To Thine Own Self

He glanced up. "Evidently," he said evenly.

"I thought you were in Texas."

His gaze came back to her face. "I was. I just got back this morning."

"I've been trying to call you." She said in an accusing tone.

"My phone has been off."

"Because you didn't want to talk to me."

When he didn't respond, she added. "So the only reason you're here now is to reprimand me."

He looked startled.

"I left because I wanted you to learn to take care of things yourself. Obviously that didn't work."

She stared at him. As his words soaked in, blood pumped in her temples. She wasn't about to lose her temper again. Still, he deserved a scalding.

"How dare you?" she said in a constrained voice. "I have been taking care of the children and this house for years - not to mention the time I've spent taking care of you!. You left me with a sling on one arm and four children to take care of. You left me and our children in order to teach ME a lesson?"

His face went pale and then turned crimson from the neck up. He licked his lips and ran a hand through his hair. He started to speak once and then swallowed.

She met his guilty gaze. "You never thought about it that way, did you? You were so busy directing my life that it never occurred to you that you were being disrespectful of me. You were in full control and my feelings didn't matter. While you were masterminding this manipulative plot, did you lose sight of your promise to protect me - or was that something else you planned on ditching?"

She turned and marched away from him. This wasn't the man she married. How could he act that way and claim to love her?

When Felipa returned with the children, he was in his chair, reading the paper and Carmen was in the kitchen fixing supper. It looked innocent enough, and the children were instantly smothering him with love and kisses. Jonathan quietly went to his room. That part hurt as much as anything else. Right now Jonathan needed their undivided support.

Felipa left her charge to Alex and joined Carmen in the Kitchen. She glanced at Carmen and then began setting the table without comment.

It was an inhospitable way to treat a guest - especially one who had volunteered so much help. They had both taken her for granted. Alex wouldn't have treated Katie that way. She wouldn't have let him get away with it. It was something to think about. Katie left him in Texas and went on to make a life of her own. Felipa had been raised with a dominant male, though. Continuing to let Alex treat her and others this way could cause their children to be intimidated by others the way Felipa was. Maybe Katie was right.