Sundered Hearts Read online

  But, there was enough money for a down payment on a new house, should she ever decide to buy another one again. For now, she would leave the money in her savings account.

  Absently, Susan fidgeted with the stem of her wine glass. Looking down at the table, she thought, I loved that house. Together, she and Sam had replaced the flooring, painted walls, refinished cabinets. Linda was right. The house belonged as much to her as it did to Sam, regardless of how the marriage had ended.

  She had also loved Sam. She had trusted him. Susan had believed their marriage would last forever.

  “We’re losing her, ladies!” Linda told her friends when she noticed Susan’s pensive expression.

  “Hey, this is a celebration.” Debbie nudged Susan, who forced a smile.

  “You’re better off without him. Linda is right; Sam was a jerk,” Joyce said.

  “You guys all liked him when we got married.”

  “We tried to like him for you,” Linda insisted.

  Susan looked up at Linda and then glanced at her other friends. They wore sheepish expressions.

  “Are you saying you never really liked him?” Susan asked in disbelief.

  Joyce and Debbie gave little shrugs. Susan continued to look from friend to friend.

  “Sam was a player. I knew it the minute I met him,” Linda explained.

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Well, we sorta did in the beginning, but you got so mad at us,” Joyce reminded her.

  Susan considered her words, thinking back to when she first met Sam during her senior year in college. “It’s just that you were always critical of the guys I dated.”

  “Did you ever consider it might be the guys you dated and not us just being bitchy?” Debbie asked. Susan didn’t respond.

  “Okay, first there was Bobby Rogers during our sophomore year in high school,” Debbie continued.

  “Oh, Bobby Rogers; he was an ass. Wasn’t he convicted of inside trading last year?” Joyce asked.

  “Hell, we were like fourteen back then,” Susan said defensively.

  “Let’s not forget Adam Klein in your junior year,” Debbie went on.

  “Adam was nice back then,” Susan insisted.

  “Susan, Adam was selling coke during our senior year,” Linda reminded her.

  “Well, he wasn’t doing that when I dated him.”

  “Not that you knew of!” her friends chorused.

  “Oh, and how about Jeff Morgan?” Joyce asked.

  “Enough!” Susan laughed. “Okay, I get the point. I have shitty taste in men.”

  “Susan, it’s just that you’re a nice person and always try to see the best in people,” Linda said gently.

  “She’s right,” Joyce agreed.

  “You just need to break the pattern. Stop making the same damn mistakes,” Debbie told her.

  “So, how am I supposed to do that, considering my track record?”

  “Stop being so trusting. I mean, it’s okay to trust people, but when you first meet a guy, if he’s cute and nice to you, all you see is the good,” Linda said.

  “Yeah, you’re kind of a pushover,” Debbie agreed.

  “Thanks, guys,” Susan said sardonically, downing the rest of her wine.

  Eventually the conversation drifted from Susan and her poor choice in men. Another round of drinks was served.

  “I hate to break this up,” Linda said later, glancing at her watch. “But I need to head home. Steve said he’d pick up a pizza tonight for the kids, but I’d like to get home before they go to bed so I can tuck them in.”

  Linda and Joyce both stood up, each picking up her purse.

  “Me, too,” Joyce said. “I have no idea what Kevin fed the kids. But he’s a big boy; I don’t imagine they starved. This was fun, ladies.”

  Debbie, who remained seated, glanced at Susan, who didn’t seem in a hurry to go.

  “You don’t need to go yet, do you? We could get dinner,” Debbie suggested.

  “Sounds great,” Susan glanced up at her two departing friends. “We’ll let you old married women get home to your families while us single ladies tear up the town.”

  “You do that!” Linda laughed. After exchanging final words and goodbyes, Linda and Joyce left the bar, leaving their two single friends behind.

  “Should we eat here?” Susan asked after their friends were gone.

  “We might as well. They have good burgers.”

  “Do you do this often?” Susan asked after picking up a menu from the center of the table.

  “Do what?” Debbie grabbed a menu for herself.

  “Do the single bar scene?”

  “Is that what we’re doing?” Debbie laughed.

  “I don’t know.” Susan shrugged as she glanced over the menu. “We’re both single, and we’re in a bar.”

  “If you mean do I come to bars to meet guys—no. I might meet up with some guys I already know in a place like this, but do I hook up with guys I meet in a bar? Can’t say I ever have. Of course, I have a number of single girlfriends who regularly pick up guys at bars.”

  “That seems just so… dangerous.” Susan cringed. “You know, I wasn’t even twenty-one when I met Sam, so I’ve never really gone to a bar as a single woman.”

  Before Debbie could reply, the waitress appeared and took their order. When the two friends were once again alone, they resumed their conversation.

  “Are you nervous, Susan? Being single again?”

  “It’s just… weird. I never imagined I’d be back dating again.”

  “Have you gone out with anyone yet?”

  “The divorce was just finalized.”

  “Is that a no? Lots of people date when separated and going through a divorce.”

  “It just didn’t seem right. I think a part of me hoped I might save my marriage.”

  “Even after you caught Sam with that woman?”

