Until I Met You

by Tari Faris

  Their kiss had haunted him night and day, and it had taken all his strength not to drive to her place and kiss her again. Maybe he would have if Jackson hadn’t been there when he showed up the other night. But Jackson’s presence had been like a spotlight on the truth. God had someone better for Olivia, and he needed to stay out of the way.

  He pushed to his feet and paced to the kitchen and back. Just a simple text from her had sent his mind back to their kiss. The fire, the softness of her lips, the feel of her hands as she pulled him close.

  Ugh. He kicked at a roll of carpet. He needed something to distract him or he’d find himself waiting for the truck at her place.

  He grabbed a tennis ball from the table and bounced it a few times. Shiro came alert. This would do. He tossed the ball toward the kitchen, and the dog scrambled after it. She returned it to his hand and sat waiting for another chase.

  He tossed it again. This time his aim was off. It bounced off the doorway to the kitchen, shot back at him, then rolled under the couch. Perfect.

  He picked up his phone, flipped on the flashlight, and knelt down to peer under the couch. A piece of metal between the floorboards glinted in the light. He picked at it with his fingernail. “What could this be?”

  After a couple tries, a miniature antique key popped free. Could this be the key to the desk Austin had been looking for? Then again, it could have been here in this house for years and no one would have noticed.

  With a groan from Shiro, Nate snatched the ball and tossed it her way. He climbed back to his feet and spun the key in his hands a few times. Maybe he should see if it fit the desk. It wasn’t like the schoolhouse was that far away. He’d hear the truck and could run back across the street before anyone was the wiser.

  He grabbed his phone as another text came in.

  Olivia

  Nate, please call me.

  His fingers itched to call her back. No. He set the phone on the table and dug his fingers into Shiro’s thick white fur. “I’ll be right back.”

  Nate grabbed his coat and jogged across the street toward the schoolhouse. At least the rain had stopped. For now. He opened the door and scanned the large space for the desk. That’s right, they’d moved it to the back room while they were painting.

  He moved to the mudroom along the back wall. The desk was the only thing in there. The space itself wasn’t that exciting. A miniature square window provided just enough light. A storage space once upon a time, maybe. He eyed the way the walls joined. Probably a later addition to the structure of the schoolhouse.

  He bent over the desk and opened and closed the top drawer. Then he slid the key into the hole, turned it, and tugged again. Locked. That answered that. He unlocked the drawer and set the key on top of the desk. Now he’d have taken care of two problems for his brother.

  He peeked out the miniature window that faced Austin’s house and then turned back to the door. Olivia stood silhouetted in the doorway.

  “Yaah!” He jumped back, pressing his hands to his chest. “What are you doing?”

  “I came to talk to you.”

  “You came to scare me.” Nate offered a forced laugh as he moved to step past her.

  She blocked his way. “We need to talk.”

  “Okay. But later.” He tried to exit on her other side.

  She blocked him again.

  Seriously?

  “You’ve been ignoring me ever since we went fishing.” Her hand waved around in the air. “Except for the other night when you stopped by for all of ten seconds.”

  He leaned against the wall. “You and Jackson seemed fine without me.”

  “Why did you stop by that day?” Her voice was softer now.

  He propped one foot up on the wall behind him. “I don’t have time for this right now.” He pushed off the wall and tried to move past her once more.

  “Neither of us is leaving until we talk.” Olivia grabbed the door and slammed it shut. The wood rattled with the force, followed by a solid clunk.

  The doorknob had fallen off.

  This couldn’t be happening. He rushed over to the door and crouched down. He ran his fingers over the ancient wood, looking for any sign of weakness—other than the knob. Nope. He wasn’t getting this door open without tools, and there was nothing in this room but a desk and a key.

  He reached for his phone but came up empty. He’d left it on the table. “Okay, we need to talk, but right now I need to be somewhere. Call someone to let us out.”

