Winning Olivia's Heart

by Mary Davis

  By the time he turned away from his office, she was still seated in the chair. Would she wait?

  He knocked on the open door and took one step into Mr. Jones’s office. Violet sat in the chair opposite her father.

  Mr. Jones wore a scowl. “Come all the way in and close the door.”

  He didn’t want to do that. “I have a customer waiting in my office.”

  “Miss Bradshaw? She’s hardly a customer.”

  Her family did still have an account here, even if there was nothing in it. But there would be later this morning. But what he needed to discuss with her wasn’t business. It was all personal. He glanced back to see if Liv was walking out. He didn’t see her. She had either already left or would while the door was closed. He reluctantly shut it and remained standing.

  Why had she come now? He’d said he would call on them all at ten. Why did she always have to show up when Violet was making a scene? She wouldn’t forgive him one more time. How could she after what her father had done?

  He’d lost her for good this time.

  * * *

  Olivia sat in Troy’s office. She had been the most foolish of all the foolish girls in all of history. She had allowed her father’s betrayal and her anger to blind her. She’d been angry with Troy for so long, she’d forgotten how not to be. Misplaced anger that should have been directed only at Father. And now, like after the morning fog lifts, she could see clearly.

  The smiles and looks Troy bestowed on Violet and all the other women in town were not the same ones he gazed at her with. When he looked at her, there was love. For everyone else it was whimsy and charm.

  After ten minutes, Troy returned in a rush. “You’re still here?” He looked so pained and yet so relieved.

  “I said I would stay.”

  “But I thought you’d…get tired of waiting.”

  That was kind of him. What he really thought was that she would leave in an angry tirade. The anger she’d had toward him was gone, as though it had never been there.

  “I was supposed to come get you, your mother and grandmother at ten. I arranged for Nick to pick you all up. Are they here, as well?”

  She shook her head. “I needed to talk with you first.”

  He sat on the corner of his desk. “I can explain about Violet. She had a falling out with her fiancé. What you saw was her gratitude for helping her to see he’s not good for her.”

  “I don’t want to talk about Violet or her problems. Or any other woman.”

  “But I want you to know that there is nothing between us. I promise.”

  She didn’t want the conversation to be about other women. Just about her and Troy and their future. If he wouldn’t change the subject, then she would. “I spoke to Pastor Kearns last night. He said you called off the wedding completely.” Had Troy had enough of her? Had he finally given up?

  “I thought it best.”

  Best? Best for whom? She held out her left hand. “Then you forgot your ring.” She hadn’t taken it off. She didn’t want to. Now or ever. If he was ending their engagement, he would have to remove it from her hand. The blue zircon stone twinkled in the light.

  He knelt in front of her and took her hand. He ran his thumb back and forth over the ring and her fingers.

  His gentle touch thrilled her. He stopped with his thumb over the stone and his index finger on the band underneath. For one terrifying moment, she thought he might slip the ring from her finger.

  His gaze met hers. “I bought this for you. It’s yours.” He released her hand.

  She didn’t want the ring if he didn’t come with it. Tears burned her eyes. “Why did you bring Mr. Perrault to our house yesterday?”

  He knit his eyebrows together. “He came to see your mother. I simply showed him the way.” He’d answered the technical question, but not the emotional one underneath.

  “But you could have easily waited until today. We wouldn’t have known. Why didn’t you wait? We would have married, and you would have had everything you wanted.”

  He heaved a heavy sigh. “Not everything.”

  She willed him to say it. To say he still wanted her. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped at the knock on the door.

  The office boy stood in the doorway. “Mr. Perrault is here.”

  Troy gave a soft growl of frustration.

  Olivia smiled. He was adorable.

  “Tell Mr. Perrault I’ll be with him in a minute.”

  “What does he want?” she asked.

  “We were going to get the paperwork drawn up so all you and your mother had to do was sign them. Then the process wouldn’t take so long.”

  How thoughtful. She stood. “See to the paperwork. I’ll return with Mother and Gran.”

  He took her hand in both of his. “Don’t go. You are more important.”

  “I know.” She patted his hand. “I’ll be back.”

  He still didn’t release her. “What you saw with Violet didn’t mean anything.”

