Page 186 of The Temporary Fiancée
“I’ve been running around all day, so it won’t be too much longer.”
“How’s it going?”
“It’s going great,” she says, her voice exuding confidence. The closer she gets to her opening day, the more sure of herself she seems.
“You sound like you’re in a good mood.”
“I am. I talked to my mom earlier.”
“Oh, yeah?” I smile to myself. “How is she?”
“She’s doing great. Having one of the best days she’s had in a while. She said to say hi to you.”
I lean back comfortably against the car seat, satisfied. Maura has been doing a lot better over the past few weeks, and has seemed more like herself than she has in a long time. It’s had a definite, marked effect on Olivia’s mood, too. She seems less stressed lately. More cheerful.
Plus, it’s nice to see Maura doing so well. She still needs some extra care, so I’ve been paying for a home nurse to come to her house and help her most of the time. I want her family to be able to be her family, not her caregivers.
Maura and I have started to become close, and even Robert likes me again, which is a relief. I was worried, after everything that happened, that he wouldn’t see me as anything more than a heartbreaker. But he’s come around.
“Good,” I say. “Tell her I said hi.”
“You can tell her yourself when we go over for dinner,” Olivia reminds me.
“Of course. Can’t wait.”
“I’ll be home in a few hours,” she says. “Sorry, just a few more things to take care of before I head out.”
“No rush,” I tell her. “Take your time. I can’t wait to see you.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
We hang up at the same time, and I lean against the car window, unable to keep the automatic smile off my face.
When I arrive back at the apartment, I collapse onto the couch for just a few seconds, basking in the comfort of home.
Ever since Olivia moved back into the penthouse, it’s felt like home again. I love coming home to my hoodies strewn all over the place, the sound of her off-key singing in the shower. I love waking up in the morning to her in my arms, a sticky note on my coffee cup waiting before I go to work.
I hear the chime of the elevator, and get to my feet, excitement and nerves flooding me. I’ve had something big planned for a while, and today is finally the day when I get to bring that plan to fruition.
A man in a high-visibility vest and overalls steps from the elevator, giving me a gruff nod. “You’re Reed Eastwood?”
“That’s right.”
“What do you need me to do?”
I gesture for him to follow me. “Here. Let me show you what I’m thinking.”
Olivia givesme a call when she’s on her way home from work, and I spend ten minutes getting everything taken care of. The contractor leaves, handing me an invoice, and I head to my office to file it.
When she finally steps out of the elevator, I’m in the foyer, ready to meet her.
She runs up and kisses me happily, as she always does when we each return from work. Then she leans back, giving me a quizzical look.
“What’s up?” she says. “You’ve got a shit-eating grin right now. What happened?”
“Come here,” I say. “Let me show you.”
