Married for Christmas (Willow Park) (10 page)

He sighed and lowered himself to the side of the bed to put
on his socks.

As he did, Bear walked over to greet him, since she
innocently assumed he’d come down to her level for that very reason.

Jessica watched from the corner of her eye as she hurriedly
tacked on the button. Bear kept nosing at Daniel, confused that he wasn’t
responding.

She tried not to get annoyed about his ignoring her sweet
dog.

“Have you thought any more about the choir?” he asked, as he
slid on his shoe.

She’d hoped he’d forgotten about that idea. “I’ve thought a
little about it.”

“And?”

“I’m still thinking.”

“That means you want to say no.”

“Yes, I want to say no. You know that was my first
inclination.”

“I thought you were serious about thinking about it.” His
tone had changed, evidently in response to the testiness in her tone.

“I
was
serious about thinking about it. But thinking
about it doesn’t automatically mean I’m going to come down on your side. Believe
it or not, your opinion isn’t the only reasonable conclusion for every issue in
the universe.”

He narrowed his eyes. “That’s ridiculous. And I’m not sure
you’ve even thought about it. You’re just stalling and hoping I’ll let it go.”

The fact that he was right did nothing to ease her annoyance
with him. “Do you have any idea how arrogant you sound—assuming you know
exactly what I’m thinking? You have no idea what’s going on in my mind.”

“So what
is
going on in your mind?” Bear was
concerned about the rising temper in the room and nuzzled at Daniel’s legs
again. He nudged her away, appearing unconscious of what he was doing since he
was entirely focused on the conversation.

“I don’t have to tell you everything I’m thinking.” She’d
finished the button so she tossed the jacket toward him on the bed. She got up,
returned the kit to the drawer, and then closed it a little harder than
necessary. “You certainly don’t tell me.”

“What is that
supposed to mean?” He pushed Bear away
again.

“She wants you to say hi to her,” Jessica burst out. “Is
even
that
too much to ask?”

His eyes widened in obvious surprise, but he leaned over to
pat the dog’s head. Evidently satisfied in getting a greeting, Bear ambled over
to Jessica again.

“What do you mean by ‘even that’?” Daniel asked, a different
resonance in his tone.

She knew exactly what he was asking, but she didn’t know how
to answer the question, so she acted confused. “What?”

“You said ‘even
that
’ is too much to ask, like you’ve
asked more of me and I haven’t delivered.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. Don’t get hung up on a random
comment.”

He was peering at her in a way she didn’t like at all—like
he might see things he wasn’t supposed to see.

Jessica just wanted the whole discussion to be over. It was
irrational and futile and accomplishing nothing. “We should get going. They’ll
be over here to pick us up any minute.”

“Yeah.” He was still looking at her, but he leaned down to
brush a few white dog hairs off his pants. He was frowning as he did.

For some reason, the gesture made Jessica mad. She glared at
him and then went to her closet to grab an old-fashioned lint brush that used
to be her mother’s. Making sure she turned it the right away, she leaned over
to brush off his trousers.

“If you don’t want her hair on your pants, then you can just
keep pushing her away,” Jessica muttered.

“What has gotten into you?” he demanded. He took the brush
from her hand and took her by one arm to straighten her up.

“Nothing. Bear is important to me.”

“I know she is. I’ve never said a word about her, except she
should sleep on her own bed.”

“I know you’ve never liked her.”

“I like her fine. I just don’t like her as much as you do.
She’s your dog, after all.”

“I know that.”

“Then why are you in a snit about this?”

He couldn’t have chosen a word more poised to rile her up if
he’d tried. “I am not in a snit,” she gritted out.

“You are too in a snit. I’ve been trying to have a normal
conversation here, and you’re acting like everything I do and say is a source
of resentment.”

He was right.
Of course
, he was right. But the fact
that he had no idea why she might be upset—why she might have wanted more from
this marriage—just made her feel even worse.

She’d made a mess of this whole thing. She needed to pull it
together and not expect more than he wanted to give her.

