Page 3 of Love for a Lifetime

“Um, I get off at five, but…”

“My treat,” Olivia added. If Wendy was having a hard time, dinner and girl talk might cheer her up.

“Okay. That sounds great. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Talk to you later,” Olivia said as she ended the call.

There. Plans were made. Distractions were set in place.

Oh, no. Thinking about distractions only reminded her of the reason why she needed them, which only led her thoughts back to the news that had left her hollow and hopeless less than an hour ago.

Yeah, it was that kind of appointment. Predestined to gut her like an avocado. Doctor Barnes scooped out her insides and spread them on toast.

Her stomach growled at the thought of avocado toast, clearly angry about being left empty all day.

It wasn’t Doctor Barnes’s fault. She was just the messenger. She’d been on the endometriosis hit list for as long as she could remember. The “treatment” only served to leave her scarred on the inside time after time. Each surgery decreased her chances of ever being able to have children–a family.

No, no, no. That age-old grief was mixing with Olivia’s fears to create a gnawing pain in her middle. She tightened her shoulders as she gripped the wheel. She had to avoid the tears at all costs. If she allowed one bit of weakness in, everything would crumble.

The slow whine of a police siren jerked her out of the pressing panic just as blue lights pulsed in her rear-view mirror.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Olivia spat through gritted teeth. If she wanted a distraction, here it was in full color.

She pulled over to the side of the road, making sure to keep a good distance from the ditch. Reaching for her purse in the passenger seat, she rummaged for her license and registration.

With credentials in hand, she checked her side mirror. The police officer opened the cruiser door and stepped out.

Dawson. Of course it was Dawson. He would get a good laugh out of this and be sure to tell all of the old ladies at church that she was a menace to society.

The unstable emotions tumbled in her gut. Any other time, she’d be thrilled to see Dawson. He was one of her best friends, and he always knew how to make her smile.

But today was not the day, and now was not the time. Olivia teetered on the verge of not only cracking but breaking open like one of the eggs in Brett’s backpack.

Officer Dawson Keller strode confidently toward her. Even in the small mirror, his smooth walk and tall build were suave enough to make any woman between the ages of eighteen and sixty-five break into a nervous sweat. Add a police uniform and you had a delicious recipe for a long-term crush.

Caution: Objects in mirror are hotter than they appear.

Olivia groaned. Going toe-to-toe with her handsome friend required a ton of focus–something she didn’t have today.

Dawson approached her car and rested his hands on the open windowsill. His short hair framed playful blue eyes and a strong jaw. Even his slightly crooked nose was cute. Especially since she knew he broke it playing football with the youth at church two years ago and decided against getting it reset because he claimed it gave him “character.”

Before she could catch her breath, Dawson Keller smiled, and oh, was it a good one. He had the kind of slow grin that won him dozens of hearts.

Including hers.

But she was completely unarmed and unprepared to protect herself from his charms today.

Dawson bent slightly, leaning on his propped arms to peer into her vehicle. “How’s your day going, ma’am?”

“Fine. Yours?”

There. That sounded perfectly grounded. She’d give herself a pat on the back for her performance later.

Dawson crossed his arms on the windowsill and settled in. “Just got a lot better.”

“I’m not in the mood, Dawson. Just give me the ticket, and we can go about our days.”

Escaping this interaction in the next three minutes was her only chance of getting away without alerting Dawson to her diminished mood.

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