Page 129 of Deception

Olive wished she did have an excuse. That maybe she and Jason could get together.

What would that be like?

“Ollie . . .” Jason started. “I still care about you. I’ve been trying to fight it. To make excuses as to why we can’t be together. And many of those reasons are valid. But that hasn’t changed my feelings.”

Her heart thumped in her ears.

She knew she should deny her own feelings and put an end to this before it started.

But for the first time in a long time, she didn’t want to.

“I care about you too, Jason,” she started. “But I don’t know what that looks like.”

“Maybe we don’t need to know what it looks like.” He shrugged. “Maybe some things are worth the risk.”

As Jason leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, she didn’t fight him.

In fact, she leaned into him and relished the moment.

Being with him felt just as good—if not better—than when they’d been teenagers.

As they pulled away, the two of them exchanged a soft smile.

“It’s a good start, at least.” Olive grinned again.

“I’d say.”

“Maybe I can see about taking some time off on occasion.” She shrugged. “After all, Chicago and Indy aren’t that far away.”

“I think that sounds like a great idea.” Jason leaned in for another kiss.

When the sun disappeared below the horizon, they both knew they needed to leave.

As they walked back to Jason’s Range Rover, her phone buzzed.

“One minute,” she murmured, pausing when she saw Nova’s name on the screen.

She quickly read the message. Then she read it again.

The blood drained from her face.

She had to be reading this wrong.

But she knew she wasn’t.

I’ve been working at the hospital. Found something strange and thought you’d want to know right away. That house where your family lived? I told you a shell corp owned it. It turns out that shell corp is connected with Lloyd Stewart.

Olive’s throat burned.

Lloyd was Jason’s father.

Why in the world would he own that property?

She glanced up at Jason as he leaned against the SUV waiting for her, a grin on his face.

Her heart twisted as an ache captured it.

Did Jason know about the property? Was that why the first place he’d gone when he arrived in town was to Olive’s old house?

She wasn’t sure.

But until Olive found out, she couldn’t trust him—even though she wanted to more than anything.

~~~