Andrew, the grease-stained mechanic’s son from the wrong side of the tracks, did not fit into those plans. He was crazy about Carina, and the fact that they were forbidden to see each other only fueled the fire. And she loved him just as fiercely. They met in secret, disappearing into the night.
Then one day, Eleanor landed in the hospital for a week. It was an unforgettable time. They lived in Carina’s house, and she played him a melody she’d composed just for him. But then Eleanor returned. She raised hell. She filed a police report against him, accusing him of everything from trespassing to corrupting a minor. Carina swore in front of the judge that it was all lies. And then, she vanished.
He searched for her, but it was useless. Eleanor warned him that if he didn’t back off, she’d make sure he ended up in prison. So he left town. He worked on an oil rig in Texas for five years before returning home and marrying Nina. Nina was a single mom with a little boy—her husband had walked out on them. It all just happened. Ian started calling him ‘Dad’ almost immediately, and Andrew felt a deep connection to the boy. He and Nina never had more children, but he always thought of Ian as his own son. Ian himself had probably long forgotten that Andrew wasn’t his biological father.
Nina sank onto a kitchen chair and started to cry. Any other time, Andrew would have grabbed his jacket and walked out, returning a few hours later when she’d calmed down. But he couldn’t leave today. In two hours, Ian was bringing home the girl he wanted to marry. That’s why Nina had been in the kitchen all morning, and Andrew had been trying to help.
He knelt in front of her.
“Nina, don’t do this. Carina is gone. You know I love you. What can I do if my subconscious dredges up old dreams? I call her name because that’s what’s happening in the dream, not because I’m still in love with her.”
“Andrew, you don’t get it. How do you think that makes me feel? What am I supposed to do…”
Nina looked up, her eyes tired.
“Andrew, I want a divorce. As soon as Ian is married, after the wedding, it’s over. I can’t live like this anymore, you understand?”
He just stared at her. Nina didn’t deserve this; he knew he was the cause of her pain.
“Nina, let’s… let’s talk about this later, okay? We have other things to focus on right now. I’m not ready to answer that. I don’t want a divorce, but if you insist, we’ll revisit this conversation.”
Nina gave a weak smile and brushed his cheek with her hand.
“Okay. Oh, my goodness, the roast isn’t even in the oven!”
She jumped up, and Andrew let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. The storm had passed, for now.
“Okay, I’ll go set the table then.”
Nina looked at him with a playful glint in her eye.
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