Chapter 17

Several weeks later, Ivy invited Gwen to have lunch with her at the Seascape.

"Gwen darling you look positively beautiful." Ivy greeted. "Motherhood definitely agrees with you."

"Thank you Ivy," Gwen replied. "Thanks for inviting me to lunch, I have been thinking about the seafood salad topped with plenty of guacamole and roasted sunflower seeds."

"Its nice to see that you have a healthy appetite." Ivy smiled.

Gwen giggled. "It's not as gross as it sounds." She assured her.

"I'll take your word for it."

"It's so nice for us to sit down and have lunch like this." Gwen said. "Especially now."

"I wish things were different between you and my son."

"Things are fine between me and Ethan." Gwen replied. "We both realized that despite our differences the welfare of our child comes first."

"Gwen you know what i mean." Ivy hinted. "If it hadn't been for that dreck Theresa you and Ethan would be happily married by now."

"Ivy I can't put all the blame on Theresa no matter how hard I tried."

"But Gwen, Theresa schemed and manipulated..."

Gwen held up her hand to silence her. "Yes Theresa schemed and manipulated for things to go her way but have you ever consider that Ethan is as much to blame for our failed relationship? More so than Theresa because he was suppose to be commited to me."

"Yes but..."

"Ivy it's time to put the blame where it really belongs and that is on Ethan." She continued. "He didn't love me as much as I thought he did."

"But Gwen any man head would have been turned if they were getting constant attention from a young attractive female." She protested.

"But that is the POINT." Gwen replied. "If Ethan was as committed to me as I thought he was then NOTHING, a young girl could have done, NO MATTER HOW HARD SHE TRIED, could have made him cheat on me."

"But Ethan is a man and...

"Now hold up, wait a damn minute, stop it right there Ivy." Gwn said firmly, she was trying her best not to explode but Ivy was making it very difficult for her to keep her temper in check. "YOU might had accepted the fact that the reason Julian cheated on you for all those years was because he was a MAN, but I don't play that. Ethan was supposed to have been MY man, MINE. I don't care if Theresa or any other woman was lying on his bed naked with her legs wide open, BEING A MAN doesn't give him the excuse to cheat."

Ivy was silence, Gwen point was very well taken.

"My son is a dumbass." Ivy finally responded. "I tried to raise him NOT to be like Julian and he ended up acting like a Crane male anyway."

Gwen nodded in agreement. "Ivy lets drop the subject okay? I am here to enjoy a very pleasant lunch with the grandmother of my child."

Ivy smiled. "Okay dear no more talking about my sh!t for brains son.

"Ah ha!" Ethan smiled. "Bingo! I knew I would find something if I looked hard enough!"

Ethan was at Harmony's Public Library, he was doing research on Colyer Fox when he came across some damaging information about him in a back issure of the 'Dallas Times'. He made several copies of the article and laughed.

"Try weasel YOUR way of this." He snickered.

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Gwen smiled as she saw Colyer waiting for her at her front door as she drove up. He had a few bags of groceries with him.

"What a pleasant surprise." She greeted. "I didn't expcet to see you for another hour or two."

"Well when I explain to my boss that I had plan to surprise a special lady by cooking dinner for her, he decided to knock off work early." He grinned.

"Aww how sweet." She opened the door and Colyer followed her inside.

"Wh don't you just relax and read your mail while I pour you a nce tall glass of white wine." He suggested.

"Make that iced tea and you got yourself a deal."

"Tea it is." Gwen got her mail and brought it into the living room, seconds later Colyer brought her a glass of iced tea.

"Thank you." She grinned. "What are we having for dinner?"

"My famous grilled steak."

"What makes your steak so special? Do you burn it?"

"Ha ha, no I have secrets ingredients."

"Oh I see." She yawned.

"Now you sit back ad relax while I..." Colyer chuckled softly to himself.

Gwen had fallen asleep.

He got a blanket from the downstairs hall closet and draped it over her. He kissed her lightly on the forehead and tiptoed into the kitchen.