Once Upon a Marriage Read Free

actually shocked by his vehemence. Frowning, she slid down to a seat in a shadowed corner of the deserted shop. The one thing she’d thought a given through her rocky years growing up had been her father’s love for her and her mother. Both of them.
    She’d bet her life that her mother believed he’d loved her. Still did. Though he knew better than to ask for a third chance. For Barbara’s sake.
    â€œDoes Mom know that now? Maybe if she knew you’ve never really loved her you’d set her free.”
    Because one thing was for sure. Barbara Bustamante was still helplessly in love with her cheating ex-husband.
    â€œWait. What? You were asking if I love your mom?” It sounded as though there was a bit of her shock running over into his voice.
    â€œYes. Of course.” If she’d been referring to anyone else, she’d have had to use the plural. And then some.
    â€œThen, yes! Unequivocally. I thought you knew that. All my life I have only ever loved one woman. Your mother.”
    Her heart sank. Liam loved Gabrielle that way, too.
    â€œSo why?”
    Gabi said Liam and his editor had just had dinner once, to go over strategy for the series of articles he was writing on his father’s life and the ongoing investigation. They’d needed to speak out of the office, and Liam was careful not to bring any aspect of his father’s life to the historic Arapahoe—their apartment building—not only for Marie’s shop and their home, but also to preserve the homes of the elderly residents who’d been there most of their lives and who had been soon to be put out on the street.
    But Marie’s father’s first affair had started out with just one working dinner with his assistant. And then another had been necessary. After which he’d taken her home because her car was in the shop.
    Or at least that was the story she’d been told.
    â€œWhy, Daddy? If you loved Mom, why were you unfaithful to her?”
    â€œI wish I could tell you that.”
    She could feel her father’s sigh all the way from Arizona.
    â€œI wish I had the answer for myself.”
    â€œTry. This is important.”
    â€œYou in love, baby?” Was that a note of hope in his voice.
    â€œNo, Daddy, absolutely not. I’m just...” She was not going to tell her father about her fears where Gabi was concerned. Still couldn’t believe she’d actually told Elliott.
    She knew they were unfounded. Knew that she had severe trust issues. Unfortunately that knowledge didn’t erase a lifetime of example. Or the worry that stemmed from having been hurt by that example.
    And not just from her father.
    He was just the only unfaithful male she had access to at the moment.
    The thought did occur to her that she was obsessing over Liam’s ability to be faithful as way of avoiding an even harder truth.
    Gabrielle was married, and Marie was alone. All alone. And didn’t see any hope for a remedy to the situation.
    She was going to end up like Grace—able to change the insides of a toilet when she was eighty because she’d been alone for so long.
    Worse than Grace. At least the older woman had known true love. He’d just died too young.
    â€œHurting your mother was the last thing I ever wanted to do...” Her father sounded old. Tired. And sadder than she was.
    â€œThen why did you?” She’d been there. Still felt the pain. She knew who’d wronged them.
    â€œI...guess I thought I could get away with it. I never thought she’d find out.”
    The answer made her angry. And frightened her at the same time.
    â€œWhat were you thinking when you were with them, Daddy? Did you ever even think about Mom and me waiting for you at home?”
    â€œWhat I thought was that I was desperate to save my marriage.”
    She scoffed. And then choked. Such a ludicrous remark didn’t deserve comment.
    â€œYour mom and I had reached a state