Free Wish 01 - A Secret Wish by Barbara Freethy Page A

Carly?”
    “I didn’t think there was much you admired about me.”
    “You were always sure of what you wanted. You had a to-do list, a plan for the future. And you went after your goals with relentless determination.”
    “You hated that about me,” she reminded him.
    He tipped his head. “Only because your plans were taking you away from me, but I still admired your fire, your drive. Now there’s doubt in your eyes, as if you’re not sure what you’re going to do five minutes from now, much less five years.”
    “I’m not sure.” She took another long draught of beer and then said candidly, “I thought I’d be happier, Alex.”
    “I’m surprised you’d admit your life isn’t perfect.”
    “I’m surprised, too, but there it is.”
    “Well, I can’t say I’m not a little happy to hear that, considering you dumped me for a better life.”
    “I wasn’t right for you, Alex. We didn’t want the same things.”
    “I just wanted you. You were the one who made things complicated.”
    “That’s probably true. I’ve never done anything the easy way.”
    “So did something happen tonight specifically?” he asked.
    She hesitated. She never talked about her private life with anyone, not even her friends, but here was a guy who’d seen her at her worst. What did she really have to lose by telling the truth? He wasn’t part of her world, and after tonight, it would no doubt be another decade before she saw him again.
    “I think my husband is having an affair.” The words flew out of her mouth. “Or he’s considering it.”
    “That sucks.”
    “Yes, it does, and you should have seen the woman he was flirting with. She was so young; it was disgusting.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    “What can I do? I married him. I have children with him. Not that my kids would miss Blake. He hasn’t been around much in the last few years.” She paused, another truth itching to get out. “I’m not much better, Alex. I’ve been so busy being the perfect wife that I haven’t always been the best mother. I always put Blake first and the kids second. I wanted them to have the childhood I didn’t have, the money, the big house, the vacations and clothes. But now I feel like we’re strangers. My kids are teenagers, and they left my birthday party before I cut the cake. But how can I blame them for taking off when I did the same thing to them so many times? When I blew out the candles tonight, I looked around the room and realized there wasn’t anyone there who knew me – the real me – and it rattled me.”
    “You got rid of the real you when you got married. You were itching to ditch your life the first second you could. I saw the restlessness long before you actually left me.”
    She sipped her beer, feeling a little overwhelmed by the intensity in his look. He was making her feel things she’d thought were long dead. She needed to change the subject. “What about you, Alex? Are you married?”
    “I’m divorced.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “But not surprised. What did you say before? Oh, I know – I wasn’t marriage material.”
    She sighed. “Do you really want to go back there, Alex? Rehash our past?”
    He shrugged. “You tell me. You’re the one who walked into my bar.”
    “Your bar?” she echoed. “What happened to Donald Murphy?”
    “He retired. He sold me the bar five years ago.”
    Staring into his proud eyes, she realized Alex had gotten what he always wanted, the opportunity to be his own boss. And she was a little surprised. Alex had had dreams but never any concrete plan for how to make his dreams happen. She’d obviously sold him a little short. “That’s great. You always loved this place.”
    “I do love it,” he said, glancing around the room with an approving eye. “It’s home – literally. I took the apartment upstairs after the divorce.”
    “No kids?”
    A shadow flashed through his eyes. “No. I wanted some, but it was never the right time, and then it was too