Daisy (22 page)
She made me feel special,
Doug had said by way of explanation.
She accepted me for who I am.
He’d put the failure of our marriage in my lap. If I’d been a better, more attentive, supportive, loving wife, maybe, just maybe, Doug wouldn’t have strayed. Forget covenants; it was all my fault.
I didn’t want to live with those thoughts. I couldn’t. Although guilt and shame plagued me day and night on a conscious level, I found that blaming
her
for shattering my happily ever after was easier than the other option—believing I’d failed as a wife. That if I’d been enough for Doug, he wouldn’t have been pushed into another woman’s arms.
Steadying my hand, I filled in the first line of the getting-to-know-you form.
Parents: Paige Anderson
I applauded myself for not crossing out the extra
S
, but my vision blurred, making it hard to read the next line.
I hate you, Doug. Hate, hate, hate you. You’re such a . . . Carol.
About the Author
Josi S. Kilpack grew up hating to read until she was thirteen and her mother handed her a copy of
The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began her first novel in 1998 and hasn’t stopped since. Her seventh novel,
Sheep’s Clothing
won the 2007 Whitney Award for Mystery/Suspense, and
Lemon Tart,
her ninth novel, was a 2009 Whitney Award finalist.
Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her wonderful husband, four amazing children, one fat dog, and varying number of very happy chickens.
For more information about Josi, you can visit her website at www.josiskilpack.com, read her blog at www.josikilpack.blogspot.com, or contact her via e-mail at [email protected].
Other books by Josi S. Kilpack
Her Good Name
Sheep’s Clothing
Unsung Lullaby
Culinary Mysteries
Lemon Tart
English Trifle
Devil’s Food Cake
Key Lime Pie
Blackberry Crumble
Pumpkin Roll
Banana Split