“I’ve seen them all on a few occasions,” Justin continued. “The first time was several months ago when I first went to Texas to meet Miranda and Emma. I saw Miranda again just a few days ago at a party given by my half-brother, Kane and his wife Allison, welcoming me into the Fortune family.” Justin had even considered moving to Texas, but had quickly realized that leaving Pittsburgh would add a finality to his relationship with Heather. He wasn’t prepared to do that. Not yet.
“You have a brother?”
Justin nodded. “Yes. He’s a doctor and he also lives in Texas. So does my half-sister, Gabrielle, who is married to the town sheriff and has a daughter.”
“And you’ve already met them all?” Heather could imagine Justin’s manner as he met the strangers who were related to him. Even as he spoke of them now, she could see the reservation in his eyes. That he’d called his mother by her first name revealed more than he intended. He’d met these people—relatives—but he wasn’t yet willing to call them family.
“As I said, several times.” He moved across the room and picked up a framed picture on a drop-leaf table. It was of the two of them on their wedding day. Deep in thought, he rubbed his thumb over the picture.
Heather wished at that moment that she’d put it away. She didn’t want him to think it meant something to her. She’d kept it out to remind herself of the mistake she’d made by believing he truly loved her.
“Apparently the Fortunes are obscenely wealthy,” Justin stated, sounding notably unimpressed as he studied the smile on Heather’s face in the picture. Their wealth hadn’t been what had encouraged him to meet Miranda or the Fortunes. At eighteen, he’d moved to Pittsburgh with the last foster family he’d lived with. A short time later, when they’d moved again, he’d moved out on his own. He’d worked two jobs and attended college.
He’d made a place for himself in the world—owned his own prosperous steel business, Trigon Steel, which earned enough money for him to live on quite comfortably for the rest of his natural life even if he never worked another day.
But it wasn’t enough to fill the void inside him, and what actually prompted him to meet his biological mother was her connection to his own existence. It was finally knowing where he’d come from, who he was linked to in the world, that had taken him to Texas.
“Your mother never searched for you before?”
“I don’t think so. When Miranda was young, she never wanted any affinity with the Fortune family, but she’s since made peace with them. She wants Emma and me to be a part of the family, too.”
“What about your biological father? Have you met him as well?”
“No, we haven’t discussed who my father was.” Though he was curious, he hadn’t asked.
He looked at Heather and saw confusion clouding her green eyes. She couldn’t imagine why meeting his family had provoked this visit from him, nor did she have any idea why he thought they should make another go of their marriage. How could he make her understand, when he wasn’t quite sure he understood himself?
Seeing all of the Fortune family together had made an impact on his hardened heart. Through troubles and tribulations, they’d stuck together, found offspring they didn’t know existed and brought them under the umbrella of their family. They’d supported each other, had opened their arms to welcome him and Emma.
“And what exactly does all of this have to do with me?” Heather finally asked, after listening to his explanation. “With us?”
“Miranda would like to meet you.”
“But, why?”
“Because you’re my wife.”
Justin’s answer was too simple to make sense. Heather couldn’t imagine why his biological mother would want to meet her, especially since she and Justin were separated.
When she didn’t reply, he swung around to face her. She felt the full force of his heated gaze as it traveled very slowly over her body, then rose with meticulous precision to her face. Butterflies attacked her stomach. She had an eerie feeling she wasn’t going to like what he was going to say.
“I’d like you to go to Texas with me.”
Two
“To Texas?” Heather’s voice rose a pitch as she stared blankly at her estranged husband. He couldn’t really mean what he was suggesting.
He frowned deeply at her reaction. “That is where she lives.” There was the briefest hint of frustration in his tone. “I’d like you to meet her, as well.”
Heather’s mouth was still hanging open. “You would?” Knowing her husband wasn’t prone to spontaneous actions, she figured there had to be more to this. For someone like Justin, who needed to control everyone and everything around him, well, she figured, adjusting to his new family had to be very hard for him to deal with.
She was certainly curious about the Fortunes. Apparently they’d made quite an impression on him. He seemed so…she couldn’t really put her thoughts into words. Justin was somehow undefinably…different.
“Of course.”
“Why didn’t you just tell your mother we were separated?”
He hesitated, then said, “Because I thought maybe you and I still had a chance together. There’s no reason for her to know otherwise, if we stay together.” He moved a step closer to her. “It’s not so crazy when you think about it. We were happy once, Heather.” He reached toward her and ran his fingers across her cheek, then through her hair to brush it from her face.
She stiffened, again moving a step away. “I thought we were,” she agreed, “until…” She left the words unspoken, but the reminder was there all the same. Heather’s skin tingled where he’d touched her, and she suspected he wasn’t just talking about their marriage. For a while, they had shared something special, and she had no trouble remembering those wonderfully happy times. Those memories taunted her often, as did the memory of the moment he’d left her.
“We both made mistakes, but we had a good life for a while.”
“I haven’t forgotten, Justin.” Her admission came reluctantly, and brought a barely noticeable look of relief to his features.
“Maybe we can recapture what we had.”
“Justin—”
“We were married for six years,” he interrupted, his tone slightly challenging. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
She bristled. “I could ask you the same thing. I haven’t heard a word from you in a year, and now you show up wanting me to go away with you.”
“You didn’t bother to contact me, either,” he reminded her sharply.
Heather felt a wave of embarrassment sweep over her. His charge was justified, more so than hers. She’d had more reason to contact him than he knew. “You’re right, but—”
“Come to Texas with me,” he said again, softening his tone. He cocked his head and studied her. “That’s all I’m asking. It’ll give us time to think about what’s happened between us, time to decide where we should go from here.” Surprise filled her gaze once again. “Would you be willing to try again to make our marriage work?”
“I…I don’t know,” she answered honestly, astonished at how her pulse raced at the thought. Could she really risk her heart again?
Justin didn’t say anything for a moment. He turned and went to the window and stared out of it. Heather nervously bit her bottom lip, wondering what he was thinking. Just as she was about to speak, he turned and faced her.
“How about if we give it a month?” He walked back over to her and stopped so close that she could feel