“Does everybody have to be a rancher that dates a rancher?” she asked.
“Well, you make it sound silly when you put it like that, but typically, not too many girls that like metropolitan areas are content being in an area like this for an extended period of time. It’s fun and new, but then it grows old.”
“Do you think that’s how I’d be?” she asked.
“I really don’t know, but I do know that I don’t ever want to be the cause of any unhappiness for you.”
“What about your happiness?” she asked.
“Well, I have a determined coddling sister, but I also have me. I’m not always the quickest to get what I want, but I usually do pursue it at some point.”
“Yeah, you were relentless with me,” she said. She smiled softly and the way she looked at him showed how much relief she had from speaking her heart.
“Well, even if we’re a few hours away from each other, maybe that’s not too far. It takes a bit of planning, but if it’s meant to be—” He stopped his sentence, because he felt himself wanting to ramble on and he had no idea what he wanted to say. His words were like a cow that realized there was no fence to stop it. He’d keep going and going and going, trying to figure it out—or maybe talk himself out of something.
“I’d like that,” she said.
She leaned in and kissed Colton on the cheek and he turned his head so their lips would meet. Through that kiss, they were promising that they’d at least try. It may never work, but it would not be due to not giving it some effort.
“How about we go and finish up our appointment? After that, I have a few things to do at the ranch, but we can go out to eat tonight, have some fun.”
“Or dine in and have some fun,” Olivia counter-proposed.
“Sold! We’ll dine in.” Colton slapped his palm on the dashboard.
“Maybe you should be the auctioneer.”
“If I don’t get going, I’ll have to become Matt Kenseth to get us there on time.” Then he pulled out and started their journey down the highway to Deer Run again.
***
The jewelry appraiser cleaned up the ring and held it up. “It’s a really interesting piece, for certain. Definitely high quality.”
Olivia looked at Colton and raised her eyes brows up and down playfully and nervously. Then she looped her arm through Colton’s and squeezed tightly, whispering, “Does interesting equal money?”
Colton was as captivated by her as the appraiser was with the ring. “Let’s hope so … for Amelia’s sake, anyway.”
The appraiser looked up at them and said, “It’s going to be about an hour. Why don’t you get a cup of coffee and come back. I don’t want you to be bored waiting.”
“Okay,” she said, crestfallen. They walked out and she said, “I think we just got dismissed.”
“I think you’re right. But time will probably pass better if we keep ourselves busier than just staring at him.”
After a cup of coffee, two huge sticky buns, and a joint exam of the local newspaper, Colton and Olivia returned.
They opened the old glass door to the appraiser’s office and a small bell attached to it dangled, announcing their presence.
“Just a minute,” a voice called out from the back.
And they waited. Colton noticed that Olivia was glancing at some of the jewelry in the corner, but when he caught her, she quickly turned away. That got him curious and he strained his head just a bit to see what it was. It was wedding bands. Now it was his turn to quickly turn away.
“Any bets on what it’s worth?” she asked.
“I’ll go with ten thousand,” he said.
“Do you think it could really be worth that much, Colton?”
“Just betting, not an appraiser. I don’t know anything about jewelry, really. What’s your bet?”
“Eight thousand,” she said.
“Where did that number come from?”
“Eight’s my favorite number,” she replied.
Then the appraiser walked out and set a small velvet box in front of him and some pieces of paper. “Okay, all done.”
The walk over to the counter seemed to take an eternity for Olivia. She stared at the box the entire time, not able to take her eyes off of it. Again, the feelings that it was her great-grandmother’s consumed her, bringing about a sadness that felt like it could never really be cured or forgotten. Snap out of it; this is important, she thought.
“Have a seat,” the jeweler indicated, pointing to two stools on the other side of the counter.
They sat down and he looked at them both briefly and tapped his fingers on his legs like he was doing a drum roll. Olivia just wanted to reach right over that counter and get him to stop that. Although it was silent, it seemed like each tap was pounding right on her ear drum. She was that uptight.
“So, what’s the scoop?” she asked the second her butt hit the stool.
“It’s a great piece, quite rare,” the jeweler began, “from a few calls I made and the quick searches I did, I appraise that it could sell for approximately three thousand at auction, give or take, depending on the right one, of course.”
“That’s all?” she replied. She glanced at Colton, who was looking at her with such a tender expression.
“I’m sorry. It’s old and a piece that lovers of vintage jewelry are bound to gravitate toward, but the diamond is—” He went into a detailed explanation of all the things that justified the value of the diamond.
Olivia wasn’t listening because she was shocked.
Colton wasn’t listening because he felt so bad for Olivia.
In the end, they said, “Thank you,” and left, making their way back to the truck.
Colton walked around and opened the door for her. Before she could get in he stopped her and gave her a big hug. With his arms wrapped around her he said, “Sorry it wasn’t what you wanted, Olivia. You know, I meant what I said, you don’t have to sell it.”
