Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Rhett
Olivia
Have you seen or heard from Callie or Lauren at all? I haven’t been able to get ahold of them
Me
Nope. What’s going on? Did something happen last night?
It’s a long story
I’ve got time. When will you be home?
Headed back from Resilient Paws in about 10 mins
Have you had dinner yet?
No
But that doesn’t mean you need to cook for me!!
Too late! How do burgers, baked beans, and corn on the cob sound?
Fine… but I’M going to cook for YOU one of these days
Fine by me
Fifteen minutes later, the burgers are on the grill, the beans are on the stove, and the corn is boiled. The doorknob jiggles as Olivia lets herself in, immediately making my heart hammer in my chest. I’m determined to swallow my pride and finally tell her the truth about my past. Callie was right. That’s the only path forward with Olivia if there ever will be one. God, do I want there to be one. I swing the door open, and Maverick rushes in, immediately making himself comfortable. Olivia follows behind, her earth-shattering smile making me feel like I’ve just come home. I want to tug her into my arms and feel her warmth, let her presence seal all the cracks that have formed in my soul over the years.
“Hey, Wildflower. You’re right on time.”
She follows me to the back patio as I pull the burgers from the grill and turn it off. “So, are you going to fill me in on what happened with Callie and Lauren?”
“I’m not sure how much of the story I can tell you because, you know, girl code.”
“Okay, then tell me what you can.”
“Callie came up with a sort of sketchy plan last night. I thought I convinced her it was a bad idea, but I woke up this morning to an empty house, and now I can’t get ahold of either one of them.”
I reach out, running my fingertips gently across her back to soothe her. Concern is painted all over her face. “Are you worried they’re in danger, or are you just upset that you don’t know what’s going on?”
“Maybe a little of both? Neither one of them were in any condition to drive last night. They mentioned Jax driving them, so I’m hoping he did. I’m worried about Lauren though. I don’t think there’s any way the situation could’ve ended well.”
“I can try to call Callie if it’d help.”
“Please!” She desperately clings to my arm.
I pull my phone out and scroll to Callie’s contact. When she doesn’t answer, I leave a quick voicemail and then click into the messages app.
Me
Hey! Olivia is really worried about you and Lauren. What happened last night?
“There. I sent her a text too.”
“Thank you.” She looks up at me through her long thick lashes. “Is your sound on?”
A chuckle escapes me as I flick the button on the side of my phone up. “It is now.”
“Thank you.”
“You know I’d do anything for you.”
The earth-shattering smile she gifts me makes me feel on top of the world. The feeling is better than when I roped my first cow or when I finally finished writing my first song for the guitar. She feels like home, more than any other human being ever has, and it’s a reminder that I’m supposed to swallow my pride and finally tell her everything about my past.
Last night, hearing her affirm exactly what Callie told me, that she wants to stay but needs security and the knowledge that she can please everyone, made me more certain this can work.
I lead us inside, and we each dish up. As we sit at the table, I can’t stop thinking about what I’m going to say to Olivia when we talk. I know I should wait until after dinner, but I’m not sure if I can. The anticipation is killing me. Thankfully nothing has felt off between us since we didn’t kiss a little over a week ago, but I still want to set us on the right path forward.
“So, you’re trying to stay in Roots?”
Her eyes go round, and she presses her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “I guess I didn’t just dream about telling you I wanted to stay then, huh?”
“Nope.” Thankfully not. The memory of her lips gently brushing up against my ear last night still charges my blood. “What do we need to do to make you comfortable with the idea of staying?”
I try to act casual, but it’s nearly impossible not to get my hopes up. There’s still a big part of me that wonders if it’s even worth putting myself out there to tell her the truth if she isn’t going to stay here. I’m just warming up to the idea of a relationship in general. I’m sure as hell not ready for a long-distance relationship.
“I have a whole list of things.”
“What’s on that list?”
“I want to talk with my dad about what my job has been putting me through, to make sure he understands and approves before I leave.”
I instantly go into protective mode. “I hope that won’t be something that holds you back from going after what you want. You don’t need your dad’s approval to do what makes you happy.”
“I know. I believe his love for me will outweigh whatever expectations he has of me, but because of the respect I have for him, I need to talk with him before I quit my job.” I nod along, feeling a bit better. “I also need to find a place of my own to stay.”
“You do?” There’s no hiding the hurt in my voice.
“I mean aren’t I going to move back into the cottage in a few days when everything is finalized? And I was only supposed to be there until the end of July, which is coming up quickly. I don’t want to overstay my welcome. Plus, if we are going to try to be tog?—”
She stops, pressing her lips together.
“If we are going to try to be together, you think we shouldn’t start by living together?” She nods nervously. “I love having you here with me, and I honestly don’t want you to go back to the cottage in a few days, but if living somewhere else is what it takes to get you to stay in Roots and give things a shot with me, then I can live with that.” The concern on her face slowly morphs into joy. “You can stay in the cottage if that feels right. Stay as long as you want. I don’t have any other use for it.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
She purses her lips, looking uncomfortable. “Then you’d at least need to charge me market rent.”
“I don’t need the money.”
“Rhett, I don’t care if you need the money or not. I can’t just move here and live in a little fantasy world. I need this to be real life.”
“Maybe you’ve missed the message during your time here, but people in small towns like Roots like to help each other out. It is real life in Roots to let you stay for free in a cottage I have no other use for.”
Crossing her arms, she mumbles, “Fine. But I still need a job.”
“What kind of work do you want to do?”
“I don’t know.” After a beat she adds, “I know I don’t want to be in tax anymore. The insane deadlines just don’t work for me, and I hate that I have to put my life on hold for almost six months out of the year.”
“Okay, so we look for a job that gives you the freedom to still have your life outside of work. Anything else you want or don’t want?”
“I want to do something meaningful. I’ve never felt as passionate about anything as I feel about helping Carol with the rescue. Even if I’m not making any money from it, it’s very fulfilling. I want to continue to help her and also find that feeling in my next job.”
“We can work with that.”
My phone dings, and I pull it out to find a text from Callie, which I read out loud.
Callie
We’re okay. Tell her I’ll fill her in soon
* * *
Sitting on the back porch after dinner, we watch the sun set, lighting the horizon in oranges and pinks. Birds chirp cheerily in the trees, and Olivia sits next to me. I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.
I don’t want to break the peace of this moment, but I’m about to burst from holding in the story I need to tell Olivia. “I kind of had something I wanted to talk with you about too.”
“Should I be worried?”
A strangled laugh slips from my throat. I’m not sure how to answer that question. “I know I’ve kept a lot hidden from you?—”
“I’m sorry for digging so much, Rhett. I just want to get to know you and understand you, but I realized it hasn’t been fair for me to keep insisting that I’m going to leave Roots and then ask you to open up to me anyway.”
“I was actually thinking it’s time I tell you the real reason I came to Roots.”