Free Reckless in Moonlight by Cara Bristol Page B

on the dining table.”
    Dana started into the house, but Roger touched her elbow, stilling her. She arched her eyebrows in question. He met her eyes and sighed.
    “You still look good, Dana.”
    What the fuck ? She stared at the forty-nine-year old paunchy, balding stranger she’d been married to for twenty-three years. If she looked so good, why was he screwing other women? Why did he leave? And what the hell made him think she gave a damn now?
    Her thoughts must have played out on her face, because he held up his hands as if surrendering to an attacker. “I’m trying to be nice.”
    “Nice?” She loaded a scathing retort on her tongue and readied to pull the trigger when she realized she would be doing it more out of habit than real anger. She analyzed her emotions and discovered the resentment she’d lugged around for so long had dissipated. She sighed. “Let’s go sign the papers.”
    When they entered the dining room, Roger seemed to be panting. Dana eyed his pinched pale face. Sweat beaded above his lip and trickled down his temples.
    “Are you all right?”
    “I’m fine. Just a little out of breath.” He sank into the chair at the head of the table he’d occupied when their family was still intact.
    Dana frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Despite what he’d done to her, enough residual regard remained not to want Roger to keel over. At least not in her house.
    “I’m fine. Really.” He motioned for her to sit.
    She itched to ask how he intended to keep pace with a twenty-two-year-old when a short stroll from the pool knocked the wind out his sails, but it wouldn’t be “nice.” Karma had a way of boomeranging, and as she was now dating someone almost as young, she was superstitious enough not to taunt the fates. However, she gloated silently. She was keeping up just fine.
    She sat in her old place, the chair to his left.
    Roger passed her the papers, and she scanned them. The house would be appraised, after which time she had sixty days to refinance and buy out his half of the equity. “Looks good,” she agreed and signed next to Roger’s scrawl.
    Fair, he’d called it a week ago when he’d conceded to let her have the house. It was all so odd, his sudden capitulation after months of stubborn refusal. Why now, she wondered. What had changed his mind?
    “How is…Mila?” Saying the girl’s name felt awkward, as if her lips had been shot full of Novocain. Dana had never asked about the other woman. Never had wanted to hear her name mentioned, had never spoken it.
    Roger arched his eyebrows in surprise. “She’s fine.”
    Dana glanced at the document she’d just signed. “So things are progressing between you?”
    “My relationship with Mila has nothing to do with the house. I don’t know why I acted like such an asshole. I guess I thought if I pissed you off, I’d feel less guilty about what I’d done.”
    Dana pursed her lips. “I wasn’t aware you felt guilty.”
    “Of course I felt guilty. I still do.” He smoothed a hand over his balding head, dislodged his comb-over. “Maybe it’s like you said—maybe this is the result of a midlife crisis, and it will all come back to bite me in the ass. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to pursue this chance at happiness.” He paused and took a breath. Dana was relieved to see the color had returned to his face.
    “I met Mila’s parents the other day,” he said.
    “Oh?” Dana leaned on her elbows. Once she might have fired off a sarcastic zinger, but curiosity held her tongue.
    “Her father is a year younger than I am.” His tone told Dana the meeting hadn’t gone well. If Roger was surprised by the disapproval, he was the only one.
    Dana thought of Lon. Would his parents view her as a lascivious Mrs. Robinson who had seduced their son? How would she and Lon handle the pressures? “You had to know how your relationship would be received.”
    “I did.” Roger grimaced and massaged his knuckles. His hands showed