Page 30 of Relentless

“Don’t you tell me what to do,” Harper snarled, causing her voice to become even more shrill and raspy.

“Last chance,” Harry murmured from the side of his mouth, his tone still marked with a bit of hope.

Maeve didn’t dare respond, fearing that Harper’s unpredictable temper might land her back in cuffs. Even her sphere of influence and ability to pull favors had its limits.

She quietly trailed Harper out of the airport and climbed into the driver’s seat. Maeve took the brief moment of peace to capture her feelings while Harper flung her luggage in the back with a loud clunk.

It just wasn’t quite long enough.

Harper yanked the door open and plopped down beside her, whipping the seatbelt across her chest. She dug through her purse, retrieved her sunglasses from the bottom, and pulled them over her eyes.

“Harp?” Maeve gently asked, with futile hopes of de-escalation.

“Just don’t say anything, Maeve,” Harper snapped. Crossing her arms, she leaned her head against the window.

Maeve was rarely scarce on words but opted to stay quiet as she steered the truck toward White Bridge. Keeping her gaze firmly on the road, she stole an occasional glance at Harper from the corner of her eye. Her older sister was thinner than when she had last seen her.

Too thin, really.

Her designer clothing was wrinkled and disheveled, unbecoming of the woman who — even when they were young, had always prided herself in her appearance.

Harper began to snore soundly, with her face pressed against the glass.

Maeve smiled.

If only you knew how much you and Oakleigh are alike.

Maeve turned off the highway at the White Bridge exit just as white snowflakes began peppering the windshield. Winter was hitting earlier than even she had expected. Grateful that the town was nearly empty by that time of the evening, she drove the truck across the bridge and down Main Street.

She pulled into her reserved spot in front of Ruth’s Coffee Shop.

“Here we are,” she announced, loudly enough to rouse her sister.

She awoke with a start, wiping a little drool from the corner of her mouth.

“Harper—” Maeve ventured to ask, knowing it wouldn’t be well received. “Are you okay?”

“That’s none of your business, is it,” Harper bit back. “Where are we anyway?”

“The coffee shop,” Maeve replied.

“A bit of a dump,” Harper critiqued. “I have to give Oakleigh a little credit. She really knows her angles to make this shabby little hovel evenremotelycharming.”

Maeve allowed the insult to blow right past her, but she wouldn’t miss the chance to compliment Oakleigh. “She deserves a lot of credit,” she remarked, stepping onto the curb.

She pulled open the coffee shop’s door with a loud jingle. Rubbing her chilled hands together, she took a moment to appreciate the warm, comforting scent of cinnamon and freshly ground coffee beans.

Audrey stood behind the counter and greeted her with a cheerful smile.

“Miss Maeve! We weren’t expecting you back ’til Sunday,” she exclaimed, closing the register drawer with a loud chime. “The usual?”

Her eyes finally locked on their newest customer stepping in behind Maeve.

“Oh, it’s —you,” Audrey blurted, recognizing Harper from that chaotic stormy night at the ranch house when she choseto face the fury of the weather, rather than deal with Harper’s drunken tirade.

Before Harper could inevitably fire off a sharp insult, Maeve felt pressed to protect her most vulnerable employee.

“Audrey,” Maeve said quickly.” “This is my sister.”

---