25. Olivia
OLIVIA
“Aunt Olivia!” Lily came tearing down the hallway and into the guest bedroom, where Olivia was putting the final touches on a job application.
She was applying to work with Elizabeth Pierce, the amazing wildlife and nature photographer she’d met at the conference.
It was remote work, a great opportunity, and something she couldn’t pass up.
Olivia might not get it, but she had to try.
“Yes, honey?” Olivia hit submit and closed the laptop. “What’s up?”
“There’s a man at the door to see you,” Lily said.
Olivia frowned. “That doesn’t seem right. Was he delivering something?”
“He just said he needed to talk to you.”
“Fine. Just a minute.” Olivia stood, stretched, and headed to the front door. She was wearing a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, and her hair was piled into a messy bun on her head. It didn’t matter, though — whoever it was probably just had the wrong address.
Olivia pulled open the front door, and, for a long moment, time stood still.
She was sure she was imagining things, because there was no way Leo Barclay, CEO of Palasa and her soon-to-be-ex-husband, was standing on her sister’s doorstep.
Wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Holding nothing but a stack of papers.
Looking worried and hopeful all at once.
“Leo?” Olivia frowned. “What are you doing here?” Was he delivering the divorce papers himself? She wasn’t sure she could bear that.
“Yeah!” Lily stepped up beside Olivia. “What are you doing here? And who are you? How do you know my Aunt Olivia?”
“I’m here to talk to your aunt, like I told you before,” Leo said to Lily, smiling. “You must be Lily. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“You have?”
“Of course. Do you mind if I steal your aunt for a minute?” he asked Lily, but his eyes were on Olivia. As always, his gaze was intense, but there was something new there, too. Vulnerability, maybe.
“Okay, just for a minute,” Lily said. Olivia stepped outside, closing the door behind her to prevent young ears from spying.
“What are you doing here?” she asked again.
“I’m here for you.” Leo took a slow breath. “Olivia, I made a huge mistake.”
Olivia blinked. Now she was sure she was imagining things.
“You did?”
“I did. I should have stopped you that day in my office. But before that, I never should have drafted a postnup agreement. I should have trusted my decision to marry you, and, more importantly, I should have trusted you.”
“I appreciate that,” Olivia leaned against the doorpost. “Thank you. But I’m still not sure why you’re here. Did you come all this way to say you messed up?”
“No.” Leo held up a stack of papers he’d been holding in one hand.
“I came here for two reasons. This is the first.” He showed her the document — it was the postnup agreement she’d signed in his office two weeks ago.
Olivia frowned. Then her eyes widened as Leo tore the document in half once, twice, three times.
Bits of paper fluttered like confetti onto the doorstep around her.
“I should never have made this,” Leo said. “I should never have let you sign it. I’m so sorry, Olivia, and I hope you can forgive me. Someday.”
“I…” Olivia sighed. “I forgive you, Leo. I get it, I guess. Neither of us knew each other. It makes sense that you didn’t trust me.”
“I didn’t, but I do now. I trust you, Olivia.”
Olivia met his blue eyes. Once again, she was reminded of the sea, or a cloudless sky. She wanted to step closer and fall into his arms — but just because Leo was here to apologize didn’t mean he wanted her back. Or that he’d ever wanted her. Trust was good, but it was a far cry from love.
“You really hurt me,” she said plainly. “Not just with the agreement. Like I said, I understand that. But when you offered me money, I felt like a charity case. I was worried you thought I was only in New York for money. I was worried you saw me just as some poor, desperate girl.”
“I never did,” Leo said. “And I’m sorry.
I didn’t think at all about how it would come across when I offered you money.
I should have. I just wanted you to have the resources to chase your dreams, because I care about you, but I should have known how it might look.
I hope you can forgive me for that, too. ”
Olivia nodded. Hearing that Leo had never seen her as a charity case certainly did help. “Okay. Was that the second thing?”
Leo shook his head. “No. I have to be honest with you about something, even though it isn’t easy for me.”
Olivia tilted her head to the side. “What is it?”
“I know that we were never supposed to stay married. But the short time that you were my wife was amazing. You made me feel seen in a way I never was before. You cared about me in a way I never knew I needed. And every day we were together, you impressed me. Not just with your amazing photography or your sense of wonder, or your cooking or your positivity, but with who you are. I’m incredibly lucky to have known you.
“I know you might never fully forgive me. I know you might not feel the same way. But I love you, Olivia. I want you in my life, in whatever way you’ll have me.”
“You love me?” Olivia’s heart was racing, and her knees were weak.
“I do. But like I said, I don’t expect?—”
Olivia cut him off with a raised hand. She took a small step closer. Her heart was still hammering, but she was sure, now. Leo meant what he was saying, every word. He’d been an idiot not to say any of this before, but she could forgive him. And maybe tease him about it later.
“You said you want me in your life. Well, here’s what I want. Take it or leave it.” She took a deep breath. “I want to stay married.”
Leo’s eyes widened. “Olivia Keller, did you just propose to me?”
“It’s not a proposal if we’re already married.
” She looked up at him, her expression fierce.
Finally, she was asking for exactly what she wanted, regardless of the consequences.
If she was going to be in Leo’s life, she wanted him to be her husband.
It was a final way for him to show that he trusted her now, and that he was serious about this. “So?”
“Yes,” Leo swept her into his arms. “A thousand times yes.”
Relief flooded Olivia as she melted into him. This was exactly what she hadn’t dared to dream of: Leo. Hers. A new life. A bright future. Love, at last.
Then Leo kissed her, warm and passionate and full of hope, and Olivia knew that she’d made the right choice to trust him again. And she’d made the right choice that day in Vegas, when she’d gotten married to a complete stranger.
How lucky was it that her surprise husband had turned out to be the love of her life?