His arm tightened slightly on her upper arm. “Would you just
tell me what’s wrong with you? You don’t have to come tonight if you don’t
want.”

“Of course, I’m going to come tonight. What do you think
I’ll do? Tell Will and Holly that I don’t feel like going out, so I’m sending
my husband to have dinner with them alone? Give me a little credit.”

“Then what the—”

His frustrated question was interrupted by the ringing of
their front door.

Bear barked excitedly, and Jessica grabbed her purse, relieved
at the narrow escape.

“Don’t forget your jacket,” she told him.

***

Will drove them in his expensive
SUV, and Jessica spent the entire ride to the restaurant trying to be friendly
and make casual conversation.

Since Holly was a talker, she dominated the conversation, so
fortunately Jessica didn’t have to interact with Daniel very much. She was
still rattled and upset by their interrupted argument and, whenever she didn’t
have to talk, she kept trying to talk her emotions back into order.

She was usually a very calm and sensible person. There was
no reason to get so uptight about everything. Eventually, she and Daniel would
work out a relationship that was good for both of them. He was allowed to be a
little distant in the first week.

She didn’t look at him very much during the car ride, afraid
he’d read something in her expression. Instead, she stared outside at the
winter evening and the Christmas decorations—some of them crazy over-the-top.
She tried to work up some Christmas spirit, thinking that she would be married for
the Christmas season for the first time in her life.

She didn’t manage to summon up very much enthusiasm.

They finally got to the restaurant, which was just as
exclusive and snobby as she remembered. The food was ludicrously expensive, and
she couldn’t help but think this couple was rather pretentious and thoughtless
to invite them here on a Saturday night.

Daniel needed to preach tomorrow morning, after all. They’d
be really late getting home tonight.

There were a few teetotalers in the congregation, but not
many, and Will and Holly weren’t among them. So they had a bottle of red wine
and chatted over four courses of food.

Daniel was his normal charming self, but she could tell he was
still wondering what was wrong with her. He would occasionally watch her questioningly.
She started to wonder if maybe he thought she’d make a scene at the restaurant
and embarrass him, although that thought was probably unfair too.

But just because she knew her attitude toward him this
evening was unfair didn’t mean it was easy to get rid of.

She hoped the tension wasn’t obvious to the other couple.

Over coffee, she excused herself, since she needed to use
the restroom before the long ride home. On her way back the table, she ran into
someone she knew.

“Hey, Mike,” she said, smiling as he stopped. “What are you
doing here?”

Mike was about her age and cute in a nerdy way, with
dark-rimmed glasses and an adorably crooked smile. He’d worked with her for a
couple of years before he’d gotten another job, and she was happy to see him.

“Having dinner. I live in Dalton.” He hugged her casually
and was smiling when he pulled away. “What are you doing here?”

“I’d forgotten you lived here now. I’ve moved back to Willow
Park.”

They chatted for a few minutes, getting updates on their
lives. He was a really nice guy—smart and funny. He’d hit on her the first time
they’d met, but he’d been good-natured when she’d turned him down flat—since
she only dated guys who shared her religious beliefs. He was showing her a
project he was working on, both of them huddled over his smart phone to look at
the screen he’d pulled up, when a voice behind her made her jump.

“There you are.”

She turned around in surprise and saw Daniel, watching them
coolly.

“Oh, hi. Sorry.” She glanced at her watch, embarrassed that
she’d lost track of time. “I didn’t realize I was gone so long. I ran into
Mike.”

Daniel’s shoulders had stiffened, and he stepped over to
stand beside her, putting his hand on her back. Despite the gesture, he didn’t
feel friendly and affectionate. He felt uncharacteristically tense. She had no
idea what was wrong with him.

“Mike does web development too,” Jessica told him. “We used
to work together.” She turned to Mike. “This is my husband, Daniel.”

“It’s great to meet you.” Mike extended his hand with a
smile, looking genuinely friendly.

Daniel looked anything but friendly as he returned the
handshake.

