Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

by Susan Mallery

  “I want to believe you, but I can’t. I saw Ryan an hour ago. He says he’s moving back to Phoenix with you. He’s going to learn real estate. His exact quote was ‘when a Murphy woman tells you she wants you, you’d be a fool not to go.’”

  “I didn’t say that.” Olivia wanted to stomp her foot on the floor. “I’m not going back to Phoenix, I don’t sell real estate and I’ve been here all morning.” She motioned to the barn. “Look at all the work I’ve done. There’s no way I could have snuck off and talked to anyone.” She moved toward him. “Sven, you have to believe me.”

  “Why? I knew you were using me and I trusted you anyway. I thought you were changing. I thought we had something.”

  “I am and we do.” She reached for him, but he backed away.

  “Just go.”

  “No.” She glared at him. “No. You don’t get to give up on me like that.” Technically he could do anything he wanted, but she was willing to bluff her way through the moment. “I won’t accept it. I didn’t do anything wrong. You have to believe me.”

  He turned away. “Goodbye, Olivia.”

  Panic seized her and she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. No! Not like this. It so wasn’t fair. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She refused to lose Sven to something that wasn’t her fault.

  “You’re an idiot,” she said as she grabbed her bag and ran past him. “And I’m going to prove it. I’m going to find Ryan and make him tell the truth on camera.” She waved her phone. “Then you’ll have to believe me.”

  He didn’t say anything. He didn’t call her back or ask her to wait or say he hoped he was wrong. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised, only she was. No. That wasn’t the word. She was devastated. This was a hell of a time to figure out that sometime when she hadn’t been looking, she’d totally fallen for Sven.

  * * *

  Olivia sat in her car and tried to figure out where she could find Ryan. If Sven had talked to him an hour ago, then he wasn’t at work. She shook her head. Of course he wasn’t at work—he’d been fired. So where would he be? Home, maybe?

  It was a place to start, she told herself as she backed out of the driveway and headed in that direction. When she arrived she didn’t see any cars out front, but the house had a big four-car garage off to the side. She shouldn’t assume he wasn’t home.

  She ran up to the front door and knocked. When there was no answer, she figured she was already in trouble so why not go for it. She checked and the door was open. Not a surprise in this small town, she thought as she raced through the downstairs, then went to the second floor. She heard noises—very specific noises. Good, she thought, pulling her phone out of her bag and punching the camera icon. No doubt he was boinking Autumn so the conversation wouldn’t go well, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t leaving until she got Ryan on video admitting they hadn’t been involved at all. Maybe having a furious Autumn hating on him would make him more talkative.

  She walked to the end of the hall where a bedroom door stood open. She went inside and opened her mouth, closed it, then felt her jaw drop.

  Ryan was in bed, all right. With a woman. But it wasn’t Autumn. It was Marilee.

  They were going at it, Marilee on top, bouncing and screaming. Ryan’s eyes were closed as he moaned—possibly in pain, it was difficult to tell. Olivia knew she would carry the image of them for the rest of her life. Fine, later she would get therapy, but right now she needed a picture.

  She snapped two, just to be safe. At the sound, they both turned.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  Marilee didn’t even look embarrassed. “Darling, what are you doing here?”

  “Long story. I won’t bother you with it, or ask what you’re doing here. It’s pretty obvious.”

  Ryan’s eyes widened, but he didn’t speak. She was pretty sure he couldn’t. She would guess he also couldn’t stay hard because Marilee glared at him, before sliding off and casually pulling the sheet up to cover herself.

  “Is there a point to this visit?” her mother asked, sounding bored.

  Later Olivia would process all that had happened this morning. She had a bad feeling that if she stopped to think about any of it, she would become immobilized, so she decided to just keep moving forward.

  “There is,” she told her mother. “I quit. I’m not going back to Phoenix. I’m staying here. I’ll email you my resignation.”

  “You’re supposed to give me two weeks’ notice.”

  Olivia waved the camera. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen and you’re going to be fine with it. You’re leaving today, right?”

  Marilee sniffed. “Ryan and I were already planning to go back to Phoenix together. As you can see, I’m sleeping with your boyfriend.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend, but it’s nice you thought he was.” Olivia looked at Ryan. “Let me guess. She’s going to teach you the real estate business.”

  “I can’t stay here,” he said grudgingly. “Autumn’s not pregnant and I have to get away while I can.”

  “I can see that. Good luck.” She jerked her head toward Marilee. “Watch your back, get a lawyer to read your contract and make sure she doesn’t stiff you on the money.”

  “Olivia! How can you say that about me?”

  “You have to ask?”

  Ryan smiled and put his hands behind his head before leaning back on the headboard. “Olivia, don’t worry. It’s me. I’ll be fine.”

  He would be an idiot, but none of this was her problem. She’d warned him. He would listen or not.

  She returned her attention to her mother. “I’ll delete these when you’re gone. If you don’t leave or if you make any trouble for Kelly or Dad, I’ll figure out a way to humiliate you with them.”

  “Blackmail, Olivia? Isn’t that a little low rent?”

