Return to You

over, pushed a lock of hair out
of Olivia's face, and cradled her chin. "When are you going to
learn that I know everything about you? That's why I know you have
to let it go and forgive him. He didn't know, love. You can't blame
him when he didn't even know."
    "Yeah, but if I don't blame him, I'll blame
myself," she said, barely audible.
    "It was no one's fault, love. It just wasn't
time." She dropped a kiss on Olivia's forehead, just like she had
when Olivia was a little girl and needed comfort. "You have to let
this go and move on. Think about it. Approach this with an open
mind."
    Lainie cleared her throat again. "Maybe I
should go get Everett." She started for the back door like she
couldn't wait to escape.
    "You stay here," Gran commanded. "Olivia
will go get her father. Since we're clearing the air, I have things
to say to you too."
    Olivia cracked a grin at the worried look
that spread across Lainie's face. She jumped up, grabbed a
flashlight, and was out the door before Lainie could utter a
word.
    The shed came into view, big and boxy. It'd
been ages since she'd had to come down to it. In the dark, it was
impossible to see, like the peeling paint or the roof that leaned
too severely on one side, but she could picture every detail like
she'd been there yesterday.
    As a little girl, she and Michael used to
play there. Usually, they'd pretend it was a movie studio and that
all the tools in there were props for movies. Michael always wanted
to make a pirate movie. She smiled, remembering how she fought to
be a pirate when Michael wanted to cast her as the damsel in
distress.
    She reached the shed and lifted her
flashlight to see. The padlock was, of course, hanging unlocked
from its place. The door creaked when she pushed it open.
    She heard a rustling from the back and then
the clank of tools falling over. "Hello?" She moved cautiously,
waving the flashlight in front of her to avoid tripping on the
random stuff lying around on the floor.
    "Damn it," a masculine voice said.
    She swung the light toward the muffled
curse. She blinked, stunned to find a dust-covered Michael scowling
in the beam of light.
    Then the door slammed shut
and she heard the unmistakable firm snick of the padlock being snapped
shut.
    She frowned at Michael. "I've been set
up."

Chapter Fifteen
     
     
    With a sense of trepidation, Lainie watched
Olivia walk into the night. She wasn't sure why Ms. Pembroke wanted
to talk to her but it couldn't be good.
    "Sit down, love." Ms. Pembroke sat on a
chair at the table and patted the one next to her.
    Lainie would have been more comfortable
sitting across from her but she sat where directed.
    "Now," Ms. Pembroke began, "we need to talk
about Everett."
    "We do?"
    Ms. Pembroke didn't reply. She simply
waited.
    Lainie knew this tactic. She'd seen Everett
employ it countless times in the boardroom. And still she was on
the verge of blurting out everything when Ms. Pembroke broke the
silence. "You know Everett was married to my daughter, Lily."
    "Yes, ma'am."
    "Call me Mae, love."
    Lainie nodded, unsure where this was
going.
    Ms. Pembroke—Mae—smiled. "Lily would've
liked you, Elaine."
    She didn't have much experience in matters
like this, but she doubted any other mother-in-law would be so
gracious to the woman replacing her daughter.
    "Lily and Everett loved each other so very
much. Everett was a different man back then. And then when Lily
died, he changed. Overnight." Mae sighed.
    "It must have been a hard time for you," she
sympathized.
    "It's devastating losing a child, but as
hard as it was for me, it was harder for Everett and Olivia. I
remember how lost Olivia looked when Everett brought her to me."
She turned her sharp gaze on Lainie. "Everett may appear
invincible, but he isn't. In fact, I always thought he was more
vulnerable than most men."
    "Everett Parker ?"
    "Yes, love, he's sensitive, and I think you
know that."
    "Mae, I don't know where—"
    "I only wanted to tell you
not to give up." Mae patted her hand. "He's a good man, but he
doesn't see himself that way. He'll fight his attraction to you.
Oh, yes, love, he definitely is attracted. Be patient. Wear him down gently until
he has no arguments left." The twinkle sparked in her eyes again.
"Olivia can give you lessons on that."
    "I don't know what to say."
    Mae patted her hand again. "Take care of
him. That's all I ask." She got up and headed for the stove. "Lily
would be happy you love him. She never would've wanted him to