Chapter 12
Once she had convinced her dad that she wanted to run the resort as her career and make it her adult home just as he had done, on her twenty-fifth birthday he had surprised her with a small cottage he had built especially for her. It sat at the far end of the resort, tucked into a hill that overlooked the cove that had been her favorite since she was a girl. Her father still resided in the house she grew up in, towards the entrance of the campground, always wanting to be in the middle of things. And while Olivia did too, she loved the feeling of being able to return to her cottage at the edge of the forest and sit in her own corner of peace.
It had become her personal sanctuary, and it was absolutely perfect and would have been exactly what she would have designed for herself. But that didn’t shock her, her father had known her tastes and preferences thanks to cohabitating together for twenty five years. Its cozy front porch wrapped around to the back of the house where Ray had built a large deck that overlooked the lake’s cove. It housed a two - person swing with colorful throw pillows that Olivia swapped out with each season, and a basket of blankets that sat beside it. One of her favorite things to do was curl up on the swing with a fluffy blanket, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and watch the water lap gently against the shore.
It was the quintessential log cabin, boasting a beautiful wood finish, a bright front door painted red that welcomed old friends and new. Inside was a quaint kitchen that opened up to the large family room, with floor to ceiling windows on the back wall that gave everyone who spent time in the homey space a perfect view of the lake beyond.
Ray had built three bedrooms, the master and en suite – which boasted the biggest clawfoot tub Olivia had ever seen – and two additional rooms. When she had moved in, Olivia laughed at her father and asked what she could possibly need two additional rooms for. Ray merely shrugged his shoulders with a wicked grin, almost as if he knew that the time would come in the future when those rooms would be necessary.
It was without a doubt her favorite spot on the entire property, and each day she pinched herself that this was where she got to call home. After the whirlwind conversation with Sam left her reeling with emotions, the serenity of her private cove was exactly what she needed to gather her thoughts.
The light breeze in the thick air caused the water to lap gently against the shore, while Olivia sank into her beach towel even further as she felt herself completely relax. The only thing she concentrated on was the sound of the birds chirping in the distance and the way her intake of breath matched the sound of the minute waves. Her choice of clothing was nothing more than her favorite forest green bikini, which she couldn’t help but remind her of Sam’s eyes, and her oldest pair of flip flops. She silently thanked the God’s above for this time and place to gather her thoughts about the mornings’ recent events.
She began to reflect on all of the emotions that were conjured in her body the moment she had laid eyes on Sam for the first time in ten years. He had looked heart-stoppingly handsome, she thought with a flash of annoyance, and his smile to her had been so genuine, comfort had swamped her entire body, almost as if the piece she had been missing over the past decade had finally clicked into place.
Dammit,she really thought she had made inroads with her heart where Sam was concerned. It had taken her years to try to build back the pieces of her broken heart, but if she was being fully honest with herself, she knew that it never completely healed.
While the vision of him standing in front of her made her want to weep with relief, it took everything in her power to put her guards up in order to protect herself from the heartbreak she knew would come when he disappeared again. Needing to push her desire down to the depths of her soul, she sunk deeper into her towel on the sand and willed her racing heart to calm.
Just as she was slowly slipping into a state of unconsciousness, she heard the quick pitter patter of footsteps that she had known most of her life race down the back steps. She was just about to open her eyes as the voice pierced through her serene quiet.
“Olivia Mae Keller! How did I know I’d find you here? My mom came home last night and told me, and I quote, ‘a very handsome and mysterious young man’ came into the lodge’s restaurant and is staying for a few weeks. Why the hell haven’t you told me about this gorgeous mystery man? And the only reason I know he’s gorgeous is because I caught a glimpse of him leaving the dock shop as I was on my way to find you. You’re just trying to keep him to yourself, aren’t –” Olivia’s hand clamped down on Cassie’s mouth as she plopped down on the ground next to her. She kept her eyes closed and took one, long, deep breath, willing the calm of the quiet cove to enter her body via osmosis.
