He didn’t try to persuade her. Was that what she wanted? For Conrad to want to see her so badly he would force his way to her mountain cabin? How did one cope with the sudden appearance of a man she’d always loved, had believed could be hers for just one night, and then had watched slip into a deep pool of grief and guilt, leaving her to blindly grope her way around her own loss. Their brief love affair had been a mistake. He’d said those exact words. Mistake. She’d echoed the same back in agreement. What could change any of that?

Still, hope crouched like a small goblin inside her heart, holding tight to a secret longing she refused to expose to the light. He’d hurt her, but nothing had been worse than the pain of losing Marley. Olivia had blocked out much of what had happened that spring weekend—it was the only way she could move forward. Every time a memory of what had happened flitted into her consciousness, she sent it packing. She didn’t want to feel that loss again, didn’t want to remember how a piece of her had shattered and scattered to the winds that next day, a day that had begun with breakfast and laughter and ended with Olivia deciding which dress to put on Marley for her viewing at the funeral parlor.

For someone who urged her clients to wade into emotion and live in their feelings, it all seemed a bit hypocritical. Nothing like being the epitome of Do as I say and not as I do.

“Livy?” Conrad asked, his voice now worried.

“I need to go, Con.”

“Okay. So talk to you soon?”

“Sure.” Olivia hung up and stared blankly at the shower curtains, reeling with the things Conrad had revealed. She’d accepted her life without him in it, so why was this happening now?

She suspected whatever “stuff” Conrad was dealing with required distraction, demanded someone he could lean on. She had a sixth sense about discord, and she would lay down a bet that Conrad was looking for something or someone to give him comfort. It likely had nothing to do with her being beautiful. But Conrad wouldn’t use her love for him to make himself feel better. Conrad was a lot of things, but at his essence, he would never hurt her. Not intentionally anyway.

Glancing at her watch, she realized that she had only thirty-five minutes to check out and run by Home Depot for the things she needed there. She’d given Chase an hour, and she needed to keep to that time limit herself.

She rolled her shopping cart to the checkout, wondering how her cheerleader prom queen actress was doing at the grocery store. The list had too many items, some not specified by brand or number, and so it would require discernment and attention to price.