“All right. I know it’s not going to make a dent. That’s not the only reason I need some space.”
Lyle stared at the TV hoping Olivia wasn’t about to tell him any more about her relationship with Jack. He knew enough about the man already.
“I’m falling for him, Lyle. And he’s leaving. I’m embroiled in this mess at school and he’s standing by me, offering support, paying a lawyer, defending me to my brother, but as soon as your interviews are over, he’ll be gone. If I don’t take some time and get my feet back under me, I’m going to drown when he leaves.”
“This is Jill all over again,” Lyle said.
“Except we all knew Ty was in love with Jill and he wouldn’t let her go without a fight. Jack’s not a simple man. Things with him will never be that simple. He’ll go, and I’ll have a broken heart and a reputation in tatters. I have to face that.”
Lyle knew Jack wasn’t as unaffected as Olivia thought, but bringing it up didn’t feel like the right thing to do. She was right; Jack wasn’t Ty. He had a history of leaving behind those who cared the most, and Lyle didn’t see any evidence that he’d changed. “So you’re having a pity party?”
“Yes. I’m entitled.”
Lyle reached over and squeezed her knee. “I suppose you are. If it makes you feel any better, when Jack goes, so does Erica. You won’t be the only one nursing a broken heart.”
Olivia laid her head on his shoulder. “We’re hopeless, aren’t we?”
“Yeah,” he admitted. “We are. At least you’re getting some action before he breaks your heart.”
She shoved at his chest playfully. “I was, anyway. He wasn’t happy when I left.”
***
Erica paused before gently knocking on Jack’s office door and steeled herself for his barking reply. Ever since Olivia left without spending the night, living with Jack was like living with a ticking time bomb.
“What is it?” Jack snapped when she mustered up the nerve to interrupt.
“I’m going to the grocery store and to get some gas. Do you need anything or want to get out of the house?”
“Open the door, for God’s sake.”
She peeked her head inside. “Did you hear me? Or should I repeat what I asked?”
“I heard you. Why didn’t you come in?”
She opened the door wide and leaned against the threshold. She didn’t trust him any closer. “You’ve been a little touchy lately. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“I haven’t been touchy.” He ripped the headphones from around his neck and tossed them onto the desk. “Okay, I’ve been a little touchy.”
“Why don’t you call her and tell her you’d like her to stay?”
“This isn’t about Olivia. I’m busy. I’ve got a deal in the works that’s hit a snag and the market is down. I don’t like snags and I don’t like losing money.”
“The market’s been down before and you didn’t act this way. Call her, Jack. She’s miserable, too.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I saw her face when she left the other night. She was practically in tears.”
“She didn’t have to leave. She chose to leave. And I’m fine with it. I was beginning to feel smothered.”
“Liar. You may be able to fool Olivia into thinking you don’t care, but I’ve seen you prowl around the house until she arrives. I’ve seen how you’ve changed.”
“Changed how?”
“You smile more. You’re happy. Even though I know you hate feeling trapped here, you’re happier than I ever saw you in Denver. Or anywhere else for that matter.”
“And you think Olivia is the reason? I hate to be crude, little sister, but could I be happy because I’m getting laid on a regular basis?”
He had to do better than that if he wanted to chase her away. “Getting laid on a regular basis is what you were doing before you lost your vision and had the world at your fingertips. What you have with Olivia is a hell of a lot more than getting laid.”
“And you know this how?”
She crossed her arms and did something she rarely let herself do: she let the memories back in. “I may have been young when Mom died, but I remember the way it felt to live in that house. They were happy and so much in love. I hated the way Dad drank himself to death, but I never pretended not to understand why. He’d lost something special. Your letting Olivia go and pretending like she doesn’t matter is the same as Dad’s drinking. Both choices lead down the same road.”
Jack clenched his jaw and gripped the arms of his chair so tight, Erica thought he might rip them right off. “You’re awfully quick to cast stones when you can’t even utter a word to Lyle. When was the last time you had a conversation with the man, Erica? I can’t see his face, but I know misery when I hear it.”
