Page 27 of Secret Triplets for Christmas

“It was the way he looked at you. And the way he looked at Liam when Liam was being a doofus. Like he felt his brother should treat you better.”

“You’re delusional.” I sipped my wine, hoping it would hide the crazy thoughts and feelings I was having at this revelation. Could it be true? How could it? Surely, he would have said something, especially after we’d slept together. But then I remembered… Liam. Oliver wouldn’t have done anything that hurt Liam.

"His eyes never left you, Lindsay. And the way he smiled when you talked… It was obvious to me that there was something between you two."

“No, there wasn’t.” There really wasn’t.

She shrugged. “Well, maybe not between you two, but I’m certain he felt something. Maybe for you it was just friendship. I know you two were good for each other after Liam died.”

“I think you’re seeing something that wasn’t there. We were friends. We were working together to try and keep Liam out of trouble. That’s it.”

"Sometimes, we don't see what's right in front of us.”

I smirked. “Your brain is addled on love.”

She flashed a grin. “You say that like it's a bad thing.”

That night in bed, I replayed what Mira had said along with my memories. I’d never gotten the vibe that Oliver liked me more than as a friend. At that time, I was with Liam, and while the relationship had just started to hit the rocks, I was thinking of a future for us. Granted, as the year progressed and Liam’s behavior got worse, I spent more time with Oliver and grew closer to him. It wasn’t until after Liam’s death and Oliver stayed the night with me that I realized my feelings for Oliver had grown. What if I’d said something to him that night? Would he have listened? Would he have stayed?

I shook my head. I knew then as I knew now that Oliver had to go. He needed a fresh start. He needed to live his life.

The next day,I called in to work and told them I’d need the week off. Luckily, I had lots of leave time, so it wasn’t an issue.

Once the girls were off to school, I drove over to my house since Detective Donovan said I could begin the process of cleaning it up. My stomach knotted as I surveyed the wreckage in my home. How was it possible that such carnage could invade my home again? Especially the place where I was supposed to keep my girls safe.

“Knock, knock. Hey, Lindsay. I thought you could use some company."

I was startled at Detective Donovan’s arrival but couldn’t deny the sense of security that having law enforcement there brought me.

"Detective Donovan. Do you have news?"

“Please, call me Flynn. Nothing new, I’m afraid. But I thought I’d stop by to see if you needed help. Maybe you’ll find something is missing after all.”

I couldn’t imagine what that would be, but I was happy to have help. “Thank you.”

Piece by piece, we sifted through the rubble, working to salvage what little remained of our once-happy home. And though the process was painstakingly slow, it also brought with it a sense of accomplishment. Soon, I would have my home back and life could go back to normal.

Unfortunately, as we examined each room, I didn’t come across anything strange or missing.

“No luck?” he asked when we finished the last room, my bedroom.

“None.” I sank against the wall feeling defeated. If we couldn’t find out what was going on, the person who did this, who might have killed Liam, would remain free. Plus, it would mean Oliver staying longer.

Thinking of Oliver, I wondered if he’d been any help. "I saw that Oliver Quinlan was here. Is he helping?"

"Oliver? No, we didn't ask him to come back. Then again, maybe being home will help jog his memory or something."

"Maybe," I murmured, still scanning the chaos for any clue as to what had been taken. Noting my painting hanging askew, I straightened it. It was the only item in the room that was in its right place. Little steps.

"I’m not surprised he’s here.”

“Really?”

His comment reminded me how Flynn had known Oliver and Liam. I supposed by the time I met Liam, they’d gone their own ways as I’d never met Flynn.

“Oliver practically raised Liam since he was a kid. He dedicated his life to it. To be honest, I was surprised he moved away.”

“I think he was ready to live his own life.”

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