Page 6 (2/2)

“So what got you here early?” Natalie narrowed her gaze, her blue eyes as questioning as always “Is everything okay?”

Da

“Why would you think it’s not?” Telling her sisters what had happened was going to be e to adh she really was the devil-ht she was, instead the motivated woman with a brain she really was There was no way she’d be spilling her guts in front of the dudely duo of Logan and Sean “Can’t a girl surprise her favorite sisters?”

“We’re your only sisters,” Miranda deadpanned

“Lucky me” Even to her own ears, her words sounded strained

Natalie focused her gaze as if Olivia was a puzzle to be solved Miranda opened her mouth, no doubt to start the questions, but a sharp rap on the door saved her froation

“I’ll get it” Olivia practically sprinted to the front door Whoever was on the other side was her new favorite person in the whole orld

She flung it open and the chilly wind brought in a s of raindrops that pelted her cheeks

Awhat looked like the end of a mop—if hting kept his faceabout his take-no-shit stance and the breadth of his wide shoulders tickled a memory and jacked up her heartbeat

“Hello, Olivia”

That voice Deep and low, it poured over her like warht she’d put out years ago “Mateo”

After his little sister and her best friend, Luciana, had told her about the roadside explosion while he and his teaes at the VA hospital and sent e-nored them all She’d tried to visit but the nurses turned her away, saying she wasn’t on his approved visitors’ list After a year, she’d given up She wasn’t the smartest Sweet sister but she wasn’t an idiot either “It’s been forever”

"Close to it" His large hand rubbed behind the dog's floppy ear "That your Fiat at the bottom of the drive?"

"I got stuck" Nodding, she looked past hiaze returned to his tall outline and the dripping dog in his strong arms “Do you want to come in and dry off for a bit?”

His only acknowledgement of her invitation was to take a half step farther outside of the porch light’s reach “You gotta et hurt"