I wonder if she’s in any trouble. After all, she pulled into a seedy motel in the middle of the snowstorm.
Or maybe she’s here to make trouble.
She pauses for a moment. She walks over to the door to her room and flings it open. Nick is standing there, holding a plate of food out to her.
Gosh, isn’t he nice? The kind, handsome owner of the motel thoughtfully brought her some dinner. I bet he didn’t even charge her, as if we could spare the money. I can just imagine her swooning over that one.
I watch them chatting for a moment, wishing I could hear what they’re saying. But more than that, I wish I could trust him.
But I can’t.
Chapter 34
That Morning
Nick is rifling around in our closet. I turn my chair to watch him, trying to figure out what he’s doing. “What are you doing?”
“I need to borrow your boots.”
“My boots?”
“I’m going to help this guest dig her car out and she doesn’t have any boots. I’ll bring them back when she’s done with them.”
My jaw tightens, as I remember watching that woman’s pretty face through my binoculars last night. “Is it really necessary for you to dig her car out?”
“I told her I’d help. Although honestly, I don’t think she’s going anywhere until the plow comes.”
“Well, gee, that’s so nice of you.” I don’t even try to keep the edge out of my voice.
Nick retrieves my fur lined black boots from the closet. I remember how warm those boots used to be. I could go out in deep snow, and I wouldn’t even feel it. Of course, I wouldn’t feel it now either since I can’t feel my feet at all.
“Rosie,” he says patiently. “I have to help her. Don’t be difficult about this.”
“Oh, am I being difficult?”
He frowns. “Yes. You are.”
“Strange. Why would I be upset because my husband wants to help a beautiful young woman with her car?”
He drops the boots on the ground and sits down heavily on the bed. “Don’t do this. Please.”
“Do what?”
“I’ve been faithful, okay?” He looks me in the eyes. “I haven’t touched another woman since… Anyway, it’s not like you’ve done anything to help.”
“Help what?” I stare back at him. “I’m stuck here in this room all the time. What am I supposed to do?”
“For starters, get out of this goddamn room. Let me turn the dining room downstairs into a bedroom. Let me convert the kitchen at Rosalie’s and we can open it back up—”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I punch my fist into my knee so hard, it kicks up a spasm. But I just ignore it. “You act like it’s all so easy. It’s not easy.”
“I know it’s not easy, but—”
“You don’t know.” My right leg trembles with a muscle spasm. “Look, I don’t want to have this conversation. Go give that woman my boots. Let her keep them, for all I care. It’s not like I’m ever going to use them again.”
I expect him to keep arguing with me, like he often does. But instead, he gets back on his feet. “Fine,” he snaps.
Then he picks up the boots and stomps out the door. Every step he takes echoes through the entire house until the front door slams shut.
After he leaves, I wheel myself over to the window. And I grab my binoculars. I shouldn’t watch them, but I can’t help myself. Worrying about Nick cheating on me again has become an obsession. When we were young, I always trusted him. I was never jealous. Now it’s all I can think about.
I peer through my binoculars, searching for that woman’s car. She parked it in the lot by Rosalie’s. It’s a strange thing to do, considering the motel has its own lot. Why would she have parked at Rosalie’s, which is boarded up? And she didn’t just park at Rosalie’s, she parked all the way around back.
What does she have to hide?
A few minutes later, I see the two of them come into view. The woman is wearing a thick coat, but I remember catching that glimpse of her in room 203. She’s beautiful. And Nick knows it.
Mostly, they’re digging out her car. Nick is doing most of the work, because he’s big and strong and he always wants to help. I watch their lips move through the binoculars. They’re talking. At one point, he laughs at something she says.
When is the last time I’ve seen Nick laugh? I swear, it’s got to have been a year, at least.