Old Flames Never Die (Valentine Mystery) Read Free Page B

again. Better than normal. I don't want to lose that, Tess.”
    She rubbed her hands over her face and
then looked to him. “So why are you telling me this now?”
    “I told you…”
    “Why now? Why not before we went to
dinner?”
    Jack gave her a sheepish expression. “I
thought I wouldn't tell you ever. I didn't think it would matter. I told myself
it wasn't the same type of betrayal you experienced.”
    “Cheating is ch—”
    “I know that. I was just trying to avoid
it. But then, tonight in the car, you told me you weren't jealous. I realized I
had the trust I thought you were denying me, but I didn't deserve it. I had to
come clean and hope you'd forgive me for not telling you sooner or for doing it
at all.”
    “I would have never thought you'd do
something like that.”
    “I'm not perfect.”
    The tightness in her chest that had been
loosening began to burn. “What does perfect have to do with it? Since when does
decency require perfection? There has to be millions of non-perfect people
who've never been involved in infidelity.”
    “I made mistakes because I didn't handle
my mother's death very well. But I am decent, Tess. Since we have known each
other, I have never done anything to make you question my feelings for you,
have I?”
    She shook her head. It was true. In
fact, of the two of them, she was the one who'd always put a wrench in their
relationship.
    “I will never betray you. You have my
word.”
    “This is not a little thing, Jack. I
wasn't just angry at Brad when I caught him cheating. I was angry at the other
man. They both knew he was engaged, but slept together anyway.
    “I know. I was hurting and alone and
pissed off at the world. I didn't care about me or Liv and certainly not
Charles. She was hurting too. If she wasn't separated, it probably wouldn't
have happened.”
    “Probably?”
    “Jesus, Tess, I don't know. I only know
that at the time her separation was the reason I decided it was okay. She told
me she was going to file for divorce. If I didn't care about other people's
commitments, I would have tried to seduce you when you were with Brad. I may
have made a bad choice, but I believed Liv and Charles were over. “
    “But she didn't leave him.”
    “I don't know if she did or not. We were
over about as quickly as it started. They must have reconciled, but I don't
know what he knew or if he knew. I'm not like that now. I've got myself
together. I'm happier than ever and that's because of you.”
    She stood, watching him, wanting to
believe him.  A part of her did believe him, at least the part about his love
for her. But if he could be a part of infidelity once, didn't that mean he
could do it again?
    “Tell me you believe me. I made a
mistake once in a horrible time in my life. You aren't really going to make me
pay for that, are you?”
    “It's not a matter of punishing you,
Jack. It's a matter of trusting you.”
    He stood then, walked to her. “You know
all my secrets, my demons. I've been honest with you, Tess.”
    He stood close, but didn't touch her. He
was waiting for her to make a move. She could see the uncertainty in his eyes,
as if he knew that she could just as easily move away as toward him. She had to
give him credit. He could have kept the secret to himself or at least not
highlighted Liv's marital status. By showing his past mistake, he was trying to
tell her he could be trusted.
    A little tinge of guilt crept into her
gut. “Since you've been honest with me, I should probably tell you something
I've been keeping from you.”
    His eyes narrowed and he looked like he
wasn't sure if he should be worried or annoyed. “Okay.”
    “I think Liv killed her husband.”
    Jack couldn't have been more surprised. “She
has an alibi.”
    “I know.”
    Confused, he asked, “So why would you
think she killed her husband?”
    “She acts like a woman who needs an
alibi.”
    “Turns out she did need one,” he pointed
out.
    She blew out a breath. “The only