Chapter 19
Olivia
hi guys, this message is a literal cry for help. My yard is in dire need of help. I blocked out today to work on it and am standing here in the yard overwhelmed.
please come over and help if/whenever you can. I will provide a giant box of treats from Coffees and Commas as payment.
The day after I saw my painting hanging in Adam’s house, I put on work clothes and headed to Olivia’s. I hadn’t looked through everyone in that group thread, so I went over unaware of who else might be there.
It was a hot June day in the middle of Texas, and while Olivia’s yard was full of shady pecan trees, they were no match for the blazing humidity of the day. I was thankful for my strappy, white tank top and the sugary, icy lemonade Olivia had just handed me.
I looked around at the shocking amount of work already done to her kitchen. “What? Is Victor living here with you? How have you gotten so much done?”
“No. He is here whenever he can be. He’s just super talented. Even when he’s not here, he gives me great directions for what I need to do on my own,” she said as I twirled around her kitchen, taking it all in.
I walked into the living room to investigate. The progress was impressive. New windows had been installed and a wall had been knocked down to make the kitchen and living room more of an open concept. I looked down at my feet and saw the hardwood floors were gleaming. “It’s beautiful, Liv.”
She beamed proudly behind the kitchen island.
“You’re having a pretty good summer,” I said.
“It was needed. I was done with heartbreak,” she said determinedly. “And I had to mastermind it. I got the house. I hired the cute boy to help me. I refused to overbook myself with summer classes. I ordered the chocolate cake to eat by myself while I watched Bridgerton.”
“I should be taking notes.”
“Well, your summer sounds like a rollercoaster, sis.” She joined me in the living room.
“You don’t have to tell me,” I said, the ice cubes jingling in my glass.
“Victor fills me in on all the office gossip, by the way.” Olivia’s eyes were suddenly mischievous.
“What office gossip?” I had seen some of the staff hanging around Victor’s desk giggling while Adam and I were working in his office. Were the giggles about us?
“People seem to think you and Annoying Adam are flirtatious.” I grimaced at the old nickname for Adam.
“Ha. Ha.” I fake laughed. “Is that office gossip or you and Mom gossip?”
“Both,” she said gleefully. “But Victor says that’s the word around City Hall.”
“Adam…” But I had nothing else to say. Adam. Adam. Adam. That was all there was. Adam, always on a loop in my mind.
She nodded. “I know you’ve had your misgivings about him. I mean, I’ve seen the angry fireworks show here in my own living room.” She waved her hand toward her couch.
“Don’t remind me.” I closed my eyes against the memory.
“I will say, Victor told me Adam really has been going to bat for the heart of the community. He’s a realist, but he’s also?—”
I interrupted her, “What is going on with you and Victor?”
“I know you’re trying to change the subject.” She put her hands on her hips. “To answer your question, though, I’m just enjoying the company of Victor.”
“Victor the gossip.” I let out a little whistle.
“I’ve heard my name a lot.” Victor poked his head in the open backdoor that led from the living room to the backyard. “I wanted to announce that I’m here to help, by the way.”
“Thanks, bud.” Olivia skipped out the door to join him.
The rest of the day was exhausting, messy, and quite frankly, sweaty. My mom wound up joining us, but spent most of her time offering beverages and snacks. A couple of Olivia’s friends were there and we divided up jobs. I had gotten the task of pulling weeds.
I was wiping sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand when I heard a voice I knew too well. I spun around to find Adam talking with Olivia and Victor by the edge of her gate.
“Who invited you?” I said without thinking. All three of them turned to me. Mom gasped, “Lucy!” embarrassed by my impolite blurt.
“I did.” Victor laughed good-naturedly. “The guy is new to town and needs friends.”
Adam patted Victor on the back. “I appreciate the pity invite, Vic.”
“I was just surprised!” I had a hand on both sides of my face. “I didn’t mean anything by it!”
“You’re totally welcome here, Adam! I’ll take all the help I can get,” Olivia said in an assuring voice as they walked farther into the yard.
“Yeah, Adam!” My mom, Adam’s newest fan, walked over. “Come on inside for a glass of lemonade.”
Everyone took a lemonade break, crowding into Olivia’s kitchen. Adam and Victor were making jokes with Olivia and my mom while I chatted with a mutual friend of mine and Olivia’s. Adam’s eyes kept finding me, half of his attention split between me and his conversation. Fifty-fifty.
After the friend walked away to grab a drink, Adam was instantly by my side. “Sorry, I’m crashing another family thing.”
“No, no.” I shook my head. “I’m not upset you’re here.” I just forget how to talk like a normal person in your presence. “I was curious about who would’ve invited you and it came out wrong.”
“Okay, good.” His eyes read me like he was checking my vitals.
“I’m happy you’re here.” I smiled reassuringly at him. His shoulders visibly relaxed. I had an urge to put my hands on him, to feel other ways I could affect him.
“Back to work, folks!” Olivia shouted orders.
The sun was low in the sky and the yard, front and back, was looking beautiful. We planted flowers and a few baby trees. Fresh paint was on the fences. The porch had significant repairs done. Bag after bag was filled with weeds and brush.