  “I learned from the master, Mom.” She smiled. “I probably won’t drop by while I’m getting my stuff, so this is goodbye. Good luck with everything. You, too, Ryan.”

  “Sorry it didn’t work out,” he called after her as she walked down the hall.

  She didn’t know what to say to that, so didn’t bother answering. She made it all the way to her car before she started shaking. She managed to fall into the seat before her body went into complete shock and she worried she was going to faint.

  A few minutes of slow breathing helped, as did sipping water from the bottle in her console. She told herself that she would get through all this and later that night there were so going to be cocktails, then she started her car and headed back to confront Sven.

  33

  “You had the wrong Murphy,” she said, handing him her phone. She’d found him in his house, sitting in the living room. He’d looked surprised to see her, as if he hadn’t expected her to come back so quickly. Or maybe at all. Not that many women were willing to return to the place of being called a whore.

  “My mother uses her maiden name now, but Ryan wouldn’t know that. He would still think of her as Marilee Murphy, you bastard. I told you I hadn’t been seeing him. I told you I wasn’t going back to Phoenix. What do you think all this was? That I would be with you the way I was and then go to him? Oh, wait. Of course you did, because I’m a whore.”

  He went pale as he looked from the pictures to her. “Olivia,” he began.

  “No! No. Don’t you dare apologize. You didn’t trust me. After all we’ve been through, you assumed the worst about me. WTF? How could you? I’ve been here with you. I’ve cared about you, I’ve—”

  She’d what? Slept with him the second time she’d met him? They’d been each other’s booty call. There’d never been a discussion of them having a relationship beyond sex. They’d never once talked about liking each other or being a couple. It had been nothing but convenient. They’d been using each other and there was absolutely no reason to
think he should trust her at all.

  She sank onto the sofa opposite his. “Oh, no,” she whispered. Her chest tightened and she couldn’t breathe, which was perfectly fine, as long as she didn’t cry. There was no way she was going there. No tears. Not one.

  “We were using each other.” She tried to speak louder but couldn’t. “You and I. We were taking advantage. We never talked about any of this.”

  He moved to sit next to her. “We talked about everything.”

  “Not us. Not what we were doing. No wonder you didn’t trust me.”

  “I was wrong, Olivia. I’m sorry.” He stared at her and grimaced. “What a stupid thing to say. I’m sorry. How does that make it better? You’re right—I assumed the worst and I insulted you. I apologize because I know that’s important, but I understand that your forgiveness will have to be earned with more than words.”

  They were screwed, she thought grimly. Totally screwed. “We did this all wrong. If I’d known you were going to be so great, I wouldn’t have slept with you right away. It was dumb. It ruined everything.”

  “It’s not ruined.”

  She jumped to her feet and moved away from him. “How are we supposed to get back together now? We don’t have a relationship. Not really. We never had a plan. You’re supposed to have a plan. People date and then sleep together and fall in love. Some of them fall in love before sex, but that’s not the point. It’s ruined.”

  He stood in front of her. “It’s not ruined,” he repeated.

  “How do we fix it? I’m falling in love with you and you called me a whore.”

  “I’m sorry.” He took her hands in hers. “I care, too. That’s why I was so hurt when I thought you’d been with Ryan all this time. It wasn’t just that you were leaving, but that you’d been playing me.”

  She wanted to believe him but the timing was too convenient. “You never said anything.”

  “You didn’t, either.” He rubbed her fingers and held her gaze. “Olivia, I cooked for you. I’ve never cooked for a woman I was seeing before.”

  “I didn’t get pissed that you’d been with my sister for five years, so don’t get all righteous on me.”

  He smiled. “You’re tough.”

  “I have to be.”

  She’d been on her own since she was fifteen. No one had cared about her—not enough to be there. Maybe she’d built a lot of barriers, but they’d been necessary.

  He pulled her against him. She resisted for a second, then gave in because being held by Sven was the best feeling in the world.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “So incredibly sorry. I was wounded and I lashed out. That’s an explanation, not an excuse.”

  “Thank you for saying that. I probably should have told you I hadn’t been seeing Ryan.” She sniffed and drew back. “What happens now?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe we just start over.”

  “Do you think that’s possible?”

  “How about if we find out?”

  * * *

  Kelly got home from work on Monday and noticed the rental car was gone. While she wanted to believe that was good news, it seemed unlikely.

  She found her father at the kitchen table. He waved a note. “Your mother left.”

  “Really?” Hope filled her as she went back to the guest room and looked inside.

  The bed hadn’t been made, but all Marilee’s personal effects were gone. The drawers were empty, as was the closet. She returned to the kitchen and hugged her dad.

  “Hallelujah.”

  He passed her note. “There’s more.”

  She picked it up and scanned the words. Then read it again because it wasn’t possible that—

  “She ran off with Ryan?” Kelly asked, reading it for the third time. “They’re going back to Phoenix together? She had a wonderful time and hopes we can do it again?” Her voice rose with each word until she was shrieking. “I honest to God don’t know what to say.”

  “Me, either.”

  Marilee and Ryan? “Does Olivia know?”

