Chapter 22
Olive left the hospital, escaping to the lake. She took a walk along the water and just let herself be in the moment. Not thinking about the past or any regrets. Not thinking about the future, however murky it might be.
But eventually, she got tired of her own company and headed to Gram’s house. Her parents were there. Her mom refused to discuss her and Amy’s fight, saying only that it didn’t involve Olive and she didn’t want anything to affect her relationship with the Turner family.
Sweet, but misguided, though Olive agreed to shelve the discussion for the night. As for what her parents would discuss, they felt horrible for worrying her and had apologized profusely, and Olive was going to take that at face value and let it go.
She had bigger problems. Gram said Noah had come looking for her, but talking to him was the last thing she wanted to do. And since the first thing she did want to do—more of what they’d done in that bed in the yurt—was also the worst thing she could possibly do for herself, she decided to take her exhausted butt across the driveway to Katie’s and upstairs to bed.
She’d just peeled out of her clothes and into pj’s when she heard a soft knock. She opened right away, assuming it’d be Katie.
It wasn’t.
Noah stood there, hands above his head braced on the jamb, face pensive. At the sight of her, his eyes warmed, heating in that way he had of melting her bones. She returned the look, putting every single feeling she had for him into it, and then . . .
Shut the door on his face, engaging the lock.
She’d thought for sure that getting the last word, even though she’d not uttered a single syllable, would’ve helped her sleep.
But it didn’t, and during the long hours of the night she told herself it didn’t matter. He’d done her a favor by being honest.
And maybe one day she’d even believe it.
The next morning, Olive’s alarm went off, this time at oh dark thirty. Holmes didn’t budge, but Pepper lifted her tiny, rumpled head and gave Olive a slit-eyed glare for daring to disturb her beauty sleep.
“Good thing you’re cute,”
Olive muttered, and sighed. The sun wasn’t even up yet. Somehow, she’d seen more sunrises since being here than she had in her entire life. Was she a morning person now? Was she suddenly going to start singing in the shower and be that crazy person who smiled at perfect strangers while in line at the coffee shop?
She’d probably have ignored the alarm, but she’d promised Amy a week ago that she’d make herself available today to help at the family shop’s annual blow-out sale. It’d be all hands on deck, including a certain pair of hands that could make her body do just about anything they wanted.
“It’s not going to be a problem,”
she said to her audience of two.
Holmes and Pepper just looked at her.
She sighed. “You’re right. It’s going to be a problem.”
Katie poked her head into the room. “You okay?”
“Of course,”
she lied, thankful that Katie could rarely pick out a lie. “My parents showed up, so everything’s okay.”
“And I’m glad about that,”
Katie said. “But actually, I was talking about whatever happened between you and my idiotic brother.”
“Whatever did or didn’t happen isn’t going to happen again, so there’s no need to discuss.”
“Okay, then.”
Katie nodded, then paused. “But really, are you okay?”
“I will be.”
Soon as today was over. “Are you planning on staying late at the hospital tonight? I could get Joey bathed and in bed if you need. I’m also available to vacuum.”
“That would be great, even if the first offer is only so you’ll have a five-year-old buffer between you and Noah, and the second because vacuuming means you won’t have to talk.”
Olive winced. “Am I that transparent?”
“Yes, but I don’t care. I’ve fired myself from cleaning the house. I didn’t like my attitude and I got caught drinking on the job. It was Joey’s leftover chocolate milk, but still. Plus, I’m still tired from yesterday’s tired, and I’ve already used up tomorrow’s tired. So yes, I’ll take you up on your offer. Just don’t you dare let my brother chase you out of here.”
She hesitated. “I realize that sounded bossy and demanding, and I’m supposed to be working on that, so I’ll rephrase. Can you please make sure you don’t let my brother chase you out of here?”
“I never let a man chase me anywhere.”
Katie nodded. “Good.”
She looked at the time. “Gotta run.”
And so did Olive if she wanted to avoid bumping into Noah before she had to see him at the shop. To that end, she took the shortest shower in the history of ever, quickly pulled on some clothes, and tiptoed downstairs.
Only, she forgot that Noah had ears like a bat.
She’d just reached for the front door handle when he said her name from behind her. Closing her eyes briefly, she turned to face him.
His mouth curved slightly. “Sneaking out?”
“No.”
She took in his wry expression and sighed. “Fine, yes, I’m sneaking out.”
He drew a deep breath. “Two things. One, I’m sorry about my mom. For what it’s worth, I didn’t know any of our moms’ history.”
