grade. We spent a fortune on tutoring, but nothing ever seemed to help much.” His face brightens. “We’re pretty pleased she’s doing so well with her business.”
Business. A wave of irritation comes over me.
He lifts the graduation picture from the mantle. “Her teachers, tutors, everyone told us not to expect much and look at her now.”
I shove my hands in my pockets and look at the picture again. Henry holds the delicate frame in his hands.
“You sticking close to Olivia, keeping an eye on her?” he asks, as he sets it back.
“Yes, sir.”
“She's a stubborn one. Both she and her mom want to do things their own way.”
I’m not sure what to say about that, but fortunately, Alice calls us to come eat lunch. Henry and I return to the kitchen and sit at the table. There's a pan of lasagna, salad, bread and a huge pitcher of iced tea. Henry says a short prayer and Alice serves up plates of the amazing-looking lasagna.
I look over at Olivia, half expecting her to complain or say something about not being able to eat, but she takes the plate of food and digs in with gusto. The conversation is light. Nothing is said about Olivia's work, the threats she's received or the sale of the club. Lots of elephants in the room.
To my amazement, Olivia not only eats her serving of lasagna but helps herself to seconds. Even Alice, who's pretty slight, manages a second helping. Doing my best to keep up, and of course be polite, I eat until I can't manage another bite.
Alice offers dessert, everyone mutters some sort of polite refusal. Instead, we go for a walk down the hill to a pond. I hang back a little, walking with the dogs, so that Olivia can have a moment with her grandparents. I know she wants to tell them about the sale and it seems like that should be a private conversation.
The pond is bigger than I realized, like the size of a football field and a breeze blows, making tiny waves glitter in the sunshine. The dogs play along the bank. They bark and race, a couple plunging into the water.
One of them emerges from the water and goes to where Olivia talks to Henry and Alice. He pauses and shakes his coat and I hear a murmur of dismay and some laughter.
Olivia smiles at me and goes to the water’s edge. Wind blows through her hair.
She’s lost in thought, staring out at the water. Her expression is open, happy and unguarded, and I can’t take my eyes from her. I’ve never had a woman at my cabin. I had to take her there today, to invite her to see who I am, who I really am. Now I need to take her there, to have her all to myself.
Dad’s house is too big. And it never felt like a home. The cabin is all mine. I dreamed it, planned it and I like to picture Olivia there. It’s one room so she wouldn’t be able to run off. I’d cook for her and feed her things she pretends she doesn’t want. I’d take her to bed and make her mine. I imagine a lazy afternoon, spent in bed while a thunderstorm rolls in.
I imagine other things with her, too. Not just having her naked and all to myself. I’d like to take her on that trip she told me about to see the Pacific.
We head back up the hill and when we get back to the house, Alice serves dessert and coffee. Olivia takes her piece of chocolate cake and gives me a sheepish look, expecting me to hassle her, but I don’t say a word.
She thinks she’s fat. I think she’s perfect.
After we say good bye to Alice and Henry, we climb on the bike. We drive slowly along the gravel driveway and when we hit the road, I push the bike up to sixty. Her arms tighten around me. The feel of her body undoes something inside me. This girl could turn me into a rampaging barbarian and I won’t relent until I carry her off to my lair.
Before that can happen, I need to do some damage control and get her to forget our first meeting. I set my hand on her leg as we take a corner. It’s a question. It’s an offer and she responds by laying her face against my back. The gesture makes