Chapter 17
Hudson
The diner was hopping. It looked like everyone in town had gathered, and those not out helping had turned here to rest and eat. Jessie waved from behind the counter and gestured to the end of the diner, where a lone booth stood empty. Not my usual seat, but it would suffice.
I took Olivia’s hand and led her along, peeking back at her to see that perplexed look on her face again.
She was in her head, and I didn’t know how to keep pulling her out.
It was almost like there were two sides to her that were fighting internally to take control—the woman she’d been to shield her from emotion and the woman below.
Sliding into the booth, I watched as she pulled a napkin out of the holder and wiped down the seat. The napkin hung in the air, pinched between her fingers as if it held an incurable disease before she dropped it at the end of the table. With a shake of my head, I threw her a scowl.
“What?” she asked, taking a seat.
“If you wanted to tell everyone here you were a prissy city girl, you could have just announced it when you walked in.”
She tilted her head at me, confusion lining her features.
“Don’t wipe the seat down, Olivia.”
“But it’s dirty.”
I scrubbed my hand down my face.
“I’m sure they all know anyway,” she said, sitting back and folding her arms over her chest.
With a glance, I saw the eyes on her, ones that had watched her walk in. This town was small enough that gossip traveled fast. I’d thought the storm would quiet it, but from the curiosity I saw, that hadn’t happened.
“You’re the talk of the town,” Jessie said, placing two coffee cups on the table and filling them up. “Other than the storm.”
“Great,” I grumbled.
Her eyes bounced between us, a smile growing. “Olivia, you make jeans and a T-shirt look good. Although I imagine just about anything you wear makes you look that way.”
“True,” Olivia said.
I kicked her when she didn’t say anything more.
“Ouch. What was that for?”
“Be polite.”
“What am I five?”
“You’re acting like it.”
Jessie’s eyes volleyed between us as we talked.
“I am not acting like a child. Is this still about me cleaning the seat?”
“No, it’s about you being polite.”
“I am being polite. Don’t be ridiculous.”
I flopped back against the seat and rubbed the space between my eyes.
“Well, you two are getting along well,” Jessie said with a laugh.
“We were,” I groused, looking up to see the daggers Olivia was sending me. “I’ll take the usual, Jessie. And this one will take the kids' breakfast.”
Olivia’s mouth dropped, and I tried to stop the tugging at the corner of my lips.
“No wonder she’s aggravated with you, Hudson. Be nice.”
“Me?”
She walked away, shaking her head, and I scrunched my brows, trying to determine how this had turned on me.
“The kids’ breakfast?” Olivia asked. Her lips curled in a frustrated frown.
“Is it Jessie that turned you from the sweet woman you were at Shiela’s to the bitch from New York?”
“I am a bitch, Hudson. There’s no changing that. It’s who I am.”
I studied her, wondering if she was right.
If I’d have to deal with this side of her for the rest of my life.
The rest of my life? I turned from her, staring out the window and questioning my thought.
A few days, that’s what I had with her, and then she would return home.
No matter how I wanted to think differently, I suspected that’s exactly what would happen.
I was setting myself up to have my heart torn from my chest and marred beyond recognition.
In fact, I’d already ripped it out and handed it to her, letting her back in, letting my guardrails fall.
Her hand covered mine, and I dropped my eyes to it.
“I’m trying, Hudson, but it’s hard.” I raised my sight to her, seeing the sincerity in her hazel irises, the flecks of gold stark against the greenish-brown hue.
“I don’t know how to be anything but this around people.
It worked with Sheila this morning, but…
I…” She pulled her hand back, and I snatched it, taking it in mine.
The tension seemed to roll like a wave unleashing from her body.
“I never let people in. Not since you. All I have is my brother.” She rolled her lip under her teeth.
“And I guess now I’m stuck with Tori and their minion. ”
My snort had her smile forming.
“No more surviving, understand? It’s time for you to live again.” Misty orbs looked away from me as she nodded. I reached over and took her face, forcing her back to me. “No more, Olivia.”
“What if I can’t be who you want me to be? If I can’t change because I’m no longer that person?”
“Then I’ll continue to love you although you’ll aggravate me most of the time.” Her laugh was beautiful, working its way over my skin like a sensual touch. “Lots of angry sex would be in our future.”
The laugh deepened, and I couldn’t stop myself from joining her.
“Maybe I need to keep aggravating you.”
