Page 12 of Whispers in the Dark
Before he could respond, Olivia knocked once before pushing open the door. That was Olivia—never waiting for permission, never hesitating. Her sharp eyes immediately scanned the room, taking in the one coffee mug, Alex’s presence, Charlotte’s posture. Then she looked at Alex, her expression stoic. "Good morning," she said brightly.
Alex smirked, his voice amused. "Morning to you too, Detective."
Jackson followed her inside, closing the door behind him. "We didn’t realize we were interrupting. Didn’t expect to see you this morning, Alex. A day off for you?’
“Yeah,” he answered.
Olivia looked at the border collie. “Mom, what’s wrong with Bailey?” She bent down to pet him. The dog opened his eyes then fell back to sleep.
“The vet had me give him some meds to sedate him. You know how he gets when he has to get his nails trimmed and blood drawn.” Charlotte sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "What’s up, you two?”
Olivia frowned. "You forgot, didn’t you?"
Charlotte blinked. "Forgot what?"
Her daughter gave her a pointed look. "Wedding stuff, Mom. We told you last week we were coming over to go through potential venue details and other wedding stuff today."
Charlotte’s stomach dropped. Damn it. She had forgotten. In her defense, she woke up to a home invasion and a cryptic message from her past.
But Olivia didn’t miss much. Her sharp gaze flicked between Charlotte and Alex, her brow furrowing slightly. "Everything okay?"
Charlotte’s pulse ticked higher, the Polaroid and knife sitting in the drawer behind her. Alex, still leaning against the counter, arms crossed, watched Charlotte carefully. She realized he wasn’t going to bail her out.
She forced a smile. “All is fine.”
Olivia didn’t look convinced. “You sure?”
"Why wouldn't it be?" She wasn’t about to let her daughter get involved in this.
Jackson watched the exchange, his usual easy-going demeanor slightly more alert. Something about the way he looked between Alex and Charlotte made her want to change the subject as quickly as possible.
“Charlotte, what time is the vet appointment? We can take him. He’s so out. He’s dead weight. Very heavy to carry.”
"It’s in a few hours. Alex will help me,” Charlotte said. "Alright, let’s talk wedding."
Olivia eyed her suspiciously for another beat before finally relenting, dropping her bag on the table and pulling out a folder.
Jackson pulled up a chair, shooting Alex a smirk. "You sticking around for this?"
Alex smiled. "Wouldn’t miss it."
Charlotte gave him a pointed look, but he just winked at her. Damn him.
Olivia opened the folder. "Okay, so we’ve narrowed it down to two venues. The Hawthorne Hotel or the Waverly Arboretum. Both are available for our date, and both have indoor and outdoor options in case the weather sucks."
Charlotte focused, forcing herself into mother-of-the-bride mode. This was normal. This was good. This had nothing to do with the fact that someone had been inside her house last night, watching her sleep.
Jackson leaned back. “Personally, I’m leaning toward the Arboretum.”
Olivia scoffed. “That’s because you want an outdoor wedding so you can make a dramatic entrance by skydiving in or something.”
Jackson grinned. “I mean, if you’re asking.”
“No one is asking,” Olivia muttered, flipping through a page.
“Jackson, what does your mom think?” Charlotte forced fun into her tone.
Jackson chuckled. “You’ve met my mom. She wants me to be happy. She’s sorry she couldn’t be here to help plan. She chipped a tooth and got an emergency appointment.”
