The Man She Should Have Married. Patricia Kay

me!”

      “No, honey, not for you. You’re not the birthday girl today. Grammy is.”

      Thea gave her mother a look that said that didn’t seem fair. “Unca Matt’s coming, too.”

      “No, sweetheart, I can’t.” He wanted to say he hadn’t been invited, but he knew that wasn’t fair. He’d be putting Olivia on the spot.

      Thea looked as if she was going to protest that, too, but she didn’t, and finally allowed Matt to get her buckled into her seat and kissed him goodbye.

      Once Thea was safely settled in her Camry, Olivia turned to him. “Thanks, again, Matt.” She lowered her voice. “Do I need to call anyone, do you think? Like Chief Donnelly? Apologize for everything?”

      Barton Donnelly, the chief of police in Crandall Lake, was a crony of Matt’s father. Matt would be sure to apprise him of what had actually happened. No way was he letting Olivia take the fall for any of this. “I’ll take care of it,” he assured her. “Don’t worry. Just enjoy the rest of the weekend with your family, and we’ll talk tomorrow night after Eve’s gone. She is leaving tomorrow, right?”

      “That’s the plan,” Olivia said. “Luckily for her, she has her husband’s plane and pilot at her disposal.”

      Matt could see the weariness returning to Olivia’s face. The stress of everything that had happened today had exhausted her. He gave her a quick hug, careful to make it brotherly and not lover-like, then stood watching as she walked around to the passenger side of her car, got in and drove away.

      As always, when they parted company, the world seemed less bright with her gone. If only he could always be there for her in the way he wanted to be, but if today had shown him anything, it had shown him how hopeless his situation actually was. For even if Olivia should ever feel the same way about him that he felt about her, the only way they could ever be together would be for him to break all ties with his family, and for him and Olivia and Thea to leave Crandall Lake behind forever.

      And that was impossible.

      For them...and for him.

      Wasn’t it?

       Chapter Three

      Olivia wasn’t quite as forgiving as she had pretended to be. She just hadn’t wanted to cause any more trouble between Matt and his mother. Because if Matt kept siding with her against his mother, things would only get worse. His parents weren’t just Thea’s grandparents. They were one of the most influential couples in the state.

      Hugh Britton was the president of a large commercial real estate and investment firm Vivienne’s great-grandfather had founded, and the family owned thousands of acres of property around Texas and parts of Oklahoma, including the oil and mineral rights in places that continued to add to the family coffers. The Britton family influence was vast, their resources unlimited, and Olivia, no matter how angry and upset she was over what Vivienne had done today, did not want to worsen an already touchy situation.

      In addition, even though she hadn’t admitted this to anyone, including Eve, Olivia had begun to have feelings for Matt—feelings that extended beyond those of family ties. She knew it was unwise, she knew what she felt for him could never go anywhere—in fact, he could never even know—but she couldn’t seem to help herself. More than any other member of Mark’s family, she had been drawn to Matt from the first day they’d met. Perhaps it was because he was so kind and welcoming, such a contrast to his mother. As she’d gotten to know him better, she’d realized he was a genuinely good man and well respected, in addition to being handsome and smart and fun to be with. She didn’t know exactly what it was about him that drew her. All she knew was, the admiration and connection she’d felt for him as her brother-in-law had morphed into something else in the last year.

      So the last thing she wanted was to cause any problems for him. It was bad enough he had helped her today. Vivienne would probably make his life hell because of it.

      Oh, Matt, why can’t we just be two normal people? Why do we have to have this complicated relationship that spells only trouble for us?

      This question...and more...lay heavy on her mind as she called Eve to tell her they were on their way.

      “We’re at your mom’s house, waiting,” Eve said.

      “Be there in ten.”

      “Is everything okay?”

      Olivia sighed. “We’ll talk later.”

      When Olivia pulled into the driveway at her mother’s house, Eve and the twins were waiting on the front porch. The cousins exchanged looks as the twins boisterously greeted Thea.

      “I’ll tell you everything tonight,” Olivia murmured as the screen door opened and the rest of the family emerged. While her mother, Eve’s mother and Stella hugged and kissed Thea and told her not to ever scare them like that again, Eve just watched and smiled. But she covertly took Olivia’s hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

      “So I guess this was all a big misunderstanding?” Eve’s mother said carefully.

      “Yes,” Olivia said in an equally even tone, “Thea’s Mimi couldn’t find us, so she made sure Thea was safe, didn’t she, sweetheart?”

      Thea nodded happily. “Mimi said you wouldn’t care, Mommy.”

      “Well, I did care, and I was worried because Mimi didn’t call me, but I’m just glad you’re okay. We all are.”

      Olivia knew they all understood what she wouldn’t say in front of the children, so the subject was dropped, and the matter of the birthday cake and presents were introduced, much to the excitement of Thea. The twins gamely joined in the fun, and Olivia was able, for a little while at least, to relax and just enjoy being with the people she loved most in the world.

      Like Thea, she did wish Matt could be there, though. She wished she could have invited him, but her family, especially Eve, were too sharp, too aware of Olivia and her emotions, especially since Mark’s death. It was hard enough to keep the right tone and distance when it was just the two cousins together, but Matt amongst her family? Olivia was afraid she’d somehow give herself away. And having her family know how she felt about Matt would make a tough situation impossible.

      “Auntie Norma, Mom said this is a special birthday,” Natalie said after the cake and ice cream had been consumed and Norma was preparing to open her gifts.

      Olivia’s mother beamed. “It is. It’s my social security birthday, so I can retire now, if I want to.”

      “You mean from your job at Dr. Ross’s?” asked Nathan. Dr. Ross was a popular veterinarian in Crandall Lake, and Norma was his office manager.

      “Yes,” Norma answered.

      “Are you going to, Grandma?” Natalie persisted.

      “I don’t think so. Not yet, anyway,” Olivia’s mother said. She grinned. “I like my job. I’d miss the animals.”

      Nathan nodded. “I thought so. And Grumpy would miss you.”

      They all laughed, agreeing. Grumpy was a rescue cat Dr. Ross had adopted, and he’d turned into the office mascot, living there 24/7. All the pet owners who visited the office enjoyed Grumpy.

      Olivia hoped her mother stuck to that decision. Sixty-seven was too young to retire nowadays. Plus it wasn’t as if her mother was wealthy. She had some savings, Olivia knew, and some insurance money left from when Olivia’s dad died, but her mother could live another twenty years...or longer. No, it was better if her mother stayed on the job as long as she could, and not just because of finances. Everything Olivia knew from her hospital job showed that remaining engaged and active was good for older people, that they lived longer and healthier lives because of it.

      Olivia continued to think about her mother