Partners In Crime. Alicia Scott

exchanged a look he’d seen too many times before. He abruptly set down his silverware. “Is it true everyone’s afraid to mention Marjorie’s name when I’m around?”

      Betty’s eyes widened. She looked at Ben for help.

      “Well, Jack,” he began in a careful, placating tone.

      “Oh, God, it is true. It’s been five years, Dad. I can handle it.”

      “She wasn’t right for you,” his mother said immediately. “I told you from the beginning that she wasn’t right. Anyone could tell just by looking at her that she had the morals of an alley cat.”

      Jack winced and pushed away his plate. He’d lied, after all. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

      His parents exchanged that look again. His ex-wife Marjorie had been a faithless bitch, there was no other word for it. She was the only mistake Jack had ever made, but boy, had it been a big one. He was the type of man who’d assumed he would marry only once. He would meet the perfect, kind, beautiful woman and be faithful forever. They’d raise two children, eat dinner together every night and hike on the weekends. Certainly, coming home early and finding his beautiful wife in bed with a muscle-bound rookie officer hadn’t been among his plans. Nor had he ever imagined the way she’d looked him right in the eye and said, “You deserved this Jack. You never could give me what I need.”

      The fancy town house, the luxury automobile, the role of the future mayor’s wife.

      Jack was good at many things, but he wasn’t good at forgiving, and he never quite forgot.

      “How about some after-dinner coffee?” his mother asked brightly. “Or would you like tea? I have jasmine, mint, English breakfast and chamomile. Or maybe you’d like some cognac, I think your father has cognac. Don’t you have cognac, Ben?”

      “Coffee would be perfect, Mom. Here, why don’t you sit for a change and let me help you.”

      “Oh, no, no. You just stay right there. I know where everything is, it will only be a minute. It’s not every day you come to see us. The least I can do is brew you some coffee.”

      Jack watched her bustle away, her movements nervous and jerky. When she pulled out the coffeepot it shook in her hands.

      “It’s all right,” Ben said softly beside him. “The blackout was tough for her, but she’s doing pretty well these days. Sleeping through the nights.”

      “That’s good.”

      “It has been five years since…since that woman,” Ben said abruptly. He always referred to Marjorie as simply “that woman.” “You made a mistake marrying her, Jack, but that’s all right. You were young and she was beautiful and had that effect on men. Now, Josie Reynolds… Mark my words, Jack, she’s special. Tough as nails, works harder than a dog and beautiful from the inside out. She’s who you need. A girl like that will really challenge you. Take her to the fund-raiser. Give dating a chance.”

      “Not you, too, Dad,” Jack groaned.

      “On some things, your mother is right.”

      Betty returned. She handed out the cups of coffee, then passed around the cream and sugar. They drank the coffee in silence, and as always, Betty’s gaze was on Tom’s chair.