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“That had to be really hard for you.”
“Andy, it was shocking and sad, but it wasn’t hard. I barely knew Brent. I believe he drugged and raped me and was murdered later that night. He was there in White Plains, begging Julie to get back together with him when her father shot him, which makes it even harder for me to lie about our relationship.
“It’s not something I’ve shared with anyone else because I don’t want Brent to know that about his father. I’ve even had myself photoshopped into some pictures of Brent for my son. Hopefully, he’ll never find out because no one knows the details. Some people, like Julie, Lisa and Pam, suspect or even know we weren’t in a relationship, that it was nothing more than a one-night stand, but they don’t know the details of the rape. I plan on keeping it that way.”
Stunned, Andy reached over to kiss her. “How awful. What a damn prick.”
It made the comparison between Ginger and Sandra even stronger; they were both used by Smith men. Both drugged and raped, both left pregnant.
“Oh, God,” she said, leaning back against the couch, closing her eyes. “I guess I need to tell you everything. We’ve been together all summer, and I shouldn’t have waited, but the time wasn’t right.”
“You don’t need to tell me anything, Sandra. Both of us started a new life back in June. I’m glad I know about Brent only so I can support you. That was awful.”
“There’s more though. I want you to know.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
“That painting?” She pointed to the wall.
“The Riverside Gardens?”
“Right. Jack Smith bought it for me the day he died. We window-shopped after dinner the night before, and I admired it, and he went back the next day and bought it for me, arranging to have it hung in my office so that when I came to work on Monday, knowing he was dead, it was already on my wall.”
Andy leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, listening.
“Our affair started the previous fall. When he died, I was pregnant. Just like with Brent. Jack didn’t know. I lost the baby. A little girl. Pam knows. When Jack died, I was at the hospital before she was, and she saw me there. She’s been nothing but supportive most of the time.
“Unfortunately, I did some underhanded things to her later that tainted our relationship, but she seems to have slowly forgiven me. I wasn’t a nice person. But I’ve changed, and now that I have you, I’m going to keep trying to rise above all the garbage.”
“Thank you for telling me, Sandra. But it doesn’t change how I feel about you. We’ve been together for three months this weekend, and I love you. I’m so content, I make myself sick.”
She laughed out loud. “Why?”
“Content isn’t a word I would have ever associated with myself. It’s the opposite of what I usually am.”
“I’m so happy you’re content. I’m content, too. Like a big plushy pillow of love.”
He reached for her and pulled her down on his lap. “It’s my turn to share.”
“I don’t care what you’ve done.”
“You might, and before we go any further, you should know. I’m an adulterer. Two times, both marriages. The only reason it wasn’t a big issue in my campaign was because my exes wanted me to remain employed.”
Sandra studied his face. Thinking of Jack, how hidden his propensities were, hearing Andy’s truth was a relief.
“I don’t care about that. You didn’t cheat on Ginger, did you?”
“No.”
“And you promise not to cheat on me?”
“I promise.”
“Well then, there’s no problem.”
She laid her head on his shoulder. “I want to make this permanent. It’s too soon to ask you to get married—”
“No, it’s not,” he replied, chuckling.
