Page 11 of My Wild Mountain Man (Summer in the Pines #15)

raven

. . .

My feet were aching by the end of my day as I worked on Olive’s hair. She’d surprised me by calling me a couple of hours ago to see if I could fit her in for a blowout. Since she’s my sister, I would have squeezed her in even if I didn’t have time.

Oli was the closest to me age-wise and a wild card. You never knew what she was going to say. A wild child out of the five of us, and that was saying something because as the only boy, Onyx gave her a run for her money.

“Are you okay?” my sister asked, her voice snapping me out of my Bash-induced thoughts over the noise from the blow dryer.

“Yeah, why?” I asked, somehow pretending like I wasn’t keeping a secret.

“No reason. You’re just quiet.”

“I’m always quiet,” I teased, “But I could say the same about you.” I smirked, ready to change the subject. “Does this have anything to do with a certain new sheriff?” She rolled her eyes like I knew she would.

“Pfft. Sheriff Luke wouldn’t know what to do with me,” she huffed and I pressed my lips together. “Can you believe he went to the farmer’s market this morning?”

“Did he?” I knew that because I’d been the one who told him she was going to be there.

“He stopped at my booth and asked about my permit. Never, not even that first year I started my booth, did someone come ask about my permit,” she huffed.

“But he did?” I asked.

“Yes. And it wasn’t even like he was in uniform! He was off duty! Then, do you know what he did?”

“Hmm?” I tilted my head and watched her closely.

“He stuck around after I showed it to him. Sat down in some chair he brought and talked to me.”

“You let him go behind the tables and sit with you?” I asked, surprised that she would let that happen. She didn’t even let us help her.

“Pfft.” She rolled her eyes. “Not exactly.” My brows narrowed.

“What do you mean, not exactly?”

“I didn’t let him. He just plopped his folding chair next to mine and kept…” Her voice drifted off to nothing as a scowl grew on her pretty face.

“What?” I turned the blow dryer off, worried that maybe Sheriff Luke wasn’t the good guy I thought he was.

“He just kept… talking to me,” she exhaled. “And talking to the customers. Telling him how my cookies are the best and––“ She shook her head. Her body language might have been saying she was annoyed, but there was no denying the blush on her cheeks.

“You like him,” I noted with a half-smile. I’d hoped she would. Luke was a nice guy, and Oli needed a good guy.

“He’s okay,” she answered nonchalantly, but I laughed. I knew her! She was trying to bullshit me.

“No! You like , like him.” I giggled, and she rolled her eyes.

“Who gave you that hickey?” she asked, and my eyes widened. My hands moved to my neck, and she giggled, pointing at my chest, and my eyes dropped.

“What the… it’s…”

“It’s what?” she asked with a self-satisfied smile on her face that she had brought the attention back on me.

“It’s not a hickey,” I muttered, but I was horrible liar.

“Really? Because from here, it looks like a hickey.” I opened and shut my mouth.

“It’––“

“It’s a burn,” Claire stepped in and wrapped her arm around my shoulders.

“Can you believe she came in rushing, running late, and started to do her hair and the curling iron fell! Thankfully, it dropped to the ground and not in your shirt, or that would have been worse! Were you able to get aloe for it?” I nodded, hoping that the gratitude in my eyes was clear.

“Shit. Really? That must have hurt! I’m sorry, Rave.” Olive turned her chair and looked at my chest and winced. “Shit! Coral did that when she was in high school. Remember how the whole barrel fell into her cleavage?”

With that, the subject was changed. Claire walked away with a wink, and I got back to work.

“You sure you’re okay?” my sister asked again as we walked to the car.

“Oli…”

“I saw you two,” she blurted out, and my eyes widened.

“You saw who two? I mean, which you two? Ugh, you know what I mean.”

“I saw you and Bash,” she said quietly as we reached her car, which was parked next to mine. I leaned against my driver’s door.

“Where?” I asked, trying to school my expression, but I wasn’t sure I was that good of an actress. Not when my heartrate started to pick up nervously.

“Look.” Her hands moved up between us. “It’s none of my business, unless you want to talk or… you know, some advice about anything.”

“Oli!” I groaned.

“He’s a good guy,” she said softly.

“The best,” I answered softly.

“And I know you. You’ve been crushing hard… I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Hurt from talking to him?” I acted like she wasn’t onto me. But my sister wasn’t going to sweep this under the rug. Olive rolled her eyes and reached for my hand.

“I see the way you look at him.” My face heated. “How you’ve always looked at him. But since you came back from school, it’s different.”

“How do I look at him?”

