King's Treasure (Oil Kings Book 3) by Marie Johnston (great novels .TXT) 📗

too afraid to do a damn thing with my life, and I’d used my college money and trust funds as excuses.

Even worse, I’d ruined my marriage in record time.

I’d known as soon as I’d seen her that she could be my world. That I wanted her to be my world. I’d had no idea until now what a miracle it was that she’d wanted to be with me too. Sure, we’d had our reasons. But she would’ve done what she needed to do without me. I knew she would’ve.

Did she want the divorce, or had she just given up on me?

I could ask. I could fly there and confront her, show her what I’d been doing. And then what? She’d ask the hard questions. Where were we going to live? What exactly did I have planned for the money? Why was I worth an extra few months of her life?

I didn’t want a few measly months. I wanted a damn lifetime with her. She knew that, but she’d already told me that wasn’t enough.

I closed my laptop. Dawson was tense, but he didn’t say anything, just watched. I slid my computer into its case and loaded it and all my notes in my backpack. My camera was next.

Dawson’s head tipped down as I rose. He thought he knew what I was doing. Savvy’s words rang through my head. People worry about you, Xander. When you take off and go radio silent for months, they worry. There were other people who cared about me and I’d been pretty insensitive when it came to them.

“Can I borrow the truck? I need to go to Billings.”

Surprise that I’d said that much rippled across his face. “Sure. Between me and Dad, we’ll figure out how to get it back from the airport.”

“I’m not going to the airport.” I jogged upstairs. He was confused and I wasn’t helping. I’d message him when I got to my destination, but it was evening. By the time I got to Billings, it’d be late.

I packed my belongings, seeing my few possessions with new eyes. Talk about a lack of commitment. Only it was all relationships I’d resisted committing to, not just my love life. I’d refused to commit to people or a place or even possessions.

I dug the simple gold band out of the side pocket of my backpack. As I flipped the cold metal between my fingers, the word commitment echoed through my head. I shoved it back in, zipped up the pocket, and jogged downstairs and out the door.

I hopped into Beck’s old pickup and fired up the noisy engine. The gas tank was full, but it would be nearing empty by the time I reached Billings. Savvy wouldn’t approve of the waste, but I wasn’t waiting for an Uber.

The trip went quickly and I may have pushed the speed limit. I parked in front of my destination and sent a quick note to Dawson so he’d know where I was.

I hopped out and grabbed my belongings. Nerves rattled my insides. I doubted I’d get turned away, but after the way I’d acted, I deserved it.

I rang the doorbell and waited. Anxiety mounted with each second. The porch light shone on me like an interrogator’s spotlight.

The door opened. “Xander? Is everything all right?”

I swallowed the lump of panic over the papers burning a hole through my backpack and making it weigh at least fifty pounds more than it should. “Dad, I need to talk to you. I need your advice.”

Chapter 22

Savvy

I waited at the top of the stairs, dancing from one foot to another.

Mother walked inside and shook snow off her Max Mara double-breasted camel coat. I froze when I saw the papers in her hand. But there was no familiar manila envelope. As if Xander would’ve used the same one to return the divorce papers. Still, I could breathe again.

“Did I get anything?”

Mother glanced up, her pleasant expression startled. She shouldn’t be. I’d stood in the same spot daily since I’d let her mail the divorce documents off. “No, dear. Sorry.”

She said the same thing every day. And each time, it was all I could do to keep from sagging against the railing as relief weakened my legs.

Xander had to have the papers by now. He had plenty of time in the last few weeks to sign them and send them back.

But he hadn’t.

I trudged back to my room. Pearl’s room.

I looked at my bedroom door. I needed to go back in there. It was one more step to take before I lived on my own. I wasn’t ready to afford a place in the city. New Jersey might be a good place to run my business with a cheaper cost of living, but I hadn’t looked around yet. That would make this all too real.

With a sigh, I went back to the desk I’d been diligently working at. I was at a stopping point. It was New Year’s Eve, and getting ahold of anyone was impossible over the holidays. Anyone I’d tried to call and make connections with was on vacation or not interested in hearing about new projects until after the New Year.

If I couldn’t work, I couldn’t sit at Pearl’s desk and stare at the wall. My bedroom was too much to hang out in before thoughts of Xander sapped my ambition and made me melancholy, but the sitting room had fewer memories. I’d start there.

When I got to the door, I sucked in a breath. I’d avoided my bedroom and the TV room. I had to stop sometime.

I pushed the door open and looked around. The TV hung above the electric fireplace. The couch was in the same spot. Xander hadn’t spent as much time in this room as in my bedroom. But I looked for his presence all the same.

Pathetic. I’d sent divorce papers. I had to get over him.

I dug around the cushions for the remote. The doorbell rang. Were we getting company? Pearl had said she