Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

by Susan Mallery

  “I don’t want to.” He took a step toward her. “Olivia, you’ve always been the one. You have to know that.”

  She knew a lot of things and one of them was when to save herself.

  The front door opened and Marilee stepped out. “Olivia? I thought I heard you drive up.” She spotted Ryan and smiled. “Oh, my. Who’s your friend?” She walked toward him, her hand extended. “I’m Marilee. I don’t believe we’ve met.” They shook hands.

  “Ryan, Marilee. Marilee, Ryan. He’s Griffith’s younger brother. He used to be my boyfriend.”

  Marilee looked him up and down. “I do like having a handsome young man around. Were you two on your way out?”

  “Nope, he’s all yours.”

  Marilee linked her arm through Ryan’s. “I was just about to make a pitcher of martinis. Would you like to join me?”

  Ryan looked at Olivia. His expression turned smug. “Sure.” He paused, as if waiting for her to protest.

  “You two kids have fun,” she called as she got in her car, then backed out of the driveway.

  She drove around the corner before pulling over and texting her sister that she might want to avoid coming home for a couple of hours.

  Ryan’s having martinis with Mom, if you can believe it.

  Kelly’s response came immediately. I can’t. You okay?

  Olivia thought about her ex-boyfriend. She had no idea why he’d been such a draw, then realized it hadn’t been him at all. Instead she’d wanted what he represented. Her past, possibilities, a sense of belonging. None of which she needed him for.

  Never better, she texted back, then sent a message to Sven, asking him if he’d like a little company that evening.

  Naked company?

  She laughed out loud before replying, Absolutely.

  30

  Wednesday morning Helen was done hiding. She braced herself for the hell that would be her day and arrived at the café promptly at five. She greeted Delja, who hugged her harder than usual, then went about the work that was getting ready for customers.

  Jeff arrived close to five thirty. She saw him pull in and told herself she was strong enough to get through whatever he had to say. She had to believe in herself because there was no one else to do it for her. Whatever they’d had together, it had ended when he’d slept with Marilee.

  She watched him walk up to the front door, then step inside. As always, the sight of him made her melt. Anger and hurt could do a lot of things, but they couldn’t kill love. At least not in forty-eight hours. She accepted she was an idiot and a fool, but she wouldn’t be treated like either.

  Jeff’s expression of concern softened to pleasure when he saw her. “You are here. When I didn’t get a text saying you were still sick, I hoped you would be. How are you feeling? I wanted to come by and check on you but you were adamant about being left alone.” He reached for her, but she stepped back.

  “Don’t. I can’t...” She stopped and swallowed, not sure what she couldn’t do. Talk? Talk and not cry? She’d never been a screamer—in bed or in fights—and she wasn’t about to start now.

  The concern returned. “Helen, what’s going on?”

  Despite her best intentions, tears filled her eyes. “You have to ask?” She shook her head. “Of course you do. Because you think I don’t know. Well, I do. I know all of it.”

  His gaze was steady. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  She wanted to throw something at him. “You’re going to pretend ignorance? I would have expected better, only I shouldn’t, should I? Not anymore.” She circled around the counter so there was a physical barrier between them. “Fine. I’ll tell you. Griffith spent the night at your place Sunday. Or at least most of it. When he went into the kitchen around midnight, Marilee was there. They had a nice talk about how hungry you get after sex.”

  She slapped her hands down on the counter and glared at him. “You’re sleeping with her, Jeff. You gave me this whole song and dance about how there was nothing going on and you were just being a nice guy, trying to get your daughters and their mother to be friends. And you know what? I bought it. I believed you. I should have trusted my instincts, but no. More fool me.”

  Tears spilled down her cheeks. She brushed them away, but it didn’t matter. He knew he’d hurt her. There was no pride saving anymore.

  “No,” he growled. “No! That’s not what happened. I never slept with her. I have no interest in her. You’re the one I want to be with. Dammit, Helen, she’s lying. This is her idea of a sick game. You have to believe me.”

  “Actually, I don’t.” She pointed at the door. “You should go.”

  “Don’t do this. Don’t throw us away. She’s not worth it. Everything she’s doing is a game to her. You’re the one I want to be with. Nothing happened.”

  She desperately wanted to believe him, which made her beyond pathetic.

  “I can’t trust you,” she whispered. “Not anymore. You’re living with her. She’s right down the hall and you used to be married to her. You had children with her.”

  Jeff turned away and swore, then looked back at her. “I’m going to move into a hotel right now. I won’t sleep in that house again while she’s there. You have to believe me. I never touched her. I don’t even like her. Helen, you’re the one I want to be with. Only you. Can’t you entertain the possibility that she was lying?”

  Oh, how she wanted to. She desperately needed to have him say all these things to her. She wanted to surrender to his pleading and have him tell her everything was fine. Only she knew better.

  “You should go,” she told him.

  “That’s it? You’re not going to even consider I might be telling the truth? Helen, of the two of us, who is more likely to lie?”

  “You should go,” she repeated, pointing to the door.

