Page 14 of To Steal a Heart
The ringing of her phone jolted her out of her thoughts. She fished it out of her purse. It was Olivia. She slid her finger over the screen to answer. “Hello.”
“Hey, how’s it going?” Olivia asked cheerfully.
“Fine. I’m getting settled. This place is charming, just as you described.” She heard the irony in her own voice.
Olivia chuckled. “That good, huh? History is repeating itself. You sound as miserable as I was during my stay there.”
“I’m not miserable,” Arden countered a little too forcibly as she raked her hair out of her face. Gah! Her hair was worse than a rat’s nest. Maybe it was the windblown look that had turned Crew off.Stop obsessing over some inconsequential guy!
“Case in point,” Olivia chuckled.
“It’s perfectly normal for me to feel a little out of sorts,” she retorted. “I’m sure that once I get settled, I’ll find my footing.”
“How’s the place where you’re staying?”
“Good. Quaintly comfortable.” Arden was renting an Airbnb not far from the main section of town. In truth, the house was huge … way too big for one person. She’d toyed with the idea of getting a house on the beach but decided that it would be better to stay in town so she could soak in the culture of Carmel.
“Quaintly comfortable, huh? Spoken like a true writer.” A hint of tension seeped into Olivia’s voice. “Are you still dead set on going to visit Zachary Kipling at the mansion?”
“Absolutely! I think I’ll pay Ingrid a visit too. Talk of scholarship business will provide a nice segue into my research.” Ingrid was a widow, who’d been a close friend to Jaclyn. Arden had approached her about donating to Jaclyn’s scholarship, and Ingrid happily agreed. It would be nice to talk to Ingrid about Jaclyn’s state of mind and how it was that she came to marry the man who would later murder her.
Olivia let out a long breath. “I’m glad it’s you and not me. Carmel is breathtakingly beautiful, but I wouldn’t care if I never set foot there again. Attending Luciana and Stewart’s wedding in December was hard enough.”
“I totally understand.” Luciana was Xavier’s housekeeper, and Stewart, his chauffeur. Olivia got close to Luciana during her stay at the Kipling Mansion. She attended the wedding as a show of support, but it had been hard on Olivia to go back to Carmel and revisit that dark, tumultuous time in her life. Arden assumed that after the passage of a year, Olivia would be okay with Arden writing a novel based on her experience, especially since she was switching up the profession of the main character. Olivia had given her the okay. However, Arden wondered if she should’ve been more considerate of Olivia’s feelings before jumping into the project with both feet. Her stomach clutched. A better person would probably bow out now.
Arden needed this story. The premise and intrigue were too good to pass up. If she could do the story justice, then she might be able to turn her career around. Her next words felt gloppy like glue in her mouth before sloshing out. “Are you sure you’re okay with me writing about your experience?”
She held her breath, waiting for the answer. If Olivia wasn’t okay with it, then Arden needed to find another story to write. Yes, that’s what she would do. She needed to be less selfish and put the well-being of her best friend before her own desires.
“Yeah, I’m okay … as long as I don’t have to go back there or talk to Zachary or Ingrid.”
Arden grinned thinly at the bite in Olivia’s voice. “No chance of that happening.” She pushed a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be giving you the play-by-play of my experience here in Carmel. It’s the last thing you want to hear.”
“Of course I want to hear what’s going on,” Olivia fired back. “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t want to hear about your life?”
“I just don’t want to dredge up old demons.”
“I can handle it … so long as I don’t have to go back there.”
“You won’t,” Arden said again as a wave of relief rolled over her. From here on out, she vowed to think before blurting out everything that was happening. Olivia didn’t need to hear about her interview with Zachary Kipling or Ingrid. She’d keep those experiences to herself. She switched the subject. “How’s Officer Wet Behind the Ears?” Arden was with Olivia when she first met Flynn. He’d pulled them over to give them a ticket. Arden had dubbed himWet Behind the Earssince he’d been new to the area at the time. The nickname had stuck. Arden enjoyed razzing Flynn every chance she got. To his credit, Flynn was good-natured about it.
Olivia’s voice turned soft and bubbly. “Flynn’s great. He had the day off, so I didn’t go to work at the gallery. I figured Dad could hold down the fort for one day.” She hesitated. “I hope you don’t think that I’m sluffing.”
“You’re such a slacker,” Arden teased.
Olivia laughed nervously. “You know me.”
“I do know you,” Arden said with conviction. “You work your tail off. I’m glad you took the day off. And for the record, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. I’m an investor, not your boss.”
“I know,” Olivia sighed. “I just appreciate all that you’re doing for me and my family.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. I’m making a hefty profit off of my investment.”
“I’m so glad, but I know you, Arden Chasing. You didn’t invest in the gallery because we were a good bet; you did it to help me.” Her voice thickened with emotion. “So thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Arden uttered quietly. “I’m glad I could help.” Warmth spread through Arden’s breast, restoring a sense of well-being. At least she’d done one thing right. A person could never go wrong with helping someone else. “What did you and Flynn do on your day off?”
“We caught the ferry to Honeysuckle Island. We took Ryan to the beach and then got burgers afterward.”