A Chance for Us (Willow Creek Valley Book 4) Page 17

  He wants freedom, and I can’t even be angry about it. It’s not like we’ve been together for months, and he changed his mind. I will not make this man suffer any more than he already has.

  “We’ve both been burned.”

  “Yes, we have,” Oliver says, his hands tightening around the wheel a bit.

  Oliver may always act like life is fun and grand, but I know what it’s like to wear a smile when you’re dying inside.

  The first girl he loved broke his heart.

  Devney destroyed it.

  He’s safeguarded himself against that kind of pain, and I can’t blame him for it.

  I reach out, placing my hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out the way you hoped.”

  “Meaning?”

  I let my hand drop. “You went through with marrying me when you deserved to have that experience with the woman you loved and wanted to spend your life with. And I’m sorry that any woman has ever hurt you.”

  “I’m not broken over it. Devney made the right choice.”

  “Doesn’t mean it wasn’t shitty for you.”

  He shrugs. “It was, but I’m fine. I have a good life, and she and I never would’ve been truly happy. Besides, I was meant to be on the market and up for sampling. Which you’re welcome for.” His voice is playful as he wiggles his brows.

  I can’t help but laugh a little. “You’re right. I’m very glad I got to enjoy the goods.”

  “There’s much more of that for tonight.”

  I roll my eyes. In the last five days, I’ve had more sex than I have most months. It’s been fantastic, but I am not sure how much more my body can take. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to find out.

  When he pulls to a stop, it only takes me a second to realize that we’re at the docks.

  “You’re going to dump my body in the ocean?” I ask.

  “Hell no, I’ve watched enough murder mysteries to know how to get rid of the body much more efficiently.”

  “Good to know.”

  Oliver helps me out of the car, looping my hand on his arm. “Come on, our dinner awaits.”

  We walk down the pier and toward a yacht—or, at least, I would call it a yacht.

  “Are we going on that?”

  “We are.”

  He helps me across the gangway and onto the boat, where there is already a gentleman waiting for us. “Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Parkerson.”

  I turn to Oliver, who smiles. “Well, it’s kind of true.”

  “Yes, I guess it is.”

  “Did I say the names wrong?” the staff member asks.

  “No, Michael, you didn’t. This is my wife, Maren, and we’re ready to head out if you are.”

  Michael nods. “Of course. I recommend you both go down to the living quarters until we get out a little deeper. The beginning part of the ride can be a little choppy this time of year. I’ll be down shortly after to get your orders and have the chef start to prepare the meals.”

  “Thank you,” Oliver says smoothly. He takes my arm, and we head to the door Michael indicated. “Watch your step.”

  “Ollie, what is this?”

  “A boat . . .”

  I huff. “I know it’s a boat, but all this is too much.”

  “It’s a wedding gift.”

  “Someone gave us a boat?” I ask with excitement.

  He laughs. “No one gave us a boat, but we get to spend a few hours on it.”

  “Oh. Duh.”

  It’s not a far stretch, we did get a house.

  He takes me down the narrow steps into the living quarters. It’s a lot bigger than I expected. There is a large couch against the back wall, a television opposite of it, and two chairs on each side. The room is gorgeous and painted in beige hues with four port hole windows along the left wall. You’d never imagine this was a boat. It looks almost like an apartment.

  “There’s a bathroom to the left and two bedrooms toward the front. There’s another level below which is the staff’s quarters and kitchen.”

  “Oliver . . .”

  “I wanted us to do something nice that wasn’t for show or for anyone else.”

  “This is a wedding gift from you?” I ask hesitantly.

  “Yes, I called in a favor.”

  I smile so wide that my cheeks hurt and then launch myself into his arms.

  “You are amazing! Amazing!”

  “You’ve said so.”

  “I’m saying it again.” I take his cheeks in my hands and kiss him.

  He leans back, a grin on his lips. “What was that for?”

  “Because this is so sweet. You’re so sweet.”

  Because no one has ever done something like this for me.

  He shifts his weight. “If this were real—if this were . . . different, I would do so much more.”

  If.

  What a horrible word. If I were someone else. If I were better. If I were worth it. That one-syllable, two-letter word that could be filled with hope is, instead, my pain.

  “You’ll find someone, Oliver. One day, this woman is going to come into your life and she’ll make you want to take chances again. She’ll be worth putting your heart on the line for because she’ll know how perfect, selfless, and wonderful you are.”

  He opens his mouth to say something, but then stops. We sway a little as the boat moves and he walks us over to the couch. After a minute of silence, he speaks. “I gave up on that dream a few years ago.”

  My heart is pounding so hard because I know I can’t hold back. I don’t just want sex with this man. I’m not saying we should be married, but I want to date him. I want to see if this chemistry and the way we are together can last.

  I go through all the options in my head. The answers that may come from this, but I know if I don’t take the risk, I’ll regret it always.

  “What if . . .”

  “Don’t,” he says as his thumb grazes my cheek. “Not because I haven’t wondered the same thing but because we both know that no matter what the answer to that question is, it won’t matter.”

