LITMIR.BIZ

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      They all laughed, agreeing. Grumpy was a rescue cat Dr. Ross had adopted, and he’d turned into the office mascot, living there 24/7. All the pet owners who visited the office enjoyed Grumpy.

      Olivia hoped her mother stuck to that decision. Sixty-seven was too young to retire nowadays. Plus it wasn’t as if her mother was wealthy. She had some savings, Olivia knew, and some insurance money left from when Olivia’s dad died, but her mother could live another twenty years...or longer. No, it was better if her mother stayed on the job as long as she could, and not just because of finances. Everything Olivia knew from her hospital job showed that remaining engaged and active was good for older people, that they lived longer and healthier lives because of it.

      Olivia continued to think about her mother while Norma opened her presents. When she finished, it was time to gather everyone and head for home.

      “Will we see you at church in the morning?” Eve’s mother asked as Olivia, Eve and the children said their goodbyes.

      After agreeing they would, the cousins took their leave and headed for Olivia’s house, just minutes away.

      It took nearly forty minutes, but finally the twins and Thea were settled in the living room with the movie Frozen, although Nathan was also playing a game on his iPad. Olivia and Eve headed for the kitchen, where Olivia put the kettle on so they could have tea.

      “Tell me everything,” Eve said quietly.

      So Olivia did. By the time their tea was ready, she’d finished with her blow-by-blow account of the scene at the elder Brittons’ home.

      “She’s unbelievable,” Eve said, shaking her head. “I just don’t know what she thought she was accomplishing by keeping Thea there and not telling you.”

      “With her twisted logic, she probably thought she was reinforcing her belief that I’m an unfit mother.”

      “Doesn’t she realize you could keep her from seeing Thea at all?”

      Olivia shrugged. “She probably knows I wouldn’t do that unless there was no other alternative.”

      “But why not?” Eve said. Her blue eyes flashed with anger as she stirred milk into her tea.

      “Oh, Eve,” Olivia said resignedly, “you know why not. If I tried to keep Vivienne away from Thea, she’d make a world of trouble for me.” She drank some of her tea. “I just... Life can be hard enough. I can’t deal with constant stress and all the drama that comes with any conflict with my mother-in-law.”

      “So you’re just going to ignore what she did today? Listen, why don’t I ask Austin to—”

      “No! You’re not going to ask Austin to do anything. Matt said he’d take care of things...talk to his dad and to Chief Donnelly.”

      “Yes, but that’s just today. What about tomorrow? What about next week? What about you? What if this vendetta against you escalates? She seems to be capable of anything!”

      Olivia rubbed her forehead. “Eve, please. Can we talk about something else? I’m so tired of thinking about Vivienne.”

      Eve looked as if she wanted to protest, but all she did was sigh and give Olivia a reluctant nod. “Okay. I’m sorry. I just...well, I hate this for you. After all you’ve been through, it sucks.”

      “I know you worry about me, and I love you for it.” Olivia smiled at her cousin and thought about how grateful she was that Eve was here today.

      “I want you to promise me something, though,” Eve said.

      “What?” Olivia said warily.

      “If she tries anything else, anything, you’ll call me immediately. Okay?”

      Olivia shook her head. “Eve, what can you do about it? You’ll be a thousand miles or more away.”

      “Just promise.”

      “Oh, all right, I promise.”

      “Good.” Eve’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not without resources, either, you know. As Queen Vivienne will soon find out if she messes with you again.”

      On that note, the conversation turned to Olivia’s mother, then to what the cousins might feed their offspring...and themselves...for dinner. Soon Olivia was laughing and had managed to temporarily wipe Vivienne out of her mind.

      But down deep, she knew Vivienne would always be a threat to her peaceful existence with her daughter.

      And unfortunately, for now at least, there wasn’t a thing Olivia could do about it.

      * * *

      Matt decided golf game or no golf game, he would try to reach his father on his cell phone.

      His dad answered almost immediately. “What is it, Matt? I’m playing golf.”

      “I know that, Dad. Just wondered when you’d be finished.”

      “I don’t know. Around five, I guess.”

      “Can we meet for a drink before you go home? I need to talk to you.”

      “Can’t you just come to the house?”

      “No. I’ll explain later.”

      Matt heard his father sigh. “Where do you want to meet?”

      “How about The Grill?” He’d named a popular restaurant and bar near the golf course.

      “I’ll call you when I finish here,” his father said.

      “All right.”

      Good, Matt thought as they hung up. He wanted to be the first to tell his father what had transpired today. Certainly before his mother got a chance to, since she would spin the story in her favor. Even so, Matt knew his father was too smart not to realize Vivienne’s stories were always spun in her favor.

      Matt had tolerated the way his mother treated Olivia because he’d known any interference would only make Vivienne more vindictive toward her daughter-in-law. But today’s debacle had changed something in the way Matt saw things. Something had to be done before his mother escalated to something even worse than she’d done today. And the only way anything could be done was if he could somehow persuade his father to join him and unite against her.

      Would his father go along with that?

      Matt would just have to wait and see.

      * * *

      Vivienne was furious. How dare Matthew take that woman’s side against his own mother? The fact Olivia wasn’t fit to raise a Britton grandchild was indisputable—anyone with any sense could see it—especially after what had happened today. Yet Vivienne’s own son refused to see the truth. Vivienne gritted her teeth. She could just scream.

      Matthew had always taken Olivia’s side, from the very beginning when Mark brought her home to meet them. Vivienne had seen through the girl immediately. A wannabe. Someone not fit to shine the shoes of her youngest son, let alone marry him. But neither Mark nor Matthew would listen to her. And now look where they all were. Her beautiful Mark was dead, struck down before he’d had any chance of showing the world how special he was. And her willful oldest son—who really couldn’t hold a candle to Mark—was still defending Olivia.

      Well, Vivienne had warned him. And he’d ignored the warning. Matthew would be sorry. Very sorry. Did he really think he could get elected to the US House of Representatives without his parents’ support? If he did, he was going to be sorely disappointed, because it wasn’t possible. All Vivienne had to do was talk to a few people, drop a few hints that Matthew would not have his parents or his parents’ money behind him, and the race would be over before it ever began.

      Did he think she wouldn’t oppose him? Ha. He had another think coming. She would not only oppose him, she would actively work to see he was defeated by openly and financially backing his opponent, whomever that turned

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