A Second Chance at Crimson Ranch (10 page)

“You're right. I know you're right.” But Josh knew what it was like to have fun, to blow off some steam with a woman. It was different with Olivia. That had the warning bells clanging like crazy.

He stuck his head into the hallway. “I'm not going to hurt her,” he shouted into the silence, then jumped when Sara gave him a little shove back into the kitchen.

“That's good, because I'll kill you if you do.”

She said the word through a sugary-sweet smile, but somehow he didn't think she was kidding.

“She's serious,” Josh confirmed his thoughts.

Logan pointed at his brother. “You're crazy.”

“Crazy for me,” Sara said and looped her arms around Josh's waist. Josh hugged her tight to him and placed a kiss on her blond hair.

Logan scrubbed his hand across his face. “I've got to get back to the job site. The electrician is meeting me there.”

“Thanks for stopping out,” Sara said. “I'm glad we had this talk.” Her smile was earnest, but Josh shook his head above her.

Logan let himself out of the farmhouse. Despite the oddness of that whole visit, his chest felt just a little bit lighter.

Chapter Eight

O
livia had breakfast with her mom before driving out to the retirement center. “I want you to meet Natalie and some of the people from my class.”

Her mother smoothed a hand over her already perfectly groomed hair. “I still don't understand why you spend your time teaching painting classes for senior citizens. If you want to pursue your interest in art there are several prestigious artists' groups based out of Aspen.” Her mother pulled a small notebook out of her purse. “I jotted down the websites if you'd like to have a look at them.”

Olivia reached across the center console, plucked the notebook from her mother's hands and tossed it into the backseat. She ignored her mom's outraged gasp. “I don't want to be a patron of the arts, mother. I want to teach painting. I like it in Crimson.”

“It's so...
quaint
.” Diana said the word as if it hurt coming through her lips.

“It's a good town.” Olivia resisted the urge to beat on the steering wheel with her hands. “Nice people.”

“They certainly don't seem to blame you for Craig's indiscretions. I can't believe how many people approached you this morning to speak negatively about him.”

That much was true. They'd gone for coffee and muffins at Life is Sweet, the local bakery situated a few blocks from the community center. Olivia didn't know Katie Garrity, the woman who ran the shop, very well. That hadn't stopped Katie from insisting that Olivia's coffee was on the house to celebrate Craig's departure from town. Several other patrons in the store had given her a reassuring pat on the back or murmured a few kind words after that.

Olivia had thought her mother might faint on the spot. Diana's number one life rule was keeping dirty laundry private. But Olivia found solace in knowing that she might be harder on herself than anyone else had reason to be.

Present company excepted, of course.

“You can't stay here,” Diana continued. “You'll need to come back to Saint Louis and make a fresh start. We can play down your divorce and reinvent you.”

“I don't need reinvention.”

“I've already spoken to a friend who's on the board of the art museum. You can start as volunteer in their fund-raising office and if something opens—”

“Mom, you're not listening to me. I like it in Crimson. I want to stay here.”

“Don't be ridiculous. Craig was the mayor. Everyone knows you've been deserted and humiliated. Don't fool yourself into thinking that wasn't pity on those people's faces this morning. Pity is a terrible thing to live with.”

Olivia felt her face flame with angry color. “It's better than living without my pride.”

Her mother was silent for several long seconds, then murmured, “I don't understand you, Olivia. This isn't how you were raised.”

Thank heaven for small favors.

“Mom, let's not talk about this anymore today. I'd like you to meet everyone at Meadowbrook. I want you to know a little bit more about my life. Can you just honor that?”

“What about the community center? Are we going to visit your new project, too?”

Olivia swallowed. “Sure. I'd...planned on it.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of her mother's brows raise. “I saw the young man you have living above your garage today. The one working on the renovations.”

“Logan Travers.”

“He's very handsome.”

Olivia remained silent.

“And young. Not at all your type.”

“Because my type is a smooth-talking slimeball serial cheater like both my husband and my father were?”

Diana sucked in a breath. “Don't talk about your father that way.”

Olivia swung the car into the retirement center's parking lot. “Forget it, Mom. Just give me this, okay?”

Her mother's lips thinned, but she nodded.

