Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Oh, but he planned to make her see it was right in front of her. “No serious relationships?”
“A couple. One when I was in high school. One in college, but it didn’t last long. And one a couple of years back that died when he chose a job over me. He actually worked for us for a while. Smart guy. Ruthless guy. He used his position to leverage another job. We talked about getting married and starting a family, and instead of a proposal he told me he was leaving for New York and he wanted to work on his career before settling down. Except he took another woman with him, and I hear they planned to get married.”
“He sucks.”
She nodded. “He does, and not in a good way. How about you and Keane? Any serious relationships?”
He had her now. Oh, not entirely, but if Olivia was talking and being real with him, they had a chance. “Not for more than sex. All of the places we’ve been in, there would be talk, and the women didn’t want the gossip and the scandal.”
“Let me guess, they were willing to date you and let Keane in the bed?” Olivia posited. “Keep him in the third-wheel role?”
“Yeah, how did you know?” Garrett asked.
“Because I watched it happen to Josh and Grim when they were younger. Grim has a whole doctorate in veterinary medicine and women treated him like he wasn’t good enough to date. They were willing to face the wrath of Willow Fork in order to date the heir to the Barnes-Fleetwood Ranch, but not brazen enough to date them both publicly.”
“But you would?”
“For the right guys, sure,” Olivia admitted. “Now that I think about it, I’m surprised I haven’t done it simply to piss off the church ladies. Not the nice church ladies. They’re lovely, but there’s a faction who are awful. It’s fun to watch how much they hate how Willow Fork is changing. My momma did that. And my papa. He’s impossible to not like. Dad scares the crap out of everyone.”
Garrett studied her for a moment. “They looked down on you because you have two dads?”
“Yes. Absolutely. You can get away with it in a city like New York. It’s quirky and fun. Here, if you don’t fit the mold, you’re the enemy. Or the weakest link. My dad was never anyone’s weakest link. So he was a threat. Like I said, it’s gotten easier, but when I was a kid, I wanted to make it until I could get to Bliss.” Her expression went thoughtful. “Huh. What if my original attraction to Bobby and Will was about the town where I felt safe? I have to think about that.”
He wanted to keep her talking. Maybe then she wouldn’t hear Keane. He probably shouldn’t have had that beer. “So school was hard on you?”
“No. When it was clear that it was going to be difficult, my dad built his own. It’s on the resort Danielle Lodge-Taylor built. I found a lot of friends there. Most of the lodge workers who have kids send them to our school. When I was older, he brought in tutors for tougher subjects. I’m not saying I had a hard upbringing. Not at all. I never had a day where I didn’t know I was loved, never went hungry or worried about having a roof over my head. But I know what it feels like to have eyes on me, judging me for something I had no control over. Not that I would use my control to make them more comfortable. It still hurt when I was younger.”
Yes, there was the depth he sensed in her the night before. “Well, I understand that, too.”
“Foster care is tough on a kid. It’s made worse because other kids are assholes.”
“Not all of them.”
“No. At least you found Keane,” she allowed. “You know I envy my brother. Josh. I call Grim my brother and he is. Blood isn’t the only thing that makes a family. But he’s my brother’s best friend. Mine lived in Bliss and had some secrets, and now he’s going to graduate and live in California and change the whole world. I wish I had a friend like Grim. Like you and Keane.”
“Are you friends with Nicole?”
“I adore my sister-in-law, but I don’t have that shared history with someone. I didn’t grow up with a friend who became half of my whole.”
“Maybe that’s what marriage will be for you,” Garrett offered. “Love and passion and a deep friendship. You start your real history on the day you meet. Everything from that moment is shared. Everything is built from that first meeting.”
A bittersweet smile hit her lips. “That sounds nice. It’s not something that’s going to happen for me. I’m going to concentrate on work and ensuring my parents can retire soon. They deserve to travel and have fun and enjoy their golden years.”