Playing for Keeps (30 page)

Owen arched one eyebrow. “Oh, why not?” he said with a grin.

Olivia nodded and reached for another glass. “Coming right up.” Neither of them was a big drinker, but Olivia was in a restless mood and dearly wanted to relax. She pushed the crushed-ice button on her fridge door and filled both glasses, then added a generous shot of bourbon followed by a splash of water. She handed her father his drink and joined him at the table.

For a moment they sipped in silence. Olivia could feel that something was on his mind, but instead of pushing she gave him the time to put his thoughts together. He took another sip and then ran his fingertip over the edge of his glass before looking across the table at her.

“I’m sorry, Olivia.”

“Whatever for?” she asked softly. She hoped he wasn’t feeling any guilt over his blossoming relationship with Myra.

“For not bringing more joy into your life.”

Olivia put her hand over his. “Dad . . . it’s not your fault that she deserted us.” Olivia refused to use the word “mother.”

He had to clear his throat before continuing. “Nor is it yours, and I was remiss for not making damned sure that you knew that.”

“Oh, Dad . . .” She squeezed his hand. “We did the best we could. And it was pretty damned good.”

“‘Damned’?” He chuckled softly, but then brushed a tear away. “You’re cussin’ and I’m cryin’. What’s up with that?”

“Maybe we’re finally learning to deal with our emotions . . . or at least to let them show. But, Dad, I was serious. You did a good job.”

“Ahh, sweetie. Always the perfect little girl.” He sniffed hard and then rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Ahh, Olivia, I never told you, but your mother was pregnant with you when we got married. I insisted that we marry.” He shook his head. “I was terrified that she would give you up for adoption if we didn’t tie the knot and I couldn’t live with that. But I was wrong for trying to force her into living a life she never wanted and wasn’t cut out for.”

“Dad, you sent her off and paid for her dream to come true! She was wrong to desert us! To . . . to cheat on you!”

Owen nodded. “That she was, and someday she will have to answer to a higher power for her actions. But, Livie, she would have been miserable in the long run. I understand that now.”

“You do? Why?”

“I know now how it feels to truly be in love.” He chuckled. “Myra makes me laugh. Lights up my life.”

Olivia felt elation at his admission. “Oh, Dad, I am so happy for you! Myra too. She is a gem.”

“She is somethin’ else, that one. I’m enjoying life in a way I had never been able to do . . . or maybe allow myself to do.” He patted his chest. “Livie, I’ve become a new man.”

Olivia smiled. It was the first time he had called her that in a long time. “You are both hardworking, good people. You deserve happiness and so does she.”

He angled his head and swallowed hard once more. “It has made me finally forgive your mother.” He paused and added, “I dearly hope you can do the same.”

She pulled her hand back and took a sip of her drink. The cold bourbon chilled and burned at the same time. “You’re asking too much of me.”

“Forgiving her will open your heart, Olivia. Set you free to live and love without fear.”

Olivia put her hand to her mouth while hot tears slid down her cheeks. “Oh, Dad, I think it might be too late.”

“No”—Owen shook his head and brushed tears from her cheeks—“Livie, honey, it’s never too late. I don’t know what happened between you and Noah, but you surely glowed when you were with him.”

“I love him, Dad. I really do. But I don’t know how to fix what I did.” She let out a sob. “I hurt him terribly. I accused him of being a liar and a cheat!”

“Did you apologize for what you did?”

“Of course! But I don’t know if it could ever be enough. Trust is the foundation for any relationship. I failed to believe in him—the one thing he truly wanted.”

“Livie, does he know why?”

She shook her head slowly.

“Then tell him.”

“Oh, Dad, he’s been going out of town. I think he’s moving back to New York!”

“Let me ask you something. Would you go with him if he asked you?”

“Leave Cricket Creek?” Her eyes rounded. “Leave you?”

“Olivia, I can drive a car. Fly on an airplane. In fact, Myra and I are thinking of doing some traveling. Jessica is pretty much going to take over the renovated diner, and except for snowplowin’ and a bit of wood choppin’ my business is slow in the winter. We’ve been discussing wintering somewhere south.”

