She purses her lips, but after a beat, she asks, “What should I wear for this surprise?”
“You don’t need to dress up. Just wear some comfy clothes you don’t mind getting a little dirty.”
“Give me thirty seconds.”
When she comes out of her room, her hair is thrown into a bun. She’s got on a USF t-shirt that’s way too big for her, and a pair of athletic shorts. I lead her to my truck, opening the door for her, and ask, “Have you spoken with your parents at all since our dinner last night?”
“Yeah, I went over this morning. We talked things out a little bit, and they helped me find a counselor. I’m supposed to start seeing her in about three weeks.”
I try to hide my smug smile. I can’t help but think maybe I had something to do with that. “What made you change your mind?”
“I was thinking about what you said last night, that I need to be better. I reallywantto be better for my parents, and if I want to get back to work at the end of my three months, I don’t have time to mess around with different solutions. I think seeing someone who knows what they’re doing will help me a lot. My dad knows a counselor in the area who specializes in anxiety and panic attacks. I agreed to give her a shot.”
“What about your bad experience?”
“I trust my dad. Plus, if I don’t like her, my parents agreed to stop pressing me about going again.” She gives me a satisfied smile. I can’t help but note the way she looks just a little bit lighter than when she first came into town.Is it possible for that to happen so quickly?
“I don’t have anything to lose at this point. I’ve already hit rock bottom. It made my parents happy that I’m going to try therapy again, and if it does work, then I’m making myself less of a burden to them.”
I nod, trying not to push too far, despite all the questions swirling in my mind. I understand that her parents had to go through a lot to finally have a child, but I don’t understand exactly why Olivia thinks she’s such a burden to her parents.
I don’t get to ask her about it because we’ve already gone three miles down the road. I flip my blinker on, announcing, “We’re here.”
ChapterNine
Olivia
As we turninto a gravel driveway, the arch overhead greeting us reads, “Welcome to Resilient Paws Animal Rescue.”
Biting my lip in an effort to contain my excitement, I turn to Rhett. “What are we doing here?”
“I know how much you love dogs, so I thought you might like to come meet Carol and some of the rescues she has here.”
“Carol? Is there only one woman who runs this whole rescue?”
“Yeah, pretty much. She lives with her sister, but I don’t think Aimee gets involved much. Carol does amazing work here though, even on her own. There are a lot of dogs that would not be alive if it weren’t for her. The shelters in Dallas are getting overcrowded, and Texas isn’t a no-kill shelter state. Carol has helped take in some of those dogs that wouldn’t otherwise have a place to go.”
“That warms my heart to hear there’s people who care, even in this tiny town.”
“Roots is a lot more than just a small town.”
As we pull the truck up to the house at the end of the driveway, a woman with graying hair swept into a bun appears almost out of nowhere. She rushes over to us and wraps Rhett up in a hug. “Look what the cat dragged in. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“I haven’t been hiding.”
“I know. You’re just a busy man. I get it. Who’s your friend?” She wiggles her eyebrows at Rhett with a not-so-subtle smile. I try to hold back my laughter before she turns to me and gives me a hug.
“I’m Olivia Parker. My parents are Jack and Mandi Parker.”
“Of course! I know your parents. They adopted their dog Daisy from me. I’m Carol, by the way.” She shakes my hand. “Well, come on, let me show you around. If there is any piece of you that loves dogs, then this place will be both your heaven and hell.” The smile on Carol’s face is bittersweet.
“These poor animals. I can’t believe how cruel people can be. I admire people like you. I wish I could do something more like this with my life.”
“I always need helping hands. You should come help out.”
“That would be incredible!”
Rhett steps in close, grabbing my arm and leaning in to whisper in my ear. His soft lips brush against my skin, igniting me. “Do you think you should be volunteering at the rescue right now? I thought you wanted to work on your mental health and your relationship with your parents? You don’t need to overwhelm yourself with too many commitments.”
