“Not raven,” I warned by way of concession.
“We’ll discuss. When can you come?”
I took the phone from my ear long enough to see that my phone screen read eight. And that Liam had nonchalantly strolled close. And that Edward was trying me again.
Confront him,Kevin had said, but I wasn’t ready. Last night’s confrontation hadn’t ended well.
Pressing ignore, I turned away from Liam, headed back to my breakfast, and told Grace, “Nine-thirty. See you then.”
“Thankyouthankyou. Bye.”
“Who was that?” Liam asked when I pocketed the phone. His own dinged.
“Someone I work with.” I took another bite of the quiche.
When he typed for a few seconds, I thought he would let it go. But no. As soon as he lowered the phone, he said, “Her?” I wasn’t sure whether he was seriously guessing or simply wanting to revive the discussion. I considered lying. An easynowould have done it. But having to lie in my own home, to my own brother?
“Yes, it was her, but that has nothing to do with anything that concerns you.” I crossed to the small whiteboard by the fridge and scrawled the number of a guy who would tow Liam’s car. “Use my name.” I had a sudden thought then—a sudden,awfulthought. “Liam?”
His phone dinged again. He was looking at it when he said, “There’s great cell reception here. How’d you manage that? And Wi-Fi? Whoa. Full signal.”
I caught his arms and shook them. “Liam.This is important. People here don’t know where I came from or what I did. They don’t know that Edward is my ex-husband. They don’t know about Lily or the accident or my conviction. They don’t have a clue who Mackenzie Cooper is. I want it to stay that way. You need to keep your mouth shut.”
He twisted a lock at his lips too quickly for my peace of mind.
“Swear it, Liam,” I ordered. “I’ve worked hard keeping the past out ofmy life here, but if you let it in, I’ll leave—just move away and start over somewhere else. I can do it,” I warned. “Edward had gall buying the Inn and you have gall signing on with him, so if word of the past gets out, it’ll be on your shoulders. I’m Maggie Reid. Mackenzie Cooper doesn’t exist anymore.” I didn’t like the look on my brother’s face. “What?”
He held up his phone for me to see the screen. “Good luck with that.”
11
I’m almost there,read the text, and at the top of the screen, Edward Cooper.
The words positively shouted at me.
I shouted back, “I don’t want him here.”
“He’s been trying to reach you,” Liam said.
“How do you know?” I asked, though I knew the answer. Guilt was written all over my brother’s freckled face.
“He knows I’m here, so he texted me. He said you’re not answering your phone and asked if I knew where you were.”
Control was a major issue in my life. I had lost it along with my phone signal on that country road shrouded with fall leaves, had certainly been without it when that van rammed us and sent us into a flying roll. I hadn’t consciously called for help; my high-tech SUV had done that. Control?Control?In my frantic effort to free myself from the car so that I could get to my baby? In the harrowing sound of police sirens and fire truck hoots,the glare of ambulance lights, the milling of responders keeping me from her? In the legal doings afterward? Control? Ze-ro.
Slowly, slowly I had returned it to my life. This, now, just wasn’t fair.
I tried to remain coherent against a rising anger, though I shook with the effort. “You had no right, Liam. I do what I want when I want, and if I don’t want to return a text, that’s my choice. This ismyhouse, and I don’t want Edward here. You can tell him that when he comes.”
“What’s meant to happen happens. It’s God’s plan.”
“Don’t quote Mom!” I yelled, shooting to my feet. Then I just stood there, too bewildered to know what to do next until I actually heard the thump of boots on the porch. That got me going.
I had spun toward the stairs when Liam asked a disappointed, “Is that all you’re eating? Didn’t you like it?”
“Sorry,” I said without looking back. “Lost my appetite.”
***