I smoothed my fingers over her cheek, my thumb lingering over her lip before I pulled it back.
“You two keep that up and I’ll have to warm everyone’s food back up ’cause they're all too busy watching the show to eat,” Dennie yelled from the kitchen window.
Olivia’s eyes went wide before I watched the smooth mask take over.
It was fascinating to see in action. Her chin went up, her eyes flashing before she looked over at him, rose from the seat and sauntered down the diner, past Jessie and Blake, the other server, and leaned into the window.
What she said, I had no clue, but all eyes were on her, and I didn’t like it.
Not with the way her ass looked in those jeans because it was sexy, especially at the angle she had it sticking out.
She turned from the window, her head held high, looking as if she wore diamonds and a designer gown instead of jeans and a T-shirt.
“Goddamn,” Dennie muttered, shaking his head and staring out the window at her.
She stopped and faced everyone who was watching her.
“I’m sure you all know who I am, and I can assure you I’m just as much of a bitch as you imagined I was.
Your meals are on me, but if a single one of you complains about the food or the temperature, you’ll find out why people who do business with me fear me.
Now get back to your meals and stop gawking at me.
And for those who don’t know who I am, I’m Olivia Icinda, my net worth is more than you can fathom, enough to buy this entire town without flinching, and yes, I’m a city girl, something that is nothing but a compliment to me. ”
“She still your ex?” Frank, who sat in the booth behind ours, asked as Olivia sashayed back with every eye still locked on her.
“Why? And how the fuck does everyone know that?”
“You’ve lived here too long to ask that. Even the walls in this town have ears. And if she’s not yours, you’d best watch out because every single guy in here is readying to take your place.”
I frowned, glancing over my shoulder at him. “She’s taken…by me,” I growled.
“Hot damn. Then you'd better tell Chip that.”
I looked back to where Chip Lionel, the local flirt, had his hand on Olivia’s wrist and was sweet-talking her. Sharp talons of envy tore through me, but before I could move, I saw the disgusted curl of her mouth as her eyes dropped to where he held her wrist.
“I have lawyers who will take your last penny for that arrogant touch,” she said loud enough for everyone to hear. I stood and, in a few long strides, came up behind him. Her eyes darted to me.
“But I’ll have every one of those fingers broken before she can make that call, and I’m sure those fancy lawyers of hers could work it so I do no jail time for laying your ass out on this floor, Chip.”
He dropped his hand and looked up at me. “I thought she was your ex,” he said, tipping his hat at me.
“Was is the operative word.” I smacked the hat off his head. “Don’t touch women without their permission. You oughta know better than that.”
Jessie plunked a plate of eggs in front of him. “You should know better than that, Chip. Don’t let me see that behavior again, or I’ll have Dennie throw you out.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Olivia cleared her throat, and I turned my sight to see her standing there, staring him down with her arms crossed. Damn, she was like an aggressive predator waiting to strike.
“I’m waiting for the apology.”
He shifted in his seat and picked his hat up from the counter. “Sorry, ma’am.”
A roll of her eyes and an exaggerated huff had me hiding my grin. “I am not a ma’am, and you’d be wise to remember that.”
Chin up, she sauntered back to the booth and took her seat.
“Seriously, Hudson. I didn’t know she was your girl.”
Jessie gave me a look when I returned my attention to him. “No excuse, Chip,” she said, giving me a wink. “You’d best be leaving me a good tip so I don’t let this slip over dinner. Carl might not like hearing his best mechanic got handsy.”
“Damn, Jessie, don’t do that to me. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Give the kid a break, Jessie. He owned up, and I’m sure he’ll think twice the next time he touches without asking.
” I straightened his cap and gave him a pat on the back.
He was a good kid. I wasn’t so sure when I’d started calling twenty-five-year-olds kids, but I guess I’d hit that age.
“She’s too old for you and way out of your league, anyway. ”
I heard snickering as I walked back to my seat but ignored it as I slid into the booth. Olivia took a sip of her coffee, her nose crinkling at the taste.
“I miss the coffee shop down the street from the office,” she said, absently opening a creamer, the same creamer she’d eyed with suspicion just a few days ago.
“I keep telling Gabe he should add one to the building. Right on the main floor where the daycare is, but he says he doesn’t want random people invading the lobby. ”
“Can’t blame him for that,” I said. “You know, you’re a spitfire, Olivia Icinda.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Really? You just announced your presence to everyone in the place—”