“You look at him like he put each and every star up in the sky just for you.”

“That’s not true,” I argued, feeling a little defensive.

“Hey.” Her eyes softened in a way I hadn’t seen in a long time. “It’s okay because he looks like he wants to put each and every star up there for you. And only you.”

“I just… he does?” I licked my lips, and she nodded.

“But he’s older and complicated. Not to mention, Onyx would shit a brick if he found out from anyone else than you two. He’s his best friend and business partner.”

“I’m not… we haven’t…” I stuttered, stumbling on my lies. “I haven’t done anything… yet.”

“That ‘burn’“—she used air quotes—“says differently.”

“Olive.” I probably looked like a fish out of water with the way my mouth opened and shut. “I love him.” She smiled and looked away for a moment before our gazes locked.

“I think he’s in love with you, too,” she whispered.

“He’s not.” I shook my head. I didn’t want to let myself hope for the impossible. “He wants me but…”

“Onyx?” she guessed, and I nodded.

“I’m spending the long weekend with him at his place,” I blurted out and wish I’d had a camera ready. Not much shocked Olive, but I’d just left her stunned! Me! The youngest sister, who was always too busy reading to deal with the real world.

“Wow. How… how did that happen?” she asked and then made a face. “Or do I not wanna know?”

“It’s complicated,” I mumbled, not wanting to share everything with her. Not yet at least. “I know I have to be careful, and I’m trying to be smart. He’s not the kind of guy who…” I glanced down at the floor.

“Who what, Rave?” Her hand squeezed mine, silently encouraging me to share a little more with her.

“Who would pick me? Who would fight for me?”

“You read a lot, babe. Sometimes, men in the real world––“

“Don’t say they’re not like that,” I said softly, meeting her green eyes head on. “Dad would burn the world down for Mom.”

“He would,” she confirmed, “but not everyone is the same.”

“Luke would help you hide a body if you ever needed him to, if you gave him a chance,” I noted, accidentally giving myself away.

“It was you!” Her eyes widened before she started to laugh. “You gave him my number and told him about the farmer’s market?” She looked at me like she was seriously impressed with me.

“I see him at the gym sometimes, and he’s always asking about you.”

“He could be a creep,” she muttered, dropping her hand from mine and crossing them in front of her chest.

“But he’s not. He’s a really good guy.”

“Too good of a guy.” She rolled her eyes. “Guys like that are...”

“Are what?”

“Boring.” I snorted and rolled my eyes.

“He’s not boring. You always tell me I’m waiting for some hero from a book, but you know what I think your problem is?”

“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

“You date losers on purpose. After… After Nathan,”—her first love—“broke your heart, you dated guys who wouldn’t be able to get that from you. Guys that might be fun but you know deep down have no chance at getting to you.” Olive might have made a face, but what she didn’t do was deny the facts.

“It’s okay,” I said, my tone softer. “I get it. Why do you think I like books more than people?” She giggled and leaned against her car, her body relaxing.

“So, what are we going to do? You going to let Bash pop your cherry?” she asked with a shit-eating grin, and I giggled.

“Maybe. Are you going to give Luke a chance, a real one?” She grimaced like she was in pain, but I knew she was playing by the way her eyes glittered.

“Maybe.” She pushed off her car. “Do you need anything for your… play date?”

“Oh my god, don’t call it that.” I laughed.

“I mean… is it not a play date?” She wagged her perfectly plucked brows.

“Oli!” I groaned.

“Okay!” She grinned then turned serious. “For reals, though, do you need anything? Condoms, or wanna go shopping?”

“Shopping? For what?”

“Oh god.” She laughed. “For, like, cute clothes.”

“I have cute clothes.” I frowned.

“I mean lacy clothes… you know, lingerie.”

“Yes.” I was pretty sure I was beet red. “I know. I like lingerie.”

“Well, well, well. Guess my baby sister’s not so innocent, huh?” she teased, bumping her shoulder against mine.

“Whatever. I think I’m okay. I just…” I chewed on my bottom lip.

“You just what?”

“I’ve never done much, you know that.”

“Right.”

“What if…” I wasn’t sure how to bring it up without telling her he was huge. Because if I did, I’d have to explain the whole watching him in the woods while he skinny dipped, and I didn’t want her to think I was some kind of stalker.

“What if what?” She leaned in closer, dropping her voice to make sure it wasn’t a conversation anyone walking past could overhear.

“What if I can’t, like, go down on him? Like, I mean, what if he’s too big?” Her eyes rose to mine.

“You think he might be too big, or you know?” she asked with curiosity.

“Umm…”