21. Olivia
Olivia
The second I slid into the booth at La Bottega, Sindy’s eyes locked onto mine with a knowing smirk. Kansas, across from her, sipped her coffee with a calm serenity.
Sindy set down her menu. “How’s it going with Brett and Chloe?”
I exhaled and rolled my eyes. “It’s a work in progress. Chloe barely looks at me, and Brett’s caught in the middle. It’s like trying to hug a cactus—painful and borderline suicidal.”
Kansas chuckled. “Isn’t that overly dramatic?”
“No, that’s actually pretty accurate.” I leaned back. “I don’t know how to fix it. She sees me as an intruder.”
Sindy waved a dismissive hand. “Then make her see you as something else. Get in there, Olivia. Win her over. Be fun. Be present. Be whatever she needs you to be.”
Kansas shook her head. “No. Brett needs to lead this. He’s her dad. She needs to feel secure in her place with him before Olivia can find hers. But—” she pointed her spoon at me “—you should make an effort too. Something low pressure, like bonding over an activity she loves.”
I groaned. “Like what? She barely speaks to me.”
Kansas smirked. “Brett should know. Ask him.”
Sindy grinned. “Or better yet. Bribe her. She’s a kid, so she’ll eat it up.”
Kansas rolled her eyes. “She’s not a dog, Sindy. Olivia needs to find common ground. What does Chloe like?”
“Books, maybe,” I shrugged. “Or ignoring me. She’s good at that.”
Sindy drummed her fingers on the table. “Alright, let’s strategize. What do twelve-year-olds even like these days?”
Kansas tapped her chin. “Sports? Games? Music? Something interactive.”
Sindy gasped. “Make her a Pinterest board. Teen girls love aesthetics.”
Kansas snorted. “Olivia’s trying to bond with her, not redecorate her bedroom.”
“Hey,” I interjected, “I could do both.”
Kansas sighed. “Just talk to Brett. He knows her better than anyone.”
“I suppose. I’ll ask him for an activity where she’ll have the upper hand and make her teach me something. That way, she’ll feel superior to me.”
Sindy nodded. “That’s a great idea.”
“Brace yourself, Olivia. That could get interesting really fast,” Kansas warned.
“And dangerous,” Sindy added with a wink.
“Now you’ve got me really worried.”
“Don’t be worried. She’s a kid, not a bomb,” Kansas reminded me.
“Same thing in this case,” I retorted which got a laugh out of both of them.
Later that night, I leaned against Brett’s kitchen counter, watching him uncork a bottle of wine. “She’s not warming up to me,” I admitted. “I need some ideas.”
Brett arched a brow. “You’re asking me for help? This is a moment to remember.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t make me regret it.”
He smirked. “Chloe loves skiing. It’s something I know you’ve never tried. She excels at it.”
I perked up. “That’s my way in? Strapping myself to two death sticks?”
“Scaredy cat.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. It’s Saturday. Let’s do it today.”
Brett grinned. “Impulsive. I like it. I will talk to her.”
For the first time, I felt a sliver of hope. Maybe this could work. But the whole skiing part played on my mind like an impending disaster.
The drive to Wilmot Mountain was uneventful—until Chloe let out a dramatic sigh from the back seat.
“Are we there yet?” she groaned for the third time in ten minutes.
Brett smirked, one hand on the wheel, the other drumming against the console. “What do you think?”
“I think you need to drive faster,” Chloe shot back.
“I think you need to learn patience.”
I bit back a grin. Their banter was endless.
By the time we arrived, the glowing slopes lit up the night like a winter wonderland, and Chloe’s previous complaints vanished. She pressed her face against the window, eyes wide with excitement. “It’s beautiful!”
Brett leaned in. “And a thousand times better when you’re on the snow. You ready?”
Chloe nodded enthusiastically, then scowled when he ruffled her hat. “Dad! Stop.”
He laughed. “Alright, I’ll let you and Olivia ski together for a bit. I’m tackling the black diamonds.”
Chloe’s face fell. “But?—”
Brett crouched beside her, eyes softening. “You’ll be fine, kiddo. Olivia’s got you. Besides, she needs your help.”
Her gaze flickered to me, unsure, then she exhaled and nodded. “She does?”
Brett nodded. “Olivia doesn’t know how to ski.”
Chloe’s face brightened as she turned to me. “You can’t ski?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I never learned how.”
