Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Olivia
After swirling my dark brown locks into a claw clip, I glance at the clock on the nightstand. I still have a few minutes before Rhett is supposed to come pick me up for dinner. This is the calm before the storm.
I bound down the narrow staircase into the living room. The house is tiny and old, but it has everything I need if I’m only going to be here for a few months. The living room hosts a loveseat and a small green couch, facing a TV. I can already see myself plopped on the couch binge-watching Dexter till two am.
Glancing out the windows to the back porch, I note the lovely view of all the wildflowers I’ve already grown to love. There’s nothing but the gentle sound of the creek trickling past and the occasional song of a bird drifting through the air. It makes me feel oddly at peace in comparison to the constant sound of traffic and sirens I always hear from my apartment in San Francisco. Visions of me sitting on the peaceful porch editing content for my Instagram account silently dance in my head, triggering me to slide the door open and pull my phone from my back pocket. I do have some time while I wait for Rhett.
The humidity instantly wraps me up in a warm, damp hug, squeezing perhaps a little too tight, but then a gentle breeze sweeps through the air, and it feels incredible.
I settle in on the patio furniture, scrolling through Instagram and checking the DMs on the account I made back in college. @Dog_Central_ started as just a fun way to get a little dopamine rush from seeing pictures and videos of animals, but editing media I collected from the people in my dorm turned into a full-blown account with nearly fifty-thousand followers. It’s not exactly stardom, but it’s something.
I’ve always had an interest in social media and marketing, but pairing it with another passion of mine took it to a whole new level. I’ve learned through lots of trial and error about how to capture people’s attention and sync audio satisfactorily in a video. It’s been a fun challenge outside of work, and has very little demand. During busy season, I’d make a couple of videos on Sunday evenings, save them as drafts, and post them throughout the week.
The sound of crunching gravel interrupts me mid-edit. I look up to find Rhett smirking at me as he hovers over my shoulder and asks, “What’re you working on?”
“Nothing. Just a silly hobby of mine.” I quickly tuck my phone into my back pocket. “Ready to go?”
A dimple on his right cheek comes out to play, and I have to look away to keep from blushing as I nod.
I rush in his direction as he leads the way toward his black Ford F-250. He scrambles to beat me to the passenger side of the truck, so he can open the door for me with a soft smile.
“Thanks.”
When he leaps into the driver’s seat and puts the truck in reverse, I can’t help but ask, “So, you live here all the time?” I lift my hand to gesture to the bigger house nestled about a hundred feet away from the cottage.
“Yup. It’s pretty nice, huh? I don’t spend all that much time here between working on the ranch and helping people in town with various projects, but that might change with you around.” The way he says it isn’t sleazy or even flirty. It’s more like a protective I’ll be looking out for you kind of way. I hold my breath as I try to tamp down the image of an overprotective Rhett. Oh god, I don’t think I could take being more attracted to him.
“Your parents are going to be so excited to see you.”
“How did you meet them?” I pry, still trying to get a read on him and why my parents love him enough to invite him to dinner on my first night in Texas.
“I helped your mom with a flat tire one day on the way home from work. She’s so kind. I immediately knew I liked her. We got to talking, and she said I’d probably hit it off with your dad, which I did. When I found out that she and your dad were starting to get some animals on their property, I offered to help out just a bit in the evenings, and the rest is history. I think they’re really happy now that they’ve had some time to settle in. They’ve said they’re living their dream life.”
“I bet they call you their dream kid too,” I murmur.
He doesn’t seem to hear me as he flips his blinker on, completely clueless.
“Did you grow up in Roots?”
“No, I moved here about four years ago, and now it’s my home.”
I purse my lips. He’s hiding something. “Why’d you move here? You must’ve been right out of college when you came to town, right? What kind of person graduates from college and moves to a small town like this?”
“I grew up in Texas but went to college in New York. After graduation, I quickly realized the city life and a corporate job weren’t for me. I wanted some community and a fresh start, so I found Roots.”
“I’m still not sure I get it.”
“You will soon. There’s just something about Roots that makes people want to stay here.”
I raise my eyebrows in amusement. “Yeah, right. The heat alone is enough to send me packing ASAP.”
He just laughs. “What about you? What brings you here?”
“Haven’t my parents already told you?”
“Yeah, but I figured I’d ask for your side.”
