Page 27 of Engaging the Deputy

“What?”

She shook her head. “He didn’t think I was ready to get married—let alone to him.” She’d seldom seen her mother unable to speak.

“Why would he think that?” Sharon Brooks finally asked.

“I don’t know what he thinks. He was headed to law school. I’d just gotten my job I’d hoped for. We were going in separate directions. I suggested postponing the wedding.”

“Law school? How’d he end up being a deputy in Fortune Creek?”

“Turns out we both changed our minds about what we wanted to do,” Olivia said.

“Was he right about you not being ready?” Before Olivia could answer, her mother said, “Well, obviously, because the first thing you did when you got back here was to go out with Cody Ryan, your high school boyfriend.”

“It wasn’t like that,” she protested, knowing how it looked. She regretted it more than she could say. “We’re just friends.”

Her mother had always preferred anyone over Cody, saying she couldn’t bear seeing her daughter organizing nuts and bolts down at the hardware store for the rest of her life.What kind of life can he offer you? You think Cody and his dad wouldn’t have you working down there in the hardware store?

“I guess it wouldn’t make that much difference, working at a hardware store or being the wife of a deputy and living all the way up there in Fortune Creek,” her mother said now.

Olivia groaned. “Well, that’s not going to happen.”

“But for some reason both men thought you were going to marry them,” her mother just had to point out. “One of them must be the reason you’re back home.”

Pushing her sandwich away, she snapped, “Do we have to talk about my past mistakes?”

“Only if you keep making the same ones,” her mother quipped.

“I just wanted to hang out with some old friends Halloween night. Cody and I used to be friends. He was my best friend for a lot of years. I thought we could have that again. I was wrong.”

“I should say so since now one of your old friends is dead, Cody’s in the hospital and another friend is missing.”

She shook her head, telling herself that her mother had good intentions and was only trying to protect her. “I just came from the hospital. Cody has regained consciousness, but he doesn’t remember anything. He didn’t even remember I was back in town.”

Her mother got up from the table, returning with a knife. Olivia watched her cut the sandwich in two before sitting down to eat it. “I didn’t have much for lunch,” she said, grinning before taking a bite.

Olivia opened the bag of chips, dumping them on the side of the plate so her mother could reach them. She picked up the other half with her one bite out of it. Sometimes she wished she couldn’t remember the past.

“I love them both,” she said between bites. “Cody just as a friend. Jaden…” Her voice broke with emotion. “I can’t seem to get over him. All right? It’s why I came home.”

Her mother nodded, smiled and reached over with her free hand to squeeze her daughter’s. “That’s what I thought. Don’t worry. You’ll figure it out.”

Her laugh sounded more scared than bitter. “If only it were that easy.”

“What a problem. If it’s Jaden you’re in love with, then I guess you’d better let him know you’re serious. If you are…”

Olivia nodded. “But right now, he just sees me as a suspect in a murder investigation.” She didn’t mention that him finding her on a night out with Cody hadn’t helped, and neither did her mother. She’d been such a fool to think she could recapture the fun times she and Cody had in high school for even one night.

Her phone pinged. It was a text from Emery. He wanted to meet her at the bar. Said it was important.

CHAPTER TEN

Emery was the last person Olivia had expected to hear from. They’d been friends but never close growing up. She’d hesitated before responding, wondering what he could want. Jaden had told her to stay close to home, and after the road race with Krystal Lee, she was inclined to do just that.

The problem was that, earlier, at the hospital, Jaden had asked for her help.Someone’s lying, he’d said.

She was curious why Emery wanted to meet. What was so important?

“I’m going to meet a friend,” she told her mother as she quickly left to avoid her questioning whether going into town tonight after what had happened was a bad idea. Olivia was already questioning it herself as she drove to the bar.

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