The Phoenix Wife

cold house. Weeks after the C-section, exhaustion still clung to her like a shroud. H

door sla

beer. Tiffany "Tiff" Evans, a bartender from The Rust

h or the baby. His eyes were

we need

sharp sound that gra

nced, his words slurring slig

spun. N

and searing, tor

ife, anot

ords, the

ir small town. Tiff, shamed, seeking a back-all

to parts store because of the scan

first C

ll of g

screaming they should all "b

am

visiting, w

, wa

ing but fi

antom smell of smoke

was

preening beside him. The s

her secon

in Sarah's chest, exting

Jake was saying, his voice wheedling now. "Yo

n Sarah's worn-out sofa, runni

er voice dripping with false sweetne

lt divorce. Quick and easy. I'll make t

she had once loved, now a strang

face blank. Inwardly, a

er voice surprisingly steady

r Jake's face. He

opped the

in here this afternoon. You can put Lily's stuff

lue she owned, the down payment a gift from

o died in the

ah said, turning away, her

d up the

her, "try to keep her quiet.