When Valentines Collide by Adrianne Byrd

tricked.”
    â€œWhat are we supposed to do—tackle them?”
    â€œLove is a contact sport.” She laughed at her own joke.
    Seth failed to see the humor.
    â€œC’mon. We should really be there for them.”
    Never being able to resist his wife’s pleading brown eyes, Seth gave in with a sigh. “All right. All right. I’ll clear my schedule.”
    â€œGood. I already bought our tickets.”
    â€œOf course you did.”
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    Matthew spent another day cruising on autopilot. He listened with great apathy to his guests’ problems, doled out his earnest opinions and advice, and then smiled and laughed with his staff once they wrapped taping.
    In the coming week, the network would broadcast repeat programming while he attended his last conference with his wife. A part of him knew that he should at least give his producers a heads-up about the pending divorce, but the other part of him still hadn’t come to terms with it.
    That was silly, considering their wild fights and inexcusable behavior. Deep down, he never thought she would go through with it. She was his yin to his yang. If she got crazy, he went crazy, too.
    But leave?
    â€œI should have followed Seth’s advice and just apologized,” he mumbled to the vanity mirror inside his dressing room.
    â€œI’m sorry. Did you say something?” Cookie asked, handing him his coffee.
    â€œNo. No. I was just…talking to myself.” He smiled blandly and dropped his gaze to the steaming black liquid in his favorite Open Heart Forum coffee mug.
    â€œOh.” Cookie clasped her hands behind her back and thrust her surgically-enhanced bosom high into the air. “Well, is there anything else I can do for you?”
    â€œNo. I think that’s all. Thank you.” He sipped from his cup and prepared to dive back into his desolate thoughts.
    â€œAre you sure?” The young girl stepped forward and purposely rubbed her breasts against his arm. “Can’t you think of anything else you might need?”
    Surprised, Matthew instinctively pulled his arm away and repositioned himself in his chair to avoid physical contact. Yes, she was a beauty by any man’s standards and there was no misinterpreting the open invitation written in her eyes, but he was a married man and…
    His thoughts froze. He wasn’t going to be a married man much longer. His war against his advancing depression ended in a crushing defeat.
    His marriage was over.
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    Old man Roger agreed to keep an eye on Buddy for the Valentines. When he showed up to pick the puppy up, he innocently asked, “You guys going to a funeral?”
    Matthew handed their luggage to the chauffer and shot a look over at his wife.
    As if a director had shouted action, she gave an Oscar-worthy performance by laughing off the question and patting the groundskeeper’s arm. “Nothing as serious as that. We’re guest speakers for a marriage and relationship conference in New Mexico.”
    â€œAh.” He nodded his head, but his eyes darted between the couple.
    Matthew thought the man didn’t look convinced, but at least he had the decency not to probe further.
    â€œWell, you two have a good time. Don’t you worry none about Buddy. I’ll take good care of him.”
    A few minutes later, they headed off to the airport. Within five minutes, the drive already seemed too long. Matthew sat ramrod straight while trying not to glance over at his wife. The few times he caught a glimpse of her, she stared resolutely out the window.
    â€œYou know, it’s not too late to back out of this,” he said, breaking the chilly silence.
    Chanté glanced at him, seemingly annoyed that he was speaking to her.
    â€œWe could just give them some type of excuse…or tell them the truth.”
    The way she pressed back into her seat and carefully folded her arms, Matthew surmised she was tempted by the suggestion. In turn, it