel rooms on the phone. Of course, you'll have to run solo at first. If we were together, they'd find us easier, especially since dragging a pregnant lady would just slow you down. I'll catch up with you where you'll end up after our baby is born and can travel."

I acted as if I bought her story. "As we planned to bolt," I said.

"I need you to do one thing on your way," she said. "It will show me you truly love me and our baby."

"Anything, babe," I said. "I told you long ago I'd do anything for you. Remember how you tried to shield me during the heist?"

I nodded. "She wanted that lady cop gone," I said. "I got it. Don't worry. But it'll make others miss her. I'll hit her right in the eyes."

She sent a kiss across the big table. "Tell them," she said, "money will come by tomorrow. By the end of the week, you'll be out."

Then I saw her real game, not love, but use. She wanted the young cop cop gone. That cop was the one eyeing someone's man at the races. That man saw me with his girl. The next day might leave her for the cop. The kid might not even be mine. She was using that too, to pull me in. I'd play along with some of it. I thought after she left, Deputy Hot Pants came, freed me, and took me back. I asked for the sheriff.

"I'll get him," she said. Soon, he came, looking all serious, like in old cowboy days.

"What now?" he asked.

"I got to tell the truth," I said, looking all sorry and small. Even felt like he might have felt sorry for me. He began asking. I started spilling. Telling the truth was easy this time, but it felt odd, so I added a few lies to keep sharp. Like when they asked about that bad guy's wife, I said I didn't know him till he hurt me bad, but I saw that jerk the day before at a race. After a while, the questions kept coming. Even with another guy who was less smart, I could tell they were almost done.

"So, this Mrs. Blue wasn't with your group? She knew nothing?" asked the new guy, who was the big law boss.

"Right, she was just a silly kid," I answered with a grin. The law boss didn't like my look. I first thought to drag her down with me, thinking it would make my own trouble lighter. So why the change?"

"The local law man asked. Found out I'm going to be a dad," I said. I talked about how rough my own start was, no family, no home, always fighting off the bad within my own circle. I laid it on thick, wanting them to think my kid shouldn't start life in jail. I made my voice shaky, saying I hoped the kid would have better folks to grow up with. Maybe when the kid's big enough... I let my words hang, and then the law man pushed. I had them both hooked. Hooked with my tail. Could they really be falling for it all?

This was my bad, so I knew I had to just go with the flow. My plan was simple. The sheriff's place was more for short stays, not really a jail. It was kind of a low-tier setup. I was pretty sure I could help Jerry break out. I had a few plans for after he got out. The top thing for me was if Jerry took care of Tanya. That was the big deal. That would fix everything for me. Lucas would be super sad. He'd need someone to help him through the loss of the woman he was with. Who better than the woman he loved for so long? He'd also help me with my baby stuff, and then we'd get back together. In a perfect world, that's how it would go. But there might be problems. Like, what if Jerry came after me and our kid? I'd deal with that if it happened. I'd probably call the cops on him if he showed up out of the blue. Lucas could take him; he already did once at the motel. I bet he'd do even more if his family was in danger.

So I kept doing my my daily stuff. I showed Lucas places I was thinking of checking out. Lucas even gave me a check for my part of the money. The hardest thing was dealing with Tanya. She was always on me, acting like we were pals. "How could I be pals with the woman trying to steal my man?" she'd ask me all these silly questions about what he liked to eat or how he liked things done. She even asked if I'd give her some recipes for his favorite dishes. She was acting all lovey-dovey. Then things got worse. She started to help me with baby stuff. We talked a few times. My life was easy compared to hers. She had been in bad relationships and married a man who cheated a lot, which I couldn't handle. She always got attention from guys, usually the bold ones. Most were not good; they saw her as a prize. After they won her over, she was just like any other woman to them. Her husband cheated a lot. When she found out the last time, he said they should have an open marriage. When she asked for a divorce, he hurt her so bad, even with her police training, couldn't fight back against someone twice her size. After the divorce, she moved here to work with her uncle and gave up on men. Then she met Lucas. We might have been friends if not for him. She was really nice and looked great. She and I were alike in many ways. She loved small-town life too. She was jealous of my pregnancy. It took time, but she started sharing more with me. She shared too much sometimes, like how Lucas made her pass out the first time they were together. Other guys never cared enough to please her. She also said when everything was settled, she'd give Lucas 3 months to ask her to move in. If he didn't, she'd take action. How could she be so silly? Didn't she see that I loved him too? Why would she say that? She wanted him all to herself and told me it was me who pushed them to sleep together. She had, in a friendly way or not, just made me more determined to stop her plans.