Olivia's anger dissipated over the course of the morning. It was both the bane and blessing of her existence that she couldn't hold a grudge. It kept her from wallowing in the pain she felt but sometimes made her a repeated target for more hurt.

At least in this place she felt comfortable. Most of the residents in the wing where she taught were playing cards when they walked in. They were happy to put the game on hold to give Olivia's mother a tour and then insisted on showing her the hallway where the paintings they'd finished were displayed.

To Olivia's surprise, her mother seemed to relax as she spoke to the senior citizens. Olivia had always assumed that her mother's charity work was done more out a sense of duty than a real desire to help others, but Diana was clearly engaged by this group.

Sara Travers was having lunch with Natalie in the break room, and Diana was polite and cheerful as introductions were made. Obviously, her two friends met whatever arbitrary standards her mother had in her head. Meadowbrook's director offered to take Diana on a tour of the rest of the facility at that moment, leaving Olivia alone with the other women.

She let out a long breath as the door shut behind her mother.

“Guess I'm not the only one with Mommy Dearest issues,” Sara said with a small smile.

“She heard about Craig,” Olivia explained. “She flew out to lecture me on how I should save face and continue to let him walk all over me.”

“Your mother must have made one hell of a political wife,” Natalie commented with a snort.

“I have no intention of following in her footsteps.” Olivia reached forward and snagged a baby carrot from Natalie's lunch.

“Logan came by the ranch yesterday,” Sara said to no one in particular.

A bite of carrot lodged in the back of Olivia's throat, and she coughed wildly.

“Subtle as ever, Sara,” Natalie said with a shake of her head. She stood and clapped a hand on Olivia's back several times. “Okay?”

Olivia nodded and wiped at her eyes.

Sara gave her a glorious, movie-star smile. “Nice reaction. I think he wanted our blessing to date you.”

“To date me?” Olivia sputtered out a laugh. “Guys like Logan don't date women like me.”

Natalie tilted her head. “You're blushing. Something happened. What happened?” She took Olivia by the shoulders and shook her gently. “Let me live vicariously through you, Olivia. I'm desperate.”

“Nothing happen—” Olivia closed her eyes. She'd always been a terrible liar. “We might go out. After my divorce is final.”

“Why wait?” Natalie asked. “I'd jump a guy like Logan in a New York minute.”

“They wait,” Sara interrupted, “because he's a gentleman underneath all that bad boy hotness.
He
waits because Olivia's worth it.”

“I don't know—”

“That's a good point,” Natalie agreed, releasing Olivia.

“Stop talking about me as if I'm not here,” Olivia muttered.

“We know you're here.” Natalie gave her a playful swat on the shoulder. “Although if I was you I'd be camped out on the courthouse steps waiting for those divorce papers.”

“Don't make it a big deal.”

“You should have fun and let loose after what Craig did to you. Logan is the perfect guy for that.”

Olivia thought Logan might be the perfect guy, period. But she didn't say that. “Can we not talk about this?”

“Only if you promise to divulge all the juicy details,” Natalie said, wiggling her hips in a way that made Olivia blush.

“You really like him,” Sara said, her mouth curving into a smile.

Olivia looked away. “Like you said, I want to let loose. Plus he's doing a great job on the community center. He's going back to Telluride when renovations are done. It would be stupid for me to
really
like him.”

Her friends were silent for too long. She added, “My focus is the community center, which will be ready to open by next month. I had another grant come through yesterday. We've got enough money to run things through the summer. I'm starting to schedule classes and events. The mayor and a couple of town council members are coming to the building next week. I know some people are still nervous that I'm coordinating this after Craig deserted this town.”

“You've done amazing work,” Natalie told her.

“We need to throw a party. A grand opening celebration.” Sara rose quickly from her chair. “A fund-raiser.”

“What kind of fund-raiser?” Olivia asked.

“The kind where we raise a bunch of money and focus a ton of positive attention on you.” Sara walked back and forth across the room, clearly in deep thought. “We could plan a reception to show off the place and everything you've done for it.”

Olivia held up a hand. “I don't like being the center of attention.”

Sara made a scoffing noise.

“You're the Hollywood actress,” Olivia argued. “I'm a behind-the-scenes person.”

“This is your time to shine.” Sara held her arms out wide.

Olivia looked at Natalie and mouthed
help me
.

