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He grunted. “That may be, but we’re a family. We watch out for each other.”
Guilt prickled Olivia. She shot her grandfather an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry for not calling you last night. I didn’t want to ruin the last day of your vacation.”
“Well, you should have.” His tone was gruff, but there was no anger behind it. “Nothing is more important than you.”
Shoot. Tears pricked her eyes, and she leaned over to kiss his weathered cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. That’s the last thing I want.” She squeezed her grandmother’s hand. “I don’t want either of you to worry. Chief Sims is doing everything he can to find my attacker. In the meantime, Cole is keeping an eye on me. I can’t get into too much trouble with a Texas Ranger following my every move.”
As if her words had called him, there was a knock on the back door. Olivia got up to answer it. Cole greeted her with a smile, and when he crossed over the threshold, the scent of his cologne—something warm and peppery—tingled her senses.
He toed off his boots, nose lifting in the air like a bloodhound. “What is that delicious smell?”
“My grandmother’s famous bourbon chicken. I hope you brought your appetite because she made plenty.”
“I don’t want to be a burden?—”
“Nonsense. Granny loves to feed people.” She grabbed his hand and gently pulled him from the mudroom into the kitchen. Cole had met her grandparents earlier in the evening, so no introductions were necessary. “Granny, Cole’s here. And he’s hungry.”
Alyssa jumped from her chair with a huge smile. “I’m so glad you could join us, Cole. Please, sit down. I’ll fix you a plate. You don’t have any allergies, do you? I’ve made bourbon chicken, sweet potatoes, collard greens, and biscuits. There’s also cherry cobbler for dessert.”
“No, ma’am. No allergies. Everything sounds wonderful.” He claimed the chair next to Olivia. “Ya’ll don’t eat like this every night, do you? If so, I won’t be able to stay for too long.” Cole patted his flat stomach. “I’ll get fat and spoiled.”
Willie grinned at him. “No one’s cookin’ is better than my Alyssa’s.” He sat back in his chair and rubbed his ample stomach. “And yes, you’ll definitely get fat and spoiled if you stick around. Not that anyone here will complain. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a hero. What you’ve done for our Olivia… we’ll never be able to repay you.”
“Thank you, sir.” Cole glanced at Olivia, his expression warm, as she set a glass of water on his placemat. Then he focused back on the older man. “But there’s no need to repay me. I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time.”
“Still, you’ll always have a place at our table.” Alyssa sat a full plate of food in front of Cole.
He bowed his head and said grace before picking up his fork. “This looks delicious. I haven’t had a home cooked meal in a good long while.”
The conversation was lighthearted as they all ate. Olivia’s grandparents shared old stories about the town. Cole talked about his grandmother. It was clear from the wistful way he spoke about his Nana that he missed her a great deal. Sometime during dessert, Alyssa began showing photographs of Olivia as a child.
She groaned and covered her face when they got to a particularly disastrous junior high picture. Her permed hair stuck out in all directions and her teeth were encased in braces. “Granny, put that away.” Olivia reached for the album. “I’m burning that one.”
“Don’t you dare.” Cole’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “It’s adorable. Tell me, what do you call that hairstyle?”
Olivia lightly punched his shoulder. The muscles underneath were firm. “It was very popular at the time, I’ll have you know.” She huffed as her cheeks heated. “It just didn’t age well.”
“The hairstyle might not have, but you did.”
Cole’s offhand comment warmed her straight through. Before she could think much about it, though, Alyssa was flipping to a new picture. This time of the entire family. Cole studied it and smiled. “You look like both of your parents, Olivia. You’ve got your dad’s eyes and mouth, but your mother’s forehead and cheeks.”
Alyssa beamed. “She’s the best version of all of us.”
“That she is.” Willie thumped the table in agreement. Then he checked his watch. “Alyssa, it’s nearly time for our show. Why don’t we leave these two to finish up their desserts while we watch TV for a bit? The dishes can wait.”
They went into the living room. Moments later, voices from the television filtered into the kitchen. Cole tilted his head. “What are they watching?”
“Matlock. I’ve shown Grandpa how to record it several times, but he never remembers to do it. Secretly, I think they like watching it, commercials and all. Reminds them of how things used to be.”
Cole chuckled. “They’re great. You have a nice family, Olivia.”
“Thanks. I think so.” She wiped the last crumbs off her mouth with a napkin and leaned back in her chair. “I ate too much. Remind me not to skip lunch again. I turn into a ravenous monster at dinnertime if I do.”
She rose from her chair and started clearing the table. Cole got up to help her, but she waved him down. “You’re a guest.” Her mouth quirked. “And a hero. I’ll get a stern talking to if Granny comes in here and sees you doing the dishes.”
“Nonsense. I’m practically a member of the family.” He winked. “Your grandpa said so.”
Olivia laughed. Together, they cleared the table, and she filled the right side of the sink with soapy water. There was no dishwasher. Her grandmother insisted on doing them the old-fashioned way. Cole retrieved a towel from the nearby countertop. They settled into an easy routine, with Olivia washing and Cole drying. It felt intimate and yet comfortable at the same time.
