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Us moving around all the time. Richard would never tell me exactly what was going on, but I knew I couldn’t continue living like that."
    "He sounds charming." Jerome said quietly. "I have to wonder why you married him to begin with."
    She reached for her bag and withdrew another cigarette. She took a moment to light it, but then forgot to smoke it. "He wasn’t like that when we first met. Granted, we hadn’t known each other very long. Our courtship was rather rushed, but it all seemed so romantic at the time."
    Jerome had become aware that an unfamiliar pain seemed to be gnawing at his insides. "How touching."
    Unconsciously she reached her hand toward him. "I’m so sorry that I got you into all this. You’ve got every reason in the world to be angry, but you can see why I didn’t want you to call the police, can’t you?"
    "I’m having trouble seeing a lot of this, Jennifer, especially that last part. If you’re afraid of your husband, the police can help you."
    "No." She shook her head vehemently. "Absolutely not. I don’t want my domestic problems paraded before a bunch of strangers. I got myself into this, and I’ll get myself out of it."
    One part of him admired her independent attitude. The other part of him, however, knew he was going to do everything in his power to change her mind.
    "How?"
    She shook her head. "I don’t know. Not right now. But I’ll figure it out."
    "Don’t you have any family or friends you can call or go to who might help you?" he asked while admitting to himself that regardless of her answer, he wanted to keep her with him.
    "No." All at once she seemed to remember the cigarette. The ash was almost half the length of it. She crushed it out.
    Suddenly he glanced at her left hand. "Where’s your wedding ring?"
    "I-in my purse. I took it off back at the bar and put it away." At his dark look she rushed on. "Jerome, I’ve got to ask you for another favor."
    He ran his hand around the back of his neck. "Ask."
    Jennifer gave an inward sigh. She hated having to do this, but her back was to the wall. "C-can I stay here for tonight? I’m exhausted. I need to rest, to try to think what to do next. I promise I won’t stay past tomorrow morning, and then I’ll be on my way. I’ll be no trouble."
    "Now, that I’ve got to see to believe," he bit out, unreasonably angry with himself for caring about her and angry with her for not caring about him.
    Jennifer realized that despite all of her explanations, he still thought the worst of her and she didn’t blame him one bit. Tears she had repressed for two long days and nights welled up in her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but found she no longer had the strength to resist them. The tears spilled down her cheeks.
    "Oh, hell," Jerome groaned, "don’t do that." He wasn’t even certain the tears were real, but he rose, went to her and took her into his arms, rocking her back and forth.
    "H-haven’t you ever seen a woman c-cry before?"
    "Sure." He dug into his pocket and produced his handkerchief for her. "Plenty of times."
    "Well, then my crying shouldn’t bother you," she retorted tearfully.
    "No," he agreed tersely. "It shouldn’t."
    She leaned her head back in the crook of his shoulder so that she could see him better through her tear-washed eyes. Being held against his broad chest, within the circle of his strong arms, was altogether too nice an experience. She couldn’t let herself get used to depending on it. "So then why?"
    He gave a laugh devoid of any humor. "I guess because they weren’t you."
    "What’s that supposed to mean?"
    "How the hell should I know? Oh, dammit. Look, Jennifer, you can stay here." He ran an unusually gentle hand over her hair. "As a matter of fact, I would have insisted even if you hadn’t asked. You’re right. You need to rest, and you’ll be safe here."
    "Thank you," she murmured, and wiped a few stray tears away. Forcing herself to push away from him, she promised, "I’ll do my best to keep