“I’m shocked.” Erik turned to her with a droop of a frown. “How could you blame that poor defenseless cat for your stomach noises?”
Olivia feigned shock. “Me? Why, I would never do something like that.” She laughed, and Erik joined her.
Olivia couldn’t believe how relaxed she felt around her new boss. But then again, he had a way of putting her at ease.
She cuddled her cat to her chest. “I’m sorry, Sammy. I shouldn’t have blamed you. Can you forgive me?”
Samson’s motor started.
“There.” She glanced at Erik. “Satisfied?”
Erik planted his free palm against his chest and nodded. “Muuuccch better.”
They both smiled. Olivia glanced at the basket. “Oh.” She put Samson down. “I’m sorry. I don’t know where my manners are. Let me take that.” She extended her hand toward him.
He moved it from her grasp. “That’s okay. I’ve got it. Where would you like me to put it?”
She moved a box out of his way and headed toward the kitchen. “Follow me.”
On the way to the dining area, she snagged a glimpse of herself in a mirrored picture and nearly tripped from the shock. Her hair scrunchee must have fallen out while she slept. In seconds, she corralled her wild tresses, twisted them in one long piece, and tossed it over her shoulder. No wonder the whites of Erik’s eyes showed when she opened the door. She looked a fright. She giggled at the thought and then reprimanded herself for acting like a love-struck teenager.
“What’s so funny?” Erik asked as he followed her through the rooms.
Olivia kept walking and mouthed the word oops. She hadn’t realized she had laughed out loud.
She stopped, and faced him. “I was thinking about my hair and how it looked when I answered the door.” Not wanting to see his response, she whirled, and finished the few steps into the dining area. Then she glanced out the sliding glass window and saw how beautiful it looked outside. “Do you mind if we sit outside on the patio chairs?”
Pleasure splayed across his face. “Don’t mind at all. Lead the way.”
Olivia reached for the door handle just as Erik’s hand landed on top of hers.
Their gazes locked for the briefest of moments before Olivia removed her hand and allowed him to open the door.
She stepped out into the warm evening and breathed deeply the scent of lush foliage and soil.
They sat down and filled their plates. Erik bowed his head. Olivia didn’t. Instead, she stared at the man sitting across from her. The man whose kindness had given her a reason to get up in the mornings again. The man who made her feel less lonely and actually made her laugh again. The man who, if she wasn’t careful, could be very dangerous to her well-being.
Chapter Five
Erik forced his mind back to the task at hand. He thumbed through the small stack of paperwork he needed to finish. People were waiting on him to approve their automobile offers. He ran over the figures of one offer, but his mind refused to focus on it. His thoughts kept wheeling backward to a certain little beauty.
Sitting with Olivia, sharing a meal was as natural as breathing. Her sweetness captivated him. He really wanted to get to know her better. The day Olivia had arrived, Mickie and her husband Virgil had stopped by to welcome her. Olivia had invited the middle-aged couple to join them and won their hearts with her thoughtfulness. She seemed more relaxed with them around. It was as if she didn’t really want to be alone with him.
In fact, she spent more time talking to Mickie and Virgil than she did him. But, it hadn’t really bothered him because he liked sitting back, watching the way her eyes lit up whenever she talked about how much she loved the challenge of designing a perfect fit for her customers, of the finer techniques of airbrush painting and the exciting process from beginning to end, and of the pleasure of seeing the customers’ beaming faces at the finished product. One thing was for sure, she was passionate about her work. But not about family.
Whenever any of them asked Olivia about her family or her parents, sadness blinked through her eyes, and she immediately either avoided the subject or changed it.
He wondered why.
He also wondered what she was doing now.
A glance at the collector series car clock on his office wall showed 10:48. If he hurried, he’d have time to grab some food and head out to his place and share lunch with her.
Like a cyclone, he whizzed through the offers, signing the ones he approved and proposing counter offers to the others.
