Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Olivia
“What on earth are you doing back here?” Callie calls, dragging my attention from Jax who is showing me how to make a Mai Tai.
I rush up to the counter where Callie is leaning over, beaming. Rhett lurks behind her, looking a whole lot of things, none of which are happy.
“Sorry! I wanted a glass of water after I went to the bathroom, and then I was going to come back and find you, but Jax was showing me how to mix drinks and telling me about how he’s going to buy part of the bar. I guess I just got distracted.”
Jax hands me a cup of water, and I take it before walking around to the other side of the bar. Rhett immediately pulls me toward him, wrapping me up in a hug. “You can’t just take off like that.”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted water and got distracted.”
“Are you upset with me?”
I narrow my brows. “For what?”
“For not telling you more about my life.”
“I mean I want to know more, but I’m not angry with you for it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah.” I smile at him, but it slowly falls. “Are you okay?”
He nods, shirking me off and muttering something about waiting for us out in his truck.
* * *
Ever since Rhett retreated from the bar, I’ve been distracted, trying to figure out what happened tonight. What would make him so closed off? What would put that panic in his eyes at the idea of not knowing where I was?
Something traumatic must’ve happened to Rhett at a bar, maybe involving someone he loves. That would maybe explain why he won’t open up to anyone or why he doesn’t believe in love anymore. He’s afraid of growing attached to someone again because he’s afraid of losing them. Knowing what motivates him makes me feel a little more confident that I can help him and return the favors he’s done for me.
“Hey, are you okay?” Callie draws me out of my head.
I give her a nod and the best smile I can, which she thankfully seems to accept.
Despite being distracted, I’ve still managed to have a great night with Callie. She has a zest for life and this way of making me feel so loved and welcomed. I wish I could wrap her up and take her back to San Francisco with me. I could use someone like her in my life on a daily basis.
The Callahan sisters played three more Shania Twain songs. I unfortunately only remember the name of one, “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” because, one, the title is funny; two, Callie informed me it is another one of her female anthem songs; and three, I enjoyed the beat but had to stand off to the side looking like a chump during the line dance because it involved a lot more footwork and spinning than “Any Man of Mine.”
When Callie and I approach the bar to say goodbye to Jax and close out our tab, he gives me a firm handshake before saying, “Screw it,” and pulling me in for a quick squeeze. “It was nice to meet you. I hope I’ll be seeing more of you real soon.” The meaningful look he gives me as he says it makes me feel a little uneasy. Maybe Callie was right. I think he is flirting. “Ya’ll get home safe.”
“Don’t worry, Rhett has been sitting in the parking lot for the past hour waiting on us.” Callie laughs.
“Oh, wow. Sounds like Rhett has taken a liking to the new girl, huh?”
I give him a soft smile, but Callie says, “Oh yeah, he has, so back off.” What?! Kissing him on the cheek, as if she didn’t just say that, she cheers, “Goodnight, Jax!”
Swiveling around, she leans into my ear. “Damn, girl! You better be careful. You’re going to have this whole town falling for you. First Rhett and now Jax seems to be taking a liking to you too.”
“I’m sure he was just being friendly.”
“Jax is known as the biggest flirt in all of Texas. I don’t think he knows how to just be friendly, but we can use this to our advantage. Watch this.” She winks at me as we approach Rhett’s truck.
Rhett gets out to open his rear door for us and grabs Callie’s hand to help her in. She takes it and turns back to me. “Jax is known for being flirty, but, man, he seemed genuinely interested in you.”
Rhett places his other hand out in front of her, pausing her from getting into the truck. “What’s going on with Jax?”
She doesn’t miss a beat. “Jax seemed interested in Olivia. I think she should go for it because I love Jax. What do you think?”
I give her a skeptical look as Rhett offers me his hand. Rage swirls in his eyes, and he presses his lips together. I have to admit, it feels damn good. That look right there inflates me with hope.
“I think she should stay away from Jax.” He’s talking to Callie, but his eyes don’t come off me. “He has a reputation for a reason. I wouldn’t trust him as far as I can throw him.”
“His reputation is for being a big flirt, and I hear a pretty good hookup. Maybe that’s what you need to complete your Roots experience, Olivia. It’s perfect! What with you leaving and all, Jax is exactly the kind of guy to go for. It’s uncomplicated. No strings.”
“Is that really what you want though? A fling?” Rhett gets into the driver’s seat, meeting my gaze in the rearview mirror. I give him a soft, perhaps slightly cocky smile, as I shrug.
“Your parents asked me to keep an eye out for you, and I don’t think they’d be too happy if they found out I just stood by and let you get involved with Jax.”
“She’s a big girl and can look out for herself. It’s not your place to get involved in her love life.”
