Chapter 3
three
There was only a cold drizzle when Olivia walked to the coffeehouse just a few blocks down from her apartment, but she felt like a soggy sponge halfway there.
By the time she stepped inside, welcomed by the scent of freshly ground coffee beans, she was dripping.
Malcolm waved from a table right next to the woodstove, and, relieved for some warmth and dry heat, she peeled off her damp jacket and joined him.
“I’m really starting to hate city living,” she admitted as she sat down.
“Well, I heard it’s raining at home too,” he consoled her.
“Yeah, but temps are supposed to go down next week, and it sounds like they might start getting snow there.” She sighed and unpeeled a damp woolen scarf.
“I’d take that over this any day.” She smiled as a barista set down a latte with a pretty heart cut into the foam.
Malcolm obviously knew the way to her heart.
“Thanks.” She carefully picked up the mug, feeling the warmth seep into her fingers.
“So, why were you checking the weather at home?”
“I wasn’t. Jocelyn called and reminded me it’s Mom’s birthday.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, her sixtieth. And they’re having a big blowout birthday bash today. An all-day and overnight get together. Mom’s over the moon.”
Olivia nodded. “She loves celebrations like that.”
“Mostly having her family gathered around.” His cheerful countenance faded some.
“And you should be there too?” She sipped her latte, savoring the mellow sweetness of the vanilla and sprinkle of sugar that had been added.
“Yeah. I totally forgot.”
“Are you on call at the clinic?”
“Not this weekend.”
“Then you should go home, Malcolm.” She checked the oversized clock on the wall. “Just think, you could be there by dinnertime if you left now.”
“Yeah, I was just thinking that too.” He pressed his lips tightly together, as if making a decision. “It’s a two-hour drive . . . think you’d want to come along? I’m sure your parents would love a surprise visit from you.”
She considered this. Maybe it’d be a good way to introduce her mom to the news that she was dating Malcolm McEntire and they were maybe getting serious.
“Yeah,” she said slowly. “My parents would probably love that.”
He looked intently into her eyes. “I’d like my parents to know that we’ve been seeing each other. But I know how you wanted to wait.”
She bit her lip. “Maybe that’s a good idea, to sort of clue them in. Better than springing it on them at Christmas. Might give them a little time to adjust to the idea.”
“I know you’re nervous, Livvie, but if it’s any consolation, my family already loves you. It’s like you’ve been part of our family for ages.”
She looked at him. This was the most they’d talked about their relationship and how it might impact their families. Did this mean he felt as serious as she did? Not that she wanted to push him on it, but she could hint.
“I guess I’ve been putting it off, Malcolm . . . well, you know . . . in case we stopped seeing each other.”
His brow creased. “Meaning you’re thinking about that? Because if you are, I hope you’ll let me in on it. I got ghosted once before a few years ago and it was pretty miserable.”
She beamed at him. “No, no, not at all. I suppose I’m worried about you doing that to me.”
He reached for her hand, which was still slightly cold, and, cupping it in both hands, seemed to study her. “I’ve never been happier with anyone, Livvie. But if you plan to break my heart, I’d prefer to get it over with.”
She shook her head no and they both smiled. For what felt like several minutes, they just gazed at each other, and she almost thought this could be the big moment, but then he looked at the clock.
“Hey, why don’t I get to-go cups, and we’ll be on our way.
I don’t need to pack a bag since Mom never throws anything away and I still have some random clothes and things there—and we’ll be coming back here Sunday afternoon anyway.
But you probably need to stop by your apartment. My car’s outside. I’ll take you by.”
“Don’t bother. I don’t need to pack anything either. My room is just how I left it and I’ve got stuff there. Let’s just hit the road, Jack.”
Once they had their to-go cups in hand, they walked the short distance to the car, and before long, Malcolm was navigating city traffic to the interstate. With her still-damp jacket in the backseat, Olivia utilized a car blanket like a shawl and, once the heater was cranked up, was cozy and warm.
“There might be snow on the pass,” she pointed out as Malcolm turned onto the eastbound highway toward home.
“I figured, but I have my winter tires on. No worries.”
“I can’t believe Christmas is less than three weeks off.” She plugged his charging cord into her nearly dead phone, wondering if she should give her mom a little heads-up text . . . except that might just send poor Mom into an unnecessary cleaning frenzy. Maybe a surprise was better.
“This is actually perfect timing for something else,” he said mysteriously.
“Something else?” Her engagement radar perked up.
“Yeah. You know Dr. Wheeler and his veterinary practice? Well, I heard through my brother that he’s talking about retirement and needs to hire an associate.”
“Really?” She turned to stare at him. “Are you thinking about it? Seriously? I mean, moving back home?”
