You can understand that, can’t you?

You can understand that, can’t you?”
“You antagonized Eva.”
“Is that what she told you?” She paused. “I never meant to, but—Never mind. Your father was very protective, too. You’re so like him.”
I looked away, gazing absently at the trees beyond the drive. I never knew how to take comparisons to Geoffrey Cross. Were they meant as praise or a backhanded compliment? There was no telling with my mother.
“Gideon … please, I’m trying. I said some things to Eva I shouldn’t have, and she responded as any woman would under the circumstances. I just want to smooth things over.” She set her hand over my heart. “I’m happy for you, Gideon. And I’m so glad to see you and Ireland spending time together. I know it means so much to her.”
I pulled her hand away gently. “It means a lot to me, too. And Eva made it possible in ways I won’t explain. Which is just one of the reasons I won’t have her upset. Not now. She has to work in the morning.”
“Let’s make plans for lunch this week, then. Or dinner.”
“Will Chris be there?” Eva asked through the window before pushing the door open again and stepping out. She stood there, so small and bright against the dark hulking SUV, formidable in the way her shoulders were set.
My wife would fight the world for me. It was miraculous to know that. When no one else had fought for me, I’d somehow found the one soul who would.
My mother’s lips curved. “Of course. Chris and I are a team.”
I noted the brittleness of her smile and doubted her, as I so often did. Still, I conceded. “We’ll make plans. Call Scott tomorrow and we’ll work something out.”
My mother’s face brightened. “I’m so glad. Thank you.”
She hugged me and I braced myself, my body stiff with the need to push her away. When she approached Eva with her arms outstretched, Eva thrust out her hand between them to shake instead. The interaction was awkward, with both women so obviously on the defensive.
My mother didn’t want to mend fences; she wanted an agreement to pretend the fences were sound.
We said good-bye, and then I slid into the driver’s seat. Eva and I took off, leaving the estate behind us. We hadn’t gone far when she said, “When did your mother talk to you?”
Damn it. I knew what that bite in her tone signified.
Reaching over, I set my hand on her knee. “I don’t want you worrying about my mother.”
“You don’t want me worrying about anything! That’s not the way this is gonna work. You don’t get to deal with all the crap alone.”
“What my mother says or does isn’t important, Eva. I don’t give a shit and neither should you.”
She twisted in the seat to face me. “You need to start sharing stuff. Especially things that have to do with me, like your mother saying things behind my back!”
“I won’t have you getting pissed off over an irrelevant opinion.” The road curved. I accelerated out of the turn.
“That would be better than me getting pissed off at you!” she snapped. “Pull over.”
“What?” I glanced at her.
“Pull the damn car over!”
Cursing inwardly, I removed my hand from her leg and gripped the wheel. “Tell me why.”
“Because I’m mad at you, and you’re sitting there looking all hot and sexy driving and you need to stop.”
Amusement warred with exasperation. “Stop what? Looking hot and sexy? Or driving?”
“Gideon … don’t push me right now.”
Resigned, I eased off the gas and pulled to a stop on the narrow shoulder. “Better?”
She got out of the car and went around the hood. I stepped out, giving her a questioning glance.
“I’m driving,” she announced when she was standing in front of me. “At least until we get to the city.”
“If that’s what you want.”
I knew next to nothing about relationships, but it was a no-brainer to make concessions when your woman was mad at you. Especially when you entertained hopes of getting laid in a few hours, which I most definitely was. After spending the weekend with friends and Ireland, I was feeling a renewed need to show my wife just how much I appreciated her.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she muttered.
“Like what?” I raked her with a glance, admiring how pretty she looked in a strappy white sundress. The evening was hot and muggy, but she looked airy and fresh. I wanted to strip off my clothes and press up against her, cool off a little before heating things up.
“Like I’m a ticking time bomb ready to go off!” Her arms crossed. “I am not being irrational.”
“Angel, that’s not the look I’m giving you.”
“And don’t try to distract me with sex,” she bit out, her jaw clenched. “Or you won’t get any for a week!”
My arms crossed, too. “We’ve already talked about issuing ultimatums like that. You can bitch at me all you like, Eva, but I’ll have you when I want you. Period.”
“Never mind whether I want you?”
“Asks the wife who gets wet watching me drive a damn car,” I drawled.
Her gaze narrowed. “I may just leave you here on the side of the road.”
