Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Stewart had pulled stunts like this more times than anyone could count over the past five years.

Briony turned to Irwin and said, "Call your mom."

Irwin mumbled an "Okay," and dialed Rosita.

No answer.

"Neither of them is picking up!" James snorted in disgust. "Bet they're off together, up to no good."

Briony's expression turned cold as she glanced toward the river, where sky lanterns were starting to drift upward. Worry gnawed at her.

James, guessing she was thinking about Julia and wanting to go release a lantern for her, offered, "Why don't you go on ahead with Hannah and the others? I'll stay here with him and wait for Stewart."

Briony shot him a grateful look. "Thank you."

"Oh, don't get all sentimental," James said, tugging Irwin gently by the arm. "Go on, before the crowd gets too thick and you can't get through."

He was right—as the evening wore on, the riverside would get packed, and it wasn't safe for her, not while she was pregnant.

Briony left with Hannah and the others to join the crowd by the river and release their lanterns.

She didn't look back at Irwin-not even once. She didn't take the lantern he'd bought for her, either.

Irwin stared at the little lantern in James's hand, feeling a pang of disappointment.

have made the lantern herself, and both his

gone off to be with

his mom had left him behind, choosing to release a

gazed at the cartoonish lantern in

single tear fell, soaking into

just couldn't understand he was always so well-behaved, so sensible. Why was

Mom Rosita right? Was it true-did his mom really have

if she did, would she

...

packed, a

sky lantern. She watched it drift upward, glowing against the night sky until it became just another distant

it. She'll know you're

long, steadying breath. "The crowd's getting bigger.

"Sure."

they said their goodbyes and went off to find their

nowhere else to be

forcing Briony and Hannah to slow their

a cluster of people and caught up with

kid," he reported, scanning the crowd with a worried frown. "It's getting crazy

nodded. "We were just

James said, stepping