  Olivia had lost that confident look. “I don’t have my phone. Where’s yours?”

  “Mine is at Austin’s, where I was waiting for an important delivery. Where’s yours?”

  “Charging. I saw you come over here and just grabbed my coat. I didn’t think I’d need to call for help.”

  The rain picked up again, echoing on the roof above them. Perfect. They couldn’t even yell for help. No one would hear them.

  The roar of a diesel engine grew louder, followed by the squeal of air brakes.

  Nate dashed to the miniature window. A delivery truck sat in front of Austin’s, and a man stood on his porch, clipboard in hand. As if sensing his desperation, Olivia hammered at the broken door with the metal knob.

  Nate banged on the window, shouting at the top of his lungs, but it was useless. No one would hear him over the engine and rain. The man checked his watch, knocked again, and waited only a minute before he hopped back in his truck and drove away.

  Nate sank down against the wall as his head dropped into his hands. Austin was going to kill him.

  The day had gone better than he’d dared to hope. Austin leaned back on the stiff lobby chair and took another gulp of his coffee. Thank goodness he’d thought to stop at Starbucks before they’d come here. That coffee machine didn’t look appealing.

  Austin picked up the Newsweek and thumbed through it, then glanced at his watch. They needed to leave in thirty minutes if they wanted to make their final stop, but if the way Libby’s face had lit up when he mentioned stopping by the hospital to see her nephew was any indication, this time was more important than another library.

  They had already made it to seven Carnegie libraries: Newaygo, Sparta, Portland, Albion, Jackson, Hudson, and Adrian. Adrian was no longer used as a library, but the amazing architecture with the turret had definitely been worth the stop and photo. She’d seemed to love every one. And Austin found the whole adventure more exciting than he’d expected.

  He’d started to drop the Newsweek back on the end table when the words Reader’s Weekly with a tiny photo of him and Nate in the corner stopped him. He exchanged one magazine for the next and thumbed through it until he found the article on Heritage.

  He scanned the article. The lady had made Nate and Austin out to be the next Property Brothers duo. If only that were true. Nate didn’t want anything to do with the business beyond this Heritage assignment, and the photo they’d snapped definitely didn’t capture the tension Austin had felt that day. Had Nate really begged the board to give them the contract? He tossed the magazine back on the table.

  “You must be Austin.” A man entered the waiting area in a gray T-shirt and jeans. He didn’t look like Libby with his dark coloring, but she’d said that they were only cousins biologically.

  Austin stood and offered his hand. “Austin Williams. And you’re Luke?”

  “Yes. Libby’s brother and your neighbor. I recognized you from the article.” Luke pointed at the table.

  Austin glanced back at the magazine. “Yeah, that was . . . interesting.”

  “Thanks for bringing Libby. It can get lonely here, and the visit is good.”

  “Is Libby enjoying her time?”

  Luke motioned to the door. “You can see them from the window if you’d like.”

  He led the way to a wide window that overlooked a nursery full of recliners. Libby sat in one, holding an infant tinier than Austin had ever seen. A few wires led from the baby over Libby’s shoulder and attached to machines.
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  “He’s so small.”

  Luke laughed. “Here I was thinking how big he was getting. You should have seen him a month ago. I could hold him in one hand. His diaper folded up was barely bigger than a Post-it Note.”

  “Are you enjoying being a father?”

  “More than you could know. It’s also a mix of emotions. Knowing how much I already love him gives me a better understanding of what motivated my dad. But I also have a better understanding of the kind of pain he caused my mother. Kind of a crazy thing to balance in my mind.”

  “Libby told me a little bit about your past. She’s amazed how you’ve been able to forgive your dad.”

  “I’m not sure I’ve completely forgiven him. I’m working on it. But there are times I’m faced with a deeper understanding of what he took from me.” Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “And I find myself choosing to forgive him all over again.”

  Libby waved from the other side of the window, and Austin waved back. “Why would you forgive him? He doesn’t deserve it.”