  “Ollie,” I say pleadingly. “We don’t know that.”

  He sighs, sitting back. “You’re an analyst. You know better than anyone how this could go, right?” I nod. “Then tell me what the most plausible outcome is?”

  I don’t want to answer him. I don’t want the bitter truth to touch my tongue. The lie forms, a pretty illusion of what could be where we’re happy, but I can’t bring myself to say it. Because Oliver and my outcome is statistically bound to fail. We are destined for destruction, and I will not lie to this man, not even for just a little more time with him.

  I wipe my cheeks. “We fall apart.”

  “Why?”

  “Because of our jobs, mostly. I’ll never leave my team and I’d never ask you to give up your resort.”

  Our fingers lace together. “You love the beach, I love the mountains. You want kids, and I won’t ever let a child live like I did. Not to mention, we started this entire thing off on a lie.”

  The sad part is, he’s not wrong.

  “Sometimes it’s just easy to forget all that.”

  “I know, but then I remember all the things we’ve said about what we want. I remember how it feels when you want something and it isn’t yours to have. I’ve been second choice one too many times.”

  “Who says you’re second choice now?” I ask.

  Oliver shakes his head. “You were going to marry another man named Oliver, and I pretended to be him. You and I didn’t start this because we wanted to date. We did it to give your father a chance to walk you down the aisle. I’m literally the last choice here. You chose the other guy, your dad, and then me.”

  “That’s not true.”

  But it is.

  “I have made a series of bad choices when it comes to love, Maren. I’ve deluded myself far too many times, thinking that if I just loved enough or tried a little harder it would be fine. It never is. The truth doesn’t change just becau
se two people wonder or wish.”

  “Isn’t that the very definition of wishing? Wanting something you know is out of reach but desiring it anyway. Wishes come true, Oliver.”

  When I look at him, the statistical outcome stops mattering and all I see is a future I want more than my next breath. The two of us would grow old together and split our time between the resort and Virginia Beach.

  As if it were always right in front of me, a new set of events unfold, a new map drawing carving a path through a hypothetical life. Mark and Jackson would allow me to work from home when I went to visit him. Neither of us would have to give up anything.

  All we have to do is be brave enough to take the first step.

  He rests his forehead on mine. “I can’t risk it on a wish and I can’t be anyone’s second choice.”

  I lean back, cradling his face in my hands. I understand his hesitancy, but sometimes you have to take a leap, and I’m about to jump headfirst. I lean in, pressing my lips to his. “You’re not and I was wrong about our outcome because it’s not defined. We can make it work if it’s what we both want and I want you. Take a chance . . . for us.”

  Oliver doesn’t respond with words, instead, my back is against the plush couch, his body on mine and he’s kissing me. There’s a difference this time that I can’t explain. It’s as though he’s giving in as well as saying goodbye.

  I chase that away, kissing him back.

  “You make me want things,” Oliver confesses, looking down at me. “Things I swore I’d never want again.”

  “We can have them. We just have to try.”

  He closes his eyes, resting his forehead on mine. “We can try.”

  When he kisses me this time, I don’t feel goodbye, I just feel hope.

  Twenty-Two

  OLIVER

  “I’ll see you soon,” I promise Maren, lingering so I don’t have to let her get into her car and drive away.

  Time moved far too fast for me. We’re back in Willow Creek Valley, but she’s getting ready to head home, which will officially begin our attempt at a long-distance marriage.

  The irony of this is amusing.

  “I’ll come back in two weeks. I have a mission this week I need to be in the area for and then we have a lull.”

  “All right.”

  “Can I call you tonight?” Her voice is full of embarrassment.

  “You better.”

  “I’m going to miss you, Ollie.”

  I pull her to my chest, loving how easily she fits there. “I’ll miss you, but thankfully, I’ll have the memories of this morning to carry me through.”

  Her cheeks are painted a lovely shade of pink, and I imagine her naked, hands tied over her head, gripping the headboard as I ate her out. I fucked her so hard I pulled a muscle in my groin, but the memory will carry me through the weeks.

  “Yes, well . . .” She steps closer, her finger touching the hull of my throat. “Next time, I think maybe I should tie you up.”

  “You do?”

  “Yup. Then I can torture you.”

  “Did you forget the hot tub?”

  Maren smiles. “I’ll never forget that.”

  I am a lucky man to have this woman. “Neither will I. Now, get your sexy ass back in that car and call me when you get home.”

  She leans in, kissing me again. “I will. Don’t go marrying any other damsels in distress.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Maren hesitates at the door to the car. “We’re going to make this work, Oliver.”

  Her determination makes me believe it’s possible. I’m not sure how, but she seems resolved.

  “We’ll figure it out,” I say before kissing her forehead.

  That’s all we really can do. We’ll try, and if it fails, then . . . I won’t be shocked.

  “I’ll find out tomorrow what Mark did with the license.”

  “Yeah, that would be great.”

  He hasn’t answered his phone the last few days, but Natalie told Maren that he’s dealing with a situation and that she’d have answers for her when she returned. Whatever that means.

