Instead, Olivia found herself working out her frustrations by cooking. She made elaborate meals for them both. Conor, on the other hand, chose to exercise away his carnal feelings. Every morning, he headed out, only to return an hour later completely exhausted. And after a long shower, he’d run errands to the grocery store and the coin laundry and the gas station. Then, right before lunch, they’d leave for another field trip, an activity that had become a daily routine over the past three days.
Yesterday, they’d walked the Freedom Trail, something neither one of them had ever done, even though they’d both grown up in Boston. They wound their way through Boston, stopping at the Bunker Hill Monument and Paul Revere’s house and the Old North Church. And the day before that, they’d visited the Museum of Science, then walked along the banks of the Charles until the sun had nearly set.
She’d managed to forget the upcoming trial, her worries fading into an occasional twinge of apprehension. Olivia wasn’t sure how her life would change once she testified against Keenan and Kevin Ford, only that she couldn’t imagine her future without Conor. She was madly in love with him and, for the first time in her life, she realized that there might be a man who could make her happy forever.
Olivia had tried to determine when her feelings had become so focused but, in truth, she couldn’t remember a moment when she wasn’t in love with Conor Quinn. They’d known each other just a week, yet she knew more about him than any other man she’d ever loved-or thought she’d loved.
She knew now that those other men had all been passing moments in her life, marking time until she was destined to meet Conor. Suddenly, her decision to testify made sense, as did all the other crazy things that had happened since she’d first called the police. This had all been part of a cosmic plan so that she could find the man she was supposed to love.
“My goodness, dear, you look like you’re a million miles away,” Sadie said.
Olivia blinked, then glanced around the table at the five elderly ladies who’d gathered for coffee and Danish. They were all staring at her. “I-I’m sorry. What were you saying?”
“Where is that gorgeous husband of yours?” Doris asked.
“He went out for a run. He likes to get some exercise in the morning. And sometimes in the evening, too. Can I get anyone else coffee?”
They all shook their heads and she noticed that all their cups were full and their Danish untouched. The five of them-Sadie, Doris, Ruth Ann, Geraldine and Louise-stared at her expectantly. “Go ahead,” Ruth Ann whispered, giving Sadie an elbow. “Ask her.”
“Ask me?” Olivia murmured, picking up her glass of orange juice. “Ask me what?”
Sadie smiled brightly. “So tell us, dear, how is the sex?”
Olivia’s eyes went wide at the same moment her orange juice went down the wrong pipe. She coughed, covering her mouth and looking at the ladies through watery eyes. “Sex?”
Geraldine leaned forward, staring at Olivia through her bifocals. “Yes, dear. Tell us, is there anything new out there? All of us have been out of the loop, so to speak. And we like to keep up on new…trends.”
“And it’s obvious you’re doing something right,” Ruth Ann said. “That man of yours always looks so satisfied.” She reached over and patted Olivia’s hand. “Don’t be embarrassed, dear. Sex is a regular topic of conversation with us.”
Olivia forced a smile, a warm blush rising on her cheeks. “Ladies, I really don’t think-”
“Maybe if I picked up a few new tricks,” Louise said, “my George wouldn’t always be making eyes at that hussy, Eleanor Harrington. Ever since her husband died, she’s been on the prowl.”
The other ladies nodded their heads in sympathy. “With the ratio of women to men at Waterbrook, it’s a dog- eat-dog world,” Sadie said. “I have to keep my Harold under lock and key for fear that one of those widows might charm him away.”
“So how is it you keep your man happy?” Doris asked. “Do you cook him special foods? I hear oysters are supposed to make a man very randy.”
Olivia swallowed hard. “Randy?”
“Oh, Doris, I’ve tried oysters and Harold just got gas,” Sadie said. “I think there must be some new techniques. I see the books at the bookstore, although I’d never be caught dead taking one to the checkout counter.
“I wonder if they’d have that one at the library,” Louise asked.
The door to the condo opened and Conor strode in, dressed in sweatpants and running shoes, his damp T-shirt tossed over his shoulder. He’d left before the ladies had arrived and Olivia hadn’t bothered to tell him about her plans for entertaining, certain he’d disapprove. “Hi, darling!” she cried, jumping up from her spot at the table.
Conor glanced between her and the ladies, who were staring at him with undisguised appreciation. He gave them all a quick glance, then planted a clumsy kiss on Olivia’s lips, surprising them both.
The ladies giggled amongst themselves and Conor smiled at them all. “Good morning, ladies. How are you today?” They giggled again, like a bunch of shy schoolgirls. He gave them an odd look, then turned to Olivia. “Could I speak to you in the bedroom?”
Olivia followed him down the hall, then closed the door behind her. All of his things were scattered around her bedroom, tossed inside before the ladies had arrived. “I’m sorry, I know you don’t want me talking to the neighbors, but-”
“No,” Conor said, staring at the piles of clothes. He spied his jeans, then picked them up and rummaged through the pockets. “Where are my keys?”
“No?”
He picked through a pile of clothes until he found yesterday’s flannel shirt. Then he checked that pocket. “No,” he repeated. “I don’t mind. Do you know where my keys are?”
Olivia stepped over to the dresser and grabbed the keys, then held them out to him. “They were in your shoe underneath the coffee table. I-I had to clean up before the ladies arrived.”
Conor glanced up distractedly. “I have to go,” he said. “Are you going to be all right here alone?”
“I thought we were going to go out to-”
“No, we can’t. I’ve got business to take care of down at the station house. I’m going to run home first and shower and change. I’ll probably be gone most of the day.”
“Is this about the trial?” Olivia asked.
“No. It’s just some business that I have to take care of.” He pulled the door open, then started off down the hall, Olivia right on his heels.
“Conor, wait.”
He stopped and turned to her at the front door, then glanced over her shoulder at the ladies. With a tight smile, he bent close and placed another awkward kiss on her lips. “I’ll see you in a little while, darling.” He gave the ladies a wave and then walked out, leaving Olivia to wonder just what was so important that it preoccupied his thoughts so completely.
“Bye,” she murmured, closing the door behind him. Olivia slowly walked back to the table and took her place.
Sadie sighed. “I suppose the honeymoon has to be over sometime, dear.”
Olivia forced a smile, then reached for the pitcher of orange juice. As she poured herself a glass, she noticed the little bouquet of flowers that Geraldine had brought over to brighten the table. The daisies were placed in a faux silver tankard that had a remarkably realistic patina. Olivia reached for it and plucked a daisy out, then began to pull the petals off one by one. He loves me, he loves me not, she chanted silently.
The ladies continued to chat while Olivia listened with half an ear. She picked up the tankard and idly studied the design. For a reproduction, it really was quite remarkable. The weight was almost perfect for one of real silver. Usually she could tell real Colonial silver from reproduction without a second glance, but this piece almost left her guessing.
“Where did you get this?” Olivia asked. She held it up and stared at the bottom, looking at the mark. Her stomach did a quick flip-flop and she tried to remain calm.
“At the supermarket,” Geraldine said. “I love fresh flowers and they have bouquets of daisies and carnations and mums for $3.99. They last nearly a week.”
“Not the flowers,” Olivia said. “The silver tankard.”
Geraldine stared at it for a moment. “Oh, I don’t know. I used to go to a lot of rummage sales when Louis and I