“Woah, Cass. Slow down and take a breath. Better yet, take a drink of this,” Olivia passed her the open bottle of pinot grigio she had popped open to calm her nerves.
“Bringing out the vino and it’s not even 2pm. You must have had a hell of a morning,” Cassie took a swig straight from the bottle. “Spill.”
Without beating around the bush, she sighed and leaned back onto her elbows. “Sam’s here,” she stated simply.
Cassie just stared at her in confusion, tucking a piece of her chestnut brown hair back into the loose braid that spilled down her back.
“Wait, what? Sam who? Not Sam, Sam. Sam Callahan?” Her hands stopped moving in her hair as she stared at Olivia, stunned.
“Yep.” She popped the ‘p’ dramatically.
“Ok, give me that bottle back,” Cassie took a long pull of the wine and wedged it in the sand in between them. “That’s been a hell of a long time coming. What’s he doing here? Is he here to see you?”
Scoffing a grunt through her nose, Olivia tossed a pebble into the calm, lake water. “He said he’s here on business.”
“Business? What kind of business?” She was trying to decipher Olivia’s feelings through her body language, but her aloof posture made it very difficult for her to read.
“I didn’t bother to ask him. I was too busy chewing his ass out.” She threw another rock into the water, with more force this time.
“Ok, fair. And warranted. But aren’t you the least bit curious why after all these years, all those letters, he decides to show up now?” She gave her a side eye as she looked her over.
“I don’t know. I can’t really believe it. I don’t know how to act or what to think. Honestly, I’m so freaking mad at him, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited and relieved. But Cass, I’m so confused. When I saw him it took every ounce of restraint in me not to throw myself into his arms. And that scared me. So I just decided to get pissed off instead.”
She couldn’t believe how he was such a perfect mix of the teenage boy she remembered but also had grown into such a sturdy and confident man.
“I get that. I do. It’s pretty wild that he shows up after all these years. But the truth of the matter is, he’s here now. Finally. So what are you going to do about it?” Cass challenged as she plucked the bottle from the sand and took a long swig. Olivia looked out at the lake as if the answer to her question would display itself across the water.
“I don’t know. Do I have to know right now? What if I just act like the decade apart never happened, I let him in and then he takes off? I don’t think I’d be able to handle it again.”
Pausing for a minute, Cassie didn’t respond. She knew how devastated Olivia had been when Sam didn’t come back, it took her years to finally start to move on with her life. Olivia had worked hard to pick up the pieces of her broken heart, and Cassie had helped her do it. She understood how difficult it would be for her if she ever had to do it again, but she also knew how incredibly deep those feelings went, and she silently said a prayer for her best friend that she would have the courage to give him another chance to see where it could go.
”Well, let”s not stress about decisions for now, except for the important one - let”s polish off this bottle of wine. Bottoms up, Blondie!”
“Cheers,” Olivia said as she took a sip and they sat in silence together and she let the comfort of their friendship envelope her as she wondered what the hell she was going to do.
Olivia’s morning routine had quickly become her favorite part of her day. On weekdays, she habitually went for a run around the lake, followed by enjoying her morning coffee on her back deck that overlooked the water. In the far distance she could see the beach that was one of the resort”s main attractions in the summer. She thought of all the long hours Sam had spent in the life guard’s tower, how he had felt as part of the resort as the trees that surrounded it. And when he had left, there was not only a gaping hole at the campground but also in her heart.
It had taken her years to finally move on and accept the fact that Sam was no longer in her life. And even though she had continued on and had started to forge her own way, there was always a piece of her that felt missing. But she had never let it overcome her, and she certainly wasn’t going to let it happen now.
