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He frowned. “What?”
“To pay for the construction. I don’t want—”
“Son, we don’t do loans.”
“Interest rates are so low right now. It would be crazy not to take advantage of them.”
My dad sighed. “Fine. I put you in charge for a reason, I guess. I trust you to do what you think is right.”
“Thank you.” I nodded. “And just so you know, the only reason I’m asking Olivia is so that she can put something on her resume so that when she goes back to New York and starts looking for interior design jobs, she’ll have an actual portfolio to show to people.”
“Well, aren’t you a kind one?” Dad grinned. “So thoughtful of you to look out for her and her future job endeavors in New York.”
“I know,” I growled. I knew he was making fun of me, but I wasn’t going to take it on. I was doing it to help her. I wanted her to be a success in New York and to live her dreams. It had nothing to do with the fact that her lips tasted like sweet strawberries on a summer day, or the fact that her body was soft and supple. I shook my head to stop thinking about it. I was going down a very dangerous path, and I didn’t have time for that. There was far too much going on in my family for me to worry about having any sort of relationship with anyone, even a woman as beautiful and as sexy as Olivia.
Chapter Forty-Three
Olivia
“So who’s got cookies for me?” Beau walked into the kitchen and smiled at Eloise.
“I do, I do! I have plenty of cookies for you.” She grinned up at him. “I even have decorated cookies, if you want one.”
Her sweet little voice was so eager that I couldn’t help the loving smile that crossed my face. This poor girl didn’t have a mother or a father, and she was so sweet. A part of me wished that Beau had been her father so that she could be a member of this amazing family. When Arya and Eloise had shown up, my heart had frozen at the thought that Beau could be her father. But seeing this little girl and the way she interacted with the family made me sad that she wouldn’t be sticking around.
Beau walked over and kneeled down so that he was eye level with her.
“Eloise, how many cookies can I have?”
In the far corner of the kitchen, Amelia was watching her son, a loving expression on her face. Then Ranger walked into the room. Amelia looked over at him, and he nodded slightly. She nodded back, but I had no idea what they were nodding about. He walked over to his wife and put his arm around her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. That seemed to make her happy because she smiled. She looked over at me and gave me a sweet little smile that filled me with happiness. What a warm, happy family.
I walked over to Eloise. “Can I have a cookie too, please?” I asked. Beau looked up at me, an odd expression in his eyes.
“I have something to talk to you about. If you have some time later?” he asked, his voice uncertain.
I wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about his request. I was happy that he wanted to talk to me but nervous that maybe he wanted to let me know officially that he wasn’t interested. Sure, the chemistry between us was off the charts, but maybe he could see that I was starting to like him a little bit more every day. And it was about much more than just our attraction.
“Sure,” I said. “And hey, are we ever going to go riding at all?”
“I know I owe you a lesson.”
“Maybe tomorrow. I mean, if you don’t have anything else to do.”
“I have no plans tomorrow. And if something pops up, I’ll delay it.”
“Oh, no. You don’t have to do that,” I said, flustered. “Business comes first, obviously.”
“I promised you a ride, and I’ll give you one.” He winked at me.
My face warmed. Everyone around us probably assumed he meant horse riding, but I knew he was talking about so much more.
I wasn’t going to let myself go there. This was already getting far too complicated and too emotional for me. I was more invested in this man and his family than I should be.
“I want some cookies too,” Lucy said. “Let’s have cookies for everyone.”
“Now, now,” Amelia interrupted, “everyone can have one cookie. I don’t want you all to get full on cookies before dinner. And I’m making pot roast tonight.”
“I love pot roast!” Eloise said excitedly. She ran over to Amelia and looked up at her. “I love pot roast. It’s my favorite!”
