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“Maybe you need to show him that you want to stay in Logan Creek.” Mandy tore off a piece of her muffin. “I’ll admit, when it came to Zach, I needed more than words. I needed him to show me that he was all in.”
“Multiple times,” Lila said, covering it up with a cough.
“My point is,” Mandy continued, sending a teasing glare at Lila. “That with some people, it means more to them to make the grand gesture, and I think Dyllan is one of those people. He’s not used to people taking care of him, Skylar. He’s used to being the one that takes care of everyone. From the military to being mayor, it’s not often people do things for him. I also don’t think he knows how to accept it either.”
“You’re right; I guess I never looked at it like that.” Skylar slumped in her chair. “I just don’t want to mess this up. We had such a rocky start, and I’ll admit I wanted the marriage to end before it began, but not now.” Tears flooded her eyes as she looked up at her friends. “I really love him, and I really want this to work.”
“Oh, Skylar,” Mandy said as she pulled her friend into a hug. The women laughed at how awkward it was getting around Mandy’s very pregnant belly and Kade and Lila joined the group hug. “It’ll work; you just need to give him time.”
“And if we don’t have time? He’s already pulled away so much since we left for Vancouver,” she sniffled.
“You’ll have time, Skylar. Start now. Show him that you’re all in with him and with Logan Creek. We know it and can already see the change in you; now you just need to make him see it,” Lila added.
“I promise, it’ll be alright. Anyone can see that Dyllan loves you too,” Kade assured her.
“He’d be an idiot not to,” Lila laughed.
“Thanks, guys,” Skylar said, wiping her eyes with her fingers as her friends pulled back from her. “I think I know just the way to start.”
“Babe? You home?” Skylar yelled as she walked through the front door, carrying the bags of groceries she’d just picked up from the grocery store. It wasn’t the type of store she was used to back in the city, but she’d been able to find everything she needed.
She felt better after speaking with the girls, mixed with the coffee and sugar, and felt like she was calmly able to speak to Dyllan about what happened and to assure him that she didn’t have any intention of moving back to Vancouver. Walking into the kitchen, she placed the bags on the counter, seeing Dyllan’s phone, wallet and keys next to them. Smiling to herself, she made her way through the house, seeing where he went.
“Dyllan?” she called as she walked down the hallway. Pushing the door open to their bedroom, she heard the shower running in their ensuite bathroom.
Smiling to herself, she backed out and made her way to the kitchen, wanting to start dinner and surprise him when he finished in the shower. She turned on the oven for twice baked potatoes before pulling out the steaks and letting them rest on the counter.
Dyllan’s phone rang behind her as she got to work preparing the vegetables, but she ignored it. Tapping her own phone, she pulled up a playlist she’d started compiling since deciding to stay, humming along to ‘Little Town Living.’
Dyllan’s phone repeatedly beeped, alerting her to multiple incoming texts.
Busying herself with dinner, she focused on chopping lettuce for a salad and the music, instead of the impatient person trying to get a hold of her husband.
Walking over to the bag she’d left on the far end of the island, she glanced down to see the stream of texts on Dyllan’s phone.
Andrew: Nice chatting with you earlier, Dyllan. I think you’ll be a great fit for the team.
Andrew: Just emailed you the flight info. Can’t wait to chat in person next week.
“What the…?” Skylar said as she stared down at the screen in front of her. Her heart beat out of her chest as she took in what she was seeing. Frozen in place, her mind raced a million miles a minute.
He did it. He applied for the job.
Has he already accepted it? Is he off to Iraq next week?
What about me? How could he do this without talking to me first. He promised he would talk to me before he did anything.
“Hey, babydoll.” Dyllan kissed the side of her head as he walked up behind her. The clean scent of his soap wafted over her, doing nothing to settle her rolling stomach. “Did you have a good time with the girls?”
“Yup,” she answered mechanically, watching him.
He peeked into the bag on the island and looked at the steaks. “What’s all this?”
“I thought I’d make you dinner.”
He turned to her, tilting his head as he studied her. “What’s wrong?”
“Is there something you want to tell me?” Skylar crossed her arms, popping her hip out.
