“Surprise,” Miranda announced.
Gigi gave her the biggest grin.“Surprise.”
Yeah, she was totally surprised and not ready to show herfriends that she’d brought home more than a memory of the night before.Sheclosed the door behind her.“I’m so grateful you’re here.I’m starving.Let’sgo get some lunch.You can drive.”
Miranda grinned.“Sure, but don’t you want to get yourpurse?”
That would mean explaining Keane and Garrett being in herhouse.Which she would probably have to do at some point, but not this second.
She needed to breathe.She walked toward Gigi’s Land Rover.“No need.You’re paying.”
Miranda simply shrugged and hopped in the passenger seatwhile Gigi got behind the wheel.
And Olivia fled the scene of her crime.
Twenty minutes later they sat at a table in the barof The Barn.The crowd was starting to file in for the party that happenedevery evening at the only real bar in town.Oh, there were restaurants withbars, but The Barn was a combination roadhouse and dance hall, and it could getraucous at times.
She’d spent many a night right here having a blast.Orfeeling humiliated.She’d sat right at that bar the night Scott left.
Miranda looked her way.“Okay, what’s going on?You’reacting totally weird.”
Olivia realized she could put off explanations for anotherminute.“Nope.Why are you here and why didn’t you mention it to me at thebreakfast this morning?”
The entire car ride over had been Gigi taking a call fromher dad about her brother.Gage broke his leg and her mom was on a cruise withfriends so they didn’t want to call her since Naomi would almost surely moveheaven and earth to get home.So Gigi talked her dad through how to take careof him, including the fact that all her dad needed to do was call the clubwhere they all played and almost surely he would find five pretty subs willingto play nurse.
Win Dawson had snorted and asked that she not remind him.
It had been good to have a few minutes to think.She wantedmore.
Miranda sighed and sat back, pushing the menu away.ThoughMiranda was from Bliss, she and her brothers had spent plenty of time here.Shedidn’t need to study the menu.“I talked to your mom this morning and she’shaving some cool things done to the main house, and I’d like to learn thetechniques.No one does infrared saunas and wine rooms back in Bliss, so thisis my shot at learning.Your mom called the contractor, and he said he waswilling to let me watch.Gigi is working a couple of shifts at the med-spa outat the resort.It’s a big week out there.Lots of Botox and too few nurses.”
Gigi grinned.She was a woman who could light up a room.“Dani’s paying me double the usual.”
“You don’t need money.You have a ridiculous bank account.”
“No, I have a trust fund that I can’t actually access untilI’m thirty,” Gigi said.
Like her parents wouldn’t buy her anything she wanted.Herfather owned DawComm and made Olivia’s own fathers’ fortune look like a piggybank.Still, Gigi had always been down to earth and seemed to genuinely enjoyher job.And she was kind.“Who are you covering for?”
Gigi sighed.“Alana.She’s had a trip scheduled for over ayear.Her mom could probably step in, but Gaby has a lot to do.Dani’s doingsome renovations, too.Also, if I stay home, I’ll inevitably get pulled intoGage’s drama.”
Miranda’s whole body perked up.“I could watch that, too.Ilove my mom, but she is particular, and between her and her partner I getmommed constantly.”
Miranda’s fathers might run a ranch, but her mom was intohome renovation and design, along with her partner of many years, RachelHarper.They were both strong women with big opinions and motherly instincts.Olivia understood.“I get it.Are you staying out at the resort?”
“Your mom said I could stay in the big house.Theconstruction stuff won’t bother me, and I can work on a project I’ve beenwanting to have some time for while I’m there,” Miranda replied.“Gigi isstaying out here for a few days, and she’ll drive us both back next weekend.”
“My mom gets back on Friday.I’m all for waiting to go homeSaturday so I don’t get hit with hurricane mom when she finds out we didn’tcall her,” Gigi admitted.
Olivia understood that, too.“Well, I’m happy to have somecompany.”
A brow rose over Miranda’s eyes.“No, you’re not.Now youcan tell us why.”
Gigi’s expression went soft and sympathetic.“Is it Bobby?”
She had hugged her best friend as he dropped her off at theprivate airfield before heading to DFW for his own flight.He was going back tothe college he loved and the young man he was crazy about.She was surprisedthat she was at peace with it.She had expected to spend some time crying andreflecting on her loss, but it didn’t feel like loss now.It felt likecontentment because Bobby was happy and she wanted that for him and shewas…fighting possibilities.
“I don’t think it’s Bobby,” Miranda mused.“I would betshe’s thinking about those two guys from last night.Olivia, you know we canprobably figure out their names.They looked so into you.”