Clearly, I wasn’t navigating the situation well. So I switched tactics, taking the offensive position.
“You don’t tell me everything,” I countered. “What about Kline? Has he completely stopped communicating with you since San Diego?”
I’d been holding back the question all weekend, wondering how Kline was going to handle Eva.
I was torn about how I wanted him to proceed. If he approached her about the tape he no longer possessed, it would hurt her but also drive her closer to me. If he walked away for her sake, it would betray deeper feelings for her than I was comfortable with. I hated that he wanted her, but I feared he might actually love her.
She gasped. “Oh my God. Have you been looking at my phone again?”
“No.” My reply was swift and decisive. “I know how you feel about that.”
I followed her every move, knew where she was and who she was with at every moment of the day, but she’d set a hard limit with her cell phone and I honored it, even though it drove me crazy.
Eva studied me a minute but must have seen the truth on my face. “Yes, Brett has sent me a few texts. I was going to talk to you about it, so don’t even try to say it’s the same thing. I totally intended to tell you. You had absolutely no intention of telling me.”
A car rushed by on the road, turning my concern toward her safety. “Get in and drive. We’ll talk in the car.”
I waited until she climbed into the seat, and then I shut the door behind her. By the time I settled in the passenger side, she’d adjusted the mirrors and seat to suit her and put the car in gear.
The minute she was fully merged in the lane, she started in on me again. I was vaguely aware of her speaking, my attention more focused on the way she handled the Bentley. She drove fast and with confidence, her grip light and easy on the wheel. She kept her gaze on the road, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. My California girl. On an open road, she was fully in her element.
I found myself pleasantly aroused by watching Eva handle the powerful SUV. Or maybe it was that she was chastising me, challenging me.
“Are you listening to me?” she demanded.
“Not really, angel. And before you get more riled, it’s entirely your fault. You’re sitting there looking hot and sexy, and I’m distracted.”
Her hand whipped out and smacked my thigh. “Seriously? Stop cracking jokes!”
“I’m not kidding. Eva … you want me to share, so you can support me. I get it. I’m working on it.”
“Not hard enough apparently.”
“I’m not going to share things that aggravate you unnecessarily. There’s no point.”
“We have to be straight with each other, Gideon. Not just occasionally, but all the time.”
“Really? I don’t expect the same from you. For example, feel free to keep all the unflattering comments your father and Cary make about me to yourself.”
Her lips pursed. She chewed on that for a bit, then, “Using that logic, wouldn’t it be okay for me to not say anything about Brett?”
“No. Kline impacts our relationship. My mother does not.”
She snorted.
“I’m right about this,” I said evenly.
“Are you telling me that your mom talking crap about me doesn’t bother you?”
“I don’t like it. That said, it doesn’t change how I feel about you or her. And telling you won’t change your feelings about her, either. Since the result is the same either way, I choose the path of least disruption.”
“You’re thinking like a guy.”
“I should hope so.” I reached over and brushed the hair off her shoulder. “Don’t let her cause trouble between us, angel. She’s not worth it.”
Eva glanced at me. “You’re pretending that what your mom says and does has no effect on you, but I know that’s not true.”
I debated denying it, just to shut down the topic, but my wife saw everything I’d rather hide. “I don’t let it affect me.”
“But it does. It hurts and you push it into that place where you push everything you don’t want to deal with.”
“Don’t analyze me,” I said tightly.
Her hand touched my thigh. “I love you. I want to stop the pain.”
“You already have.” I gripped her hand. “You’ve given me everything she took away. Don’t let her take any more.”
With her eyes on the winding road, Eva lifted our joined hands and kissed my wedding band. “Point taken.”
