Page 109 of No More Words

Mike had proposed to her in the hospital cafeteria the day Olivia and Josh drove to Oceanside looking for Lily. Amber called to inviteOlivia and Blaze to dinner to share their good news but held off when she realized Olivia was in a panic to find her nephew after he left the car.

Olivia and Blaze eventually did join Amber and Mike for dinner. And just as Amber promised Olivia would one day pay her back for all those favors Olivia asked of her, Amber insisted on Olivia standing in as her maid of honor.

“I couldn’t be happier for you.” Olivia hugs her friend.

Hours later, after the champagne has been consumed, and the engaged couple has gone home for the night, Blaze kicks back on the porch with a glass of Knob Creek over ice and listens to the rain.

Olivia joins him, setting two shot glasses and the bottle of Fireball on the table between them.

Blaze sits upright. “I was wondering what happened to that. Thought you drank it with Miller,” he teases.

Olivia thinks of the last text she received from Ethan, several days after she sent him Dwight’s photos. Ethan didn’t see whoever was in his truck with Lily. But the pictures had to have been taken one of the times Ethan picked her up. They were parked in front of the 7-Eleven where Lily had worked. If he were to make a guess, he’d say it was Tyler Whitman. He’d never seen Lily and Tyler together, but he did run into Tyler once in the parking lot.

If only Ethan knew how right he was.

Olivia scrunches her nose at the liquor. “I really hate this stuff.”

“Then why’d you bring it out?”

She shrugs, unscrewing the top.

“I know why.” His eyes flash with heat. He stands up, grinning, and grabs her hand.

“All right, all right.” She laughs, yanking her hand away when he tries to draw her inside the house. They aren’t going to go do the horny-teen thing. Not yet, anyway.

Pouring two shots, she says, “I want to make a point that I’m serious about us.”

“Oh, I got that message loud and clear when you went in on the cabin with me.” They finally found a place on the lake. The house closes in a few weeks and she can’t wait for spring when Blaze starts the remodel. The place will be beautiful when he finishes.

She gives him his shot. “You said, and I quote, ‘That’s ours when you’re ready. We’ll get stupid drunk and—’” She grins wickedly, taps her glass to his, and tosses back the liquor. Blaze sucks air through his teeth and she cringes. “That’s nasty.”

“But you love me.”

“I do, very much.” Lips moist from the Fireball, she gives him a Hot Tamale–flavored kiss.

Blaze settles back onto the chair and kicks up his heels, resting his boots on the porch rail. Olivia sits beside him, drawing her legs underneath her. The air is winter crisp, but not intolerable. They watch the rain until it tapers off and the clouds part, revealing a star-speckled night sky. At some point, Blaze reaches for her hand.

“My heart is full,” he says quietly.

Olivia thinks of her brother and how much she misses him. She thinks of her mom’s deception and her dad’s betrayal, and her heart grows heavy. But then she remembers Lily and Josh and how they’re both in her life, and she couldn’t be happier about that. She’s battled her pain and fury over betrayal and came out a winner because she’s learned to put faith in those who deserve it. And she knows now how to handle herself if she does get hurt. Because loving someone, whether a sister, a friend, or the man beside her, is worth the risk.

Looking over at Blaze, her heart has never felt fuller. She adores him. She kisses the back of his hand.

“Mine too,” she whispers.