Carlos stood silent. He wasn’t sure what to say. This was his wife. He should be stopping her from speaking nonsense, but something was holding him back.

Kathy handed him the envelope. “I had Judy work her travel agent magic. She dropped this off earlier.”

Carlos took the envelope and opened it. She’d done what she set out to do, he figured. His stomach began to flutter with nerves at the chance everything was going to be okay. “This is a plane ticket to Mexico.”

Kathy nodded. “Go get her. Don’t let her go again.” She stepped to him and kissed his cheek. “Wow, I can breathe again.” She held a hand to her chest. “For the past few weeks I’ve known this was the right thing to do. I should have done it then, but at least it’s done now.”

“I can’t believe you did this.”

“Call your kids. Tell them you’re going to go get your wife back.” She rested her hands on his chest. “I’m okay. I know you’ll worry about that for a long time. That’s how you are. But really, I’m going to be fine. I’m actually giddy about starting over in California.”

“I wish I had words.”

“A thank-you will do.”

He swallowed back the excitement he felt and tried to sound sincere when he sighed, “Thank you.”

Chapter Twelve

Carlos scanned the people in the hotel lobby as the concierge rang Madeline’s room.

The concierge pursed his lips and hung up the phone. “I’m sorry, sir. No one answers. However, many of our guests spend their days out by the pool. Perhaps you’ll find her there.”

He nodded. He knew he might. If there was sun and water, there was probably a seat for Madeline there.

Carlos walked out of the hotel, in the direction the attendant had pointed. There was large circular bar overlooking the pool, with its thatched roof that shaded those who had come in from the sun. He propped his arm on the bar and scanned the many people sitting in lounge chairs by the pool. She wasn’t there. But beyond the pool was a walkway toward the beach, where many more rows of people lay hidden beneath brightly colored umbrellas.

A man walked up next to him in swim trunks and dark sunglasses. “Looks like you just flew in and couldn’t wait to get to the beach.” The man motioned to the bartender. “Two strawberry daiquiris, please.” Carlos felt eyes on him and turned. The guy gave him a quick nod. “Looking for someone?”

Carlos’s jaw tightened. He didn’t have time to chat with some man who was on vacation. He was on a mission. “My ex-wife.” The words, after all these years, were still bitter on his tongue.

“Oh, well, the beach is full of those.” The man laughed. “I’ve been out here most the morning. Maybe I can help you.” He turned around and scanned over the crowd. “What does she look like?”

Carlos shook his head. He wasn’t in the mood for games. “I don’t know.”

The man turned back to him. “How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”

“Not that long.” Carlos let out a grunt of a laugh as the bartender placed the man’s drinks on the bar.

Carlos twisted Madeline’s wedding ring on his pinkie. He’d dug it out of a box he’d kept buried in his closet. He pursed his lips. It never should have been in the box. It never should have left her finger.

Carlos looked out over the sunbathers again.

The man reached for his drinks. “Let’s start with the basics. Is she here with girlfriends?”

“No.”

“Tall and leggy? Short and curvy?”

Carlos finally smiled. “Short and curvy. Italian with beautiful eyes.”

The man nodded. “What color hair?”

“Brown.” He shook his head. “Well, wait.” He laughed again, this time with ease. “It was brown until we shaved it off.”

The man’s expression was priceless, but the memory of the day he, Maddie, and Ed shaved their heads made Carlos smile until his cheeks hurt.

“I didn’t think this would be so hard.” Carlos turned to the bartender. “Two glasses of champagne, please.” He turned back around. “Okay. She either has a scarf on her head or is wearing a stunning head of red hair.”

The man turned back around, set down his drinks, and held a hand up to the bartender, stopping him from pouring the glasses of champagne.

Carlos turned to the bartender and then back to the man. “Is there a problem?”

The man shook his head and took off his sunglasses. “Not for you.”

Carlos ran his hand over the back of his neck. “I beg your pardon.”

The man held out his hand to Carlos. “Corbin. Corbin Mason.”

“Carlos.”

“Yeah. I figured.” Corbin put his sunglasses back on. “Madeline?”

Carlos felt the blood drain from his head. Oh, God, he’d never considered that she’d made plans to travel to Mexico with another man. Suddenly the heat and the sun were getting to him. He leaned his back up against the padded edge of the bar to steady himself. The wedding cake from his wedding was the last thing he even remembered eating, and now it was a solid mass in the pit of his stomach.

Corbin looked out over the beach. “She opted for the orange scarf today but left the floppy hat in the room. She’s just a little pink from all the sun she got yesterday, but she has a healthy glow.” He nodded toward the ring on Carlos’s finger. “Planning on dropping that ring into her champagne?”

“Thought had crossed my mind.” He turned to Corbin. “Are you here with her?”

Corbin smiled. “We met on the beach and have enjoyed each other’s company.”

Suddenly the strength of the bar wasn’t enough to keep Carlos upright. He sat on the empty stool beside him.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and thought about what Madeline and this man had been doing together. It wasn’t like her, and he assumed that was the point.

Carlos tried to swallow down the bitter taste of regret but found his mouth had gone dry. Add that to the heart ache that squeezed his chest, he thought he might just die on that barstool.

Corbin looked back out over the beach. “In those past few days I’ve learned a lot about our Madeline.”

Our Madeline. The words struck another blow. This man was trying to kill him.

Corbin gave a glance of consideration to Carlos and then looked around behind him. “Where’s your wife?”