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dignity, too. No one else in her circle of acquaintances had to live with the shame of having a spouse in prison. It would've been bad enough had he been accused of embezzling or some other white-collar crime. But attempted rape reflected on her as much as it did him. The experts claimed it was about power, not sex--God, how many times had she heard that?--but it still held a stigma, made her seem incapable of satisfying her man. If he's getting what he needs at home, why does he have to look elsewhere? No one had actually asked her that, but she could tell by the way they watched her that they wondered.
    She wished they could see her with Noah. Much taller than his brother, Noah had a construction business that kept him in great physical shape, and he couldn't wait to get his hands on her.
    Not that she felt good about what they were doing. Her zealously religious aunt, who'd finished raising her when her own parents were killed in an automobile accident, was probably rolling over in her grave. Besides, Jane loved her sister-in-law and Oliver's parents, all of whom would be hurt if they knew.
    Covering the mouthpiece, Noah motioned to her, as if to ask, What the hell am I going to tell him?
    Desperate for an immediate response, she resorted to the excuse she'd given her mother-in-law when Betty Burke had visited unexpectedly last week and found Noah standing in the kitchen. "Tell him my toilet's stopped up and you came over to take care of it," she murmured. "He knows you help me occasionally. He's grateful."
    He rolled his eyes at "grateful," and hung his head, which tempted her to take the phone. Sometimes Noah's guilt weighed on him even more heavily than Jane's weighed on her. She feared it might drag the truth out of him someday. But Oliver had no doubt heard Noah's voice. It'd seem odd if he didn't say a few words before putting her on the line.
    Sending her a helpless glance, Noah rubbed his left temple as he spoke into the receiver. "Yes.. .that's right, it's me. How are you?.. .Fine.
    What's been happening down there since my last visit?.. .No kidding? I'm glad you're getting out.. .Sorry I didn't come more often this past year.. .I know. Business has been crazy.. .Still, I should've found the time...."
    Jane got up and crossed the room to sit at Noah's feet, oddly tempted to moan or make some other noise that would give them away. Oliver deserved the pain that knowing about their involvement would bring. If he hadn't allowed Skye Kellerman to lure him to her house, they wouldn't be where they were now.
    But Jane knew she'd never tell him or anyone else about Noah. She 36

    couldn't. Letting that secret out would destroy too many relationships, impact too many lives--including her daughter's. Then there was Wendy.
    Jane didn't want to repay her sister-in-law's many kindnesses by revealing such a betrayal.
    "So you'll have a parole officer for a few years?" Noah was saying.
    "What'11 that be like?"
    Jane imagined her and Noah in the room from a bird's-eye perspective and was sickened by what she saw. She, who'd once been a model wife and mother, was having sex with her husband's older brother. She was a terrible person....
    "Mom and Dad are looking forward to seeing you, too." Noah gave her a sad smile. Maybe that was why she was so addicted to him. He treated her as if she was important, a priority. As if her feelings mattered. Besides, the affair wasn't all her fault. She wouldn't have fallen in love with Noah if he hadn't come over so often, trying to help her with the house and with Kate. Oliver had left her drowning in a sea of pain and loss, and she'd been grabbing for something, anything to cling to until she could right her world.
    "Too bad about the dental practice. You'll find something else, though," he said as he played with a few strands of her hair. "You bet. We'll get together as soon as you're home. Okay, here's Jane."
    Relinquishing the phone, he covered his face with his hands and dropped his head