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I turn to kiss him and purr, “You’re more than I could ever dream off in a man and more.
”
He says nothing as he turns me to hold him. I wrap my arms around him, and I can feel his heart beat quicken. As if I said something wrong, I couldn’t have done, because he’s been after me all morning. Seducing me with his words. He can’t deny how he feels about me. Not after all this, not after right now.
Chapter 13
Isaac
Later on, I go into the house to clean up, and Olivia goes to the cottage, I could have stayed in the barn forever. But then I knew that if I did, with her in my arms, I would tell her the truth about Dede, and there were a time and place for everything and after I spent all morning talking about taking her in the barn. That just wasn’t the place to do it.
“Where are you going, Isaac? Olivia asks as I walk into the kitchen.
“To the barn to polish my saddle.”
“Wow, you are quite the cowboy now, keeping your leather polished as if you were going to ride in a rodeo.”
“Good, idea,” I say as I grab Olivia around the waist and plant a kiss on her neck.
“Don’t! Neil might walk in,” Olivia says pulling free.
“He’ll be happy that we’re getting on so well.”
“Maybe,” she hesitates for a minute. “But there’s a time and place for everything and when I’m getting cookies ready to go in the oven is not one of those times.”
“Which are you, Dale Evens or Autumn Crooker?”
“Neither. I’m Olivia! One of a kind,” she laughs, “But I don’t want him to think that I’m with you for you not what.”
I love the way that she’s so innocent and the idea of granddad seeing her as anything but innocent is something that I just need to accept.
“Besides where is he? I haven’t seen him since this morning. I hope that he’s okay?”
Olivia frowned. “It’s hard to tell. I don’t see much difference in him that last few months then when I first arrived. The thing is…I keep thinking his doctors might have overlooked something.”
“What do you mean?”
Because he hasn’t even told me what’s wrong with him. “Olivia maybe he’s told you what’s wrong with him. He tried but I shut him up, I couldn’t bear hearing about his illness. It was selfish of me, and I need to seek to help him. Especially if he only has a few weeks to live.”
She shakes her head, “I have no idea. I just know that I wouldn’t leave any stone unturned if I were in his shoes. We need to find out what’s wrong with him. So, that we can help him, Isaac. He’s like a father to me, Isaac.”
“I know, I know.” What else is there to say? I can’t stop him from dying if he’s terminal. Nobody can.”
I’m holding her in my arms trying to comfort her, but she’s sobbing and getting emotional. I decide that we need to get to the bottom of this illness and then try and figure out how to help him.
“Look, I’ll leave Autumn Crooker to her cookies and then when I get back we’ll figure what to do with Granddad. I’ll insist that we all go to see his doctor’s together or something? I’ll think of something. Okay?” I quickly give Olivia a peck on the cheek.
She winks at me and then says, “And then after that, I want a real kiss.”
“Frankenstein’s created a monster,” I say as I give Olivia a pat on her butt before running for the door.
“You better run, Cowboy, before I swat you with a cookie-dough spoon!”
I laugh as I walk across the lawn. If someone had told me a few weeks ago that I was going to be this happy, I would have spit on their face. Damn how fast the world turns!
As I enter the tack room, I remember the first time I tried to polish a saddle. I must have been five. I put saddle soap all over my pony’s and then ran and got Granddad to look at it, but he just laughed so much that he started to cry. I remember looking for Grandma, knowing that she’ll make me feel better.
I shake my head thinking about all the memories. I was in a good mood and didn’t want to spoil it by drudging up things I didn’t want to think about. There’s no way that I’m going to let Granddad die, not if I can help it. I’ll work with the doctor’s and he’s going to be alright. I’m sure about it. As Olivia said, he hasn’t been sick, not since I’ve been here and she hasn’t noticed the change. Not like Grandma, she didn’t even have to tell her that she was dying. It was written all over her face.
