AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Olivia wasn’t with any of the workers. He went to the attic room, expecting to find her there. Perhaps heatedly packing her things. She wasn’t there but her possessions still were. Her suitcase, her pillow, and her sketchpad, sitting open on her bed. His gaze fell on the drawing of children and halted there. Why had Olivia drawn the two of them as children?
Didn’t matter right now. He had to find her. As he turned back to the door, he realized her purse wasn’t anywhere that he could see. She either kept it hidden to discourage would-be pickpockets, or she’d been so upset she hadn’t taken the time to pack up her things before she left. He marched back downstairs and called her again. Still no answer.
He strode through the house and went outside to look for her car. His father was coming back from the guest house with Mrs. Gordon. “It’s going to be beautiful when we’re done,” his father told her, “The perfect place to put your visitors.”
His father waved for him to come over. “Mrs. Gordon has a few questions for you.”
Carson really didn’t want to do anything except look for Olivia, but he couldn’t be rude to Mrs. Gordon, not when she’d come all the way from Denver to see him. Olivia would listen to his message. She would talk to him.
He plastered on a smile and answered questions about trim, the fireplace stone, the lighting, and whether any of the land could be converted to horse pasture and stables. The answer to that one was, “Yes, but not before the house sale.” She could do it herself. He wasn’t about to sink more money into the place when she still might back out.
Every moment that he stood talking about the house, a part of his mind was thinking about Olivia. If the car was here, she was most likely hiking one of the trails, thinking of the best way to yell at him. Why hadn’t she picked up the phone? Didn’t she want to hear his side?
And…oh wait, the drawing—that wasn’t Olivia and him as children. That wastheirchildren.
He really needed to talk to her.
He tried to hurry Mrs. Gordon along without being rude. Finally, she finished her questions and commentary.
“I’m sure you’re going to love the place once we finish,” his father reiterated.
Mrs. Gordon gazed around the area. “Where’s Megan?”
That. He was going to have to tell her something about their relationship or Mrs. Gordon would wonder why Megan was suddenly bashing him and the house. “I’m afraid I upset her. We broke up about three weeks ago, and she came here hoping to change my mind about that.”
His father’s eyes widened in surprise. The word, “Why?” was there in his eyes, but he didn’t ask the question.
Mrs. Gordon tilted her head in cool disbelief. “I knew the two of you hadn’t spoken for a while. I didn’t realize you broke up. You seemed like the perfect couple. You have so much in common.”
Mrs. Gordon was clearly also trying to change his mind about their status.
Carson rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s not very happy with me right now. In fact, she said she’d try to talk you out of buying the place. I hope you won’t let her opinion of me color your decision.”
That sentence alone ought to answer his father’s unspoken question as to why Carson had dumped her.
Mrs. Gordon shifted her grip on her purse. “Of course not. Although I’d better find her and go. I’m sure she wants to leave.”
Carson was already edging away from them. “Thanks for coming. I’ll see you later.” He made a beeline for the side of the house where all of the cars were parked. He expected to see hers there. After all, Olivia was reasonable. She would realize there must be a misunderstanding. She would give him a chance to explain.
Or not.
Olivia’s car wasn’t there.
Carson swore. He called her again. She still didn’t pick up. Didn’t she want to hear his side of this?
He climbed into his truck. He would go and find her and make her listen to him. She owed him that.
Ten minutes into the drive, Carson’s father phoned him. Carson put the call on speaker.
“They’re gone now,” his father said. “You can come out from wherever you’re hiding to avoid Megan.”
This wasn’t how he planned on telling his father about his relationship with Olivia, but the news was obviously overdue. If he’d just told his father about Olivia in the first place, none of this would’ve happened. “I’m not hiding from Megan. I’m driving to Lark Springs to find Olivia. I started seeing her after I broke up with Megan, and now I have to explain to her that Megan isn’t and hasn’t been my girlfriend for some time.”
There was a long pause on the phone. “You and Olivia are a couple?”
“Yes.”
“How long has that been going on?” Disapproval tinged his father’s voice. Was Olivia right that he didn’t like her?
