Page 45 of Dangerous December
“Ah...” Olivia stepped inside and took a deep breath as she slipped off her cropped leather jacket. “Nowthisis why we always want our book club to meet right here. What on earth smells so fabulous?”
“Cookies. Coffee. Keeley’s bringing the healthy treat this time. A fresh fruit platter, I think.”
“You should invite your mother to join us. She’s been here over a week, and I haven’t seen her at all in town.”
Beth switched on a stained glass floor lamp by the section on home decorating. “She and I have lunch and go sightseeing together. Otherwise, she spends a lot of time resting.”
“Is she all right?” Olivia headed for the antique library table, where Beth had set up a fall bouquet and refreshments on her favorite autumn leaves tablecloth.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and picked up a cookie, then leaned a slim hip against the table and dunked an edge of the cookie in the steaming brew. “The Maura I remember would be gadding about from dawn to dusk.”
“I know. She doesn’t seem quite like herself these days. One minute she’ll be as breezy as ever, but then she’ll seem really pensive...like something is bothering her. She just brushes off my questions when I ask.”
“If she’s the Maura I remember, she’ll speak her mind when she’s ready,” Olivia said with a smile. “No holds barred.”
“That would be Mom,” Beth admitted. “She usually doesn’t keep you guessing about what she thinks.”
“How are things going between Dev and her?”
“They haven’t run into each other much, far as I know. If they have, no one’s talking and the town is still standing, so it must have gone all right.”
“I had a nice chat with him when we came to work on the cottage. And once before, when he was at the Walker Building.”
“You did?” Surprised, Beth looked up from pouring herself a cup of coffee, trying to imagine Dev chatting at length with anyone.
He’d become so distant over the years...an intense, guarded warrior who had appeared edgy just setting foot in this pretty little postcard of a town. It had to be worlds away from the life he led as a Marine.
Olivia sipped her coffee. “I have to admit that I’m impressed. With himandhis plans.”
“I know his shoulder injury has to bother him a great deal, but he works night and day on that building anyway.”
“Frank tells me it’s going to be quite a place when he’s done. I gave Dev my brother’s number so he could talk to someone else in the outfitter business.” Olivia turned back to the table to scoop a teaspoonful of sugar into her coffee. “He seems like a complex guy. To just look at him, you’d think he’s got his life under perfect control.”
“If he doesn’t, he isn’t one to discuss it.”
Olivia tipped her head in agreement. “But words unsaid can be just as strong. When I told him how I was proud of him for his military service, he seemed genuinely surprised, as if he couldn’t even fathom receiving praise.”
“His parents hated that he went into the service. They expected him to be a physician or a lawyer, and drummed it into him from early grade school.”
“I figured as much.”
“When he enlisted, they were outraged. They let him know how much of a disappointment he was. Vivian never missed a chance to tell him about her friends’ children who made the ‘right’ choices.”
“I thought I remembered something like that. I wasn’t in her social circle back in those days, of course, and Viv was a generation older than me. But gossip in a small town never dies.”
“Tell me about it.”
Olivia frowned. “From the very beginning, she should have been proud and supportive. I rather enjoyed telling him about her change of heart before she died, in case she hadn’t ever found the spine to do it herself. He wasreallysurprised, so I guess she didn’t.”
There’d been so much bitterness between his parents and Dev that Beth knew Olivia’s description of his reaction was no exaggeration. “What did he say?”
“Nothing. His expression said it all.” Olivia tilted her head and studied Beth over the rim of her steaming cup of coffee. “How are you and he getting along? Any nice, quiet dinners just to catch up with each other?”
“Hardly. I think we may have progressed from ‘painfully awkward’ to just awkward. I don’t think either of us wants to dredge up the past.”
“I’d guess he doesn’t confide in many people. He doesn’t even talk to you?”
“We’ve barely spoken, except for business. There’s no animosity. There’s just...nothing, as if he has no emotion at all.”
