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Jacqueline was ah to believe that"More power to your aunt Frieda," she said

"No, Mo up at her intently "The power is yours, too And you can use it as you wish"

Her daughter-in-laords still rang in her e and entered the dark and silent house Martha had left a chef’s salad in the refrigerator for her dinner; she sat down at the kitchen table and nibbled at it, but she didn’t have much appetite The house seemed full of little sounds Creaks and moans They only emphasized the emptiness of the place, and she put on soave up, deciding to have a bath earlier than usual After her bath, she generally went to bed to read--and to listen for Reese So hied that she waited for hi in the middle of her bedroom

Despite all her husband’s years of infidelity, the pain was al At this very moment, he ith another wo to continue, accepted it as if it were norer She couldn’t and she wouldn’t!

Half-undressed, the bathwater running in the tub, she walked into the kitchen, each step filled with righteous indignation She jerked open a drawer and reached for the country club directory Tossing it on the kitchen counter, she searched for Allan Anderson’s nuood friends for years, and he was the best divorce attorney in town Once he got his hands on this case, her husband would pay dearly for what he’d done to her and to their lives

All at once, the virtuous anger left her and she closed the directory, but her hand lingered there

Dear God in heaven, as she thinking? She didn’t want a divorce, she wanted her husband She wanted Reese!

Somehow, some way, she’d have to win hihts, she walked into the bathrooe of the tub, she pressed her fingers to her tee door closing startled her Jacqueline stood, her heart pounding at a furious pace It couldn’t possibly be Reese Not this early He was rarely home before nine

"Reese, is that you?" she called out, then silently chastised herself Who else could it be? A burglar wasn’t likely to announce his arrival

"I’ on her robe, Jacqueline ca at the kitchen counter, sorting through the mail He seee, Jacqueline didn’t know, but she stepped boldly forward

Reese casually glanced up "Yes?"

"It’s over I want that understood here and noon’t put up with this any longer"

He blinked and stared at her Thankfully he didn’twhat she meant

"I won’t," she repeated

He continued to stare, his expression incredulous

"First of all," she went on, "it’s de to me as your wife I’ve looked the other way for the last tiain I tried to pretend it doesn’t ed to convince myself--but it does ItIf she didn’t finish this nohile she had the courage, she ht not have another chance "I’ve never been the kind of wife to issue ulti it now Whoever she is, get rid of her I don’t care what it costs I want her out of your life and mine"

Reese shook his head, apparently speechless

"I won’t allow our grandchildren to grow up seeingas possibly thebarefoot in the , Reese went back to sorting the h herbreath Since she’d coo for broke "There’s nity as she could muster

"More?"

She nodded and stepped closer "As a reat deal more I happen to love you, Reese I don’t knoent wrong between us and…and whatever it was, I share the blame But I’m lonely, Reese, and I want you back in ht For one crazy ined herself as Tammie Lee’s Aunt Frieda She propped one hand on her hip, jutted out her shoulder and lowered her voice to a husky whisper "I promise I’ll be all the woman you’ll ever need"

The look in her husband’s eyes was beyond description as he dropped the hed in a way she hoped sounded sexy and sensuous "Don’t take my word for it Coed, his face so cohed out loud

"Jacquie?" He reached for her then, and when his mouth covered hers, it ith the same openmouthed passion they’d experienced in their twenties In the later years of their e, before he’dhad become staid and controlled Not now Reese all but ruined her robe in his eagerness to undress her

When they stuling like teenagers Their love The only sounds to be heard were their hs

After they’d finished, Jacqueline lay cradled in her husband’s arms, her eyes moist as she listened to the solid, even beat of Reese’s heart There was so much that needed to be said, but in the contentment of the mo this ti else, Jacqueline would have this one night with her husband to remind her that she was very much alive and every inch a woman