The only people remaining were Adam, who was dramatically lying on the grass with his arm covering his eyes; my mom, who was in the kitchen rummaging around Olivia’s cupboards; Victor, who was seriously discussing patio plans with Olivia; and me. I was trying to focus on the patio conversation, but I was so hot and tired I just wanted to plop on the ground next to Adam.
“I think Adam’s done,” I whispered conspiratorially to Olivia, pointing to his splayed-out self.
Victor heard me and his eyes shot over to Adam. “You okay over there, man?” he shouted.
“You need a pool, Olivia. It’s too hot,” Adam moaned. “Why Texas, why?”
“You hot?” Victor asked, a bounce in his step as he walked over to him.
“I’m fried,” Adam said. “Literally fried.”
Before Adam could finish speaking, Victor sprayed Adam with water from the hose. Adam was up on his feet shouting in a second. The two fought over the hose for a minute and Olivia and I watched in entertained shock.
Victor’s eyes fell on Olivia. I started to back away as a visceral memory of junior high attempts at flirting rushed back to me.
“No, no, we are not teenagers.” She tried to back away, but stumbled into me instead. The two of us fell over each other to get away.
We both got sprayed.
But Olivia was fast and bolted. To my relief, Victor chased after her but dropped the hose, swapping for a water bottle to keep up.
I laughed at them from the back porch until I saw Adam race toward me from the corner of my eye, grabbing the hose on his way.
I screamed, but I was no runner. I attempted to escape but slid on my heel, tripping and falling back into his arms. He gallantly caught me while I giggled and shrieked.
I was happily trapped in his arms when he dowsed me. The cold water on such a hot day felt almost as good as his body against mine.
I twisted my arm up and turned the nozzle until it hit him, too. We were locked in a tight embrace, both getting sprayed and tripping over ourselves with laughter. We wound up on the grass. My ribs ached from laughter. We were spraying each other, tangling up, and pretending to fight with grass sticking to our wet clothes.
All I could think was, Adam. Adam. Adam.
His curly, wet locks fell across his forehead and the soaked tee shirt clung to his broad chest. His warm hands grabbed me as we fought over the hose.
We were tangled up together, breathless with laughter when Victor sprinted to us, snatching the hose from our slippery grips, and aiming it at Olivia who was close on his heels. We collapsed side by side on the ground, breathing heavily and completely drenched. His pinky brushed against mine. Our eyes met.
“What in the world is going on out here?” my mom asked from the doorway. She stepped outside.
“Mom, help!” Olivia giggled hysterically from Victor’s grasp, sounding thirteen.
Mom looked over at Adam and me. “Are you two okay? Every one of you is drenched!”
We sat up chuckling. “We’re fine,” I said.
“Finally cooler,” Adam said.
“It was a hose fight, but not a fair one,” I explained.
Mom shook her head at the lot of us. “These new guys,” she said.
Adam glowed at this. He gave me a sidelong glance, asking amusedly, “We have a reputation?”
“Of ruining things. The festival. My shirt.” I gestured to my soaked self.
His eyes slid down me. “I’m not sorry for any of it.”
That night we grilled burgers and opened a few bags of potato chips. I was sitting outside, popping open a can of Coke with the sky a furious pink. The new guys were still with us.
Adam had been inside getting some dip. He came out to join the rest of us sitting around Olivia’s outdoor table. “Liv, you need to get a Lucy Rhodes original to hang inside this new house,” he said.
“A Rhodes original?” Liv asked as she layered pickles on her burger.
“Adam, you know Luce paints?” Mom asked. She knew my art was something I held close to my heart.
“I own one of her paintings,” he said so proudly it plucked every string in my heart. I’d never ever be able to dislike this man again.
“Lucy, you made him a painting?” My mom’s voice was thick with suggestion and surprise.
“No, he won it in an auction,” I explained quickly. I didn’t want her to imagine me secretly making paintings for Adam like some lovesick highschooler. (I learned my lesson back in high school).
“It’s crazy. I didn’t even know it was hers when I bid on it,” Adam said. “I just found out yesterday.”
“Wow, you had one of Lucy’s paintings hanging in your house all this time!” Mom said dreamily. “That’s really something.”
“I’m still shocked you put up one of your paintings.” Olivia was intrigued. She put her burger down. “Was it the sunset one?”
“Yes,” Adam and I answered in unison.
“Can I see it, Adam?” Mom couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice.
Adam whipped out his phone. “I have pictures.”
He’d taken pictures to show it off.I hadn’t even taken pictures of it. Adam showed everyone while I dug into the bag of chips.
“Lucy.” Olivia kicked me with the toe of her flip-flops. “It’s beautiful.”
“She has an Etsy shop,” Adam said, my adorable new marketing director. “She just hasn’t posted anything in it.”
“Lucy!” Mom clapped. The air dropped a couple of degrees as the sun sunk lower in the sky.
“I love this for you,” Olivia gushed.
“Let’s pull it up.” Victor pulled out his phone. He and Olivia searched for my shop and they started brainstorming ideas for it. Olivia started dreaming up a custom Lucy Rhodes painting for her house.
My mom looked at me with teary, proud mom eyes.
And Adam. Adam. Adam. Adam.