Page 17 of Tangled Sanctuary

Hey, Jen! Oliver gave me your number. Whenever you’re up and around we should plan another day out. Today was awesome! Have a good night.

Relief hit like a wave and I slumped, rubbing between my eyes as a laugh bubbled up in my chest. Sara, of course. She’d said she was getting my number from Oliver, but I’d forgotten in the excitement.

Setting the phone down for now, at least until I got my shaking hands under control, I pressed both palms into my eyes and breathed. I needed to get a hold of my paranoia before it took over my life.

I’d talked to the sheriff just yesterday, and he’d had some friends of his looking into the Louisiana property. If there was a body there, then they’d have a case and a reason to pull in Harvey. Once that was done, I could finallybreatheagain.

I just had to hold myself together until then. It was easier said than done, but I’d manage. I always did.

Grabbing my phone once the worst of the shakes passed, I called Sara back, smiling when she picked up.

“Hey, Jen! I didn’t think you’d call back this late. I half thought you were out for the count, since you worked earlier.”

Leaning partially on the table, one eye on my food simmering on the stove, I hummed. “I still had to make dinner, so I figured I’d call while I did. Did you have a good birthday?”

I could all but feel the sunshine beaming off her through the phone when she responded. “Yup! It was definitely one of my favorites in the past few years. Oliver always makes a point of going out with me on them, but it’s fun to have a friend along for the ride too.”

Warmth unfurled in my chest that she already thought of me as a friend. While I hated the circumstances that’d brought me to this town, I definitely liked how close I was getting to the people.

When she spoke next though, that teasing tone was back. “So…I saw the way you were looking at my brother earlier.”

Biting back a curse, I sputtered. “I wasn’t looking at him any particular way!”

She hummed curiously. “You definitely were, but why is that a bad thing? My brother isn’t a creep, and while I may be biased, I’d say he’s a good catch. Why not go for it?”

Was she seriously encouraging me to hit on her brother after knowing me less than a day?

Putting aside the bewilderment at just how bizarre this situation had gotten, I answered. “Heisa good guy, and anyone would be lucky to date him, but I…just got out of an ugly relationship and–assuming he wanted anything with me–a relationship would probably only be a rebound from my last one. He deserves better than that.”

I didn’t know for sure, but there was some kind of instinct telling me that it wouldhurthim if that happened, and I couldn’t make myself do that. Oliver was a good man, which meant if we did start something, it would need to be with all the cards on the table.

I couldn’t tell him everything until after the mess with Harvey was situated, and that wouldneedto happen before we started a hypothetical relationship.

Sara was quiet for a beat, and then she spoke again, this time with soft warmth in her tone. “The fact you care about him enough to think that far ahead is why I hope something happens between you two. I could see it from a mile away back in the restaurant. Even if it's months down the road after you’ve had a chance to fully work through your last relationship, I hope that something happens between you two. You both deserve someone nice. I won’t say much on this, but Oliver has had much the same luck as you have in that regard.”

Someone hurt Oliver?

Immediately fierce anger rose, raking its claws down my back. Howdaresomeone hurt him?! He was one of the nicest men I’d ever known.

Of course, that meant he had to deal with the awful people in the dating world. Wasn’t that how it always went? At least he’d stayed nice even after his ordeal; I’d seen too many good men turn bad from dealing with one awful woman.

And I’d seen it with the genders swapped as well. All it took was one bad person to mess it up for everyone.

Shaking that to the side, I said.

“I wish he didn’t understand.”

That was the honest truth. Oliver deserved better, and so did I, for that matter.

Sara made a low noise I couldn’t put a name to. “I’m not trying to pressure you, just to be clear. If the only thing that ever happens between you and him is friendship, then so be it. He needs good friends, too.”

Flashing back to Emily’s words earlier, I grimaced.

“Yeah, I can see that.”

One of these days I’d ask him what caused that reaction, but for now, I’d let it rest. I had too much on my plate already with Harvey to be adding more. Glancing at my food that was now done, I spoke again. “I just finished dinner, so I’m going to jump off here, but if you’d like we can talk again tomorrow?”

Her reply was all but beaming with warmth. “Of course! Have a nice night.”

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