  “She does and she seems less upset than I would have thought.” He cleared his throat. “Marilee is your mother and if you want to see her, that’s great, but I won’t let her stay here again.”

  Kelly sighed in relief. “Thank God. It was a nightmare.”

  “It was. I was a fool to think I was doing the right thing. I’ve never spoken ill of your mother and that’s not going to change, but I carried things too far. I hurt Helen.”

  “Have you two made up?”

  His eyes brightened and he smiled. “We have.” His expression sobered. “Kelly, I’m in love with Helen. I’m not asking for permission, I’m simply letting you know. She’s your best friend and that may make things awkward, but we’re both adults and I hope we can—”

  She didn’t let him finish. Instead she flung herself at him and hugged him tight.

  “Oh, Daddy, I’m so happy. Yes, it will be weird, but that’s okay.” She drew back. “I didn’t take it well when I first found out and that’s on me. I was wrong and I’ve apologized to Helen. I promise that will never happen again.” She grinned. “So, you’re in love. Are you going to marry her?”

  “I want to. If she’ll have me.”

  Kelly laughed. “Wow. That was direct. Okay. I’m not calling her Mom. Not ever, just so we’re clear. It’s going to be very confusing to have my best friend be my stepmother, but what the hey. We’ll challenge stereotypes.”

  They were getting married. She felt a faint twinge of regret that she and Griffith weren’t in the same place. Loving someone who didn’t love you back was both wonderful and awful. Still, she was thrilled for her dad.

  “I need to find a place,” she announced.

  “Kelly, no. This is your home and it’s plenty big for all of us.”

  She laughed again. “I don’t think so, Dad. I’m going to be twenty-nine. Don’t you think it’s time I was on my own? Besides, you’re going to have a new bride in the house. You’re not going to want your grown daughters around.”

  “Yes, well, Olivia’s moving out. She’s found a duplex she wants to buy. I’m loaning her the money and she’s paying me back. I want you to stay, but if you insist on your own place, I’ll make the same offer to you.”

  “That’s very generous. Thanks.” She got up and headed for her room. “Go be with your soon-to-be fiancée. Oh and, Dad? Buy her a really big ring. After having to wait out Mom, she deserves the bling.”

  “I will.”

  Kelly walked to her sister’s open door and found Olivia at her desk.

  “Can I interrupt?” Kelly asked.

  Olivia turned in the chair. “Sure. Come on in. Did you hear Mom’s gone? Isn’t that the best?”

  “It’s great.” Kelly settled on the bed. “It’s wonderful and I’m afraid to believe it.”

  “Oh, she’s gone and she won’t be back. Trust me on that.”

  “She took Ryan. Are you okay with that?”

  Olivia’s smile took on an impish quality. “I would say it made the whole situation better.”

  “So you’re not upset?”

  “Not about Mom and Ryan.” She sighed. “I’ll admit he was part of the reason I came back, but once I was here, I never saw him. It’s as if he disappeared into the landscape. I don’t want him back.”

  “Good. He was a bit of a jerk. Anyway, did Dad tell you about Helen?”

  “That they’re in love? He did.” Olivia’s expression turned cautious. “I, um, think this means we have to move out.”

  “I know. He said you found a place.”

  “A duplex. It’s cute and the other side has great renters.” She bit her lower lip. “Did you want me to see if I can break the lease so you can move in?”

  “Swee
t offer, but no. I think it’s time for me to be on my own. I’ll rent a place for a while until I figure out my next step.”

  “Or marry Griffith.” Her voice was teasing.

  Kelly did her best not to react to the statement. “We’re not exactly talking marriage.” Or anything long-term. He’d been clear on that.

  “But you’re in love with him.”

  Kelly nearly fell off the bed. “How did you know?”

  “Oh, please. I’m your sister. It wasn’t hard to figure out.” She tilted her head. “I take it from your reaction that he doesn’t know.”

  “I doubt he has even a hint of a clue.”

  “Men. They’re all idiots. When are you going to tell him?”

  “What? I’m not. It wouldn’t go well. I’m going to keep things the way they are.”

  Olivia didn’t say anything but the word chicken seemed to fill the room.

  “He’s not that into me,” Kelly hedged. “He’s not looking to get married.”

  “No one said anything about marriage. I’m talking love. If you love him, you should tell him. Not saying the words doesn’t take away their power or make you less. I think he’d want to know.”

  Which all made perfect sense, Kelly thought, but what happened when he ran for the hills? She would be left devastated and alone. Of course loving him and not saying anything made her a coward, which wasn’t good. She’d vowed to be a better person—hadn’t she best get going on that?

  * * *

  Kelly wrestled with the Griffith problem for two days. On the third, she was tired of thinking about it and tired of wondering why everyone was emotionally strong but her. Determined to get things settled once and for all, she texted him and asked him to meet her at his house. With Ryan in Phoenix, they wouldn’t have to worry about being interrupted.

  They arrived at the same time. He kissed her before they climbed up the porch stairs.

  “How’s my best girl?” he asked.

  “Still reeling from all that’s happened. Have you heard from Ryan?”