Page 28 of All Bets Are Off

From the kitchen, Opal raised her hand. I murdered her with a death glare, and she slowly lowered it. The look she shot me was full of mischief, though. Did she not believe the story? Or was this simply about her having someone new to torture? It was honestly hard for me to read her.

“I’m actually an accountant,” Olivia volunteered.

Dad pinned her with an incredulous look. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You said I was a librarian. They’re vastly different jobs.”

“I don’t… I can’t…” Dad looked to Bill for help. “Do you want to say something about this?”

My heart sank. It was hardly surprising that my father was putting the onus of this situation on Bill. Ryder Stone might’ve been a shark in the boardroom. He was an uninterested wimp when it came to his children, though. There was alwayssomething more important to focus on than what we were feeling or doing.

“I’m not sure what to say.” Bill glanced between Olivia and me. His gaze ultimately fell on Rex, though. “It’s weird that you never mentioned this. You have a big mouth. When did you find out?”

Rex shrugged. “I found out a few weeks ago.” He was calm. His job allowed him to lie with the best of them. “They admitted to me that they were in love. I was angry at first—I couldn’t believe they’d been lying to me for months—but they seemed happy enough.”

“Why didn’t you urge your sister to tell us at that point?” Bill asked.

“We were trying to figure it out.” Rex shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t think they were planning on getting married that fast. We went out for a few drinks yesterday afternoon to help Olivia figure out her next career move. It just sort of happened.”

Dad’s eyebrows moved toward one another. “Wait … you don’t have a job?” he demanded of Olivia.

She pressed herself in tight at my side. It was obvious my father left her feeling uncomfortable. “Um…”

“Olivia found a discrepancy in the books for Bradford and Sons,” Bill volunteered. “She worked for the junior Bucky and turned over her findings to the senior Bucky. He was very grateful.”

“Wait, you’re the one who got Bucky Junior fired?” Dad’s eyes lit with glee. “I always hated that kid.”

“Yes, well, as thankful as the father was to find out that he was being robbed blind, they had a convenient downsizing afterwards,” Bill continued. “Livvie here was the victim of that downsizing.”

“Ah.” Dad bobbed his head. “You did all the work. You saved him money. He needed a scapegoat just in case, though, and youwere the easy target.” He clucked his tongue. “That is crap. You shouldn’t be penalized for doing the right thing.”

I narrowed my eyes, surprised. Rarely was my father on the side of righteousness when it came to these things.

“Well, how about this?” Dad managed the sort of smile that loosened my innards.

He’s up to something,my inner voice warned.Yes, but what?

“Why don’t you have Olivia talk to human resources when she’s feeling better after her unfortunate dental surgery?” Dad suggested to me. “There has to be something she’s qualified for in the company. I mean … they’re always looking for counters in the cages at the very least.”

Olivia shot me a dark look, and I gripped her knee before she could start spouting off.

“I think Livvie wants to handle that herself, but obviously I’m here if she needs anything,” I replied to my father. “She does need to get over her surgery. That was unexpected … and painful … and her food options are limited at present.”

“Can’t you live on love?” Ruby teased. She was still grouped with my other sisters in the kitchen, and the way that they watched Olivia and me suggested trouble. I wasn’t certain they were actually buying this. If we’d been close siblings, like Rex and Olivia, that wouldn’t have been a problem. My sisters saw me as the enemy, though. Whatever they could hold over my head, they were going to do it.

“That’s the plan,” I replied smoothly. I shot an apologetic look toward Bill and Patty. “I really am sorry. It just sort of happened. At first we weren’t sure it was going to be something. Then, when it became apparent it was, we felt trapped. I know we would do it differently if we could.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Bill said, catching me off guard with his hand wave. “Honestly, I always knew you and Livvie were going to end up together. It’s hardly surprising.”

I cocked my head. What now? “You knew?”

“Of course.” Bill beamed at me. “She wasn’t the only one with a crush. You wisely kept yours to yourself when she was a minor. Eventually, though, I knew this was going to happen.”

“It was pretty obvious,” Patty agreed.

I was officially floored. Was that true? Slowly, I turned to Olivia. She seemed as baffled as me.

This day just kept getting weirder and weirder.

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