Another darting gaze at the Chevelle clock, and he jumped up. 11:36. He gathered the offer approvals and headed out his office door.
“Here, Terri.” He laid them on her desk. “I’m going to lunch. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
“Couple of hours, huh?”
Erik frowned at the mirth in her voice and eyes. “Terri,” he drew out in warning.
Terri raised her hand in defense. “What?” The innocent look she gave him didn’t fool him one little bit.
“You know what.” He tried to keep his tone firm, but his secretary knew him too well. “Yes. I’m going to have lunch with Olivia. And yes, I like her.” He wagged his finger at her. “But don’t you go readin’ anymore into this than there is.”
“Me?” She pressed her fingertips against her chest. “Would I do that?”
“Yeah. You would. I gotta run. See ya later.” Erik left the building and trotted toward his truck.
The drive to his place had never seemed so long. He couldn’t wait to see Olivia again. This was her first day on the job, and he couldn’t wait to watch her work. Truthfully, he could watch her watch paint dry and it would be completely fascinating to him.
He pulled his truck up to the shop, threw it in park, and shut it off. After he got out, he reached for the bag of food and headed toward the shop door.
Inside, upbeat music filled the building. Olivia stood by the door of the Mad Masher. One arm lay across her stomach, the other tilted upward, supporting her fingers as they tapped her lips. Her loose-fitting, faded blue jeans and baggy red T-shirt hid her feminine figure. Some kind of fancy braid bound her long hair together. Tied in a knot at the back of her head, peeking from under her bangs, was a blue, red, and white bandanna. Steel-toed-boots covered her feet. What a different sight from the day she’d walked into his office. Professional businesswoman attire didn’t suit her. Or him. Truth be known, he liked this image much better.
“Hi, there.” Erik greeted her cheerfully as he closed the door behind him.
Olivia’s hand flew from her lips as she spun around and splayed her hand near the base of her neck. “Lands o’ Goshen! You scared the liver out of me.”
“So I noticed.” He chuckled, walking closer to her. “Lands o’ Goshen, huh? Where’d that come from?”
She turned back to the truck. “My Mimi, who was born in Arkansas and grew up in Texas. She said it all the time, and I picked it up.” She shrugged, her gaze already back on the door of the monster truck.
“I see. You sure looked like you were in deep thought.” He stopped at her side.
“I was.” She glanced at him then back at the truck.
“A penny for your thoughts?”
Those turquoise eyes looked up at him. “Keep your penny. It’s not worth it.” She grinned. “I was planning the image I want to paint on the door and deciding what I want to do first.”
“You’re right. That wasn’t worth a penny.” Her gaze flew to his. “Gotcha.” He chuckled. “It would have been worth more than a penny to me. But, hey, your loss.” He held up his hand. “You passed on the penny.”
“You’re impossible. You know that?”
“That’s what Camara tells me.”
“Camara?” She tipped her head.
“My little sister.”
“Oh. Her name is Camara? Like in Camaro?”
“Yeppers.”
She nodded. “It’s definitely unique. I like it.”
“Her full n
ame is Camara Chevelle Cole.”
Surprise transformed Olivia’s face, making her even cuter. “Camara Chevelle Cole, huh?”
“Well, make that Lamar. She’s married now.”
“So,” Olivia tilted her head and pursed her lips to the side. “What middle name did your parents give you?”
“They named him after our grandfather. Erik Mannory Cole.” His aunt’s voice hijacked his attention.
Erik pivoted toward the door. “Aunt Adell!” In a few steps, he was by his aunt’s side, hugging her. “What are you doing here?”
♥♥♥♥
Olivia’s hand flew to her head. She patted her hair before remembering that she’d braided it. Still, her attire wouldn’t make for a great first impression. She looked down at her jeans and pulled at her T-shirt, wishing a fairy godmother could get her out of this one.
“I came by to meet and welcome your new neighbor.” His aunt brushed past him and scuttled over toward her. Olivia swallowed hard and swiped her sweaty palms down the front of her pants.
