LITMIR.BIZ

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life too much to buck her, not when she and she alone controlled the purse strings.

      And...if Matthew changed paths and decided not to run for the House but instead to go for the district attorney’s slot when Carter Davis retired...well, Vivienne would have something to say about that, too. No one, absolutely no one, opposed Vivienne Marchand Britton and survived to tell about it.

      * * *

      It was exactly five fifteen when Matt’s cell rang.

      “Matt?”

      “Dad? You done?”

      “Yes. I’ll be at The Grill in about fifteen minutes.”

      “Okay. I’m leaving now, too.”

      Matt pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant just before his dad’s Lexus. Getting out of his car, Matt walked over to meet his father.

      At sixty-two years old, Hugh Britton looked a good ten years younger. Tall, tanned, still slender and fit, with a thick head of salt-and-pepper hair, he was the picture of health. Matt often wondered just how his dad had managed it, especially married to Matt’s mother. Then again, Matt knew how. Hugh took the path of least resistance. As long as he could live the way he wanted to live and Matt’s mother turned a blind eye to the other women Matt suspected his father of being involved with over the years, he didn’t seem to care what she did.

      “What’s up, son?” Hugh said as they walked into the entrance to the bar side of the crowded place. “Problems with the campaign already?”

      “No. Problems with Mom.”

      His father frowned. “Matt, you know I try to stay out of—”

      “This isn’t something you can ignore.”

      His father pointedly looked at his watch. “I only have about twenty minutes.”

      Matt waited until they were seated and had ordered their drinks before telling his father an abbreviated version of the story.

      Hugh toyed with his drink. “Is Thea okay?”

      “Thea’s fine. She didn’t even know anything was wrong.”

      “Well, then—” Hugh shrugged. “All’s well that ends well.”

      Matt stared at his father. “All’s well that ends well? Dad! Olivia was sick with worry. So was her family. And possibly a hundred other people, not to mention the police, were involved. This time, Mom’s gone too far.”

      His father didn’t meet his eyes.

      After a few seconds of silence, Matt said, “Don’t you think we need to do something? You know she won’t listen to me, but can’t you make Mom understand that she can’t continue this vendetta against Olivia? You know, if Olivia wanted to, she could get a court order barring both of you from even seeing Thea. Any judge, hearing about today’s incident, would be hard-pressed not to rule in Olivia’s favor if she decided to go that route.”

      His father finally looked at him. “Would Olivia do that?”

      “In her shoes, I would.”

      “You haven’t suggested anything like that, have you?”

      Matt shook his head. Not that he hadn’t felt like it.

      His father sighed heavily. Drank more of his Scotch. Then turned worried eyes to Matt. “I just don’t know what you want me to do.”

      “Confront Mom. Tell her you won’t stand for any more of this unfair treatment of Olivia.”

      “Easier said than done,” his father muttered.

      “C’mon, Dad. Can’t you at least try? Maybe if you tell her what could happen if she doesn’t stop this behavior, she’ll think twice next time she’s tempted to do anything else.”

      His father still didn’t look at him. “I can’t promise anything, but I will try.” So saying, he finished off his drink and looked around for their waiter. “I need to get going. Your mother will be upset if I don’t get home soon. She said the Hoopers were coming for dinner, and I still have to shower and change.”

      Matt said he’d settle the bill and watched as his father left. A few minutes later, as Matt left, too, he didn’t feel optimistic. Oh, he figured his father would try, but Matt could pretty much predict that his mother would roll right over Hugh and, ultimately, nothing would change.

      * * *

      Olivia and Eve and their children went to nine o’clock Mass at Saint Nick’s, the church where they’d both made their First Holy Communion and their Confirmation. It was also the church where Eve and Bill Kelly, her first husband and the man who had raised the twins as his own, had been married, and where the twins and Thea had been baptized.

      After Mass, Eve and the twins left to meet Austin Crenshaw for breakfast, while Olivia and Thea headed to the activity center where coffee, juice and doughnuts were being served. Once they got there, Olivia looked for her mom and Eve’s mom.

      “You know, honey,” Olivia’s mother said once they were all seated at one of the tables, “I’ve been thinking about what happened yesterday, and it really bothers me.”

      Olivia shook her head in warning. “Little pitchers,” she said under her breath.

      “I just think you should do something about it.”

      “Mom...”

      “Okay, fine. But let’s talk later.”

      Olivia should have known her mother wouldn’t be content to drop the subject. And, as it turned out, neither was Eve. Later that day, after Olivia and Thea were back home and Eve and the twins had returned from their breakfast with Austin, Eve suggested they drop the children off at the local multiplex, where a new Disney film was showing. “We can sit in the food court while they’re seeing the movie,” she said, “have something to drink and be free to talk.”

      Olivia wasn’t surprised to find Vivienne was the subject uppermost on Eve’s mind.

      “I can’t go back to California unless I know you’re going to be okay,” she said once they were settled with Frappuccinos from Starbucks.

      Olivia sighed. “Eve, please stop worrying. I can handle Vivienne. Haven’t I been handling her for years now?”

      “Seems to me her campaign against you is escalating. What she did yesterday is atrocious. And both your mom and mine agree with me. That woman is out of control.”

      “She does seem to be getting worse.”

      “At least Matt is on your side,” Eve said. Then, shocking Olivia, she added, “You do know he’s in love with you?”

      Olivia stared at her. “That...that’s crazy. He’s just a friend. He’s...he’s Mark’s brother!”

      “So?” Eve said. “It’s not like he’s your brother.”

      “You’re wrong,” Olivia insisted. “He doesn’t think of me that way.” But inside, she was trembling. Did he? Was it possible?

      “I’m not wrong, and you’re blind. Actually, your mother agrees with me.”

      “My mother? When did you talk to her about this?”

      “Yesterday, before you arrived at the house. She said she’s been thinking this for a while now. My mother agreed.”

      “No. It’s crazy.”

      “Why is it crazy?”

      “Because...it just is. He...he’s never acted like anything but my brother-in-law. Anyway, even if he was interested in me, in that way, it could never work out.”

      “And why not?”

      “You know why not. One word. Vivienne.”

      Eve laughed.

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