Page 74 of Love Off-Limits
Perry glanced over his shoulder as his parents came into view.
Followed by Kelly.
And a couple of farmhands who made no move to quiet their exclamations of disbelief.
Well,hell.
The barn door was still open; outside the hail had stopped, and the rain had slowed to a steady drizzle.
“Wow,” Olivia said weakly. “Party in the goat barn?”
Penelope bleated.
“I’m here to look for you,” Perry said, his voice cold.
“We just came to check on Penelope,” Mrs. Hawthorne said, motioning to herself and Mr. Hawthorne, who leaned heavily on a cane.
“And I’m here to look for you, Tyler,” Kelly said awkwardly.
The farmhands pointed at Kelly. “We’re with her,” they said in unison.
Perry scoffed. “I should have known. Typical, Olivia. Really typical.”
“Perry,” Mrs. Hawthorne said. “Now’s not the time for that.”
“When is the time?” he asked, his voice hard. His eyes turned to Olivia. “Calista is panicking right now because she can’t find you, and you aren’t answering your phone. Did you honestly think she should have to relocate an entire wedding in the middle of a torrential thunderstorm by herself?”
“I haven’t been gone that...” Her words trailed off as she grabbed her phone off the floor where it had fallen sometime in the last...half-hour, maybe? I honestly had no clue how much time had passed. Olivia scrolled through what looked like several notifications on her phone. “I’m sorry. I’ll go right now.” She paused in front of her father. I couldn’t see her expression, but I was close enough to hear her words. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” she whispered. She didn’t even look back as she raced down the corridor and out of the barn.
I sank back on the closest hay bale and rested my elbows on my knees, dropping my head into my hands. Kelly’s boots appeared on the floor in front of me while Sergeant nudged me with his giant wet nose. “This maybe wasn’t what I had in mind when I suggested you be discreet,” she said, a small chuckle behind her words.
I huffed a laugh. “Probably not.”
“You can take off if you want to. The storm has mostly passed and there’s nothing else to do that can’t keep till Monday.”
I looked up at her. “I don’t know where I would go.”
Kelly shrugged. “Then stay. But I’d at least lay low a while.”
The rain eased even further as I walked from the barn to the bunkhouse. The farmhands that had been with Kelly in the barn were on the front porch. One of them, Trey, was standing with his back to me, but his words were loud enough for me to hear. “I mean, can you blame him? Who wouldn’t want to hit that?”
I stopped midstride and stared.
The guy facing me nudged Trey and he spun around, his eyes wide. “Oh, dude. Sorry. I was just...sorry.”
I half wanted to punch the guy, but he was just a kid with a big mouth. “Let me give you some advice,” I said, stepping closer. I squeezed Trey’s shoulder hard enough that I knew I had his attention. “You ever want a woman even half as amazing to give you the time of day? You’ll stop saying things likehit that.”
Trey nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “Yeah. Got it. Good advice.”
I took a long shower, then settled onto my bunk with my phone and a book. I’d rather text Olivia than read, but I’d texted her before my shower, and so far, I hadn’t gotten any response.
Another two hours and I started to worry. Had everything worked out with the wedding? Had she talked to her dad? Had Perry been too hard on her?
Two more hours after that, and my worries turned more selfish.
Did she regret kissing me again?
Had she changed her mind?
