I give him a steady look.“I will never let anyone outshine your daughter, Bob.And I will never put Olivia in a position where she will get humiliated.”
Bob looks at me for a long moment.Then he shakes his head, but there’s something like approval in his eyes.“Olivia’s not going to be happy about this, but I trust you.”
We climb into the truck.Bob’s quiet, his hands steady on the wheel as we drive back through town.Christmas music plays softly on the radio.
“I never liked Chase.He wasn’t good for her.”Bob’s sudden words take me by surprise.
“Olivia mentioned you weren’t his biggest fan,” I murmur.
“He didn’t know how to take care of my Livie.”The older man looks frustrated, his knuckles whitening on the wheel.“He was selfish, and she couldn’t see it.”
“Why didn’t you tell her how you felt?”
Bob looks at me and barks out a sarcastic laugh.“When you have a daughter, you’ll see.You have to stand by them.You have to let them learn from their mistakes.If we had told her no, it would have caused a rift between us.And Chase already looked down on me for being a plumber.He would have preferred that she isolated herself from us.”
Anger stirs within me.“Surely Olivia could see?—”
“When you’re in love, son, you don’t see anything.When he broke up with her, we were hurting for her, but we were happy.Now she could find someone better.”He looks at me with a smile.“And she did.You love her.I can see it.I couldn’t have asked for a better man to entrust her to.”
“I’m sure Olivia wouldn’t like you saying you’re entrusting her to me,” I chuckle.
“No,” her father agrees, smiling.“That she wouldn’t.But you’ll make her happy.You already do.I’ve never seen her like this before, the way she is with you.She trusts you.When she was with Chase, she would always hold back a part of herself.She never realized it.But with you, she lets you see everything.”
His words make my chest tighten.“She sees me as who I am as well.I’ve never been able to hide anything from her.”
“That is how it should be,” her father says, firmly.“For Olivia, her family is everything.Chase never understood that.But you do, son.”
“I do.”
When we pull into the driveway, I can see Olivia through the kitchen window.She’s gazing outside, a wistful look on her face.As soon as she sees us, her eyes brighten, and she disappears from the window.
The front door flies open before Bob even cuts the engine, and Olivia bursts out onto the porch in her socks—no coat, no shoes, just a blue sweater that slips off one shoulder and yoga pants.Her hair’s pulled back in a messy ponytail, and her cheeks are already pink from the cold.
“You got it!”She’s practically bouncing as she runs down the steps toward us.
I catch her before she can slip on the icy driveway, my hands gripping her waist.“You’re going to break your neck.”
“The tree,” she says breathlessly, ignoring my concern entirely.Her eyes are fixed on the truck bed, bright with excitement.“It’s perfect.Dad, it’s absolutely perfect.”
Bob grins, clearly pleased.“Alexander picked it out.”
Her gaze snaps to mine, warmth flickering across her face before she schools it back to excitement.“Did he now?”
“With guidance,” I admit.
But there’s something else in her expression—something beyond the tree that’s making her practically vibrate with energy.I know her tells by now, the way she bites her lower lip when she’s keeping a secret, how her fingers curl and uncurl when she’s bursting to share something.
“What are you hiding?”I ask quietly, leaning close enough that only she can hear.
Her smile turns sly.“Nothing.”
“Olivia.”
“Help me get the tree down first.”She’s already moving toward the truck, and I follow because I can’t help myself.
Once the tree is down, I’m about to suggest how to drag it inside when Bob brings out a saw from his garage.
“What’s that for?”I ask warily.
