Falling for You: Clean Contemporary Romance (A Pine Ridge Romance Book 3)

by Holly Stevenson

  Nolan’s stomach turned. “I didn’t know Olivia and Trent were still dating. Are things that serious between them?” He tried to keep his face impassive, pretending to study his doughnut to avoid looking at Connor.

  “I don’t know how serious things are, but they’re still dating. At least that was the last I heard. I haven’t talked to Trent in a while. He’s still busy with supercross, and now that I’m retired, we don’t get as many opportunities to hang out. But Jade did mention something about having him and Olivia over for a barbecue soon.” He nodded at Nolan. “You should bring a date and come too. It’s been a while since you’ve stopped by.”

  Nolan squinted and looked away. “Yeah . . . let me know when it is. Maybe I can make it work.” But he already knew he would find an excuse. He was surprised by the depth of his disappointment that Olivia wasn’t available. He could have sworn there was chemistry between them in his office earlier, but maybe it was all on his end. He could put her from his mind. He would.

  “It’d be good for you,” Connor persisted. “You’re entirely too dedicated to your job. When was the last time you went on a date, anyway?”

  Nolan frowned. “It’s been a little while.” He thought back. “There was Tiffany; she came as my date to your wedding.”

  “That was in June.” Connor shook his head. “Is that seriously the last time you went out? Things are worse than I thought.”

  “Hey—” Nolan raised his hands in protest, “—it’s not easy to get a hotel of this size fully staffed and operating. It’s been a busy year.” He snapped his fingers, remembering. “Wait! There was also Michelle. She and I went out to dinner last month.”

  Connor rolled his eyes. “And judging by the fact that you forgot about it, I’m guessing there wasn’t a second date.”

  Nolan shrugged. “She was a colleague from the Westin. I think we both realized after that date that we were better as friends.” Nolan had made many friends during his years as hotel manager of the luxury Denver hotel. It was a hard decision to leave, but when he was offered double his previous salary to manage the new resort opening in his hometown, the decision got a lot easier.

  Connor sighed. “The point is, you’ve been out of the dating scene for too long. Come to the barbecue. We’ll set you up with someone.”

  Nolan made a face. “You know I don’t do blind dates.”

  “It won’t be a blind date, then. Jade’s friend Savannah is single, and Jade thinks you two would hit it off.”

  “The wedding planner?” Nolan shifted. She was the fifth part of the four friends, and from what he’d heard, the only one who wasn’t dating, engaged, or married. Why did everyone think that just because two people over twenty-five were single, that they would automatically ‘hit if off’? Although he had to admit, he’d met Savannah at the wedding and she was pretty. He gave Connor a look. “I thought she’d sworn off dating. Something about being left at the altar a while back?”

  Connor nodded. “Yeah, from what Jade says it was pretty rough. But it doesn’t have to be a date. You can both just come to hang out.”

  “I don’t know.” The situation had awkward written all over it. And he still didn’t like the idea of watching Olivia and Trent interacting as a couple. Why it bothered him, he refused to analyze. He hardly even knew her. Maybe it would be good for him to see them on a date so he could keep his mind from circling back to her. Ever since she’d left his office, he’d been anxious to set up their next meeting. He just couldn’t seem to get those velvety brown eyes of hers out of his head.

  “Come on, bro. I won’t take no for an answer this time.” Connor leaned back in his chair, a slow smile tugging at his lips as he drummed his fingers on the desk. “Besides, I would hate for something to go wrong with the project that would set back the grand opening a few days . . .” He let the sentence hang as his eyes cut to Nolan’s.

  Nolan scoffed. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  Connor lifted both brows. “Wouldn’t I?”

  His eyes narrowed. “That’s blackmail.”

  “Whatever it takes to save my brother from a life of miserable bachelorhood.”

