The Burning Point by Mary Jo Putney Page B

bone and ready for bed. But she doubted that she'd sleep.
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    An advantage of old friends was that it wasn't necessary to speak. Julia was grateful for Charles' undemanding silence. Even small talk would have been too much.
    Kate entered the living room to say good-night, dark circles under her eyes. As she headed off in her stocking feet, shoes dangling from one hand, Julia thought how nice it would be to have her daughter in the same city, or even in the same time zone.
    After Kate left, Julia said, "Another of the same, bartender."
    Charles rose and topped up her chardonnay. "If you want to get seriously drunk, you'll have to switch to something stronger."
    "Then I'd just get sick. Very undignified." The phone began to ring. She ignored it, and the ringing stopped abruptly. "The answering machine is on. I'm at the point where one more kind, warmhearted condolence would make me scream."
    "No, you wouldn't. You'd be completely gracious." He refreshed his own drink, then sat again. "As Barbara used to say, you're a credit to steel magnolias everywhere."
    She thought sadly of Charles's wife, who had been one of her closest friends. "Barbara over-estimated me. Not steel. Iron, and rusting fast."
    "A little rust doesn't mean the underlying structure isn't sound,' he said quietly. "Are you going to tell Kate your suspicions about Sam's death?"
    "Not yet. She has enough on her mind." Julia stroked Oscar, whose head was on her lap. "Maybe never. After all, there's no real proof."
    "Given her reaction to Sam's posthumous manipulations, I'm surprised that she isn't on the way to the airport already." He swished the Scotch and water in his glass. "Do you think she and Donovan will give it a try?"
    "I have no idea. Neither of them has ever said why they split up, but I've always suspected that Patrick had an extra-marital fling, and Kate left when she found out."
    Surprised, Charles said, "I thought he worshipped the ground Kate walked on."
    "He did, but that doesn't necessarily mean fidelity." Julia tried without success to keep a caustic edge from her voice. "The double standard will never go out of style. Not when so many men enjoy it."
    Reading between the lines, Charles said, "Good God, Julia, did Sam...?" He stopped abruptly.
    Knowing he would not pursue such a personal question, Julia said, "Once or twice, early in our marriage, when he was on a business trip. Even though I was pregnant with Tom, I almost left him when I found out. Sam truly didn't understand how much his infidelity would hurt me--after all, his straying had just been sex, it was me that he loved. How come I was taking it so seriously? I stopped packing long enough to ask him to visualize me in bed with another man. He looked sick, and swore he'd never be unfaithful again. As far as I know, he kept his word."
    Charles whistled. "The things one doesn't know about other people's marriages."
    "It wasn't something that either Sam or I wanted to advertise." She closed her eyes and pressed the cool wine glass to her forehead. "We came from different worlds, and a lot of the initial attraction was because of those differences. Problems were inevitable. People are quicker to divorce now. If Kate and Patrick hadn't been so young, maybe they could have worked things out, perhaps even had a stronger marriage for it."
    "That could still happen."
    "I doubt it. Too much time has passed." She sipped her chardonnay, remembering. "Did I ever tell you that the first time Sam and I met was when he came to my parents' house as boss of a crew remodeling the basement? He was just out of the army and working construction while he decided what to do next." It had been lust at first sight on both sides.
    "I didn't know that. You were mercifully light on details when you gave my ring back and said that you hoped we'd always be friends."
    "Lord, did I say that? The oldest cliche in the book for ending a relationship." Despite her well-intentioned words at the time, several