“Need some help?” Nolan asked, tucking the empty cups between his elbow and side to help.
The boy looked at him with a sheepish expression and Nolan realized he wasn’t as young as he thought—more likely short for his age.
“Yeah, thanks. I can’t reach the button.”
“I’ve got it.” Nolan pressed the button for him, stopping just shy of the top so it wouldn’t overflow. “Do you want help with the lid?”
“I’ve got it,” the kid said, straightening to show he was capable. “Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime.” He gave him a head nod and took his turn at the machine, filling his and Olivia’s cups with ice before getting her Sprite and his Coke. He grabbed a few extra napkins and made his way back, but just before reaching the door to the patio he saw an older woman struggling to empty her tray at the garbage while holding on to her cane. He set the drinks on an empty table and moved to help her. “Here, let me get that for you.”
“Th-thank you,” she said, turning her head slowly to regard him with deep, soulful eyes. “I’m having a little difficulty without using both hands.”
“It’s no trouble.” He took the tray from her and she stepped back, allowing him to empty the trash and set the tray in the designated spot on top of the trash can. He smiled. “I hope you had a nice lunch?”
“I’ve been having lunch here every week for forty-seven years,” she said, placing both trembling hands on her cane for support. Each movement seemed to come with great effort.
Nolan’s eyes widened. “Forty-seven years? They should have your picture on the wall.”
She gave a raspy laugh. “Or at least a free lunch now and then.”
He smiled, liking her spunk. “Absolutely.” He tipped his head. “They have a punch card to get every tenth meal free. Do you have one of those?”
“Yes . . . and don’t tell anyone, but they give it to me every fifth,” she said, leaning toward him with a conspiratorial wink. “I was only teasing about the free meal. They treat me well here, which is why I keep coming back. I used to come with my Irving, but he’s been gone for thirteen years now.”
Nolan frowned in sympathy. “I’m sorry, that’s a long time to be without your sweetheart.”
She shrugged. “That’s life, isn’t it? Always unexpected.”
“To say the least.” He blew out a breath, thinking how unexpected it had been to have Olivia walk into his office the other day—a good kind of unexpected. He glanced outside to where Olivia sat. She was resting her chin in her hand, watching him with a faint smile. She gave a small wave when he looked her direction and he waved back, feeling bad for making her wait for her drink, but she didn’t look annoyed. Quite the opposite in fact. His heart thumped hard against his chest. Dang, she had a pretty smile.
“Well, I won’t keep you from your lovely date out there,” the woman said.
Nolan turned, not wanting to make Olivia wait, but also not comfortable with not offering to help this woman when each movement came at such great effort. “I didn’t catch your name?” he said.
“It’s Daphne.” She nodded but made no move to shake his hand as she gripped her cane.
“It’s nice to meet you, Daphne. I’m Nolan.” He smiled. “Now that I know that you’re a fellow regular at Henry’s, I feel like we have an instant connection. Can I help walk you to your car?”
She shook her head. “I don’t drive anymore, but if you want to escort me to the entry where I wait for the shuttle, I’d appreciate it. It’s been a while since I’ve taken the arm of a handsome young man.”
“I’d be honored.” Nolan held his arm out to her and she slipped a trembling hand through, keeping a firm hold of her cane with the other. He glanced outside again, hoping to catch Olivia’s eye. She was still watching and he gave her an apologetic look. She shook her head, smiling to indicate she was fine.
His shoulders relaxed. He’d dated girls in the past who would have been annoyed over something like this, so he was grateful Olivia didn’t seem to mind—not that he was dating her. A pang of longing shot through him but he ignored it, focusing on Daphne instead. “Tell me about this shuttle you’re waiting for. Do they know when to pick you up?”
“Oh yes. Every week at the same time. It’s the shuttle for the retirement home I live in.”
“Pleasant Pines?” Nolan guessed. That was the only retirement home in Pine Ridge he knew of.