“You could make it about what the center has to offer,” Natalie offered. “Call it an open house. Are you still planning on having a storefront with offerings from local artists?”

Olivia nodded.

“Perfect. Have some of them there to mingle with guests. The volunteers and teachers who will be working at the center can be a part of it, too.” She turned to Sara. “April is going to be teaching yoga. She can be there.”

“And you,” Olivia said, pointing at Natalie. “You promised to let me sell your jewelry.”

Natalie blinked several times, then busied herself cleaning up her lunch dishes. “Sure. Whatever. Although I'm not much of a draw.”

“That's not true,” Olivia argued. “Every time I wear a pair of your earrings someone compliments me on them.” She brushed back a lock of hair to reveal the delicate gold loops Natalie had given her for her last birthday.

“It's true,” Sara agreed. “Even in LA people stop me to ask about your designs. I think you could really make a go of it if you put yourself out there.”

“I'm happy where I am.” Natalie threw her leftovers in the trash can with a little more force than necessary. “Besides, this isn't about me.” She gave Olivia a pointed look.

“Okay,” Olivia said with a sigh. “It's for the community center. Let's do it.”

Her mother walked back into the room at that moment. “Do what?”

“We're going to organize a fund-raiser for the opening of the community center,” Sara told her. “To showcase all the work Olivia has done. How long are you planning on staying in town, Mrs. Jepson? We'd love to have you help plan it.”

Olivia wasn't sure if she could take another month with her mom in town. She held her breath, then released it as her mother said, “I need to get back to Saint Louis this weekend.”

Her mother's gaze swung to Olivia. “Everyone here thinks very highly of you, Olivia.” She sounded a bit stunned by the fact, and an awkward silence descended on the group.

“We love your daughter,” Natalie said after a moment. “She's one of us.”

Diana pursed her lips but nodded. “I see that.” She looked at Olivia. “Are you ready? I'd like to see this community center everyone speaks so highly of before I go.” She glanced at Sara and Natalie. “It was lovely to meet you both.”

They said their goodbyes as Natalie walked them to front door. Olivia and her mother headed to one end of the parking lot as Sara turned in the other direction.

“Say hi to Logan for me,” Sara called over her shoulder. She winked in Olivia's direction.

“The contractor doing the renovations is Sara's new brother-in-law,” she explained to her mother as they drove back toward town.

“The young man living with you?” Diana's voice was tight.

“In the apartment over the garage, Mom. We're not shacking up.”

“Don't be vulgar, Olivia. Remember who you are and what's expected of you.”

“As if I could forget.” Olivia turned the radio on to avoid any more conversation.

* * *

Logan hadn't been at the job site when Olivia had taken her mother there. In fact, he seemed as eager to avoid a run-in with Diana as Olivia was.

Jordan Dempsey had been cleaning some things in one of the upstairs rooms, however, and had actually been polite to Olivia's mother without any prodding. When Diana excused herself to take a phone call, Olivia approached Jordan.

“I wanted to thank you again for all of your work around the community center.”

“I didn't do it to help you.”

“I know.” Olivia kept her smile firmly in place. She refused to take Jordan's anger personally, even though it wore at her nerves. “Logan has enjoyed having you here.”

The boy's chin jutted forward. “But he's going to leave. Like everyone leaves me.”

Blown away by how similar her feelings were to Jordan's, she forced herself to count to ten in her head before speaking. “That's not true—”

“It is true!” Jordan threw his backpack to the ground. “I'm not stupid.”

“I never said you were.”

“My mom thought I was. I could tell something was wrong with her, that she was doing something bad even before she left. She was always texting or talking on her phone and then she'd tell me she needed to run to the store.” He shook his head. “She never came back with any groceries. I wanted to tell my dad but I couldn't. He's so clueless. Maybe if I'd said something she wouldn't have left.”

Her heart broke for this boy. “I understand why you feel that way, but it isn't your fault. The decision your mother and my ex-husband made was a bad one. They hurt a lot of people. I hope someday she can earn your forgiveness. But don't blame yourself for their mistakes.”

Jordan blinked several times, his chin trembling. “Who else is there?” he shouted at her suddenly. “If she loved me so much, she would have never left. I wasn't enough for her. What if I'm never enough?”