I started visiting Jerry every day. The sheriff's department became a regular spot for me. I got to know all four workers there. The sheriff was strict. If he was around, my plan wouldn't work. Tanya, of course, was usually okay, but she was too caught up in her new love for my husband. Jimmy and Dave were like country boys without a farm. They were too lazy for anything else and had no other skills, so working for the sheriff was just right for them. They usually switched jobs, with two on patrol and two in the office. The ones in the office had to watch any prisoners and handle calls and paperwork. When I visited Jerry, I'd bring food for who ever was in the office. In a week or two, I learned what they liked. That was key. Jerry started asking lots of questions about the baby. He also said that on the day we got him out, the first thing he wanted was to be with me in every way. I told him I'd make sure he had the chance, but really, I doubted he'd even have 10 minutes for that.

I also got a good look at Lucas during this time. Things were calmer between us, and he even moved into a bedroom in the house. He was very nice to me, and it hurt a lot. He treated me like he would anyone else, but the close moments we used to share were gone. The way he used to come up behind me, wrap his arms around me, kiss me softly, or touch my arm and just smile at me—those things are for Tanya now. It broke my heart to see them play and splash water while they cleaned his car and to hear her loud cries and saying "my man's name" all night long, thinking I was asleep, hurt the most. But seeing that Lucas was the same with her as he was with me stung bad. There were some things that were different, though. He never let me drive his cars, but she drove the green one a lot, and the old black one felt like hers now. To be honest, I really envied those cars, but not as much as I envied Tanya. Every time I saw him touch her back and grab her, I felt mad. Every time she accidentally rubbed against him, I wanted to shout. I wanted to tell her to keep away from my man, and I wanted to scream at him that it should be me, it should be me he's touching, me he's getting to know, me he's with every night, not some girl from the sheriff's place.

The sheriff said the big law was ready to go after Jerry's case. They caught his buddy Arie in a different place. Arie was hiding and had stopped the bank stuff after Jerry got caught. They found him because he was using small bills from a robbery to buy things. Banks keep track of their money, so after a robbery, they can sometimes find where the money goes. A bank worker in Arkansas who had a lot of time did this. He got good at checking lists for bank thieves the FBI was after and the special bank box numbers from heists. When he found a box number from a nearby 7-Eleven, he called the FBI. They watched the 7-Eleven and had an agent work there as a cashier. They didn't know who they were after, but they had a rough idea and video from past heists. So when Arie came to buy beer with lots of small bills, they caught him. The feds were set to take Jerry on Monday, so I acted on Friday. Timing was just right.

The sheriff and Dave were gone. I brought a huge plate of tacos and burritos for Jimmy. "My God," he said. "I can't eat all this. Tanya, you might have to eat one or two."

"No," she said. "I need to watch my size. I don't want my butt to get any bigger." Jimmy, usually quiet, let his thoughts slip out. "Shoot, every guy in town watches your size for you, Tanya. Your butt is just right." He stopped quick when he realized we could hear him. "Sorry," he looked ashamed. "I didn't want to upset you."

