10. Olivia
CHAPTER 10
Olivia
“O h my goodness. He’s so adorable,” I whisper as I look through a reel of photos on Lincoln’s phone, all of them pictures of his son, ranging from newborn to now. I don’t know what they put in the water here in Tennessee that turns men into great fathers but between Bax’s family and now Lincoln bragging about their kids and showing off pictures, there must be something.
“Don’t let his cuteness fool you. He’s always up to something or trying to bring some stray animal home.”
“That’s so sweet.”
“You’d think so, but a week ago, he came across an injured vulture when he got off the bus and brought it home.”
“He didn’t.” I start to laugh.
“He did, then he expected me to nurse the damn thing back to life,” he says as I laugh so hard tears fill my eyes.
“Sorry, but I love that.” I wipe away the tears from my cheeks. “What did you do?”
“I took it to my parents' house and let them deal with it.” He smiles.
“Oh Lord, I bet your mom loved that.”
“Mom’s just as bad as my son, which is where he gets it from. The bird is still recovering in her backyard.”
I start to laugh again. “Your mom was always so sweet.”
“She’s still sweet.” He takes his cell phone I hold out to him and sets it on the table between us. Picking up his coffee, he studies me, shaking his head. “It’s so crazy seeing you after so many years. I really never thought I’d see you again.”
“We probably would have run into each other at some point when I came to visit, even if I didn’t move back.”
“Maybe.” He leans back in his chair. “Do you miss Chicago?”
“Surprisingly, no.” I cross one leg over the other. “I mean, I miss my friends and the people I used to work with, but I don’t really miss the city. I think I was starting to outgrow it, if that makes sense.”
“I can understand that.”
“So, how did you become a cop? I was always sure you’d be playing pro football.” I pick up my iced coffee and listen to him chuckle.
“That was the goal, but my sophomore year of college, I got injured and couldn’t play anymore. I was working toward my law degree at that point and had a couple of years left, but my ex found out she was pregnant with Keller. We needed money and health insurance, so I signed on with the police department. I’ve been a police officer ever since.”
“Have you thought about going back to school?”
“I’ve thought about it, but it’s just finding the time and the money,” he says, dragging his fingers through his thick brown hair that used to drive the girls in school crazy. Lincoln was always handsome and has just gotten better looking with time. And it helps that he’s not one of those guys who knows he looks good and is a dick about it.
“I can understand that. School is crazy-expensive. But honestly, if you ever do decide you want to go back, I’m really good at finding grants and stuff, so just let me know.”
“I’ll do that.” His face softens, and then his attention moves to someone behind me as the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
I turn in my seat. My heart skydives into my stomach, and my knees tingle when my gaze collides with Bax’s, seeing the intense look on his face. He looks angry, and if I’m not mistaken, that anger is directed at me. Tugging his eyes off mine, he goes to the counter, where one of the girls who works here stands with a tray of drinks, and after saying something to her that makes her smile and blush, he picks it up and turns to leave.
Then, without sparing me another glance, he walks out of the coffee shop.
With my throat now burning, I turn back to Lincoln, who has his eyes on the door.
“Are you two dating?” he asks, focusing back on me.
“What? No.” I set down my drink. My hands are shaking so badly the ice in the cup was tinkling together.
“Does he know that?” He lifts a brow.
“Of course.”
“Then he wants to date you,” he tells me matter-of-factly.
“I…” I shake my head. Is he right? Was that whole scene because he was jealous? That seems preposterous, but then I think about him, and pancakes, and the blanket, and him just looking out for me… “I?—”
“Go,” he says softly, cutting me off. “I’ll look out for your stuff until you get back.”
God, he’s so nice.
Pushing out of my seat, I leave my bag on the table and rush out of the coffee shop, stopping at the edge of the sidewalk to look both ways. When I see Bax getting into his truck down the block, I run in his direction, thankful that I wear sneakers to work every day.
“Bax!” I shout, and he stops, turning to face me with his jaw clenching.
“Go back to your date, Olivia.”
“I’m not on a date.” I close the distance between us. “I’m just having coffee with Lincoln,” I tell him, out of breath.
“Right,” he mutters.
“It is right.” I stop on the opposite side of the door from him since there is no space to get around it with him parked next to another large truck. “What was that about?” I wave my hand in the direction of the coffee shop.
