A Kept Woman

“Let me guess.” He turned to study her, then removed the dark glasses. “An SL500 convertible.” He glanced at the fancy buttons that adorned her blouse. “Silver, with a set of chrome twenties.” When she crossed her arms, his lips tilted in a barely there smile. “What can I say? It’s a gift.”

Natalie shifted in her seat. The fact that he’d just described her last car, right down to the custom, twenty-inch wheels, set her on edge. What else had he figured out about her? “David didn’t buy it for me. It was leased.”

“Meaning what? That you got a new convertible every couple years?” He chuckled and crossed the intersection. “I think I’ll outfit you in a rusty old Pinto.”

She refused to laugh, to appreciate his sardonic sense of humor. “And I think I’ll outfit you with my fist up your nose.”

He had the gall to grin. “Now that I’d like to see.”

Me, too, she thought, as they arrived at the college.

Five minutes later, Natalie walked beside him, impressed by the spectacular view. NIC’s main campus was located on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene and the Spokane River. “This is nice.”

“The tuition is affordable, too.” He glanced her way. “Do you want to find a shady spot and look through that catalog?”

She agreed, even though she hadn’t realized that she’d brought the class schedule with her. Silent, they headed toward the nearest shore. The weather was warm, the breeze light and clean. The water stretched for what seemed like an eternity.

He chose a patch of grass beneath a tree. Overall, the campus was quiet, but she assumed summer sessions drew less students. She sat on the ground next to Zack, wondering if he ever picnicked by the lake. The last outdoor activity Natalie had planned had been on the day of the murder, the day David had destroyed her.

Zack moved closer. “Let’s take a look.”

Caught off guard, she opened the catalog. Suddenly she could smell his cologne, a musky scent mingling with the elements.

“How about this?” He pointed to a workshop geared for writing a business plan. “And this?” A financial strategies course.

Natalie turned the next page. “All of these classes seem important,” she said, hoping and praying she could pull this off. In her mind’s eye, she could see the boutique she intended to open. She’d dreamed up every detail, yet deep down she was afraid of failing, of discovering that she’d gotten in over her head. “Did you go to college?”

He nodded. “I have a degree in criminal justice.”

“Oh.” Did she think a WITSEC inspector would be uneducated? Someone she could relate to? “How old are you?”

“Forty.”

She studied his profile. He was the same age as David, but David covered the gray in his hair and worried about the crow’s-feet that had begun to form at the corners of his eyes.

Zack leaned into her, his shoulder brushing hers. “They must have a training program of some sort. A group of classes—” He flipped through the catalog. “And here it is. Check this out. Twelve three-hour sessions on Wednesday nights, with just about every course you’ll need.”

She read the program outline. It did look promising. “The first class starts next month.”

“That’s perfect, don’t you think? You’ll have some time to settle in before you start school.”

Touched by his enthusiasm, her heart made a girlish leap. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had supported her endeavors. He lifted his head to look at her, and she realized how close their faces were.

Close enough to kiss.

When she lowered her gaze to his mouth, he scooted back, and a blast of shame nailed her straight in the chest. He handed her the catalog, and she summoned the courage to ask the dreaded question. “Are you married, Zack?”

“What? No.” He flinched, then frowned at her, an expression that made him seem tougher than he already was. “I’m divorced.”

“Recently?”

“It’s been four years.”

“Was it a bitter separation?” she asked, a bit too curious for her own good.

“Bitter?” His frown deepened. “Are you kidding? It was friendly as hell. Especially after I threatened to shoot her lover’s balls off.”

Natalie nearly swallowed her tongue. “She cheated on you?”

His gaze locked on to hers. “It happens.”

The way it had happened between her and David? Was Zack comparing his situation to hers? Blaming her for being the other woman? Did he empathize with Ellen Halloway?

Natalie tore at a blade of grass. Surely Zack knew that David’s wife was responsible for putting a hit on her. Ellen had forgiven her husband, but she wasn’t about to forgive Natalie for turning him over to the police. Or for occupying his bed.

Should she explain? Try to make Zack understand?

She gazed at the lake, at a boat bobbing in the distance. “I didn’t know David was married. Not at first. When he talked about having family commitments, I thought he meant the West Coast Family. He never mentioned Ellen. Or his children.”

“What did you do when you found out?”

“I left him.”

He gave her a startled stare. “You did?”

“I called an old friend and started sleeping on her couch. Then I pounded the pavement for a job. I didn’t have any skills, but I knew I could work at a clothing store. I’ve always had a good sense of style.”

“So that’s when you worked in retail? I thought it was before you met Halloway.”

“No, it was after.”

“For all the good it did.” Zack reached for a cigarette, then cursed when his lighter wouldn’t ignite. “You went back to him. When things got tough, you quit your job and took the easy way out.”

“None of it was easy.” She fidgeted with the catalog on her lap. “But yes, I went back to David.”

“Even though he was still married?”

“He told me that he was going to leave Ellen someday. When his children were older, when he could avoid a messy divorce.”

“And you bought that? A smart lady like you? Sounds like you were making excuses to stay with him. To hold on to that lifestyle.”

“Does it?” She glanced away, hurt by his unwillingness to believe her. And afraid, so deathly afraid, that he could be right.

Three

After Zack and Natalie left NIC, he took her to a furniture store, and now he stood in the middle of a mock living room, wondering what had come over him. He’d just met Natalie yesterday, and today he’d told her about his divorce. He’d admitted, without the slightest reserve, that his wife had boffed another man.

“What do you think of this?” she asked.