to bust up again. “Ross is my responsibility.”
Jack moved her to the couch and sat down next to her. He had his answer. Knew what drove her; why she did what she did, why she wrapped herself in a shell of invincibility. She needed forgiveness. Not from Ross, not fromher deceased parents, but from herself and he doubted she was going to find it in her brother’s medical file.
“Take it.” He held out the folder. “There’s enough in here to convince you Black’s Cove Clinic did everything possible to help your brother, but he didn’t respond to the treatment.” He laid the file on the coffee table and reached for her chin with his fingers, tipping up her face.
“It was a tragic accident, Olivia. You’re no more to blame than I was for my parents’ car accident. Forgive yourself. Move past it.”
If his words touched her at all it didn’t show in her eyes or the pull of her mouth. He let go of her and felt the void open between them.
“If only it was that simple.” She turned out of his grasp, picked up the file and stood up. “I’ll return this to you ASAP.”
She disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door.
Jack stood up, feeling discontent pulse in his blood. He couldn’t expect years of guilt and resentment to dry up in a matter of minutes.
He turned for the door, knowing it was going to take longer for her to forgive herself and drop the facade she hid her heart behind. In that respect, they were very much alike.
O LIVIA STEPPED OUT of the cottage onto the porch and turned her attention toward the main house. Her gut-wrenching admission to Jack an hour ago had left her feeling torn. Unpacking her emotional baggage on hisdoorstep was risky, but she’d seen the sympathy in his eyes. Genuine? Yes. But could she take his advice and forgive herself?
Gunner took off like a shot for the driveway, warning her that someone or something had roused him from the doggie bed next to the cottage’s front door. So much for staying around to guard her.
She closed the door and headed across the expansive lawn to investigate the commotion. If nothing else, she intended to bring Gunner back with her. She kind of liked the ninety-pound puppy with razor-sharp teeth, a tail that wagged at the sound of her voice and a master who had trained him to protect on command.
Go to the lake.
Olivia stopped, unsure where the wayward thought had come from. Granted, she wanted to take a walk out onto the dock for a look around, but now wasn’t the time.
A chill brushed across her skin and penetrated her body. She shuddered and turned around, her gaze drawn to the lake’s edge, to the dock rocking gently in the ripples driven by the breeze.
Come to the water.
She took a step forward, then another.
Gunner’s piercing bark broke the odd trance she found herself in and she stepped back.
What the hell was happening?
She had to find Gunner.
Olivia turned and jogged forward, pausing when she heard the sound of voices near the right side of the house, the spot where she’d last seen the dog.
“You can’t keep her here! She needs to leave, before she destroys us all.” The female’s voice hit a note of recognition inside of Olivia’s head and caution sang through her.
It was the same woman who’d called her this morning and lured her into the path of an oncoming freight train.
Ducking in next to the corner of the house behind a juniper bush, she went still, watching Jack and the woman carry a large box past her hiding place and stop next to a koi pond in the middle of the yard.
“I have it under control, but I need to know if you tried to hurt her again this morning by forcing her car into the 11:55?”
“No!”
The woman’s high-pitched denial ground over Olivia’s nerves. Anger flared inside of her, ignited by a shot of betrayal. No one controlled her, but she wondered if they were in on it together? Had Jack somehow been involved in trying to kill her to shut her up? Normally she was great at
Jack moved her to the couch and sat down next to her. He had his answer. Knew what drove her; why she did what she did, why she wrapped herself in a shell of invincibility. She needed forgiveness. Not from Ross, not fromher deceased parents, but from herself and he doubted she was going to find it in her brother’s medical file.
“Take it.” He held out the folder. “There’s enough in here to convince you Black’s Cove Clinic did everything possible to help your brother, but he didn’t respond to the treatment.” He laid the file on the coffee table and reached for her chin with his fingers, tipping up her face.
“It was a tragic accident, Olivia. You’re no more to blame than I was for my parents’ car accident. Forgive yourself. Move past it.”
If his words touched her at all it didn’t show in her eyes or the pull of her mouth. He let go of her and felt the void open between them.
“If only it was that simple.” She turned out of his grasp, picked up the file and stood up. “I’ll return this to you ASAP.”
She disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door.
Jack stood up, feeling discontent pulse in his blood. He couldn’t expect years of guilt and resentment to dry up in a matter of minutes.
He turned for the door, knowing it was going to take longer for her to forgive herself and drop the facade she hid her heart behind. In that respect, they were very much alike.
O LIVIA STEPPED OUT of the cottage onto the porch and turned her attention toward the main house. Her gut-wrenching admission to Jack an hour ago had left her feeling torn. Unpacking her emotional baggage on hisdoorstep was risky, but she’d seen the sympathy in his eyes. Genuine? Yes. But could she take his advice and forgive herself?
Gunner took off like a shot for the driveway, warning her that someone or something had roused him from the doggie bed next to the cottage’s front door. So much for staying around to guard her.
She closed the door and headed across the expansive lawn to investigate the commotion. If nothing else, she intended to bring Gunner back with her. She kind of liked the ninety-pound puppy with razor-sharp teeth, a tail that wagged at the sound of her voice and a master who had trained him to protect on command.
Go to the lake.
Olivia stopped, unsure where the wayward thought had come from. Granted, she wanted to take a walk out onto the dock for a look around, but now wasn’t the time.
A chill brushed across her skin and penetrated her body. She shuddered and turned around, her gaze drawn to the lake’s edge, to the dock rocking gently in the ripples driven by the breeze.
Come to the water.
She took a step forward, then another.
Gunner’s piercing bark broke the odd trance she found herself in and she stepped back.
What the hell was happening?
She had to find Gunner.
Olivia turned and jogged forward, pausing when she heard the sound of voices near the right side of the house, the spot where she’d last seen the dog.
“You can’t keep her here! She needs to leave, before she destroys us all.” The female’s voice hit a note of recognition inside of Olivia’s head and caution sang through her.
It was the same woman who’d called her this morning and lured her into the path of an oncoming freight train.
Ducking in next to the corner of the house behind a juniper bush, she went still, watching Jack and the woman carry a large box past her hiding place and stop next to a koi pond in the middle of the yard.
“I have it under control, but I need to know if you tried to hurt her again this morning by forcing her car into the 11:55?”
“No!”
The woman’s high-pitched denial ground over Olivia’s nerves. Anger flared inside of her, ignited by a shot of betrayal. No one controlled her, but she wondered if they were in on it together? Had Jack somehow been involved in trying to kill her to shut her up? Normally she was great at
Similar Books
The Billionaires Hired Baby Mother: When the wife and surrogate are two different people
BWWM Club, Tyra Small