“Will and Holly are waiting for us.” He nodded toward the
front entrance. “They were worried you were taking so long.”

“Oh. Sorry.” She squeezed Mike’s arm and told him good-bye,
and then returned the hug he gave her. She was aware of Daniel’s steady gaze on
her as she did.

She frowned as she walked down the hall with him. She kept
slanting him looks to confirm, but he definitely looked angry. Cold and angry,
not the familiar grumpiness she was more used to from him.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked at last, stopping in the
middle of the hall.

“Nothing.” He put a hand in the middle of her back and pushed
her forward, but she resisted the gesture.

“Why are you angry?”

“I’m not angry.” He made a quick gesture of his head, like
he was trying to rid himself of his mood. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. Just tell me what’s wrong. Are you upset
that I took so long? I didn’t mean to be rude, but if you think Holly and—”

“No, no. It’s nothing like that.” His hard expression broke.
“I’m sorry. I’m just being stupid. You can talk to whoever you want, whenever
you want.”

He sounded more natural now, having worked through whatever
bothered him. But she still wanted to know what it was. “Why wouldn’t I be able
to…Wait, were you mad that was talking to
Mike
?” She’d belatedly landed
on an explanation for his inexplicable mood.

“I wasn’t mad. But it’s clear that he’s into you, and it’s just
unsettling for a man to walk into a hall and find another man coming on to his
wife.”

She choked, half on indignation that he would trust her so
little—that he’d think she might respond to another man when she was married to
him—and half on laughter, at how crazy the idea actually was.

There was not another man in the world that she wanted the
way she wanted Daniel. She’d never fully admitted it to herself before, but
there it was…

She had no idea how to respond, and fortunately she didn’t
have time to say anything anyway. They’d reached Will and Holly, and Daniel
said, “I found her.”

Jessica apologized for taking so long, and they all got into
the car.

Daniel still felt kind of tense beside her, and she wondered
if he’d really thought she was flirting with Mike.

She didn’t know how to flirt. She’d never been able to
master the skill.

If she’d known how, she would have tried it on Daniel a long
time ago.

***

Holly was the only one still in a
talking mood on the way back to Willow Park.

Daniel kept up his end of the conversation, but Jessica was
just too tired and distracted.

She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her
eyes for a few seconds, wondering what she’d gotten herself into.

Married to this frustrating, incomprehensible man. ‘Til
death did them part.

The next thing she knew was the car coming to a stop. She
jerked awake, completely disoriented.

She was leaning her head against a shoulder, and her face
was pressed against a black jacket.

She blinked and saw through the front windshield of the SUV they
were stopped at one of the three traffic lights in Willow Park.

She straightened up with a jerk, embarrassed that she’d
actually fallen asleep. She couldn’t help but glance up at Daniel. He was gazing
at her in the dim light.

She couldn’t read his expression, but he didn’t look cold
and angry anymore.

“I’m sorry,” she said, speaking to Will and Holly in the
front seats. “I can’t believe I fell asleep. You must think I’m incredibly
rude.”

“Oh, no,” Holly said, a smile in her voice. “Please don’t
worry about it. It’s late, and Daniel said you’d had a really long week.”

Jessica glanced over at him in surprise, but his expression
was no more revealing than before.

***

That night, Daniel didn’t read in
bed. He turned off his bedside light as soon as she crawled under the covers
beside him

He was looking at her in the dark, so she turned to face
him.

“I’m sorry about before,” he said. “I shouldn’t have gotten
angry. Or jealous. Or any of it, really.”

She let out a gusty breath, relieved the strange tension
could be over now. “I’m sorry too. I got angry first. I…I shouldn’t have taken
out my frustration on you.”

“Can you tell me
why
you were frustrated?”

She should have seen the trap coming from miles away, but
she hadn’t. She wasn’t prepared. She just looked at him silently, any words she
might have said frozen in her throat.

“I know I’m sometimes clueless, but I don’t think I’m wrong
about this. It’s like you’re really upset and annoyed with me but won’t tell me
why.”