In the first few years after he had sent his last letter to her, she had battled so many of the same feelings and emotions she had when she shattered that old cookie jar and found the note from her mother. The feelings of abandonment, how she hadn’t been good enough for her mother to stick around, that her mother felt her life would have been better off without Olivia. Even all those years later, she was still trying to reconcile the plethora of emotions.
All of those same feelings of inadequacy resurfaced when Sam hadn’t come back, and she had gone over every possible thing she said or did that had caused him to not want to come back to her. That once again she wasn’t good enough. And as much as that feeling devastated her for a few years after he left, those feelings that wreaked havoc on her heart started to fade over time. She buried them as best as she could in her attempt to move on, but now that he was back, all of those emotions were resurfacing and threw her off balance.
And frankly, it just pissed her the hell off.
That she could let two people that meant so much to her into her heart in such a sacred way, giving them the power to break it.
And let’s be real.
They both had shattered it.
Deciding she was going to do her best to build up the thickest wall she could muster around her heart, she refused to let it happen again.
A resounding thud snapped her out of her reverie, and she looked down at the patio table to find a pack of powdered donuts sitting next to her steaming coffee cup. Before she could even think to restrain it, a laugh escaped her lips. Looking up into Sam’s eyes, she could see the mischief dancing in his, and for a split second she saw the teenage boy she used to know reflected in them.
“Well Callahan, a lot of things may have changed, but my affinity for these haven’t.” She said as she fingered them off the table and tore at the packaging.
“I’d be disappointed if it had,” Sam looked down at her as he leaned against the railing of her deck.
Lightening rocketed through his system, the years had been good to her, he had no doubt they would be. But the fact that she was even more beautiful than he remembered just about knocked him on his ass. Lounging in her chair casually, she exuded powerful elegance, giving him the feeling that his presence didn’t bother her in the slightest, a slight panic ran through his system at the thought.
The silence had drawn out a little too long. He desperately wanted to connect with her in some way. Any way. Any way that would give him a glimpse of the friendship they used to have. Say something you idiot.
“Bet I could still beat you in a race across the cove,” he blurted. Silently kicking himself for the lame outburst.
“Oh, you do, do you?” She eyed him suspiciously.
Her voice slid like silk over his skin and rendered him speechless for a minute. “I have about eight inches on you - pretty sure it wouldn’t even be a fair fight.”
She smirked as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest. “Eight inches, huh? Hmm.”
She seductively and slowly looked him over from head to toe, as if appraising every single inch of him. “I’m fairly confident you haven’t been swimming in the lake regularly like yours truly. I think you highly underestimate me, Callahan.”
“Oh, there are a lot of things I underestimate, but you, Olivia Keller, are not one of them.” The relief of feeling their familiar banter almost made his knees wobble, so he crossed one ankle over the other to steady himself, a glint in his eye began to sparkle.
She peeked up at him from under her lashes, a questioning smile on her lips. “Hmm, like what?”
“Oh, you know. The ocean. How smart and perceptive kids can be. And despite many years of trying, me telling myself I can get by on five hours of sleep -” leaning in with an exaggerated whisper - “here’s a secret, I need at least six. Or I am a total bastard in the morning,”
“Six, huh? Then you definitely wouldn’t be able to keep up with me…I only need five. I have great stamina.” She exaggerated the last sentence in a dramatic whisper, his left eyebrow arching in response.
He thought he knew this girl, but she had clearly evolved in many ways over the years. She had caught him off guard, which was a rare occurrence. He liked it. A hell of a lot.
He raised his hands in surrender, “I’ll have to take your word for it, Keller.”
With that, his gaze dropped to her heart-shaped lips, and it took all of his self control not to put his own lips there to see how she would taste. He wondered if she still smelled of vanilla as she had when they were kids. He knew he shouldn’t go there, but Christ, he had wondered what she had tasted like for fifteen years. He knew the betrayal he put her through made her off-limits, but standing this close to her after so many years made it almost impossible for him to keep his hands to himself.
