Page 12 of Love for a Lifetime

Asa glared at Dawson. “He’s eleven, not seventeen.”

“But he’s a gentleman. Women are drawn to those at any age,” Dawson explained.

“Pretty sure you mean women are drawn to bad boys,” Beau said.

Dawson narrowed his eyes at Beau. “Fight me on it.”

Asa pinched the bridge of his nose. “The invitation said you get a plus one. Did you even read it?”

Dawson looked around the garage. “Are you talking to me?”

“Yes, you. Did you read the invitation?”

Dawson assumed he’d hang out with his friends at the wedding. He was a groomsman, so it wasn’t as if he could sit with someone during the ceremony.

“No. I looked at the date and threw it away. I know when to show up.”

“Well, now you know. You get a plus one,” Asa said.

Images of Olivia laughing and dancing in a flowing dress filled his mind. He’d pulled his phone out of his pocket and had his message thread with her open before thinking twice. The name Chicken Tender with a chicken emoji beside it sat at the top of his screen.

He didn’t want to ask her to be his official wedding date in a text. Call him old-fashioned, but if he was going to finally get a yes out of the one woman he wanted, seeing the look on her face was a must.

He typed up a message. It was after five, but he wanted her in a good mood for this talk.

Dawson: What are you doing tonight? Want to go to Barn Sour?

He pocketed his phone and tried to ignore the tingling heat under his collar. Did it make him a chicken if he wanted to do the asking in public? Maybe she would let him down easy if her answer was no.

His phone dinged again. Olivia’s reply was a photo of her holding Genella up beside her smiling face.

Funny, Olivia would think the chicken was the star of that photo. Oh, how wrong she was. Olivia’s dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and her hazel eyes were lighter than usual. They always changed when she was happy, which was any time she was with her chickens.

A text came through right after the photo.

Chicken Tender: I’m just getting to Cluckingham Palace. Want to come see Genella?

That was the wrong question. Did he care about seeing Genella? Sure. Did he want to be wherever Olivia was? Absolutely.

Dawson: I’ll be there in ten.

“Change of plans, guys. I gotta run. I’ll let you know about my plus one later today.”

“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” Beau said.

“Here’s hoping,” Dawson said as he turned and jogged toward his truck.

If all went as planned, Olivia would be his wedding date, and he’d be on the fast track out of the friend zone.

3

OLIVIA

Olivia centered the chicken clique on her phone screen. The trio was positioned on the white-washed chicnic table she’d added to the farm over the summer. “Can you move Ginny about an inch to the right?”

Anna cautiously reached for the hen. She slowly placed her hands on Ginny’s sides and lifted her just a little. “Like that?”

“Perfect.” Olivia started the video and panned around the trio of chickens. Ginny, Gretta, and Gertie were her Instagram stars, and Olivia’s followers went crazy whenever the group made an appearance online.

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