Page 35

???

Olivia stood in the corner of the big event room, waiting to see if Grace Michaels would make an appearance. The Red Falls and Burlington annual business awards ceremony must be pitiful change compared to the sort she was used to. Still, it mattered to the community, and every local company was represented here tonight. Olivia had spotted Jeremy Michaels, his sister, and her husband wandering around earlier. There was no sign of the other twin, Reece, which was probably a smart move. And…

“Oli!” Olivia turned to see Charlie aiming for her with open arms and a beaming smile. “Congratulations, my darling!”

“Ah, thanks.” Olivia hugged her back, and she laughed. “To be fair, I’m the only wood-sculpting artist based in Red Falls. So, you know…”

“Doesn’t matter,” Charlie stated. “You still won.”

“I sure did. Hey, it’s good to see you. I thought you might not make it tonight.”

“I haven’t missed this event in fifteen years. It’s so fun and exciting! You know I belong to several of the town’s volunteer groups, don’t you?”

“Yes. You guys also received a commendation tonight.”

“That’s right!” Charlie nodded proudly.

“It’s great. Congratulations to you as well.”

“Thank you, my darling. Plus, I am fully recovered.”

“You do look fit and healthy again.” Olivia could not help glancing behind her, and be disappointed that Charlie seemed to be on her own.

“Are you Looking for someone?” her friend prompted with a softly knowing smile. She pointed to the side doors. She went out for a bit of fresh air.”

It briefly occurred to Olivia to ask who ‘She’ might be, but the amused glint in Charlie’s eyes told her it was already too late to play innocent.I am being as subtle as a bull in a china shop here…So, next, she found herself more or less asking for permission.

“Do you mind if I, uh…”

“You go, darling. My Grace will be glad to see you.”

“Oh, yeah?” Olivia raised her eyebrows in anticipation and a touch of wonder. She also noted the affectionate way Charlie referred to her niece. ‘My Grace’. It was sweet.

“Take the woman a drink,” Charlie advised. “Make it a stiff one.” She blew her a kiss on this puzzling comment and floated back to her mingling. “Oh, hello, sweetie! How are you?”

She was obviously one of the most popular residents of Red Falls. Olivia sneaked away unnoticed. She stopped at the bar to order a whisky, double, neat. And a regular one for herself, not as strong and with added ice. Then she made her way to one of the balconies off the busy function room. The woman she was after stood on her own at the far end. Olivia took a moment to observe her. This evening, Grace wore a black pinstriped suit tailored to her slender curves and burgundy heels, which perfectly suited her overall vibe. The effect was one of elegance, affluence, and control. However, the latter came slightly more into question when Olivia realized how tightly she was holding onto the metallic railing. And the hard set of her jaw. Grace seemed a little out of breath, too.

“Ms. Mich… Grace?” Olivia spoke softly as she stepped out of a pool of shadow and toward her. There was a brief moment, as Grace whipped her head around, in which Olivia spotted raw emotion in her fierce blue eyes, and a look of almost pain across her face. “Hey,” she started in alarm. “Are you okay?”

Grace recovered her composure so quickly that it was as if the moment had never happened. But her knuckles, white from her death grip on the railing, still gave her away. Catching Olivia looking, she shoved her hands in her suit pockets and shot her a frosty stare.

“Ms. Bianchi.” The greeting came out a little husky. And, in true character, she also ignored the question. “Congrats on your award.”

“Thanks. Charlie told me I’d find you out here. You must be freezing.”

“It’s okay.” The woman answered with a stubborn shrug as if conceding that thirty-three degrees was cold might be a sign of intolerable weakness.

“Are you alright?” Olivia insisted.

“Sure. Fine.” She sounded impatient and irritated. And at first, it looked like she may leave it at that. Then, surprisingly, she added, “A lot of people here tonight I used to know when I lived in Red Falls.”

Olivia gathered it was not a pleasant thing for her.

“A blast from the past...” She nodded in sympathy. “These aren’t always fun.”

“Never for me.” Grace exhaled, seeming to relax a bit more at this shared understanding. “You got us drinks.”

“Yes.”