CHAPTER TWO

Five Months Earlier

“Liv, it’s time.”

Nate stood in the doorway, eyeing Olivia with guarded eyes. She smoothed down a strand of hair and took a deep breath. Once she left the house, she couldn’t hide from the pain any longer.

“I’m not sure I’m ready,” she said, slipping her feet into a pair of classic black pumps. They perfectly matched her sophisticated black dress. “Do you have the stuff for Brian?”

“Already in the car.” He continued to stare at her like he was afraid she would crumble before his eyes. “Which is where we need to be.”

Olivia nodded and stepped forward on shaky legs. She was grateful when Nate put an arm around her. “Thanks for being here,” she said.

“Liv, your father died. There’s no way you could have kept me away.” He put his other arm around her, wrapping her in a fierce hug. She buried her face in his suit jacket, breathing in his intoxicating scent. Even though things had been strained between them, she couldn’t imagine making it through her father’s funeral without Nate by her side.

It was just three weeks earlier when Olivia had learned the truth about her sister’s murder. Finding out that her mother had been the one that killed Rosie, and that Olivia’s father had known the truth all along, had been devastating. Her pain had only been amplified when Nate was the one to have her father arrested for covering up the murder, even after Olivia had begged him not to do it.

Ed Thompson had been put in a terrible position. He daughter had been murdered and only later did he begin to suspect that his wife was responsible. Ed never had any actual proof, but his suspicions had led him to hide the murder weapon. He had also kept his suspicions to himself for twelve years in order to protect Olivia and her brother, Brian.

The stress of everything caught up with Ed who already had a bad heart, and he died just two days after submitting a formal confession to his role in the cover-up. He would avoid jail time but in the process, he had also agreed to testify against his wife. It had all been too much for him.

“I wish we could stay here forever,” Olivia said, still holding onto Nate.

“Brian needs you today, Liv.” Nate was always the voice of reason in their relationship. He was a good man, and his goodness was what had driven a rift between them.

She pulled away from him. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

Nate drove them to the local cemetery, the same one where Rosie had been buried twelve years earlier. While Olivia’s parents had visited Rosie’s grave every year on the anniversary of her murder and on her birthday, Olivia hadn’t been back since her funeral. Now, she was there to bury another family member gone too soon.

“That’s Brian’s car over there,” she said, pointing to the only car up ahead. Olivia had agreed to meet him there early so they could have some time as a family before the other mourners arrived.

“What are the chances he’s going to punch me?” Nate asked quietly.

If Olivia had been hurt by his decision to tell the truth about Ed, Brian had been outright angry. He had sworn at Nate and accused him of destroying their family. Everyone knew that Brian wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight with Nate, but Olivia knew Nate would never fight back. He probably wouldn’t even defend himself.

“I asked him not to start anything. Today isn’t the day for that.” She took Nate’s hand and squeezed it. “If he does try anything, I’ll protect you.”

“My hero.” He kissed the back of her hand and pulled the car to a stop behind Brian’s mini-van. A few yards away, Brian stood under a large oak tree with his wife, Taylor. He was purposefully avoiding looking in their direction.

Nate came around and opened the car door for Olivia, but it wasn’t until he prompted her by holding out his hand that she finally exited the car.

“This is my first time back here since Rosie,” she said softly, looking around the cemetery. Ed’s casket was about twenty yards away, in an open field that was just beginning to be covered by tombstones. Olivia looked in the other direction and searched for the spot where her sister had been buried. “I never even saw her tombstone. I’m not sure I could find her grave if I tried.”

“It’s just over there,” Brian said. He had come up quietly and startled them both. “That black one with the gold lettering.”

“She’s so far away,” Olivia said, feeling sad. “Should we have her moved closer to Dad?”

“I think it’s best to let her rest in peace,” Brian said, giving Nate a tight nod as greeting. He certainly could have done worse. Brian put a hand on Olivia’s shoulder. “Let’s go say our goodbyes.”

Olivia and Taylor greeted each other with a warm hug and then the four of them marched over damp earth until they were standing next to Ed’s open grave.

“Who has the kids?” Olivia asked because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“My sister is watching them,” Taylor said. She looked up. “The sun is coming out. It’s going to be a beautiful day.”

Nate had stayed a few feet back and he began to pace while the rest of them stood in a line, staring blankly at the casket. It was a relief when other cars started to arrive. It would be a nice distraction from the grief.

Overall, nearly a hundred people showed up for the graveside services. Olivia was impressed by the crowd and saw faces that she hadn’t seen since childhood. When the minister began to speak, Nate moved up next to Olivia and took her hand. She kept her eyes firmly ahead, hidden behind large sunglasses. She had thought they would help hide the tears, but surprisingly none came. In fact, she hadn’t cried at all since learning of her father’s death, though her eyes had filled with water many times.

Olivia waited until the minister was done speaking and the mourners were filing past the casket before she snuck away. Listening to condolences from dozens of people who had no idea what she was feeling wasn’t something she could deal with yet. Instead, she made her way to the grave Brian hadn’t pointed out earlier.

Seeing Rosie’s name etched in the stone, along with two dates dashed with a brief line, Olivia was suddenly overcome with emotion. She knelt in front of the tombstone and put her hand on the cool marble, tracing Rosie’s name with shaking fingers. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks and she didn’t bother to wipe them away.

“Liv, honey, we should probably go soon.” Nate put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Everyone will be waiting for us at the house.”

Olivia removed her sunglasses and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her winter coat. When she looked up, she saw that everyone else had left. “How long have I been here?”

“Not that long,” Nate reassured her. “But it’s cold and I don’t want you to get sick.”

She let him help her to her feet and smiled when he ran his thumbs over her cheeks to finish wiping away the tears. “I’m a mess,” she said.

“You’re my mess.” He leaned down and kissed her softly. “My beautiful mess.”

Olivia thought that was a good description of their relationship, but she decided not to say that out loud. While snarky comments might make her feel better, they would only hurt Nate. That wasn’t something she ever wanted to do, even when he had hurt her.

“Let’s go home,” she said, reaching up to stroke his cheek. Looking into his eyes, Olivia was overcome with the love she felt for him. That was something that would never change. When Olivia loved someone, it was forever.