She gave me a quick smile that told me she was done-for now-and drove us home.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Anda dapat memahami bahwa, tidak dapat Anda?""Anda benci Eva.""Apakah itu apa yang dia katakan?" Dia berhenti. "Aku tidak pernah berarti, tapi — sudahlah. Ayahmu adalah sangat protektif, terlalu. Begitu Anda seperti dia juga."Aku melihat, sambil lalu menatap pohon luar drive. Aku tidak pernah tahu bagaimana untuk mengambil perbandingan Geoffrey salib. Mereka dimaksudkan sebagai pujian atau pujian menampar? Ada tidak mengatakan dengan ibu saya."Gideon... tolong, saya mencoba. Saya katakan beberapa hal kepada Eva saya seharusnya tidak mempunyai, dan dia menjawab seperti setiap wanita di bawah keadaan. Aku hanya ingin untuk memuluskan hal." Ia membuat tangannya atas hati saya. "Saya senang untuk Anda, Gideon. Dan aku sangat senang melihat Anda dan Irlandia menghabiskan waktu bersama. Aku tahu itu berarti begitu banyak padanya. "Aku menarik tangannya pergi lembut. "Itu berarti banyak bagi saya, juga. Dan Eva dimungkinkan dengan cara saya tidak akan menjelaskan. Itulah salah satu alasan saya tidak akan memiliki dia marah. Jangan sekarang. Dia telah bekerja di pagi hari.""Mari kita membuat rencana untuk makan siang Minggu ini, kemudian. Atau makan malam.""Chris akan ada?" Eva bertanya melalui jendela sebelum mendorong pintu terbuka lagi dan melangkah keluar. Dia berdiri di sana, begitu kecil dan cerah terhadap raksasa gelap SUV, tangguh dalam cara bahunya yang ditetapkan.Istri saya akan melawan dunia bagi saya. Itu ajaib untuk mengetahui bahwa. Ketika tidak ada orang lain telah berjuang untuk saya, saya akan entah bagaimana menemukan satu jiwa yang akan.Ibuku bibir melengkung. "Tentu saja. Chris dan aku adalah tim."Saya mencatat kerapuhan senyumnya dan meragukan dia, seperti yang saya lakukan begitu sering. Namun, saya mengakui. "Kami akan membuat rencana. Panggilan Scott besok dan kita akan melakukan sesuatu."Ibuku wajah cerah. "Saya sangat senang. Terima kasih."Dia memelukku dan aku bersiap diri, kaku tubuh saya dengan kebutuhan untuk mengusirnya. Ketika ia mendekati Eva dengan tangan terentang, Eva mengulurkan tangannya antara mereka untuk menjabat sebagai gantinya. Interaksi adalah canggung, dengan kedua wanita begitu jelas pada defensif.Ibuku tidak ingin memperbaiki pagar; Dia ingin kesepakatan berpura-pura pagar adalah suara.Kami mengucapkan selamat tinggal, dan kemudian aku meluncur ke dalam kursi pengemudi. Eva dan saya mengambil off, meninggalkan warisan di belakang kami. Kami tidak pergi jauh ketika dia berkata, "ketika Apakah ibu Anda berbicara kepada Anda?"Sial. Aku tahu apa yang menandakan bahwa gigitan di nada.Mencapai atas, saya menetapkan tanganku pada lututnya. "Aku tidak ingin kau khawatir tentang ibu saya.""Anda tidak ingin aku khawatir tentang apa pun! Itu tidak dengan cara ini akan bekerja. Anda tidak bisa berurusan dengan semua omong kosong sendiri.""Apa yang ibuku mengatakan atau tidak tidak penting, Eva. Saya tidak peduli dan tidak harus Anda."Ia berputar di kursi menghadapi saya. "Anda perlu untuk mulai berbagi hal-hal. Terutama hal-hal yang harus dilakukan dengan saya, seperti ibu Anda mengatakan hal-hal di belakang punggung saya!""Saya tidak akan memiliki Anda mendapatkan marah atas pendapat tidak relevan." Jalan melengkung. Saya dipercepat dari giliran.“That would be better than me getting pissed off at you!” she snapped. “Pull over.”“What?” I glanced at her.“Pull the damn car over!”Cursing inwardly, I removed my hand from her leg and gripped the wheel. “Tell me why.”“Because I’m mad at you, and you’re sitting there looking all hot and sexy driving and you need to stop.”Amusement warred with exasperation. “Stop what? Looking hot and sexy? Or driving?”“Gideon … don’t push me right now.”Resigned, I eased off the gas and pulled to a stop on the narrow shoulder. “Better?”She got out of the car and went around the hood. I stepped out, giving her a questioning glance.“I’m driving,” she announced when she was standing in front of me. “At least until we get to the city.”“If that’s what you want.”I knew next to nothing about relationships, but it was a no-brainer to make concessions when your woman was mad at you. Especially when you entertained hopes of getting laid in a few hours, which I most definitely was. After spending the weekend with friends and Ireland, I was feeling a renewed need to show my wife just how much I appreciated her.“Don’t look at me like that,” she muttered.“Like what?” I raked her with a glance, admiring how pretty she looked in a strappy white sundress. The evening was hot and muggy, but she looked airy and fresh. I wanted to strip off my clothes and press up against her, cool off a little before heating things up.