"That's how I'll see it," said Tanya. "Come on, Angela, you must want some time with your friend." She would take Jerry from his cell in leg chains and handcuffs, then into the talk room where she'd chain his feet to a big iron bolt in the floor. If he was good, she'd take off his handcuffs. With his feet still chained, he couldn't move much in the chair that was also fixed to the floor, except to stand. After he sat down, she'd let me into the talk room. At first, someone always watched from far, just in case, but not lately. Jerry had been good; he'd been playing a part, making them think he'd changed. I knew the stuff I put in Jimmy's food would work fast, but I still waited. Jerry and I chatted like we always do. We talked about things like visits to the jail he was going to and other stuff we thought was normal. Tanya kept coming by to check on us. The last time she came in, I made sure she heard me say how much I missed being close to someone because hearing her and Lucas make noise for hours made me feel longing. She left the room red-faced. Jerry looked at her with desire, but I pretended not to notice. I called Tanya back and asked when Jerry was moving. She said she couldn't tell me because of security rules. Just then, Jerry asked her if he'd get private time with loved ones at his new place. Tanya was still thinking about what I said earlier as she looked at Jerry to answer. "I'm sure," she said.

When I hit her on the head hard, I grabbed the key ring from her belt. She didn't have her gun. Following rules, I was shaking as I tossed the keys to Jerry, and he quickly unlocked his chains. He came over and...

I tried to hug him, but he kept his mind on what was next. Just then, we heard the sheriff on the radio checking in. "I'm coming in," he said. Jerry looked at me, and I knew he was thinking hard. "Stick to the plan," I whispered. He reached for Tanya, then he began to unbutton her shirt. "What are you doing?" I shouted. "We need to end her life and leave." "I'm going to have her first," he said. "Then you can kill her. You're the one who wants her gone."

We heard Jimmy make noise from the front of the office. "I got to get out," he said. "What about your word?" I asked. "What about your love for me and our kid?" "Oh, right," he said with that big smile. It happened so quick, I hardly saw him move. Jerry struck me so hard, I fell like a knockdown pin. Once I was on the ground, he didn't stop. He kicked me in the face, in my belly, everywhere he could. I curled up tight to protect my baby. "Dumb," he kept yelling. "I never felt anything for you. You were just too silly to see. I never cared. I had to take pills just to be with you." He kicked my head one more time and left. He grabbed Jimmy's gun and some keys. Only a few cars were outside. I don't know which one he chose.

I was almost out when Tanya, now awake, came to help. "Oh my God," she said. "We need to get you to a hospital." She stood up weakly and picked up the phone. The sheriff was coming fast. She told me he'd be here in under 5 minutes. The last thing I knew was her calling Lucas. She told him she was okay, then everything went black.

Now, let's hear it from Lucas. I felt something was off when my phone rang. I just knew it. Right before it rang, I was about to start a new task at home with my machinery, but something felt off. I was going to check the piece in the machine to make sure it was right. So, I started thinking about Tanya. I grabbed the phone. Worried, her voice was rough. She said she was okay, just a bump on her head. She said Jerry ran off, maybe leaving town. She wanted me to meet her at the hospital. "Angela might be hurt?" I asked. "Who hit her?" She told me not to fret, just come. I felt mad. Then she said something. She said, "Love, I was scared I'd never see you again. I thought he may have killed me, but I'm okay apart from my blouse and his touch. Come quick, I need a kiss bad."

I hung up and rushed out, knowing the town roads well. I guess Jerry would hit the freeway to escape fast. It would take him 10 minutes to reach the freeway near me. The hospital and cops were on the other side. I dashed into my office, opened my safe, grabbed my gun, loaded it, and made sure it was ready. Then I left. I got into my Mustang, drove to the freeway ramp. Soon, I saw Angela's Toyota zoom past, speeding. Since Tanya said Angela was hurt, it couldn't be her drive, and Angela would head to the hospital, not away.