  It had meant the world to her. Her eyes had been opened. “We’ll talk about it after the paperwork is signed.”

  He reluctantly released her hand. He probably thought she’d never talk to him again.

  She left his office.

  Mr. Perrault greeted her in the lobby. “Miss Bradshaw, how nice to see you. I wasn’t expecting you until after ten.”

  “I had some preliminary business to discuss with Mr. Morrison. I will see you in a while.”

  “Very good. Until then.” He ducked into Troy’s office.

  Troy gazed at Olivia a moment before easing the door closed.

  She gave him an encouraging nod just before he disappeared from sight.

  “If you don’t marry him in a hurry, I will steal him away from you.”

  Olivia turned to face Violet. She felt absolutely no threat from the dark-haired beauty. How could she have ever thought Troy preferred Violet over her? She had to stifle a laugh at the absurdity of it. “You can try, but you won’t succeed, so you might as well not even trouble yourself. In fact, Violet, I don’t think there is a man in this town who could make you happy.”

  Poor Violet. She grasped at illusions she thought were love. She would never be satisfied staying on these islands. She was too big for them. The whole world might not be big enough for her.

  “I think you should fish for a husband on the mainland. That is where you will find the man of your dreams.”

  Violet stared a moment and then said softly, “You think so?”

  “I do. I think there is a man out there that is just perfect for you. But you won’t find him if you stay in Friday Harbor.” Olivia walked away, leaving Violet to contemplate her future.

  Later, when Olivia returned with Mother and Gran and sat in Troy’s office, she grew impatient. It was wonderful, certainly, to have a large sum of money deposited into her brand-new account. But right now, she had more important things on her mind. Her gaze slid to Troy, then back to her hands clasped tightly on her lap. Her knee bounced up and down. How many more pieces of paper would they need to sign?

  Finally, Mr. Perrault straightened the last stack of papers, tucked them into his satchel and stood. “That should about do it.” He shook Troy’s hand and nodded to the rest of them. “Mrs. Bradshaw, I’ll send you word on the sale of your property. Good day.” As he strode through the doorway, the breeze of his passing fluttered the feather on Mother’s hat.

  Troy stood. “I don’t think that man could get out of here and off our island fast enough.”

  Olivia knew the feeling. About having the paperwork completed, not about leaving the island.

  Troy maneuvered behind Mother’s chair. “I’ll take you ladies home.”

  Olivia remained seated.

  Once out of his office, he looked back. “Are you coming, Liv?”

  “What about Nick?”

  “I told him to leave the carriage and he could go. I didn’t see any reason to make him wait around.”

  She stood and fol
lowed the trio out. She certainly didn’t want to be left behind, not with unfinished business.

  Troy settled them all in the buggy and drove them home. He helped Gran down, retrieved the wheelchair and placed Mother in it.

  Olivia positioned herself for him to assist her, but he gripped the wheelchair instead.

  He looked back over his shoulder. “You wait there for me.” He pushed Mother up the walk.

  Olivia was about to protest but realized Troy was as anxious for them to talk as she was. But she was too antsy to just sit and climbed down out of the buggy on her own.

  Troy returned in short order. “I thought you were going to wait in the buggy. I thought I’d take you for a ride.”

  “Don’t you have to return to work?”

  “Mr. Jones gave me the day off on account of us getting married last night. Even though we didn’t, he still said I could have the rest of the day. He was elated about your mother’s deposit and the money that will be transferred later.” He raised his eyebrows. “Buggy ride?”

  She was about to accept and then shook her head. “We should talk first.”

  “I know what you saw this morning looked like there is something going on between Violet and me, but there isn’t.”

  Olivia kept her voice level. “If you mention her name one more time today, I’ll scream.”

  “I thought that was what you wanted to talk about.”

  She shook her head. “What I want to know is why you called off the wedding.”

  He took a step back. “You were marrying me out of a need that no longer exists. It wouldn’t have been right. You have money now—you don’t need me.”

  She had thought she wanted him to marry her under the guise of a forced marriage. But hearing him say he wanted to do the right thing made her love him all the more. “Don’t you want to marry me?”