  Luke’s eyes drifted back to his family. “Forgiveness is never deserved. It’s a gift. If you earn a gift, it’s not a gift anymore—it’s a wage. The way I see it, if people deserved forgiveness, then there is really nothing to be forgiven. But more than that, I’m not forgiving him for his sake. He’s not even alive to know one way or the other.”

  “Then why?”

  “Unforgiveness breeds anger and bitterness. I don’t want that for me.” Luke tapped his finger gently on the glass. “And I don’t want that for them. Because that kind of bitterness spills all over those close to you.”

  If someone else had said that, Austin would assume it was a backhanded comment about Nate. But Luke didn’t really know him.

  Austin had trusted Nate today, but he didn’t know if fully forgiving him would ever be an option. Even if Libby was right and Nate was still beating himself up. He’d cost Austin too much.

  On the other side of the glass, Libby tenderly cradled the baby, a gentle smile on her face. Had his bitterness and anger spilled on her? His mind flashed to many of their fights since he’d met her. How many of them had sparked to life because he was blinded by his anger toward Nate?

  Luke shook his hand again. “Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself. Both as your neighbor and as your date’s brother.”

  His grip tightened. It seemed all in fun, but Austin definitely got the message. Libby is my sister, and I’m watching out for her.

  “I need to get back in there.” Luke slapped Austin on the shoulder. “Hannah said I had to give her a chance to meet you too.”

  Luke disappeared down a hall and a moment later entered the nursery. He pointed to Austin on the other side of the glass and said something Austin couldn’t hear. They all laughed, and Hannah stood and walked to the door. Whatever he’d said, Libby still smiled. That had to be a good sign, right?

  When Hannah appeared in the same hall Luke had disappeared down, she stared at Austin a full five seconds with piercing brown eyes before extending her hand. “Hannah.”

  He shook her hand. “Austin.”

  Luke might have made it clear he was watching out for Libby. But Hannah, with her hair up in a loose bun and one eyebrow raised, definitely gave off the lawyer-for-the-prosecution vibe. “How long do you plan on staying in Heritage?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Are you serious about Libby, or is she just a distraction while you’re here?” The smile never dropped from her face during the question. No doubt for Libby’s benefit as she watched them from the other side of the glass. “Libby is special. She’s been hurt before. Be careful.”

  Austin shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Maybe he needed his own counsel. “I know. She’s not just a distraction. But I don’t know what the future will hold.”

  “Caroline, Grant, and Nate all seem to think highly of you. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.” She turned so her back was to the glass, the smile vanishing from her face. “Don’t prove them wrong.”

  He didn’t know if he should laugh or say, “Yes, ma’am.” Instead, he just nodded. No wonder she got along so well with Caroline.

  When the silence stretched, they both faced the glass and Austin finally spoke. “Did you say Nate spoke highly of me? I have a hard time believing that.”

  “Then maybe you don’t know your brother as well as you think.”

  That did seem to be the theme of the day.

  “Nice to meet you. Be good to her.” She patted his shoulder and left as his phone pinged with a text.

  Heirloom Gardens

  Delivery unsuccessful. No one present at delivery site to sign. Call office to reschedule.

  He gripped his phone tighter, then willed his hand to relax before he cracked the screen. He didn’t know his brother? Maybe he was the only one who did.

  fourteen

  Maybe trying to force him to talk hadn’t been her best plan ever. Olivia stared at Nate sitting against the wall with his head in his hands. Neither of them had spoken since the truck drove away about fifteen minutes ago. She’d opened her mouth several times but then snapped it shut. The way his jaw repeatedly clenched and unclenched, she’d decided to give him a minute. Or fifteen.

  Sliding down the wall, Olivia dropped into the spot next to Nate on the floor. “I am sorry. I didn’t know this would happen.”

  He stretched out his legs in front of him and picked at the weathered boards. “I know.”

