ridiculous thing she had ever heard. “I would never leave Bobby. It’s a good marriage, Jenny.”
Jennifer’s heart sank as she bit back a retort. Instead she nodded, trying to smile. “I’m sure it is,” she managed. “But I do have to go now. My sister’s waiting.”
“You’ll be at the reunion, though, right? Later this afternoon and tonight?”
Jennifer grinned a little, already dreading the rest of the day. “I imagine so.”
“And perhaps you’ll meet me here again? Later?”
Jennifer noted something near desperation in her voice, and she frowned, as confused as ever. She conŹsidered the shorter woman with mixed emotions. She wanted to say no, but she wasn’t sure that she would be able to stay away.
“Perhaps,” she finally sighed, before allowing herŹself the luxury of stepping into Sheila’s arms once more. She breathed deeply, trying to commit to memory the smell of Sheila’s hair and the way the curves of Sheila’s body pressed against her own.
Chapter 7
Ten years earlier, Jennifer would have walked back into her sister’s house without ever letting on that something had just happened between her and Sheila. After all, she had done it nearly every day for years. But now was different. She’d developed a conŹscience over the years. She felt guilty. And foolish. And completely duped. Besides, she didn’t really think for a minute that Sally would believe that the wet spot on the thigh of her jeans was from spilled coffee.
Sheepishly, she sneaked back into the house, meetŹing Allison’s reproachful eyes first. “Hey, Allison. What’s up?”
The little girl threw her a wide-eyed look and retreated quickly to the kitchen.
“Great,” Jen mumbled, then took a deep breath and followed her niece to where she knew her sister would be waiting.
“Hi. Did you have fun?” Sally had just finished the breakfast dishes and was wiping her hands on a dish towel.
“Not exactly.”
“Jeffer!” Tommy squealed with delight and left his blue-and-yellow dump truck on the floor in his haste to greet her. Jen scooped him up and gave him a quick hug. His unexpected display of affection threatened the already fragile grip she had on her emotions. She pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table. Tommy lasted all of ten seconds on her knee before squirming to get back to his truck.
“Where’s Jim?”
“He’s at the office.”
“On Saturday?”
“Almost every Saturday.”
Jen noted her sister’s resigned shrug with a pang. Perhaps her sister’s life wasn’t as idyllic as she had thought. Allison had found her mother’s leg, and was peering out at Jen with unblinking eyes.
“Don’t change the subject.” Sally’s lips were pulled down in a frown. “What happened?”
Guilt, heartache, anger, and frustration all battled across Jen’s features, each emotion struggling to dominate. She was cracking, nearly unable to contain herself. She glanced at Tommy, then at Allison, all too aware of the differences between herself and her sister. How could she be honest? And how could she have such a frank discussion in front of the kids?
As if reading her sister’s thoughts, Sally placed a comforting hand on her daughter’s head before sugŹgesting that Allison go get her Barbie dolls. “You can play here on the floor with Tommy while I talk with your aunt.” Allison nodded before bounding from the room.
“So spill it.” Sally settled herself in a chair at the table.
Embarrassed beyond belief, Jennifer let the words slip out quietly. “She seduced me.”
“What?” Clearly, the thought had never even occurred to Sally.
“It’s not like I didn’t know what she wanted.” Angry with herself, she caught the look of shock on her sister’s face and tried to backpedal. “Sheila and I were lovers. For years.”
Allison wandered back into the kitchen, dolls in hand, and began to play on the floor beside them. Sally threw a cursory glance at her children before turning back to
Jennifer’s heart sank as she bit back a retort. Instead she nodded, trying to smile. “I’m sure it is,” she managed. “But I do have to go now. My sister’s waiting.”
“You’ll be at the reunion, though, right? Later this afternoon and tonight?”
Jennifer grinned a little, already dreading the rest of the day. “I imagine so.”
“And perhaps you’ll meet me here again? Later?”
Jennifer noted something near desperation in her voice, and she frowned, as confused as ever. She conŹsidered the shorter woman with mixed emotions. She wanted to say no, but she wasn’t sure that she would be able to stay away.
“Perhaps,” she finally sighed, before allowing herŹself the luxury of stepping into Sheila’s arms once more. She breathed deeply, trying to commit to memory the smell of Sheila’s hair and the way the curves of Sheila’s body pressed against her own.
Chapter 7
Ten years earlier, Jennifer would have walked back into her sister’s house without ever letting on that something had just happened between her and Sheila. After all, she had done it nearly every day for years. But now was different. She’d developed a conŹscience over the years. She felt guilty. And foolish. And completely duped. Besides, she didn’t really think for a minute that Sally would believe that the wet spot on the thigh of her jeans was from spilled coffee.
Sheepishly, she sneaked back into the house, meetŹing Allison’s reproachful eyes first. “Hey, Allison. What’s up?”
The little girl threw her a wide-eyed look and retreated quickly to the kitchen.
“Great,” Jen mumbled, then took a deep breath and followed her niece to where she knew her sister would be waiting.
“Hi. Did you have fun?” Sally had just finished the breakfast dishes and was wiping her hands on a dish towel.
“Not exactly.”
“Jeffer!” Tommy squealed with delight and left his blue-and-yellow dump truck on the floor in his haste to greet her. Jen scooped him up and gave him a quick hug. His unexpected display of affection threatened the already fragile grip she had on her emotions. She pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table. Tommy lasted all of ten seconds on her knee before squirming to get back to his truck.
“Where’s Jim?”
“He’s at the office.”
“On Saturday?”
“Almost every Saturday.”
Jen noted her sister’s resigned shrug with a pang. Perhaps her sister’s life wasn’t as idyllic as she had thought. Allison had found her mother’s leg, and was peering out at Jen with unblinking eyes.
“Don’t change the subject.” Sally’s lips were pulled down in a frown. “What happened?”
Guilt, heartache, anger, and frustration all battled across Jen’s features, each emotion struggling to dominate. She was cracking, nearly unable to contain herself. She glanced at Tommy, then at Allison, all too aware of the differences between herself and her sister. How could she be honest? And how could she have such a frank discussion in front of the kids?
As if reading her sister’s thoughts, Sally placed a comforting hand on her daughter’s head before sugŹgesting that Allison go get her Barbie dolls. “You can play here on the floor with Tommy while I talk with your aunt.” Allison nodded before bounding from the room.
“So spill it.” Sally settled herself in a chair at the table.
Embarrassed beyond belief, Jennifer let the words slip out quietly. “She seduced me.”
“What?” Clearly, the thought had never even occurred to Sally.
“It’s not like I didn’t know what she wanted.” Angry with herself, she caught the look of shock on her sister’s face and tried to backpedal. “Sheila and I were lovers. For years.”
Allison wandered back into the kitchen, dolls in hand, and began to play on the floor beside them. Sally threw a cursory glance at her children before turning back to
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