Where There's Smoke

“Dr. Mallory had placed you in an impossible situation. Because you’re president of the school board, you had to be nice to her and honor her request for an audience. Right?”

“Right,” he answered warily.

“But I knew you didn’t want her conducting sex seminars and handing out rubbers to the high school kids, including our daughter. I was only trying to help you out of a tight spot.”

“By dragging Jody Tackett into it? Jesus.” He ran his hand over his pointed head. “Haven’t you learned anything about me in the years we’ve been married? I want nothing to do with Jody. I sure as hell don’t want her bailing me out of a jam. She’s the last person on earth I want to be beholden to.”

“I know. I know, Fergus.” Her voice had taken on a wheedling tone. “But desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“I’ll never get desperate enough to send for Jody Tackett’s help. The one time I trusted her, I was screwed, blued, and tattooed. For years afterward folks laughed over the way she’d duped me.”

“They’re not laughing at you anymore.”

“That’s because I’ve worked my ass off to make a success of my business. My name means something in this town in spite of Jody Tackett.”

“So, relax. You’ve showed her up.”

“It’s not enough. It’ll never be enough.”

She exhaled with exasperation. “The feud is over, Fergus, and you’ve won. She’s old.”

“Only a few years older than me.”

“Compared to you, she’s in her dotage. Besides, she’s incidental. Dr. Mallory is responsible for this mess.”

“Most of what she said made good sense.”

Darcy bit back a crude retort. In a measured tone, she said, “I’m sure it did. She’s smart. She’s got degrees and diplomas hanging on her office walls.” She wiped her nose with the hankie. “I, on the other hand, am just an ignorant housewife. What do I know?”

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry.”

Fergus lowered himself beside her on the edge of their bed and clasped her hand. Over the years she had led him to believe that she was more sensitive to her lack of higher education than she actually was. When the occasion called for it, she used it as leverage.

“I wasn’t implying that Dr. Mallory was smarter than you.”

One eloquent tear rolled down her cheek. “Well, she is. She’s a manipulator, too. It probably comes from being around people in politics. She’s maneuvered Heather into thinking that she hung the moon. Now you’re taking her side over mine.”

“No, sugar. That’s not it at all. The point is that I hated your calling in Jody for reinforcement.”

“It’s not because I thought you needed it.” She reached out and stroked his face. “God as my witness, that’s not the reason I went to her.”

“Then why?”

“Because I wanted to put Dr. Mallory in her place. And who better to do it than her archenemy? Don’t you see, Fergus? Jody did the dirty work for you, but you, as president of the school board, will get the credit for warding off that Yankee doctor and her so-called progressive ideas.”

Deep furrows appeared on his forehead as he reasoned it through. “I never thought of it like that.”

Darcy glanced up at him from beneath her eyelashes. “Do you think Dr. Mallory’s pretty?”

“Pretty? Well, yeah, I guess she is.”

“Prettier than me?”

“No, sugar pie,” he said, smoothing back her hair. “There’s not a woman alive as pretty as you.”

“And I belong to you, Fergus.” Snuggling against him, she whispered, “You’re the best husband in the whole world.” Her hand curled around his neck. “Would you think I was terrible if I wanted to make love right now?”

“In the daytime?”