Part 4 (1/2)
He chose to ignore that. ”You did a good job with her.”
”She did it herself. You have your work cut out for you, you know.”
”Nothing that's worthwhile is easily obtained.”
Chuckling, Mae pulled out lettuce and some other vegetables from the refrigerator. ”Then this is obviously priceless.”
”I'm surprised you agreed to let me stay here with you,” he said as he watched her put together a salad. ”I'd have thought you'd tell me to get away from Olivia too.”
She kept her head bent over the salad bowl. ”I want great-grandchildren.”
”That's hardly contingent on me or Michael.”
”It's time to put the past to rest. Olivia says she's moved on but she hasn't. She can't. Not until you two settle things.” She reached for a knife. ”Besides, that girl's still in love with Michael.”
”I would have thought you'd be against me getting them back together.”
”You're trying to set a wrong right. Nothing bad about that. You going to tell her why you left her here after Lily died?” Mae asked, setting the salad on the table and looking into his eyes.
Stifling the urge to squirm under her knowing gaze, he said, ”I don't know what you mean.”
”Yes, you do.”
He leaned back in his chair with deceptive calm. ”Why don't you elucidate?”
”That it broke your heart to look at her after Lily died in that accident, because Olivia's her spitting image.”
He kept his expression blank. ”I didn't have time to raise a five year old child.”
Mae harrumphed. ”You couldn't stand looking into eyes that were just like Lily's and remembering what you lost.”
Forcing his jaw to relax, he asked, ”Is that really what you think?”
”It's what I know.” She patted her chest. ”Deep down in here. I remember how you loved Lily. I watched you after she died. I should've done something about that.” Walking over to the cabinet, she pulled out dinner plates. ”Go wash up for dinner.”
It wasn't often he was dismissed. He stood up, frowning. He should have brought a bottle of scotch with him. He'd have Elaine get him one in the morning.
As he turned to leave, Mae's voice stopped him. ”The man you were is still inside you, Everett. He's buried, but alive. He deserves happiness too.”
Parker looked over his shoulder, catching Mae give him one of her queerly intent looks. ”We both know that isn't true,” he said as he walked out, conscious of his former mother-in-law's too-knowing gaze following him.
Chapter Five.
Olivia rang the doorbell three times and then banged on the door for good measure. She s.h.i.+fted her weight from one foot to the other, wis.h.i.+ng she'd changed into more comfortable shoes before running out of the house.
”Come on,” she murmured, pulling her coat closer to her body. ”It's cold.”
Just as she raised her fist to knock again, the door swung open. Eve blinked, a frown marring the smooth ivory skin of her forehead.
”About time,” Olivia said. ”I thought I was going to turn into an icicle.” She pushed past Eve and headed straight for the kitchen.
Treat looked up from his dinner as she walked in.
”Hey Treat.” She picked up Eve's wine gla.s.s and took a fortifying gulp.
”Make yourself at home, Olivia,” Eve said, sitting back down at the table.
”Thanks.” Olivia didn't bother acknowledging the less than faint sarcasm. She slipped out of her coat, draped it over a chair, and sat across from Eve before picking up the wine again.
She looked up to see both Treat and Eve arching their brows at her. ”This is good wine,” she said.
Treat grinned. ”I'm surprised you tasted it.”
”Actually, I didn't. I was just being polite.” She drained the gla.s.s and held it out. ”But if you fill it up, I promise I'll savor it this time.”
”What's wrong?” Eve asked, frowning at her husband as he refilled Olivia's gla.s.s to the brim.
”What isn't wrong?” Olivia sipped a little to prevent the wine from slos.h.i.+ng over. She caught the look that pa.s.sed between them and, for the first time ever, felt a twinge of envy.
Treat pushed back from the table. ”I think that's my cue to get lost.”
Olivia stopped him with a hand on his forearm. ”Finish your dinner. I'm the one who barged in.” She looked at Eve. ”You too. Eat. I'll just sit here and enjoy this lovely vintage.”
”Are you already getting tipsy?” her friend asked suspiciously.
”I sincerely hope so.” Olivia leaned her head back, clutching her gla.s.s in both hands.
”When was the last time you ate?”
Olivia pursed her lips. ”Didn't I get a scone with my latte this morning?”
”No wonder you're loopy after one gla.s.s of wine. We have plenty of food. I'll get you a plate.” Eve stood up.
”Michael's back,” Olivia said, staring at the ceiling.
”Michael?”
Olivia nodded. ”Michael Wallace.”
”Who's Michael Wallace?”
”My one true love.”
Eve dropped back down.
”You'd think it couldn't get much worse than having the only man who ever broke your heart suddenly show up after eleven years.” Olivia frowned. ”Actually, he didn't break my heart. He ripped it from my chest, mashed it to a b.l.o.o.d.y pulp, and then stomped on it for good measure. But I'm over him.”