Page 14 (1/2)

She had ignored the rumors about her husband She had accepted his declaration that it was all in the past and hid fro as she could Perhaps if she hadn’t sensed the reason behind Mac’s broodiness lately, then it wouldn’t have come to this Or if she had let hi she didn’t want, then she could have avoided it

Unconsciously, Keiley wondered if she hadn’t pushed him because she was too curious about it Because she had sensed the need rising inside hi

It was going to happen She had known last night as Jethro’s lips had touched hers that it would happen She was going to allow her husband’s best friend to become a third in their bed

She was insane Mac was insane

Unfortunately, insanity wasn’t contagious, so she couldn’t blaroo no And Mac would accept it He ht fantasize about it, but he would have accepted it

So asn’t she doing it?

Because she wanted all of her husband Because she was curious herself Because she was honest enough with herself to admit that she had fantasized about it much too often herself in the past three years

Fantasy and reality weren’t e, to her dreams, if she allowed this to happen?

That was her fear That soe that ripped the steering wheel tighter as she made the turn onto the county road and headed to town She had too ht now If she didn’t get her head on straight, then everyone at the e

The last thing she needed right noas to allow that bunch of gossiping women to find out there was some kind of stress in her life other than them From the day she had moved to Halifax County with Mac, she had sensed the keen interest of the community that had taken notice of her Especially Delia Staten That wo that would hurt her and Mac

Keiley wasn’t the type to hide from society She had immediately joined the business coanization that seemed to oversee all the various charity needs in the county

Every preacher’s wife and deacon’s daughter seeh not all had joined the su to was comprised of a little over a dozen women and headed by Victoria Leia Staten, one of the matriarchs of the county

The committee board was headed by Mrs Staten and included five other influential women There wasn’t a woman under fifty on the cohter-in-law, Delia, and their combined censure had the power to ostracize anyone from within their ranks and those of the cos Keiley had had a hard ti when she first joined the charity committee Those six women had an incredible amount of influence on both the social as well as the business comental, they could nevertheless make it extremely difficult for anyone whose business interests were based solely within Halifax County

Not for the first time, Keiley was thankful that her and Mac’s financial solvency wasn’t dependent on the county She was on the outside of that little group the way it was The interloper, so to speak The last thing she needed was to have those wo was being held in the Staten mansion just outside Scotland Neck The three-story plantation-style holory decades before and stood on a hill overlooking the town like a silent sentinel

Keiley parked her car behind the dark blue Mercedes driven by one of the feomen Keiley had beco the stone sidewalk alongside the driveway that led to the side of the athered before the ht detached herself froroup of wo back to their conversation

Maxine was a powerhouse of energy Five feet six inches tall with flareen eyes The wife of the ht He was also quiet, thoughtful, and seemed to adore the cheerful, effervescent woeous" Keiley saze went over the chocolate-colored linen dress her friend wore

Max’s vivid red hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, the corkscrew curls trailing halfway down her back froled her brows as she caught Keiley’s arardens "I had to take it back off and iron it before I ever made it out of the house"

Keiley barely restrained her surprised laughter Unrestrained sex and Joseph Bright didn’t seeo hand in hand

"Lucky wo before I even woke up"

"And his friend who’s visiting?" Max whispered "Was he working, too?"

"Dahed "He just showed up yesterday"

"I hear he drives a flashy bright red Mustang and wears rin and muscles a woman would drool over"

Keiley arched her brow as she accepted a glass of sweet iced tea from one of the housemaids

"What did he do? Stop and pose for the masses on his way in?" She chuckled

Max snickered at the ie as well "I heard all about hiarden this afternoon Everyone was certain I’d know all the best gossip where you’re concerned You didn’t tell ood-naturedly

"Even I didn’t knoas showing up until the day before yesterday" She shook her head at how quickly news had reach the group that she and Mac had coinia We haven’t seen hi"