They’re newer replicas of the five already on the property, and they’ll earn Silver Pines a pretty penny from spring through fall. Ivy already has bookings for next year.
“My dad would love this,” he notes as I squeeze his shoulder goodbye. I wonder what it’d be like to have the kind of father that you’d want to make proud. Fuck, I can’t wait to be that kind of dad for my baby.
“Oh, Asher,” Wade calls as I take a thermos from Ivy, thanking her on my way over to my own truck. I turn to face him. “It doesn’t end when she has the baby. The only thing riskier than pissing off a pregnant woman is pissing off a mama.”
He chuckles as Ivy swats at him, and I check the time on my phone. It’s perfect that Lynn is picking up Olivia. That leaves me just enough of a window to get home to pick up the surprise I made for her before I head back over to her house.
As I drive through town and into the surrounding Kentucky countryside, I think of my mother. I think of everything that has come before. Something settles deep inside me. It feels like the Donovan curse is finally broken. It feels like today is the perfect day to make Olivia Sutton mine.
CHAPTER 55
Olivia
“Ifeel like I’m on one of those shows on HGTV. You know, the ones where they do the big reveal?” my mom says excitedly as we wait for Shane and Asher to arrive.
The wind blows on the front porch as I watch Asher pull up, and I move to pull my thigh-length, cream sherpa coat a little tighter over my short-sleeved, wide-necked navy dress. It’s a loose fit and flows to my midthigh, perfect for my growing baby belly.
My mother’s smile is full of pride as my father makes his way down the driveway to shake hands with Asher and Shane. Just like every time I see the father of my child, my heart starts to beat a little faster in my chest. His beard is a little thicker than usual—he’s just coming off a nine-day stretch at work—and I think I like him best like this, a little scruffy. He’s wearing his trademark jeans and a long-sleeved charcoal-and-ivory flannel that complements his eyes and fits tight to his strong, chiseled chest. He’s rolled the sleeves up to his elbows to show off those corded forearms. But the kicker? The LCFD ball cap on his head, backward, and his trademark sunglasses. He pullsthem off as he approaches me.
“Stop looking at me like that with all these people around,” Asher whispers low as he kisses my cheek.Am I that obvious?
“Ohhh, here comes our surprise!” Mom calls to us as I turn to the road and see a white SUV with RE/MAX decals driving toward my house.
“Mother …” I breathe out. “What is this?”
I look at my dad, who’s shrugging at me as Lorraine Bridgman, my mother’s high school friend and top Laurel Creek real estate agent, steps out of the vehicle. Her dark hair is pulled back in a high bun, her deep brown skin is flawless, and she wears ruby-red lipstick that matches her fingernails and a light gray power suit.
“Ahhhh, look at you, Olivia! You’re beaming!” she exclaims, quickly making her way over to me.
She pulls me in for a hug, which I return, though I have no idea why she is here. I feel Asher squeeze my hand before I turn to my mother, hoping for an explanation, and fast.
She tucks a lock of her blond hair behind her ear. “I just thought with the baby coming and how busy you both are, it might help if I set up Lorraine to come and give you an appraisal. This way you’ll know how much it’s worth when you want to sell.”
Oh my God.Lynne Sutton means well. But I haven’t even had a chance to talk to Asher about staying with him permanently. And here she is, selling my house out from under me.
We manage to get through the walkthrough with Lorraine without my mom surprising us with a priest ready to marry us. Everything is perfect in the house. Better than perfect. The cabinets that Asher made are sanded and clear-coated to perfection. They’re a shaker style with sleek black hardware and they perfectly match the cabinets Shane installed. The walls are painted a soft white and are accented with the same light wood as my cabinets. They’ve done a beautiful job.
I have tears in my eyes by the time we’ve seen everything. But I’m surprised that it doesn’t feel like home anymore. I’ve been out of this house for months now and, for four of them, I’ve lived with Asher. Now I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
I watch him as he chats easily with Shane and my father, then look back to Lorraine as she exits the main bedroom with my mom. I can tell by the look in her eyes that she’s worried she overstepped. She has a tendency to do that; she wants a plan for everything.
She flashes me a smile from across the room and I feel my lips tug up in return. Maybe I’m a lot more like my mom than I realized.
“I think with these renos you could really ask top dollar right now,” Lorraine says, examining the custom moldings Shane repaired. “This area in town is quickly becoming very sought after.”
I look from her to Asher across the room. He’s listening to our conversation but doesn’t say anything, and I wonder what’s going through his mind.
“And we’ll offer you the full red-carpet service so neither of you have to worry.” She looks to Asher. “With an upcoming wedding and a baby, you probably have your hands full—”
“Oh, they’re not getting married just yet,” my mom pipes up.
Asher turns back to his conversation with Shane, and I wish I had the superpower to freeze time and then rewind it so I can ask Lorraine very nicely to please shut the hell up.
“Oh, I could’ve sworn someone told me that …” she begins to my mom. I squeeze my eyes shut. This goddamn town.
CHAPTER 56
Olivia