  Susan shrugged and then said, “I know it’s crazy. But I didn’t want to be a divorced woman. When I married Sam, I naively believed it would be forever. But, I wasn’t completely spineless; I never asked Sam to see a marriage counselor or to work on our marriage.”

  “I don’t think that would have been spineless. Lots of people see marriage counselors after an affair, and they make it work.”

  “True. But the moment Sam told me he no longer loved me… Well, I knew that if we were to somehow save our marriage, he’d have to be the one to come to me and say he’d made a mistake, that he really did still love me.”

  “I think I can understand that.”

  “I absolutely refuse to beg for any man’s love,” Susan said stubbornly. “But that doesn’t mean a part of me didn’t hope he’d come to some epiphany and realize he did love me and wanted our marriage.”

  “I’m sorry, Susan.”

  “Don’t feel sorry for me. I’m sorta past all that.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. The moment I realized Sam was not the man I believed he was—when that finally clicked in—walking away from the marriage was much easier. Of course, I still wish things had been different.”

  “Well, now you’re single, and it’s time to get back out there!” Debbie cheerfully announced.

  “I’m not even sure how to go about doing that.”

  “I know a few guys…”

  “No!” Susan interrupted with a laugh. “I’m not quite ready for any blind dates. I need to get comfortable being alone first before I even consider getting into another relationship.”

  “Being alone is not all that it’s cracked up to be.”

  “What happen to that guy you were seeing? Stan—right?”

  “Oh… Stan. Unfortunately, he turned out to be a little dark.”

  “Dark? What do you mean?” Susan took a sip of her water.

  “Well, I was willing to do a little experimenting—you know, some light bondage, some playful spankings…”

  “Oh, Deb, you naughty girl!” Susan laughed.

  “
Yeah, well, once the play began, Stan wanted to move in a direction I wasn’t comfortable with. He wanted me to pick a safe word.”

  “Safe word? What do you mean?” Susan frowned.

  “A safe word, something to say to make him stop if I found the whippings from the riding crop too unbearable.”

  “He whipped you with a riding crop?”

  “No, but he wanted to. I don’t mind some fun and games, but real pain—no thank you.”

  “Was he okay with you breaking it off? He sounds… well, kind of scary.”

  “Oh, he was alright. Stan wasn’t an insane person. He wanted to play rough, but he also wanted a consenting partner. We left on good terms, but I’ll confess, I was a little nervous when I first broke it off.”

  “So, that is the kind of thing I have to look forward to?” Susan cringed.

  “You just have to be careful and remember not to be so trusting. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get out there, find the guy who’s right for you.” Debbie looked over at the door and smiled.

  Susan glanced in the direction of Debbie’s gaze. Two men had just walked into the bar and were headed toward her table. Susan immediately recognized one of the men; it was Debbie’s older brother, John. Although she hadn’t seen him in a couple years, he looked pretty much as she remembered. Like his sister, he had reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes. Not quite as tall—or as good looking—as his blond companion, he stood several inches less than six feet tall. He was a nice-looking guy, yet not someone she would describe as sexy. His friend was another matter.

  Susan remembered John had recently gone through a divorce. She also recalled the times he’d pursued her in college around the same time she had met Sam. She hoped her friend wasn’t trying to play Cupid; John wasn’t her type. What is my type? Susan asked herself.

  Chapter Three

  “Hey, Susan. Great to see you!” John said when he reached their table. Both he and his friend were dressed similarly, wearing faded denims, tennis shoes, and lightweight jackets over clean cotton button-down shirts. John’s hair was damp, and Susan suspected he’d recently stepped out of the shower.

  The bar wasn’t as busy as it had been when Linda and Joyce had left. Many of the patrons had either moved to the dining room or left the restaurant after having a couple of drinks.

  Standing up, she gave him a brief hug and caught the faint scent of cigarette smoke.

  “John, wow, it’s been a long time,” Susan said before sitting back down.

  “This is Brandon; he works with me,” John introduced as Susan took her seat. “Brandon, this is my sister, Debbie, and Susan—she’s an old friend from college.”

  Brandon said hello and flashed a friendly smile, showing off a set of perfect white teeth worthy of a toothpaste commercial. Without being asked, John and Brandon each took a seat at the table.

  “Nice to meet you,” Susan and Debbie chorused.

  Susan then looked at Debbie and said, “Deb, you didn’t mention John would be joining us.”

  “Oh,” Debbie stammered and took a sip of her drink before continuing. “I told him we were going to be here, and if he was out and around, he could stop and say hi. It was nothing definite, so I didn’t mention it.”

  “I thought we were going to After Sundown,” Brandon said with a laugh.

  “After Sundown?” Susan frowned.

  “Oh gosh, do guys still go to that place?” Debbie asked.

  “If I did, I’m certainly not telling my sister,” John said with a chuckle.

  “So, what’s After Sundown?” Susan asked again.

  “It’s an infamous pickup bar,” Debbie explained.

  “Infamous how?” Susan asked.

  “Men and women pretty much go there for one thing: a hookup. No strings booty call. It’s a regular hang out for some of the single guys on the construction crew,” Debbie explained.