“Nothing,” he grumbles.
“Nothing?” I repeat in disbelief. “You’re obviously mad at me.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s something,” I whisper so I don’t shout. “Why are you pissed?”
“All right.” He slams the door shut and places the cup holder he’s still holding on the hood of his truck. “You wanna know why I’m pissed?”
The way he asks that question makes me think my answer should be a resounding “no.”
“Yes.” I swallow.
“I’m pissed—” He ducks his head, bringing his face closer to mine. “Because I shouldn’t fucking care that you’re out having coffee with another guy.”
My lips part, and my heart starts to pound.
“Bax—”
“Go back to Lincoln, Olivia.”
“What if it’s not Lincoln I want?” I can’t believe the question came out of my mouth, that I was brave enough to ask him.
“Don’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“Tempt me.” His jaw flexes.
Tempt him? Do I even have that kind of power?
“Hey, kid.” Jumping, I spin around to face my brother, who is standing behind me at the edge of the sidewalk, holding a large paper bag in his hand from one of the sandwich places down the block. “What are you doing here?” he asks, smiling at me.
“I… I came to meet Lincoln for coffee,” I whisper as my heart attempts to escape out of my chest.
“The guy who showed up at your place on Saturday?” I nod because my mouth has dried up. “Didn’t you have a crush on him when you were in school?”
Why do I feel like I’m going to pass out?
“That was a long time ago. He’s just a friend,” I state firmly, not for the benefit of my brother, but so the man I can still feel standing behind me hears.
“Right.” Liam nods at me, sarcasm heavy in his tone, and then his eyes go to Bax. “You get the coffee?”
“Yep,” Bax says, then asks, “You ready?”
“Yeah.” Liam grins at me. “Enjoy your date, kid.”
“It’s not a date!” My hands ball into fists at my sides.
“Whatever you say.” When he starts to laugh, it’s really difficult to ignore the urge to kick him in the nuts, like I did once when I was a kid, and he made me so angry I felt I needed to physically retaliate. Not one of my proudest moments, but at the time, I was happy to drop him to his knees.
As Liam walks around to the passenger side of the truck to get in, I turn around to face Bax and watch him lift the coffee holder off the hood. I don’t know what to say or if I should say anything, especially now that my brother is here.
“Later, Oli,” he says quietly, and even though he doesn’t look angry anymore, I know he still is. I can feel it in the air around us, taking up space like a living, breathing thing.
With no choice, I back up to the sidewalk, then bite my lip as he gets in behind the wheel and slams his door shut. As the engine roars to life, I turn and head down the sidewalk back to the café. If I hadn’t left my bag inside, I wouldn’t go back to Lincoln. I’d just make up some excuse and send him a text apologizing for bailing on him.
The moment I step into the café, Lincoln’s eyes roam over my face, then soften.
“You okay?”
The quiet question makes my throat burn. The truth is, I don’t know if I’m okay. I still haven’t processed what Bax said or what it means.
“I’m good.” The lie is easier than sharing my feelings with him. “I think I’m going to take off if that’s okay?”
“Sure,” he mumbles, looking slightly disappointed. “You have my cell if you ever want to just talk or hang out again.”
“Yeah, and it was fun catching up.” And that’s the truth, which makes this whole situation suck even more because I did like just chatting with him. It didn’t feel like a date; it just felt like hanging with a friend. And I need friends after leaving all of mine behind in Chicago. I mean, I know I have Kourtney here, but she’s gone all the time. I grab my purse and my coffee, and he stands, picking up his drink. When he opens the door to the café, I step out before him and stop on the sidewalk to look up at him. “I’ll see you around.”
“See ya, Olivia.”
I force a smile and turn in the direction of where I parked down the block.
“Olivia?”
“Yeah?” I meet his gaze over my shoulder and find him standing in the middle of the sidewalk with one hand tucked into the pocket of his coat and the other wrapped around his coffee.
“When I asked him if you two were seeing each other, he refused to answer me,” he informs me.
“Who, Bax?” I frown, and he nods.
“What does that mean?” I didn’t mean to ask that question out loud, but he still answers.
“I don’t know, but I have a feeling you’ll figure it out.” With a smile, he turns and starts to walk away, calling out over his shoulder, “Later, Olivia.”
I watch him go, feeling even more confused than I did a few minutes ago.