Page 5 of Love for a Lifetime

“What can I do?” Dawson asked.

The hurt in his question hit her right in the chest. This man would do anything for her, but he couldn’t scare this monster away.

“I’m okay. Really.” She sniffed and wiped beneath her eyes, thankful she hadn’t worn a lot of makeup today.

“Can I help you feed the chicks?” he asked. “I already fed and milked the goats today.”

Of course he had already done half the farm chores. Well, it made sense, considering he claimed the goats were his.

They were hers, but she gladly let him take care of them. The chickens were her babies. She only kept the goats because they used to be her mom’s favorites, and she hadn’t worked up the courage to sell them.

“Nah. I’ll be fine. Thanks for letting me water your uniform.” She pointed to the dark spot on his chest.

He didn’t take his eyes off her. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Totally sure.”

Say it one more time, and he’ll know you’re definitely not sure.

“Will you at least call one of the girls?” he asked, almost pleading.

“No, I don’t want to talk. I’m really okay. It’s just been a long day.”

Dawson nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. “Can I follow you home?”

“Nope. I promise I’m okay. I need to feed the chickens, then I have a long night of making place cards for the wedding. Last I checked, your handwriting was chicken scratch.”

Dawson crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll be sure to write very clearly in my report about this incident.”

Olivia’s eyes widened. “Are you really giving me a ticket?”

“No, but you are getting a nice, official warning. It’s a school zone, and even if school isn’t in session, the speed limit is still thirty-five miles per hour through here.”

Thirty-five? She’d definitely been going faster than that. Olivia tucked her chin to her chest. “I’m sorry, Officer. It won’t happen again.”

Dawson lifted her chin with one finger and gave her a wicked smile. “Keep your chin up, my queen. Just be careful.”

Oh no. The tears were building again. She nodded quickly, desperate to escape before the waterworks came on. “Uh-huh. I’ll do that. Thanks for setting me straight.” She turned and ducked back into her car and closed the door with a bit too much force.

“Bye,” she whispered out the window as she buckled her seatbelt.

Dawson gave her a quick “See you later” and walked off.

Her heart pounded hard and fast like a full marathon of feet hitting the pavement in rapid succession. She had to get home and find a bunch of things to do to keep her mind busy. Sitting in the car on the long drive back to Blackwater from Cody wasn’t doing her any favors.

Dawson reappeared at her window, and a shriek filled the car as she jerked away from the door.

Oh, that was her high-pitched shriek. Very smooth.

Dawson chuckled, clearly proud of himself for effectively scaring the life out of her. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Mhmm,” she hummed. “Talk to you tomorrow.”

Olivia clamped her mouth shut. If she said one more word, she’d spill the beans and get all woe-is-me about the awful news she got today.

She wanted to tell him. She really did. They shared everything else. Very few topics were off-limits between them. He would be a great listener, and he’d be encouraging. She had no doubt about that.

But Dawson felt things more than other men. He’d be utterly and completely brokenhearted for her, and she couldn’t bear seeing the sadness on his face.

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