  I have a gut feeling it means we’re now legally married.

  “I should go . . .”

  I nod. “Yes, before it gets too late.”

  We kiss again, and the knot in my stomach grows. I don’t want her to leave. I want to pull her into my arms, carry her to my bed, and make love to her again. I want Maren with me all the time. It’s just not the reality we face.

  She sighs and then gets in the car. We wave to each other one more time, and I watch her taillights fade away down the driveway.

  I have no idea how much time passes before I feel a hand grip my shoulder. “And how is the blushing groom and his new bride?” Grayson asks.

  “Fuck off.”

  “Glad to hear the honeymoon was fun.”

  It was more than fun. It was perfect. However, I know how my asshat siblings are, and I’m not giving them anything they can torture me about.

  “How’s the resort?”

  Gray sighs. “It’s been fine. We had a few small issues, but we handled them. We have two rooms booked, but the guests won’t be here for two more weeks. It isn’t great, but it’s something.”

  “It’ll take a little time, we knew this.” It’s hard to open a new business and getting people to spend a night in a new establishment is harder. It doesn’t help that Melia Lake isn’t well-known on the map yet. The Firefly Resort is the first real lodging opening. Our hope is that more stores or restaurants follow our lead, and we can build the town up. After all, Willow Creek Valley was only popular after The Park Inn inspired the town to be eclectic.

  “Yeah, but I hoped for a bit more for opening week. I guess we’ll spend this time making sure those two families love it.”

  I shrug. “We built it, they will come.”

  He laughs at my botched quote from the movie we all loved. “I sure fucking hope so. Otherwise, my daughters are going to be in trouble when it comes to college.”

  We all risked a lot financially, and for Grayson, sometimes it feels like too much. “Do you regret it?”

  “Not a single second. I worry, but that’s par for the course.”

  “Yeah. I think this will all work out.” I’m not just talking about the resort. I mean with Maren too.

  Gray tilts his head. “All kidding aside, what happened with Maren?”

  I look at my older brother, who has always been there for me. He and I had a different relationship from what I had with my other siblings. Where Josh was the father figure, always bossing us around, Grayson was the brother who would hand me a beer and tell me not to say anything. He’s who I talked to when things were bad and when our father fucked up, he came to my aid without hesitation.

  He’s been my best friend, and I know I can tell him, but I’m not sure what this is or how to explain it.

  “I think I’m falling in love with her.”

  “You think?”

  “It’s too fucking soon. We didn’t even decide to date until last night.”

  He grins, and we make our way toward the entrance. “I think it’s funny that you think you have a choice of when it happens or how fast. You were falling in love with her before the wedding. All of us saw it. Also, I won the bet.”

  Great, another fucking bet. “What was it this time?”

  “That you’d be in love with her before you got back.”

  “Who lost?”

  “Josh.”

  Of course he did. “What did he bet?”

  “That it would take her leaving for you to admit it.”

  “So, you all thought it was going to happen?”

  He nods. “Yup. Even Alex, and he hasn’t even seen you two together.”

  Alex can keep his stupid opinion to himself in Egypt. “He doesn’t get a vote.”

  Gray laughs. “You tell him that. Anyway, Stella said it happened already and that she wasn’t going to bet because she’s not an infant.”
>
  “We don’t deserve her,” I say as the doors open.

  “No, but we need her.”

  This is true. Stella comes around the check-in desk, rushing toward me. “Ollie!”

  My sister pulls me in for a big hug, and I wince when she hits my side. It doesn’t hurt, but she slammed into it at just the right angle.

  “Tell me everything. How is my sister-in-law? Is her dad doing okay?”

  Since my siblings all know we signed the license, they have apparently claimed her.

  “We don’t know if we’re actually legally married.”

  “Semantics. There was a wedding, vows, and you two had sex, so . . . sister-in-law status is acquired. How is Patrick doing?”

  I give her the G-rated cliff notes of our trip and let her know that, as of this afternoon, Patrick was still holding in there.

  She’s planning to fly down to Georgia tomorrow if everything is okay at work.

  “Are you going too?” Stella asks.

  “No, I have to work.”

  “Right, but she needs you.”

  “So does the resort.”

  I’m not sure why she thinks I can just head off again.

  Stella crosses her arms over her chest. “Oliver Parkerson, do you really think you’re so needed here that you can’t go? I mean, sure, you’re important and all, but that doesn’t mean some things don’t trump work.”

  “Maren didn’t ask me to go.”

  Gray laughs. “Dude . . . you know women.”

  “What does that mean?” My sister turns her fury on him. “Women?”

  “It means that you all think we should have the power to read minds. How the hell is Oliver—or any man, for that matter—supposed to know what goes on in your heads? Half the time I don’t even think you know what goes on in your head.”

  I nod in agreement, loving that Grayson is always so willing to stick his foot in his mouth.

  “Excuse me?” Stella’s head does that weird swirl that I swear only women can do.

  “Don’t act like you’re confused. You know you do it too. I know you do because your husband has complained to me about it.”

  Oh, Gray, now you brought Jack into it. Bad move, brother.