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

closing, the tinkle of a spoon on china, coffee flowing into the cup.
    Paige kept her head down, focused on the sink full of dishes, and prayed her mother would leave with her caffeine fix.
    Except she didn’t.
    No, she leaned one hip against the countertop and sipped at the steaming brew. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Lisa, Olivia’s ex-daughter-in-law. And you are?”
    The daughter you abandoned .
    As she opened her mouth to give a scathing reply, she noticed that there was something so dejected, something so sad, about the other woman’s body posture that she almost felt sorry for her. Some of her harshness relented, and she asked, “What’s with the sunglasses?”
    “I had a procedure.” Whatever she saw on Paige’s face made her scowl and with her middle finger, she pushed against the nose piece of her glasses. “So shoot me already. My line of work requires youth and constant physical maintenance. Nobody wants an old Karie-May consultant.”
    Her voice broke on the last word and she turned her head to gaze out the window. But Paige saw her bottom lip tremble and she shored herself up against the pity that created havoc with her need for distance. It took all of her effort to keep her tone conversational. “There’s no need to lie to me. I know who you are and what you really do for a living.” She shrugged as though it didn’t matter. “So get out of the porn business and find another line of work.”
    Lisa opened her mouth, and Paige waited for the lies to pour out. Instead, she hissed. “Another line of work. That’s ridiculous. My agent has a job for me. It’s a big part and I’m up against Meryl Street for the role.”
    “Well, good luck with that.” Forcing herself to remain outwardly calm, Paige rinsed the dish in her hands, set it in the drain tray, and dried her hands on the tea towel. She headed for the back door, pausing to look back at the woman. “By the way, I’m Jeb’s daughter. You might remember me as the child you left behind.” She shrugged because she didn’t want to give the other woman the impression that she cared. “Or not.”
    She pushed the screen door open and escaped before her mother could respond.
    Outside Paige headed toward the garden, wishing she’d remembered to grab a cup of coffee. But no way was she going back inside while that woman was in there.
    What she needed was some peace and quiet to regroup, and Gram’s garden had always been peaceful.
    As she reached the corner garden, Starr grabbed a bean and gave it a yank. The plant came out with the bean and the teen held it out toward her great-grandma. “What do I do with it?”
    Gram grabbed Starr by the wrist, pulled the plant from her hand, and tossed it into the far corner of the garden. “If you insist on helping, then do it without killing the plants.”
    “I don’t insist on helping. You’re making me. There’s a humongous difference,” Starr muttered. She watched Gram for a moment, then mimicked her movements. Without raising her head, she asked, “Where have you been, Mom?”
    She’d been hiding from them all, but no way would she ever admit that to her daughter. Ignoring the question, she bent at the waist and began to pick. “We need to discuss that jar of money, Gram.”
    The old lady fixed her with a wary stare. “You’re not going to sell my house out from under me and stick me in a senior’s facility, are you?”
    “What?” Paige realized the elderly woman was serious. “No, of course not.”
    “Then what’s the problem? I told you I’d give it to you.” The old lady sat back on her haunches and glared. “Discussion over.”
    Paige gritted her teeth. “I don’t want your money. All I’m saying is that it needs to be in a bank.”
    Ignoring her, Gram turned to Starr. “How old are you?”
    “Almost thirteen.”
    “Ugly age.” The old lady stared at Starr who stared back with curiosity in her gaze. “What are you looking at, girl? It’s impolite to