Page 1 of Belonging: KT & Lolo (Good Hope: The Next Generation #2)

CHAPTER ONE

Lolo Kendrick never expected her life to implode in a single afternoon. Yet, here she was, sitting in her brother Kyle’s front parlor, trying to explain how everything she’d once counted on—her relationship, her future, her sense of self—had splintered with one careless, cruel betrayal.

“Are you seriously telling us you caught him in bed with her?” Eliza asked.

Her sister-in-law’s voice sliced through the heavy air. Not much shocked Eliza, but the way she leaned forward on the tufted settee told Lolo she had a captive audience.

How she wished she could find some way to laugh about what had happened, to throw out a wry joke and brush it off as a messy breakup story. But the wound was too fresh, the betrayal too sharp. And this wasn’t just personal. Jared was tangled in every part of her life, including work.

Kyle’s scowl deepened. “I thought Jared was a decent guy.”

“I did too,” Lolo said quietly, lifting the glass of whiskey he’d given her and taking a bracing sip.

The liquid burned a little on the way down. Oddly, it gave her strength. A part of her had wanted to come here and spill it all—drag the truth into the light—even if it meant reliving every gut-wrenching detail.

“Who is this woman?” Kyle asked. His brow furrowed, and his jaw clenched. “You said her name like we should know her.”

Eliza’s eyes narrowed. “The only Sloane I know is your dad’s admin.”

“That’s the one,” Lolo confirmed.

A startled look crossed Kyle’s face. “She’s barely out of college.”

“Graduated two years ago.” Lolo’s lips lifted in a grim, humorless smile. “I’ve been mentoring her.”

The silence was heavy, then Eliza shook her head slowly. “This goes from bad to worse.”

“It does,” Lolo admitted, her breath catching. But the betrayal itself wasn’t even the full weight she carried. It was everything mixed up with it—Jared, the company, her pride.

“Tell us everything,” Eliza urged, her tone softer now. “Don’t leave anything out.”

Lolo’s fingers trembled slightly as she set the cut crystal glass down. “I was blindsided,” she began. “I?—”

“No signs? None?” Eliza interrupted, incredulous.

“Let her tell it, E,” Kyle said gently, reaching for his wife’s hand and giving it a calming squeeze.

Lolo felt the familiar tug in her chest. Kyle had started calling her E when he and Eliza first began dating, the nickname softening Eliza’s sharper edges. It was more than habit now—it was affection, history, belonging.

She thought of Jared. There’d been no tender names, no quiet shorthand that said you matter. Not even close.

“It’s okay. No, there were no signs. Or…none I picked up on. I’d been so caught up working on the Stillwell project that I didn’t see anything else.”

Lolo paused for a moment. This was the part she didn’t understand. “Jared acted as if he understood. As chief architect, he knew the importance of this project to the company. He never hassled me about the long hours.”

“Of course he didn’t mind.” Kyle’s jaw tightened, a muscle twitching in anger. “He was keeping busy elsewhere.”

“You being gone—” Eliza began.

“—gave him time to play.” Lolo’s voice flattened as she stood, unable to sit for a second longer.

She moved to the fireplace, resting her fingertips against the cool marble of the mantel. She stared into the empty hearth as the memory rose like invisible smoke.

“I left work early to surprise him.” Lolo’s voice caught. “Didn’t even text. I was excited. I wanted to see his face when I strolled in.”

Her hands twisted together.

“I heard…sounds…from the bedroom. I walked in and saw them naked in bed together.”

Eliza’s brows lifted, but Lolo caught the flicker of sympathy in her eyes.

Recalling the admonition not to leave anything out, Lolo started, “They were?—”

“We don’t need more details,” Kyle cut in quickly, his expression going granite-hard.

Grateful for the out, Lolo gave a faint nod. It didn’t matter if she voiced the memories aloud, the images were seared into her brain—Jared’s smirk, Sloane’s wide eyes and the surreal numbness wrapping around her.

“I must have said something, because they turned, and that’s when I realized who he was with.”

“I bet they were surprised,” Eliza said, her tone as dry as dust.

Lolo huffed a bitter laugh. “Not sure who was more shocked—me or them.”

“What happened then?” Eliza asked.

“Sloane scrambled for her clothes. I just stood there, frozen,” Lolo said, absently rubbing her arms as if trying to shake off a lingering chill. “She had the nerve to ask what I was doing there. I told her I lived there. You should have seen her face.”

“What was Jared doing?” Kyle asked, his voice quiet and laced with fury.

“Sitting there. Watching it all with a smug, superior smile.” Lolo sat again, her spine rigid.

“He must’ve said something to you,” Kyle prodded.

“Oh, he did.” Lolo’s laugh was short and sharp. “After Sloane left, he told me not to be upset. Said it didn’t mean anything. Just sex. Then added that I couldn’t blame him, because I’d been so focused on my work.”

