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She opened and shut her mouth, as though she wasn’t sure what to say. “It’s not just my father. All of the guys I’ve dated have left in one way or another.” She shrugged in a defeated manner. “And you’ve got to admit that you never dated a girl for longer than a couple of months in high school.”
“I’ve changed a little since high school. I’m not your father or any of the other idiots you’ve dated. I want a relationship with you.” And because she was so worried about being just a fling, he added, “A real one.”
She bit her bottom lip. “Once you’re in Denver, you want to continue seeing an art teacher from Montana, and not some…I don’t know, model, or heiress, or hot cheerleader who’s there with you?”
He took her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. “I got cheerleaders out of my system in high school.” He almost teasingly added, “The models and heiresses are still up for consideration.” But he couldn’t tease her when she was uncertain about his feelings. Instead, he said, “Now I’m exploring my artistic side.”
Her brown eyes lifted to his. They were tinged with red. The sight of them undid him. “Olivia,” he murmured and pulled her into his embrace. This time she didn’t resist. “I don’t want anyone but you.”
She laid her head against his chest and relaxed into him. Good. She finally believed him.
“Plus,” he said, “We can’t break up now because I told my father we’re seeing each other. That makes it official.”
“That makes it scary, not official.”
Carson rubbed his hand along her back soothingly. “He likes you. He wasn’t being friendly because he thought you were still on my nemesis list.”
“You have a list?”
“Not since I scratched off your name.” Carson’s hand continued its path along her back. “My parents want to have dinner with you before I leave. And I’m sure my mom will like you. You’ll be able to tell because she’ll begin prying into your life and giving you advice. She’ll also give me pointed reminders about how a gentleman should treat a lady.”
“What if she doesn’t like me?”
“She’ll subtly and passively aggressively point out your shortcomings.”
Olivia pulled away from him to look into his face. “She does that?”
“Don’t worry. She’s predisposed to like you. She always said you did the right thing to call the police on my party. She thinks you had courage.”
“But I actually just had misplaced revenge.”
He moved his hands from her back to her shoulders. “We won’t tell her that.”
“I’ll start my relationship with your mother by lying to her?”
“Maybe she won’t bring it up.”
Olivia shut her eyes. “What else did you tell her about me?”
“Nothing that I haven’t since taken back.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, the point is that our relationship is official.”
Olivia bit her lip again. “Somehow it still doesn’t feel official.”
“That’s only because people don’t know about us yet. A few selfies on social media should fix that. We can take one now.” He reached for his phone.
She put her hand on his arm to stop him. “Don’t take one now. I’m in work clothes, without makeup, and my eyes are puffy. I look awful.”
“You don’t. You’re always beautiful.” He replaced his phone, though.
Olivia let her head fall against Carson’s chest again. “When do you have to leave for Denver?”
“Saturday morning.”
He felt the shuddering breath that went through her. “We won’t be finished with the house by then.”
“I know. Tomas will take over as project manager. He knows what needs to be done.” Carson gently tilted her chin up. “You don’t have to keep working at the house when I’m gone.”
“But you’ll need all the help you can get to have the place ready by the fourteenth.”
