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“Are you sure? I hate to put you out,” Olivia said. “I can sleep like a log anywhere.”

“This is my fault. I shouldn’t have ventured so far from Savannah.” He twisted his mouth. “I wanted to show you a good time tonight. And it sort of backfired. I’m well aware of how odd this might seem to you. I promise you my intentions are honorable.” He let out a ragged sigh and threw his hands up in the air. “This wasn’t a scheme to get you alone.”

Olivia met his gaze. “I trust you, Hunter. The situation isn’t ideal, but we have to make the best of it. Despite how long it’s been since we’ve been in each other’s orbit, I know who you are. And I know you didn’t orchestrate this to get me alone in a room with you. That would never be your style.”

Hunter let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks for saying that. I know this could look a little sketchy, but I promise you it’s on the up and up.”

Olivia plopped down on to the bed. She kicked off her heels and swung her legs on to the bed. “Well, I guess I’ll be wearing this outfit to my meeting tomorrow.”

“Sorry about that, although I think you’ll look fine in those pants and the jacket.”

Olivia giggled. “No worries. I’m not upset at all about it. About any of this, in fact. Things happen in life that we don’t expect. It’s how we rise to the challenge that define us.”

Relief flooded through him. Her attitude was very forgiving and relaxed. He should have known. Olivia had never been the type to harbor grudges. “That is a very wise sentiment. In some ways it mirrors my philosophy about business. Never let the setbacks run you off course.”

“You’ve had quite a meteoric rise since you left Savannah. Straight to the top.” Olivia made a motion with her hand like a rocket soaring upward.

Hunter walked over to the closet and pulled down some pillows and a blanket. He tossed them on to the sofa and settled down on it after taking off his shoes. He let out a shaky laugh. “I rose, but it wasn’t an easy climb. No one tells you about the loneliness or missing out on family events or the struggles that you fear might break you. No one knows about my darkest times when I was filled with so much doubt and fear that I almost packed it all in.”

“But you didn’t,” Olivia said. “You stuck it out, Hunter. You persevered. It just shows what strong stuff you’re made of. You rose from humble beginnings to unimaginable heights.”

“God had my back,” Hunter said. “He was with me every step of the way. When things got dark and stormy, I leaned on Him. And He never failed me. Not once.”

“That’s beautiful, Hunter. God is good. I know I’ve leaned on him a lot lately. After Mama’s death I thought I might just fall apart. But with God’s grace, I made it through. We never fully get over those losses, but we get through them.”

Hunter felt a tightness in chest. Maybe he was going crazy, but it felt like his heart was expanding. Olivia’s words were so meaningful to him. There really wasn’t a woman in his life who spoke to him this way. He and Olivia had known each other for most of their lives. She was the first woman who had ever touched his heart, and even though he’d dated plenty over the last ten years, no one had ever made him feel the way Olivia did. He wondered if any woman ever could.

Ten years was a long time to be out of someone's life, and he could only imagine what she'd been up to during those years. For a minute he convinced himself that he could see it all in her eyes. Was she happy? Did she still dream of having a houseful of kids and a tree house in her backyard? Was she still addicted to milk chocolate candy bars? He had no idea, but the thought of peeling back her layers and finding the answers excited him. She was like a mystery waiting to be un

raveled.

He cared about her deeply. The truth was, he always had. It had been easy to stuff those feelings down since they had been separated by life and circumstances. But being here with Olivia brought it all home to him. He’d loved her once and he still did. It made him a little nervous to feel this way again about someone, to care so deeply about another person that it made his heart ache a little. This was dangerous. He didn't want to care, didn't want to dredge up all the old feelings and plunge headlong back into love.

Love? Could it really be love? These days it was such a foreign concept for him, something he ran from at all costs. He shook his head. He couldn't afford to be in love, didn't dare encourage Olivia to rush headlong into something that might blow up in both their faces. Especially considering that he was planning to acquire her father’s company. That might earn him her hatred. The very thought of it made him feel like the worst person in the world.

He needed to keep things light between them. That way neither one of them would end up being crushed.

“So, how is it that a woman as beautiful as you are hasn’t been scooped up yet?”

Olivia shrugged. “It’s not that I haven’t dated, but I’ve never been tempted to settle down.”

“No one special?” he asked, his face full of curiosity.

She grimaced. “There was once, back when I was in college. Before I dropped out. He wasn’t good for me though…he was a bit messed up in the head. He put me through…a lot.”

A dark look passed over Olivia's face and he ground his teeth, counting to ten before he trusted himself to speak. “Did he hurt you?”

“Not in any physical way.” As soon as she answered him he was able to relax his angry posture and let out a shallow breath. Just the mere thought of someone harming her had him ready to wage war.

“He made me feel badly about myself,” Olivia explained in a halting voice. “He downed me in almost every way possible. I wasn’t pretty enough or thin enough or smart enough,” she explained. “He made me think that there was something wrong with me. You know I've always been a little shy, so his comments made me feel like a freak. I bottled it all up inside and allowed it to fester.”

“I love your shyness. It’s part of who you are, Liv,” he said. “Don't ever let some idiot make you feel inadequate.” Hunter snorted. “Hmmph. He must've been all kinds of crazy not to recognize your beauty—inside and out. No doubt trying to hide his own inadequacies.”

The sound of Olivia’s tinkling laughter sounded like music to his ears. He loved making her laugh. It was such a joyful sound.

“You're amazing. Don't let anyone tell you any different, okay?” Hunter pressed.

“I never will,” she said. “Not after the wonderful things you’ve said tonight. Thank you.”

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