I floored on the freeway, chasing the car. All I felt was anger, thinking about the jerk who messed up my marriage and hurt Tanya. I didn't really care about what had happened to Angela; she had it coming. But when he hurt Tanya, I knew he had to pay. Catching up to the Corolla was a piece of cake. That car was going as fast as it could, but my speed was way more. I hit over 100 mph at the start and got up to 130 in no time. I caught up to the Corolla and moved to its left side. Jerry tried to go faster, but my car was way better. I got beside him, rolled down my window, and gave him a big smile. He smiled back, not knowing why I was so happy. He probably was still wondering when I shot him twice and sped up. My Mustang zoomed ahead as his Corolla started to slow down and then began to flip over many times. I saw it in my mirror as I stopped and pulled over. The car I once got for Angela when things were good was now just a wreck. Honestly, even before the crash, it wasn't a good car, just a basic vehicle, nothing special. Other cars slowed down to see the crash too. I saw Jerry trying to pull himself out of the wreck. I walked fast to him. Other people were coming too. Jerry got out and said, "Get me out of here, it's going to blow." He was hurt pretty bad, bleeding from his shoulder and arm. My shots had hit him but weren't deadly. I took my gun out again and put it right in his mouth. I shot him again, two more times to be extra sure. This time, blood and bits went everywhere, even on me. I made sure to use up all the bullets in his chest. As people trying to help fled back to their cars, scared of the crazy man. Like I said, some bad folks just deserve it.

I walked back to my car and sat on the hood. I took the empty clip out of my gun and put them both far from the car. I took out my iPhone and called Steve. I told him where I was and that he should come and pick me up. He thought I was joking until I told him what I did and why. He said he'd drop Angela and Tanya at the hospital and be there in less than 10. I asked him not to bring Tanya; I didn't want her to see me like this. Then I waited. He was quick. In less than 10 minutes, Steve was there. I got off my car, turned my back to him, and raised my hands. "Lucas, stop being dumb," Steve said. "Tell me what happened." "That bad guy hit Tanya," I told him. "She was so scared on the phone, she thought she was going to die. I just lost it. I knew he'd have to come this way to escape, so I waited for him, chased his car, and shot him, but he still wouldn't die, so I made sure he'd never hurt Tanya again." "He understood," "Yep, you made sure," he said. "Where's the gun?" "It's over there on the ground," I pointed. I took the clip out. He went over, got the gun, and put it in his car. "I held out my hands for cuffs." "Will you put your hands down?" he said, annoyed. Just then, Tanya came running up and hugged me. "Tanya, please go back to the hospital," I begged her. "You can't tell me what to do," she said. "We're not married yet." "See, she's fine," said Steve. "Now, either go home or go to the hospital. I need you with me when we ask that liar you once called your wife some hard questions. I've got a hunch she's in on it." "But when will you cuff me?" I said. Tanya stepped in front of me and her uncle. "Why would you arrest him?" she asked. "No one's arresting him," Tanya's uncle replied. "For heaven's sake, calm down, both of you." Tanya wrapped me in a hug. "Someone owes me some kisses," she said.

We heard her uncle on the phone with the DA. "Yes," he said. "No, the guy didn't escape. I still need to wait for Mrs. Blue to be okay from the ER and Jimmy to wake up to learn how this mess began. But Shorter is gone. Yep, dead for sure. Looks like someone put a gun in his mouth and let it rip, then they shot him like four or five times in the chest." "Six," I whispered. "Make that six in the chest," said Steve. "I showed my arm and shoulder, right? They shot him in the arm a few times too. Seems like they really hated the jerk." He whispered to me to burn my clothes and flush the ashes, then clean the whole bathroom with bleach twice. Tanya gave me a weird look. Her uncle told her to burn her clothes too, since she got some blood on her from our hug. "I've got a guess," said Steve on the phone. "The feds just nabbed another bad guy from the bank job. That leaves still one, maybe more out there. They might have thought Shorter snitched on the guy we caught in Arkansas. You know how these types deal with snitches." Steve signaled for us to leave. "Right, the witnesses are from out of state. We can't take their word as is. None saw the same person, but they all agreed on what they saw: a car flipped over. As they passed by, a guy walked up to the car and shot at the person inside. No one stayed to see what happened next. Sadly, no one came to report what they saw; they were just folks passing by who stopped to help. Seems like they drove off after making the call. Yeah, our machine caught the calls. With all the chaos at the station, we were out of the loop." "Why not come over later so we can figure this out?" then he hung up. "Uncle Steve, what on earth is going on?" asked Tanya. I was going to answer, but he signaled me to be quiet. "You caught that?" "I filled in the DA," he said. "Some guy really went at Shorter with gunfire. You two head home, change, then meet at the hospital. We'll sort out the station mess and chat after." He looked at me hard. "Lucas, keep quiet about this." "Got it." "All right, you can tell her, but keep it low around others. We'll talk more tonight. Act shocked at the hospital, okay?"

