“You’re worse than a polygamist, you know.” Erika couldn’t imagine sleeping with more than one man at the same time. She and Brock hadn’t been intimate in seven months, and she still hadn’t been able to sleep with Mark. She had to be certain it was over with her husband before she invested her heart or gave her body to another man.
“You’re worse than a nun. When are you going to get back out there? You’ve served Brock papers—and don’t think I didn’t see him come running the other day—so start dating again.”
Erika had tried to explain her one-man-at-a-time philosophy to Ginnifer before, but she received only a blank stare of confusion in return for her hard work. She didn’t bother to try again. “I thought you were cheering for Brock and I to get back together.”
“I am, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun while you’re waiting for it to happen. Do you think he’s been celibate?”
“He has,” she answered too quickly. She couldn’t let her mind begin to imagine Brock giving his body to another woman. It would be the thing to break her resolve and send her hurdling over the edge of sanity. She’d managed to weather the past seven months, with the help of her friends, but she couldn’t stand it to find out this had all been about Brock’s desire for another woman.
“How do you know?”
“I know. If he’d been with another woman, I’d know.”
Ginnifer studied her determination and wisely left the subject alone. “As a matter of fact, Mark came running too,” she said, watching Erika carefully. “They’re both really handsome. Maybe you should have some Frick and Frack in your life.”
She laughed, breaking the tension. It felt good to be out with Ginnifer, joking and having a good time. “I can’t handle Frick right now. Frick and Frack together would kill me. I’m not a threesome kind of girl.” She swallowed a bite of her sandwich before she spoke again. “I don’t know how you juggle Rhon and Will.”
“I was honest with them from the beginning. That’s key. Will is younger and he can get a bit jealous if Rhon and I are too loud. He’s the one who came up with the schedule. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday are Rhon’s. The beginning of the week is most hectic and stressful for me and he’s older, more laid-back. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday belong to Will. By the middle of the week I need some excitement, and it doesn’t conflict with his school schedule. Saturdays they share me.”
“Which is why you couldn’t get out of bed this morning.”
She shrugged. “Rhon’s day starts at nine.”
“I don’t know how you do it.”
“It’s not easy living with two men. Imagine having two Brocks at home.”
“Right now I’d settle for having one.”
“What?”
She’d spoken without thinking.
“You want Brock back?” Ginnifer asked, glowing with hope.
“I never wanted him to leave.”
“Yeah, but do you want him back?”
She swished her iced tea around in the glass, trying to find the correct answer. “I don’t understand what’s going on with him. He just up and left, but he won’t give me a divorce. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Forget what Brock wants. What do you want?”
She closed her eyes and dropped her head back, exhaling deeply. “I don’t know. I still love him, but he left me. I can’t just forget what he did.” She hesitated, looking at her friend.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“I’ve been seeing someone.”
“You never said a word! And you let me go on about getting a Frick and Frack when you’re already well on your way. Who is he?”
Erika leaned in, lowering her voice. “Mark Garing.”
“Umm-hmm. I thought he was a little too nice to the staff, bringing donuts all the time. The nurses think he’s undercover, but I knew better.”
“They think he’s gay?”
“Yee-aah.” She cocked her head as if asking why Erika hadn’t noticed.
“He’s not.”
“Oooh, tell.”
“We haven’t slept together. I can’t be with another man until everything is settled between me and Brock.”
“Back to Brock. You didn’t answer my question. Do you want him back?”
“I don’t know. Some days I miss him so much I can’t stop crying. Other days, I hate him for breaking my heart. I just don’t know.”
“But you filed for divorce.”
“One of us had to do something. We can’t be married but not together forever.”
“So you did it to get a reaction out of him?”
“No, when I served him, I really believed I wanted out.”
“What happened between then and now?”
She thought back to their interaction outside of the ICU. Him kissing her in public had been so uncharacteristic, she’d analyzed it to death. She knew Brock, and she knew he was hiding something. He had kissed her innocently enough on her cheek, but it felt different. It felt as if he were being forced to say good-bye when he never wanted to leave her.
“So what was it?” Ginnifer asked again.
“There’s something going on with him. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something wrong. Maybe if I knew what it was, and could assure myself he’s not in any danger, I could walk away and put an end to this for both of our sakes.”
“Then you know what you need to do?”
“Yes, find out.”
CHAPTER 8
“Stay away from my wife.” Brock had carefully contemplated the repercussions of confronting Mark, and he decided he didn’t give a damn. He’d completed his five visits to the sperm bank and his surgery was two days away. He wanted his house in order before going into the hospital. He wouldn’t be able to pop into Erika’s clinic then, and he needed to know Dr. Garing was keeping his distance and staying in his own office down the hall.
Mark moved around Brock to close the door to his office. It was the end of the day, but the receptionist still lingered in the outer office, readying things for the next day’s work. Mark returned to his desk, relaxing back in his chair and making a steeple out of his fingers.
Brock wanted to break them off—one at a time. “Stay away from my wife.”
“I heard you the first time. I’m trying to figure out who your wife is. Could it be the woman you dumped without explaining why? Is it the woman I’ve been comforting the past seven months while she tried to work through her confusion? Or is it the woman I’ve been dating for four months, trying to help her piece her emotions back together?”
Brock couldn’t argue his wrongs, but he didn’t like another man being this familiar with his wife. “Stay away from her. Stay out of my way.”
“Why? Have you decided you aren’t through with her yet?”
“This is between me and Erika. If you don’t get out of the way, you’ll be hurt. I’ll see to it.”
“And you think threatening me will get Erika back? She cares about me. How could coming here help you?”
Did Erika really care about Mark? The possibility made Brock’s stomach tighten. Could she have put her feelings for him aside and