Erik quickly stepped up beside his aunt who was dressed in a bright pink tailored pantsuit with matching shoes. Her vibrant radiance flooded the room with sunshine and happiness. “Olivia. This is my aunt, Mrs. Preston. My mother’s sister.”
“Oh tootles.” His aunt gave him a pat on his arm. “Forget this Mrs. Preston business. My name is Adell.” She extended her hand toward Olivia and shook it. “Mrs. Preston makes me sound way too old.” The laughing crinkles around the woman’s eyes reminded Olivia of her mother’s. Olivia shook off the sad thought, along with the other string of emotions that accompanied it every time she thought about her mother, and forced a smile onto her face. “Nice to meet you, Mrs.—Adell.”
Genetics had been good to the tiny lady standing in front of her. Perfectly shaped, dusty rose lips curled into a sweet smile, revealing even white teeth. Several silver strands mingled throughout her blonde flip style hair-do. Erik definitely got his gorgeous brown eyes and handsome features from his mother’s side of the family.
“Nice to meet you too. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.”
Olivia darted a curious gaze toward Erik, who looked sheepish.
“I told Aunt Adell how talented you are. And how amazing your art work is.”
“I see.” Relief sprouted over her when she realized he didn’t know anything else about her or her past.
“Well, listen. I won’t keep you. I just wanted to give you this.” His aunt handed her a large cloth-covered basket that jerked Olivia’s arm down with its weight. “And to welcome you to Charity, Olivia.” Adell hugged her before turning toward her nephew.
Olivia hugged her biceps. His aunt’s embrace, although brief, made her lonesome for more. Many nights, long, long ago, when something frightened Olivia, or she needed comforting for whatever reason, her mother would wrap her in her arms and tell her a story. Sometimes a Bible story, sometimes a made up story, or sometimes it would be a story about when her mother grew up. Whatever it was, it was always comforting and uplifting. Somehow this woman’s hug had the same effect on her.
“You’ll come, won’t you?”
Olivia blinked. Come? Come where? Olivia’s mind scrambled to figure out what Adell was talking about. She should have never allowed her thoughts to travel down the passageway of time. That always got her into trouble.
“You can ride with Erik.” Adell nodded at Erik, obviously seeking his approval.
Ride with Erik? Ride with Erik where? Her gaze traveled between Erik and his aunt.
“Definitely.” He smiled at Olivia.
“Good. It’s settled then.”
Settled? What’s settled? Olivia hoped one of them would say something that would clue her in to what was going on. Now would be a great time for a piece of gum. If there was ever a time she needed calming, now was it. Just what exactly had she gotten herself into this time?
“Five o’clock work for you?” Adell asked Olivia.
Work for me? Work for me for what? Well, whatever it was, she would agree and then afterwards she would slap herself for not paying attention. “Five’s fine.”
“Great. See ya then.” As fast as his aunt had appeared, she disappeared. That seemed to happen a lot around here. People blew in and out of places like a tornado. They were here one minute and gone the next.
“That’s so awesome,” Erik said. “I’m so glad you’re able to make it. You’ll get to meet everyone there.”
There? Lands o’ Goshen! Olivia knew she’d better find out just what she was doing and when. She opened her mouth to ask, but Erik said, “My aunt lives for parties. Your being a newcomer here just gives her another excuse to throw one. Aunt Adell will invite our whole church congregation and all the neighbors within miles. She’ll have enough hickory smoked pork with barbeque sauce, fried trout, fried catfish, fried chicken, deep fried cheese grit balls, fried apples, homemade bread, apple butter, and who knows what else, to feed an entire town.” He patted his stomach. “She’s worse than Mickie. No one goes away hungry that’s for sure.”
Wait. Was his aunt throwing this party for her? Embarrassed that she hadn’t been paying attention, Olivia didn’t dare ask. “I’m looking forward to it. When is it again?”
“Three weeks from now on Sunday. It takes her weeks to prepare.”
