Tangled Hearts Read online

  Tangled Hearts

  By Elizabeth Lennox

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  Copyright 2019

  ISBN13: 9781950451135

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Any duplication of this material, either electronic or any other format, either currently in use or a future invention, is strictly prohibited unless you have the direct consent of the author.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from “Forbidden Seduction”

  Prologue

  Olivia stared blankly, waiting for his words to register. “I’m sorry, you…what?”

  “I want to break up,” Brandon repeated, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his worn jeans. The movement caused his shoulders to lift slightly, almost as if he were shrugging.

  In the past, Olivia had found the gesture endearing. Brandon was a couple of inches taller than she was and…well, she’d always thought he was cute. But right now, he just looked insecure and weak.

  She closed her eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath. “Brandon, how did a discussion about renewing our lease turn into a break-up?” Her voice rose sharply as her impatience for the man she’d spent the last several years with stood there looking like a…dork. An insecure, sloppy dork!

  Brandon wasn’t supposed to be breaking up with her. He was supposed be proposing! Asking if she’d spend the rest of their lives together! He’d bought a freaking ring!

  Olivia pushed her sandy blonde hair out of her eyes impatiently, and glared daggers at Brandon. Brandon couldn’t even look her in the eye. He’d glance at her briefly, then drop his head, staring at his toes. Like a toddler who had been caught doing something wrong!

  Olivia knew that he’d bought the ring because she’d seen it. She hadn’t been snooping; Brandon didn’t like to put his laundry away. Olivia hated clothes littering the floor. So three days ago, she’d impatiently stuffed his clothes into the appropriate drawers and…the small box with the diamond ring in it had been in plain sight in his sock drawer.

  Granted, after discovering the ring, Olivia wasn’t sure she wanted to marry Brandon. Perhaps…just maybe…she’d been having doubts of her own. But…he wasn’t supposed to break up with her! She was supposed to break up with him! Darn it, how had this turned around on her so badly?!

  Finally, Brandon sighed and squared his shoulders. The action gave him a small bit of his dignity back. “I’m sorry, Ollie,” he replied, using the nickname that she’d always hated. When he’d called her “Ollie” the first time, she’d vowed to try and get used to it. But she never had, instead just…letting it slide. “I just…I think…we just aren’t right for each other.”

  “So, after five years together, you’re just…what? Calling it quits?” she demanded.

  He hesitated, but Olivia saw the truth in his eyes. “That’s about it,” he replied. He did that half-hearted shrug thing again.

  “Fine!” she snapped. “But I get the apartment. You have to leave.”

  Startled, he looked straight at her then let his eyes wander back to his toes. “But…I thought that you’d leave.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “Nope.” Olivia was proud of her firm tone. “I can’t figure out why you would even think that. The apartment is in my name. I’ve been paying the rent for the past six months while you worked on your next book. So, you’re the one that’s gotta go.”

  Brandon shifted uneasily. “Maybe we could…”

  “No!” she cut him off. “You wanted to break up. There’s no going back on that now. Pack your bags and head on out.”

  “But…I don’t have any place to go.”

  She shrugged. “You’re the one who broke up with me. You’re the one who quit his job and has been lazing around here for the past six months pretending to write the next Great American Novel. So don’t even start that pity party thing.” She stepped back, realizing she was furious but not hurt. But just now, she was too intent on finishing this conversation and moving on with her life.

  Unfortunately, Brandon pulled his puppy-dog eye-thing and Olivia relented. But only slightly! “Fine. You can sleep on the couch until you find a new place,” she gave in, feeling as if she were caving, but not sure what else to do. Okay, so she was totally caving. But Brandon…he wasn’t such a bad guy. He was sweet, in a puppy-dog kind of way.

  Too bad she was a cat person, she thought.

  Chapter 1

  Olivia breathed in the intoxicating scent of dust, books, and wood. Was there anything better than a good book? Nothing! Not alcohol, sex, or anything else could transport a person from one’s problems like a book could.

  “Just one more week guys!” she announced to her two cats. She patted Tip on the head as she passed by the checkout counter. He had decided that the pretty flowerpot Olivia had pushed into a sunny corner of the bookshop was his new bed. And because Tip was a hefty twenty-five pound Maine coon, when Tip decided something, Olivia generally couldn’t dissuade him. He was a beast! A sweet, lovable, sometimes-immovable beast that she loved.

  She smiled at her other feline friend. Hermi wasn’t nearly as big as Tip, but her superpowers were stealth and being annoying. Adorably annoying, but still…Hermi could do with a bit of restraint on the pranks.

  “This is going to be fabulous, guys,” she exclaimed to her fluffy companions as she mentally went over her to-do list, trying to remember everything she needed to do before her bookstore’s grand opening. “We just need to get the rest of the books stacked up and…”

  “Are you talking to yourself?” a deep voice asked.

  Olivia froze, the voice taking her back to several years ago. But…it couldn’t be him! No way! Oh, please, don’t let it be him!

