“Yes,” Garrett replied, feeling uncomfortable even tellingher that much.
Her expression softened.“He’s afraid to tell me?”
Garrett didn’t respond, but he was sure she got the answerfrom his expression.
“Did he do it to survive?”Olivia asked.
Hope flared through him.He believed fully OliviaBarnes-Fleetwood wouldn’t allow the time Keane did to change her impression ofhim.Especially when she had the whole story.“Yes.”
She took a long breath and rested against him, relaxing.“Then he can tell me when it feels safe to.”
“Livie, I don’t want this to end,” he admitted in a whisperas though if he said it too loudly the wish would crack and break.
“I’ve been thinking about it, too.Maybe we can try dating.You’re here for a couple of weeks, but then you’ll be in Deer Run and I’m onthe road a lot.”
“We can easily meet in Dallas while we figure it out, andhonestly I could learn the business better if I traveled with you,” he offered.“And we’ve been talking about having Keane go to a couple of our partners andtrain them on his protocols.”
She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder.“Well, that issomething to think about.But you have to deal with my parents.”
“I’m good with parents.”
“Oh, I’m sure my mother and Papa will adore you.”
“And your dad?”
She turned her head up and gave him the sweetest smile.“Keep him away from your cars.”
Oh, didn’t he know that.“I have been living with theevidence of how your father handles his problems.I see it every day in hisoffice.Did he cube Scott’s car?”
“He was thrilled when Scott quit.He practically threw aparty.I overheard him telling my mother that he would have paid to send thefucker away so he never asked me to marry him.I thought he was showingmaturity, so maybe you don’t have to worry.”
Jack Barnes was the kind of man who paid attention.Everyemployee was vetted.He should know about Keane’s past because they haddisclosed it.His brother, Lucas, had run a thorough check.He was fine withgiving Keane a chance to work, but he might feel differently when it came todating his daughter.
But that was a bridge they would cross when the time cameand not before.He didn’t want to sit around worrying.He wanted to be part ofthis family he found.“We’ll handle your dad.We’ll show him how good we arefor you.Now, when is the massive ass showing up, and can we throw him awaywith the mountain of garbage from the teardown?”
The main house was chaos.There were contractors all over,but Jack Barnes didn’t want an inch of his office touched so at least they hadthis space to work in.And honestly, he didn’t mind since there was noreceptionist downstairs or possible friends walking in because they happened tobe having lunch downtown.It made it easier for him to rail his gorgeousgirlfriend during breaks.
He was pretty sure Keane did the same when she went out tobring him his afternoon snack.
She sighed and sat up.“Nope.I have to deal with him.Iwish Anna hadn’t retired.She was easy to get along with.”She moved to theother desk in the room and sat down in the chair and shuffled through thepapers there.“What do you want me to do about Gladen?”
At least she was asking.It showed she was starting to trusthim professionally.He hadn’t lied to her.He wanted to work with her.He lovedher sharp mind.They’d had some spirited debates that ended in the playroom,which luckily Gabe hadn’t torn down yet.He was working on a custom bed thathad to be put together in the space since it was too big to get through thedoors.So the playroom was mostly functional and empty at night.Which was goodbecause Olivia’s friends had taken over her place.
“Let me handle the rest of it.I assume the notes you tookweren’t completely destroyed by the fire.”She was too smart to only have onecopy.
“Of course.I typed them up, and the pictures I took are onmy cell phone,” she replied.
“Good,” he said.
“What’s good?”Scott stood in the doorway.
Garrett wondered how long he’d been standing there in hisperfectly pressed suit.“I was just saying it’s good that Olivia is alwaysprepared.Mr.Whittiker, why don’t you come in and we can get started.”
Scott looked around.“This room hasn’t changed.It looksexactly the same.Except a few new pictures.Is that Lexi’s youngest?Did heactually graduate?”
He moved to the picture of the O’Malley family that hung onthe wall along with pictures of Josh and Grim and Nicole and numerous photos.There was a wistful expression on his face as though he was remembering a timewhen he might have been in those pictures.
Olivia leaned against the desk.“Yeah, we were happy Roanmanaged to get through.Not that he’s not smart.He’s too smart, but he likesthe ladies a bit much.”