  “You know me,” he insisted. “Come on. This is ridiculous. I didn’t sleep with her.”

  Helen turned her back on him. There weren’t any more words and she only had a few minutes to compose herself before her customers started arriving.

  For a few seconds there was nothing, then she heard footsteps on the floor, followed by the door opening, then slamming shut. She sucked in a breath. Delja rushed out of the kitchen and hugged her so tightly she couldn’t breathe. Helen hung on to her friend and told herself that with time, she would figure out how on earth she was going to survive.

  * * *

  Olivia told herself that throwing up was not an option. Nerves were fine—nerves would give her an edge, but vomiting was just unpleasant for everyone. And if that funny little pep talk didn’t work, there was always reality. It was too late to do anything. They were at T minus thirty minutes until the event started.

  Olivia walked the silent auction area for what she hoped was the last pre-guest time. Everything was in place. Yes some of the displays were amateur, but hey, this was her hometown. People would understand she’d been working on a very tiny promo budget. But everything was laid out in what she thought was an orderly fashion and there was even a section of extra fancy silent auction items right by the bar.

  The caterer had banned her from the dining area after she’d started refolding napkins about an hour before. The puppies and kittens were safely in their quiet space, dozing before their moment of fame at the end of the auction, and the antiques that would also be part of the big finale were on rolling pallets.

  The event was sold out, the bars were stocked, the tables set up, the food delivered. She was done. Okay, not done-done, but as ready as she could be, which made throwing up just silly. She should be celebrating, which she would...as soon as her stomach stopped flipping over and over.

  Sven entered the auction area and glanced around. When he caught sight of her, he started toward her, his blue eyes bright with pleasure.


  It turned out he was the perfect upset tummy antidote—or maybe it was the way he looked in a tailored navy suit, white shirt and tie.

  As he approached, Olivia realized she’d only ever seen him in jeans, or shorts...or naked. Sven was a casual guy who didn’t care much for affectations. He grew things for a living, he took care of his body, he enjoyed making love. But the man who stopped in front of her before leaning in and lightly kissing her could have passed for a blond, Nordic James Bond.

  His normally curly hair had been cut and tamed. He’d shaved and she’d already swooned over the suit.

  “You look amazing,” she breathed.

  “Thank you. Tonight’s important for you and I wanted to dress right.” He looked around. “The room is ready, Olivia. You’ve done all you can. The evening is going to be a success and it’s all because of you. Now go get changed.”

  Because she was still wearing jeans and a T-shirt. She’d done her makeup and left her hair in hot curlers that had long since cooled, but there’d been no time to remove them. She’d stashed her dress and heels in a storage closet next to the women’s restroom by the back exit.

  She handed him her tablet. “I’m trusting you with this. If there’s any problem, come get me. Or text me. I’m not that far away.”

  “You’re going to do great. You’ll have money for the roof and even more left over. You’ll have to start a charity.”

  That made her laugh. “It’s not my money, but it’s a nice thought.” She touched his arm. “You’ve been so supportive through all of this. I don’t think I’ve thanked you enough. Not just for the use of your barn, but for all of it.” She was horrified when she realized her eyes were filling. She couldn’t cry. Not only wasn’t it her, but she couldn’t risk her makeup. Still, he’d been there for her. He was a great guy and—

  “We’ll talk about this later,” he told her, giving her a little push. “Go get changed.”

  “You’re so bossy.”

  She hugged him, then hurried down the hallway and cut through the back of the craft mall. She grabbed her dress, heels and a tote bag, then went into the restroom and pulled out the curlers. Fifteen minutes later she was dressed, fluffed, hairsprayed and as ready as she was going to be. She tucked everything she didn’t need back into the closet, then headed for the event.

  It was five minutes to five. For one horrifying, heart-stopping second she wondered what she would do if nobody showed up. If the items went unsold and food went uneaten and the—

  “Breathe,” she told herself. “Just breathe. You’ll be fine.”

  A lie, but one she could live with. Faking it until she knew what she was doing was a skill she’d learned the hard way. It had started that first day at boarding school when she’d known no one and had been faced with not only being the new girl but the reality of having lived in a small, insignificant town her entire life. She’d gone from queen bee to target in less than twenty-four hours.

  She’d done her best to put on a brave face and over time that brave face had become real. She’d had to learn the lesson all over again when Ryan had walked away from her when he’d been recruited for a Triple A farm team and she’d transferred colleges in her sophomore year. Now she was going to do it again—back where she’d started. Maybe this was the cycle of life, maybe it was fate with a sense of humor. Regardless, she was going into the event with her head held high. Worst-case scenario, she could eat a hundred and fifty desserts tonight.

  She walked toward the back of the craft mall only to stop in surprise as she saw the line of people waiting to get in. There were dozens. Tens of dozens. She saw her sister and Griffith, Eliza and a couple of girlfriends along with other people she’d met while canvasing for donations.

  Her stomach righted itself and she gave a brief whisper of thanks. Everything was going to be okay.

