And there it was. He was being the Gunner from the last two weeks, the one who had kept accusing me of acting like a child.

I stood up and balled my hand into a fist. “That is exactly why I left. Please enlighten me, Gunner, as to how I’m acting. Like a spoiled brat? A child maybe? Jealous and bored housewife perhaps?”

He sighed. “Ellie, I don’t think you’re any of that. I’ve just been really stressed out with this job, and I want to do a good job for Bill.”

“Why, Gunner? You have a job. You own one of the biggest cattle companies in central Texas. You’re a partner in a fast-growing breeding business. You’re a father to two beautiful kids who hardly got to see their father before he took on his new job. And as far as I’m concerned, when was the last time you touched me or held me in your arms or told me you loved me?”

“Ells…”

“I can tell you when the last time was—the night you went to your first evening meeting with your client.”

“I swear to you, nothing has happened. I have no feelings for her. What do I have to do to prove that to you?”

A sob escaped my mouth. “I think we need to be apart for a few days. My mother can help with the kids. I’ll call her, and—”

I heard Gunner crying, and my whole world shattered.

“Ellie, no. Please don’t leave me.”

I took in a deep breath. “I’m not leaving you. I love you, Gunner, more than the air I breathe. I feel like I’ve been slowly losing myself the last few months, and then after all this with your new job, I just need some time to myself. I’ll call the kids in the morning.”

“Ellie, wait. Just tell me where you are.”

“I love you, Drew.”

I quickly hung up the phone. I lay down on the bed and slowly let myself fall apart.

What did I just do?

Oh God, what did I just do?

“Daddy, is Mommy going to be calling soon? She was gonna call after dinner.”

I glanced up and smiled at Colt. Alex and Colt were sitting on the kitchen island, watching me make their lunches for tomorrow.

“Yeah, buddy. She’ll call soon.”

Alex looked at me, and I swore, she had tears in her eyes. I tried to smile bigger, but she looked away from me.

“Daddy, is Mama coming back home? She started crying this morning on the phone. She sounded so sad when I talked to her.”

My heart felt as if it had just been ripped open. “Baby girl, come here.”

I bent down as Alex jumped off her seat at the island. She walked into my arms, and I held her as tightly as I could.

“Of course, she’s coming home. She is sad, honey. She hates being away from you and Colt.”

Alex pulled back, and her blue eyes caught mine. “Then, why did she leave? When she left, she told me she was only going to be gone for one night. It’s been three already. Tonight will make four. I want her to come home.”

I closed my eyes and then opened them. “I’m so sorry, Alex. Daddy wasn’t being a very good daddy or husband to y’all. Mommy just needed to…she needed to…”

The phone started ringing, and I silently thanked God that Ellie was calling early.

Alex pushed out of my arms and ran for the phone. “Mama! Colt, it’s Mama!

I helped Colt down from his seat and watched him run over to Alex. I stood there and listened to them each take turns talking to Ellie. Each night, she had hung up before I could even talk to her. If she were trying to teach me a lesson, she had succeeded.

Colt looked at me and smiled. “Oh no, Mama. Grams hasn’t been over in two days. Yes, ma’am. Daddy has been. He’s been making us breakfast each morning, and he’s even packed our lunches.”

Colt turned away from me a little and attempted to whisper, “He really doesn’t know what to pack us. He put a cheese stick in my lunch.”

I let out a chuckle.

Alex laughed. “Let me talk to her again, Colt.”

“I love you, Mama. Please come home soon. We all miss you. Yes, ma’am, I will. Night. I love you,” Colt said before handing the phone to Alex.

“Mama, yes. Yes, ma’am.” Alex looked at me. “Yes. No, Daddy picks us up from the bus stop.”

I smiled slightly. I knew Ellie was asking Alex a million questions about who was taking care of things.

I turned around, opened the dishwasher, and began loading our dinner plates. The last few days had really shown me how much Ellie did around the house. I wanted to kick my own ass for taking her for granted.

“He, um…well, he turned my white shirt to pink by mistake.”

I smiled. Neither of my children were good at whispering.

“Um…sad. Yeah, I mean, he looks really sad.”

I turned and looked at Alex. She smiled and gave me a thumbs-up. My mouth dropped open.

“Okay, Mama. I love you, too.” She hung up the phone and looked at Colt. “Mama said to make sure you get your reading in.”

“Ah, man!” Colt said as he stomped out of the kitchen.

Alex walked up to stand beside me, and she smiled. “Mama said she misses you.”

I nodded my head and smiled slightly.

“Daddy, why are y’all not talking to each other?”

I sucked in a breath and slowly blew it out. “I wish I knew, kiddo. Grown-up stuff, I guess.”

She nodded her head. “Do you know where she is, Dad?”

The way Alex had just called me Dad made me stop and look at her. My baby girl was growing up.

I placed my hand on the side of her face. “You look so much like your mother. You’re both so beautiful.”

She blushed and looked away before looking back at me. She shrugged her shoulders. “I overheard Aunt Ari telling Grace that Mommy needed some time to think. I don’t know what she is thinking about, but I bet she’s thinking of you, Daddy. She asked me a lot of questions about you. She even asked how you looked, and I told her sad. She said she thought she probably looked sad, too, but she was in a place that had happy memories of the two of you.”

In that moment, I had an idea of where Ellie might be.

I bent down and looked into Alex’s eyes. “Alex, did she tell you anything else about where she is?”

She smiled. “No, but she did say she had walked on a trail around a lake. I’m not sure which lake she was talking about. But, Daddy, she said she is coming home tomorrow. I don’t think she told Colt that. I bet she wants to surprise him.”

I grinned and said, “I bet. Alex, I need to make a phone call, sweetheart. Go get your homework done before bedtime.”