Olivia’s hand landed on Harper’s shoulder. “What about Harper?”
I scanned the room, hoping there was still an empty table nearby, but every single one was full. There wasn’t even a seat atthe bar. Fuck. I should’ve marked one as reserved when I had the chance, but it had happened so fast that the thought never crossed my mind.
“Give me your keys,” Olivia said, holding out her hand.
I stared down at her waiting palm. “What?”
“The keys for your cabin. Give them to me,” she said, not moving a muscle.
“Olivia, it’ll be fine. I’ll clear out a table in just a minute, and Harper can hang out there until I close down early.”
It wasn’t ideal. Honestly, I hated the idea of Harper hanging out here while it was so rowdy, but with no one else to watch her, I didn’t have another choice.
“You have ten seconds to fish those keys out of your pocket and put them in the palm of my hand before I break a window and climb in.” Olivia leveled me with a stare that was a warning not to fuck with her. I imagined it was the same one she used in meetings to get her way. “Ten. Nine. Eight?—”
“Fine, okay. Here,” I said, sticking my hand in my jeans and producing the simple ring. “What are you?—”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of the girls while you handle this. What time do you normally close?”
“One, but?—”
“Dammit, Duke. Just shut up and let someone help you for once. I’m not asking for a kidney,” she snapped.
Gerald chuckled next to her. “Stubborn ass might be more inclined to give one of those suckers up than accept an ounce of help.”
Olivia turned to the old man and smiled. “Heisa stubborn ass, isn’t he?”
“You’re not helping,” I muttered beneath my breath, unsure of who I was really talking to.
Grabbing the drinks and placing them on a tray, I turned tosay something else to Olivia and the girls, but they were already gone.
By the timeI turned off the lights and trudged back over to the cabin, it was nearly two in the morning. I had to stay later than usual to tidy up, or Sawyer would’ve walked into a nightmare come morning.
Olivia’s car was parked next to my truck. Through the curtains, I could tell that the lamp was on inside the living room, but Harper’s room was mercifully dark. Guilt gnawed at me, knowing Olivia had Charlie in tow.
The thought of them driving home so late was out of the question. It was dangerous on these roads at night. They wound up and down through the pitch-black mountains, and she’d have to take the backroads to get over to Lukas’ ranch.
It was all-too-common for folks to hit an animal or swerve off the road and crash trying not to. Sometimes they ended up with nothing more than a few stitches or bruises, but others weren’t so lucky. Casualties happened every year. I’d never forgive myself if Charlie or Olivia ended up as one of them.
The first thing I noticed when I entered the house was the lingering smell of fresh pine cleaner. Even in the dim lighting, I could tell the difference. My kitchen was a mess when I went to work this morning. I never had the chance to clean. And there had been paperwork spread over the coffee table, too.
Olivia was curled up on the couch, an open book splayed out in her lap. Her neck was bent at an odd angle, lips softly parted. She’d done all of this without me asking. Done it all out of the goodness of her heart just because she wanted to.
I walked over, crouching to place my hand on her shoulder and shake her awake gently. “Olivia,” I whispered.
She grunted in response, burrowing herself further into the cushions and tugging the blanket up around her shoulders. She was always like this when Luke or I had to wake her up after football games. Sometimes, she woke up ready to fight. Others, she’d sulk until we unloaded all our gear from the truck, and she was able to climb into her own bed.
Mumbling a curse, I decided to leave her be and check on my daughter instead. The sound of soft snores met my ears, and I smiled as I looked in to see Charlie and Harper fast asleep together.
The soft glow from the pink flower lights hanging above their heads showed me all I needed to see. Charlie slept just like her mother, sprawled out with her mouth wide open. If Harper seemed to mind, I’d have never known. She was just as chaotic, her sheets wrapped around her legs, clinging to the stuffed bunny she’d had since she was a baby.
There was no way in hell I could wake them up and tell them to leave. Not after everything Olivia had already done for Harper and me. When she stopped by, I should’ve just asked if Harper could stay the night with her instead. At least that way the girls would’ve been more comfortable, and she wouldn’t wake up with a headache from sleeping like a goddamn pretzel.
I was also embarrassed for her to see the way I’d been living. To see how much I’d let things slip lately. I hadn’t gotten groceries this week because I’d been too busy, so Harper and I had been living off of PB&J for the past two days.
Olivia wouldn’t ever judge, but she was like her brother in the way she always wanted to help. Neither of them could leave well enough alone. Most of the time, I didn’t mind, but going through this divorce was different. I felt like a failure on somany levels, telling myself that accepting help was a sign of weakness.
But when I stopped and asked myself what the worst that could happen was, I drew a blank. This town had rallied in support of Harper and me on many occasions, even if it was just stopping by the bar for a drink or smiling when they passed us in the grocery store. Leaning on someone to get by was normal. I didn’t want Harper to grow up thinking otherwise.