The snarky comment almost made her feel bad. Almost.
“Okay, okay.” He took a sip of his wine and walked slowly toward the small kitchen table. “Can we at least sit while we talk? I hate having serious conversations standing up.”
We can hop on one foot, for all I care. I just want you to say what you came to say so I can drink my tea in peace and go to bed.
Lifting the porcelain lid from her decorative tea canister, Cassie scooped just enough loose lavender tea to fill her small, heart-shaped metal strainer. She pulled the hand towel hanging from the front of the stove, using it as a makeshift hot pad while picking up the steaming kettle.
With her tea properly steeping, she carried the mug over to where the man she’d vowed to love, honor, and cherish for eternity sat. On the table in front of him were the creased and stapled papers that would release her from that promise. And if what Russ had told her at the door was true…
“You said you were ready to sign?” Cassie pulled out the chair across from him and sat.
A mixture of sadness and acceptance fell over him as he gave her a solemn nod. It was a look she desperately, desperately wanted to believe.
“Like I said, my attorney and I went over everything again.” He slid the papers across the varnished wood toward her. “After what turned into a fairly heated discussion, I was able to convince him to change a few things to your benefit.” His serious stare dropped to the papers. “Including what you’ll make when I buy out your share of the firm. It’s all highlighted in yellow to make it easier for you to find.”
With slow, almost suspicious movements, Cassie slid her forgotten tea to the side and picked up the legal documents. Scanning each one carefully, she flipped through them all until she’d reached the very last page.
And then she started over, reading every single highlighted section again.
Because if what she’d just read was true, and this wasn’t some sort of trick he and his scumbag lawyer had cooked up,Russ had changed the total settlement offer to twice the original amount.
He’d also agreed to let her keep the house—or one hundred percent of the profit, should she choose to sell—as well as giving her well over what he’d offered for her portion of the company.
“I don’t understand.” She lifted her wary gaze to his.
“What’s there to understand? It’s all right there in black and white…and yellow.” A sizeable gulp of vino was followed by a playful smirk.
But Cassie wasn’t much in the smiling mood. “You’ve contested every single aspect of this divorce for over a year, Russ. Now, all of a sudden, you show up unannounced to say you’re giving me more than I asked for from the start? And I’m just supposed to, what…smile and agree without asking questions?” She held the documents up. “I thought you knew me better than that.”
“Idoknow you, Cass.” Her estranged husband leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Probably better than you know yourself. Which is why I know what you’re thinking.”
Tossing the papers down, she settled back into her chair and crossed her arms at her chest. “Please…enlighten me. But talk fast and drink faster, because your five minutes were up two minutes ago.”
She wasn’t sure how accurate her estimation was, but the point had been made, regardless.
After taking another swallow, Russ set the near-empty glass down and smiled. “You’re thinking this is all some sort of game. A ploy to screw you out of what you think you deserve.” The corners of his thin mouth fell slightly. “I can see why you’d think that, and truthfully I don’t blame you. I wasn’t a good husband to you, Cassandra. But I did love you.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Idolove you.”
“Russ…”
“Don’t worry, this isn’t me trying to get back together. I know it’s too late for that. For us.” He cleared his throat with a frown. “I wanted you to know…what I, uh…what I did to you.” Another clearing of his throat. “The cheating and lying…” Russ picked up his cup and gulped the rest of its burgundy contents. “I don’t know why I do it. I mean, surely you can agree we never should’ve gotten married to begin with, but…you didn’t deserve to be treated the way you were. And you sure as hell don’t deserve to be strung along the way you have.”
“Or to have my name dragged through the mud by your parents and their slew of ridiculous lies.”
“Or that.” Russ lifted his fist to his mouth as he gave a slight cough. “Look, Cass. I know you probably don’t believe a word I’ve said, but I do care about you, and I want you to be happy. Which is why I’ve decided to ignore the lawyers and my parents.” Those gray eyes settled onto hers with a sigh. “And it’s why I’m finally letting you go.”
She wanted to believe him. To think the parts of the man she’d fallen in love with still existed. But the flames of his betrayals had burned Cassie far too many times to simply take him at his word.
Because a man who lies was a man without honor. And the word of a man without honor was worthless as far as she was concerned.
“Funny.” She sat up and gave the metal steeper a gentle swirl before pulling it free and setting on the mug’s matching saucer. “I figured you were doing this for yourself. This way you’re finally free and clear to be withher.”
Putting the ceramic rim to her lips, she rested her elbows on the table and waited for the clever retort she assumed he had waiting in his arsenal. Cassie didn’t know whoherwas, and she truly didn’t care. But there was definitely another woman warming her husband’s bed at night.
Some things never change.
“I don’t love her.” He shook his dampened head. “I never loved any of them. They were just?—”
“I don’t care what they were, or who you love or don’t love, Russell. I just want this all to be done and over with so you and I can go our separate ways.”