Page 35 of Sweet Temptation

Stopping a few feet behind Brad’s wife, Rachel feigned interest in how much sugar was on the label of the first can she’d grabbed. Too bad the label gave her no clue to what she was holding. Maybe it was time to find her grandmother’s canning recipes.

“There she goes.” Jackie and Angela quickly placed the products they were not really interested in back in the cart.

In the baking aisle, Rachel tossed a bag of ordinary white flour in the basket, noting that Mrs. Brad purchased almond flour. Further down the aisle, the woman in their sites carefully perused the sugar section.

Muttering through closed teeth, Angela leaned into her two cohorts. “What’s so difficult about buying sugar?”

Stealing a gaze down the aisle, Rachel squinted at the product the tall blonde had placed in her cart. “Coconut palm sugar.”

“You get sugar from coconuts?” Angela fell into step beside the cart.

With a casual shrug, Jackie hurried on Rachel’s other side. “Apparently.”

“Who knew?” Angela sighed. “I’m getting a clearer picture on why this woman looks so… sleek.”

“I may have to cut back on Alice’s cinnamon rolls,” Jackie mumbled to no one in particular.

Rachel understood. Working from sun up to sun down on a ranch helped keep the calories in check, but sitting behind a desk three days a week did little to keep the sweet tooth pounds at bay.

They continued up and down the aisles behind this woman. She preferred organic fruits and vegetables, clearly liked to bake, believed in storing up her omega fatty acids with plenty of fresh fish, not only preferred almond flour, but also almond milk and the frozen food aisle was not on her radar. Unfortunately, none of this gave an inkling of why Brad Peters was two, or was it three timing her? Or of how the woman would react when she learned about her hubby’s extra-curricular activity. And none of it gave any indication of whether or not she’d want to join the rest of them in teaching her husband a well-deserved lesson.

As the wife went through the check out lane, the three spies hurried quickly through a nearby lane, their attention on the woman.

“Did she just pay for all that with cash?” Angela asked.

Looking over, Jackie nodded. “I guess they’re not cash poor.”

“At least she isn’t,” Rachel commented.

Doing their best not to draw attention to themselves, they strolled out of the store, practically tossed the bags of groceries they didn’t need into the rear of the car and belted themselves in. The silver Mercedes was still parked a few spaces over, but no sign of the wife.

“Where did she go?” Jackie leaned forward, scanning the lot in front of them.

Looking over her shoulder, Rachel squinted at the sun. “How could we lose her? She was right there.”

A tap sounded on the front passenger window and the three of them whipped their heads to the right.

Diane Peters stood at the side, her fingers waving like a mom entertaining a toddler, her smile as plastic as the credit card she didn’t use.

Quickly, Rachel hit the button to lower the window.

Once the glass disappeared into the door, the woman’s smile slipped. “Who the hell are you people and why have you been following me?” Her free hand shifted her purse in front of her. “And if you’re wondering,” her hand gently tapped the side of her luxury brand leather purse, “I carry more than cash in this baby.”

“Whoa.” Jackie held up both hands; this was definitely not the way she’d expected the day to go. Certainly not having a pistol-toting ticked off wife confronting them. “We’re not here to cause trouble.”

“Really?” The upset woman’s eyebrow arched perfectly. “Three women stalking me through a grocery store, then racing out to your car to watch me? What exactly would you call that?”

Angela leaned forward from the back seat. “We’re the other women.”

“Well,” Rachel shrugged one shoulder, “not me, them.”

Diane’s perfectly composed expression faltered for just a moment. “Excuse me?”

“I’m Jackie Drake.” Thankfully, Jackie’s voice sounded steadier than she’d expected knowing there was an angry woman inches away from her with a loaded gun handy. “I dated your husband in Houston until I found out he was married.”

“You came to the house.” Anger slowly shifted to confusion as brows buckled, Diane stared at her.

Jackie nodded. “That would be when I learned Brad was married.”

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