Page 88 of Stealing Home

“I don’t want you to think I’m punishing you,” he said. “I just think we need to talk first.”

“Also fair.”

Lucia let out a squeal between them, and Dom kissed the top of her head. “You don’t get a vote.” She kicked both heels against his stomach.

“Apparently, she disagrees,” Gavin said.

“Yeah, well, she’s going through a difficult phase.”

Gavin raised his brow. “How long is it expected to last?”

“Eighteen years.” Dom considered it as he closed the door. “Maybe twenty-five.” He shrugged, then headed toward the kitchen. “Come on. Dinner’s ready.”

The foil-covered casserole dish sat on top of the stove, and there were two places set at the island. Dom buckled Lucia into her swing, then carried the ziti over and set it on a trivet between their plates.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“Not really.”

Dom pulled the foil from the dish, releasing a cloud of steam and the warm scent of garlic and melted cheese. Gavin’s stomach rumbled, and Dom glanced up with a smirk. “You might want to tell your stomach that. Sit down.”

Gavin obeyed, but instead of reaching for his fork, he rested both forearms on the island and watched Dom portion out the food.

“Where do you want me to start?” Gavin asked quietly.

Dom set a plate in front of him. “With the part where your ex-husband asked you to move back and rebuild your marriage.”

Gavin’s mouth tightened, and for a brief second, Dom wondered if he should have eased into that.

“I thought you might pick that.”

“Is there another part you’d rather talk about?”

Gavin picked up his fork and pushed it into the pasta. “The insurance company is giving me a lot of money.”

“That is more appealing,” Dom agreed. He carried his plate around the island and sat beside him. “But we’re still starting with Ethan.”

Gavin nodded and put his fork down on his plate. “He’d already figured out how it would all work. Before he even came down here, he’d reached out to our old employees and vendors, and at least one of our old clients.”

Dom rested his fork beside his plate. “Without asking you?”

“Yeah.” Gavin dragged a hand over his jaw. “That used to be something I appreciated about him. He could see an opportunity and have half a plan together before I’d even decided whether I wanted to pursue it.”

Dom glanced toward Lucia. She was watching the mobile above her swing, one fist pressed against her mouth. He let her steady motion settle him before he looked back at Gavin. “What did he say about the two of you?”

“He wanted to know if our marriage ended because we stopped loving each other or because of the fire.”

Dom’s stomach clenched. “What did you say?”

“That we hadn’t stopped caring about each other, but that didn’t mean I wanted the marriage back.” Gavin turned toward him. “I don’t know what would have happened if our lives had stayed the way they were. Maybe we would have worked things out. Maybe we would have ended up divorced anyway. But that isn’t the choice I had today, and I don’t think that’s the question you’re asking.”

Dom raised a brow. “What am I asking then?”

“Whether I want to go back and try again.” Gavin waited for Dom to look him in the eyes. “I don’t.”

Dom nodded, then looked down at the food between them.

“Did you have to think about it?” he asked after the silence had stretched past uncomfortable into awkward.