Part 39 (2/2)

”Gwyn-”

”No, let me finish. It's better if I get this out all at once. The time I was away in Denver, the time you left me the roses, I smelled perfume on my pillow that night. It wasn't mine, and I wasn't imagining it. I know you're going to deny it, but I need you to tell me the truth. If you've been having an affair with Sylvia Breslin, I need to know it. I have to a.s.sume that she was the one here the weekend I was gone, and that it was her perfume.”

”Wait, wait, no,” he said, bolting upright. ”No, she wasn't here. Sylvia has never been in this house. I swear to you.”

”Then how do you explain the perfume?”

”I don't know. I don't know. Let me think.” He walked back and forth, shaking his head and staring at the floor. Finally, he looked at me. ”You're absolutely sure about the perfume?”

”Absolutely.”

”G.o.d, why can't I remember? I was so tired that night. I fell asleep before you got home, and I was trying so hard to stay awake. I remember ... yeah. I put the roses in the vase, and then wrote you the note. It took me a while to get that note right. It turned out kind of funny, but romantic too. You liked it, right?”

”Yes.”

”I wanted it to be a nice evening for us. I couldn't wait for you to get home. I'd missed you, Gwyn. I arranged the flowers on the table, knew you'd see them as soon as you walked in, then I ...wait. Wait right there.” He ran for the stairs.

He returned carrying a small package wrapped in Christmas paper. ”Open this.”

I did. It was a bottle of spray cologne.

”Is that what you smelled?”

I sprayed it on my hand and sniffed it. I recognized the scent right away. ”Yes, I believe it is.”

”I bought it for you, Gwyn. I remember I sprayed it a couple times while I was wrapping some Christmas presents I'd bought for you. I wanted to make sure the thing worked. And I was sitting on the bed when I did it. It must have landed on the pillows. I fell asleep later and then you came home. You never mentioned it. If you'd said something back then I would have-”

”But what about Sylvia?”

He stiffened then, all seriousness. ”She's a business a.s.sociate, and that's all. I love you, Gwyn. Just you.”

Still, he hadn't denied it.

I waited for him to continue, not sure what I wanted to do. Finally, he spoke. ”I saw you that day in Aspen. I saw you with Josh, the day you were late for lunch.”

”Oh.”

”I saw you after I parked the car. I saw you go off with him.”

”But you didn't say anything.”

”Yes-I did. And you lied to me.”

”I ...”

”Gwyn, I thought you were seeing him again. I saw the way you looked at him. Then I realized that's why you wanted to go to Aspen in the first place, to meet up with him. You didn't want me along. I thought you were unhappy with me, with our marriage, that you were planning to leave.”

”No.”

”I know, but it's what I thought.”

I shook my head wearily. ”I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I made you think that. I should have told you. But I haven't been right. I've been so mixed up lately, for so long now. It wasn't fair to you.”

”About Sylvia. I suppose I used her ... to get your attention. She's an attractive woman. I could see you were jealous. I shouldn't have done that either, but I did. The truth is, you have nothing to worry about where she's concerned. Sylvia is an incredibly huge pain in the a.s.s. It's getting harder and harder for me just to be around her. In fact, I've asked Bob to intercede and keep the meetings with her as limited as possible until this project is finished. She doesn't mean anything to me. She never will.”

I leaned in and kissed him. ”Well, I'm sorry to say I don't think I'll ever be able to wear this perfume.”

He laughed, and I could see the relief wash over his face. I hadn't forced him to answer-not directly.

”Oh. Well I have much better gifts for you,” he said. ”Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until Christmas.”

”Not that far off.”

”No.”

His brow furrowed, and I could see he still had something on his mind. ”I know you were worried Sylvia might sue Josh,” he said, ”for causing the snowmobile accident. You can tell him from me, it won't happen. It was her fault. Sylvia used the brake. Something I said set her off and she decided to get off right then and there, and just reached up and grabbed it.”

”Oh. So that's what happened. Okay. I'll tell him.”

”And I'm okay about Josh now. I am.”

I nodded.

”There's one more thing you should know,” he said. ”I have a little secret. It wasn't my idea to keep it, but I did because my dad asked me to. I suppose you've noticed how I avoid saying much about him.”

”Yes, I've noticed.”

”Well, he asked me not to say anything unless I had to. He's embarra.s.sed. My father is in prison, in Pueblo.” He paused, waiting for a reaction from me.

”Go on.”

”He put together some dicey insurance scams. Finally, it caught up to him. He's due for a parole hearing soon. He's hoping. Those trips I take to Denver, well, sometimes I'm only going to visit Dad. Mom goes with me too sometimes. Dad still loves her, but she's all but given up on him. He says he's going to change, but even if he does, that no one will hire a jailbird. Maybe he's right. When he gets out I was thinking of giving him a job at the realty, get him sort of a start. He is a smart man, when he's not being stupid. What do you think? Do you think I should?”

”Yes, I don't see anything wrong with giving someone a second chance. After that ... well ... then they-”

”Then they deserve what they get. Is that what you were going to say?”

”Yes, something like that.”

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