Almost as if she could read his mind, she unwrapped the donuts and seductively looked him straight in his eyes, raised one to her lips and sunk her teeth into it. Slowly. His mouth went dry so fast, he almost groaned out loud. He had no idea how the conversation had turned his blood hot so quickly, it hadn’t been his intention for coming here this morning.
Clearing his throat, he forced himself to tear his eyes away from her mouth. Remembering his purpose, he refocused and stood up a little straighter from his perch against the railing.
“If your taste for donuts is the same, let me take you to Dottie’s. I remember your love for their burgers and fries.” He attempted to hide the desperation in his voice, but it came out almost like a plea.
“Not possible,” she garbled through a mouthful of donut.
“Oh come on. You used to love it. It’s been ten years. Liv, the least I can do is take you to lunch.” Feeling like she got punched in the gut at his nonchalant offer for lunch, as if it were a pity invite, a box to check off on his list, she decided to dig her heels in even more.
“First of all, Dottie’s isn’t Dottie’s anymore. It’s now a sushi restaurant - why someone thought a sushi place in the middle of the forest was a good idea, don’t ask me. Makes absolutely no sense.” A smile snuck up on Sam’s lips at Olivia’s dramatic eye roll. “Second, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go to lunch with you.”
A sudden thought slammed into Sam, darkening his mood. He couldn’t believe it hadn’t occurred to him sooner - that she may be taken. There hadn’t been anyone important in Sam’s life since he had left Pinecrest, only flings he knew would never go anywhere, because of the sole fact that they weren’t Olivia. Every man out there who didn’t attempt to scoop her up was a complete idiot, and the idea of her belonging to another man made Sam literally sick to his stomach.
“Why? Do you have plans with someone else?” He was barely able to get the question past his lips.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. It wouldn’t be appropriate because you’re a guest of the resort. That’s called fraternization, Callahan.” He snorted in derision but a smile crept onto his lips, enjoying the cat and mouse game they were engaged in.
“That’s bullshit and you know it. You’re still just as stubborn as ever.” Pushing back from her chair in a flash, she trained her eyes on him.
“You don’t know anything about me anymore. And quite frankly, you don’t have the right to.” Her eyes were ablaze with fury. “And the only thing I know about you is that you grew a few inches taller and have ‘business’ that brought you here.” Her voice shot daggers through his system.
“What would you like to know? I’ll tell you anything and everything. I’m an open book, Liv. I always have been.”
He lifted his hands in surrender and took a slow step towards her, desperately needing to be closer to her without causing her to become too anxious and withdraw completely.
“Nothing. I don’t want to know anything about who you’ve become. That book closed for me a long time ago.”
Her blue eyes scanned toward where the restored dock shop stood in the distance. She knew this was a low blow, but she had to go there in order to end this conversation before she found herself sucked in any deeper with him.
“For all I know you’re here to finish the job your father started.”
Feeling as if a knife stabbed him in the heart with her words, he staggered back against the railing as he saw the anger in her eyes. Getting through to her was going to be more challenging than he had anticipated.
“I’m taking you to lunch, Olivia.” Refusing to give up, he leveled his eyes at her almost as if it were a dare.
“Like hell you are, Callahan.” She braced her palms on the table and leaned towards him like a lion ready to pounce on its prey.
He took a deep breath and hung his head before slowly looking back up to meet her eyes. “Sam. You haven’t called me Sam since I’ve been back,” he whispered softly to her.
He hadn’t realized how much he had missed hearing his name on her lips.
“Because that name belonged to my best friend. And the man standing in front of me is a complete stranger.”
She gave him one final look from his toes all the way up to his eyes and with a tortured smile, she swiped the pack of donuts off the table and opened the sliding door that led inside to her house.
“Thanks for the donuts, Callahan. They’ll make the perfect lunch time snack.”
He tried to hide his flinch as the door slammed behind her, leaving him seething on the porch, with nothing but silence surrounding him.