out of my control soon, so you need to act fast. Call me as soon as you get this.
Faith
A phone number followed the signature.
“Wow,” Maddie said.
“Wow, indeed.” Olivia whipped out her cell and dialed the number. A few moments later, she closed her phone.
“Well?”
“This number is no longer in service.”
Chapter Eight
“Livie! I was afraid you’d forgotten, and after I invited a date for you, too. It’s lucky he’ll be late.” Tammy grabbed Olivia’s elbow and pulled her into the tiny foyer. “You can hang your coat on a hook with the others, and—oh, you did wear a dress.”
“As I recall,” Olivia said, “I was ordered to do so.”
“Yes, but you usually ignore me and do whatever you want.” A hint of amusement softened Tammy’s comment.
Olivia followed Tammy into the living room, where a subdued group of five sat and sipped coffee. Fine bone china cups clicked on their saucers as Olivia entered the room.
“Everyone, this is Olivia Greyson. You all know her, don’t you?” Tammy directed her question to a young couple huddled together on a deep plush sofa.
“I’m not sure I . . .” The young woman’s voice trailed off into a whisper. She was so petite that her feet lifted off the floor as she retreated toward the sofa’s high back.
“Oh, of course,” Tammy said with a light laugh. “We’d graduated by the time you two started at Heights High. Olivia, this is Dottie and Timmy, my neighbors. They’ve been married for six months.” Tammy announced this information as if Dottie and Timmy were her family and she couldn’t be more pleased. “Olivia owns that sweet little cookie-cutter shop on the town square.”
“Along with Maddie Briggs,” Olivia added, darting a glance at Maddie, whose expression reminded her of a carved stone bust.
Dottie’s face lit up. “Of course, I love that store. I didn’t recognize you at first. All dressed up, I mean.”
Tammy made a faint chortling sound in her throat that Olivia hoped no one else could hear.
As Tammy fussed through her hostess duties, allowing no guests to get anything for themselves, Olivia sat in a wingback chair and observed the group. Lucas Ashford, wearing a gray suit that strained across his broad shoulders, occupied a stuffed armchair. His dark eyes skittered around the room as if he were searching for the exits. Maddie perched on one arm of the chair, leaning into him.
Hugh Chamberlain was the only remaining guest. Olivia had seen Hugh on many occasions during her visits to the Chamberlain home, but they’d exchanged no more than a few sentences. Whenever she looked at him, she thought of the portrait of his father that hung in Clarisse’s study. Hugh had his father’s easy charm and good looks, with a well-proportioned body that always looked good in a suit. Olivia remembered that he had played basketball in high school. He’d looked the part and seemed to enjoy himself, but his playing was mediocre. Yet most of the girls had treated him like a successful jock and longed to stand beside him as homecoming queen.
Hugh caught Olivia watching him and smiled. She noticed that his light blue eyes lacked the dark intensity that shone from the deep blue ones in Martin’s portrait. Hugh looked tired. Hardly surprising, given what he’d been through the last few days. Olivia wanted to offer him her condolences, but it just didn’t seem like the right moment. She found it curious that he’d allowed himself to be talked into a gathering so soon after his mother’s death. Perhaps her mom was right that he did love Tammy.
A flash of green in the corner of her vision alerted Olivia that Maddie was trying to get her attention from across the room. Maddie raised her cup and waved it in a circle. Puzzled, Olivia glanced at her own cup, which was white with a thin filigree design in silver. She gazed around the room and noticed white linen cloths covering the coffee table and two side tables. A white vase of
Faith
A phone number followed the signature.
“Wow,” Maddie said.
“Wow, indeed.” Olivia whipped out her cell and dialed the number. A few moments later, she closed her phone.
“Well?”
“This number is no longer in service.”
Chapter Eight
“Livie! I was afraid you’d forgotten, and after I invited a date for you, too. It’s lucky he’ll be late.” Tammy grabbed Olivia’s elbow and pulled her into the tiny foyer. “You can hang your coat on a hook with the others, and—oh, you did wear a dress.”
“As I recall,” Olivia said, “I was ordered to do so.”
“Yes, but you usually ignore me and do whatever you want.” A hint of amusement softened Tammy’s comment.
Olivia followed Tammy into the living room, where a subdued group of five sat and sipped coffee. Fine bone china cups clicked on their saucers as Olivia entered the room.
“Everyone, this is Olivia Greyson. You all know her, don’t you?” Tammy directed her question to a young couple huddled together on a deep plush sofa.
“I’m not sure I . . .” The young woman’s voice trailed off into a whisper. She was so petite that her feet lifted off the floor as she retreated toward the sofa’s high back.
“Oh, of course,” Tammy said with a light laugh. “We’d graduated by the time you two started at Heights High. Olivia, this is Dottie and Timmy, my neighbors. They’ve been married for six months.” Tammy announced this information as if Dottie and Timmy were her family and she couldn’t be more pleased. “Olivia owns that sweet little cookie-cutter shop on the town square.”
“Along with Maddie Briggs,” Olivia added, darting a glance at Maddie, whose expression reminded her of a carved stone bust.
Dottie’s face lit up. “Of course, I love that store. I didn’t recognize you at first. All dressed up, I mean.”
Tammy made a faint chortling sound in her throat that Olivia hoped no one else could hear.
As Tammy fussed through her hostess duties, allowing no guests to get anything for themselves, Olivia sat in a wingback chair and observed the group. Lucas Ashford, wearing a gray suit that strained across his broad shoulders, occupied a stuffed armchair. His dark eyes skittered around the room as if he were searching for the exits. Maddie perched on one arm of the chair, leaning into him.
Hugh Chamberlain was the only remaining guest. Olivia had seen Hugh on many occasions during her visits to the Chamberlain home, but they’d exchanged no more than a few sentences. Whenever she looked at him, she thought of the portrait of his father that hung in Clarisse’s study. Hugh had his father’s easy charm and good looks, with a well-proportioned body that always looked good in a suit. Olivia remembered that he had played basketball in high school. He’d looked the part and seemed to enjoy himself, but his playing was mediocre. Yet most of the girls had treated him like a successful jock and longed to stand beside him as homecoming queen.
Hugh caught Olivia watching him and smiled. She noticed that his light blue eyes lacked the dark intensity that shone from the deep blue ones in Martin’s portrait. Hugh looked tired. Hardly surprising, given what he’d been through the last few days. Olivia wanted to offer him her condolences, but it just didn’t seem like the right moment. She found it curious that he’d allowed himself to be talked into a gathering so soon after his mother’s death. Perhaps her mom was right that he did love Tammy.
A flash of green in the corner of her vision alerted Olivia that Maddie was trying to get her attention from across the room. Maddie raised her cup and waved it in a circle. Puzzled, Olivia glanced at her own cup, which was white with a thin filigree design in silver. She gazed around the room and noticed white linen cloths covering the coffee table and two side tables. A white vase of
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