Free Blame it on Texas by Amie Louellen

life.
    Well, she had a great life now. She was no longer searching. She had found her niche, baking and decorating cakes. And she was good at it. She had clients lining up for her confections. With her business growing she had only one choice: get her divorce from Ritt before he realized he could have half of what she had worked so hard to build.
    Shelby sniffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    Ritt studied her with those all-knowing eyes. One look and he stripped away her every layer of protection and delved beneath to the scared little girl she had buried inside.
    “Here ya go.” Fannie slid their drinks in front of them and waited patiently for them to order, not realizing the moment she had interrupted.
    They ordered their usual. Even after all this time, Shelby remembered how Ritt liked his cheeseburger and the fact that he preferred mustard to ketchup on his fries.
    She pushed all thoughts of calories from her mind and drank three classes of tea as they ate. Not because Ritt was right and she needed to relax, but to show him that she could.
    It was well past eight when they pulled into his drive.
    Neither one spoke as they entered the house. A sweet sadness swept through Shelby. How many times had they come home like this? But back then if they’d had the house all to themselves, they would have made out like crazy on the living room sofa, with the hurry of getting caught and the urgency of youth.
    She sneaked a peek at Ritt from under her lashes. His jaw was a bunch of twisted muscles. Was he thinking the same thing? How wonderful it was back then. How awesome and perfect.
    “It would have never worked, you know.” Her words surprised her. She hadn’t meant to say them.
    “We’ll never know now.” He stalked away, skulking into the living room and turning on the TV.
    “Ritt, I—” So many things came into her mind all at once, but only one truly needed saying. “I’m sorry.”
    He kept his gaze fixed on the baseball game as if his very existence depended on it. “Me too, Shelby. Me too.”
     
    Ritt kept his eyes forward until he was sure she was gone.
    Damn it but if he had any sense in his head, he would sign the papers before she drove him completely insane. But he didn’t have any sense. Hadn’t had any where she was concerned for a long time.
    Having her this close but still out of reach was killing him. He should have kicked her out on her fanny that first night and saved them both a lot of trouble.
    The phone rang, and he reached over to answer it, not bothering to check the caller ID. If he had any luck in the world, it would be her mother calling back to admit she had taken his parent’s bribe. But his luck didn’t seem to be holding out today.
    “Ritt?”
    “Hi, Mom.” Just what he needed.
    “Hey, sweetie. Your dad and I wanted to call and check on you.”
    Ritt smiled. Like most mothers, his had a sixth sense when it came to her children. She always knew when something was bothering him or his kid brother, Kyle.
    “I’m fine.”
    “Tell me again and maybe this time I’ll believe you.”
    Ritt took a deep breath. “Shelby’s here.”
    A second beat between them before his mother answered. “Oh, Ritt.”
    He swallowed hard, feeling like he was nineteen again and his heart was breaking anew. “She wants a divorce.”
    “We’re coming home.” His mother’s voice was stern with love and determination.
    “No. Don’t. I’m fine.”
    “You don’t sound fine.”
    He didn’t, but if he kept pretending he was, that Shelby wasn’t rubbing salt in old wounds, then maybe eventually it’d be the truth. “I just need some time.”
    “Are you going to give it to her?”
    “I don’t think I have much choice.” He didn’t bother to tell his mom that Shelby had sent the papers long ago and he’d been putting this moment off for months. Or that he had been desperately trying to devise a way to win her back.
    “Wayne, turn around. We need to go home.”
    Ritt