The humiliation twisted deep in her gut, fresh and raw. She didn’t say how Jared had twisted the knife even further, pointing out it was her latest failed design. That had struck a little too close to home. “He accused me of changing. Said I wasn’t the confident, driven woman he’d fallen for.”

Eliza and Kyle exchanged glances.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Eliza said, shaking her head. “You’re pouring yourself into a project, and he says you’re not driven?”

“Gaslighting,” Kyle muttered. “He’s an expert.”

“He tried to spin it all back on me,” Lolo whispered, blinking hard against the sting in her eyes. “Said I was never around. That’s why he went for Sloane.”

“I hope you didn’t let that slide,” Kyle said, nearly growling.

“He just kept talking. Said until I got back to my ‘old self,’ we shouldn’t be together.” Lolo drew in a breath. “I told him he was the one who cheated—with a junior staff member, I might add—and he was making me the villain?”

“What did he say to that?” Kyle asked when she didn’t continue.

Lolo hesitated. The worst part wasn’t what Jared had done—it was what he’d implied. That her work was slipping. That people were talking. That if not for her father’s name, she wouldn’t still have a job.

“Lolo?” Kyle’s soft voice broke into her thoughts.

“He said we should remain professional…for appearances.”

“How noble of him,” Eliza snapped.

“I’m sorry, Lolo.” Kyle’s voice softened. “Truly. But I’m glad you found out now, before it went further.”

“I keep thinking of Sloane. Who gets involved with somebody you work with?” Eliza asked.

“Technically, I did,” Lolo said, raising her hand.

“That’s different,” Kyle said. “You’re not twenty-four.”

“Jared’s her superior,” Eliza added. “That’s a serious power imbalance.”

Kyle leaned forward. “This needs to go to HR.”

“Sloane insists it was consensual. If she doesn’t want to report it, it’s not my place. It’s gross, it’s wrong, but…I have to respect her wishes.”

Eliza’s lips pressed into a hard line. “You’re being more generous than I would be.”

“When I spoke with her the next day, I discovered Jared had told her we were no longer dating.” Lolo’s lips quirked upward in a humorless smile. “She broke things off immediately once she learned the truth. She was furious.”

“Do you believe her?” Eliza asked.

“I do. She was taken in—same as I was.”

Eliza squeezed her arm. “I’m so sorry, Lolo. You didn’t deserve this.”

Lolo sagged back against the chair, the weight of all that had happened heavy on her shoulders.

“Did you tell Dad?” Kyle’s voice was rough.

“He’s always liked Jared. Thought he’d go far in the company.” Lolo focused on a spot over her brother’s shoulder. “Warned me about dating at work, but…he respected Jared.”

“That’s not an answer,” Eliza pointed out.

“They were packing for Italy.” Lolo had heard the happiness in her mother’s voice when she’d called, planning to ask if she could stay with them until she found a place of her own. “I didn’t want to bother them with my own sad drama. I’ll tell them about the breakup when they get back.”

“Do they know you’re here?” Kyle asked.

Lolo nodded. “Told them I was visiting you. They were thrilled I was taking a break.”

“You’re always welcome,” Eliza said, her tone warm.

Kyle added, “Anytime.”

Tears filled Lolo’s eyes, but she hurriedly blinked back the moisture.

“When did this happen?” Kyle asked.

“Friday,” Lolo replied. “I packed that night and moved out. Been in a hotel since.”

Coming here had been the right thing to do, Lolo thought as the warmth of their home wrapped around her.

The feeling brought with it a sense of déjà vu.

She’d come to this house in Good Hope when she was twelve, her life in shambles.

Being in this community on the Door County peninsula had been exactly what she’d needed then. It was what she needed now.

Safe. For the first time in days, she felt safe.

“Stay as long as you want,” Kyle told her.

“I have vacation time,” Lolo blurted, wanting Kyle and Eliza to know she hadn’t just flaked out and fled, leaving behind responsibilities. “I brought work with me.”

“You don’t have to explain,” Eliza told her. “Not to us.”

“You need time and distance to process,” her brother said, his voice filled with concern.

Lolo looked away, uncomfortable with the sympathy shining in his eyes.

“When I mentioned I was coming here, Mom asked if Jared was coming with me. I said no, just me.” Lolo expelled a breath. “Dad said I deserved time to recharge. He only asked that I let Sloane know so she could update his calendar.”

“Did you speak with her?” Eliza looked doubtful.

“I did. I told her I was visiting my brother in Good Hope for a few weeks.” Lolo vividly recalled the conversation. “She reiterated how much she loves her job. She’s afraid this will ruin everything.”

“People will judge her more harshly than they will Jared.” Kyle’s expression grew troubled. “It’s not right, but it’s true.”

Her brother wasn’t saying anything that Lolo hadn’t already thought.