Slow Burn by Heather Graham Page B

dresses up for meetings as if he were going to a presidential dinner.”
    Cecily waved a hand in the air, dismissing his complaint. “You’ve got to read this.”
    Jared stepped forward, sweeping the paper from her lap. He arched a brow at her, scowling again as he read the headline.
    â€œHow long has your cousin been back in town? A few months?” Cecily said consideringly. “Let’s see, in that time she’s managed to completely turn the old man around to her way of seeing things, even though you were his number-one idea man all that time she was up in Newport. The second she walks in, you’re second fiddle. And now this!” Cecily stood, snatching the paper out of his hands. “You didn’t know what she was up to? Hanging on to David like a leech? She won’t stop, Jared. She’ll be into everything.”
    Jared snatched the paper back, staring at her. “You more worried about Spencer delving into things—or the fact that she’s running around with David Delgado?”
    â€œI don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cecily said coolly.
    Jared shrugged, looking her up and down, then smiled slowly, just the slightest hint of malice in his gaze. “Let’s see, way back when, you and Terry-Sue and all the sweet young things just coming to life were all after David. Maybe he had balls of gold or something, I don’t know, and I came in second fiddle. Then—thank the Lord!—he up and joined the army, then went to school in England. Not that I ever had anything personal against David. It just seemed that whenever he was around, the rest of us paled in comparison. We didn’t have that forbidden allure, that color, something. Even Danny, Mr. Save-the-World Huntington. Well, Cecily, I know you’ve been to David’s office several times since he left the force and opened up on his own. I know you’ve made damned sure his name was on every invitation list you’ve had a say in, and I watched you trying to console him—and begging to be consoled in turn—at Danny’s funeral.” He hesitated a second while she stared at him in shock. “Stupid idiot,” he continued softly. “He’ll never have an affair with you.”
    â€œJared, how dare you imply that I’m trying to have an affair with him?” She pouted at him angrily.
    Jared shrugged. Maybe she was right. They’d had their ups and downs. Sometimes they argued like kids, but then, they’d dated since they were kids and had really still been kids when they’d gotten married. Now they had two kids of their own. A boy and a girl. They had a great house in Cocoplum; he drove a Ferrari, and she carted the kids around in a brand new Mercedes-Benz. It was a good life. He liked living it.
    He felt a trickle of sweat forming beneath his collar. Yeah, he liked living it. And he was scared. Spencer had a bee in her bonnet over Danny. And Spencer wouldn’t stop until she got what she wanted.
    â€œWhat makes you think David would never have an affair with me?” Cecily suddenly demanded, her eyes darting over his shoulder to the mirror behind him. No matter what else she was worried about, Cecily was always concerned about her appearance, as well. He grinned again. She was always worried about weight and wrinkles. She moaned constantly about the time she’d spent in the sun as a stupid kid. But her obsession did have its merits. Two kids and thirteen years of marriage, and Cecily still looked great. She dieted like a maniac, went on a binge now and then, and did penance for it with sorrow and fervor at a very expensive spa.
    All thanks to Spencer.
    Cecily seemed to forget on occasion that Sly wasn’t Jared’s grandfather. She forgot that Jared’s now long-deceased mother had been Spencer’s mother’s sister, and though his father was still alive and kicking and sometimes worked for Sly, it was