Chapter 8

Shane couldn't focus all day. Holly's face kept flashing through his mind. Her swollen cheeks stirred a pang of guilt he didn't want to acknowledge. Near the end of the workday, Tess called and asked if he wanted to have dinner. For the first time ever, he lied to her and said he had to work late. After he hung up, he glanced at the coffee table, where the birthday cake he'd told his secretary to order was waiting, and a faint smile touched his mouth. He had gone too far last night, but if Holly hadn't refused to back down, she wouldn't have had to suffer like that. In his memory, she had always been the tough, upbeat woman nothing could break. He remembered it most clearly at the table the first time they negotiated, the first time he'd looked straight at a woman who wasn't Tess. He still remembered Holly in that black suit, her calm, confident presence etched into his memory. That day, a factory in Auswinton had a safety incident. Tess was threatening divorce again, so he flew