  * * *

  Kelly stared at a delicate necklace for sale at the silent auction. She liked the small silver chain and the way the polished stones were strung like beads. The piece was handmade and not anything she would have bought a year ago, but she was different now. The colors would go with several of the shirts Olivia had bought her. Accessories had always been a mystery, and while they still were, she was thinking it was time to take the plunge.

  Griffith returned with a glass of white wine for each of them and glanced at the necklace. “Do you like it?”

  “I do. I’m not a jewelry person, but this piece is pretty. I think I might bid on it.”

  She reached for her cell phone. They’d both downloaded the bidding app when they’d checked in. While the live auction at dinner would have an auctioneer, the silent auction was managed through technology.

  Griffith covered her hand with his. “Allow me,” he said and put down his wine, then typed on his phone.

  “You can’t buy that for me.”

  He tucked it back in his suit pocket and picked up his wine. “Too late.”

  “How do you know you won? The auction isn’t over for another forty minutes.”

  “I paid the ‘buy it now’ price.” He sounded smug. “Did I mention my auction competitive streak?”

  “You didn’t. Should I be worried?”

  He smiled at her. “You should say thank you for the necklace.”

  She moved closer and pressed her lips to his cheek. “I’ll say thank you later,” she whispered.

  His body tensed. “That works, too.”

  She chuckled, then drew back a little and glanced around. “Olivia must be thrilled. The room is packed. I heard all the tickets sold.”

  “I heard the same thing. She’s going to have money for the roof plus extra.”

  “The mayor wanted to talk to her about starting a First Friday program in town.” Kelly knew her sense of pride was silly—she’d had nothing to do with her sister’s success—yet she felt herself beaming with pleasure. “She’s done so great.”

  Not just with the event, Kelly thought, smoothing the front of her dress. Olivia had helped her pick out the perfect outfit for the evening. The tight, plunging, dark red sheath had terrified her on the hanger but once she put it on, she knew it was magical. The fabric had a slight weave to it and a glow without being shiny. The fit took advantage of her lack of breasts, and gave her the illusion of curves elsewhere. The red-and-black pumps she’d bought actually cost more than the dress but they were so sexy, she couldn’t help herself. Her feet already hurt and she would probably walk with a limp for a week, yet she didn’t care.

  She sipped her wine and scanned the crowd. The room had filled up and from what she could tell, they were buying.

  “I’m going to claim us a couple of seats,” Griffith told her. “Want to come with me or stay and shop?”

  “I see Helen,” she said, spotting her friend. “Save a seat for her and Dad, too, please.”

  “Will do.” He kissed her. “Don’t go flirting with anyone else while I’m gone.”

  “As if.”

  Griffith was so amazing, she thought as she made her way toward her friend. Kind and funny and caring. To think she’d actually resisted getting involved with him. They were so right for each other. So—

  Something nibbled at the back of her mind. Not a worry exactly, but the beginning of a revelation. She enjoyed being around Griffith. A lot. More than a lot. She liked everything about their relationship and she never wanted it to end. In fact—

  “Is your dad here?”

  Helen’s question jerked Kelly out of her musings. She grinned. “You would know that better than me.” She saw her friend’s pale face and strained expression. “What’s wrong? Don’t you feel well?”

  “No. I mean I’m not sick, it’s just...” She sucked in a breath, then exhaled. “I shouldn’t have come. This is insane. It’s just I promised Olivia and I’m supposed to walk in the fashion show a
t the end.” Her mouth twisted. “With an armoire. That’s sexy.”

  “I have a kitten,” Kelly said. “We’ll trade. You’ll feel better with a kitten. Helen, what’s going on? I saw you over the weekend and everything was fine. We’ve been texting and you haven’t hinted at anything.” She opened her mouth, then closed it as the obvious occurred to her. “Are you and my dad fighting?”

  Her friend stared at her. “You really don’t know? I thought you weren’t saying anything because you felt caught in the middle of the situation.” Helen shook her head, then looked away. “No, we’re not fighting. That would require us to be together.”

  Tears filled Helen’s eyes. She blinked them back. “I don’t know what to do. I have to be here and I don’t think I can stand it. I just want to go home.”

  Kelly pulled her friend to the side of the room, away from the other guests. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Griffith didn’t mention anything?”

  “Why would he? How is he involved?” She’d assumed the reason she didn’t know was her dad. “I’m confused. What’s going on and how can I help?”

  Helen wrapped her arms around herself and seemed to shrink into the wall. “You can’t. It’s not like that. I just...” She started to cry. “Your dad slept with Marilee. When Griffith spent the night, he saw her, you know, after. Griffith felt he had to tell me and he was right to. I just never thought... Of course I was worried, but I never thought Jeff was really like that.”

  Kelly hugged her friend, but had no idea what to say. Her mind raced. Why hadn’t Griffith said something to her? He should have told her first. Could her dad really have slept with Marilee? Worse, could he have really cheated on Helen?

  “What did my dad say when you talked to him?” she asked.

  “He denied it all. He said he’d made a mistake to have her stay in the house and that he would move to a hotel.” She looked up, her expression hopeful. “Did he?”