“Val, I had a look at your calendar. You didn’t tell me that you’d canceled so many of your afternoon meetings and events for weeks.”

“Of course I did. I told you I’d make time.”

“Yes, but you don’t have to stop doing the things you enjoy.”

“I’ll just reschedule them.”

She brushed off the whole issue, but I didn’t feel as if anything was resolved.

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Carter

Over the next week, I paid closer attention to everything. I did my best to try to make sure Val didn’t put herself on the back burner. She’d gone on that girls’ night out, but she was still canceling not only social events, but also meetings.

“I’ll just go next year,” she said one evening as we slipped into bed, when I asked her if she’d bought tickets to a wine-tasting festival in Florida she’d told me about. She was smiling as she said it, but I still worried.

“Go this year. I want you to have fun.”

“But I am having fun with you,” she replied. “You happen to know how to keep me entertained.” Lowering her voice to a whisper, she added, “And let me tell you a secret. You’re very good at it.”

I laughed, pulling her against me. “What would I do without you, huh?”

“You would miss me terribly.”

“You think?”

“I’m one hundred percent convinced.”

“You happen to be right.”

I kept her close to me as her breathing evened out, even though sleep evaded me.

A few days later, I arrived home particularly late. I’d been convinced I would find Val sleeping, but instead she was on the couch, bent over a stack of paper, writing furiously.

“Why are you up so late, pretty girl?” I kissed the top of her head, but she held out a finger.

“Give me half an hour. I’m in the zone, making notes for another potential line with Sephora. They mentioned they could see our collaboration becoming a yearly thing, and I’m bursting with ideas. I want to get them down on paper before I forget them. I didn’t get to it this afternoon.”

I sat in the armchair opposite the couch, watching her. She was magnificent, all serious and focused. Energy was rolling off her. I smiled but felt a pang deep in my gut as I remembered something Hailey had shared at the first Friday dinner I’d attended, about how Val used to only have time to work on her ideas late at night.

I swallowed, discovering a lump in my throat.

I knew better than to bring it up. She’d done nothing but appease me every time I did. I was going to change tactics.