Part 12 (1/2)

She sighed in resignation. ”Okay, Gran, you got me. What have you heard?”

”That Michael visited your store several times.” Gran glanced at her. ”And the general opinion is he's not buying merchandise for himself.”

”He could be buying stuff for a girlfriend.”

Gran snorted.

”For all you know, he could have a dozen women waiting for him in LA.”

”Could be, but I doubt it. Most people believe his girlfriend is you, since you're always with him.”

That wasn't true. She hadn't seen him since he'd apologized to her. ”I am not with him.”

A throat cleared from the doorway. Olivia looked over her shoulder to find Lainie standing there, looking like she didn't want to intrude.

”Come, Elaine.” Gran waved her in. ”We could use another pair of hands.”

”What can I do to help, Ms. Pembroke?”

Gran pointed at the cupboard. ”Set the table, dear.”

Ducking her head over the bowl as she tossed the salad, Olivia kept quiet. Maybe if she didn't make a sound, Gran would forget about her. She didn't need any more talk about Michael. Especially not before dinner. It made indigestion a sure bet.

”Is Everett still working?” Gran asked.

Lainie nodded as she pulled out four plates. ”He had to go to the shed for some reason.”

Maybe he'll miss dinner, Olivia thought hopefully.

Though having her father here wasn't so bad. She'd been consoling herself with the fact that at least Michael wasn't staying at the farm. Thank G.o.d Michael's mother still lived close. Otherwise, she was sure Gran would have invited him to stay too. Of course, if he were staying here, she would have had to be admitted into the state mental facility, so it was a moot point.

Olivia set the salad bowl on the table.

Lainie glanced at her as she arranged the silverware. ”I hope I didn't interrupt anything.”

”Not at all, dear,” Gran a.s.sured her without turning around. ”Olivia was setting me straight on the rumors going around about her relations.h.i.+p with Michael.”

Olivia gritted her teeth. ”Gran, there is no relations.h.i.+p.”

Gran cast a sly glance over her shoulder. ”Awfully strong protests for someone who doesn't care.”

”Gran, face it. Michael and I were over eleven years ago. Even if he wanted to start something up again-and, trust me, he doesn't-I'm not interested.”

Gran turned around with her hands propped on her hips. ”Do you think I don't know you've done your best to avoid him, just like you have your father? If you weren't interested, it wouldn't matter he was back, would it?”

Olivia started to make a comeback, only there wasn't anything she could say, so she shut her mouth and glared.

Shaking her finger, Gran said, ”I know that mulish look, and I don't like it. If you really want to be free of Michael, you forgive him.”

”How can you suggest that? You saw how he left me.”

”I'm not saying it was right, but you've convicted him of more than just leaving you and you know it.” Gran gazed at her steadily.

Olivia looked away. She'd never told anyone about the baby-not until she told Eve. Gran couldn't know.

She sighed. What was she thinking? Gran always knew, and the signs had probably been there for her to piece things together. ”You know, don't you?” she whispered.

Gran walked over, pushed a lock of hair out of Olivia's face, and cradled her chin. ”When are you going to learn that I know everything about you? That's why I know you have to let it go and forgive him. He didn't know, love. You can't blame him when he didn't even know.”

”Yeah, but if I don't blame him, I'll blame myself,” she said, barely audible.

”It was no one's fault, love. It just wasn't time.” She dropped a kiss on Olivia's forehead, just like she had when Olivia was a little girl and needed comfort. ”You have to let this go and move on. Think about it. Approach this with an open mind.”

Lainie cleared her throat again. ”Maybe I should go get Everett.” She started for the back door like she couldn't wait to escape.

”You stay here,” Gran commanded. ”Olivia will go get her father. Since we're clearing the air, I have things to say to you too.”

Olivia cracked a grin at the worried look that spread across Lainie's face. She jumped up, grabbed a flashlight, and was out the door before Lainie could utter a word.

The shed came into view, big and boxy. It'd been ages since she'd had to come down to it. In the dark, it was impossible to see, like the peeling paint or the roof that leaned too severely on one side, but she could picture every detail like she'd been there yesterday.

As a little girl, she and Michael used to play there. Usually, they'd pretend it was a movie studio and that all the tools in there were props for movies. Michael always wanted to make a pirate movie. She smiled, remembering how she fought to be a pirate when Michael wanted to cast her as the damsel in distress.

She reached the shed and lifted her flashlight to see. The padlock was, of course, hanging unlocked from its place. The door creaked when she pushed it open.

She heard a rustling from the back and then the clank of tools falling over. ”h.e.l.lo?” She moved cautiously, waving the flashlight in front of her to avoid tripping on the random stuff lying around on the floor.

”d.a.m.n it,” a masculine voice said.

She swung the light toward the m.u.f.fled curse. She blinked, stunned to find a dust-covered Michael scowling in the beam of light.

Then the door slammed shut and she heard the unmistakable firm snick of the padlock being snapped shut.

She frowned at Michael. ”I've been set up.”

Chapter Fifteen.

With a sense of trepidation, Lainie watched Olivia walk into the night. She wasn't sure why Ms. Pembroke wanted to talk to her but it couldn't be good.

”Sit down, love.” Ms. Pembroke sat on a chair at the table and patted the one next to her.

Lainie would have been more comfortable sitting across from her but she sat where directed.

”Now,” Ms. Pembroke began, ”we need to talk about Everett.”

”We do?”