Chapter 10
House And Home
Olivia woke with a smile. An actual smile.
For so long, she’d been sad and afraid. Her dreams had been full of nightmares and loneliness for so long, it was unusual to wake happy.
A quick glance showed Ella sleeping soundly in her own bed.
Amber and Gray had found three small beds in the Inn’s attic and offered one to her. It was a handmade beauty that was decades old. Someone had carved flowers and apple trees into the headboard. She wondered how many children had used it before it had been sent to the attic.
Amber even had a fresh mattress and sheets for the bed. She’d wanted options available for families once the inn opened, so they’d been readily available.
Olivia wondered how she would ever thank these generous people. Maybe she could buy them all something special for Christmas.
Christmas.
Did that mean she’d already decided to stay? Everything about the previous day felt right. She and Ella fit right in without any awkwardness. Her girl had enjoyed eating with the group at the table again. And she’d shown off her new words, delighted when everyone clapped and cheered her on.
This was a good place, and the thought of moving on filled her with sadness.
“We’ve got a home, Ella Mae. One your mom would love. We’re going to be happy here and we’re going to figure out how to help.”
Olivia had only ever bought gifts for Mary Mae, Liam, and Ella. Now, she had people she wanted to treat.
Charlie would be easy. Signed copies of the special editions of her books. Any merchandise her agent had approved.
She had time to figure out the rest. Maybe something for the winter months. They’d talked about all the outdoor activities they wanted to enjoy.
Snowshoes. She could buy snowshoes for everyone.
And something special for Nash. A thrill ran through her as she thought of the man who slept right on the other side of the wall.
She wanted to kiss him but didn’t want to make a mistake. She needed to tread carefully.
Olivia ensured their bedroom door was bolted, left the bathroom door open, and slipped into the shower. The pink tub and the tiles with pink flowers made her smile. As Charlie had predicted, Ella had been delighted with the decor during her bath the previous night.
As she dressed, Olivia planned for the day ahead. Between editing her chapters the previous evening, she’d researched cider making.
It was intriguing, especially considering the thought of doing it with Nash and Charlie. Experimenting with various processes and flavors sounded fun. She’d bet Charlie was full of ideas for interesting combinations. Did the farm grow anything else they could use for a flavor base? Things to learn.
While her books were written in a fantasy world, writing them required a ton of research.
Topography was essential to make her mountainous land realistic.
Same with climate and wind patterns. Dragons needed to know that, so Olivia did, too.
Food sources and habitats for the brucans.
Twin-spirited brucans like Kayaia. Battle tactics on land, in the air, and on the sea.
Maybe she could add an undersea creature to the series along with the avians she was considering. A species of water dragons that lived in undersea caves. Smaller and lighter than her own dragons. Endangered creatures that fought for survival.
“Mama.”
Olivia’s eyes misted as she spotted Ella sitting up, hugging Dragon.
“Good morning, Ella Mae. How’s my best girl this morning?”
“Mama.”
“Good job, Ella. How about we try Dragon next. Dragon.”
Ella squeezed her dragon and repeated, “Mama.”
Olivia laughed and put her hand on her chest. “Mama.” Then she put her hand on Ella. “Ella.”
“La.”
“That’s it, baby girl. Ella.”
They played with the words while Olivia dressed Ella.
She was laughing as she opened the door.
The house rules were for everyone to make their breakfasts and lunches on their own schedules.
She’d bought a ton of oatmeal along with fresh and frozen fruit as that was their usual meal.
Nothing as elaborate as what Jim and Carl had prepared.
Charlie stood in the doorway to his room. “Good morning, Olivia. Hi, Ella.”
“La.”
Charlie grinned. “Ella. You said your name. Good job. Ella.”
“La.”
Charlie held Ella’s hand for a high five and helped her finish the motion. “Good job, Ella. Are you hungry? Are you ready for breakfast?”
Nash exited his room with a smile. The man looked good in the morning. Well, he looked good all the time.
Her body shivered when he met her eyes with that warm smile. “Morning. Everyone hungry?”
“La.”
“Dad, Ella’s saying her name now. Did you hear that? Ella. Say, Ella.”
“La. Mama.”
Olivia leaned down to pick up her girl with a smile. “Good work, Ella. Are you ready for some food?”
Charlie tilted his head. “Can she climb stairs yet?”
Olivia shrugged. “Going up is easier. She’s slow and shaky going down.”
