CHAPTER 4
Olivia
“ T here’s not much space here, darlin’, but it’s all yours. And tomorrow we’ll go to your place and get anything that makes you feel more comfortable.”
CeCe’s mother, Jolene Ashby, though we all call her Mama Jo, smiles at me as she tucks a piece of rogue hair behind my ear.
She’s still a pretty woman at almost sixty, just an older version of CeCe.
She wears her long blond hair in a braid down her back most days, and the weather of six decades shines through the soft crinkles at the corners of her kind eyes.
Asher was on the phone with Wade for only a few moments before he hung up and told me I could stay here tonight, which sounded much better than calling my parents.
“This ranch is your home as long as you need it to be. You know that. I have everything you need at the big house,” she continues as she leans in for a hug. I hold on to her but it only causes more tears to well up.
I nod as I back up and swipe at the water pooling in my eyes. Looking around the small space, I’m grateful to be here. This cabin is called Stardust, one of the four on the ranch named for Willie Nelson albums. The others are Blue Eyes, Bluegrass, Spirit, and Legend.
“We’ll know more about the damage after I do my walk-through,” Asher says now, as if reading my thoughts.
He’s leaning on the doorframe of the cabin, still in his standard uniform.
The deep tan of his face is accented by the soft light in the room, and his dark hair sticks to his forehead as he stares at me through thick lashes.
He’s dirty and obviously tired, but how he still looks this good after tonight is beyond me.
“Oh! I’ll grab you some coffee for the morning,” Mama Jo says as she tosses on her boots. “Be right back. Anything else you might need?”
“A good contractor?” I pull my hair out of its clip and let it fall around my shoulders before running my fingers through it in exasperation.
Jo crosses the space quickly and pulls me in for another hug.
“We can start sorting these things out tomorrow, darlin’. I’ll help you make the bed up when I get back, then you have a nice shower and get some sleep. Things have a way of looking easier in the light of day, okay?”
I nod as Jo smiles up at Asher. He moves swiftly out of the way to let her exit as I drop down onto the overstuffed brown leather sofa.
I know no one has been here since Wade’s pseudo sister-in-law Cassie Spencer left last month.
She’s a bluegrass singer and was staying on the ranch to recover from a traumatic event that occurred at one of her concerts.
She’s doing much better and is back on the road, at least for now.
Asher fidgets with his suspender buckle as he watches me. The intense look has returned, and he seems as though he’s trying hard not to lecture me, which pisses me off.
My eyes snap to his. “What?”
His dark brows shoot up as he studies me but doesn’t say anything.
“You’ve obviously got something to say,” I press.
“You’ve been through enough tonight. We’ll talk another time.”
I stand and stalk toward him, folding my arms over my chest as I look up at him. Normally, I don’t come this close to him on purpose, but I must still be just tipsy enough, because there are no warning bells going off telling me not to antagonize him further.
“No, let’s have the lecture now, Dad, ” I coax.
Those gray eyes darken as he watches me before moving to close the gap between us.
I scoff and roll my eyes at the same time he uses his thumb and forefinger to tilt my face to his.
My breath hitches at the contact and, this close, I can see the fight in him to stay calm.
I have no idea why, but it’s obvious he isn’t my biggest fan.
He drops his hand when my eyes meet his, but I can still feel the heat from his touch coursing through me.
“It’s time you start …” He searches for the words to say. “Just try to be a little more cautious. Self-preservation is a thing, yeah. Like, tonight, if you get the hankering for food, don’t fucking cook anything. Maybe order a pizza?”
He backs toward the door and, as he swings it open, Jo climbs the steps to my cabin.
“Night, Jo,” he says gruffly. “Thanks again.”
She pats his arm. “’Course. Get some sleep, kid. You look exhausted.”
He squeezes her hand sweetly. “Aye. No rest for the wicked, eh?”
“Hell, that must be why I don’t sleep!” She laughs as she heads in and sets my coffee pods on the counter. “Right, girl. Let’s get you settled. We’ll sort everything else out tomorrow; have you got someone to cover for you at work?”
I nod as I think about my clothing boutique: Lavender Grove, named after my favorite flower. We’re getting into the busy months here in our hometown of Laurel Creek, Kentucky.
The spring and summer are when the streets are flooded with tourists wanting to visit Sugarland Mountain or to get outside on our nature trails and beaches near Cave Run Lake.
We carry fine lingerie, swimsuits, designer dresses, and accessories, all handpicked by me.
Opening the store was a dream come true.
A dream I’ve had since I was young and my mom and I would thrift fabric for me to practice making clothes with.
I had a whole rack of Olivia Sutton designs, and my mom would come and pretend to shop at my store.
It’s my pride and joy, and I truly miss it when I’m not there.
“Yeah, short term but I have a huge shipment coming in this week.”
“I think that’s a good thing. It will do you good to keep busy …” Jo offers.
“Maybe it’s just.” I look up into Jo’s kind eyes. “What am I gonna do?”
“You’re gonna lean on all of us, that’s what,” Jo says surely, and something about her unwavering support causes me to break.
Dropping back to the sofa, I can’t help the emotion that pours out of me as I start to cry for what feels like the hundredth time tonight.
Sobs rack through my chest as Jo settles beside me and wraps her arms around me, supportive but firm.
I can’t stop, but then again, she doesn’t ask me to.
Instead, she simply holds me close and whispers into my hair. “Oh, darlin’. It’s okay. Let it out, I’ve got you.”