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“Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. I haven’t done anything yet. I’ll be in touch.”
We chat for a few more minutes and then Jett makes a comment about having to go, but not before I hustle to the kitchen to grab him some brownies. As Jett leaves, I spy Oliver lingering by the door. He catches my eye and juts out his chin in the direction of outside. We haven’t done this before—meet in broad daylight with half the town mingling about. Is he crazy?
I wait a few minutes and slip outside before Reggie or Jack can spy me. It takes several more minutes for me to spot Oliver in the back yard, near the shed door. Once I’m close, he pulls me inside with him.
“Oliver, what are you doing? Anyone could see us. Half the town’s out.”
It’s dark and dank inside the shed. This is where I keep the library’s meager gardening supplies, and except for a handful of times throughout the year, I never go in here.
Before I can say another word, his mouth covers mine in a searing, desperate kiss. And that’s all it takes for me to forget where I am and why being in this shed with him is a terrible idea. His hands latch on to my hips and pull me flush against his solid body.
Oliver pulls away first and rests his forehead on mine. “Hi.”
“Um, hi.” I entwine my fingers around his neck. “What are we doing in here?”
“Saw you and Jett Kincaide talking for some time. What did he want?”
Okay, so he’s choosing to ignore my question, and it’s plain to see where his head is at.
“Is that why you pulled me in here?”
“Nope. I wanted to kiss you.” He kisses the tip of my nose.
While the light in here is almost nonexistent, slowly I make out more and more of our surroundings. Most of his features are visible. The muscle in his jaw ticks, his face tense and all sharp angles.
I quickly fill him in on my conversation with Jett. He nods and his happy façade slips, revealing a fraction of a grimace. “That’s really cool of Jett.”
“It is?” Tilting my head to one side, I study him with a small smile playing on my lips. “That hurt to say out loud, didn’t it? Was it like eating glass?”
He snorts and nods. “Kind of.”
“Well, thank you for recognizing the gesture for what it is. He wants to help, and if he can, that will be a good thing for the program.”
His fingers dig in to my waist. “Absolutely. And you know, once things are settled with the Nest, I’d be more than willing to support Bright Horizons in any way I can.”
“Oliver, I know.” At the back of his neck, I run the tips of my fingers along the ridge of his shirt collar. “I hope you know that you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“What?” He almost pulls it off, as if he doesn’t understand what I’m talking about, but the slight edge to that one word gives him away.
“Oliver, are you jealous?”
“What? No. I’m only saying?—”
“Hey, it’s all right and I appreciate any and all the support you have to give. Just listening to me vent about this never-ending wait or what keeps me up at night, all of it means everything to me. Thank you.” My lips press against his for a quick kiss. “It’s really cute that you think you have to compete with Jett Kincaide. There’s no competition?—”
“I’m not.” He pauses and cocks his head to one side as the last words I said before he cut me off sink in. “What do you mean no competition?”
I sense his displeasure, even trepidation in how his body coils tight as he tries to pull back ever so slightly. But I don’t let him. I hold on and stare up at him.
Slowly, I enunciate each and every word so there’s no room for doubt or miscommunication. “Just so you know, no matter the competition or comparison, you, Oliver Winslow, will win every time.”
Chapter15
Oliver
Wren hugs her father just steps from the exit to the Grill. From where I’m sitting in a booth, I can see her face clearly and have been watching her for the past several minutes.
Her eyes are closed and lips curled up in pure happiness. She’s such a beautiful sight. Before father and daughter break apart, her eyes burst open and zero in on me. She winks with an extra sparkle in her eye that’s just for me. That right there, a brief look, is pretty much all the “hello” and “goodbye” I’ll get.
