“Yeah, I know. The admiral told me.”
“Jen’s going to stay at my place for a few more days, but then she’s moving back to her apartment.”
Carson got to his feet. “You’re a good man, McCoy. You know that, right?”
“Thanks, LT.”
“And if you do end up with my sister, I won’t have any complaints.” Carson began to laugh. “It’s funny, I was so worried about you taking advantage of her, but now I’m starting to think you might be the best thing that’s ever happened to her.”
Chapter Thirteen
It was ten thirty when Jen stepped onto the sidewalk in front of Savannah’s flower shop. She froze when she spotted the vehicle parked on the curb—not Cash’s Escape, but her brother’s Range Rover.
The sight of Carson through the windshield had her back stiffening. Why the hell was he here? Holly had left with Shelby ten minutes ago, so he couldn’t be here to pick up his wife.
Squaring her jaw, Jen strode over to the car and rapped on the passenger window. When it rolled down, she poked her head in. “Holly went home with Shelby.”
Her tone was slightly cool, but it was the most cordial she could muster. She hadn’t spoken to Carson since their heated argument on Sunday, and she had no desire to argue with him again.
But his unkempt appearance and the ravaged look on his face told her he wasn’t looking for a fight, either. “I’m here for you,” her brother answered.
“Why? Where’s Cash?”
“He’s still at Garrett’s. I skipped out early, though. Cash said he was supposed to pick you up, so I offered to do it.” He leaned over and pulled on the passenger door handle.
Jen stared at the open door, debating whether to haughtily announce she’d take a cab, or suck it up and get in the car. After a beat, she slid into the passenger seat and buckled up. Might as well get this over with.
“Should I be worried about the condition Cash will be in when he gets home?” she inquired sweetly.
Carson had the decency to look ashamed. “I deserve that.” He moved the gearshift and drove away from the curb. “Look, I already apologized to McCoy. I know I was out of line on Sunday.”
“Damn right you were.”
“I’m sorry, Jenny. I’ve been acting like a total asshole the past few weeks.”
“No kidding.”
“The only excuse I can give you is that I’ve been upset about Holly.”
He sounded so incredibly sad that some of Jen’s anger thawed, replaced by a twinge of sympathy. “She’s not doing too well herself.”
The devastation on Carson’s face nearly tore her to pieces. “Did she say anything tonight? About, uh, me?”
“A bit, but I won’t break her confidence.” Jen sighed. “Holly said she’s been staying at her sister’s for the past couple of days. Have you two even spoken?”
“A couple of times over the phone. I’ve begged her to come home, but she says she needs time to think. Jesus, Jenny, it scares the hell outta me that my wife has to think about whether or not to come home.” His voice cracked. “What if she doesn’t?”
Jen couldn’t control the icy note that entered her voice. “Does she have a reason not to?”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means you still haven’t explained why you were holding hands with another woman.” Her gaze bore into him. “Straight up, Carson—are you having an affair?”
His jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me? I’m not having a fucking affair. Like I told Cash earlier tonight, I’m seeing a fucking therapist.”
Now Jen was the one picking her jaw off the floor. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious.” When they neared a red light, Carson hit the brakes and turned to scowl at her. “That woman you saw me with was my therapist. And I wasn’t calling her angel on the phone, her name is Angel.”
Guilt and relief slammed into Jen’s chest like a gust of wind. “Shit. I’m sorry I thought the worst of you, but you’ve got to know that sneaking around is never a good idea. Why didn’t you just tell me the truth when I brought it up?”
“Because I was embarrassed,” her brother muttered. He stepped on the gas and steered through the intersection. “Because I didn’t want you to know how bad things with Holly and me had gotten.”
Jen’s heart clenched. “She’ll come home, Carson. She’s just feeling overwhelmed right now and I’m not sure I blame her. You can’t come back after six months and start making demands on her. You need to take time and try to reconnect with your wife.”
“I know that. Now, anyway,” he amended. “Before, I…well, I guess I thought that Hol and me were so rock solid that we didn’t need to work on our relationship. I figured everything would fix itself.”
“Kind of hard to fix anything when you don’t bother listening to what your wife is trying to tell you,” she pointed out.