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.He was a one-day-at-a-time kind of guy, but she was his right arm.Swallowing, he tossed away everything he’d thought to be true about himself.“But if that’s what you need…” He walked over, took her by the elbow, and forced her to look at him.“If that’s what you need, let’s do it.We’ll find a judge and we’ll get that damn piece of paper.”She jerked away.Shock and tears covered her face.“No!”He looked at her and couldn’t breathe again.“What? You don’t think I’m serious? I’m dead serious.Let’s get that piece of paper.You can frame it.Hang it on the wall.Hell, I’ll hang it for you.”Her tears were flowing faster now, and her nose was running, getting red.He tried to reach for her, to hold her, to let her leak all over his shirt, but she shook her head.“You can’t even name your cat.” Then, pivoting on her heel, she stormed down the hall.“Leave!” she yelled over her shoulder, and she slammed her bedroom door.As he left Sue’s house, Jason’s heart lay in a mangled mess.Words replayed in his head.You can’t fix this.CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVEWednesday morning, in a piss-poor mood, Jason got a call from Michael Braxton in New York.He’d just gotten back from Paris on some photo shoot.Michael Brighten, the other missing artist, had surfaced yesterday, as well.“What the hell is all this about?” Braxton snapped.“I didn’t intentionally put her on the cover.”Jason didn’t believe him, but since he now knew the man wasn’t Sue’s stalker, he really didn’t care to speak to the guy.Frankly, he wasn’t in the mood to speak to anyone.He’d barely gotten him off the phone when Chase walked in.“You look like shit again today,” Chase remarked.“Woman troubles?”“Back off,” Jason growled.Sitting at his desk, he downed his fourth cup of coffee.It tasted like it was made last week, but he didn’t care.Nothing tasted right.Nothing felt right.He was missing his right arm.Suddenly hearing what his partner said, he snapped his head up.“Did Sue say something?”“No.It’s written on your forehead,” Chase replied.“You’re miserable.Only a woman can make a man that miserable.”“Tell me something I don’t know.” Jason tossed his Styrofoam cup in the garbage and stared at yesterday’s jelly donut.He hadn’t bothered to eat it or throw it away.“Okay.I’ll tell you something you don’t know,” Chase agreed.He sat down on the edge of Jason’s desk.“But you asked for it.”“Spare me,” Jason muttered.Chase ignored him.“Maybe it’s time for you to grow up and stop treating women like they’re something to play with and toss aside.”Jason heel-kicked his chair back until it made contact with the wall.“Maybe it’s time for you to leave my office before I start tossing your ass out.”“Why? Because the truth hurts?” Chase stood.“You don’t know the truth,” Jason snapped.“And you sure as hell don’t know what I’m feeling.”“Oh, from where I stand the truth seems pretty fucking evident.And I ‘d bet my right nut that I know what happened.Sue’s probably wanting more out of this relationship than you’re willing to give.But you love her.Which explains why you’ve got your head up your ass, because you’re hurting, man.So admit it and just—”“And just what—ask her to marry me?” Jason pounded his fist on the edge of the desk.“Is that what I should do?”Chase leaned back.“I don’t expect you to go that far, but at least talk about the future.”Jason shot up and went to the window.Swallowing his pride, realizing he wasn’t mad at Chase but at the situation, he glanced back.“I asked Sue to marry me.”Chase got a surprised smile on his face.“You did? Hot damn!”Jason pressed both palms into his eyes, pulled them away, then met Chase’s eyes.“She refused.”His friend’s smile vanished.“Crap.I really didn’t see that coming.”Jason’s throat felt tight.“I didn’t see it coming, either.”Chase crossed his arms on his chest.“Wait a minute.Something doesn’t feel right.You asked her to marry you, and she flat out said no?”“She didn’t exactly flat out say no…” Jason shoved his hands in his jean pockets.“What exactly did she say?” Chase asked.“She said…she said, ‘You didn’t even know the sex of your cat and haven’t even named it yet.’ ”Chase got a blank look.“Huh?”“Thank you! That’s exactly how I felt.” Jason pulled his hands out of his pockets.“What the hell does not naming my cat have to do with us getting married? And I mean, damn! I don’t know how to tell the sex of a feline.I even looked it up on Google and I still can’t tell.”Chase looked as if he might say something amusing, but Jason was on roll.“And I’ve tried.I don’t get it.I don’t understand.”Chase shook his head.“Are we still talking about the sex of a cat?”“No!” Jason glared at him.“I’ve tried to make her happy.Tried really hard.I went over all things I ‘d done wrong with other women and didn’t do them with Sue.”Chase sighed.“Wait.I’m lost again.Let’s go back to the first issue.” He held up a hand.“You got on your knees and asked her to marry you and—”“I didn’t exactly get on my knees,” Jason admitted.“Well, position isn’t everything,” Chase allowed.“But you told her you loved her, right?”“Not…exactly.” Jason’s chest ached.His friend let out a huff.“Before I explain how badly you screwed up, tell me the rest.Exactly what did you say to Sue?”“I said…” He got a distinct feeling Chase was about to say this was all his fault.And God help him, but he wasn’t sure he could handle knowing that.“What does it matter what I said? I offered, and she turned me down.”“Offered? You don’t ‘offer’ to marry someone.You ask.Actually, you beg.That’s what the whole on-the-knee position is about.”“So I used the wrong word.It’s just a freaking word.”“Oh, but words matter.Women need to hear certain things.And Sue’s a writer, so words are probably even more important.”The truth started swimming around in Jason’s head and gut.He’d screwed up—but if this was all his fault, didn’t that mean he could fix it?“It’s like going to third base without touching first or second.Men don’t always need those other bases, but women, well…you know women, you know what happens if you try to jump bases.Words are like bases to them.”Jason raised his hands in frustration.“Well, I’m royally screwed then.Because I’m not good with words.Or any of that stuff.”“That’s because you’re a man.None of us are good at this stuff.But if you want to make a woman happy, you gotta at least work on your presentation.Just like we work on first and second bases.”Jason crammed his hands in his pockets and then pulled them out.“You’re good at this.You can say things.Things like that missing arm crap.You make it sound profound.I’m not…profound.”Chase smiled.“I do sound good, don’t I?”Jason ignored him, because this wasn’t funny.And he was still hurting as if someone had taken an ice pick to his heart.“I can’t do fancy words.” He looked at Chase and admitted something he’d never admitted to anyone.“I’m scared.I feel like I’m back in foster care, about to be tossed out of another home.”Chase’s smile vanished.“We’re all scared.They’re women, and we’re just mortal men.But you can do this.”Jason looked at the ceiling; wishing, hoping, fear climbing up his throat.“I’m not so sure.You know how to say the words.You know what I’m good at?” He swallowed.“I’m good at packing up and getting the hell out without looking like I care.That’s what I’ve done all my life.” When he glanced back at his partner, sympathy crossed Chase’s expression.Jason hated sympathy.“Look,” Chase offered.“You did something right with Sue or she wouldn’t have given you the time of day
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