Page 50 of Everyone’s a Liar

“Did you know he’d left the country?”

“Of course. He always keeps me informed of where he will be in case I need to get ahold of him.”

She was a good liar, but Livia could hear the nervous edge in her voice. She would bet money this woman was working with Winston to hide his true whereabouts last week. And she was worried that she’d nearly given away the game.

“He implied it was a last-minute decision,” Livia said.

“I really wouldn’t know.”

“Does he often take off with no warning?”

Tara squared her shoulders. Did she remember that the best defense was a good offense? “What are you asking?”

“Nothing.” Livia shrugged. “When we were chatting I was trying to imagine taking off to Ireland on a whim. It must be nice. It would take me months of planning and a second mortgage to pay for the trip.”

“It wasn’t on a whim. He travels there regularly to visit his grandparents,” she said, the words sounding practiced. “He’s very devoted to his family.”

“So you said.” Livia paused. “And what about Celeste? Is he devoted to her as well?”

A dark emotion flared through Tara’s eyes before she was taking a step backward.

“I should get back to my patient.”

Livia silently chided her rash questions. It was a mistake to have reminded this woman that Winston was engaged.

“Wait,” she called out.

Tara glanced over her shoulder with an impatient expression. “What now?”

“How long have you worked here?”

“A few months.”

Livia pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “Do you live at the estate?”

The impatience shifted to wariness. “I do. Why?”

“I was supposed to meet a friend of mine at the fireworks display. I was sure he said he took this path all the time.” Livia pulled up the photo of Larry Sutton she’d found on the internet. It was a few years old, but it was better than the fuzzy image she’d taken through the window. A shame she hadn’t bothered to take any photos when they were dating. Maybe she’d already known he wasn’t sticking around long enough for her to waste her storage. She turned the phone so Tara could see the screen. “You haven’t seen him, have you?”

Tara leaned forward, her expression never changing as she studied the picture. “No. I don’t think so. There’s not many people who walk back here.” She straightened. “I really should go.”

The nurse strolled away, glancing over her shoulder as she reached the pond.

“Nice to meet you, Tara.”

Livia lifted a hand to wave at the glaring woman before forcing herself to continue down the path. She didn’t doubt Tara intended to watch until she was sure that Livia wasn’t going to sneak back.

CHAPTER 13

Livia continued down the pathway and into town. She’d never really spent time enjoying the Fourth of July activities with the locals. Her aunt had refused to let her come when she was younger and she wasn’t interested when she got older.

Now as she wandered through the busy park, she belatedly realized what she was missing.

The stalls were overflowing with home-crafted goodies and fatty foods that made her mouth water. Corn dogs, funnel cakes, BBQ ribs, and platters of jambalaya. Collecting enough food to feed a family of four, Livia found a seat in the shade of a weeping willow and watched the various entertainments enjoy their big moment on the bandstand.

The talent was questionable, but the enthusiasm made up for the out-of-tune songs and awkward dance routines. She even enjoyed the hog-calling contest that had the audience on their feet yelling for their favorite. It was the sort of small-town fun that made Rushville a special place to live.

Feeling relaxed for the first time in weeks, Livia lost track of time. It wasn’t until the trucks arrived with piles of fireworks that she realized that the afternoon had passed and dusk was spreading across the horizon.