A Heart to Trust by A.L. Brooks (romantic books to read txt) 📗

“Big walk today, man?” Marcus scratched behind Barnaby’s ears.

“Just to the park and back,” Olivia said. “He’s not up to much more these days, the poor thing.”

Marcus stood. “Ah, that’s a shame. But hey, least he’s still here.”

“Exactly. I know how much it means to Mr. Cousins to have him around.”

“How’s the old guy doin’?”

Olivia waggled her free hand back and forth.

Marcus nodded. “I hear ya. Well, you have a good evenin’, Mrs. Sinclair.”

“I will. Thank you, Marcus.”

“G’night, Barnaby,” Marcus called after them as they made their way to the elevators.

After dropping Barnaby off at Mr. Cousins’s apartment on the eighth floor, Olivia took the elevator up to the top floor and let herself into the apartment she shared with Broderick. She went to her room and grabbed a summer sweater from the closet, then made her way to the kitchen. She’d just poured herself a glass of white wine when the front door opened.

“Hey, wife!” Broderick called. “I’m home.”

She leaned against the kitchen doorway. “Aren’t you bored of calling me that?”

Broderick threw her one of his impish smiles, his brown eyes sparkling. “Not yet.”

“It’s been well over a year.”

He walked over and dropped a small kiss on the top of her head. “Does it genuinely bother you?”

She sighed. “No, I suppose not.” She took a sip of her wine, then pointed to the glass. “Want one of your own?”

“Yes, please.”

“You seem awfully chirpy,” she called over her shoulder as she made her way to the refrigerator. “I take it the meeting with Dewbury’s went well?”

“It did!” Broderick strode into the kitchen behind her and leaned against the breakfast bar while she poured his drink. “They love me. And you. That photo spread in Motor Racing World knocked their socks off.”

Olivia snorted as she handed Broderick his glass. “I’m sure.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe they’ve fallen for it all.”

Broderick shrugged. “Why wouldn’t they? We’ve presented a very convincing front to them from the get-go. None of them would suspect our sordid secret: the big lesbian and the ace/aro man in a fake marriage that would shock the nation if the truth ever came out.” He feigned a swoon, and she had to laugh.

“All right, all right. Yes, I know, we’ve sold it well. As long as it doesn’t backfire on us.”

Broderick’s expression turned serious. “It won’t. And even if it does, it’s my head on the block, not yours.” He rubbed at the back of his head, messing up his thick brown hair.

“Which doesn’t actually make me feel any better.” Olivia leaned across to smooth his wild locks. “We did all of this so you could get a big, fat sponsorship deal and finally get your motor-racing career off the ground. You lose all that if they ever find out.”

“But we only have another six months or so to go. That’s all.” He took her hand. “The first seventeen months have flown by, haven’t they? Pushing on for six more is totally achievable. Dewbury’s even talked today about extending the deal already. Peters seems to think they’ll be ready to sign in three months or less. Then I’ll be safe, and we can start the divorce and go back to being what we always were.”

She willed herself to relax. He was right. They’d faked it so well for this long, six more months should be easy. She was focused on finding her ideal job and a whole new start in the country of her birth, and that task would easily fill the time. Especially after the events of the last twenty-four hours. “You’re right.” She exhaled slowly and took another mouthful of her wine.

“Okay, enough of all that. How was your day?” He startled. “Wait, crap, how could I forget—you had the big meeting today!”

The scowl twisted her mouth before she could stop it. “Ugh, yes.” She filled him in on what Derek had said and the people from TC she’d met.

“You all have to compete against each other? How ridiculous.”

“I know. But what choice do I have? If I argue too strongly, Derek might decide it’s easier to terminate my contract right now.”

“I guess. How did Chrissy take it?”

Olivia snorted. “Like the good Girl Scout she is. Practically fell over her own tongue extolling the virtues of Derek’s plan.”

“Ugh.” Broderick drank some of his wine. “Are things any better between you two?”

“Not much.” She cringed when Broderick gave her that look, the one that said, “Are you even trying?”

Chrissy had also been employed a few months ago—two weeks before Olivia, in fact. She was friendly, outgoing, and good at her job. Her personality grated on Olivia’s nerves, but she didn’t come to work to make friends. She’d made that mistake in the past and wouldn’t repeat it, not given how it turned out last time; Sally’s betrayal still cut deep. No, as long as her fellow workers could get the job done and leave her alone to do hers, that was good enough for Olivia. “Don’t give me that look.” She glared at him. “She’s so…much.”

He laughed, his shoulders shaking. “Play nice! I know it’s hard for you, and I know why. But I’ve known you a long time, and I know there used to be a version of you that liked people and got on with them. I think she’s still in there somewhere,” he said, wagging a finger in her direction, “and it might help you in the next few months if you resurrected her. That’s all I’m saying.”

“We’ll see.”

He shook his head. “All right. Let’s change the subject.” He grimaced. “Don’t shout, but we’ve been summoned this weekend. Lunch tomorrow at Mom’s.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Sorry, but I am.”

Olivia ground her teeth. “Well, I suppose we’ve managed to get away with it for a few weeks.”

“Exactly.”

“Just us?”

“No, thank God. Philip and Mallory will be there too.”

That helped. Mallory and Olivia tolerated each other, and neither particularly wanted to spend time with their husbands’ mother. Katherine