“Yep. It’s a decent place. I don’t have family around, so it’s nice having the other residents to keep me company.”
They reached the entry and Nolan made sure Daphne was comfortably situated on the waiting room bench before straightening. “It’s certainly been a pleasure to meet you, Daphne.”
“You too, Nolan.” She nodded, opening her mouth as if wanting to say something and then changing her mind. “You have a nice lunch with your date. I’m sorry if the food’s cold on my account.”
“I’ve got a salad and a sandwich, so it’s all good.” He smiled, backing up a few steps. “Hopefully I’ll see you here again.”
“I’m here every Monday at the same time,” she said, lifting a finger. “Or, you could always come visit me for game night at Pleasant Pines. It’s every Sunday at six o’clock.”
“I’ll remember that.” He winked and then made his way back out to the patio, making a quick note in his phone calendar to be visit Daphne on Sunday. He liked the older woman, and the thought of her not having family close by tugged at his heart.
He found Olivia sitting where he’d left her. She’d retrieved their drinks, but hadn’t touched her food yet. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” he said, smoothing the front of his suit jacket before taking the seat opposite her. “You should have started without me.”
“Don’t apologize. I didn’t mind a bit,” she said. “Was that someone you know?”
“Not until today. Her name is Daphne, and apparently she’s been coming here every week for forty-seven years.”
Olivia’s eyes widened. “Henry’s has been around for that long?”
“I think even longer than that. This place has been here forever.” He broke the seal around his paper napkin and removed the plastic utensils.
“I saw you help that boy with his drink too. No wonder you went into the hospitality industry—you’re really good with people.”
“You were watching me, huh?” he teased, arching an eyebrow at her as he opened the small cup of dressing and drizzled it over his salad.
A pretty pink dusted her cheeks. “Not the whole time.” She met his eyes with a playful challenge. “But don’t change the subject. You are good with people, and I admire that.”
He shrugged, secretly loving her praise. He didn’t need a pat on the back; he hadn’t done anything any decent person wouldn’t have done. But hearing a compliment from Olivia made his pulse accelerate. “Thanks. I guess that’s why I chose the profession I did. I could have taken over the construction company and been partners with Connor, but my heart wasn’t in it. Not that there’s anything wrong with construction,” he added, “my dad made a name for himself in Pine Ridge, and it’s a name I’m proud of. The money is good too—probably more than ‘good’ with how things are growing around here.” He gave a wry smile. “But my real passion lies in working with people. When I landed that first job managing the Westin, I knew I’d found something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. And Pine Ridge is where I want to live for the rest of my life, so I feel blessed to get the best of both worlds.”
She tipped her head to the side. “I don’t think you can put a price on being happy with your line of work. There are those who would have taken over the family business even if they didn’t love it, as long as it paid more. And there are those who never seem satisfied with what they have—always wanting the next best thing.” A shadow crossed her face before she forced it back with a smile. “It’s nice that you recognize your blessings for what they are.”
Nolan had the distinct feeling that O
livia had someone specific in mind when she gave those examples, and he secretly hoped she was talking about Trent. But that wasn’t fair. He really didn’t know the guy. Maybe he was a saint. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I guess you can’t put a price on contentment. My mom always taught me that the cure for greed is gratitude, so I try. I don’t always succeed,” he lifted his cup with a shrug of acknowledgement, “but I try.”
She searched his eyes. “You certainly are unexpected, Nolan McGrath.”
He gave her a crooked smile, thinking of Daphne’s comment. “Why? What were you expecting?” She met him with a coy look that got his heart pumping.
“I don’t know . . .” she blushed again.
He gave an inward groan. If she only knew how her blushes messed with him.
“Just . . . unexpected,” she finished.
He studied her. “Well, if you ever come up with a more satisfying answer, let me know,” he said, only partly teasing. He really wanted to know what she’d meant by that. Was it the “good” unexpected like he felt with her? The look she gave him combined with the blushes made him hope it was. But only time would tell.
