chance that Ben’s a con man. The clever ones usually have the most convincing aliases. But the truth of it is, I hate the thought of Mom finding out what we’ve done.”
Jack didn’t say anything for a long moment. “You can trust Roy not to let any of this out,” he finally said.
“I realize that.”
Jack shrugged. “Personally, I don’t think having Ben investigated is all that necessary.”
“Me, neither,” she concurred, but she’d decided to do it-if only to reassure her brother.
After dinner Olivia and Jack cuddled in front of the television for a repeat episode of Law & Order. Olivia had seen this particular show earlier in the year, although Jack hadn’t. She didn’t object to watching a rerun, but she found herself returning to the conversation with her brother.
Will had talked about e-mailing Grace. Then there was all his interest in what she was doing, whom she was seeing. Although he hadn’t actually said anything, she’d sensed Will’s disapproval of Grace’s participation in the Dog and Bachelor Auction.
A few months ago, Grace had gotten involved in an Internet relationship with a married man. Her friend had been duped, lied to and strung along. Now, with a growing sense of horror, Olivia wondered if that man could have been her brother. Grace’s heart was broken after the end of her romance with Cliff Harding, and that was when she’d told Olivia about the other relationship, accepting the blame for her role in this fiasco. Grace had never revealed the name of the married man. At the time Olivia had assumed it didn’t matter, that she wouldn’t have known who it was, anyway.
Now she wondered. Could it possibly have been Will?
She tried to dismiss the thought. No, of course not! Her brother would never do anything so underhanded. And if he had, surely Grace would have told her. But if what Olivia suspected was true, it explained Will’s weak excuse about not being able to attend her wedding.
“Something on your mind?” Jack asked during a commercial break. His mouth was close to her ear and he took advantage of her closeness to kiss the side of her neck.
“Hmm.” Olivia closed her eyes and reveled in his attention.
“This whole thing with your mother and Ben is worrying you, isn’t it?”
“Not really,” she muttered. She debated mentioning her suspicions about Grace and her brother, but changed her mind. If she said anything, it would be to Grace-but only after she’d had time to sort through the facts as she knew them. Until then, it would be better to say nothing, not to Jack and not to anyone else.
“Good,” Jack whispered, tucking his arms more securely around her. “I’d hate to have anything disrupt our television viewing.”
Smiling to herself, Olivia poked him in the ribs with her elbow. She’d been doing a lot of smiling since she’d married Jack Griffin, and she didn’t think that would change anytime soon.
Chapter Thirteen
C ecilia pushed the grocery cart lethargically through the commissary’s aisles. She’d been so excited about having her husband home after six months’ deployment, counting the days until Ian would be with her again. She’d made elaborate plans for his homecoming and wanted their reunion to be like a second honeymoon. She’d prayed her husband would be as eager to start their family as she was. Only he hadn’t been, and now it seemed nothing had gone the way she’d hoped.
“Hey, Cecilia.”
At the sound of her name, Cecilia turned to find Cathy Lackey wheeling her grocery cart down the aisle toward her. “I thought that was you,” Cathy said.
Cecilia managed a token smile. “How’s it going?”
“Great. I left father and son to bond. I’m taking my own sweet time shopping because, frankly, I could use the break. Where’s Ian?”
“Home.” Cecilia couldn’t disguise her misery. “Oh, Cathy, things just aren’t working out between us.”
“What do you mean?”
Cecilia reached inside her purse for a
Jack didn’t say anything for a long moment. “You can trust Roy not to let any of this out,” he finally said.
“I realize that.”
Jack shrugged. “Personally, I don’t think having Ben investigated is all that necessary.”
“Me, neither,” she concurred, but she’d decided to do it-if only to reassure her brother.
After dinner Olivia and Jack cuddled in front of the television for a repeat episode of Law & Order. Olivia had seen this particular show earlier in the year, although Jack hadn’t. She didn’t object to watching a rerun, but she found herself returning to the conversation with her brother.
Will had talked about e-mailing Grace. Then there was all his interest in what she was doing, whom she was seeing. Although he hadn’t actually said anything, she’d sensed Will’s disapproval of Grace’s participation in the Dog and Bachelor Auction.
A few months ago, Grace had gotten involved in an Internet relationship with a married man. Her friend had been duped, lied to and strung along. Now, with a growing sense of horror, Olivia wondered if that man could have been her brother. Grace’s heart was broken after the end of her romance with Cliff Harding, and that was when she’d told Olivia about the other relationship, accepting the blame for her role in this fiasco. Grace had never revealed the name of the married man. At the time Olivia had assumed it didn’t matter, that she wouldn’t have known who it was, anyway.
Now she wondered. Could it possibly have been Will?
She tried to dismiss the thought. No, of course not! Her brother would never do anything so underhanded. And if he had, surely Grace would have told her. But if what Olivia suspected was true, it explained Will’s weak excuse about not being able to attend her wedding.
“Something on your mind?” Jack asked during a commercial break. His mouth was close to her ear and he took advantage of her closeness to kiss the side of her neck.
“Hmm.” Olivia closed her eyes and reveled in his attention.
“This whole thing with your mother and Ben is worrying you, isn’t it?”
“Not really,” she muttered. She debated mentioning her suspicions about Grace and her brother, but changed her mind. If she said anything, it would be to Grace-but only after she’d had time to sort through the facts as she knew them. Until then, it would be better to say nothing, not to Jack and not to anyone else.
“Good,” Jack whispered, tucking his arms more securely around her. “I’d hate to have anything disrupt our television viewing.”
Smiling to herself, Olivia poked him in the ribs with her elbow. She’d been doing a lot of smiling since she’d married Jack Griffin, and she didn’t think that would change anytime soon.
Chapter Thirteen
C ecilia pushed the grocery cart lethargically through the commissary’s aisles. She’d been so excited about having her husband home after six months’ deployment, counting the days until Ian would be with her again. She’d made elaborate plans for his homecoming and wanted their reunion to be like a second honeymoon. She’d prayed her husband would be as eager to start their family as she was. Only he hadn’t been, and now it seemed nothing had gone the way she’d hoped.
“Hey, Cecilia.”
At the sound of her name, Cecilia turned to find Cathy Lackey wheeling her grocery cart down the aisle toward her. “I thought that was you,” Cathy said.
Cecilia managed a token smile. “How’s it going?”
“Great. I left father and son to bond. I’m taking my own sweet time shopping because, frankly, I could use the break. Where’s Ian?”
“Home.” Cecilia couldn’t disguise her misery. “Oh, Cathy, things just aren’t working out between us.”
“What do you mean?”
Cecilia reached inside her purse for a
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