“That is good,” he mumbled. “Jackson’s cook seems to be a man of talent.”
“Anyway.” Olivia tucked into her meal. “Let’s not talk about it anymore. I feel like that’s all I do lately, talk about the murders and the chief of police.”
“What do you want to talk about then?” Theo took a sip of his beer.
“I don’t know, tell me something fun.”
“Something fun?”
“You know, something happy from your childhood.” She picked up her beer and took a sip.
“Uh…” He stared up at the ceiling as he cast his mind back. “I used to braid my sister’s hair.”
“Sorry?”
“My mother died giving birth to Temperance, so as the youngest, it fell largely to me to care for her,” he answered. “She had seen some of the other girls in the village with their hair braided, and she wanted the same, so she pestered me until I did it. It was a disaster. I made such a mess of it the first time. My fingers got caught up in her hair, and after I got them loose, it took me hours to brush the tangles out. She looked like a haystack.”
Olivia laughed.
“But I hated disappointing her.” He looked down at his plate. “I used to practice on our horses, brushing and braiding their manes. Eventually, I got really good at it. Tempy would make me sit for hours in front of the fire, tending her hair for her.”
“Aww.” Olivia imagined a sweet little dark-haired boy braiding his little sister’s hair. “That’s so cute.”
“It’s not funny.” Theo shook his head. “When my brother Logan found out, he teased me mercilessly.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any manlier, the Vikings used to braid their hair and their beards all the time. In fact, the more complicated the braid, the more important the man.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re making that up!”
“I’m not.”
“Fine.” Theo resumed eating. “Tell me something from your childhood.”
“I loved swimming,” she said after a moment. “Still do. I love being in the water. I was so good that I was on the swim team in high school and college.”
“Swimming?” Theo repeated.
“Yes, swimming,” she replied. “You know, when you jump in deep water and move your arms and legs so you’re moving through the water and not drowning.”
“Why would anyone want to do that?” His forehead creased.
“Because it’s fun.”
“It doesn’t sound like fun.”
“It is.”
“Water is fun?”
“Yes, water is fun.”
“No.” Theo shook his head. “Water is for bathing.”
“I guess you’ve never been swimming then.”
“Olivia, I grew up on a farm,” he replied.
“I suppose that’s true.” She laughed. “Well, when the weather gets warmer, I’ll teach you in the lake. That’s where I learned.”
