Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

“Did you really think I was going to be like Mom?” Olivia asked.

Kelly hesitated before nodding. “You two were so close. You had so much in common. You were both beautiful and outgoing and nothing like Dad and me. When you started dating Ryan, it was like watching her all over again. I was so scared.”

“That I would end up sixteen and pregnant?”

Kelly nodded.

“You’re probably right.”

Kelly gaped at her. “What?”

Olivia sat on the sofa and sighed. “We were young and stupid, so getting pregnant seems inevitable. To be honest I don’t know if I would have had the kid or not. And if I had, you’re right. You would have been stuck, one way or the other. After all, you’re the responsible sister.”

Kelly didn’t know what to do with the information, nor could she read her sister’s mood.

“I’m sorry,” she said cautiously as she sat down.

“I got that.” Olivia gave her a brief smile that faded quickly. “I’m not saying it didn’t hurt. Of course it did. My own sister wanted to get rid of me.” Her mouth twisted. “But the thing is, I kind of understand why.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

“You’re welcome. We both know better now,” Olivia told her. “I accept your apology. We can move on.”

“I’d like that. I’m glad you came back. Are you?”

“Mostly.”

“Do you miss Phoenix?”

Olivia shuddered. “Not at all. I honestly don’t know if I’m going back. My job isn’t going very well.” She glanced at her hands, then back at Kelly. “My boss is a bit of a nightmare. Everything is about her, which is exhausting. I’ve been thinking I need to make a change. Now I can get serious about it.”

Kelly started to ask where she would go when it occurred to her that Olivia might want to stay here.

Her first response was to insist that not happen. Tulpen Crossing was hers—her sister wasn’t welcome. But that was the teenager inside of her. On second thought, having Olivia around might not be that bad.

She remembered when they’d been little and how Olivia had cried when Kelly had left to go to kindergarten. Kelly had done her best to remember everything that had happened during the day and had told her sister all about it the second she got home. Three years later Olivia had been the best prepared kid in her kindergarten class.

When had all that changed, Kelly wondered.

“I really am sorry,” she whispered.

“I know. It’s okay. You saved me from being a teenaged mother, so that’s good.”

“Are you seeing anyone in Phoenix?”

“No. I don’t have many ties there, which is ridiculous considering how long I’ve lived there. I don’t have ties anywhere.”

“You have us. Dad and me.”

“Thanks for that.”

Kelly pressed her lips together, then couldn’t help asking, “Are you still hoping to get back together with Ryan?”

Olivia sighed. “I don’t know. He’s dating Autumn. I’m sure he’ll dump her eventually but then what? Do I want a guy who’ll dump someone for me? Doesn’t that mean he’ll dump me for someone else later?”

“Technically yes, but seriously who could that be?”

Olivia laughed. “It is hard to imagine anyone more sparkly and wonderful. How are things with Griffith?”

“Confusing. Good.”

“I’m glad.”

They smiled at each other. Kelly felt the guilt ease. Some of it would linger, but steps had been taken. She and Olivia weren’t exactly close, but there was potential. Potential and promise.





14

Olivia emptied the contents of her grocery bag. She had a rotisserie chicken, mayo, mango chutney, curry powder, celery, walnuts and grapes, along with a loaf of freshly baked bread. Every now and then a girl had to celebrate her life with a curried chicken salad sandwich.

She barely finished shredding the chicken when she heard a truck pull up to the house. The driver would either be her dad or her sister, and for once, Olivia was okay with either. Whatever anger she’d had at her dad had long since faded and having Kelly apologize so sincerely had made things right between them.

The back door opened and her dad walked in.

“Hey, sweetie. I thought you might be home. I came by to buy you lunch.”

She motioned to all the ingredients on the island. “How about if I make you a sandwich instead?”

“Even better.” Her dad crossed to the sink and washed his hands, then set the table. “What else can I do?”

“Keep me company.”

He leaned against the counter. “How are you settling in? You remembering what it’s like to live here?”

She smiled. “Yes and no. It’s different, what with not being in high school. I’m hoping to meet up with a few friends.” Assuming she still had any in the area. When she’d last lived here, everything had been about Ryan rather than her girlfriends.

“You’re not running from something, are you?” her father asked.

“Oh, Dad.”

His gaze was steady. “Not an answer, Olivia.”

Ten years ago the paternal tone would have had her bristling. Today it made her feel taken care of.

“I’m not in trouble, if that’s what you’re asking. There’s no scary boyfriend, no loan shark. Business really is slow in the summer and I wanted some time to think. I’m not loving everything about my life.”

“Such as?”

She dumped the shredded chicken into the bowl, then started halving grapes. “There’s no one special. I think maybe I’d like someone special.”

“Make sure he’s a good guy. You want someone kind and capable. I know all you young girls want a good-looking guy with a hot car, but looks fade. Be more concerned about his character than his bank account.”

Good advice, she thought sadly. Advice she should have gotten when she was seventeen, not twenty-five. Only she hadn’t been here at seventeen.

“There are less good guys out there than you’d think,” she told him. Ryan certainly didn’t count. She wasn’t sure about Sven, not that they had a real relationship.

“Besides,” she added, “a man is kind of the least of it right now.”

She diced celery, then stirred the ingredients before adding the mayo and chutney. She folded in the walnuts last.

“I’m not sure I like my job.” She got plates and put them on the island. “I take that back. I really don’t like my job. Any part of it.”

“You do marketing for a real estate company?”

She nodded. “I design the campaigns for each of the houses. I set up targeted advertising on social media, format the print ads, design the flyers. It’s okay, but there’s a real sameness to it. Plus, it’s not totally full-time, which means I spend the rest of my day being a secretary.”

“There’s nothing wrong with honest work.”

“I agree. I just want to do more. I’ve done some interior design work on the side and I’ve started staging homes for selling. That’s fun.”

She scooped the salad onto the bread, then sliced the sandwiches in half. Her dad collected bags of chips from the pantry and poured them each iced tea from a pitcher in the refrigerator. They sat at the table.