“That’s not the same thing. I haven’t been sharing my life with Lyle for the past month.”
“Only because you won’t let him in. He’s crazy about you.”
“Olivia’s crazy about you.”
“She’s got a funny way of showing it,” he said. “I’m not going to beg her to be with me.”
Erica watched everything Jack felt pass over the face she used to think was as hard as granite and just as hard to read. To those who knew him, the man wore every emotion on the surface.
“I don’t think you have to. She cares about you, Jack. You’re both acting like this is no big deal, but it’s huge. I like Olivia. I like having her around. You’re falling in love with her and it scares you to death. I’m sick of putting up with your bad mood because you’re too stubborn to tell her how you feel.”
“Then go make up with Lyle and spend time with him.”
Erica noticed that Jack didn’t deny he was falling for Olivia. “I’ll talk to Lyle if you’ll talk to Olivia.”
“Whatever. Is she coming over tonight for your lesson?” he asked as if the answer wasn’t what he’d been waiting to hear.
“She’ll be here at four.”
He picked up his headphones. “I don’t need anything from the store.”
“I’ll be back in an hour.” She shut his door and gathered her keys and purse. If her stubborn big brother could take a step in the right direction, maybe she could, too.
Chapter 44
Olivia knocked on Jack’s door. She usually went in without knocking or she’d knock and enter at the same time. She waited anxiously on the front porch for someone to answer.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, Erica opened the door. “Why didn’t you come in?” she asked as she hurried back to the kitchen. “I’ve got four things going at once in here.”
Olivia set her bag on the kitchen chair, took off her coat, glanced down the hallway toward Jack’s office, and tiptoed into the kitchen. Erica was busy chopping onions, browning meat, had something boiling on the stove, and the oven preheating. “What are you making?” Olivia asked.
“Chowder. I’ve never made it before and I’m trying to follow the recipe.” She snuck a glimpse at Olivia. “It’s a lot easier to cook when I do it by feel.”
“By feel?”
“You know, when I just guessed at the amounts by what felt right.”
“Is that how you’ve been cooking all these years?”
“Mostly. I used to skim the ingredient lists, but I didn’t recognize a lot of the words. That phonics chart has really helped me sound words out. I would have missed a couple of ingredients that went into this chowder if I hadn’t read the recipe.”
Olivia took a chance and placed her hands on Erica’s shoulders. “I’m so proud of you.”
Erica smiled, broad and bright. It was like watching the sun fill a dim room. “I am, too. Jack said I’d have to work hard and I have been. I guess it’s paying off.”
“He’s a smart guy.”
“Not that smart,” Jack said from behind her.
Olivia whipped around as her heart bubbled like the soup on the stove. “Jack.”
He stood with his hands in his pants pockets. She’d never seen that expression on his face. He looked confident, as always, and so breathtakingly handsome, but underneath, she sensed a wariness in his too calm eyes and apprehension in the small tic that twitched at the side of his mouth. “I wasn’t smart enough to ask you to stay the other night. To tell everyone to go to hell and stay with me. I don’t like sleeping without you, Olivia. I haven’t really slept since you left.”
Olivia’s knees went weak and everything inside of her that had been wound tight loosened with relief and joy. They weren’t words of love or commitment, but at least he’d been as miserable as she had. “I haven’t either. I’ve gotten used to you heating the bed by at least ten degrees.”
“And you cooling it down by twenty.”
“Creating the perfect atmosphere for sleeping,” she said and walked into his arms. “I missed you, Jack. If you’d have asked me to stay, I would have.”
“I missed you, too.”
He leaned down to kiss her, and she reached up and pulled his face down, too eager to feel his lips on hers. His hands on her back pulled her up to his willing mouth. If Erica hadn’t dropped a spoon and yelped when the boiling water sprayed her skin, Olivia would have embarrassed them all with her wanton behavior.
