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They left for the event in Tanner’s BMW. It was ten years old, a graduation gift from his parents, and there was a ding in its right front fender. “Pretty soon,” Tanner often told her. “Pretty soon we’ll be living the life we were meant to have.”
Delta stared out the passenger window at the streets of West Knoll, an eclectic residential area with some yards neatly trimmed, others ragged and bursting with dandelions in the summer heat. Delta helped pay the mortgage on their house with her hours at Smith & Jones and the part-time bookkeeping she did for the clinic. She’d never minded the work. She’d always been looking for the big payoff when Tanner was on his own, but maybe he needed to specialize to really raise his salary and their standard of living. That would be another three to four years. Was it worth it, or could the clinic be enough? Maybe they could find another doctor to share expenses and—
“Why are you so quiet?” Tanner broke into her thoughts.
“I’m just thinking.”
“About what?”
“Oh, the business, I guess.”
“Well, stop thinking about it. We’ve got a reunion to go to. People to impress. You’re a doctor’s wife, Delta Stahd. Time for you to strut your stuff.”
Delta didn’t res
pond. She remembered how she felt that day he’d come to her and announced that Amanda was pregnant. Even now, Delta wasn’t sure if she’d been more upset that he’d had sex with her “friend” or that he just seemed to think it was a tragedy for him, no one else. Delta had gone to hell and back in those days and weeks before Tanner had told her Amanda had miscarried.
Was she ever really pregnant?
When he’d believed Amanda was pregnant, Tanner had told Delta how much he loved her, how sorry he was, how his life was over . . . the life they should have had together. Delta had spent hours in her room sick and crying, alternating between hating Amanda and Tanner, and anguished that she’d lost one of her best friends and the man she loved in one fell swoop. To this day, she didn’t know the full truth of it, but one thing was clear: they’d both betrayed her because neither was denying that they’d made love.
Made love . . . She hated that euphemism. It made it sound like it was almost okay to cheat. You were making love, a beautiful act of sharing. Except they’d been screwing like rabbits on Zora DeMarco’s pool table.
Delta could feel how tense she was as they pulled up to the golf club. She’d teamed her dress with a white loose-knit shawl tossed over her shoulders. She braced herself. She didn’t want to be here. She didn’t want to see anyone. She didn’t want to be with Tanner, but here he was, holding out his arm to her, enjoying his bit of gallantry.
The first person she ran into was Bailey Quintar, who, upon seeing Tanner and her approaching, held open the door. Bailey was dressed in a blue skirt and blouse and flat black shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, like always, although she’d fashioned it bun-like at the back of her head. She had on discreet silver stud earrings, and she wore more makeup than she had in high school, which wasn’t hard as she’d worn practically none in those days.
“Hi,” Delta greeted her, suddenly filled with warm emotion upon seeing her old friend.
“Hi.” Bailey’s response wasn’t nearly as welcoming. She gave Tanner a sideways look, then stepped back to let them enter.
“How’ve you been?” Delta asked.
“Better,” she said.
Better? From getting over Carmen’s death?
Tanner practically bolted away from both Bailey and Delta as soon as they entered, and he spied some of the old classmates hanging around the keg, which was set on the ground a few feet away from a punch bowl that graced the center of a table covered by a white tablecloth.
Bailey observed, “You’re still with him.”
Delta regarded her with a raised eyebrow. “We’re married, and we have a son now.”
“Ah, that’s right. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“I was just remembering the last time we talked.”
“When was that?” Delta asked automatically.
“At the memorial service for Carmen. You said you wanted them both to die, Tanner and Amanda.”
Chapter 10
“I don’t think that’s exactly what I said. I was hurt, and we were all reeling and sad about Carmen. It just was a terrible time.” Delta felt the spit dry in her mouth.
Bailey offered up a quick smile that fell off her face. “I guess some things just get imprinted in your mind, and you can’t let them go.”