“Not your fault.”
“Maybe not, but the hospital was. What I said . . . I’m sorry about that too. I’m not dealing with any of this well.”
“Me either.”
She blew out a breath. “You’re bad for my mental health.”
He looked stricken at that and she shook her head. “No, sorry, that wasn’t fair. You’ve never been anything but honest.”
“I just don’t want you to feel like you have to avoid me.”
She got that, but being with him had been more than a physical act for her. Far more. It’d been . . . an emotional journey. All night she’d replayed the images of what they’d shared, the things they’d done to each other, her utter lack of inhibitions with him, the total abandon he’d drawn from her, and it’d all been so exquisite and erotic, she wanted to cry just thinking about never having it again.
But she couldn’t have it again, or she’d lose herself in him. She wanted what she couldn’t have, and trying to pretend otherwise was just lying to herself. “I won’t need to avoid you forever,”
she said. “Just until you get old, grow a beer belly, and lose some of your teeth.”
He looked pained.
“Get over it,”
she said on a mirthless laugh. “You know what you do to women. In high school, you used to run them into walls.”
“I can think of a much more enjoyable reaction to elicit from a woman than running her into a wall.”
“Yes, and it’s forever etched in my memory what you are capable of doing to me without even trying.”
“Right back at you.”
He stared at her for a beat. “And I don’t care how old we get, I’m still going to want you.”
Oh, damn, that was sweet, and she’d never been able to resist the rare Sweet Noah. She poked her head past him and peered up and down the hallway. No one. Good. Fisting her hands in his shirt, she backed herself to the front door and tugged Noah’s head down to hers.
“Olive—”
“One last kiss,”
she murmured. “Just one. We clear?”
He looked into her eyes for a long beat, surprisingly solemn, before he nodded. “Crystal.”
Sliding one hand to her hip, the other flat on the door next to her head, he rubbed his jaw to hers like he was a big cat. A big, wild, feral cat. “One last kiss,”
he murmured roughly. “As long as you’re okay with it.”
If she was any more okay with it, her clothes would melt right off her body. In fact, her purse and keys had already fallen out of her hands, clattering to the floor.
Noah lowered his mouth to hers in a sweet, tender, loving kiss that short-circuited her central nervous system, and by the time he lifted his head, she was breathless. She knew she had working knees, but where had they gone? Plus, why had she said one last kiss? Why hadn’t she said two? Or a hundred?
He bent and scooped up her things, handing them back to her.
She stared at him. “Why do I let you do this to me?”
On an exhale, he drew her into his body, hugging her. “I could ask you the same question.”
She took in the genuine emotion playing across his face and shook her head. “The way you look at me, how you touch me . . .”
She stopped there because she wasn’t sure what to say that hadn’t already been said.
He looked away for a beat. “Sometimes I just need to look at you, touch you.”
This caused a sharp internal lurch that twisted her stomach into a pretzel. She had to force herself to disengage from him. “I need coffee.”
She started to walk away, but his hands settled on her shoulders and caught her from walking the wrong way, turning her in the direction of the kitchen. Kissing the top of her head, he gave her a nudge.
Katie was at the table working on her laptop. Olive sighed. “I thought you’d left.”
“And miss you and Noah trying to convince yourselves neither of you needs the other—with your tongues?”
She got up, poured a cup of coffee, and handed it over.
Olive took it gratefully. “It’s complicated.”
She studied Katie’s screen. “Did you know you have fourteen thousand tabs open?”
“Don’t touch them, they’re my emotional support tabs. Just don’t ask me which one the music’s coming from.”
She paused. “So that was some kiss.”
Olive choked on her coffee.
“Want me to hit him for you? It’s the perfect scenario because he won’t hit me back.”
“I definitely don’t want you to hit him, jeez.”
Katie shrugged. “Let me know if you change your mind. I’ll be at the shop in twenty.”
“Me too. Gotta make a quick stop next door.”
Outside, Olive sucked in some of the icy morning air, which would hopefully clear her head. When she headed across the driveway and knocked on the van, her mom slid open the van door wearing nothing but a smile. “Honey!”
“Mom!”
She slapped her hands over her eyes. “What are you doing?”
“Went for a sky clad walk. I didn’t used to have to get up so early to do it, but apparently this generation is a bunch of prudes. I didn’t want to get arrested.”
“You mean again. You don’t want to get arrested again,”
her dad said mildly from behind her mom, thankfully not sky clad himself.
