The Liar

AFTER DINNER, which turned out just fine despite the fact that her mind hadn’t been on the cooking, she shooed Griff out with Callie to chase the lightning bugs. The early ones blinked their yellow lights against the dark, setting the stage for the multitudes who’d light up the hills and forests in June.

Summer was surely on the way, and the snow-caked winter of the North faded until it became distant and almost otherworldly. Something over nearly as soon as it began.

She thought how much she wanted it to be over, but despite lightning bugs, a sweet fairy garden, the deepening green of the hills, something cold had followed her home. Her little girl might be dancing with the lights out in the yard, safe under the eye of the man she was . . . involved with. Her brother would be off now, looking into that something cold. So it was here, a shadow dogging her, and she couldn’t pretend otherwise.

She had run off looking for adventure, love, an exciting future, and had come home disillusioned and riddled with debt. But there was more, and worse, and she’d have to face that down, too.

She wished she had the damn millions. She’d wrap them up in shiny paper, tie them with a bow and hand them over to this Jimmy Harlow without a single regret.

Just go away, she thought. Just leave me to take a good hold on the life I can see having now.

She couldn’t think what Richard had done with all those jewels and stamps, or the money he’d gotten from them if he liquidated them. How could she know when she’d never known him? He’d worn a disguise throughout their marriage just as truly as Jimmy Harlow had worn one that afternoon.

She’d never seen through it. Maybe a shadow, a shape now and then, but never the whole man.

She knew what Richard had seen now when he’d looked at her. A dupe—a mark, that’s what they called people like her. Something useful, maybe valuable for a time, and once used, once the value had been mined, something carelessly discarded.

She was working her way out of debt, wasn’t she? She’d taken control, taken action. She’d figure out a way to take control, to take action in what was happening now.

She wouldn’t live her life being haunted by the actions of a man who’d used her, who’d lied to her, who’d been a stranger to her.

She put away the last of the dishes, decided, hell yes, she’d have another glass of wine. She’d let Callie have a little longer before bath and bed, a little longer to dance with the lights. And tomorrow she’d start working on a way to clear her life of the past, all of it, once and for all.

She poured the wine, started for the door when her phone signaled.

She pulled it out, checked the text from Emma Kate.

I’m getting married! Holy crap! Didn’t know I wanted to until he asked. I’ve got a ring on my finger, and I’m crazy happy. I need to talk to you tomorrow—too busy now. Sending this from the bathroom before I get busy again. OMG and WTF! I’m getting married. Gotta go.

Shelby read it a second time, felt her smile getting bigger, brighter. Her best friend was dancing in the light, too.

So happy for you! she texted back. Crazy happy for you. Stay busy—I can be jealous there as I don’t know the next time I’ll be able to get busy. We’ll talk tomorrow. I want every detail. I love you—tell Matt he’s the luckiest man in the world.

She sent the text, then stepped out to do a little dancing of her own.

22

She met Emma Kate at the park so she could let Callie and Jackson play.

“Doc gave me an hour, bless his heart. He knew how much I wanted to talk to you. Look!”

Emma Kate shot out her hand, and the princess-cut diamond winked in the sun.

“It’s beautiful. It’s perfect.”

“He got channel set—see how it’s set in some, instead of poking out?”

“Yes. I just love it, Emma Kate.”

“He said he did that so I wouldn’t get it caught on things, working with patients. I love that he thought of that. And he got my exact size, too. He made a template from one of my rings—that was Griff’s idea.”

“I got a little of that when I told Griff after I got your text. He never gave me the tiniest hint that he’d gone with Matt to buy you a ring.”

“Matt says Griff’s a vault when you ask him to be.”

“I want to hear all of it. Oops, wait.” She hurried over to Jackson, who’d taken a little spill. After she brushed him off, kissed his knee, she dug out one of the trucks in her bag so he could roll it around in the sandbox.

“He’ll do all right for a while. Callie likes to boss him around some, but that’s the way it is when you’re the oldest.”