“That’s awful. How can you even go through life and not learn to ski?”
I shrugged. “I was never given the chance.”
“Okay, well, first, we need to get you some boots.”
Progress.
Chloe helped me get into my boots, and we stood at the top of a very small slope as she taught me how to hold my poles and gave me a very basic lesson on skiing.
We took the lift up, and she made sure to keep her movements slow and steady so she could match my pace.
She was a solid skier—careful, focused. The first few runs, she talked me through it, but with each glide down the slope, her shoulders loosened. By the fourth run, I was grinning.
“See? You’re a natural,” she told me.
“That’s only because of your great teaching skills.” I wasn’t even kidding.
We probably skied for a few hours, and I was impressed with myself.
“Last run, okay? I think this place is about to close,” I informed her.
“Can we go skiing again soon?” Chloe asked.
“You bet we can. I will need to keep practicing, so I’m game to come as often as you like.”
“That would be cool. I can’t wait for hot chocolate afterward at the chalet.”
“Sounds amazing.”
Just as I thought we were settling into an easy rhythm, she miscalculated a turn. Her skis crossed, and suddenly, she was careening toward the tree line.
“Chloe!” I yelled after her.
I pushed forward, but she was too far ahead, too fast. She tried to regain control, but the slope was unforgiving. She disappeared into the trees.
My stomach bottomed out.
By the time I reached her, she was sprawled in the snow, her face twisted in pain. “I— I think my leg is broken.”
I dropped to my knees, my pulse a hammer in my throat. “Okay, don’t move. I’ll call your dad.”
Her fingers clutched at my jacket. “Please hurry.”
“I will. I promise.”
I called Brett, voice clipped. “Chloe’s hurt. She lost control and went into the trees. I think her leg’s broken.”
Silence. Then, a deadly calm, “Where are you?”
I gave him my location, and he cursed. “I’m calling Ski Patrol. Stay with her.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Chloe’s breathing was ragged. “It hurts, Olivia.”
“I know, sweetheart.” I squeezed her gloved hand. “Help’s on the way.”
Minutes stretched. The cold crept into my bones, and the darkness thickened around us. Chloe whimpered, pressing closer. “It’s really dark out here.”
“I know, but you’re safe with me.”
Snap.
My head jerked up. Branches cracked in the distance. My gut clenched.
Chloe stiffened. “What was that?”
More rustling. Low, guttural growls. My blood turned to ice.
Coyotes.
Panic flared in Chloe’s eyes. “Olivia?”
“You’ve got to be very quiet, and please don’t panic. We need to get up into a tree,” I whispered. I shifted, picked her up, and walked toward the nearest low tree. “Hold on to me tight and say nothing.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck as I hauled us onto a sturdy branch.
The pain made her sob, but she clung to me, shaking.
Somehow, I hoisted her up into the tree, and just as I got my leg up, two coyotes came bounding out of the tree line and circled below, teeth flashing in the dim light.
One lunged, snapping at my boot. I kicked out, heart hammering.
“Not happening, you flea-ridden demons.”
Chloe buried her face against my shoulder. “I’m scared.”
I tightened my hold on her. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Chloe. I promise. Try to breathe through it.” I taught her how to breathe. “Breathe in for four. Hold it for a count of eight. Now, release for a count of six.
A coyote leaped, barely missing us. I swung a ski pole, cracking it across its muzzle. “Back off!”
The pack grew more agitated. They moved closer, desperate.
They kept leaping, and I was so afraid that they would finally make it up into the tree. I kept swinging my poles until one of them grabbed it and wrestled it to the ground. They stared up at us, and all I could see was their beady eyes. Where was Brett and the Ski Patrol?
“Olivia! They’re going to get us,” Chloe sobbed. I held her tight and stroked her back.
“I promise you they will not get us, honey. I’m right here. I will not let anything happen to you. If it comes right down to it, I’ll let them get me. That way, they won’t be interested in you.”
“No, I don’t want to be alone. They can’t get you.”
“Oh, sweetie. Please try to relax and keep doing the breathing technique I just taught you. Close your eyes and think only about the breathing.” I held her as she breathed. I did the exercise with her over and over until she quieted down.
Then—
Gunshots. Three, sharp and echoing. The coyotes yelped, retreating.
“Olivia! Chloe!”
Brett.
Relief nearly knocked me out of the tree. “Over here!”
