A wealthy business owner teams up with a bumbling investigator to uncover the reason his girlfriend died four years earlier. Will he get the answers he seeks? Or will his obsessive pursuit of the truth lead to his own demise?
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He was late.
It wasn't a good sign. Vivienne Crawler glanced at the time on her phone before stealing a glimpse at Lance Bueller, Cole's best friend. His blue eyes turned her in her direction before he gave her his back. Was Lance on the phone with Cole? Were they talking about her?
"Don't worry, dear. He'll be here," Barbara Hollister, Cole's mother, said, patting Vivi's shoulder. The older woman's dyed blonde hair sat in a chignon at the back of her head. Diamonds punctuated her ears and she wore an expensive black cocktail dress.
"It's just dinner," Vivi reminded her, adjusting the diamond bracelet adorning her wrist. "I'm not sure why everyone's here." Everyone being her family and friends.
Barbara giggled. "Oh, that's right. It's supposed to be a surprise." She leaned closer to Vivi. "Let me tell you a secret. I'm pretty sure my son is going to propose tonight. Cole has been ready to settle down for a while."
Vivi's cheeks heated. She bit back a smile and shook her head. This was not news to her. A private eye she had on retainer had already shared this information with her. "I highly doubt he plans to propose. We've never been on a date."
That wasn't a lie. If Vivi were being brutally honest with herself, she'd acknowledge Cole's demeanor toward her was more sisterly than anything. Lance had once told her to give up on Cole. This was right before the accident. Right before Cole went into a coma and Lisa died on a hospital bed after a fuel rig hit the city bus she'd been in.
Was it callous to be grateful her only competition was out of the way? Sure, Cole had gone on dates after Lisa died. He'd even had a few flings. Those women meant nothing to him. Vivi could tell. She'd ask about them and he'd lift his shoulder and shake his head, saying, "We're just having a good time. It's nothing serious."
Vivi banked on that. Nothing serious gave her hope he'd finally open his eyes and see her and the love she'd had for him for so long. She'd been waiting since they were toddlers. They were a love story waiting to be written if he'd only turn over the cover page.
"Vivi?" Barbara's voice pulled Vivi out of her reverie. Barbara made a clucking noise. "Our families have known one another since before you were born. Besides, families of our stature don't always have a whirlwind romance. Hugh and I met a month before our families encouraged us to become engaged."
Vivi grinned. She knew wealthy families sometimes married for power over passion. She was hopeful her marriage would have both. It was a shame her parents forced her to attend a boarding school out of the country when she turned fifteen. It was during that time that Cole met Lisa Cruz, his first love. When Vivi returned to America years later, Cole was obsessed with Lisa. The two began dating, leaving Vivi with an unrequited first love.
Barbara squeezed her shoulder. "Sometimes it takes men years to see what's right in front of them, Vivi. I didn't raise a fool. Hugh already talked to him as well. In no time at all, you'll finally be my daughter. My official daughter."
