Fool Me Once by Fern Michaels Read Free Book Online

difference. Dennis had shoveled a path across the patio for the dogs. The new snowfall amounted to little more than a few inches. The sound of work crews and snowplows could be heard as they lumbered down the main and side roads. By midmorning, traffic would be back to normal.
    â€œGood morning, Ollie. How did you sleep?” Dennis asked warily.
    â€œFairly well, Dad. Listen, are we always going to have this…this uneasiness between us?”
    Dennis thought about the question for a minute, his brow puckered in concentration. “I think that pretty much depends on you, honey. I can’t turn the clock back. What’s done is done. I can keep saying I’m sorry from now till the end of time, and it isn’t going to mean anything until you are ready to accept the situation and forgive me in your heart of hearts. I would be lying if I said I know what you’re feeling. I don’t know, but I can imagine. You feel I deprived you of a mother, and I know, Ollie, how special mothers are. Allison just wasn’t the kind of person who…who would have made a good mother. You’ll never know that, though, and you only have my word for it.”
    Olivia stared at her father. “I know, Dad. I’m not stupid. I was devastated yesterday until you told me your side of things, but now I understand more.” Looking at the breakfast her dad had prepared, she said, “Just give me a minute. I want to brush my teeth. Everything looks good, and it smells even better.”
    â€œI aim to please,” Dennis said lightly.
    Olivia was back in the kitchen in five minutes. She sat down and shook out her napkin. Her father had always been big on cloth napkins, the kind that would wrinkle and have to be ironed. Her father had always set a good table. He was also big on manners. She’d learned just about everything she needed to know about life from her father. She owed everything to her father. Not to the woman who gave birth to her.
    â€œHow did you sleep, Dad?”
    â€œSoundly for a few hours. I woke up around three and couldn’t get back to sleep. Do you have any clients today?”
    â€œThree unless they cancel. If the roads are clear, I imagine they’ll show up. Why?”
    Dennis placed a plate in front of Olivia before he carried his own to the table. “I think it might be a good idea to cancel today’s schedule so we can go to see Mr. O’Brien and get this over with. I have to leave by the weekend because I have a big paying charter for Monday. I want to see and hear for myself what you’re up against. For some reason I don’t see this as a simple inheritance. I say this because I know Allison.” He corrected himself. “Knew Allison. By the way, when did you get another dog?”
    Olivia explained Cecil’s story. “He loves Alice. She’s going to miss him when he leaves. I think he’s going to be one unhappy little dog. I wish I could keep him. He’s a real cutie and has a mind of his own. And he’s smart.”
    â€œWhy don’t you offer to keep him? I don’t see his handler minding too much. Just don’t ask for money. He might be willing to give up the responsibility. Not the money, though. On the other hand, you might have to go through the lawyers who represented Cecil’s owner. Do you want me to kidnap him?” he joked.
    Olivia’s head snapped up. “I know you’re joking, but don’t kid yourself, I already thought about it. I have to call Jeff today. He’s Cecil’s handler. I don’t know if he lives in Mrs. Manning’s house or if he just carts the dog to the vet and groomer. I’m not sure what he does. He didn’t balk at paying me fifty bucks an hour to dog-sit Cecil. I’m not going to take the money. I just said that to him to make him aware of his responsibility. It didn’t faze him in the least. Cecil is going to die of loneliness when he has to go