“That too.”
She smiled at Olive. “Since you don’t want to relax with an edible, you should go walking with me tomorrow morning. It’s freeing.”
“Hard pass. Can you please put on some clothes?”
Her mom laughed, but tugged on a robe and belted it. “Tea?”
Olive looked at her warily.
“Just plain ol’ tea, honey.”
“No thanks, I’ve got this coffee. I only have a moment. I’m working at the shop’s big sale today.”
Olive sat at the small but cozy table. “Did you know that no one’s ever offered me drugs except you? I guess I’ve never looked cool enough.”
Her mom looked surprised. “Are you sure? Because I think you’re the coolest person we’ve ever met.”
She looked to her husband, who nodded his agreement.
Olive snorted. “You’re just trying to soften me up before we talk about the fight you had with Amy. Which, by the way, we’re going to discuss, even though you refused last night.”
“I’d much rather discuss the intensity I sensed between you and Noah,”
her mom said.
“Nice try. He’s off the table.”
“Well, so is my and Amy’s past.”
“Mom, you tossed a drink in her face.”
“Trust me, she deserved it. End of story. Moving on.”
Olive couldn’t say she was surprised. Her mom could be a stone when she wanted to be. An unmovable stone. Olive sighed. It was possible she hadn’t fallen far from the tree. “I told you this last night, but want to say it again. It’s really good to see you.”
Her mom covered her hand with her own. “I’m sorry we concerned you, but you should never be worried about us.”
“You didn’t pick up any of my calls. Of course I was worried.”
“I got distracted,”
her mom said. “I’ve, um, sorta got a secret. I wasn’t going to tell you until I got further in the process, but I can’t keep it inside.”
She beamed. “This trip we took, it was for work. I was taking pictures for my book!”
Olive blinked. “Your book?”
“A coffee table book on cairns.”
“I thought rock stacking was frowned upon now.”
“Hence the book, in case the practice goes away entirely,”
her mom said. “I’ve got a publisher offer and everything, and only two months to put it all together, so I’ve been scrambling.”
She reached for Olive’s hand and squeezed gently. “Honestly, we didn’t try very hard to keep the phone operational. It was a beautiful detox situation, just immersing ourselves in nature. You work too hard. You could really benefit from a nature immersion yourself.”
Olive turned her hand over so she could entwine their fingers. “Going out into the remote wilderness and being completely disconnected is relaxing for you. For me, being in civilization and able to plug in and connect . . . that’s how I relax.”
Her mom gave a soft smile. “It’s okay. We’re different, I get that. It’s so good to see you, Olive. Thanks for always being you.”
“One of the true gifts I got from you,”
Olive said. “You always understood that I needed a different life. That you let me go live with Grandma all those years ago means everything.”
Her mom looked surprised. “Well, of course. It wasn’t easy to see you leave, but what was easy was wanting you to be happy.”
“It wasn’t easy to let me go?”
Her mom blinked, then set her tea down. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. You didn’t know that?”
Olive paused. “We don’t often tell each other how much we care.”
Or at all . . .
“Oh, honey.”
She looked regretful. “People don’t always say ‘I love you.’ More often, they do things that show it. Showing’s always better than telling.”
“Like letting your teenage daughter move away,”
Olive said softly, getting it.
Her mom nodded, and emotion clogged Olive’s heart. “Thanks, Mom.”
She looked at the time and winced. “And I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go. It’s going to be a madhouse at the semiannual sale.”
Her mom pulled her in for a hard hug. “Love you.”
Olive choked out a soggy laugh. “Love you too.”
Her mom watched her move to the door. “Amy doesn’t deserve you.”
“She’s always been good to me.”
Olive met her gaze, and at her mom’s pensive look, stopped. “Maybe you should tell me why you two hate each other.”
Her mom scoffed. “Like she hasn’t already told you.”
Olive shook her head. “She hasn’t.”
“Then you should ask her why I hate her.”
Knowing it was a waste of breath to push, Olive started to go out, then stopped again. “Are you going to be gone when I get back?”
Her parents looked at each other. “We thought we’d stick around until you go back to London. That will probably be any minute now that Joe’s awake, right?”
Right. She kept forgetting that she was free to go home. It was an unwelcome surprise to find she wasn’t ready. “I don’t know. Joe’s still in the hospital and all . . .”
“Probably not for much longer,”
her mom said. “But if you’re going to play it by ear, we can too.”