Torn by Christina Brunkhorst

yellow paper as Julie held it out to him for a moment, then took it, He started to shove it into his pants pocket but stopped when he seemed to realize that he was still in costume.
    “It’s from Jen,” Julie added, her gaze flickering to Chelsea’s before focusing on Ty’s face. Tyler’s blank expression caused a brow to arch high. Julie glanced over at Chelsea to see if she’d noticed and, by the tilt of the younger woman’s head and the slight twitch to the corners of her lips, Julie could see that she had. “Jennifer Benson . You know… Your wife ?”
    Ty’s brows knitted together as he looked down at the paper crumpled in his hand. Julie knew what it said, since the actress’ arrival in Black Creek had made the local morning news.
    I’m back , the note said. Call me.
     
    ~ *~
     
    Christ. Tyler’s eyes flashed to Chelsea before he faced Julie, wondering if his friend noticed. The carefully neutral mask the director wore told him yes. She’d noticed. Noticed him looking at Chelsea. Noticed him forgetting he even had a wife.
    Swearing under his breath, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Thanks, Jules.”
    Julie nodded and favored him with a pointed look that included Chelsea, who was staring at the yellow slip of paper in his hand as though it would bite. Tyler cocked his head briefly –– acknowledging her unspoken warning of caution –– and watched the exotic looking woman walk away.
    When he faced Chelsea again, she looked pale, and he found the look in her dark brown eyes hard to read. He wished he knew what she was thinking. “Walk with me?”
    Chelsea bit her lip, and Tyler suddenly knew exactly what she was thinking. That she should go home and have supper with her family. That she should be with them. She was gone from them often enough as it was during the day… But Julie had only given them an hour, and it would probably take about that long just to get back to her place, and he knew that Jake had taken his daughters fishing in Dillon for the weekend.
    Jennifer.
    His wife’s return must have delivered a blow, throwing Chelsea back into the real world, making her wonder when the line of ‘fantasy’ had blurred with reality. She had to be asking herself the same questions he was –– how could she have forgotten he was married? That she was married too? And the guilt. It showed on her face as surely as it did his.
    A wave of that very emotion assailed her and some of it must have shown on her face because Tyler now looked at her, his cobalt eyes filled with concern.
    “Walk with me,” he said again, and held out his hand.
    Hesitating only a moment, as had become their habit Chelsea slipped her hand in his, and again, Tyler felt a spark of electricity when their palms touched. That sizzle of awareness that told him that he knew this woman… And that she knew him… intimately. But that was impossible, and didn’t even make sense… did it?
    After all, he’d only just met her what? Two months ago? Granted, he’d been a repeat visitor at the Morgan home, had enjoyed supper with them on more than one occasion. Had bonded with Chelsea, Jake and their girls on more than one Sunday afternoon, playing pool in the basement, drinking beer and eating deer burgers. He and Jake had smoked pot while playing football and basketball on Jake’s Xbox. It didn’t take long for Tyler to discover that he and Jake had a lot in common, and apparently that included a growing… respect. For Jake’s wife.
    Aww, hell, who was he trying to kid? He was falling for her.
    Except this time, she was married and so was he. To other people. What a joke. Only he wasn’t laughing. And, as he looked over at Chelsea as she walked silently beside him, she wasn’t laughing either. But she had to know what he was going through. She had to be experiencing it herself. Because what he felt when he was with her… He’d never felt before in his life. And it felt too profound , too elemental , to be merely