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"Last chance to get out," she said from between clenched teeth, sending a meaningful glance toward the curb.
"No," he told her. "Mandy, this is insane. You’re a PTA mother for God’s sake. What’s gotten into you?"
The light turned green. She punched the gas, tearing through the intersection. "Jeffrey’s cheating on me."
Drew sucked in a breath. "What?" He knew his brother-in-law looked at other women and occasionally flirted, but touching? He snorted. "No way."
"Way," Mandy growled. Her voice vibrated with emotion and when he glanced over, he realized her entire body quivered from a barely suppressed rage.
He figured arguing with her over the point while she was still in control of the vehicle wasn’t smart. So, he more calmly asked, "And you’re sure of this because … ?"
"Because I’m not stupid," she hissed. "There’s a florist charge on the credit card bill. And that jerk never sent me any flowers. He never sent our daughters flowers. I called his mother today. She hasn’t received any flowers. He sent them to his little woman. I just know it."
Drew blew out a breath and scrubbed his hand over his face.
Still trying to think up something logical to say to talk her out of, well, whatever she was trying to do, he sucked in a breath when she jerked the steering wheel to the right and slammed them to a stop. Clambering blindly for the armrest, he looked up, only to find them in a peacefully quiet neighborhood with trees lining the street and a pair of young children playing in the yard a few doors up.
"This is it," she murmured, sounding too malicious for his comfort.
Following her gaze to a small light-green bungalow with white trim, he frowned and glanced toward his sister. Her eyes gleamed with an intensity that, frankly, spooked him.
Turning back, he studied the harmless-looking house. "This is what?" he asked. "Who lives here?"
"Her," Amanda breathed the word. "Jeffrey’s mistress."
He blinked. "How do you know?"
"Because I visited the flower shop," Amanda answered. "Half a dozen red roses were delivered to this address … by my loving, faithful husband."
The loathsome sneer in her voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. For some reason, he checked the address—410 South Elm—and envisioned the headlines. Mother of Three Commits Murder at 410 S. Elm.
"I can’t believe it’s true. I can’t believe he’s really seeing another woman."
Drew came around to find Amanda pulling her purse into her lap and unzipping it.
He reached for the bag. "Mandy," he said, anxiety growing thick in his voice. "Give me the gun."
With a sigh, she shoved the entire purse at him. "Oh, stop worrying. It’s not even loaded."
Not taking any chances, Drew checked the chamber. After popping out a live round, he removed the magazine to find it full as well. Arching a look across the seat, he asked, "Not loaded, huh? Then what do you call these? Fake bullets?"
Her jaw dropped. "That jerk. I told Jeffrey not to keep any of his guns loaded with our kids in the house. He promised he wouldn’t."
Drew stared at the bullets, wondering what that meant about Jeff’s word, when the front door to 410 South Elm came open. Together, both siblings whirled to watch the solitary figure that emerged.
Drew’s jaw dropped. "Wow," the word was pulled from him.
But really. Wow.
The woman was slim and small, just the size he liked. No thanks to his parents, he was a tad vertically challenged and felt self-conscious around tall women. He liked being the larger, more masculine half of a couple. But this petite female was, well, she was perfect.
She wore a pair of jean shorts that fit her slender frame nicely. Quite nicely. They were short enough to show off a good portion of her trim and tanned legs, but equally long to make him yearn to see more. Her short-sleeved top was just as conservative, not so tight he could see every dip and curve, but just enough snug to give him teasing glimpses of the goods, which were very good.
Toting a watering can, she turned her sandaled feet directly to the right after descending the front steps and proceeded to refresh a pair of rose bushes. Drew found himself leaning forward and holding his breath when she paused to bend over and tug a weed from the flowerbed. Though the view of her shorts pulling taut against her backside was too delicious to ignore, the innocent act only added to her wholesome demeanor. She was the ultimate girl next door.
"Not fair," Amanda whispered beside him, sounding devastated. "She’s pretty."
Drew guiltily jerked his eyes from the woman. "No," he started loyally. But it was so obviously
