Free This Thing Called Love by Miranda Liasson Page A

I—” She wanted to say she just couldn’t do it, couldn’t be the mother Trish would have been, but she couldn’t form the words.
    Effie lovingly watched the sleeping baby. Annabelle’s little hand was splayed across her cheek, her breathing low and regular. “You may not believe this now,” she said softly, glancing up at Olivia, “but Trish and Kevin knew what they were doing when they named you this baby’s guardian.”
    No, they didn’t. Trish always thought the best of people. She was accepting whereas Olivia was eternally suspicious. That trait had gotten Trish taken advantage of frequently. Not to mention caused her to make a choice for Annabelle more based on emotion—or sisterly bonds or whatever—than logic. And somehow managed to convince Kevin of it, too.
    In her experience, emotional decisions didn’t move you up in the world. They got you demoted or fired. She’d seen it happen, and she was way too street-smart for that.
    Olivia wondered again why they hadn’t told her, asked her, explained exactly what the hell it was they were thinking? Surely they’d meant to. Kevin was a lawyer, for God’s sake. All she knew was that the wills were dated the day before the baby’s birth. Maybe in all the excitement, they’d simply forgotten.
    Effie shook her head vehemently. “Not a mistake.”
    “I’m not sure I should keep her,” Olivia blurted.
    The theme music sounded again, but Effie fumbled on the remote for the mute button. She gave Olivia her full attention.
    “I work all the time—twelve-hour days, mostly. Weekends, too. I can’t keep those kinds of hours and raise a child. It would be . . . unfair.”
    Effie mulled that over. She took a while before she answered. “Goodness, Olivia, you always were so responsible and serious. It’s what got you that big scholarship to begin with. Your head’s going a mile a minute with all this worrying. Try turning the head off for a while and just be yourself. Then a decision will come.”
    Going from responsible and serious to carefree and living in the moment wasn’t really going to happen with all the crushing decisions Olivia had to make. But as Annabelle slept and Effie told her stories of the other Rushford children and their goings-on, she found herself relaxing a little.
    “Don’t forget the big picnic this weekend,” Effie said. “You will come, won’t you?”
    “Picnic?” Olivia’s neck prickled with unease. Rushford picnics were legendary, and she was certain Brad never missed one.
    Whether she liked it or not, Brad would always be in her life. That fate was sealed the day Trish married Kevin, and now Annabelle would ensure its continuance. She might as well get used to it.
    Now Olivia felt the tug of an additional obligation. She was Annabelle’s link to the Rushford family, responsible, for her sake, for maintaining and strengthening it. “Of course we’ll be there.”
    She’d go to the picnic and catch up with the Rushford clan. She wouldn’t avoid Brad. Seeing him as part of life in Mirror Lake would desensitize her to the explosive hormonal reaction that took control of her body every time she approached within ten feet of him—or a TV screen. Soon she’d come to realize Brad was just an old memory, best kept bundled and tied off like old love letters in the attic. He’d lose his appeal, just like day-old coffee.
    Bitter, old, and best tossed for a fresh pot.
    Besides, he was nowhere near ready to settle down. Watching him flirt with Erika proved that. And, she suddenly realized, what she wanted—what she needed , for Annabelle, was the possibility of a real family. Getting involved with him would only be asking for heartbreak.
    She’d attend the picnic for Annabelle’s sake, and Effie’s. Not Brad’s.
    And she’d prove to herself she was over him once and for all.

CHAPTER 6
    “Real or fake?”
    Brad looked up from his laptop as he sat at a table on the newly built deck of Reflection s . He’d been so