Page 15 of Smokescreen

“That’s fine.”

When Reid placed his hand on her back, Olive felt a tiny shiver race up her spine.

Handsome, smart, and rich men like Reid Harrison had that effect on women. For many, he was the perfect man. But Olive was immune to those kinds of charms. She’d trained herself to be that way.

Besides, one of the few verses she remembered from her dad’s stint as a pastor was, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting.”

Being the pastor at a small Indiana church had been her dad’s last job. The whole thing had seemed out of character for him, and Olive still questioned what had really been going on.

They stepped back inside the house, and Reid paused. “Hannah, can you come down here a minute?”

A moment later, a woman wearing a dark blue pantsuit came down the stairs.

If Olive had to guess, the woman was probably close to thirty. She had light-brown hair that fell well below her shoulders, and she wore it down instead of pinned behind her. She had soft features and big blue eyes.

“Yes, Mr. Harrison?” She paused in front of them, the picture of professionalism.

“Hannah, this is Olive. I know you’ve already prepared a room for her, so I’d like you to get her settled, please.”

Hannah glanced at Olive, quickly sizing her up. Then her expression softened again as she turned to Reid and nodded. “Of course. Yes, sir.”

“No need to call me sir,” Reid told her.

Olive watched the exchange with curiosity.

Hannah clearly had a crush on Reid. It was obvious by the way her cheeks turned pink. By the way her pupils dilated. By the way her voice became higher pitched.

But if Olive had to guess, Reid was clueless.

“I’ll go take care of this issue with the horses,” Reid said, turning to her. “Then I can meet you for dinner. How does that sound?”

“It sounds perfect.” Olive kept her voice prim and proper, careful to stay in character.

“Great.”

To Olive’s surprise, Reid leaned forward and brushed her cheek with a kiss.

The action seemed so natural that she didn’t feel the awkwardness she expected. She wasn’t expecting the flush warming her cheeks, however.

The good news was that Reid was committed to selling the idea they were dating. If not, her job would have been ten times harder.

When Olive looked back at Hannah, the woman’s eyes darkened.

She hoped this woman’s feelings for Reid wouldn’t be a problem.

Olive and Hannah waited in the entry as Reid stepped back outside. As soon as he was gone, the atmosphere changed from warm and professional to icy and unwelcoming.

This was going to be fun . . .

“You’re a very lucky woman.” Hannah observed Olive as if trying to figure out if she was worthy of Reid’s affection. “Mr. Harrison is a wonderful man, and I’m happy for him.”

Her words lacked sincerity, but Olive pretended not to notice. “He is a wonderful man. I’m so thankful we met and hit it off like we did.”

Hannah’s fake smile remained stiff. “I bet you are. Let me show you upstairs. I already took your suitcase up there earlier.”

“I appreciate that.” In truth, Olive would prefer to handle her bags herself. But she was playing a role here. She should be used to being pampered.

As they started up the staircase to the second floor, Hannah asked over her shoulder, “So where are you from, Olive? Can I call you that or do you prefer I call you Ms. Abernathy?”