Tanya came to my place. She had clothes to change into there. We did as her uncle said, got rid of our blood-stained clothes, cleaned up the bathroom, and showered. That shower took nearly an hour, and we felt like we needed another one. After, we then drove to the hospital to see Angela. Angela was mostly okay, just some cuts, bumps, and bruises. The baby was okay too. The sheriff looked angry as he stood by her bed. "Tanya and I watched Mrs. Blue. If you pull any forgetful tricks, jail it is," he said. "I was such an idiot," she said. "It cost me all I had." "We knew you were a fool, Steve," so let's hear the story. Like always, at first, Angela tried to act like she was the one wronged, but things didn't line up right. Dave, the other deputy, got there, and we watched the security tape of what happened. There was no sound on the tape because some folks fought for the rights of those in jail, saying it was not okay to listen, but the tape was clear. Steve had to grab me to stop me when it showed that Angela was the one who hit Tanya. I was so mad when I saw Jerry begin to pull off Tanya's shirt. Right then, the DA said he would charge Angela with hitting a cop and helping a criminal get away. When the drug tests came back, he was ready to add more charges for drugging Jimmy. He also wanted to look again at her part in the bank job since he thought she planned the whole escape with Jerry. Hoping Jerry would say she wasn't in on the bank job and Ted Granger's death. It seemed like Angela was going to be in jail so long she'd end up dying there, maybe even be buried there to finish her time. She started to talk a lot to try for a shorter time locked up. In the end, she got a deal for 50 years in a not-so-tough jail. She would be 85 when she got out, but at least she had some hope. Plus, she could see visitors, so maybe she'd watch her kid grow. All because she took the deal.

With Nothing Left to Lose, Angela told the truth. The depth she'd gone to shocked me, especially when she said she made Jerry promise to hurt Tanya. "I wish I had my gun then," the sheriff and the DA. After we were done talking, Angela asked Tanya and me to stay back to chat more. The sheriff told us he wanted to chat too and would come by in the morning. "I just sat and stared at my ex-wife." "Lucas, I need a big favor from you too," she started. "Why should we help you?" I snapped. I was so mad, I could hardly speak. Tanya hugged me, knowing full well how far I'd go to keep her safe. "Why did you want that jerk to hurt Tanya? Why not just run away with him to Mexico?" I asked. "Because I didn't love him," she said, trying not to cry. "Lucas, you were the one for me. I wanted us back, no matter what, but everything I did just pushed you away and made you and Tanya closer. My plans failed. I thought showing myself off would make you want me, but no, you ended up closer to her. I love you, Lucas." "Wanted you back, but I saw I'd never get you back as long as she was here. She loves you, maybe even more than I do. She always asked me how to make you happy. She had to go, but that idiot Jerry was only after one thing. He was awful. It's like those dogs chasing cars, what would they do if they caught one?" Angela cried, and Tanya sat with her, holding her hand. I was shocked. "What do you want us to do?" Angela. "Tanya asked. "When the baby comes, Angela wants us to take care of it. She thinks of letting us visit once it gets a bit older." "Angela, they might let you keep the baby with you in jail," Tanya told her. "That gives Lucas and me time to think." "We don't need time," I told Tanya. Later, "Why'd you say that?" I was upset. "She's lost it," I said. "Because I get her," said Tanya. I just shook my head. "Inside women," I thought. We went home tired from the day. After my shower, Tanya put on fresh sheets. We fell asleep in each other's arms, not waking up until late the next day when Steve knocked.