  “I’ll tell Austin—”

  “It won’t matter.” He pulled one knee back up and rested his elbow on it. “He sees what he wants to see. Always has.”

  “What’s up with you two?”

  Nate straightened his arm across his knee with his forearm facing up. His fingers traced the tattoo before offering her a forced smile. “Bad decisions. Some mine. Some his.”

  “What bad decision did you make?”

  “I drove the Williams and Son delivery van into a storefront while drunk.”

  Olivia pulled her knees up under her. “Ahh. Not the best decision. But didn’t insurance cover it?”

  “Nope. I wasn’t on the insurance because I had chosen not to be a part of the company.” He rubbed the back of his neck but kept his eyes on the door. “My dad had to either pay the damage or press charges against me. My dad paid it. It almost put the company under.”

  “Did you pay him back?”

  “At first I didn’t appreciate it. I was still too messed up.” He stretched out his legs in front of him again and leaned his head back. “Then once I got my life straightened out, I tried to pay my dad back. I didn’t make enough to put much of a dent in it, but even what little I did have he wouldn’t accept. He said I needed a new start. No baggage. It definitely gave me a lesson in grace.”

  “Does your brother know you tried to pay him back?”

  “It doesn’t matter. He feels I took that money from the business, his business. And now he feels I’ve trapped him in this job when he doesn’t realize that it was the only hope Williams and Son Landscaping had left.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Nate pushed up and went to inspect the broken doorknob again. As if he hadn’t already done that ten times. “Over the past few years, Austin moved into a more hands-on position and left the books to my dad. Dad told me about a year ago that they were barely running in the black. The symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s were showing up long before he told us.”

  Olivia grabbed the broken knob from where it had rolled and held it out. “That must have been hard.”

  “It was.” Nate took the knob from her hand and worked the metal this way and that, as if trying to fit it back together. “Bills weren’t paid. Customers weren’t called back. And by the time he recognized he needed help, he’d nearly run the business into the ground. When he got the official diagnosis, he was going to have to liquidate the business to pay for the care facility. I made sure Williams and Son’s bid for the square was the low
est. Even a smaller profit margin meant some profit. I had even planned for Austin to live with me to save money, but he didn’t go for that.”

  Olivia stood and sat on top of the desk. “Does Austin know any of this?”

  “No. My dad made me promise not to tell him. That’s between the two of them.” Nate dropped the doorknob and stood.

  “And the delivery?”

  He walked over to the small window again. “Something I promised to take care of while he was on his date with Libby.”

  “I’m so sorry, Nate.”

  “No. I’m sorry. I should’ve come and talked to you and not been a coward.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned his back on the window.

  “Were you coming to talk to me that day when you stopped by?”

  He finally made eye contact with her. “You mean when Jackson was there?”

  Was it her, or did he say that name a bit weird? “What were you going to say?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Liar.” Olivia slid off the desk and took a step toward him.

  He stepped back until he hit the wall. “Did Jackson ask you out?”

  “As friends.”

  “He didn’t mean it as friends.” He rested against the wall and leaned his head back.

  “Jackson and I are just—”

  “You may have said yes as friends. But trust me. There was a whole lot of man-speak going on that day, and Jackson didn’t ask you out as just friends.”

  “You guys barely said two words to each other.”

  “We didn’t have to.”

  “Man-speak doesn’t use words?” She slid her hands into her back pockets and took another step toward him. “Do you just grunt at each other, or is it telepathy?”

  A smile tugged on the side of his mouth. “I can’t tell you. Guy code and all.”

  “Is that so?” She took another step.

  Nate broke eye contact and turned back to the window. “Jackson seems to be Mr. Prince Charming himself, the kind of guy you’ve been waiting for.”

  Ugh. She spun and paced back toward the door. “You got that he’s perfect for me from man-speak too?”

  He turned and leaned against the wall. “I may have asked Thomas about him.”