Page 56 of Coming Home to Hope Street

‘No.’ She shook her head although Phoebe couldn’t see her. ‘She wouldn’t do that.’

‘Ask yourself why she stayed away all this time and only came back now.’

‘It was Pip who told Kieran where they were living, not Livvy.’

‘And it could have been Pip who told Kieran that Doug is loaded. They could all be in this together.’

‘Now you’re being ridiculous.’

‘No, I’m not. What happens if Livvy—’

‘I’m ringing off if you continue to diss her.’

‘Look, Han, we all love you, but you’re so kind you wouldn’t see anyone trying to hurt you until it was too late. Ask Livvy for yourself and see what she says. You’ll be able to tell by her face. No one could lie their way out of this one. I always thought there was something fishy about—’

In temper, Hannah disconnected the call. She’d rung Phoebe to chat things through, not to have her accuse Livvy of being so nasty that she would come back once she’d heard about Doug.

But then,washer sister in it for the money? Were she and Kieran a proper couple? Was Pip in on this too? She shook her head to rid it of its bitchy thoughts.

Yet what if she was wrong, and Doug and Phoebe right? Were they taking her for a fool? And if so, she was going to be in for a huge fall out. And after she’d hired Livvy to help in the book shop too.

Without proof, Hannah couldn’t think that of her. She wouldn’t. Livvy was her sister, no matter what had happened previously.

She needed to do some probing to find out more about Kieran.

Even though it was the first morning the book shop was open, and she should have had her mind on other things, Hannah couldn’t stop thinking about what Doug and Phoebe had been saying. Had Livvy come back so that she could have a roof over her head and then Kieran’s plan was to rejoin her? It would make sense if she loved him, but Hannah wasn’t too sure that she did. To her mind, Kieran had just come here with no plans or thoughts for Livvy, and Livvy was desperate not to let him under her skin so he could coax his way into her life again.

They chatted about the night before, both of them calling it a success as everyone had got on. Livvy had made her laugh as they recalled some of the things they discussed. There was no mention of any ill feeling from her, so she assumed she’d imagined it. Although, Doug had felt the same. Perhaps Livvy was too embarrassed to say anything.

She sighed. Why was she the only one who saw good in Livvy? Was she fooling herself and wanting everything to work out right, for everyone to be happy? To have her sister back again and get to know her and Pip?

Was Hannah too blind to see anything was wrong because she didn’t want to? Had she wanted Livvy’s return to Somerley so much she would overlook the smaller details?

The past four weeks had been good. They’d got along and despite her holding back on all the pressure built up by the years without her, Hannah believed they would get through it all. She had enjoyed having her sister around her again.

But as she watched Livvy chatting away to a customer about a book he’d bought, she wondered if there was indeed an ulterior motive. Had she come back because she’d heard that Doug was rich? Oh gawd, what a mess, if so.

‘What’s up?’ Livvy asked.

‘Hmm?’ Hannah looked at her as she spoke. ‘Oh, nothing. I’m just thinking about the book shop.’

‘It’s exciting now that it’s open.’

‘It is. I was planning ahead, for the future. You have to, I suppose. Do you have any plans, Livvy?’

‘Me?’ Livvy shook her head. ‘I’m just hoping to get through this week. Look, I know it was awkward for you and Doug last night, and I’m sorry about the mood at the end of the evening. We had such a lovely time, and I get that Kieran appearing spoiled things a little, but I still plan on getting him on his way by the weekend. And then I can concentrate on finding another part-time job to pay the rent.’

‘Oh, there’s no need for that.’ The words were out before Hannah had even thought about them.

‘No, I want to pay my way,’ Livvy insisted. ‘I wonder if there’ll be any bar work at the Hope and Anchor. I’m going to ask the next time I’m in there.’

Hannah couldn’t say anything else. She didn’t trust herself. If Livvy was trying to fleece them, then she was doing a good job of saying the right things. It seemed as if she was sticking around and Kieran was going. That was nothing like how Doug and Phoebe saw things.

She was torn as to what to think.

‘Let’s leave things as they are for now,’ she said. ‘Shall we get that order out on display? I can’t wait to read the new Lisa Jewell book that’s come in.’

Chapter Thirty-Four

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