  Nolan snorted. “I’m hardly miserable.” Sure, he didn’t have much to speak of by way of a social life, but he loved his job. He had a nice apartment and enough time off to ride dirt bikes with Connor whenever he wanted. He did get lonely on occasion, but work was busy enough to fill that void—he gave an inward groan. Maybe Connor was right. Maybe he was becoming a workaholic.

  “So, what’s it gonna be?” Connor pressed. “It’s just one little barbecue with a pretty girl. Not a lifelong commitment.”

  Nolan frowned. The problem was, there would be more than one pretty girl at the barbecue, and he was afraid Savannah wouldn’t be the one to capture his attention. He sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Fine. I’ll come to the barbecue. But if things get awkward, I’m out.”

  Connor grinned. “Perfect. I’ll tell Jade it’s a go. Be at our place this Saturday, at seven.”

  Nolan glared at him. “You already planned it?”

  He shrugged. “Why do you think she brought the doughnuts?”

  Nolan frowned. “But you didn’t know I was coming.”

  “I was about to text you, but you saved me the trouble.” Connor folded his hands across his stomach, looking far too pleased with himself.

  Nolan shook his head, rolling his eyes. “I should have guessed.”

  “Jade’s just worried about you. We both are.” Connor stood and clapped him on the shoulder. “It will be fun. When these girls get together, you never know what will happen. Plus, this way you can get to know Trent better. He’s a great guy.”

  Nolan gave an unenthusiastic nod. Nothing against Trent, but Nolan already knew he wasn’t going to be buddy-buddy with the guy—not when he was already envious of him.

  Chapter 3

  Olivia was just getting settled into a lotus pose on her yoga mat in the living room when she heard her brother Drew come in the front door of the apartment they shared.

  “Liv, you home?” he called, tossing his keys on the kitchen counter.

  “In here,” she replied, pausing the yoga video.

  Drew walked into the living room, loosening his tie. “More yoga, huh?”

  She smiled, uncrossing her legs from the pose to face him. “Hope posted a new video today. Want to join me?” Hope Sullivan taught yoga on a channel called Mindful Mornings that Olivia couldn’t get enough of.

  Drew raised an eyebrow. “Thanks, but running is more my thing.”

  She shook her head. “You never know until you try it. Hope has worked wonders for my flexibility and helping me find my center. She’s so calming.”

  He smirked. “You talk about her like she’s your friend.”

  “I feel like she is.” Olivia shrugged. “I’m even thinking of pitching the idea to invite her as a guest teacher at the resort this winter. Wouldn’t that be amazing? It would fit right in with the theme of unwinding from the holiday stress.” She clasped her hands together, thrilled with the prospect. “What do you think?”

  Drew tipped his head, nodding slowly. “I think that sounds great. Have you talked to Nolan about it?”

  The mention of Nolan’s name made her cheeks warm. She looked away, hoping Drew wouldn’t notice. “Not yet. He said he would set up a meeting with me when HR clears the paperwork and I’m officially hired. So, I’m stockpiling all of my ideas until then.”

  Drew chuckled. “Poor Nolan doesn’t know what he’s in for. This job will be perfect for you. I’ve never known anyone to come up with as many creative ideas as you do.”

  “Thanks.” Olivia beamed. Of course, her brother was partial in his praise, but she loved it all the same. “And thanks to you and Piper for keeping your identity a secret for my sake. I know you could have been done with the clause once you were engaged.” Drew had told Piper his true identity as Andrew Livingston III once the terms of the clause had been met, but they’d agreed to ke
ep it a secret to give Olivia a chance to stay in Pine Ridge. The two of them continued using Drew’s middle name of Carson as their adopted surname. She knew it would have been easier for him to be done with the ruse, but she appreciated his sacrifice for her sake.

  “You’ve thanked us enough already.” He shook his head. “Besides, who would I split my rent with if you left?” he teased.

  She laughed. “It’s going to be tough for you to trade this apartment for Briarwood after the two of you are married, but somehow you’ll manage,” she said dryly.