“Like I’m a ticking time bomb ready to go off!” Her arms crossed. “I am not being irrational.”“Angel, that’s not the look I’m giving you.”“And don’t try to distract me with sex,” she bit out, her jaw clenched. “Or you won’t get any for a week!”My arms crossed, too. “We’ve already talked about issuing ultimatums like that. You can bitch at me all you like, Eva, but I’ll have you when I want you. Period.”“Never mind whether I want you?”“Asks the wife who gets wet watching me drive a damn car,” I drawled.Her gaze narrowed. “I may just leave you here on the side of the road.”Clearly, I wasn’t navigating the situation well. So I switched tactics, taking the offensive position.“You don’t tell me everything,” I countered. “What about Kline? Has he completely stopped communicating with you since San Diego?”I’d been holding back the question all weekend, wondering how Kline was going to handle Eva.I was torn about how I wanted him to proceed. If he approached her about the tape he no longer possessed, it would hurt her but also drive her closer to me. If he walked away for her sake, it would betray deeper feelings for her than I was comfortable with. I hated that he wanted her, but I feared he might actually love her.She gasped. “Oh my God. Have you been looking at my phone again?”“No.” My reply was swift and decisive. “I know how you feel about that.”I followed her every move, knew where she was and who she was with at every moment of the day, but she’d set a hard limit with her cell phone and I honored it, even though it drove me crazy.Eva studied me a minute but must have seen the truth on my face. “Yes, Brett has sent me a few texts. I was going to talk to you about it, so don’t even try to say it’s the same thing. I totally intended to tell you. You had absolutely no intention of telling me.”A car rushed by on the road, turning my concern toward her safety. “Get in and drive. We’ll talk in the car.”I waited until she climbed into the seat, and then I shut the door behind her. By the time I settled in the passenger side, she’d adjusted the mirrors and seat to suit her and put the car in gear.The minute she was fully merged in the lane, she started in on me again. I was vaguely aware of her speaking, my attention more focused on the way she handled the Bentley. She drove fast and with confidence, her grip light and easy on the wheel. She kept her gaze on the road, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. My California girl. On an open road, she was fully in her element.I found myself pleasantly aroused by watching Eva handle the powerful SUV. Or maybe it was that she was chastising me, challenging me.“Are you listening to me?” she demanded.“Not really, angel. And before you get more riled, it’s entirely your fault. You’re sitting there looking hot and sexy, and I’m distracted.”Her hand whipped out and smacked my thigh. “Seriously? Stop cracking jokes!”“I’m not kidding. Eva … you want me to share, so you can support me. I get it. I’m working on it.”“Not hard enough apparently.”“I’m not going to share things that aggravate you unnecessarily. There’s no point.”“We have to be straight with each other, Gideon. Not just occasionally, but all the time.”“Really? I don’t expect the same from you. For example, feel free to keep all the unflattering comments your father and Cary make about me to yourself.”Her lips pursed. She chewed on that for a bit, then, “Using that logic, wouldn’t it be okay for me to not say anything about Brett?”“No. Kline impacts our relationship. My mother does not.”She snorted.“I’m right about this,” I said evenly.“Are you telling me that your mom talking crap about me doesn’t bother you?”“I don’t like it. That said, it doesn’t change how I feel about you or her. And telling you won’t change your feelings about her, either. Since the result is the same either way, I choose the path of least disruption.”“You’re thinking like a guy.”“I should hope so.” I reached over and brushed the hair off her shoulder. “Don’t let her cause trouble between us, angel. She’s not worth it.”Eva glanced at me. “You’re pretending that what your mom says and does has no effect on you, but I know that’s not true.”I debated denying it, just to shut down the topic, but my wife saw everything I’d rather hide. “I don’t let it affect me.”“But it does. It hurts and you push it into that place where you push everything you don’t want to deal with.”“Don’t analyze me,” I said tightly.Her hand touched my thigh. “I love you. I want to stop the pain.”“You already have.” I gripped her hand. “You’ve given me everything she took away. Don’t let her take any more.”With her eyes on the winding road, Eva lifted our joined hands and kissed my wedding band. “Point taken.”She gave me a quick smile that told me she was done-for now-and drove us home.