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Unwilling to be part of this ridiculous conversation any longer, Beth grabbed her coat, gloves and scarf and headed for the back door. She was outside and halfway to the car with the puppy in its carrier when Kent jogged up behind her.

“Hey, wait up,” he called.

“Kent, really, this isn’t necessary.”

“According to our daughters, it is.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “I don’t remember you being manipulated quite this easily when we were married.” She opened the rear passenger door and placed the puppy’s carrier inside.

Kent climbed into the front passenger seat and waited until Beth joined him before he responded. “Did you ever stop to think I might actually want to accompany you?”

She hadn’t. For the life of her, Beth couldn’t manage a single word. In fact, it was all she could do to breathe. All at once the interior of her SUV seemed to shrink until it felt as if the two of them were trapped inside a box the size of a milk crate. Her mouth went dry and she concentrated on driving rather than the man she’d loved and married and…left. Oh, how she wished she could turn back the clock.

Risking a look at Kent, she wondered if he was thinking the same thing.

The silence that stretched between them threatened to snap.

“I…” She started to say something—although what, she wasn’t sure. “I was—”

They both spoke at the same time.

“You first,” she said. “No, you.”

She laughed. “Please, you go first.”

“Well,” he murmured after a few awkward seconds, “I was just thinking back to all the animals you rescued while we were married. Remember Ugly Arnie?”

Like she’d ever forget the injured raccoon she’d found at their back door. “How could I forget him?”

“Vicious, ungrateful—”

“Kent, he was in pain! As I recall, you aren’t exactly Prince Charming when you aren’t feeling well.”

“Prince Charming? So is that how you remember me when…I was feeling good?”

She doubted that he expected an answer, but she gave him one, anyway. “You had your moments.”

“So did you.”

“Thank you.” They could play nice, she realized. It hadn’t always been this silent battle of wills.

“I kind of thought you’d remarry,” he said, frowning as he spoke.

“Really?” She, on the other hand, hadn’t even considered the possibility that Kent might marry someone else—well, other than in some vague, abstract way. Certainly not someone like Danielle. Beth was astonished that Kent would find this hard, brusque woman appealing. Yes, superficially Danielle was attractive—okay, gorgeous—but she seemed to lack all the qualities Beth had expected him to value.

“If you did remarry, I assumed you’d choose a vet.”

“Oh, my goodness…” Without thinking, Beth eased her foot off the brake and the car swerved on the icy road and went sideways. “Hold on,” she cried.

Kent braced his arms against the dashboard until the car came to a complete stop on the side of the road. “You okay?” he demanded.

“I’m fine…what about you?”

“My heart is somewhere in my throat,” he said, “but other than that I’ll survive. What just happened? I didn’t see anything in the road.”

“It’s Ted.”

“Ted? Who’s Ted?”

“The local vet… He said he’d stop by this afternoon and I need to be there.”

“Give him a call,” Kent muttered, as if it was of little concern.

“I will.” She reached across for her handbag and grabbed her cell, pushing the button that would connect her with him.

“You have him on speed dial?” Kent asked with raised eyebrows.

Beth ignored the question and waited impatiently for Ted to answer. After four long rings, the phone went to voice mail. She exhaled loudly, then carefully put the car in Reverse and turned around.

“Where are you going now?” Kent asked.

She would’ve thought the answer was obvious. “To Ted’s place. He’s probably with an animal, so he couldn’t get the phone.”

“You could’ve left a message.”

He was right, she could have, but that seemed rather unfriendly. Besides, she wanted to explain. “His place isn’t far from here,” she said, instead of responding to his comment.

The silence returned.

Again it was Kent