Chapter 26 Olivia
OLIVIA
On the way home from Harper’s game, Duke insisted we stop by the grocery store for supplies before heading to the guest cottage.
Since we were both child-free—and his amazing staff agreed to cover the busy Saturday evening shift—we decided to close ourselves off from the rest of the world and spend our day in ignorant bliss.
Kissing him at the game was a mistake. I should feel guilty about setting the rumor mill turning, but I didn’t. Much like everything else we’d done last night, it felt right claiming him so publicly.
I’d heard every word the women at the game had said. It wasn’t the first time they’d talked about me, but I’d just ensured it wouldn’t be the last. While I’d been content to let things go, seeing Duke grow so protective was far too hot to ignore.
And yes, I could admit that Grady’s taunts had only fueled the flame.
I had, of course, played wingwoman to him when he’d gone down to Texas to win back his high school sweetheart. I’d also been the one to draw up our divorce papers before he ever asked, forcing his hand because I knew he’d struggle with the decision himself.
We all needed a little push sometimes, and I’d been happy to give it to him. But my situation with Duke was different. We didn’t have a history to build on. We didn’t—we couldn’t—even have a future.
If I were a smarter, better woman, I would’ve let Duke handle the nosy woman himself and told him I had things to do around the house. I would’ve told him that as wonderful as last night had been, it couldn’t happen again.
Instead, I’d gripped his hand, pulled him toward our vehicles, and kissed him before begging him to stay with me tonight.
I rationalized my decision by telling myself Duke knew I couldn’t stay, and yet he chose to dive headfirst into the precarious waters anyway. If we were going to drown, it seemed as though we were going to drown together.
Now, as I looked over and saw him standing at the grill, so carefree with that easy smile on his face, I couldn’t bring myself to regret jumping in without a life preserver.
I stood from the lounger, walking over and wrapping my arms around his waist. “What gourmet dish can I expect from you today?” I asked.
He turned, giving me a quick kiss. “Burgers.”
“Burgers?” It did smell amazing, but I was expecting something different when he’d walked out of the store with a ridiculous amount of grocery bags. “What’s on them?”
“Whatever you like. I know your taste may have changed from when we were younger, but I remember you dousing your food with hot sauce and jalapenos.”
I smiled against his back. The fact he remembered was so damn endearing. Honestly, I needed him to stop because it was getting harder and harder not to fall in love with him.
As if I hadn’t already.
“So, I made a quick habanero aioli for you. Figured I’d toss some jalapenos on the grill.” He turned over his shoulder. “Unless you prefer fresh? I also got pickled and—”
“Oh my god, stop,” I laughed.
He looked down, a deep crease between his brows. “Is it too much?”
“No.” I shook my head. God, the last thing I wanted him to think was that he was too much. Especially when it was the most thoughtful thing anyone had done for me in a long time. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”
“I just wanted to impress you.” Duke turned, paying an awful lot of attention to his burgers. “You deserve the best.”
“So do you,” I whispered, tightening my arms around his middle.
So much better than me was what I wanted to say, but didn’t.
One day, I would be forced to smile and put on a happy face when he found someone who could give him all the things I couldn’t.
Because the worst part of our situation was that neither of us would be given a clean break.
Whether I was Lukas’s sister or Charlie’s mom, we’d always be in our lives in one form or the other.
Duke squeezed my hand before letting it go. “Wanna grab us some plates?”
“Sure. Do you want to eat inside or out?”
“Out, if that’s okay with you. I like the view.” I knew he was talking about the green acreage and grazing horses just beyond the fence, but he was staring at me the entire time.
I walked into the house, calling over my shoulder, “You’re a terrible flirt!”
“Actually, I think I’m pretty damn good at it!
” His laughter followed me as I went to the kitchen, grabbed plates from the cabinet, and set out the toppings along the counter.
He really had thought of everything. Tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and onions were the staples, but he also had an array of vegetables, such as sautéed mushrooms, sliced avocado, and grilled jalapenos.
Duke walked in carrying the tray of burgers and bacon, set it on the stove, and then turned toward me. “You got enough food to feed twelve people,” I laughed. “Did we really need all this?”