“Are you okay?” Jack asked his sister.
“Yes, it’s nothing.” She ran her hand under cold water. “I should have been more careful when I put the vegetables in the pot.”
“It smells good,” Jack said. “Whatever you’re making.”
“Smoky sausage corn chowder.”
Jack sniffed the air. “And?”
“Beer bread’s in the oven.”
Jack held Olivia to his side and rubbed his slender belly. “Yum. Excellent fuel for makeup sex.”
Olivia felt her face heat. “Jack!”
“Erica knows we have sex, Olivia.”
She slapped hid stomach. “Not if you make assumptions. I refuse to be a foregone conclusion.”
“You’re anything but.” He patted her behind. “Go teach your lesson. I’m going to go to my office and dream up some conclusions.”
Erica piled dishes in the sink. “These can wait until later.”
“I’ll do them after our lesson,” Olivia said. “I need to earn my keep.”
“There’s always more than enough food. It’s worth making extra to see a smile on his face,” Erica said after Jack disappeared. “He’s been moping for days.”
“Really?” Olivia couldn’t imagine Jack moping over anyone.
“Don’t go getting a big head, but yes. Have mercy on us both and stay the night. We about came to blows earlier.”
“I’m sorry.”
Erica waved her hand. “All is forgiven if you sex him back into a good mood.”
“I’ll do my best.” Olivia pulled reading material out of her bag in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. She’d told Erica she and Jack were having sex, but that didn’t mean she was comfortable talking about it. Turnabout, she decided, was fair play.
“Speaking of moods, I talked to Lyle the other night.” Erica kept her back to Olivia and turned the water on to wash her hands. Olivia waited patiently for her to finish. “He didn’t tell Tommy about the wind study.”
Erica jerked her head around. “How do you know?”
“He told me, and Tommy confirmed it. Jack applied for a permit for the tower. Someone involved with STS must have—”
“STS?” Erica asked.
“Stop the Slaughter. It’s the coalition to stop the ski development at Bear Stream. My brother’s in charge of STS, so when someone spotted the permit, they assumed it was the developer and told Tommy.”
Erica wiped her hands on a dishrag. “I accused Lyle of telling Tommy, but he didn’t tell me about the permit. He let me believe it was him.”
“My guess is he wanted you to believe in him without having to be told.” When Erica lifted her eyes, Olivia recognized the look as the one she’d just seen on Jack’s face. “Lyle’s as proud as any other man on the planet. He’s also fair and forgiving. I imagine an apology would make things right.”
“I hate apologizing, but I hate worse that I was wrong. I should have known he wouldn’t tattle on Jack.”
“He’s got power at the cabin. I know for a fact he’s planning on spending the night there tonight. It’s a nice night for a walk. We could do your lesson later.”
“No. I want to do the lesson and have dinner. I’ll walk over and apologize later.”
“Are you stalling?” Olivia asked.
“No, I’m planning. I figure you and Jack would like to be alone after dinner since he practically swallowed you whole earlier.”
Olivia rubbed her forehead. “I really don’t like talking about this.”
“Then you know how I feel about apologizing. Some things you have to do, like it or not.”
***
Jack slipped his hand up Olivia’s leg and chuckled as she gasped and nearly choked. She masked it with a cough while reaching under the table and shoving his hand away.
Erica stood up. “Okay, that does it. I don’t mind talking about the fact that you two have sex, but I don’t want to watch it.” She carried her dishes to the sink. “I’ll take you up on your offer to do the dishes, Olivia. If they’re not done when I get back, I’ll understand you got sidetracked.”
“Where are you going?” Jack asked. He hadn’t meant to chase his sister away, but his need to touch Olivia was too strong.
“I have to see a man about an apology.” She pulled a plastic container from the cabinet, filled it with chowder, and grabbed the rest of the beer bread. When she turned toward the door, Jack reached for Olivia’s chair. He grumbled when Olivia lifted her leg and blocked him.