“It sounds like a great opportunity. I’ve always wanted a practice that treated some large animals too. I get tired of highly strung little yippy trophy dogs and spoiled, overfed old cats.”
“That does sound a little pathetic.”
“I don’t want to forget everything I learned in school about treating large animals. And working alongside Doc Wheeler would be a fantastic opportunity.”
She glumly nodded. “Yeah, but I would miss you.”
For a long moment the only sound was the wiper blades going back and forth.
“You always say you’d never move back there, but do you really mean it?” he asked.
“I think I used to mean it, and then to be honest, it probably just became a habit. It’s easy to say when you’re trying to fit into big-city life.
But I suppose I do miss it.” She considered this.
“But to be honest, it would be a challenge to live in the same town as my parents. More specifically, my mom. You know she can be sort of difficult.”
He chuckled. “I know she can be a little finicky about some things.”
“Some things? She’s finicky about everything. The truth is, going home even for just an overnighter kinda sets my teeth on edge.”
“But you said you plan to be home for the holidays,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, I suppose this visit can be like a little booster shot to inoculate me for what’s coming at me in a couple weeks.” She attempted a lighthearted laugh.
“Your mom is going to be thrilled to see you.”
“Malcolm,” she began carefully, “do you think . . . I’m being totally serious now, but do you think my mom is, uh, normal?”
“Normal? Frankly, I don’t know anyone who is normal, so I have no idea.”
“Okay, okay. I realize there is no normal. But sometimes I worry that my mom has mental health issues. It’s like she’s in this perfectionist trap of her own making, and the older she gets, the worse it gets.”
“Maybe it just seems that way since you’re living away from home. If you were around her all the time, you might not even notice. I mean, my family has a lot of weirdness. Like, Jocelyn is on this crazy minimalist kick. And Jonathon has ups and downs and—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know your family, and sure, they have their quirks, which I find rather uniquely charming. But my mom goes beyond that. According to Tracie, any behavior that negatively affects your life or those around you might be more than just an eccentric personality trait.”
“Well, some people think my mom is a hoarder since her house is so packed. Do you think she has an issue?”
“I remember your mom’s garage and yard sales. Seems she was always trying to thin out stuff. Doesn’t strike me as hoarding. And after raising eight kids, it’s no wonder she gets stuck with a lot of stuff. And they’ve been in that house for years and—”
“Okay, okay. Good defense. Maybe you should quit being a marketing consultant and take up law.” He glanced her way. “Speaking of your career, I’ve heard that a lot of consultants work off-site, from home. Have you ever thought of that?”
“I do work off-site sometimes.” She turned to look at him, studying his profile as he focused on the highway. “What made you think of that?”
He shrugged, then smiled. “I don’t know.” He pointed up the road to a pull-out next to the river. “I want to stop and take off my coat. I’m getting too warm.”
“Yeah, and it stopped raining.”
Malcolm slowed the car to a stop before getting out. Still wearing the blanket shawl, Olivia got out, too, going over to the guardrail to peer down at the raging river below.
“Pretty wild today,” she said.
“Extreme kayakers might like it, but I’ll take the calmer stuff.
” Malcolm unzipped his wool jacket and tossed it in the back.
“Olivia,” he said suddenly with a slightly urgent tone.
“I hope that if I were to get a job with Doc Wheeler and relocate, we’d .
. . uh, well, we’d still stay in touch, right? ”
She nodded and smiled. “Of course.” But even as she said it, she wondered .
. . what did he actually mean? Stay in touch as in “let’s remain friends”?
Or continue with a long-distance dating relationship?
Which honestly sounded unappealing. The distance part anyway.
What was he really saying? She wanted to know and yet didn’t want to ask.
Didn’t want to be an anchor holding him back from a dream.
He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “Because I don’t want to lose this—whatever it is we have going on here.” His smile filled her with a warm rush of assurance. And yet . . . what was he not saying?
“I don’t want to lose it either.” In that same instant, the heavy dark clouds overhead opened up again, and they both scrambled back to the SUV.
Okay, she thought, it wasn’t the perfect spot for a marriage proposal.
After all, who wants to say yes in the cold rain?
Although she had wished that was the moment, was ready for that to be the moment, and she would’ve eagerly said yes even while getting soaked to the skin.
But it was probably for the best, since catching her parents off-guard by showing up unexpectedly combined with the news of an engagement .
. . well, it might send her poor mother into cardiac arrest. Even a careful, albeit late-in-coming hint that romance was brewing would be more than enough to unhinge her mother.
Not for the first time, Olivia wished she’d given her mom a little heads-up months ago when this was all fresh and new.
What had she been waiting for anyway? Christmas?