  She straightened her shoulders and turned slowly towards the back door of her bookstore. All she could see was a tall man in dark clothes, his hands resting on his hips as he stared at her from underneath a hat backlit by the afternoon sunshine.

  “I’m sorry?” she whispered, then cleared her throat, memories choking her. When she felt she could speak more clearly, she tried again. “I’m sorry?” she repeated in a louder, more assertive voice.

  The person stepped forward but there wasn’t enough light in the back hallway yet. It was on her list of things to do, but…opening a new store meant that there were a lot of things on one’s to-do list. Putting in lights were the customers weren’t supposed to be wasn’t high on that list.

  “Olivia Swann,” that deep voice said as if testing the name in his mind. She recognized the slight southern twang that was the norm for many of the residents of Staunton, Virginia. “After ten years away, you’ve decided to grace us with your presence once again.”

  As the words left his mouth, he stepped into the light. But Olivia didn’t need the light to know who he was; Chris Bishop, high school and college football hero, who had gone on to play professionally.

  “Chris?” Another croaking sound and she cleared her throat again. “What are you doing here?”

  He leaned against the checkout counter, and pushed his hat back. “I w
ork here,” he announced.

  Oh, this was really not good! Olivia tried to swallow, but there was a lump in her throat as the painful memories poured over her. Memories that she’d vowed never to think about. Memories that she’d thought were buried. “Work?” she asked, hoping the one word could convey all the questions floating around in her mind. “You work here?”

  “I’m the Chief of Police, Liv,” he smiled, those thin, firm lips curling up into an expression of…victory?

  Olivia stared at him, taking in his broad shoulders and eyes that…were they bluer than they’d been in high school? His nose, it had been broken at some point and looked…sexy now. Was he taller as well? She didn’t remember having to tilt her head back so far.

  Blinking, she tried to stop the rush of memories. But…Chris Bishop? Surely he wasn’t…! But he was! She focused on something other than his face and, sure enough, he was wearing a familiar blue uniform. The stiff collar showed off brass eagles and there was a shiny, brass badge on his chest. His big and muscular chest.

  “Well, isn’t that special!” Which was every southern woman’s way of saying, “I wish you’d rot in hell!” Or maybe it was just her personal translation. “I thought you were playing football.”

  “I was,” he replied, his blue gaze moving over her figure. The pressure of his eyes curled her fingers into fists. “I’m back.”

  Olivia reminded herself that she wasn’t attracted to him any longer. Her body’s reaction to Chris now…it was just…it had been a long time since she’d been around a man. Any man! “How long have you been back?” she asked, annoyed that no one over the past two weeks had bothered to mention Chris Bishop was the town sheriff.

  “Several years now.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “NFL kick you out?”

  He grinned and her stomach tightened at the familiar expression. It wasn’t so much the smile, as the promise in his eyes. It might have been ten years since she’d last seen that smile, but she knew darn well what it meant.

  “Something like that.”

  “And…you’re here tonight to what? Irritate me?” she demanded. Darn it, what was he doing here?! After all these years, she’d finally come back home, thinking to…she wasn’t sure. But starting her own bookstore sounded like a great idea.

  “I heard you were in New York City, a big, fancy editor or something.”

  Her chin lifted with pride. “Or something,” she replied.

  “And now you’re back.” He looked around, taking in the high ceilings and the wooden shelves filled with books. “A bookstore.” He nodded in subtle satisfaction. “That fits.”

  Olivia wanted to throw something at him. “What does that mean?” she demanded, her spine stiffening.

  He chuckled and moved closer. “Relax, Liv,” he ordered softly. “It just means that I remember how much you loved books. You used to read anything and everything. So, it makes sense that you would open a bookstore.” He smiled again, but the look in his eyes still didn’t match his words. “No offense.” He pushed away from the counter, took another lingering look around, then nodded to her. “Lock the back door, Liv,” he warned. “It’s a small town, but be safe.” And with that, he turned and walked back down the dim hallway.

  If Olivia noticed that he was taller than she remembered…and that his butt looked amazing, well, that was just the uniform! Because Chris Bishop was nothing to her. Not anymore.

  He might have been the man of her dreams once, but that was ten years ago. She was older and wiser now.

  Olivia had vowed never to be hurt by a man again!

  Chapter 2

  “Hey boss!” Jimmy greeted when Chris walked into the police station. “How was your vacation?”

  “Great. Fish were biting and it was quiet. Anything happen here?” he asked. But for the first time since he’d taken the job, he didn’t actually care. His mind was elsewhere. His mind was on a cute bookstore and the sexy bookstore owner. Was she at work already? Olivia had always been a hard worker. In high school, she’d studied harder than anyone else and had been class valedictorian. During most summers, Olivia had held down at least two jobs, stashing away her earnings to pay for college.