I consider that for a moment. I respect him for wanting to hear what I have to say. I’d like to think my version is a little less dramatic, but at the end of the day, I’m sure the facts are all the same.
“I—” I haven’t exactly shared my story out loud yet. I’m not sure what to say.
Rhett just continues driving, waiting expectantly.
He turns off the main road onto a gravel driveway with a red-painted mailbox that reads Parker in white swirly stencil letters.
The gravel road winds down to a large home with a sprawling green lawn that looks straight out of one of my mom’s Better Homes & Gardens magazines. Chickens roam freely in the front yard, and if I hadn’t just seen my last name on the mailbox, I wouldn’t believe my parents live here. My mom was always terrified of birds.
“Saved by the bell, I guess,” Rhett notes. “You can tell me on the way home.”
“Can’t wait.” I grimace.
As we pull up, my dad rolls out from underneath an old green truck. He must’ve been tinkering with the engine. He’s always liked cars and motorsports, but when we lived in California, he only ever watched shows about them on television. Now, he appears to have started a collection of old trucks. It feels different from the dad I grew up with, but maybe he’s just getting back in touch with his Texas roots. He grew up not too far from here.
My mom rises from her position crouched in the lawn, plucking weeds. Her hair is swirled in a messy bun, and there’s dirt all over her knees. She too has changed a lot from the woman who used to get bi-monthly manicures and wouldn’t be caught dead in public without a full face of makeup.
Two dogs come running toward us, both headed for Rhett, whimpering and practically begging him to pet them. I always wanted a dog, but my parents wouldn’t let me have one growing up. We didn’t have the space. My parents’ lives have changed so much in just a couple of years, and I haven’t been around to see any of it. Do I even know them anymore?
They move toward me quickly, smiles on their faces, along with dirt and grease. Dad reaches me first, giving me a tight squeeze. “There’s my girl! We’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
Mom quickly inserts herself, grabbing onto my shoulders with tears in her eyes, and pulling me into her. Despite my mom’s ability to be a bit overbearing, her hug affects me. I feel myself melting into her the slightest bit. It’s as if the last several years never happened. I’m back in college, and my mom is my best friend again.
My heart falls out of my chest and shatters at the thought of what once was.
“I’ve missed you so much, Ol. Your dad and I have been so worried about you. We’re never going to let you out of our sight again.” She gives me a teasing smile, but I know she isn’t really joking. “I hope you brought an appetite. This is a special occasion, and we are treating it like one. We brought out all the stops, fresh veggies from the garden, steak from Copper Hill, and—did you bring them, Rhett?”
Rhett pulls the back door of his truck open and slides out a white catering box with pride. “Of course I did!”
“Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to get my paws on those chocolate miracles. Your lava cakes are the best dessert I’ve ever had.” Mom turns to me. “Rhett makes them completely from scratch.”
I jerk my head back and blink at my mom. I’ve never in my life seen her eat dessert, and now she’s eating Rhett’s lava cakes? Let’s not glaze over the fact that this man apparently bakes excellent chocolate desserts. I just don’t know what to make of anyone or anything anymore.
Rhett beams with pride as he opens the box for me to see. Every muscle on his upper body is on display in the tight white t-shirt he’s wearing, so it’s impossible to miss the way his biceps flex as he holds the box. Any negative feelings I had toward him go out the window as I swoon slightly and think I’d eat his molten lava cakes any day.
This is getting ridiculous. I do not like Rhett! Something about him just feels… off. He’s too nice and too close with my parents. That can’t be genuine, right? I have my reasons for not being as close with my parents, but it still really stings to watch them practically replace me with Rhett. Besides, I’m supposed to be in and out of this town. I need to focus on learning how to manage my anxiety so I can go back to work and get promoted. I don’t need any distractions, especially not in the form of handsome cowboys in tight t-shirts.
“We’d better head inside. I don’t think I’ll be able to wait too long to break into these.” Mom nudges Rhett as she takes the box from him. He responds by tossing back a smirk.
As my mom leads the way to the front door, she turns to me. “These cakes might be enough to make you want to stay in Texas, Ol. I swear there’s nothing better.”
I bite my tongue as I try to tamp down the frustration rising inside me. She’s already making comments about me staying here, as if that’s a possibility. I have a feeling all hell is going to break loose tonight.