“If you had objections to Griffin building this retreat for me, why did you not tell him when he first mentioned it to you?”

“And sound like a jealous wife?” Nic chuckled sarcastically. “I know that everything Griff has, he has because of you. You and Sanders. Even his life. I know that all his billions were rightfully yours. So if you want or need something from Griff, he’s in no position to refuse you, is he?”

“Griffin should have told me that you were unhappy with my living here. But I assumed that since Sanders lives in the house with you, you would have no objections to my living a mile away.”

“Sanders may know my husband better than I do, just as you do, but he isn’t a beautiful woman. Griff isn’t in love with Sanders.”

“And Griffin is not now nor ever has been in love with me,” Yvette said with absolute certainty. “He is very much in love with you.”

Damn it, don’t you dare cry.

“I want to believe you. I’ve tried to believe what you’re telling me is the truth, but…When a man’s allegiance to one woman supersedes his allegiance to another-to his wife-then a person has to question the reason why.”

“This is my fault entirely. Please, Nicole, forgive me. Do not blame Griffin. Because of what happened in the past, because of the horrors Griffin and Sanders and I shared, we have a bond that I realize no one else truly understands. But that bond in no way is a threat to your marriage.”

“You’re wrong. Whatever secrets Griff has not shared with me do pose a threat to our marriage.”

“When Griffin returns home, you must speak to him and make him understand how you feel. But you must be prepared for whatever he chooses to share with you.”

“Will he admit that the two of you were once lovers?”

“No. We were never lovers. I swear this to you.”

God, how she wanted to believe that was true. But if the dark secret that Griff wouldn’t share with her was not that he and Yvette had been lovers, then what was it?

“Would you like a tour of the retreat?” Yvette asked as she led Nic out of her office and back into the hall. “If you will come back in the morning, I will give you the grand tour, and I will introduce you to my students.”

“Yes, I’d like that. What time should I come back in the morning?”

“Is ten o’clock suitable for you?”

“That’s fine.”

“And from this moment on, there will be no more secrets about the retreat. You and I must learn to trust each other more completely. I should have shared everything about my plans with you. As Griffin’s wife, you had every right to be included.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“I believed we were friends, but I see now that I have not earned your trust and friendship. I will work harder to be a better friend.”

“Good night. I’ll see you in the morning.

Yvette nodded.

Nic hurried ahead, not waiting for Yvette to escort her to the door. She had gotten what she came for, at least partially. And in a few days, when Griff came home, she would demand the complete truth from him. She needed to know more about his past. She needed to know his deepest, darkest secret.

As soon as they placed their order-fried catfish, hush puppies, steak fries, slaw and a pitcher of beer-Cathy relaxed for the first time since Mike Birkett had shown up at Treasures this afternoon. She looked across the table at the man who had whisked her off the sidewalk and run away with her. For half a minute she felt seventeen again, seventeen and doing something frighteningly sinful.

“You’re smiling,” Jack said.

“Am I?”

“You should run away more often. It seems to agree with you.”

“Mother would say that I acted irresponsibly, and I suppose, in this case, she might be right. No one knows where I am, and I’m sure they’re all worried sick wondering if I jumped off the Spring Creek Bridge.”

Jack removed his phone from the belt clip and handed it to her. “Call somebody and tell them you’re okay.”

She stared at the iPhone in the palm of his big hand. After hesitating for a moment, she took the phone and punched in Lorie’s number. Lorie answered on the second ring.

Apparently Jack’s name had appeared on her home phone caller ID, because the first thing she said was, “Is Cathy with you? Please, tell me she is.”

“Lorie, it’s me, Cathy. And yes, I’m with Jack.”

“Thank God. I’ve been worried sick. After I got rid of your mother, your in-laws and their preacher by lying to them and telling them that a wrong-number phone call was from you and you were fine, I started looking for you. One of my neighbors said they saw you get in a car with a good looking guy and I put two and two together and…Damn it, Cathy! I don’t blame you for escaping from the zoo, but did you have to run off with Jackson Perdue?”

“I didn’t have to, but I wanted to.”

“Oh, I see. Just where are you? I hear a lot of background noise.”

“We’re at the Catfish Shack. We just ordered dinner.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Lorie said. “Please don’t do anything stupid just because you’re upset.”

“Don’t worry about me. And don’t wait up.”

“You didn’t take your purse,” Lorie reminded her. “That means you don’t have a key, but it doesn’t matter, because I’d have waited up for you regardless.”

“See you later.” Cathy ended the conversation and handed Jack his phone. “Thanks.”

“I guess Lorie was worried about you,” Jack said.

“She’s a good friend.”

“I always liked Lorie back when she and Mike were together.” Jack shook his head. “Damn shame about those two. I’d have laid odds back then that by now they’d be married and have a houseful of kids.”

“Life seldom works out the way we think it will. Fate can play some cruel tricks on us.”

“You’ve had it awfully rough, haven’t you, honey?”

She looked into his eyes, and their gazes locked. He reached across the table, clasped her hand and held it tenderly.

“Discussing the past or anything unpleasant is off-limits tonight, okay?” She couldn’t bear to think about Mark and how he had died-how, for the entire length of their marriage, she had cheated him. And she certainly didn’t want to talk to Jack about how she had spent this past year at Haven Home.

“Sure thing. Tonight we’ll pretend that God’s in His heaven and all’s right with the world.” He tugged on her hand. “Come on, Kit-Cat, let’s dance.”

Kit-Cat.

Cathy’s heartbeat accelerated. No one else had ever called her Kit-Cat. It had been Jack’s pet name for her that long-ago autumn when they had been lovers.

She rose to her feet and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. Without a moment’s hesitation, she went into his arms. He held her close, but not too close, their bodies almost touching. And then she closed the narrow gap between them as she laid her head on his shoulder.