  His eyes tightened and he looked away to dust a piece of lint from his white shirt. Little did the citizens of Pine Ridge know that the bank teller who served them at National Liberty Bank actually owned the bank chain. “About that,” he said. “Piper and I were thinking of maybe moving into an apartment for a while. Gran seems happy at Briarwood for now, and I hate to kick her out.”

  Olivia gave him a pointed look, calling his bluff. “Gran doesn’t want to stay at Briarwood full-time, and it’s Piper’s dream home. You’re not giving that up for my sake.”

  He frowned. “But if we live there, people will wonder where we’re getting the money from.”

  “Which is why you’re going to end the clause before your wedding.”

  “Liv—”

  She held up her hands to stop his protest. “Look, I appreciate what you guys are doing for me, but we both know it can’t last forever. I want you to be able to give Piper a lavish wedding, and spoil her rotten without people raising an eyebrow.”

  “Piper doesn’t want a lavish wedding. We’re planning on a small ceremony.”

  Olivia sighed. This news actually wasn’t surprising, knowing Piper. She was so sweet and down-to-earth. “Be that as it may,” she said, “I’m not keeping you from Briarwood and starting your lives together. The clause ends with your wedding, or sooner, if you want.”

  He shook his head, coming to sit beside her on the mat. “And then what? You’ll just give up this job you’re excited about and leave town? How would that be fair?”

  Emotion gathered in her throat. She would be sad to leave the job and her friends behind, but Drew couldn’t always look out for her. At some point she had to be a big girl and figure things out on her own. “I couldn’t forgive myself for coming between you and the life you and Piper could be living,” she said. “You don’t have to work as a bank teller, and you certainly don’t have to live in a two-bedroom apartment. What if I don’t find my someone special for several more years?” She swallowed and looked down at her hands. “What if I never do?”

  “You will.” He nodded. “And even if you didn’t, we’d find a way to make it work. I enjoy my job as a teller, and Gran has already allotted me some of my inheritance to start the resort under the company name. Piper and I would be cozy in an apartment. We could get one in this same building to stay close to you. It’s where most newlyweds would start out anyway.”

  She allowed a smile. Drew had the powers of persuasion down to an art, but she wasn’t about to give in so easily.

  Before she could come up with an argument, he continued, “And I don’t know what makes you think you’ll never find someone. What about Trent? You two have been dating or a few months now and you seem happy. Am I misreading the signals?”

  Olivia sucked in a breath. “No, you’re not misreading the signals.” She did like Trent. He was a great guy and the first person to date her without knowing about her potential fortune. But there was still something that seemed to be missing. She couldn’t picture spending the rest of her life with him. But they’d only dated a few months, so maybe it was too soon to tell. Maybe their relationship would be one of those gradual things that built into something amazing. She’d always thought when she met “the one” she would feel an instant connection—kind of like what she’d felt in Nolan’s office the other day. She blinked to banish the thought. Why was she thinking about Nolan?

  Drew studied her. “Well, he seems like a decent guy. Just make sure you don’t dive into a relationship to end the clause for my sake, okay?”

  “I’m a good sister, but I’m not that saintly,” she teased.

  He smiled and tugged on the end of her ponytail the way he used to when they were young. “I’m glad.” He stood up and stretched. “I think I’ll go for a run and then I’m meeting Piper for dinner and a movie. Want to join us?”

  Olivia resumed her lotus position and hit play on the yoga video. “Thanks, but Connor and Jade invited Trent and me over for a barbecue at their place tonight.”

  “Oh yeah, they invited me and Piper to go, but we’d already bought our movie tickets.” Drew shrugged. “Have fun,” he pointed a playfully warning finger, “just don’t stay out too late, young lady.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’ll try. Now get going so I can focus.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your one-on-one time with Hope.” He winked and gave a small bow, backing out of the room.

