me why she bought a burner phone?” Luke insisted. “Haven’t you noticed how strange she’s been acting lately, almost secretive, and at times, barely sociable?”
Gemma chewed a nail. “Maybe a little. She has been keeping to herself more than usual.” She glanced over at Leia. “Have you noticed that about her? I just thought it was because I’ve been so busy. Between the shop and my mayoral duties, I might’ve neglected her a little bit in the friend department.”
Leia topped off her wine glass. “All I know is that she’s been scarce coming into the restaurant lately. She used to come in all the time. Remember, I brought it up around Valentine’s Day. And then you guys opted to do something else rather than come into the grill for dinner.”
“Uh, that’s because we had a huge fight on Valentine’s Day,” Luke admitted. “I spent the night on the couch, and she got the bed.”
Gemma tightened her jaw. “Okay, that is strange.”
“But still,” Leia began. “I’m having a hard time believing Lianne would cheat. She’s not that kind of person.”
“Yeah. Exactly. And who would she cheat with?” Gemma questioned. “Seriously. Think about it. We know every person in town. Who is this man she’s been texting?”
“Luke thinks he’s back in Portland,” Leia reasoned. “Maybe someone there she used to date, an ex-boyfriend who got in touch with her recently.”
Luke let out a sigh and looked at his watch. “When you guys figure it out, let me know, will you? How long should I give her to pack a bag before I head home? What’s the protocol for that?”
“Don’t be an ass,” Gemma snapped. “That’s the least of your problems right now. This isn’t right, Luke. I won’t accept that’s she’s been cheating. I won’t. I’d know it if she were.”
“Is that your psychic ability kicking in?” Lando proposed. “Because did you ever home in on what we’re discussing here tonight? Six weeks before the wedding, did you pick up on the fact that there’s trouble in paradise?”
“I told you, I’ve been busy,” Gemma snapped. “But no, I never picked up on that kind of vibe. I never saw this coming.”
“And here I thought we’d be discussing Zurcher’s murder tonight,” Zeb stated with a shake of his head. “It never occurred to me we’d be turning against Lianne tonight.”
Gemma frowned. “Now, wait a minute, Lianne is my friend, a business partner. And until I know for sure she’s cheating on Luke, until I see proof, I’m not turning on her.”
“Same here,” Leia added. “Lianne has been a good friend to me, to all of us. I’m with Gemma on this. Until I know what’s what, I won’t turn my back on her.”
“Great, thanks for the support,” Luke snarled, getting to his feet. “My own family thinks I made this up. Well, I know what I saw, what I read. For two months, she’s acted like she didn’t want to be around me. For two months, she’s been somewhere else in her head. For two months, she’s been messaging another man. So believe what you want. I’m out of here.”
Lando followed him out the door. “Hold up. Just so you know, I’m not taking Lianne’s side. For what it’s worth, I think you did the right thing breaking it off.”
“Thanks for that. What’s wrong with them in there? Why don’t they believe me?”
“Look, you’ve had two months to get used to this. We’ve all had two hours. Give Gemma and Leia some time, and they’ll come around to see things your way.”
“I don’t know about that.” Luke shifted his feet and combed his fingers through his dark hair. He faced going home alone. “Leia and Gemma seem unwavering in their support for Lianne. Did I screw this up or did I do the right thing calling off the wedding?”
Lando slapped his brother on the back. “You’re not the bad guy here. In the final analysis, blood kin comes through for each other. Remember that.”
5
Gemma woke to the smell of fresh-brewed coffee wafting into the bedroom. She reached across the covers for Lando, only to feel chilly air on his side of the empty bed. Not so different from how they had ended last night before crawling into the sack. She remembered their heated argument over Luke’s revelation—Lando defending his brother, her defending Lianne.
Grabbing her robe, she headed down the hallway to the kitchen and saw Lando slipping Pop-Tarts into the toaster.
From behind, she slipped her arms around his waist. “I’m pretty sure I