Page 3 of Haystack

She whirls with a start. As many times as I’ve played this scenario out in my mind, I’m not ready for the wave of emotion that runs over me. When she gets to her feet to face me, heat sparks low inside of me.

For a breathless moment, the world goes silent. All I can see is Liv with her long hair and an adorable, turned-up nose. I notice the way she shifts her weight between her feet and the light pink wash that flushes her cheeks.

"It’s called demolition and I have it completely under control.” She tries for sass, but her delivery falls flat and there isn’t any bite to her sentence.

I let out a chuckle. “That’s just like you to go for it. But in the interest of not going to the emergency room today, I’m gonna take that.” I reach over her shoulder and pluck the hammer from her grip. “Thanks, doll. I’m glad to see that all that time in the city didn't make you any less stubborn.”

She rolls her eyes, but a deep-set dimple appears in the corner of her left cheek and I like that I can still bring it out of her. "I had it under control.”

"Of course you did." I wink, holding out a hand to help her up.

When she puts her hand in mine, I hold on a beat too long. The warmth from her touch spreads up my arm like wildfire. My eyes trace the soft curve of her lips and run down her neck. I take in the details of her body but they don’t need to, every curve is already committed to memory. Even with her eyes hidden behind her massive shades, I can read her like a book.She’s missed me too.I take a step toward the window.

“That’s just like you to leave your shirt unbuttoned.” Olivia hovers at my shoulder, peering over the sill.

I glance down at the sweat already glistening on my tanned chest. “It’s too—”

“Too damn hot for buttons. I haven’t forgotten.” She cuts me off, finishing my sentence and it pulls a laugh out of me. She continues, “And just so you know, I didn’t plan on breaking all the panes. I took a swing at the broken board on the frame and the glass just—”

"Slipped? Yeah, don’t worry about it. It happens to the best of us.” I move between her and the window. From here, the familiar, soft, lavender scent of her perfume ignites me, as we graze past each other.

"Right.” She tucks a loose strand of hair behind one ear, looking adorably out of her element. “So we’ll make a plan and get these cottages up and running. We’ll throw a grand opening and take a ton of photos. Of course, we’ll have to paint. We’ll probably knock out walls or something too. And the electricity is just a bunch of wires mangled in a ball. That will have to be fixed before I can operate them as inns and…” She trails off.

“Are you okay? Because I’ve got this.”

When I turn back to look at her a blush stains her cheeks and the morning sun washing her in a golden glow. I squash back the urge to pull her close and tell her I love her. That might be a lot, even for a normal woman. But Olivia is complicated and moving too quickly would be a death sentence.

She couldn’t even bring herself to say the word love after what happened to her brother Jake. But she’s been married since then, so that’s probably changed. Either way, I’ll take my time with her because once I get her back, I don’t plan on losing her again.

I get back to the task and hand and hear a sharp inhale of breath behind me. A faint smile tugs at my lips as I tap out the remaining shards of glass still clinging to the frame. The air is heavy with all that’s not being said between us. But I don’t mind, I’m playing the long game.

When she finally speaks, her words are short and controlled. “Trent, it’s good to see you.”

My heart lurches. All I’ve wanted since the day she left is to hear my name on those lips again. “I’ve missed you, doll. Especially without that ring.”

CHAPTER2

OLIVIA

“What’dyou like about your old life anyway? All that time in the air, always coming or going, but never being anywhere. Sounds terrible.” Trent hardly looks up as he talks.

“I liked taking care of them while they traveled. And honestly, at the time, I liked not being here. There were too many big emotions.” I swallow the lump in my throat.

He jerks his head toward me. “I remember. But what I don’t understand is how you stayed married to that asshole for so long?”

Trent’s questions aren’t surprising. It’s been a week since I arrived back in Findlay and Trent came parading into my life. The walls I've built up over the years seem to crumble a little more each day, no matter how hard I try to reinforce them.

I exhale. “It was easier than you’d think. Marrying a narcissist makes it simple to keep your emotional distance, even when you’re working the same flight.”

Trent grunts the way he does anytime I bring up my ex-husband. Answering him honestly is the least I can do.

But today, I decide to turn the tables on him. “What about you? I see the way every girl in town hangs on your every word. You and Travis have to officially be the most eligible bachelors in Findlay. Why aren’t you married?”

He looks at me through his safety goggles which somehow make him even more attractive. “Because the only girl I wanted to marry left on a plane and never came back. But I’m a patient man.”

I shake my head with a smirk and then turn up my podcast. I focus my attention outside at the sun peeking through the old oak trees surrounding the cottages. This is how our days together go. Trent flirts with me unrelentingly, it’s too kind for what I deserve and I try my best to act unbothered by his attention.

I put it out of my mind, but Trent's presence is impossible to ignore. His shoulder brushes mine as he works beside me, radiating warmth that seeps into my skin. I hate that he makes me swoon.

---