Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

She didn’t know what to say to that, so didn’t bother answering. She made it all the way to her car before she started shaking. She managed to fall into the seat before her body went into complete shock and she worried she was going to faint.

A few minutes of slow breathing helped, as did sipping water from the bottle in her console. She told herself that she would get through all this and later that night there were so going to be cocktails, then she started her car and headed back to confront Sven.





33

“You had the wrong Murphy,” she said, handing him her phone. She’d found him in his house, sitting in the living room. He’d looked surprised to see her, as if he hadn’t expected her to come back so quickly. Or maybe at all. Not that many women were willing to return to the place of being called a whore.

“My mother uses her maiden name now, but Ryan wouldn’t know that. He would still think of her as Marilee Murphy, you bastard. I told you I hadn’t been seeing him. I told you I wasn’t going back to Phoenix. What do you think all this was? That I would be with you the way I was and then go to him? Oh, wait. Of course you did, because I’m a whore.”

He went pale as he looked from the pictures to her. “Olivia,” he began.

“No! No. Don’t you dare apologize. You didn’t trust me. After all we’ve been through, you assumed the worst about me. WTF? How could you? I’ve been here with you. I’ve cared about you, I’ve—”

She’d what? Slept with him the second time she’d met him? They’d been each other’s booty call. There’d never been a discussion of them having a relationship beyond sex. They’d never once talked about liking each other or being a couple. It had been nothing but convenient. They’d been using each other and there was absolutely no reason to think he should trust her at all.

She sank onto the sofa opposite his. “Oh, no,” she whispered. Her chest tightened and she couldn’t breathe, which was perfectly fine, as long as she didn’t cry. There was no way she was going there. No tears. Not one.

“We were using each other.” She tried to speak louder but couldn’t. “You and I. We were taking advantage. We never talked about any of this.”

He moved to sit next to her. “We talked about everything.”

“Not us. Not what we were doing. No wonder you didn’t trust me.”

“I was wrong, Olivia. I’m sorry.” He stared at her and grimaced. “What a stupid thing to say. I’m sorry. How does that make it better? You’re right—I assumed the worst and I insulted you. I apologize because I know that’s important, but I understand that your forgiveness will have to be earned with more than words.”

They were screwed, she thought grimly. Totally screwed. “We did this all wrong. If I’d known you were going to be so great, I wouldn’t have slept with you right away. It was dumb. It ruined everything.”

“It’s not ruined.”

She jumped to her feet and moved away from him. “How are we supposed to get back together now? We don’t have a relationship. Not really. We never had a plan. You’re supposed to have a plan. People date and then sleep together and fall in love. Some of them fall in love before sex, but that’s not the point. It’s ruined.”

He stood in front of her. “It’s not ruined,” he repeated.

“How do we fix it? I’m falling in love with you and you called me a whore.”

“I’m sorry.” He took her hands in hers. “I care, too. That’s why I was so hurt when I thought you’d been with Ryan all this time. It wasn’t just that you were leaving, but that you’d been playing me.”

She wanted to believe him but the timing was too convenient. “You never said anything.”

“You didn’t, either.” He rubbed her fingers and held her gaze. “Olivia, I cooked for you. I’ve never cooked for a woman I was seeing before.”

“I didn’t get pissed that you’d been with my sister for five years, so don’t get all righteous on me.”

He smiled. “You’re tough.”

“I have to be.”

She’d been on her own since she was fifteen. No one had cared about her—not enough to be there. Maybe she’d built a lot of barriers, but they’d been necessary.

He pulled her against him. She resisted for a second, then gave in because being held by Sven was the best feeling in the world.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “So incredibly sorry. I was wounded and I lashed out. That’s an explanation, not an excuse.”

“Thank you for saying that. I probably should have told you I hadn’t been seeing Ryan.” She sniffed and drew back. “What happens now?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we just start over.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“How about if we find out?”

*

Kelly got home from work on Monday and noticed the rental car was gone. While she wanted to believe that was good news, it seemed unlikely.

She found her father at the kitchen table. He waved a note. “Your mother left.”

“Really?” Hope filled her as she went back to the guest room and looked inside.

The bed hadn’t been made, but all Marilee’s personal effects were gone. The drawers were empty, as was the closet. She returned to the kitchen and hugged her dad.

“Hallelujah.”

He passed her note. “There’s more.”

She picked it up and scanned the words. Then read it again because it wasn’t possible that—

“She ran off with Ryan?” Kelly asked, reading it for the third time. “They’re going back to Phoenix together? She had a wonderful time and hopes we can do it again?” Her voice rose with each word until she was shrieking. “I honest to God don’t know what to say.”

“Me, either.”

Marilee and Ryan? “Does Olivia know?”

“She does and she seems less upset than I would have thought.” He cleared his throat. “Marilee is your mother and if you want to see her, that’s great, but I won’t let her stay here again.”

Kelly sighed in relief. “Thank God. It was a nightmare.”

“It was. I was a fool to think I was doing the right thing. I’ve never spoken ill of your mother and that’s not going to change, but I carried things too far. I hurt Helen.”

“Have you two made up?”

His eyes brightened and he smiled. “We have.” His expression sobered. “Kelly, I’m in love with Helen. I’m not asking for permission, I’m simply letting you know. She’s your best friend and that may make things awkward, but we’re both adults and I hope we can—”

She didn’t let him finish. Instead she flung herself at him and hugged him tight.

“Oh, Daddy, I’m so happy. Yes, it will be weird, but that’s okay.” She drew back. “I didn’t take it well when I first found out and that’s on me. I was wrong and I’ve apologized to Helen. I promise that will never happen again.” She grinned. “So, you’re in love. Are you going to marry her?”

“I want to. If she’ll have me.”

Kelly laughed. “Wow. That was direct. Okay. I’m not calling her Mom. Not ever, just so we’re clear. It’s going to be very confusing to have my best friend be my stepmother, but what the hey. We’ll challenge stereotypes.”

They were getting married. She felt a faint twinge of regret that she and Griffith weren’t in the same place. Loving someone who didn’t love you back was both wonderful and awful. Still, she was thrilled for her dad.