Unless the money wasn’t for her at all.
He pounded on the steering wheel with a sigh. Oh, hell. He’d been so stupid.
But at least he knew what to do now.
A few errands and a lot of anxious waiting later, Jason pulled up at the park, locked his car, and headed toward their meeting point. The sun shined brightly, the thermometer edging toward the seventy degree mark as the last of autumn fought against a winter that would soon encroach. A few leaves still clung to the trees. Ducks swam in the nearby pond. Kids ran and laughed across the little stone bridge near the granite bears that served as monuments in the park. He’d grown up here and always thought of this place as a little slice of heaven, a refuge in the city.
Now being here just ate at his guts.
Jason glanced at his watch. Right on time. He looked around for Gia, leaning against a little railing, hoping like hell he’d made the right decision.
As he second-guessed himself, Gia approached in a pair of faded jeans, a simple coral-hued T-shirt paired with a beige sweater, and flip-flops. What she didn’t wear was her wedding ring or a smile. Jason couldn’t stop the anxious slide of his stomach to his toes.
He didn’t want a goddamn divorce.
“Hi,” she greeted. “Thanks for meeting me here.”
He wanted to hold her. Fuck, he wanted to take her, possess her, convince her that she was his and always would be. But she put off a vibe that gave him pause. Not a f**k-off sort…but not precisely welcoming, either.
“Of course. What’s on your mind?”
She drew in a not-quite-steady breath—a hint that she was nervous, too. “I’ve given everything that happened recently a lot of thought. I’ve made some decisions and taken some action.”
Here it came, Gia telling him that she’d filed. He clenched his jaw, braced for the worst, and resolved to at least listen before he spoke. Then he intended to fight like hell. She might not see it yet, but they were right for one another.
“We made an agreement before I came back to you. I am determined to keep up my end of things, so I’ll return for the next eight days if you want.”
“Because you want the money from the divorce settlement?”
“Yes.”
“So…you haven’t filed yet?”
“No.”
Thank God for that. “Then what? You plan to hire an attorney and just…go on with your life as if this never happened?”
“No,” she said softly. Her expression broke, and he watched her fight tears.
It took everything inside Jason not to intervene and comfort her, to reach out and try to make everything okay.
“Then what?” He frowned at her, not understanding. “Explain.”
“I won’t be the one to file. I can’t stop you if that’s what you want, but…” She shook her head, tears gathering. “I’ll never make the first move to end our marriage. I tried for a year to go on as if we never happened. I already know it’s not possible.”
His chest seized up. Breathing stopped. His heart thundered furiously. “Are you saying you don’t want a divorce?”
“No.” She emphasized her answer with a shake of her head. “I’ve given this a lot of thought. You’ve been trying to show me affection in the way you know how, with gifts. It’s not an insult, and I have to stop being too proud to see that.”
Gia had been thinking.
Relief poured through him. “I never once tried to hurt or offend you.”
“And you’ve gone out of your way to help me. Trying to have Wayman arrested is a good example. I might not like your methods, but you meant to keep me safe and eradicate him from my life all at once.”
“Two birds, one stone. I’ve been telling you my motives for a while.”
“You have, and I…” She shook her head and curled her fingers together nervously. “I can’t hate you for that.”