Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
I’m super confused. “Okay, so we, and by we I mean the moms, have made it a habit of playing Law and Order with anyone who comes into Anika’s life?”
“Yes,” Ivy says with an annoyed sigh. “And they left us out. I would say it’s all terrible and invasive, but I kind of wish they were around when I was living with my ex.”
“I was around, love,” CeCe says with annoyance of her own. “I did send you a report. You were somewhat stubborn.”
“I think we should all take a moment.” Lydia is always the voice of reason. “I have also done a bit of a study into Mr. Dorsey.”
“You had him fill out forms,” Diane points out. “He can lie on forms. I’m fairly certain he did.”
“What do you mean he lied?” I trust Diane’s instincts. She’s worked with lawyers for a very long time.
Diane looks uncomfortable with all the attention on her, but she soldiers on—something she wouldn’t have done before a shit ton of therapy and antidepressants to help her handle her grief. If I didn’t believe meds could help mental disorders before, she’s walking proof that they can help a person get their life back. “I read Lydia’s questionnaires, and I’ve spent some time with the young man. He claims to have no problems with his brother, but I would say there’s quite a bit of tension between the two. I don’t know why. It could be a childhood thing, but something’s going on between them. Didn’t you see him watching Jeremiah like a hawk when we were at the bar the other night?”
“I did,” CeCe notes. “It seemed like he was worried about Jeremiah for some reason. Have we considered that the tension has to do with the car accident and the subsequent loss of their TV show? Perhaps Jeremiah distracted Reid, and that’s what he’s still angry about.”
I never saw him angry with his brother. “The accident was Reid’s fault. I doubt he would take it out on his brother. And wasn’t there someone else in the car?”
“Yes, her name was Britta something,” Diane confirms.
Ah, the supermodel. “That’s his fiancée.”
“They broke up,” Ivy insists.
CeCe sends me a sympathetic look. “They do that quite often, from what I can tell. Their history goes back a few years. They have what can only be described as a tempestuous relationship.”
Passion. He was passionate about Britta Olensoff.
I was probably a way to make the woman he did care about jealous. Or they were on a break and he thought he could play around before they got serious again.
“I don’t think he’s lying about his relationship with another woman,” Lydia says thoughtfully. “I know it’s a bunch of questionnaires, but you can tell a lot from the answers. If anything, I would say he’s lonely and overwhelmed with responsibility. He’s the type of man who takes the weight of the world on his shoulders. I think he pretty much raised his younger brother. We’re reading too much into it. He’s used to watching out for Jeremiah.”
“His father was a terrible human being,” CeCe admitted. “Dorian Dorsey—such a terrible name. It brings to mind casual sexism—slept with any woman he could. We were in different circles, but I certainly had my run-ins with him. I remember when his wife walked out and everyone worried about the children being left with him.”
“Did anyone check?” I ask, and even as the question comes out of my mouth I know it’s naïve.
“Of course not,” CeCe admits. “Everyone thought at least they’d be raised by the nanny. Look, I don’t say any of this to get sympathy for Reid. I barely know him. But I did know something of his father, and oftentimes the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He’s got a bit of a reputation when it comes to women. Normally I would say go and have fun, but our Harper isn’t a fun girl. More’s the shame.”
See, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing in her head. “I wasn’t trying to have a relationship with him.”
They all stare at me like I said something ridiculous.
“I wasn’t.”
Ivy’s head shakes. “But you would. Harper, you have never once in your life just had a fling. Jon Keller junior year. You made out with him at the homecoming game and told us it was a one and done thing, and he was still hanging around when we went to prom.”
“Okay. I had issues breaking things off,” I begin.
“The wrestler freshman year of college,” Ivy continues. “You hooked up at a party and then you suddenly knew things about takedowns and falls and something called a Wheeler Whip.”
It was a weird time. When Ivy starts to talk about the dude I met backstage at a community theater show, I know she’ll end up telling the story of how I played a witch on one episode of a local children’s TV show, and I would like to avoid that. “Okay, I get it. Maybe you’re right.”