  Olivia laughed and was just getting ready to move to the next pose when her phone pinged with a text. She sighed, debating whether or not to check it so she could finish her yoga session. What if it was Nolan wanting to set up that meeting? She grabbed her phone, disappointed when she saw Trent’s number, and then annoyed with herself for being disappointed. What was up with her? She read the text.

  Hey, babe. I’m looking forward to seeing you tonight. How about I pick you up a few minutes before 7?

  Sounds great. See you then. She sent the reply and once again attempted to get back into the yoga video, but her mind was elsewhere. No matter how hard she tried to resist them, her thoughts kept coming back to a certain pair of deep, hazel eyes and a charming dimple—and when the owner of those features would be in touch about the meeting.

  Chapter 4

  Nolan knocked on the front door of Connor and Jade’s new house and then glanced around the porch, admiring the rustic beams he’d helped Connor install. It was a beautiful home in the foothills of Pine Ridge, and he’d enjoyed helping Connor with parts of the building process. He didn’t love construction like Connor did, which was why he’d turned down his dad’s offer to take over the company. He was happy to have Connor continue the McGrath construction legacy.

  Nolan was more comfortable in the corporate world. He enjoyed putting on a suit and tie and especially loved running hotels. He liked the hospitality business, and he was good at it. Not only that, but he had a sense for when others would be a good fit for the business as well. Olivia was one of those people. His mouth went dry at the thought of seeing her again. Adding that to the stress of his “unofficial” blind date with Savannah, and his stomach twisted into a pretzel. What am I doing here? He turned, ready to bolt back to his car when the door opened.

  “Nolan! I’m so glad you could make it.” Jade beamed at him. “You know you don’t have to knock, right? You’re family.” She took his arm, ushering him inside.

  Nolan tugged at the collar of his shirt. “Thanks for inviting me tonight,” he said, his heartrate picking up when he heard voices coming from down the hall in the living room. He looked at Jade, lowering his voice, “Is Savannah here?”

  “Yes. And so is everyone else.” Her golden-brown eyes lit with amusement. “Don’t worry—it’s just a causal get together with friends.”

  He nodded, still debating an escape plan as Jade led him into the dining room.

  “Look who’s here,” she said, dropping his arm as they entered the room.

  Connor smiled and walked over to them. “You made it.” He gave Nolan a brief, one armed hug. “Grab a drink and make yourself at home. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

  “Thanks,” Nolan said, but his eyes were already scanning the room, automatically moving to Olivia. She sat on the couch next to Trent, her face registering something like shock when he walked in. He waved at her, and she blushed and waved back before returning her attention to the conversation she’d been having with Savannah and Trent.

&nb
sp; Nolan swallowed. Savannah’s back was turned to him, but with two other couples in the room, it seemed painfully obvious that the two of them were meant to pair up.

  “There are sodas in the fridge,” Jade said as she made her way to the kitchen. “What can I get you?”

  Nolan rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, I’ll take a Coke, thanks.”

  She nodded and gestured to the living room. “Have a seat.”

  “Okay.” For as quiet and introverted as his author sister-in-law typically was, she sure was being bossy tonight. Nolan had a feeling it was because she was so anxious for him to hit it off with Savannah. The others were still talking as he walked into the living room, but Jade’s eyes flicked his way and she smiled.

  “Hi. I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” she said.

  Nolan raised a shoulder. “Connor talked me into it.” He tossed an accusatory look at his brother across the room. Connor grinned and gave him a thumbs up in return. Nolan shook his head.

  “Well, I’m glad you made it,” Olivia said. Her warm expression proved she meant it, and Nolan’s heart tripped in his chest.

  It was a bad idea to come tonight.

  Trent and Savannah paused their conversation, distracted by Nolan’s entrance. “Hey, there, Nolan.” Trent stood to shake his hand. He was almost the same height as Nolan, with dark blond hair and a face that even at twenty-four still showed signs of youth. “It’s been a while.”

  “It has.” Nolan returned the handshake—with maybe a tad more grip than usual. He forced himself not to look at Olivia again, but he could feel her watching.