  “Of course I do. With all my heart. I had secretly hoped your mother’s inheritance wouldn’t be much and you’d still need me. But I don’t want to start our life together that way. With you being forced.”

  “Then ask me.”

  He stared at her a moment before the significance of her statement dawned on him. But he didn’t move. “If your mother or grandmother have pressured you into fulfilling your obligation because you agreed to marry me when it was necessary, you don’t have to. I thought I wanted you no matter the circumstances. But I don’t. I want to be wanted, too. By you. I love you and want your love in return.”

  “I do love you.”

  He swallowed hard, pain flickering in his eyes. He closed them for a moment.

  She could see he was struggling. Didn’t he love her anymore?

  His voice came out hoarse. “Please don’t say that because you think you have to. I know you don’t trust me, and now I understand why.”

  Gran’s comment about her pride being more important than Troy came back to her and stung anew. An ache twisted in her chest over the grief she’d caused the man she loved. “I have been angry at you for so long, I didn’t know how not to be. But last night, I realized you weren’t the source of my anger. The one I’m actually angry with is my father.”

  “I always thought he was a steadfast man. I looked up to him. But I will show you that I’m nothing like your father. I won’t do what he did.”

  “It’s true that I was afraid you would leave me as my father left mother. Left all of us.”

  “I would never do that to you.”

  “I know that now. I finally recognized what can be clearly seen in your expression. You look at Violet and all the others differently than you do me.”

  He nodded. “I care for you in ways I could never care for anyone else.”

  She liked hearing that. “I have no doubt of your love or your fidelity.”

  The worry lines on his face softened. “I will prove to you I’m worthy of you and hopefully you will truly fall in love with me.”

  Prove? That was what had kept them apart before. “You will do no such thing. I haven’t the patience for that again.”

  “You won’t even let me at least try?”

  She stepped closer and took his hand. “I lost my heart to you when I was thirteen. You would come over to do chores for my father to earn money for your family. Then you paid me no attention until I was fifteen and other boys started noticing me.”

  “I got in fights with a couple of them over you.”

  “I suspected as much. But then you had the silly notion to prove to my father that you were good enough for me. He turned out to be the one not good enough.”

  “I thought it was your grief pushing me away.”

  “It was. My grief over my father not being the man I thought he was. But you are not him.” She held his hand with both of hers. “You have nothing to prove to me. I love you.”

  He furrowed his eyebrows. “Do you mean that? Or are you just saying that because you think you are supposed to?”

  “I really and truly mean it. My prolonged anger got you used to being on guard and defending yourself for so long, you forgot how to trust in us. Maybe it is I who needs to prove myself to you. I love you, Troy Morrison. I love you. And I will keep repeating it until you believe me. I love you.”

  A slow smile stretched his mouth, and his dimples appeared. Leaning forward, he cupped her face and kissed her. “I believe you. Welcome back.”

  It was good to be back. “Now, are you going to marry me?”

  “Yes, my darling, yes. I will marry you whenever and wherever you say. Please say you won’t make me wait until next year.”

  “Certainly not.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “This fall? Or possibly the end of the summer?”

  “Perhaps tomorrow.”

  His eyes widened, and he kissed her again, long and passionately.

  She finally felt healed and whole.

  * * *

  On Sunday, the sun shone brightly, warming the day. Olivia waited outside the church. At the end of the morning service, Pastor Kearns invited the entire congregation to return in the early afternoon to be witness to the blessed event. Unlike before, she wanted the whole world—or at least the whole town—to witness her marriage to Troy. Though they hadn’t been able to marry yesterday, today was soon enough.

  Mother had refashioned her dress into an elegant, contemporary style for Olivia.

  Since her father was gone, Olivia chose to walk up the aisle by herself to show she was a modern, independent woman.

  When she stood at the back of the church and gazed at Troy standing in the front, she forgot to walk and ran to him.

  Affectionate laughter rippled through the crowd.

  He clasped her in his arms and whispered, “The sparrow has returned.”

  She tilted her head. “What?”

  He smiled, his eyes alight with amusement. “Nothing.”

  Granny called out, “About time!”

  * * * * *

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  ISBN-13: 9781460383254

  Winning Olivia’s Heart

  Copyright © 2015 by Mary Davis

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