He shrugged, a tinge of pink coloring his cheeks. “Like I said, I wasn’t sure what all you liked and wanted to make sure we had it.”
I pressed him up against the counter, running my finger down his chest. “You could’ve just asked me, you know?”
“And ruin the surprise?” He leaned down, mouth brushing my cheek. “Where’s the fun in that?”
I tipped my head back as his lips ran lower, sucking gently on my neck.
“If you don’t stop, we’re going to get distracted, and this wonderful meal you’ve prepared is going to get cold.
” Placing my hand on his chest, I pushed him back.
“And you’ve kept me waiting long enough.
I’m already on the verge of being hangry. ”
“Well, we don’t want that.” He stepped to the side to begin fixing a plate. “What do you want on your burger?”
“I can make it,” I said, grabbing for the plate, but he held it out of reach.
“Nuh-uh. You’re going to tell me what you want on it. Then you’re going to sit your sweet little ass down and wait for me to bring you a plate.”
It was pointless to argue, but I was going to do it anyway. “Duke, seriously—”
“Honey, you’re not gonna win this argument, so you might as well just do what I say for once and take a seat.”
He was trying to put on his best grumpy scowl, but his eyes were alight with amusement. This playful side of him was new, but it was quickly becoming my favorite.
“Fine. Tomatoes, grilled jalapenos, onions, aioli, and pickles, please,” I said, stepping back. “Am I allowed to grab two beers from the fridge for us, or is that crossing some imaginary line you’ve set?”
Duke’s lips twitched. “I’ll allow it.”
“Oh, good. I’m glad to know where you’ve drawn the line.”
Walking back outside, I stopped at the plain white appliance Lukas had affectionately dubbed the beer fridge and grabbed two from inside. Duke was already headed outside by the time I made it to the picnic table.
He placed my plate in front of me, giving a dramatic bow when I took my seat. “Your dinner is served.” Then he took the seat opposite of me as I slid his beer toward him.
Duke watched me nervously. I couldn’t help it. I moaned the moment I took a bite. The flavors were unreal, and the aioli was the perfect touch of searing heat.
“Oh my god,” I mumbled. So what if I spoke with my mouth full? He deserved every ounce of praise. “This is the best burger I’ve ever had in my life.”
Duke picked up his burger, hiding his smile behind his food. “You don’t have to kiss my ass. I already cooked for you.”
“It’s not kissing your ass if it’s true.” I took another bite. “Like seriously, Duke. I didn’t know you could cook like this. Where’d you learn?”
“Would you believe me if I told you I was self-taught?”
I shook my head. “There’s no way. It’s too perfect.”
“Better believe it, honey,” he said, putting down his burger. “I knew the basics coming out of college. Mostly because Lukas couldn’t be trusted not to burn toast.”
“No, I remember he literally set the carpet on fire when we were kids. He was trying to make eggs for our dad and set a paper plate too close to the burner.”
“Exactly,” he laughed. “So, you can see why I needed to be able to take care of the basics. We would’ve starved if I hadn’t taken over.
And then it just kind of evolved from there.
Sarah didn’t cook much. Harper was a picky eater, so I had to get creative at dinner time.
Turns out I like it. It’s a rare moment during the day when I can be by myself. ”
I leaned forward, resting my chin on my palm as he spoke. Duke didn’t talk much about himself. The fact that he was giving me this much didn’t go unnoticed. I didn’t want to miss a single detail, determined to soak up as much from him as I could.
“Charlie was the same. Always picky, I mean. Grady was more of the cook in our household. I’m ashamed to admit I’m not much better off than my brother.”
Duke grinned. “Maybe I could give you a lesson or two.”
“I think I’d like that. At the very least, I need to be able to make this burger again.” I grinned. “Now that I’ve tasted it, I’m not sure I could go back to anything else.”
And I wasn’t just talking about the food.
How the hell was I supposed to walk away from this? From him? It was nearly too much to bear.
I reached for my beer, taking a swig before the moisture lining my eyes could fall. Out of all the conversations we needed to have, I wasn’t ready for that one yet. I wanted to live in bliss for a little while longer.