By eight-thirty, right on schedule, she was yawning. Although he pretended an interest in a television program, Riley was aware of Hannah with every fiber of his being. He'd hoped by this time to be able to kiss and hold her whenever the mood struck him, which he knew would be often. Looking at her now, busy tearing out several rows of stitches, her back ramrod straight, Riley marveled that in two weeks of marriage that he'd been allowed to kiss her as often as he had. She'd never looked more untouchable than she did at this moment.
"A penny for your thoughts." Riley couldn't believe he'd said that. He hated the ineptitude he experienced, attempting to deal with his wife. He felt like a bungling youth when it came to understanding her moods.
"You don't honestly want to know what I'm thinking," she replied stuffing her knitting into the wicker basket resting on the carpet next to her chair.
"I would," he countered sharply.
She stared at him, and Riley was shocked to read the stark emotion marred by a glistening veneer of tears. Although she battled to conceal the stubborn pride, it burned from her eyes. With some difficulty, she managed to keep the tears at bay. "I… I was just thinking I'd adjust to our marriage a whole lot easier if you behaved more like a husband."
Riley didn't have time to react before she stood and hurried to her bedroom, closing the door. He intended to follow her when he heard the lock slip noisily into place. Sharply expelling his breath, he stood alone in the living room, wondering what the hell she'd meant by that. Maybe, he mused, he would start acting more like a husband when she started behaving like a wife.
The interview went poorly. As childish as it seemed, Hannah would have liked to blame Riley for that. She'd slept fitfully all night and felt nauseous the moment she lifted her head from the pillow. The bouts of morning sickness had all but disappeared of late, and she delayed getting out of bed as long as she could. By sheer determination she managed to hold down her breakfast until Riley left for work. The last thing she needed or wanted was him fussing over her.
Hannah wasn't proud of the way she'd acted the night before. She'd been cranky and unreasonable and on the verge of weeping. Her emotions were playing havoc with her, and she hated being so thin-skinned. Riley had hurt her. He didn't know or understand that, which only complicated matters. If only he'd tell her he was leaving. She'd done everything she knew to prompt the information out of him. It hadn't worked, and she battled a deep sense of betrayal and regret.
Although she felt physically wretched, she dressed carefully for the interview and went into the office with high expectations. Her credentials were excellent, as were her skills, but as soon as the interviewer learned she was pregnant, everything had taken a turn for the worse. It seemed the office was interested in someone older. In other words, a secretary beyond her child-bearing years