Page 23 of Love Off-Limits
I stared at the desktop between us, Lennox’s advice flitting through my mind. “You’re right,” I finally said, leeching the fervor from my voice. “I’m sorry.”
Perry paused and looked at me like I’d sprouted wings. He’d likely expected me to fight like I normally did. To challenge him on his right over mine to be in charge. But that fight had died the minute he’d told me how Dad really felt. “Oh,” he said. “Okay, then.”
He stood and pushed a hand through his hair before heading for the door. He looked tired. Or maybe just...sad?
“Hey,” I said, stopping him before he disappeared. “You okay?”
He paused his retreat and looked back, his eyebrows raised.
“Forget we work together for a second and just answer me like I’m a little sister asking about her big brother.”
He shrugged. “I’m okay. Just got a lot on my mind.”
“Is it Dad? Have you seen him today?”
Perry nodded. “I ate breakfast at the house before coming in to work.” He leaned against the door frame and hooked his thumbs on his pockets. “He seemed okay. He did ask about you though. Said he hasn’t seen you in a few days.”
I nodded. I hadn’t seen Dad since the last time I’d had lunch with him and Mom. When everything I’d believed was the truth had unraveled. Trouble was,Daddidn’t know that I knew. He probably just thought I was ignoring him. Or was too busy to care.
But how could I see him again without asking why?
I didn’t think I could. And that wasn’t a conversation I was ready to have yet.
“You can’t keep avoiding him, Liv,” Perry said gently, clearly having read my thoughts. “He needs your love and support to get better.”
“I know. I’ll go by later tonight.” I’d just have to keep things superficial around Dad for a while. Talk about the trees. And the new baby goats.
I shifted in my chair, remembering the second part of Lennox’s advice. “Hey, you want to go into Asheville and get dinner this weekend? Maybe...get a drink somewhere?”
Perry studied me quizzically. “With you?”
I swallowed. It had been a long time since I’d spent any time with Perry outside of the office. “Sure.”
He slowly started to nod. “Maybe.” He shrugged. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Dinner sounds nice.”
“Perfect. I’ll pick a place. Does Friday work? That’s probably the better night for both of us to be gone.”
“Friday’s definitely better,” he said. “We’ve got the Miller family reunion Saturday night. They’re using the pavilion, and their alcohol budget is high. It’ll probably take all our manpower just to keep everyone from wandering off a mountain or falling into the pond.”
It had been the only time we’d ever had to call an ambulance out to Stonebrook—a very drunk CEO had stumbled right into the pond and hit his head on a log before slipping under the water. Had our farm manager not been out walking her dogs at just the right moment, he would have drowned.
“Friday, then,” I said with a smile I hoped seemed natural. I honestly hadn’t expected Perry to agree.
Perry disappeared with his customary double-tap on my door jamb, and I immediately turned to Google. Surely the internet knew where we could find good food in Asheville, as well as plenty of young and attractive company, both for Perry’s sake and maybe my own. I could stand to meet someone new if only to help mestopthinking about Tyler. Distracted by the thought, I pulled Instagram back up, looking at the picture of him and Darcy one more time. It had been over a month since I’d seen him in person, and it didn’t even matter. I could conjure the moments we’d shared like it was yesterday, replay our kisses and the way they’d lit me up from the inside out like they’d just happened. I closed out the app with a frustrated sigh.
Asheville, Olivia. Focus on Perry.
I found a place with an impressive dinner menu and an extensive bar and plenty of reviews that talked about the happening crowd. It was worth a shot. For Perry, anyway. I had a feeling I wouldn’t meet anyone that even came close to comparing to Tyler Marino.
And that thought left me even more uneasy than the idea of spending an evening alone with my grumpy big brother.
Chapter Seven
Tyler