  “Nothin’ much,” Jimmy called back. “Ms. Colberg demanded that the fire department get her cat down from a tree again.”

  Chris grunted in response as he picked up the clipboard that listed the calls from the previous night.

  “And the city council wants you to weigh in on the latest break-ins. I compiled a report and put it on your desk.”

  Another grunt, this time of confirmation that he’d take care of the issue. The break-ins were nothing new. Staunton might be a relatively small town, but they still had their share of crime.

  Fortunately, most of the crimes weren’t violent, which is exactly the way he preferred it. His town was safe. But the hard working police officers in this department stayed vigilant, working hard to nip issues in the bud before they became problems.

  He went into his office and sat down behind his desk, his fingers flipping open the laptop. Running a quick search, he found what he wanted. Olivia Swann. She smiled up at him from her driver’s license. Still single, he noticed. Good.

  Because he and Olivia had some unfinished business.

  Ten hours later, Chris left the station, tired, but determined. As he walked down the street, he noticed small details that others might have missed. Such as a broken windowpane in an upper apartment. A car parked illegally at the corner; the fire hydrant by the convenience store was blocked. He paused for a moment and lifted his radio. “Hey Jeff,” he said into the radio. When the dispatcher replied, Chris ordered one of the traffic enforcement officers to head over to Main Street to could take care of the issues.

  Once he signed off, he continued down the street. Every night, he walked around, checking the town he protected, talking to people, and getting the feel of the area.

  If he happened to glance over at the freshly painted storefront, it was simple curiosity. “The Book Dragon” he muttered, thinking about Olivia and her love of reading. Opening a bookstore made sense, considering how many books she’d read. Plus, he knew that she’d lived in New York City for the past several years, working as an editor for one of the big publishing companies.

  Not that he was keeping track, he told himself.

  “Hi Chris!” one of the other shop owners waved from across the street.

  “Hey Joe,” Chris replied cheerfully. As soon as the man had walked by, Chris turned and looked at the bookstore again. No one was inside but…there was a small flicker of movement. “What the hell?” he muttered. For a moment, he considered calling in backup. But it was eight o’clock at night and most of the residents were heading over to the park to listen to the jazz quartet that would play on the bandstand of Gypsy Hill Park. He could hear the sounds of the crowd from Main Street.

  He reached for the door and found it locked. “Olivia?!” he called out.

  A face peeked out from behind the checkout counter and…she was crying! Tears were streaming down her cheeks!

  He backed up and lifted his gun, pointing it at the door. “Step back, Liv!” he ordered.

  “No! Don’t shoot!” she yelled, lifting her hands in the air. “I’m fine!”

  He didn’t believe her, mostly because of the tears. “Let me in!” he demanded, looking around for the danger. Olivia scampered to her feet and hurried to the door. He saw her wipe her cheeks, but it didn’t hide her tears.

  As soon as she opened the door, Chris pushed her behind his back, trying to find the danger from the movement he’d seen a moment ago. “Stay back, Liv,” he ordered, his eyes scanning the mostly empty space.

  “I’m fine!” she promised, taking a deep breath.

  He took one more visual sweep of the long room lined with book shelves, then turned to face her, noting the long, silky blonde hair and the faded jeans. If he happened to notice the soft press of her breasts against her tee shirt, well, he was a
guy. That’s something guys noticed.

  “Why are you crying then?” he asked, not believing her. “Is someone in here?”

  “No! No one is here but me.”

  He looked around again, not convinced. “Liv, you were behind the counter. I saw movement from…” he paused and finally spotted the giant ball of fur staring back at him. “What the hell is that?” he demanded.

  Olivia gasped and hurried over to the…thing.

  “That’s Tip!” she explained, reaching down to pet the giant…thing.

  “I’m guessing that it is a cat?” he asked, seeing the whiskers and eyes, pointed ears and the tail that flicked with bored disdain.

  “Yes! He’s a cat and he’s very sweet!”

  Chris stared for another long moment before shaking his head. “That’s not a house cat,” he argued. “That thing must weight twenty pounds!”

  He watched as Olivia lifted the giant feline, grunting slightly at the weight as well as the way that the cat draped over her shoulder. But the thing snuggled up against her and purred loud enough to fill the room.

  “He is too a house cat,” she replied with a sniff as she scratched behind his ears.

  “Right.” Chris looked around, still sensing that something was off. “Okay, so why were you crying?” he demanded.

  Olivia bent down and released the cat who pulled back on his hind legs, stretching his front paws out in front of him. A moment later, he climbed back into the flowerpot and settled in for a bath.

  “He’s squishing your flowers, Liv,” he said, trying not to roll his eyes.

  She shrugged slightly. “I know. He likes it for some reason. He isn’t harming anything.”

  “Except the flowers underneath him,” Chris pointed out.

  He watched as Olivia stared at the flowers with…longing? Resignation?

  “Yes, well, he likes it so…when I open up the store, he’ll be upstairs and I can plant something in there again.”