Chapter 9
Olivia drove home with the windows down, her heart feeling light and free after spending the afternoon with Nolan. They’d discussed her ideas for the resort and he’d given her the go-ahead on several of them. Not only that, but he’d seemed genuinely pleased. She loved the way his hazel eyes lit up with interest at each new proposal. His opinion mattered to her; not only because he was her boss, but because the more she got to know him, the more she respected him.
She smiled, thinking about the people he’d helped in the restaurant. A man in his position and with as much on his schedule might easily consider himself too busy to stop and help someone in need, but not Nolan. In fact, people with far less on their schedule might consider themselves too busy—Olivia included. She wasn’t sure she would have noticed the boy struggling or the older woman who needed help. It wasn’t that she wasn’t willing to help, it was that she was often too caught up in her own little world, or on her phone, to notice. Nolan made her want to change that. He made her want to be a better person. She’d never dated anyone who made her feel that way before.
She blinked. Not that she was dating Nolan. Or should even think of him in that way. Her phone rang and she squirmed when Savannah’s picture flashed on the screen. Had her friend sensed her thoughts across the cosmos? She cleared her throat and answered the call using Bluetooth. “Hey, Savannah.”
“Hey, Liv.” The sound of muffled voices and dishes clattering could be heard in the background. “I’ve only got a minute before I meet with the caterer, but I wanted to hear how the tour with Nolan went,” she said. “Was it just the two of you on the tour?”
Olivia’s pulse hammered. That seemed a strange question to ask, but Savannah’s tone didn’t sound jealous—simply curious. Olivia swallowed. “Yes, it was just us. But Nolan seemed disappointed that you couldn’t make it,” she hastened to add.
“It couldn’t be helped,” Savannah said matter-of-factly. “Were you able to get lots of pictures?”
“Yes, and I’m excited to show them to you. The ballrooms are stunning.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to see them!”
Olivia smiled, picturing Savannah’s eyes sparkling. There were few topics that got her friend more enthusiastic than weddings. “I can send the pictures now if you don’t want to wait.”
“No need. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon enough.” She paused. “And maybe Nolan will be there so we can go over them together.”
Olivia’s gut twisted. “Yeah . . . maybe.” Was Savannah already planning to see him again, or did she mean sometime at the resort?
The sound of a dish crashing in the background was followed by exclamations of surprise. Savannah sighed. “I’ve gotta run. Thanks for taking those pictures. I’ll see you soon.”
“Good luck.” Olivia frowned in sympathy before ending the call. Poor Savannah was so busy . . . and yet she still had time to think about Nolan. She’d never repeatedly brought up a guy’s name like this before—except when she was setting someone up on one of her hopeless blind dates. The fact that Savannah kept talking about Nolan had to mean she was interested in him. Olivia tried not to sour at the idea as she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex, doing a double take when she saw Trent’s truck parked in the visitor’s parking area.
Her immediate reaction was disappointment, which was silly. He’d texted earlier to say he wanted to stop by. She should be happy that he’d come to see her. She was happy. Her reaction was probably due to the fact that it had been an eventful day and she wanted a little time to unwind before meeting with Trent. But it was sweet of him to want to see her sooner. She pushed the disappointment and thoughts of Nolan aside, putting on her brightest smile as she entered the apartment.
“Trent, are you in here?”
“In the living room,” he called.
She made her way in to find Trent, Drew, and Piper watching TV. They greeted her and she plopped down on the couch next to Trent. “What are you guys watching?”
“A travel special on Thailand.” He shrugged before draping an arm around her. “Piper chose it.”
“Drew and I are thinking of taking our honeymoon there,” Piper explained.
Olivia nodded. “I bet you’d love it. Drew could show you all the cool sights.”
“You’ve been there before?” Trent asked.
