He smiled and looked like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “I’d love that.”
We ran without talking for a while and then curiosity got the best of him. He started asking questions and I was happy to answer them. He also shared some funny stories he had, but only stuff that was personal to him. He seemed to purposefully be avoiding anything involving Killian or Olivia. I couldn’t really blame him for that.
“So, Killian’s a dad, huh? Who would have ever thought that? It’s crazy. Cute kid though.”
He stopped and his eyes went wide. “You met Macie?”
“Is that her name?”
“Macie isn’t Killian’s daughter, Baine. She’s Olivia’s.”
My chest constricted and I thought I was going to be sick, but I gave a tight smile and nodded. It took me a few seconds to find my voice. “Oh. I didn’t know. I guess I just assumed.” And hoped.
I didn’t realize until that moment how badly I had hoped Olivia had waited for me too. It was absurd. She was gorgeous inside and out. She had such a big heart, of course she’d find love again. That was good. I wanted her to be happy. That much was true. I couldn’t let myself wish for things I couldn’t have. Knowing this changed everything.
Before Felix ran into me, I had almost convinced myself that I needed to talk to Olivia, clear the air, and as ridiculous as it sounded now, maybe even confess the fact I was still in love with her.
It was too late for all of that now. I’d stayed away too long. Judging by the kid, she’d moved on pretty soon after I left. The kid had to be five or six years old. She might as well have just stabbed a knife through my chest. It would have hurt less than this new reality.
I faked a couple of yawns and soon admitted I was beat and said goodbye. It was nice catching up with Felix, it really was, but I wished I’d never come here. Living with even the slimmest hope was better than this sinking feeling.
Darkness was threatening to overtake me, and it had nothing to do with sleep.
Olivia
Chapter 6
I’d gone to bed pissed. I’d woken up pissed after a very restless night of tossing and turning.
All they’d told me was that Baine had been excommunicated. None of them would tell me why. Not one. The worst part of it was that they had known this for years. I was especially angry at Tori. I hadn’t confided everything to her, but she knew enough to know that I was devastated when Baine left. Literally the only thing that kept me waking up each morning and getting out of bed was the knowledge that his child was growing inside of me.
Why wouldn’t they have just told me?
Killian couldn’t even look me in the eyes. There was more to the story, I just knew it. Why were they keeping it from me?
By morning I knew I wasn’t going to be able to just pretend everything was okay. I needed answers and I needed them now. If my family wouldn’t tell me then I was going to take it to the source.
As soon as Macie got on the school bus, I walked over to the Inn. The one good thing about the gossips was that I knew exactly where to find Baine Landry.
Betty usually worked at the front desk, but she was nowhere to be found.
A girl I didn’t recognize came down the stairs laughing with a handsome man. I didn’t know him either. There was no other local news of outsiders being in town, so I knew they had to be some of the people that Baine had arrived with.
“Hi. Do you know what room Baine’s in?” I asked the girl.
She looked towards the man with her and he just shrugged.
“Baine Landry. I know he’s here with you. This is a small town. Outsiders stick out like a sore thumb.”
“Landry? Is that his name?” the guy asked with a smirk on his face. The girl slapped him in the gut. “What? I honestly thought Baine was his last name. What kind of name is Baine anyway?”
“I love you, but you’re an idiot sometimes, Grant.”
He shrugged and looked back to me. “My mate,” he explained. “She’s sort of stuck with me.”
“Till death do us part, babe. You do know what I do for a living, right?” she asked sweetly.
Another guy jogged down the stairs. He was shorter than the first one and had dark hair that hinted of red. His hair was cut short and he wore a neatly trimmed beard.
“Stop threatening him, T. Hi, I’m Tarron,” he introduced himself.
“Olivia,” I said.
“Baine’s Olivia?”
“Baine has an Olivia?” Grant asked.
T hit him again.
“I’m not getting into that. I don’t even know all the details, so ignore me.” Tarron started to walk away from me.
“Hold it. What room is he in?”
Tarron sighed. “Please don’t. Your Alpha is missing. We need his head in the game if we’re going to find him. He’s distracted enough just being back here. You have no idea how hard this is on him.”
My temper was about to boil over. The girl must have sensed it too.
“Room 5. Top of the stairs. Just, please, don’t hurt him.”
Her eyes were searching mine. I slowly nodded.
“Shit. Why did you tell her that?” Tarron whispered as I walked up the stairs.
“You’re going to have to fill us in,” Grant said.
“I really don’t know all the details, but I know enough to know that if that’s the Olivia then she’s the absolute last person on this planet we want around him right now.”
My heart sank and most of the fight went out of me. I heard them leave, but I couldn’t bring myself to knock on the door. My hand was just suspended there in mid-air when the door flew open.
My heart nearly stopped. Baine was standing there alive and in the flesh, a whole lot of flesh as he was sporting only a pair of boxers. My eyes scanned his body noting the addition of many tattoos covering his arms and a small broken heart on the left side of this chest.
“Olivia?” he asked rubbing his eyes like he wasn’t sure he believed I was actually there.
I knew that feeling all too well.
The last of my resolved disappeared.
“I’m sorry. I thought I could do this, but I can’t.”
I turned and ran down the stairs.
“Olivia, wait.”
“I’m sorry. I just can’t.”
I sucked in several deep breaths when I got safely outside. I looked back, but he hadn’t followed. Tears started streaming down my cheeks. I swiped them away before someone saw me.
As I crossed the street heading for the alley that would lead me to the backdoor of my store, I noticed Tarron, Grant, and T standing across the street watching me. They looked worried, but they didn’t say a word or come after me. Instead, they walked back inside. Somehow, I knew they were going to check on him and I was really grateful he had friends like that to watch his back.
*****
The day passed by in a blur. When I didn’t react in any way, the local ladies spearheaded by Mrs. Young had nothing to gossip about. I wouldn’t give them anything either.
My last appointment was at three and I decided to close up shop early for the day.
I cleaned up and busied myself with an overdue pile of paperwork until Killian arrived with Macie. He picked her up from school every day. It was her favorite part of her routine and I never wanted to come between her and her uncle.