A thread of panic wound its way around Olivia’s throat, threatening to suffocate her. Her mind rummaged through her scarce closet. Was this a casual affair or a formal affair? Whatever it was, her wardrobe wouldn’t be sufficient. Her only nice outfit, she’d worn to her job interview. Not knowing when payday was, she wasn’t sure she’d have money or time to go shopping before then.
“Are you okay?” Erik stared at her in that way that short-circuited her brain.
Olivia forced her lips upward. “I’m fine. I was just trying to figure out what to wear.” Her eyes widened. She couldn’t believe she’d just told her boss that she was trying to figure out what to wear. What an idiot. She could feel a blush coming on.
“Well, whatever ya do, don’t wear anything fancy. Aunt Adell doesn’t want anyone’s clothes soiled from all that greasy, messy food. She says those little plastic bibs are about worthless because they barely catch the mess. Besides, if our clothes don’t get dirty while eating, they do when we play games.”
The thought of food made her stomach growl.
Erik chuckled. “You have the loudest stomach of anyone I’ve ever met.”
“My mother did—” Olivia stopped herself.
He tilted his head inquisitively. “Your mother did what?”
Olivia mashed down the melancholy that threatened to rise up. “My mother’s stomach growled loud too. Dad used to tease us about it all the time. He said one loud growling stomach was enough to alert the neighborhood, but two, alerted the whole town to the fact that the Roseman women were hungry.” Olivia smiled softly at the memory. It was one among a thousand she’d forgotten since the accident.
“Do your parents live in Wheeling?”
Not wanting to talk about her parents or their deaths, Olivia jerked her wrist around. “Well, will you look at the time?” She refused to respond or even acknowledge the strange look on Erik’s face. “If I don’t get back to work my boss is going to fire me.” She walked over to the bench and picked up a Srathmore Bristol board so she could get started on her preliminary mock up.
Erik followed her. Reaching out, he barely touched her arm. “Hey, we haven’t even eaten yet. Trust me. I know your boss. He won’t fire you. You’re the best thing that’s happened to him since fresh baked apple pie.”
The statement twined through her in ways she didn’t want to admit. What did he mean by the best thing that had happened to him? Hammond had said something similar to her the day before he had disappeared. Her heart cried afresh. Would she ever forget him or her past?
Chapter Six
Had he said something wrong to cause their easy bantering to vanish? While he sat outsi
de the shop on the picnic table situated under the large oak tree, Erik foraged through his brain, seeking the answer to his silent question even as his hand rummaged in the bag for a packet of salt. The last words he’d spoken to Olivia were something about her being the best thing since fresh baked pie. Was that out of line? Maybe he shouldn’t have been that honest.
Erik studied Olivia as she removed the upper part of her cheeseburger bun and placed it on the sandwich wrapper. Head bowed, she nibbled on her sandwich and avoided looking at him. Her wariness and nervousness tore at his heart. Not once did she look up at him. Something was wrong, and he wanted to know what it was. After much deliberation, he decided there was no sense in not asking. “Olivia.” He kept his voice soft as he tore open the packet of salt and sprinkled it on his French fries.
Her eyes slowly connected with his.
“Are you okay?” It seemed as if he was constantly asking her that question.
Her gaze fell to her burger. “I’m fine.” The sadness in her voice did nothing to reassure him.
“Did I say something to offend you?”
Once again she looked up at him. “No.”
That answer and tone didn’t help. “Was I too presumptuous in bringing you lunch?”
“No, no.” She waved her hand barely looking at him. “It was very sweet of you to bring me lunch. I’m sorry. I was just—” She placed her cheeseburger on the picnic table, picked up her bottled Coke, and took a drink. Her gaze transferred to somewhere off in the distance.
Erik watched her for several moments, waiting for her response. He picked up a cold French fry, popped it into his mouth and chewed slowly, hoping that would give her the space to start. The pain in her eyes said that whatever bothered her went way deep.
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