The Only Man for Her

The comment threw Matt, considering his friend’s “fight for your wife” speech delivered only days ago. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. Did you come all the way out here to chastise me about that little scene me and Rachel made at the pond?”

Chase suddenly became preoccupied with the ground. “Actually, I’m here on official business.”

That explained why his friend was dressed in his uniform, but it didn’t explain what that official business entailed. He’d bet the ranch that it involved his dad. “Let me guess. My father’s back in jail and you’re looking for someone to bail him out.”

“This isn’t about Ben.” Chase offered him a tan legal-size envelope. “Savannah asked me to give you this. Right now I’m supposed to say, ‘You’ve been served,’ but I’m going to make an exception and just say I’m sorry.”

Matt stared at the envelope a few seconds before taking it. Maybe some disgruntled animal owner had decided to sue him for no good reason, but he couldn’t think of one person in Placid who had ever threatened him with legal action. He could think of someone who had threatened him, but not over his practice. The possibility that this could be Rachel’s doing made him sweat.

He undid the clasp and opened the envelope to end the suspense, only to discover his worst fears had been confirmed. Divorce papers—signed by his wife.

The anger began to build, coming from a deep, dark place that made Matt want to put his fist through the stall door. Instead, he held the documents up and turned his fury on his friend. “Did you say Savannah had something to do with this?”

He hated the sympathy in Chase’s expression, in his tone when he said, “She decided to bypass the usual process server and let me do the honors. She was worried about how you might react, and she figured I could keep you calm.”

A fifth of whiskey couldn’t calm him, although he wouldn’t mind trying it. But first things first.

Matt took off down the aisle and headed straight out the barn door, not even bothering to stop when Chase called, “Don’t do anything stupid, Matt.”

Stupid would be to do nothing. Stupid would mean lying down and letting Rachel run over him. The least she could’ve done was to inform him before she dropped the divorce bomb. He deserved that much. But she had told him that night at the guesthouse that this was what she wanted. And like a fool, he’d chosen not to believe her. He’d also decided to give her some space for the past two weeks. Enough time to realize what they’d been missing since they’d been apart. Obviously she didn’t give a damn about the lovemaking. Well, all of it mattered to him, and he planned to tell her that immediately.

He jumped into the truck, tossed the papers onto the passenger seat and tore down the drive past Chase’s cruiser, spewing dust and gravel in his wake. When he reached the highway, he planned to turn left and head to the Wainwright estate to confront her. Instead, he took a right toward town when he realized she wouldn’t let him into the guesthouse, provided she even answered the door. Or she could have her daddy standing guard at the gate. A confrontation with his father-in-law would definitely send him over the edge. He decided having a sit-down with the architect of this whole mess might be a good place to start.

He made it onto Main Street in record time, whipping into the parking space in front of what once was the old five-and-dime store, which now served as Savannah Greer’s law office. After grabbing the papers, he left the truck and pushed through the wooden door, expecting to find a receptionist waiting to receive him. Instead, he discovered Savannah leaning against the reception desk, not looking at all surprised to see him. Apparently the deputy had called ahead and given her fair warning. Traitor.

Matt held up the papers now fisted in his hand. “Want to explain this?”

She glanced to her left where Ike Wilkins was kicked back in a chair in the corner, hands folded on his big belly. “Mr. Wilkins, I’ll be right with you. Matt, you come with me.”

“Not a problem, Savannah,” Ike said. “Looks like the doc’s got bigger fish to fry than me.”

Great. Now the whole town would know about the vet’s legal issues and start speculating. But they’d never guess in a million years that a divorce was in the works. A divorce he didn’t want and planned to fight.

He followed Savannah into a small corridor, where she showed him into a room containing a conference table lined with four chairs. As soon as she closed the door and faced him, he made her the target of his wrath. “How in the hell could you let Rachel do this?”

“First of all,” she began, “Rachel has a mind of her own. Secondly, I tried to discourage her from proceeding without discussing this further with you. And you and I both know that if you push too hard, she’ll only dig her heels in and push back even harder.”

How well he knew that. He began to pace with restlessness, helplessness, and paused to stare out the window onto the street. “This still isn’t fair, blindsiding me like this.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Matt. I wish there was something I could do to make this process easier on you.”

He turned back to Savannah. “There is something. Call Rachel and tell her to come here and tell me to my face why she’s so damned set on throwing away a thirteen-year marriage. She owes me that much.”

Savannah planted both palms on the table and leaned into them. “It’s probably a good idea you calm down before you talk to her. You should go home and give her a call tomorrow.”

He pulled back a chair, sat and folded his arms. “I’m calm enough. Since she probably won’t take my calls, and my father-in-law wouldn’t take too kindly to me camping on the doorstep, I’ll just wait here until you call and get her down here. You don’t even have to tell her I’m here.”

She looked away. “She knows you’re here, because she’s in my office.”

That just made him mad all over again. “And you didn’t say anything?”

“She asked me not to unless absolutely necessary.”

He released a cynical laugh. “Is she hanging around, expecting a show?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. She assumed you’d probably come here first and she’s worried you might react badly. She insisted on running interference if you gave me a hard time.”

He wanted to give only one person a hard time, and she was in the next room. “Let her know that I’m not leaving until she sees me.”

Savannah sighed. “I’ll ask if she’ll see you, but I can’t guarantee she will. And if she does decide to meet with you, you have to promise not to go ballistic. I’d hate to have to call Chase to haul you out of here.”

Since he could dig in his heels just like his wife, it would probably take Chase and half the sheriff’s department to remove him. “I’m not going to cause a scene. I only want a few minutes of her precious time.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be back, either with or without her.”

After Savannah left the room, Matt got up and paced some more. He didn’t have a clue what he would do other than demand an explanation. But he didn’t require one. He already knew what she would say, because she’d already said it. And as Savannah said, she wasn’t going to give in, especially if he pressed too hard.

And that gave him an idea. He sank into the chair again. She expected him to fight her on the issue, so it was high time to do the unexpected. He had no intention of letting her go, but he sure as hell could pretend to be going along with the divorce. Maybe that would shock her back to her senses. If not, he’d figure something out.

As the door opened, he did the gentlemanly thing and stood even though he didn’t particularly feel like being polite. Savannah walked in first, with his wife trailing behind her. Rachel wore a leopard-print silk top that hung off one shoulder and a pair of black pants that showcased her butt when she turned to close the door. Her dark hair had recently been cut into long black layers and she had on more makeup than he’d seen her wear in quite some time. The fact that she looked so damn good only made him more determined to put an end to this nonsense.

As Rachel took the chair across from him and centered her gaze on his, Matt sat back down and stared at her until she looked away.

Savannah cleared her throat. “Since Wilma’s out today, I have to have Ike sign some papers. I’ll be back in a few minutes, and while I’m gone, I expect both of you to play nice. Can you do that?”

Rachel finally brought her attention back to him. “I will if he will.”