Charlie nodded. “Then we’ll practice it. You’ll be doing stairs like a pro in no time, Ella.” Then he pounded down the stairs and raced for the kitchen.
Nash chuckled. “Enjoy the slow pace while you can. Tornado speed comes soon enough.”
“I bet. He’s a great kid.”
“He is. I’m so lucky.”
She smiled as they turned toward the kitchen. “He didn’t get that way on his own.”
Nash didn’t respond as they walked into the kitchen to find the entire group in the room. Knox flipped a pancake and grinned. “Here they are. I know we said we’re normally on our own for anything other than dinner, but this is becoming our tradition when new people join us.”
Jolie patted her brother’s back. “Knox is the pancake master. Can Ella have pancakes or is oatmeal better? We’ve almost always got oatmeal in the fridge.”
Overwhelmed at the kindness, Olivia squeezed her girl. “Do you want to try some pancakes, Ella?”
“La.”
Ford rubbed the little girl’s hair. “Is that your name? Are you Ella?”
“La.”
He laughed. “Good job, cutie. We’ve got a booster seat for you over here.”
The booster seat was made from a block of wood, and the edges were soft and smooth, making it perfect for Ella. “That’s amazing. What a beautiful piece.”
Ford’s skin flushed, and Olivia gaped. “Did you make it?”
He nodded. “It was nothing.”
She blinked away tears. “It’s so much more than that. Thank you so much. This is amazing.”
And it was another sign she and Ella weren’t a burden. They were wanted. Accepted.
When she put Ella in the booster seat, Ella slapped her hands on the table with a grin.
Charlie laughed. “She likes it.”
Nash held Olivia’s seat out for her and lightly rubbed her shoulders. He’d tuned into her emotions. He knew more of her story than the others, and she had no regrets over sharing that with him.
He sat at her side, and soon, the group was enjoying apple and blueberry pancakes along with other fruit.
“What about apple-flavored maple syrup?” The words sprang out at her before she even thought to stop them.
The group looked at her and each other. Thea laughed. “That’s an amazing idea. Add it to the list, Knox. Gray planted a few sugar maples out front. We can plant more if it works out.”
Excited chatter about the idea had her grinning. Not only was she welcome to contribute to the group, but she wanted to—to fit in and be a part of things.
Nash flashed her an approving smile and her heart warmed again.
Maybe she was on her way to making all her dreams come true.
Nash walked through the orchard with Charlie and Olivia at his side. She carried the little girl in her front-facing pack and Ella Mae enjoyed the walk.
There weren’t many birds in the trees as some had flown south for the winter. But Charlie spotted a few and tried to get Ella to repeat birdie for him.
So far, she was happier saying La and Mama, which made always Olivia smile.
None of them knew much about bird species, but Charlie loved seeing birds he’d never seen before. Nash figured it wouldn’t be long before Charlie had a Vermont birding guide he wanted to order on his e-reader. Maybe a bird-identifying app. It would be fun to learn along with him.
Olivia and Ella had been at the farm for a few days, and things felt natural. It was normal for the four of them to spend the day together talking about everything and nothing. It was natural to think about including them in whatever activities he planned for him and Charlie.
Today, they’d decided to get a little more serious about figuring out the cider business. A few cabins were scattered throughout the property, and they hoped one would fit the requirements.
They’d checked the one where Thea had lived when Jay had owned the property. It was okay, but probably a little small for their experiments.
They’d been told about another cabin a little closer to the far side of the property. Ford had used the ATV to make paths throughout the orchard, and they led to all the cabins, the Worminator, and Duckington Palace. That left plenty of room for the snow to act as a playground.
Yesterday, the four of them made snowmen. Then Charlie suggested they make snow creatures from Olivia’s fantasy land of Norissamin.
Now there were snow dragons and snow brucans scattered around the property. When Olivia mentioned she was considering adding another species or two of fantasy creatures to future books, Charlie reeled off about a million questions and suggestions.
Then he’d made more snow creatures. Things combining characteristics of dragons and brucans along with the more mundane goats, squids, monkeys, and dogs.
So many dogs. The hints were getting louder and more frequent. The fact that the land already housed three dogs didn’t abate Charlie’s desire for one of his own.
Dad, Fox belongs to the land and Thea. Hemsworth is Jolie and Ford’s, and he works with the ducks. Boomer doesn’t like to be out of Amber’s sight. Wouldn’t it be great to have a dog of our own?