  “And how do you know so much about it?” John asked.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know!” Debbie retorted.

  “And you wanted to go there tonight?” Susan asked Brandon.

  “Not really; I was just joking.”

  “I guess I sorta figured most bars were pickup bars, if you were to go alone,” Susan said.

  “Or with a friend.” Brandon grinned.

  “Then I suppose it’s a good thing Debbie’s big brother is here to protect us from those who might get the wrong idea,” Susan said playfully before glancing around the bar and noticing there didn’t seem to be anyone she needed protection from. Most of the remaining bar clientele was paired, and those who weren’t were already engrossed in their own private conversations.

  “I’m not your brother,” John reminded her.

  “Where are you working now?” Susan asked, ignoring his comment.

  “Still in construction.”

  “Yeah, that teacher’s credential paid off,” Debbie teased.

  “Shut up,” John said with a laugh, obviously not insulted.

  “That’s right, you were going to be a teacher,” Susan recalled.

  “I guess you might say I came to realize I hate kids.” They all laughed.

  The waitress arrived with the burgers for Susan and Debbie. After serving the meals and taking drink and food orders from John and Brandon, she left the table.

  “I’ve been working construction since high school. When teaching didn’t pan out, I went back to it. Figured I’d do it until I decided what I wanted to do with my degree but ended up staying. Pays well,” John explained.

  “You know, Susan works for the local school district,” Debbie reminded her brother.

  “My condolences.”

  “Yeah, I guess I’m not the only one who isn’t using her degree,” Susan said before taking a bite of her burger.

  “Remind me, what was your major?” John asked.

  “Business major, I’m embarrassed to admit.”

  “Why embarrassed?” Brandon asked.

  “Because I’m working in the attendance office of an elementary school and not using my degree.”

  “Seems like an honest job,” Brandon said with an encouraging smile. Susan couldn’t help but notice his lively blue eyes. He is a cutie, she thought.

  “It pays the bills. I got married right after college and was just starting to send out resumes when my husband lost his job. He decided he wanted to go into real estate. I grabbed the first paying job I could land so he could go to real estate school. I just never left. I suppose time has a way of getting away from us.”

  “I have to say, you two make me feel a little better about not going to college,” Brandon said with a grin. “Look at all that money I saved.”

  “Yeah, there is that.” Susan took a sip of her drink. “So, you’ve always been in construction?”

  “Not really. You might say I grew up in the restaurant business. My first job was a busboy in my parent’s restaurant. But I hated it. I like working with my hands, and frankly, dealing with customers is not something I enjoy. I was thrilled when I landed my first job in construction and had an excuse not to work in the family restaurant.”

  “Did that make your parents sad?” Susan asked.

  “I don’t think so. They had my older sister—who did go into the family business. But my folks are gone now and so is the restaurant.”

  “I’m sorry,” Susan said.

  “I miss my folks. As for the restaurant, I felt bad for my sis—she loved it—but after the folks were gone… and, well, with Dad’s medical expenses and all, she just couldn’t hold onto it. But don’t feel too sorry for her. She’s happy with her life now.”

  “I’m glad it worked out for her,” Debbie said. “See, Susan, it’s not too late. You’re starting a new chapter in your life, so why not a new job?”

  Brandon looked inquisitively at Susan.

  “This past Monday my divorce was finalized,” Susan explained.

  “There is life after divorce, trust me,” John told her.

  “How long has it b
een for you?” Susan asked.

  “About a year now. She got married last month.”

  “I’m sorry. I hadn’t heard.” Susan had gone to John’s wedding, but she’d never gotten to know his ex-wife.

  “Hey, I’m just glad we didn’t have any kids,” John said.

  “Do you have children?” Brandon asked Susan.

  “No. I suppose John’s right; things would be much more difficult if there were kids in the picture.”

  Before Susan could respond, the server brought John and Brandon their beers.

  “What is Sam doing these days?” John asked after the server left.

  “John, don’t ask her that!” Debbie scolded.

  “That’s okay, Deb. It’s no secret. He’s living with Loretta.”

  “Loretta?”

  “It’s Sam’s skank,” Debbie told her brother.

  “Deb, I’ve never called her a skank.” Susan didn’t want to sound bitter.

  “No, you didn’t. I gave her that name.”

  “Now that your divorce is finalized, you think he’ll be getting married?” John asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Susan took a sip of her drink. She didn’t feel comfortable with the conversation, and her answer was less than truthful. From what she’d heard through mutual friends, Sam and Loretta’s relationship was on rocky ground. Apparently, living together full time had taken a bite out of the romance and cooled down the once hot affair.

  After the court had allowed Susan to stay in the house until it sold, Sam had moved into Loretta’s small apartment. Sam hadn’t intended to downsize his home, and Loretta had been looking forward to moving into Sam’s house. To complicate matters, the real estate market had slowed, which meant Loretta had lost her job at the title company while Sam’s commissions had begun shrinking, and he no longer had a wife’s salary to fall back on during a downtime in the market. It wasn’t a scenario either had bargained for.

  “When are you moving out of your house?” Debbie asked Susan.