Page 20 of Before the Night Falls
It was a risky admission to make in her line of work. At first, she’d tried not to tell people about the changes in her beliefs. Then she’d realized she couldn’t stay quiet—nor should she have to.
If people asked about her faith, she’d tell them. She wouldn’t hide the only hope she’d found. And she’d tried everything to fill those voids in her life. Nothing else had worked.
Until she’d found Jesus.
Tyson slowly nodded his approval. “Sounds wise.”
She smiled. “Are you always an early riser?”
“I’m up at 5:30 every morning.” He glanced back down at her Bible and nodded toward it. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I’ll let you get back to your reading. But I’ll see you inside for breakfast soon?”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Olivia nodded to him as he walked away.
Warm but distant, she mused. Pleasant yet focused. Quite a combination.
She found herself wanting to know more about this man than she should.
However, Olivia desperately needed to nip those thoughts in the bud and focus on her work.
CHAPTEREIGHT
After Olivia finishedher morning workout, Tyson settled at his desk.
The first thing on his to-do list was confirming the new security agency he’d hired to monitor his property was starting today.
They were. Hobbes would go over everything with them when they arrived. But Tyson wanted two men here at all times, keeping an eye on the front and back of the property—just in case.
With that taken care of, he dealt with more issues concerning the school.
Detective Scarborough hadn’t made much headway with those threats against Tyson, but the detective assured him he was working on it. They just needed more concrete evidence.
After that conversation, Tyson began working on an article for a men’s health magazine. Then he wrote a chapter of his next book. He reviewed his schedule for the next few weeks, noting different speaking engagements and trips he’d agreed to take.
At noon, the alarm he’d set went off, reminding him it was time for lunch. As he walked into the kitchen, he spotted Olivia looking through the refrigerator and cleared his throat.
She jerked back from the opened door, a sheepish expression on her face.
“I wasn’t looking for junk food. Honest.” She did a scout’s pledge.
Tyson nodded in playful skepticism and rounded the corner to see what she was up to. He halfway expected to find she’d had Instacart deliver her groceries and that she’d stocked his fridge with junk food.
Instead, she stood empty-handed before him.
“It’s not like you really have anything to eat.” Her eyes scanned the contents of the refrigerator. “Let me be honest. I really want a doughnut right now.”
He chuckled. “Wait for your cheat meal then.”
The program allowed for one meal once a week where participants could eat whatever they wanted.
“Fair enough.” She sighed and shut the refrigerator door. “So, what’s next on our program, Muscle Man?”
He deserved that term after slipping and calling her Kiddo last night. He shouldn’t have used that word to address her. It wasn’t professional, and the woman deserved more respect than that.
He remembered her question.What’s next?“Lunch. Why don’t you have a seat while I prepare something?”
“A man who’s comfortable in the kitchen.” She raised her eyebrows. “I like it. Is there anything you’re not good at?”
“Quite a few things actually.”