“Really?”

He smiled. “You and I have been lying low for a long time. It’s time for us to soar. If you love Noah, go with him.”

“But I love it here.”

Owen smiled. “Girlie, Myra and I sat in on your play rehearsal the other night.”

“You did?”

He nodded. “In the back where you couldn’t see us. The two of you are magic together even during this rough patch that you’ve hit.”

Olivia smiled through the tears.

“Have you forgotten the meaning behind Madison’s story?” He patted her hand. “If you could choose
just one thing
?”

Olivia pressed her lips together and said softly, “Love would win every single time.”

“Livie, we had a rough row to hoe, but don’t let love slip through your fingers.”

“I might have already done that,” she said sadly.

“I don’t think so . . .” He gave her a long look and then nibbled on the inside of his cheek.

Olivia’s heart kicked it up a notch and she narrowed her eyes at her father. “I keep getting the impression that something’s afoot and I’m the only one in this town who isn’t in on it. Am I right?”

Owen took a sip of his drink but avoided her direct gaze.

“Dad?”

Owen inhaled a deep breath and then raised his gaze to look at her. “Oh, boy . . .”

Olivia leaned back in her chair. “So I am right. I knew it! Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“Sweetie, I can’t do that.”

“Did you promise not to?”

“No, but—”

“Then tell me!”

He closed his eyes and swallowed.

“You know I’m not good with surprises. I’m a need-to-be-prepared kinda girl.” She gazed at him imploringly.

Owen shook his head slowly. “No can do.”

She covered his hand with hers and shook it back and forth. “I won’t let on that you spilled the beans.”

“Okay, I will tell you two things.” He held up his index and middle fingers.

Olivia nodded eagerly.

“That boy loves you beyond reason.” A slow grin spread across his face as if he was thinking about whatever was going down. “So does this whole damned town, for that matter.”

“Oh . . . Dad.” She felt tears spring into her eyes once more.

“Promise me this. Whatever you’re asked to do tomorrow? Just do it. No matter how silly it seems.”

“Daaaa-d!” Olivia put both palms on the table and leaned forward. “That’s
all
you are going to tell me? Seriously?” she pleaded.

“Sweetie, it’s called setting your fears aside and trusting. Something you and I have been lacking in for a long time. Well, no more.” He held up his glass and with a nod coaxed her to do the same. He clicked his glass with hers. “To trusting our gut . . . our heart.” He drained his glass and then scooted his chair back. “I’d better get goin’.”

Olivia pushed her own chair back and stood up with him. “I’m not going to squeeze any more information out of you, am I?”

“Nope.” He kissed her on top of her head. “But I suggest you get yourself a good night’s sleep.” He reached down and took both of her hands in his.

“Right.” She rolled her eyes. “Now just how am I going to do that?”

Owen chuckled and then tilted his head toward the bottle of bourbon. “One more little hit of that should do ya just right.”

Olivia sighed, then nodded. “Okay, Dad. Dang, you’re a tough nut to crack.” She walked him to the door, and when he’d gone, she took his suggestion, adding some ice and topping off her drink. After getting ready for bed, she propped herself up against the pillows and nursed her bourbon. She racked her brain for what could possibly be going on but came up with a big goose egg. She considered calling Madison, but she didn’t want anyone to know that her father had alerted her to whatever surprise was in store for her. “I guess I’ll just have to wait and find out,” she whispered as she leaned over and turned off the light.

Olivia snuggled into the feather pillow thinking that sleep would evade her, but the soft cotton felt heavenly and the bourbon had her relaxed. Or maybe it was her father’s insistence that Noah loved her that eased some of her earlier tension. But whatever the reason, she felt more at peace and more hopeful that she had felt in days, and after a few moments she drifted off into slumberland . . . Mmmm, make that Noah-land. His face drifted into her dreams and she sighed.

“N
oah, for heaven’s sake, would you just chill?” Madison fisted her hands on her hips and shook her head at him. “Don’t ask me how we pulled it off, but everything is falling into place nicely.”

“What if—”

“Stop saying that!” Madison cut him off by stomping her foot. “This is fun. We have every detail covered. Now you can stop worrying and enjoy it.” She waved her hand in an arc around the gym. “Just look! It’s simply perfect!”

