Secrets Of The Tulip Sisters. Susan Mallery

now she was left with nothing but a gnawing sense of not belonging anywhere.

      She walked through the empty house, trying to find some connection to her past. Funny how she’d assumed the old place would feel like home. It was where she’d grown up, but whatever part of her had been left behind must have gotten swept up with the dust.

      The living room was different. New furniture and a bigger TV. The layout was all wrong, but that wasn’t her problem. The kitchen had been remodeled, as well. Whoever had done the design had used the space well and in the day there would be plenty of light.

      Her bedroom was exactly as it had been. The same pale lavender walls, the books and yearbooks in the bookcase. She recognized the stuffed animals, but felt no need to hold them close. They were cute and all, but no longer a part of her.

      Tucked into the big mirror over her dresser were several photos of her with friends. She looked impossibly young, with horrible makeup and hair. Thank goodness she’d learned how to make the most of what she had. Unlike her sister, who was determined to be as low-maintenance as possible, as if that were a point of pride. Olivia had already spotted her bargain shampoo-and-conditioner 2-in-1 bottle in the shower, along with a bar of generic unscented soap.

      There were no lotions on the counter, no hint of makeup had ever been allowed past the hallowed doorway. Kelly was odd, but then they’d always been so incredibly different. She wondered how much of that was personality and how much of it was how they were raised.

      She sat on the edge of the bed and tried to figure out if she could really stay here. And if she didn’t, where on earth would she go? Her dad had been happy to see her, which was nice. Kelly had just looked shocked and panicked and why not? They were strangers.

      She tried to remember the last time she’d seen her sister and couldn’t. She and her dad had met up in San Francisco three years ago. Before that, he’d come to her graduation from Arizona State University. Marilee hadn’t—she’d gone on a cruise instead.

      Olivia fingered the hideous floral bedspread, then stood and crossed to the mirror. Tucked in the corner was an old picture of her with her sister. Kelly didn’t look all that different from how she did now. In the photo, they were laughing together, as if they’d just shared a joke. As if they liked each other.

      Olivia knew that at one point they had. They’d been close when they’d been younger, but after Marilee had run off, everything had changed and then Olivia had been sent away.

      That part of her past was a blur. One second she’d been a diva in her high school and the next she’d been flying to an all-girls boarding school in Colorado. It had been mid-semester, when the cliques had already been established and no one gave a shit about the new girl.

      She’d been so scared, so hurt. That first spring break, she’d refused to go home, out of spite. When someone had invited her home for the summer, she’d accepted, mostly to punish Kelly and their dad. She’d waited for them to call and beg her to come back, to be with them...only they never had.

      She tossed the picture onto the dresser and stared at herself. She willed any hint of weakness from her eyes and squared her shoulders. She’d come a long way from that frightened teenager, abandoned by both her parents. She wasn’t going to let anyone control her destiny ever again. She was strong and in charge. If she wasn’t sure if coming home for the summer was a good idea, then she was going to damn well find out.

      That decided, she went to her closet. She flipped through the dresses she’d unpacked and hung, stopping when she found a sleeveless little knit number that was exactly what she was looking for.

      She touched up her makeup, fluffed her hair, then stripped down to her thong. The dress was snug, requiring her to tug and shimmy it into place. It dipped low in front and back and barely came to mid-thigh. Probably a little much for Tulpen Crossing, but she didn’t mind. Far better to cross the line than not be remembered at all.

      She put on dangly earrings and several gold bangles and slipped on a pair of sandals with four-inch heels. When she was done, she stood in front of the mirror.

      The dark green dress made her eyes look more hazel than brown. She checked herself from the rear, then faced front again. She adjusted her breasts to make sure they were even before pinching her nipples several times. Her nipples hardened and became clearly visible under the knit fabric.

      Excellent, she thought as she reached for her small clutch. No straight guy would be able to turn away. It was just one of the tricks her mother had taught her. On the drive to the bar, she would turn the AC to frigid, ensuring plenty of nipple when she arrived. When one might be facing a battle, one had best show up armed. For her, that meant sex, or at least sexual interest. You could always control a man with his dick.

      * * *

      Olivia pulled into the parking lot of Candy Cane—the poorly named bar in town. Ryan had mentioned more than once he liked to hang out there with his friends.

      She was already shivering from the air-conditioning, but took a second to pour cold water from a bottle on the inside of her wrists. She shuddered at the cold. Oh, yeah, this was going to be good.

      She crossed the parking lot and walked into the bar. It was fairly typical with plenty of tables, a few booths and some guys playing pool in the back. The men at the bar turned to look at her. Three of them nearly fell off their stools while a fourth stared at her openmouthed. She ignored them and looked around. Tension left her when she spotted Ryan.

      He stood by a large table, talking to his friends. He was tall and gorgeous, a beer in one hand. Anticipation combined with satisfaction. If all went well, they would be naked in less than thirty minutes.

      As she approached the table, she felt everyone turning to look at her. She thought she recognized a couple of his friends and smiled at them. Someone said something and Ryan turned. His eyes widened and his expression turned practically feral. Oh, yeah. Starving man, meet your buffet, she thought smugly.

      “Olivia? What are you doing here? I can’t believe it. Jesus, you’re stunning.”

      He put down the beer and moved to her side. Dark hair, blue eyes and a dimple. Whatever more could she want?

      “You’re really here,” he said.

      She smiled. “I’m really here. How are you?”

      “So much better now.”

      He reached for her. She arched her back and watched his gaze settle on her breasts. His intake of air was audible.

      “Ryan!”

      The shrill single word cut through the charged moment and brought Ryan to a halt. Terror was followed by guilt, with a regret chaser. Olivia watched a pudgy blonde approach and step between them and knew her plans had just been flushed.

      “Ryan, what do you think you’re doing?” the blonde asked.

      “I, ah, I...” His gaze locked with Olivia’s. “This is Autumn.”

      “Is it?” Olivia’s voice was cool. She looked the other woman up and down, taking in the worn, ill-fitting jeans, the unflattering too-tight top and the hair in desperate need of styling. “How unfortunate.”

      Autumn raised her eyebrows. “Yes, it is unfortunate. Ryan’s with me. I don’t know who you are, but he’s with me.”

      “You do keep saying that, as if we all need to be reminded.” Olivia paused. “Ryan especially.”

      Autumn flushed. “Tell her to go away.”

      “Autumn, she’s a friend. I’ve known her since high school.”

      “Yeah, well, I don’t care.”

      Olivia forced herself to smile casually. “Ryan, don’t worry about it. There’s no need to upset her. I’m going to be in town for a while. We’ll have plenty of time to...catch up.”

      Autumn glared. Ryan grinned.

      “I’d like that,”