I’m starting to feel uncomfortable with all of this, but I can’t help the smile that crosses my face when I swear I hear him murmur, “Maybe it is.”
He pulls out of his parking spot, but when he reaches the exit, he asks, “Where am I taking you two? Callie’s?”
“Yup, the plan still hasn’t changed. Can you be a dear and connect my Bluetooth? I need to play more Shania Twain for Olivia.”
Reluctantly, he presses a couple of buttons on his dash.
Callie swipes and taps a few times on her phone until her phone starts playing one of the songs from the bar earlier. “Can you turn it up? I’m going to be singing along, and either you turn it up, or you have to listen to my horrible voice.”
Rhett huffs but turns up the volume more than just a few notches. In the rearview mirror, I see the hint of a smile, which only fills my heart with adoration for this man. From that simple gesture, I am reinvigorated with my determination to crack Rhett open, even if it means putting myself out there too. Whatever darkness he thinks he holds inside of himself is worthy of love, and despite knowing that I’m leaving in a couple of months, I need to give him a chance to see that.
* * *
With the smell of whiskey on my breath now replaced by fresh mint, I draw back the comforter on Callie’s queen-size bed, murmuring, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For taking me out for a fun night and for making me feel so welcome here. My parents are great. Rhett is great. Really everyone in Roots is great, but I don’t think I’d enjoy my time here half as much if it weren’t for you. You just have this way of making me feel so… loved, and worthy of that love.”
She gives me a soft smile, and I can see hints of pain and warmth in her eyes. “That means a lot to me.”
“How did you get to be so vibrant?” I prod, amazement still filling me.
“Stop! You’re making this a bigger deal than it is.” She swats at me. “My whole life, my parents always picked my sister first. I never really questioned it. In fact, I understood. She was kind and brilliant and funny. But at the end of the day, it definitely made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. With time, people like Ms. Easton and Benny swooped in and made me feel loved. It made me realize the profound impact one person can have on another, and I wanted to be that person for someone else. Then after high school, I went through a tough breakup that made me feel like I wasn’t someone’s first choice again, and my sister passed away a year later, proving how quickly life can be snatched away from you. Since all that, I’ve made it my mission to live a positive life and to help others to hopefully never feel like they’re someone’s last choice, at least not in my presence.”
“I admire that. And for what it’s worth, I think you do a hell of a job at it. I’m sorry you’ve felt that way in life. You deserve better. If I can help it, I’m going to do my best to be a good friend to you who never makes you feel that way.”
“Thanks, Olivia.” She pauses. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why don’t you want to stay in Roots? I know you have your life in San Francisco, and I don’t know a ton about what that looked like, but it seems to me like you’re building something great here. And again, I can’t speak for San Francisco, but I know you have a lot of people here who already adore you and want to put you first. I guess I’m just thinking if I had that as an option at some point in my life, I’d choose it.”
Her words sting. They remind me a little of what Rhett has said about how I have people who care so much for me, but I push them away. “It hadn’t occurred to me that I actually could stay.”
“Why not? I’m sure your parents have been begging you to the moment you got here.”
“I’ve spent the last couple years trying to keep my parents at a distance because I felt like my anxiety was ruining their lives. The idea of staying here and letting them be a regular part of my life again has never felt like it’s an option. Beyond that, I guess Roots just doesn’t seem to fit into my goals for life. I’ve always wanted to make senior at my job, and I’ve worked so hard to get here. I can’t just give all that up. My job, my apartment, my—" I trail off because quite frankly I’m not sure what else. “They’re all in San Francisco, and I don’t know how to make a good life here in Roots.”
“It seems to me like you’ve already started. You’ve got a job. You’ve got family and friends, and a potential love interest.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “You’ve got an adorable dog who loves you to pieces, and you’ve even gotten involved with the local animal shelter. That seems like a beautiful life to me. Just saying.”
“But that life doesn’t pay my bills. It doesn’t build my resume, and it doesn’t help me get the job title I’ve been striving for since I was in college. I can’t stay in Rhett’s house with extremely discounted rent forever, and I can’t live off of part-time wages from the café. Besides, I have a Master’s degree and my CPA license. I worked so hard for those. I need to put them to use.”
“That education, that license, they’re both impressive, but they don’t mean anything if you’re not happy. Considering the circumstances that brought you here, I think it’s safe to say that you weren’t all that happy in San Francisco. I’d like to see you create a life that brings you joy.”
I nod silently, not sure what else to say. She is so right, but I feel stuck. It’s not like I have the experience to jump into the things I want to do in life. My anxious self craves stability, and I can’t imagine getting that from pursuing some sort of career related to social media or non-profits. And what about my dad? He’d be horrified to see me give up my career just before I make it to senior the same way he had to when he was younger. It’s a nice thought, staying in Roots and living like this all the time, but it’s not practical, which breaks my heart.