“Yeah, it is.” When Noah followed her hand he just had to smile. “But—”

“No-ah!” Madison quelled him with a pointed look, but then gave him a reassuring smile. “Look, I just got a text message from Chrissie. She and her friends have the vintage dress that Mom and Aunt Myra found last week. They’re going to tell Olivia that they bought it just for her and guilt her into wearing it. It is so nineteen nineties sparkle with a slit up the side, but Olivia won’t be able to refuse her students. Chrissie is prepared to cry.”

“What if it doesn’t fit?”

“Mom is an expert shopper. It will fit.”

Noah shoved his fingers through his hair. “I’m trying to maintain my composure, but I don’t think I’ll be this damned nervous on opening night.”

“Noah.” Madison raised her hands and put them on his shoulders. She had to look up to make eye contact. “Olivia isn’t going to turn you away from her doorstep. She’s the one who screwed up here, remember? You’re just knocking some sense into the girl.”

“True. I’ve never worked so hard for a woman in my life.”

“Then it must be love.”

He felt a swift kick of emotion. “It is. Damn, why am I so afraid?”

Madison tilted her head at him. “Because nothing makes us feel more vulnerable than love. But she’s going to be blown away when she sees the effort you’ve gone through to re-create the prom night that she never had. Of course,
this
is going to be better, since you’re spending piles of money on decorations and food.” Madison put her hand to her mouth. “I get choked up just thinking about it!” She took a deep breath and said, “Okay, I gave the deejay the playlist and it’s chock-full of nineties music. Chrissie and her friends even know how to do the Macarena. Isn’t that cool?”

“No, the Macarena is stupid.”

She laughed. “Hey, babe, it’s your era, not mine.”

“We gave you
The Simpsons
and
South Park
. Reality TV.”

“Thank you so much!” she said with a roll of her eyes.

“Oh, and hmm, let me see . . . cell phones.” He snapped his fingers. “Oh, and a little thing called the Internet.”

“Invented by Al Gore, right?”

Noah laughed and began to feel a little bit more relaxed.

“Look, we have posters up everywhere of everything popular in the nineties, like Madonna, the Backstreet Boys, and *NSYNC. Oh, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

“Cowabunga, dude.”

“What?”

Noah grinned. “Nothing.”

“The nineties slide show that the drama club put together is great.” She arched an eyebrow. “And there’s one big surprise that you don’t even know about.”

“I don’t like surprises.”

Madison lifted one shoulder. “Too bad,” she said, and they both turned when Mabel came into the gym pushing a cart laden with a huge cake and other goodies. Madison looked at the script and clapped her hands. “ ‘Prom Night Nineteen Ninety-six!’ I love it.”

“Thanks!” Mabel said but then shook her head at Noah. “What are you still doing here? You need to go get gussied up, young man.”

“Don’t forget the corsage,” Madison reminded him and then looked to where a disco ball was being installed in the middle of the ceiling. “Oh, this is so much fun!”

A moment later Jessica hurried into the building. “I just passed the caterer and the florist on the way in. This gym is about to be transformed. I’m going to stick around to oversee things so you two can go and get ready.”

“Mom, I want you to come tonight, too.”

She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I will. I’m going to take tons of pictures.”

“No, I mean, wear the amazing dress you bought with Aunt Myra and have some fun.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “No . . . thanks. I’m not a prom kind of girl,” she added, and it suddenly occurred to Noah that at sixteen and pregnant . . . Wow, she never made it to prom night either. Damn . . .

“Mom, Aunt Myra and Owen are coming, for goodness’ sakes. This isn’t going to be your run-of-the-mill prom night. Plus, you love to dance and you never get the chance.”

“Madison, I don’t have a date,” she protested. “Not that I want one,” she added firmly.

Noah looked down at the cell phone that was vibrating in his hand and grinned when he saw who was calling. He flicked a glance at Jessica. “Hey, I think I might have you covered.”

Jessica’s eyes widened for real this time. “What?” she sputtered, but Noah shushed her by holding up his index finger.