Page 26 of Secret Triplets for Christmas

With the girls asleep, I ventured downstairs to find my father and Mira sitting in the living room, sipping wine by the flickering fireplace. My father looked at her like she was the center of the universe. It was still weird to see him look at her like that. As long as I didn’t think about them having sex, I did pretty good at seeing my father as Dad and Mira as my friend, not step-mother. I’d told Oliver the truth when I said what mattered most was that they were happy. And I wouldn’t deny that I was a little envious. What I would do to have a man look at me the way my father looked at Mira. He loved her from deep in his soul.

“Get a room,” I joked as I entered the living room.

My father’s cheeks turned red.

“Later.” Mira motioned to the bottle of wine and an extra glass on the coffee table. “Come join us."

I poured a glass of wine and then settled into an armchair opposite them.

“Any news?” my father asked, his voice heavy with worry.

I sighed and then recounted my visit to talk with Detective Riker and Detective Donovan. I sipped my wine, trying to decide whether I should share the only new tidbit I had. “Oliver is back.”

“What for? Did the police want to question him?”

“He got a text like I did. The police told him about my break-in, so now he’s here out of some archaic sense of duty to keep Liam from messing up my life or something.”

My father frowned. “That sounds honorable. Why do you seem bitter about that?”

Did I sound bitter? I’d have to do a better job to appear neutral. “I’m not bitter. It’s just that he’s been through so much already. He’s finally been able to live his own life. Why drag him back into all this?”

“It is his brother, and the murder was never solved,” Mira pointed out.

“I know. I just don’t want him to get hurt.”

"You always were a soft-hearted girl," my father said. “But consider that you’re doing the same thing he is… protecting him from Liam.”

No, I wasn’t. I was trying to protect my lie. But I’d let my father believe that.

“I can't sleep." Grayson interrupted our conversation.

“Hmm,” Mira said, one brow arched. “Perhaps too many sprinkles.”

My father laughed and rose from the couch. "Let me handle this. Come on, buddy, let's get you back to bed."

As they left the room, Mira refilled her wine glass and offered me more. I wasn’t going anywhere so I let her top off my glass.

“So, how did Oliver seem?” she asked as she sat back on the couch.

Handsomer. More assertive. Still sweet. I shrugged. “He doesn’t look like a schlub anymore.”

“Does he look as rich as he is?”

I shook my head. “No, just not as messy.”

She sipped her wine, studying me over her wine glass. I shifted in my chair, wondering what was going on in her head. “You know, I always thought he had a thing for you.”

“What?” Thank God I didn’t take a drink or I’d have spat it out. Did she know about our night together? No. How could she? I never told a soul.

She shrugged. “Remember New Year’s when you dragged me along and Liam dragged Oliver along?”

I nodded. I remembered how Liam was excited when he learned my father was at the club and desperate to meet him. It was something that made me wonder if Liam was using me to get access to my father, to his power and influence and money. I also remembered how pissed off my father seemed when he learned we were there. Of course, I later learned he was pissed to see Miranda with Oliver.

“Yes. Why?”

“I just remembered thinking that he was smitten with you.”

“Why would you think that? He was supposed to be your date that night.”

---