“I can’t believe we’re doing this, Quinton.” Jillian looked across the seat at her husband as he pulled the luxury car onto the interstate.
“When you’re in business you have to move fast sometimes.”
She chuckled. “I guess you do, but I’m leaving home with a make-up case, my toothbrush and a nightgown and you say we’ll be gone for a week or more. That’s a little fast for me.”
“When you have a department store in every community at your disposal, why worry about packing clothes? You can get a new outfit every day.” He reached over and took her hand. “Besides, you could have left the gown at home. It’ll only end up on the floor anyway.”
“You’re incorrigible.” She blushed.
He squeezed her hand. “Thanks for coming with me.”
“It wasn’t a hard choice. It was either come with you, or stay alone in that big old house for a week.”
Though he was still trying to absorb what John had told him, he couldn’t help smiling. Jillian had been the perfect choice for a wife. He never expected it to turn out as well as it had. Not only was she kind and pleasant to be around, she made him feel as if she really cared. He hoped she wasn’t falling in love with him, because he didn’t want to hurt her. When women loved him, bad things happened to them. His mother died racing her car to the school because he’d gotten into trouble with the head master. His first wife died giving birth to a son he’d planted in her. A son he’d wanted more than anything. Quinton didn’t want another good woman to die because he wasn’t worthy of her love.
“Where are we going?” Jillian’s question cut into his thoughts.
“Chattanooga. It’s a good drive, but I want to make it tonight. Are you tired?”
“I’m fine. I was just wondering why you decided to drive a car instead of having Calvin take us.”
“We’re going to be hopping from town to town. I thought it would be better if we had our own car.”
“I see.”
They fell quiet and Quinton glanced at her again. She looked serene as she watched the night from the windshield. It dawned on him that this woman trusted him. She’d given her word, and then she’d given herself to him, and she wasn’t about to go back on her promise. How could she be so trusting? She deserved a better man than he was. He knew he could give her every material possession she could dream of, but he couldn’t give her the one thing a woman like her needed. Jillian deserved to be loved. Really loved. Not used as a tool to save a man’s business. Not used as a pawn to fill his physical need. Not even used as a means to have a satisfactory married life. Quinton knew he might be worth millions and millions of dollars, but Jillian was worth so much more.
Without saying anything he lifted her hand and held it to his lips. She smiled at him and Quinton smiled back. He couldn’t help it. Jillian had a way about her that made him do things he didn’t know he was going to do.
* * * *
When John Von Cannon got home, Marilyn met him at the door. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“A woman has been calling here since you left. Said her name was Maddie Jones and she had to talk to you right away.”
“Okay. I’ll give her a call.”
“Now, I’m going to ask you the same question you asked me. What’s going on?”
“Nothing for you to worry about, my dear.”
“Don’t hand me that bull! I’ve been married to you for twenty-five years. I know when you’re up to something.”
“How can you say that?”
She followed him into his den. “I can say it because it’s true.”
“Marilyn, I need to make this call to Ms. Jones. Would you excuse me?” He put his hand on her back to ease her out the door.
“I don’t usually interfere in your business, John, but this time I think I’m justified.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because Ms. Jones told me if you didn’t call her back tonight your client Quinton Kincade would be sorry.”
John bit his lip. “How could Quinton be involved with this woman? I’ve never heard of her.”
“You know Quinton. She’s probably some little tart he’s been screwing, and now she wants to blackmail him or something.”
“Why in the world would you think that of Quinton?”
“Don’t pretend to be innocent with me, John. It only took one introduction for me to realize Quinton has married a wonderful, but naive woman. Maybe this little number sees that Quinton might really be in love this time, and she wants to be sure her purse strings aren’t drying up.”
John stared at Marilyn. “So that’s what you have figured out about Jillian without knowing anything about her.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“A woman knows.” She smiled a sad little smile at her husband. “I know a lot of things you don’t know I know, John. I know when you have a little dalliance on the side. You always feel guilty so you bring home a bobble. I have quite a nice jewelry collection to prove it.”
“Marilyn, I’ve never—”
“Come off it. I know you cheat on me, and everyone in town knows how Quinton Kincade is. He’s slept with more women than any man I know. A lot of his sexual dalliances are with wives of our friends.”
John couldn’t believe his ears. “How do you know this?”
“Women talk. Gossip spreads. Some of it isn’t true, but some is. I could give you names.” She smiled at her husband. “I hear from some sources that Quinton is a wonderful lover.”
“How would you know that?” John was stunned.
She raised her eyebrow, but said nothing.
John crossed the floor and took her arm. “Has that son-of-a-bitch taken you to bed?”
“Would you care if he had?”
“You’re damn right, I’d care.”
She jerked her arm away and snapped, “Well rest easy. He hasn’t. Not that I haven’t thought about asking him to.”
“Marilyn!” His anger had raised enough to make him shout her name.
“I’m sorry, John, but you husbands need to wake up and look around. Things at home are not at all what you idiots think they are. Do you honestly believe the women sit around having their tea parties and wait for their husbands to come home and bless them with their presence and a little sex now and then? If you do, you’re stupid. Women have wants and needs, too. I have them myself and I’m sick of you caring more about your client, Quinton Kincade, than you do about me.”
“I don’t—”
“Then why did you rush out of here to go see him when I told you I had a special dinner planned for the two of us tonight?”
“I told you I’d be back.”
“I know you did and yes, you are back, but that doesn’t make up for it.”
“Make up for what?”
“Damn it, John Von Cannon. Today was my forty-fifth birthday and you forgot all about it.” She burst into tears. “You don’t give a damn about me or my feelings.”
John started toward her and the phone rang. He turned to answer it and Marilyn fled the room.
* * * *
“Damn it, John Von Cannon,” a second woman said to him within the last sixty seconds. “The police came here to talk to me. Somebody better do something to help me. I don’t know what to do, and I can’t get in touch with Quinton. He won’t answer his phone.”
“Calm down, Maddie. Everything is going to be fine.” He was still staring at the door Marilyn slammed so hard it jarred back open. For the first time in a long time, John Von Cannon didn’t know what to say or do.