Free Caught Between a Lie and True Love (Caught Between series Book 1) by Sheila Seabrook

with Brody—and the equally infuriating surprise of running into that jackass Harry Malone—Matilda wandered through the empty house with a dust rag in her hand, tidying, dusting, cleaning, until she inevitably ended up in her daughter’s bedroom. Memories of all that she’d lost swept over her and sadness claimed her.
    Anger, too.
    Why had the courts awarded custody of her granddaughter to Brody? She’d been the better choice—the only choice—to raise the girl. For the umpteenth time that morning, she grabbed the phone and thumbed in the number to Hope’s cell, only to have the answering machine pick up.
    Well, if she couldn’t talk to Hope, then how was she supposed to form a relationship with the girl? It was bad enough that her mother had kept her away, but now the courts and Brody were doing the same thing.
    And yet, no matter how many times she broke into Brody's house to look for ways to prove he was an unfit father, she always found the house clean, the fridge well stocked, the laundry done.
    Even Hope’s room had been clean and tidy. And her report card showed improvement since her last one.
    It was aggravating and maddening and worrisome. Because if she couldn’t dig up some dirt on that man, Hope could be lost to her forever.
    When Matilda couldn’t stand being cooped up alone any longer, she headed outside to do some of the work that Harry used to take care of for her.
    It was strange how she’d allowed him into her life when she’d intended to remain alone once her first husband had passed away. But she hadn’t really allowed him in willingly. He’d prodded and pushed and sexed her up until he’d become a regular part of her weekly routine.
    In fact, he was the only man she’d ever let clean out her gutters besides her husband.
    Pulling on work gloves, Matilda manhandled the large ladder out of the garage and leaned it against the front of the house. She climbed up to the gutter where she proceeded to scoop out the leaves with her gloved hand, mulling over Harry’s ridiculous request.
    Give up her real estate office. Accept Brody as Hope’s legal guardian. Travel the Mainland in a motorhome for months on end.
    The thought of living in the cramped quarters—although, she had to admit, Harry hadn’t scrimped on size, yessiree, everything about Harry screamed big —brought back memories of camping in a tent with her parents. With only the campfire as their cookstove, and no shower within miles, she’d spent the better part of her youth dreading their family vacations. Smoky and stinky and feeling as though the campground dirt had invaded every pore on her body.
    No way would she spend a single night in the motorhome. And no way was she giving up on gaining custody of her only granddaughter. She’d die lonely before she ever gave in to his request.
    Scooping out a particularly unpleasant clump of leaves, she dropped them into the garbage can at the base of the ladder. As she scraped the mucky mess off her gloves, she peered across the street, trying to see movement in Brody's house.
    Nothing.
    But she knew Harry was still over there. She’d have noticed when he’d left.
    Okay, so she might miss Harry a little, but once Hope came to live with her, the girl would fill her house with laughter and cheer. She wouldn’t need Harry.
    She didn’t need Harry now.
    And although she was already missing what he used to do for her, both in bed and out, she’d always known their affair couldn’t go on forever. It would set a bad example for Hope and no matter how careful Matilda was, it wasn’t worth the risk of the girl finding out. Because if she knew her grandma was sleeping around like the town tramp, it would subliminally give the girl permission to do the same.
    According to rumors, Matilda’s daughter had slept with the entire senior football team. No way was she going to let her granddaughter follow in her footsteps.
    Harry could just find someone else to warm his bed and cook in his