The Widow's Secret

THE WIDOW’S SECRET THEO BAXTER Published by Inkubator Books www.inkubatorbooks.com Copyright © 2023 by Theo Baxter Theo Baxter has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work. ISBN (eBook): 978-1-83756-082-0 ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-83756-083-7 ISBN (Hardback): 978-1-83756-084-4 THE WIDOW’S SECRET is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. CONTENTS Inkubator Books Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Inkubator Newsletter Thank You For Reading About the Author THE PERFECT SUITOR Also by Theo Baxter JOIN THE INKUBATOR MAILING LIST You will be the first to learn about new releases plus the many FREE and discounted Kindle books we offer! bit.ly/3dOTSW2 1 “I guess I am eating alone… again,” Leona muttered to herself, hanging up the call. She’d tried calling her husband to see if he would make it to dinner for a change, but Wayne wasn’t answering, which was a tell in a way. That meant he would be staying late at his law office, stressing over some case, again. He got like that while working. When he was immersed in a legal case, he could forget about the whole world. He forgot to eat, he forgot about other obligations, and he most definitely forgot he had a wife waiting for him at home. So melodramatic… Leona really shouldn’t complain. She knew her husband loved her dearly, as much as she loved him. There was only one flaw related to Wayne, if she could even call it that: he was equally passionate about his work as he was about their marriage. As an attorney he had to give his all to his clients, at times, to ensure a positive outcome in their cases, even at the expense of his wife. At times it was a struggle, and Leona knew not everyone could manage. There was not enough time in one day for everything, and Leona made peace that there would be times work had to be a priority. Although she always missed him terribly. The problem was, as of late, it felt like work was all her husband cared about. She rarely saw him, and when she did, it wasn’t what she would call quality time. Plainly put, it got lonely, especially since Wayne was her only family. Leona was an only child, and her parents had died when she was in college. They had been returning from a road trip when a drunk driver fell asleep at the wheel, lost control of his car, and slammed into theirs. Her father died on impact, and her mother ended up in a coma but was pronounced brain-dead a week later. Having the plug pulled was one of the hardest things she’d had to do in her life. She had really thought she wouldn’t be able to move on, but she’d had a few very close friends who had helped her as she grieved, and eventually, she’d met Wayne, which made all the difference in the world. However, when she was left to her own devices like this, she was reminded of how truly alone she was. It would be different if we had children, she thought; then she immediately banished that thought. No point in dwelling on that. Although she was only thirty-two years old, she couldn’t have children. And considering her infertility, it was a blessing she’d found a husband who didn’t want kids. But Leona had a dirty little secret. Just because she couldn’t have children didn’t mean she didn’t want them. She hoped she could convince Wayne, in time, that they should adopt—unfortunately, to have such a conversation, they needed to be in the same room at the same time, which was not happening anymore. Part of her knew he would just say no to that idea. He believed some people were born to be parents; others were not. I am too selfish to be a father. I want you all to myself, he would say to her. And she knew she should feel grateful. Many men would have left her after learning she couldn’t have kids, but Wayne had stayed. And not just stayed but reassured her she was perfect as she was. So she’d shelved plans about adopting because the alternative would hurt too much. She didn’t want her hopes to get up just to get shot down at the first attempt by Wayne. They had each other, after all. She had to find comfort in that. Yet for that to work, they would have to spend some time together, she realized as she circled back to her original thoughts. Her mind did that at times, drove her in circles, drove her mad in her idleness, so she banished all thoughts while going to the kitchen. Since Wayne wouldn’t be coming home for dinner, she decided to eat the leftovers from yesterday instead of preparing something new. Taking a plate from the refrigerator, she popped it in the microwave, then waited for it to reheat. Maybe it’s time to remodel the kitchen, she mused, looking at the cabinets. She’d never cared for the peach shade of paint. Come to think of it, they’d made no changes to the house since moving in four years ago. Perhaps it’s time. Besides, that was definitely something to do, since her work wasn’t as time-consuming, or