Seconds later, he crashed through the trees, his gun raised, eyes scanning for threats.
“Jesus Christ.” He holstered the gun, voice thick. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, shaking. “Chloe’s leg?—”
“I got her.” He reached up, expression fierce. “Come on, baby.”
Chloe practically melted into his arms, her body trembling. “Daddy.”
“I got you, kiddo.” His jaw clenched as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re safe now.”
Ski Patrol arrived, securing Chloe on a stretcher. Brett’s arm came around me, pulling me close. “You okay?”
I let out a shaky breath. “Yeah.”
His hand cupped the back of my head, lips brushing my temple. “You saved her.”
I swallowed hard, my body finally catching up to the fear. “I just did what I had to do.”
He pulled back, eyes dark, unreadable. “You’re incredible.”
Heat pooled low in my stomach. “I?—”
“Dad,” Chloe beamed. “Olivia’s a hero.”
Brett smiled. “That she is.”
Back at the lodge, after Chloe was treated—it was only a sprain—and tucked into a nest of blankets, she wouldn’t stop talking about the “epic coyote battle.”
“And then Olivia grabbed me—like, seriously, just scooped me up—and climbed that tree so fast! I didn’t even know she could climb like that!
And we were way up there, like, way up, and I was holding on for dear life, but Olivia?
She wasn’t even scared! She just kept me safe and quiet and kept fending off the coyotes. ”
Brett leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, listening with amusement.
Chloe barely paused to breathe. “I mean, what if Olivia wasn’t there? What if I had to stay in that tree all night? What if the coyotes climbed up? But she came, and she saved me, and I wasn’t even scared anymore because I knew she wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”
My throat tightened. Chloe had never spoken about me with anything but thinly veiled skepticism before. Now, she looked at me like I was something solid and dependable.
She turned to Brett. “Can Olivia stay with me tonight?”
His brows lifted. “You want her to sleep in here?”
Chloe nodded so hard her hair bounced. “Yes. What if I have a bad dream? What if I wake up and forget she’s okay?” She looked at me, eyes big, pleading. “Please?”
A beat of silence stretched, then I nodded. “Of course. I would love that. Maybe you will need to comfort me instead.”
Chloe sighed in relief and scooted over, making room beside her. “Good. Because I don’t think I can sleep without you here.”
Brett exhaled, shaking his head with a small smile. “Looks like you’ve got a new shadow.”
I slid under the covers, Chloe instantly curling up next to me, her small hand gripping mine. Her breathing slowed, steady and warm.
For the first time since I met her, Chloe wanted me close. I was no longer a threat or an intrusion.
Now, I was her protector.
Chloe’s little fingers curled in the blankets. “I thought you’d take him away,” she whispered.
My heart clenched. “Sweetheart, I would never do that.”
She looked at me, eyes full of shadows. “I lost my mom. I don’t want to lose my dad too.”
I smoothed her hair. “You won’t lose him, sweetie. And honestly? I was hoping we could be friends.”
She hesitated. “Really?”
“Really.”
A small smile.
“I could be like a big sister,” I told her.
“Okay. I always wanted a sister.”
Moments later, she drifted off. I exhaled, closing her door softly before heading downstairs.
Brett was in the kitchen, shirtless, sipping whiskey like a damn Calvin Klein ad. Phoenix perked up at my approach.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“She was afraid I’d take you from her.”
His jaw tensed. “She must know that would never happen. Silly girl.”
I leaned against the counter. “We talked it through. She’s good now. But Brett… “ I hesitated.
His eyes softened. “Yeah?”
“She’s terrified of losing you.”
Something flickered across his face. He set down the glass, stepping closer. “I’m not going anywhere, Liv.”
Phoenix huffed, clearly unimpressed with the drama.
“Hot tub?” he murmured.
My body answered before my brain.
The water bubbled around us, steam curling in the cold air. Brett pulled me onto his lap, fingers skimming my thighs.
“You’re staying tonight,” he whispered against my lips.
“I—” His mouth cut off my protest, hot and possessive.
“I already had Fiona take Mystic in case we were late at the ski resort.”
Later, inside, we barely made it upstairs. My back hit the bedroom door, his hands rough, urgent.
“This was inevitable,” he rasped.
I let him devour me, and it was amazing.
The door clicked shut.
And Brett made damn sure I stayed the night.