Page 87 of Trust

Flummoxed, Zane sat back. Birch lived deep in the black ops community, and he was reasonably confident that few people knew that he was A, alive or B, how to get in touch. Since Olivia was with her baby sister, he couldn’t see how those worlds bisected. “Any chance you’ll reveal your source?”

“Nah. But when I get home, I expect to meet this lucky lady and get a full download on why my contact is so invested in the outcome.”

“Don’t think Olivia considers herself lucky, but that’s a tale for another day.”

“Hence the grand gesture, I’m assuming.”

“Whatever the hell that is.”

“Get on it, Z. Nobody is better than making something out of nothing than you.” Birch chuckled into the phone. “I still remember how you got the toaster to shoot the bread far enough so we wouldn’t have to get up from the table.”

“That was some of my finer work.”

“Not even close.”

Zane heard his brother mumble something. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I gotta go do a thing.”

“Stay frosty, Birch.”

“Always.”

The call ended, and he studied his phone and tried to puzzle out how his brother had come to dispense advice from across the globe. At least, he assumed that’s where he was. For all he knew, he was in Miami Beach sipping mojitos.

Grand gesture. What the hell was that?

Did it involve explosives or a bunch of flowers? He had no idea.

One thing he knew for certain was that it needed to include chips, chocolate ice cream, and wine. Olivia liked him best when she had all three available, so he’d be a fool not to have plenty on hand.

He glanced down at Killer. “Feel free to jump in with any ideas. I’m totally open.” The dog dropped his head and let out a sigh of resignation. “Not the kind of support I was looking for.”

No matter; he wasn’t going to be put off. He’d been one of the better tacticians in his unit, and coming up with something grand was undoubtedly in his wheelhouse.

It couldn’t be any more complicated than squashing an insurrection, could it?

TWENTY-FOUR

Olivia watched Lucy wave goodbye from Linc’s truck and prayed her sister didn’t underestimate the confident smile the man wore. The oldest of the Bennett sisters had met her match, and how that wasn’t going to play out was anyone’s guess.

Actually, that wasn’t true. Olivia knew that Lucy’s road to happiness would be rocky at best. And treacherous at worst.

“Bitter, party of one,” she mumbled as she studied her reflection in the hallway mirror. She adjusted her lilac ribbon and silently repeated several positive affirmations. It was time to flip the switch and do what was necessary to excavate her neighbor from her heart and mind.

Romantic angst wasn’t going to become her new best friend. No way. She had an extraordinary life to create, and the sooner she let Zane know that her heart was her own and he had no claim on even the smallest corner of it, she would be free.

Perhaps she’d go over later and inform him of the facts as she understood them and assure him that she would keep to her end of the lane and expected him to do the same. Once they were both absolutely clear on the new parameters of their relationship, there was no reason why they couldn’t be civil. They were adults and both relatively mature, so it should be a breeze.

She smoothed out her bangs and pushed her mouth into a smile. “Right as rain.”

Hearing a short knock on her front door, she peered through the kitchen window. No one was expected, and she hadn’t heard a car, so she couldn’t imagine who it could be. Walking slowly over to the door, she looked through the side panel. “Oh.” She took several steps back and tried to slow her breathing. “Not a big deal. Might as well get it over with. No time like the present and all of that.”

“Liv, I know you’re in there.”

Darn it!

Another soft knock told her he wasn’t going away and would likely camp out on the front stoop until he had his say. Though what he had to share, she couldn’t imagine. What with his whole recluse, I need no one thing.

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