Oops. It was so hard for Olivia not to slip up when she was around Drew and Piper, especially now that Piper knew about their inheritance. The truth was, Olivia and Drew had traveled extensively with their grandma growing up. Margaret had been determined to show them some of the sights around the world that their parents had never bothered to take them to.
“Yeah, I went years ago,” Drew said without missing a beat. “It’s an amazing place, and I want to share it with Piper. Have you traveled much, Trent?” he asked, flicking a glance at Olivia before looking back to Trent.
She gave him a grateful smile. He was so good at looking out for her.
“The only travel I’ve ever been interested in is going from one dirt bike race to another,” Trent said. “I’m not much of one for airplanes.”
Olivia turned to him. “Are you saying you’ve never been out of the country?”
“Nope.”
“Seriously?” She gaped. “Aren’t you curious about what the rest of the world is like?”
“Nope,” he repeated, shaking his head and pointing at the TV. “I can learn about it right here, from the comfort of a couch.”
She stared, at a loss for words. How could he compare watching a TV special to experiencing the real thing? How could he be content with sitting on the couch when there was an entire world to explore? Granted, travel was expensive, especially for a guy who raced in supercross without a big sponsor. But to not even have the desire to go somewhere new? She couldn’t understand it.
Piper cleared her throat, glancing between them with an amused expression. “Do you two have plans tonight? A group of us are thinking of going bowling if you want to come.”
“That sounds fun.” Olivia turned to Trent. “What do you think?”
He was scrolling social media. “Whatever you want to do sounds good to me, babe.”
She secretly didn’t love when he called her that, and sometimes wished he would give a different answer. Whenever she asked what he wanted to do, that was his standard reply. It would be nice if he would offer an opinion or suggestion now and then—but she was being critical again. These things hadn’t bothered her before, why was she getting annoyed with them now?
She turned to Piper and Drew. “Bowling sounds great. Count us in.”
The smell of popcorn and the crashing sound of pins knocking over greeted Olivia as soon as she and Trent stepped into Rocky Mountain Lanes. Piper and Drew were meeting with Savannah to discuss wedding plans before coming tonight, so they’d d
riven separately. This was the first time Olivia had been bowling in Pine Ridge. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been bowling, period. Maybe while on a cruise with Gran when she was twelve? She frowned, hoping she wouldn’t embarrass herself too badly.
“This place is ancient,” Trent said, taking her hand as he scanned the lanes.
“It does look like it’s been around for a while,” Olivia agreed. But she liked that about the place; it had character. The bowling alley was on Main Street, not far from Henry’s, and she adored this older part of town. Thinking of Henry’s brought Nolan to mind, so she quickly banished the thought. He was invading her thoughts far too often lately, and bowling tonight was just the distraction she needed to take her mind off of her charming boss.
“Hey, I think that’s our group, isn’t it?” Trent said, pointing.
Olivia followed his line of sight to a lane where Connor, Jade, Leah, and Mitch were setting up a game. “Yep, that’s them.” She smiled when she saw Leah. Now that she wasn’t a caregiver for Leah’s mom anymore, it felt like way too long since she’d seen her friend. “Let’s get our shoes and join them.” They rented their shoes and made their way to the others.
Leah jumped up and gave Olivia a big hug when she saw her. “I’ve missed you!” she said, pulling back to look at Olivia. “How’s everything going? I heard you got a job at the Pine Ridge Resort.”
“I did, and things are going really well.” Olivia batted another thought of Nolan away. “How’s Carol doing?” she asked. “I visited her last week, but she didn’t recognize me so I didn’t stay for long.”
Leah eyes tightened. “I’m sorry she wasn’t lucid when you went, she would have loved the visit.” She lifted a shoulder. “She’s doing pretty well, all things considered. She’s definitely happier in the care facility and the staff are wonderful, so that makes it easier.”
Falling for You: Clean Contemporary Romance (A Pine Ridge Romance Book 3) Page 5
