head.”
“Seriously, Brady, don’t get sucked in. She did a number on you once.”
“Not really.”
It wasn’t committing to one person that he shied away from, but pinning hopes, dreams and love on one person who could be snatched away in a heartbeat. Olivia had advised him to assure his mom that he was over the past. Dumping the information on Maggie was almost as good. It would get where it needed to go.
“Look, sis, Tiffani did me a favor when she ended things. It was clear she didn’t love me and I realized we’d gotten used to each other. A habit. I didn’t miss her when she left, and that’s not love.”
“Good.” She was holding a mug of tea in her hands and took a sip. “But that doesn’t mean she won’t try again now that you’re rich.”
“Oh, please.” This was getting old. “It’s obvious why she came back. The marriage ended and this is her hometown. She has family. It’s the logical thing to do.”
“Okay. If you say so.”
“I’m more concerned about Olivia.”
“Why?” Maggie’s expression was full of innocence—on steroids.
“I can’t believe I’m the only one who sees this.” There was something going on and he had a sneaking suspicion that his saintly sister was in on it. He watched her closely. “Olivia is leaving Blackwater Lake for a man no one knows. Doesn’t that bother you? It’s what Tiffani did, and look what happened to her.”
“You have a point,” she admitted. “I’m afraid this guy is going to hurt Olivia. Brady, you have to do something to stop it.”
“Me?” He sat up straight and put his feet on the floor. “She’s found someone and is willing to move for him. What can I do?”
“Leonard is nothing.”
Something in Maggie’s tone had warning signals going off in his head. His sister wasn’t a very good liar and that had his suspicions multiplying like bunnies. “What’s going on, Maggie?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, you do. Like I said, this thing with Leonard is weird. Have you met him?”
“No.”
“It’s like she pulled him out of a hat. He’s not from around here or we’d know. She never mentioned him until giving me notice that she was quitting the company. She doesn’t see him. I’d know because she’d have to travel for that. He never visits or everyone here in Blackwater Lake would know. There’s nothing in her email—”
“You didn’t.”
“Of course I did.”
“You looked at her personal email messages?” Maggie stared at him. “That’s an invasion of privacy. Really, Brady, I’m shocked and appalled.”
“That’s interesting. She took it better than you.”
“Olivia knows what you did?”
“Yes,” he said cheerfully. “She caught me in the act.”
His sister shook her head. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“I will be. Maybe next week. In the meantime, I need to figure out what’s up. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that something is funny. Not ha-ha, but weird funny.”
“I don’t think she loves him. Not yet. But she could get hurt.”
“I thought so, too,” he said, ignoring the part about Olivia getting hurt. “This thing she’s got going on just doesn’t seem like it’s on the way to love.”
“How would you know?” his sister demanded. “You’re not a falling-in-love kind of guy. What is that saying? Oh, yeah. Takes one to know one.”
“Not really. It’s deductive reasoning. How can you make plans to move away from family, friends and a really good job for a man you never see? That’s just crazy. Or strange.”
“Why are you convinced there’s skulduggery afoot?”
“For one thing, that’s not a word often heard in casual conversation.” The corners of his mouth turned up. “For another, she didn’t even tell her mom that she’s moving away for Leonard.”
“How do you know?”
“Because our mom is her mom’s best friend and they had breakfast together. Our mom dropped by the house
“Seriously, Brady, don’t get sucked in. She did a number on you once.”
“Not really.”
It wasn’t committing to one person that he shied away from, but pinning hopes, dreams and love on one person who could be snatched away in a heartbeat. Olivia had advised him to assure his mom that he was over the past. Dumping the information on Maggie was almost as good. It would get where it needed to go.
“Look, sis, Tiffani did me a favor when she ended things. It was clear she didn’t love me and I realized we’d gotten used to each other. A habit. I didn’t miss her when she left, and that’s not love.”
“Good.” She was holding a mug of tea in her hands and took a sip. “But that doesn’t mean she won’t try again now that you’re rich.”
“Oh, please.” This was getting old. “It’s obvious why she came back. The marriage ended and this is her hometown. She has family. It’s the logical thing to do.”
“Okay. If you say so.”
“I’m more concerned about Olivia.”
“Why?” Maggie’s expression was full of innocence—on steroids.
“I can’t believe I’m the only one who sees this.” There was something going on and he had a sneaking suspicion that his saintly sister was in on it. He watched her closely. “Olivia is leaving Blackwater Lake for a man no one knows. Doesn’t that bother you? It’s what Tiffani did, and look what happened to her.”
“You have a point,” she admitted. “I’m afraid this guy is going to hurt Olivia. Brady, you have to do something to stop it.”
“Me?” He sat up straight and put his feet on the floor. “She’s found someone and is willing to move for him. What can I do?”
“Leonard is nothing.”
Something in Maggie’s tone had warning signals going off in his head. His sister wasn’t a very good liar and that had his suspicions multiplying like bunnies. “What’s going on, Maggie?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, you do. Like I said, this thing with Leonard is weird. Have you met him?”
“No.”
“It’s like she pulled him out of a hat. He’s not from around here or we’d know. She never mentioned him until giving me notice that she was quitting the company. She doesn’t see him. I’d know because she’d have to travel for that. He never visits or everyone here in Blackwater Lake would know. There’s nothing in her email—”
“You didn’t.”
“Of course I did.”
“You looked at her personal email messages?” Maggie stared at him. “That’s an invasion of privacy. Really, Brady, I’m shocked and appalled.”
“That’s interesting. She took it better than you.”
“Olivia knows what you did?”
“Yes,” he said cheerfully. “She caught me in the act.”
His sister shook her head. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“I will be. Maybe next week. In the meantime, I need to figure out what’s up. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that something is funny. Not ha-ha, but weird funny.”
“I don’t think she loves him. Not yet. But she could get hurt.”
“I thought so, too,” he said, ignoring the part about Olivia getting hurt. “This thing she’s got going on just doesn’t seem like it’s on the way to love.”
“How would you know?” his sister demanded. “You’re not a falling-in-love kind of guy. What is that saying? Oh, yeah. Takes one to know one.”
“Not really. It’s deductive reasoning. How can you make plans to move away from family, friends and a really good job for a man you never see? That’s just crazy. Or strange.”
“Why are you convinced there’s skulduggery afoot?”
“For one thing, that’s not a word often heard in casual conversation.” The corners of his mouth turned up. “For another, she didn’t even tell her mom that she’s moving away for Leonard.”
“How do you know?”
“Because our mom is her mom’s best friend and they had breakfast together. Our mom dropped by the house
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