Page 43 of Love for a Lifetime

“He does more work playing around in the evenings than some of the guys on the payroll,” Beau admitted.

“Want me to spread the word you’re looking for someone?” Dawson asked.

Beau glared at Dawson. “I’ll pass on the criminals, thanks.”

“I know a lot of people, not just the ones who get arrested.”

Beau rubbed his brow and sighed. “Yeah, that would be great. Let me know if you hear anything.”

Dawson stood and gave Beau a stiff salute. “Sir, yes, sir.”

Beau jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Get out of here so I can finish what I was doing.”

“I’m leaving, but not because you told me to. I have to pick Levi up in half an hour.”

“Oh, yeah. You two have fun grooming goats or whatever it is you do with them.”

“We intend to. We’ll also be chicken chasing. I’ll call you tomorrow with a full update.”

“Please don’t,” Beau said as he sat back down at the computer.

Dawson headed out of the office and stuck his head into the garage to wave at Asa and Jacob. He slipped into the truck and fired off a text to Olivia.

Dawson: Headed to pick up Levi. Be there soon.

He shifted into reverse, and his phone dinged almost immediately.

Chicken Tender: ok

Dawson frowned at the screen. Olivia’s messages always held some hint of excitement. She’d been giddy about having Levi over to the farm for weeks.

He scanned back through their messages. No other two-letter responses.

He tossed the phone into the passenger seat and tried hard to forget about the short text. Maybe she was busy or just didn’t have anything else to say.

If he hadn’t been texting with her on a regular basis for the last fifteen years, he wouldn’t think twice about an “ok” response. Olivia just wasn’t an “ok” kinda gal.

He’d thoroughly overanalyzed the text by the time he pulled up at Blackwater Ranch. The rolling hills stretched for miles, and horses grazed in the pasture near the far-off barn.

Aaron said Levi would be at the main house with his grandparents. Silas and Anita Harding were like parents to half the town. Mama Harding had even been Dawson’s Sunday School teacher when he was young. He still met up with Silas every week for breakfast with the round table at Deano’s. The man had more wisdom than he knew what to do with.

The door of the main house swung open before Dawson parked. Levi stuck his feet in his boots and waved a hand in the air as he barreled toward the truck.

Anita just waved from the doorway with baby Annie on her hip.

Dawson opened the door to go say hello to Mama Harding, but Levi circled his arm toward the truck. “Let’s go! Let’s go!”

Mama Harding just shook her head and laughed. “Have fun!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Dawson replied.

Levi hopped into the backseat and bounced. “Where’s Miss Olivia?”

“Meeting us there. Buckle up, small fry.”

“I’m not a small fry. I’m a…big fry. Or a whole potato,” Levi corrected.

Dawson made a show of assessing the kid. Had Levi grown five inches since the last time Dawson saw him? He did look a whole lot bigger. He was starting to look ten instead of eight. “Okay, you can be a potato. As long as I can be a squash.”

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