"Okay," he boomed. "You two know nothing about what happened to her. You weren't near there when it went down. That's our story. We stick to it. We're on the lookout, so no need for more witness stories." He planned, but I started. "No butts," Steve cut in. "Shorter was bad news. Thief, killer, trouble. He was no good." "Okay," I agreed. "What did your ex want?" he then asked. "She wants us to raise her kid," I said. "Huh," Steve noted. "That's one tough start for any kid. Mom's a mess, dad's worse. It's like a scary crime family story." Tanya told her we'd think on it. "Why?" asked Steve. "Because Angela isn't all bad," I said. Tanya said she gets it and feels for her. She thinks she was more caught up than at fault. She was just a regular wife who slipped up, then things just went from bad to worse super fast. She ended up doing stuff she never thought she would, but she could have stopped it all. "I told her I gave her plenty of cash to start fresh after we split up, but that was dumb," Tanya said. "You didn't give her the one thing she really needed, the thing that could have stopped everything wasn't offered, so she couldn't stop. All her crazy plans were because she didn't get that one thing. If I were her, I'd do the same." Tanya said, "Lucas, we haven't been together as long as you were with Angela, but I'd do anything to keep us together." "Uncle Steve, I've got some news that won't make you happy," she grinned. "Why are you smiling if it's bad news?" Steve asked. "Cuz it's not bad for me," she said. "It's bad for you. I'm retiring right now. I'm getting married and need to make this place ours. I've got to change things here to remove the other woman's touch." "Who are you marrying?" I asked, grinning. "You dummy," she said. "Remember I told you I didn't have to listen cuz we weren't married yet?" "You didn't say we weren't getting married." "Not saying no in front of the county sheriff, whose official makes it even more real." Then she leaned in and kissed me. She moved her hair from her big gray eyes and looked sad. "Don't you want to marry me?" she asked softly. "More than anything," I said, while Steve laughed. "Man, she's got you wrapped around her finger. Congrats. Make sure I'm invited to the wedding."

We tied the knot about 6 weeks after that. It took a long time for Tanya to plan our big wedding, and it felt like the whole state came. In the first few months, we were really happy together, way more than I ever was with Angela. Tanya went to see Angela in jail a few times, but I never could. Not long ago, I found out Angela had a baby boy. Lucas, I was shocked, but it didn't seem to be a big deal since no one really knew who his dad was and Jerry couldn't make a fuss. What surprised me more was when Tanya started to fix up one of the rooms like it was for a baby. I kept quiet. I knew I'd just agree to whatever she wanted. I loved her too much to say no. She took me to see Angela and made me hold the baby. I was a bit scared at first. All I could think of was that kid from The Omen movie, but he just looked like any other baby. There we were, Tanya holding him and me side-eyeing him, half expecting something weird to happen. "Tanya, we can't take him," I said. But she was set on her plan. She already had someone else in mind to take care of him. Then she brought in an old lady. It took me a second, but then I saw she was Angela's mom. With Angela's dad gone, it made sense. She could use the company, and the baby was her grandson. On the drive back, I felt a mix of relief and a tiny bit of sadness. "How's that for a plan?" Tanya asked. "It was perfect," I told her. "I said it was our best shot out of a bad spot." "You think I wouldn't have been a good mom?" she asked. "You'd have been the best mom ever," I started. "But the kid would have felt left out, like he missed out on something." She looked at me surprised. "Why would he feel like that?" she asked. "Okay, imagine you were a baby," I started, and your mom had these..." I gave her chest a gentle squeeze, then said, "She fed you from a bottle instead, wouldn't you feel short changed?" She smiled, but still, we couldn't keep Angela's baby. We just didn't have enough for everyone. "I don't know," I said. "They seem plenty big." "Yeah," she smirked, "but there's just two of them. So with you on one and him on the other, what would our baby do?" I hit the brakes hard. My car, with its strong brakes, stopped so fast we were both pushed back in our seats. "We're having a baby," I said, stunned. "Us, as in you and me?" "That's the only way," she smiled. "Why do you think I was making a baby room?"

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