“No, I knew that this all might happen before I even got here. Just finding it was an experience of a lifetime.” She nestled her head into his shoulder and breathed in, taking comfort from the musky scent of his cologne.
“So off to the auctioneers?”
“Yep.”
***
Sitting at a bar in Deer Run, Colton and Olivia discussed the day they’d had thus far. They each enjoyed a cold bottle of beer and some peanuts, cracking the shells, dumping them into their mouths, and then tossing the shells on the floor with a casual flick of the risk.
“The auction will be in two days,” Colton said. “That gives some time to pull it if you change your mind.”
She swiveled her stool to look him right in the eyes. “I am not going to change my mind. Stop saying that. I’m fine, really.”
“My mom always used to warn me about women saying ‘fine’.”
“Well, I’m not like anyone else you’ve ever met, am I?”
“No, you definitely are not,” he said.
They each took a sip of their beers again and remained quiet for a moment. Looking up to the mirrored back of the bar at the same time, their gazes locked. Olivia smiled softly and Colton tipped his head and gave a half smile back to her.
“Are you going to call your sister?” he finally asked.
“I’m debating between waiting until it’s sold or now. Which do you think is better?”
“Since you said you’re not going to change your mind, you can call her now, I suppose. If you thought you may want to keep it, I wouldn’t recommend doing that. Might create some friction.”
“Claim it, huh.”
“What?” He swiveled his chair back toward her and his long legs adjusted themselves so he could swing her chair and bracket her in between his legs.
“If I say it out loud, then I can’t change my mind—claim it.”
“Did we claim that we were going to give us a try, even when you have to move?” He liked this entire “claim it” concept if it pertained to that.
“Sounds like a nice place to be stuck in,” he said.
She smiled. Like when I’m in your arms, she thought.
“Why don’t we get out of here and head back to Cherish. I’ll get those few things done at the ranch and you can call your sister. Then, we can either go dancing or do whatever you’d like. Your night. Your call.”
***
Olivia didn’t mind being selfish and she ended up choosing the option to stay at the ranch house with Colton. Although she’d just spent a few nights there, she found the place to be very comforting and nice. It felt good being there, and having Colton be her company was pretty sweet, too.
The two were locked together and a movie was playing, but their hands kept softly touching each other, moving up and down their legs and arms, memorizing each detail as if they were reading Braille.
Something inside Colton made him resistant to claim what he wanted at that moment, which was Olivia in his arms. The other night under the stars had been so wonderful and spontaneous, really, but now it was neither. If they were intimate it meant a little more, because they’d agreed to give their relationship a go.
She yawned and stretched her arms out.
“Need to go to sleep?” he asked.
“I’d rather go to bed,” she said.
At first he didn’t get her innuendo, but then it finally set in. “I don’t see how I could ever deny you what you desire.”
The two got up, not even bothering to turn the movie off, and walked hand in hand up the stairs and toward his bedroom. As soon as they walked into his room, they shut the door, despite no one else being there, and Colton whispered, “I can take it from here.”
And he did. He took what he wanted from Olivia, and she took what she wanted from him.
It was tender.
It was urgent.
It was the satisfaction they were both longing to feel.
And when morning came, they were both awake, bright and early, ready to experience the day.
Chapter Thirteen
Olivia took off in her truck to go into town while Colton was doing his work. She was so excited and nervous about the appointment. Keeping it a secret had been so hard, but it had been fun, too. She couldn’t even count how many times Colton had said, “You are in such a good mood. Sure you’re not telling me something?” And she’d just shake her head “no,” not wanting to lie.
When she pulled up in front of the Cherish Community Library, she put down the visor in the truck and assessed herself in the mirror that she had put in there for just such occasions.
“You can do this,” she said softly.
Then she got out of the truck and leaned the seat forward to reach the small space behind it. On the ledge was a manila folder. She grabbed it, opened it up, and was satisfied that everything she was looking for was there.
She was ready.
“Hey, Olivia, hi,” someone called out.
She turned around and saw Mal waving from next door. She had just walked out of the bank and was making her way over.
“What you up to? Want to go get some coffee?” Mal offered.
“Sorry, I can’t. I have an appointment,” Olivia said. She hadn’t wanted to explain, but she did briefly, ending it with a request for Mal to not tell anyone, who gladly agreed.
Then she walked into the library and up to the rounded, seventies-style circulation desk. A lady was standing there who was very tiny and petite but moved so quickly that she was almost a blur. And she did it so quietly, too. “Hi, I’m looking for Sandra Paulson,” Olivia said.
“You must be Olivia. Hi, I’m Sandra. Great to meet you. Let’s go back to my office.”
With a big smile and a triumphant feeling, Olivia followed her into the office and began to show Sandra Paulson what she was about.
She walked out of the office an hour later. She’d gotten herself a job, and not just any job, either. This was her dream job. She was going to be the new Historian and Head Librarian for the Cherish Community Library. Wouldn’t Colton be surprised?
Mal just happened to be standing by Olivia’s truck. “So how did it go?” She was clearly curious and Olivia was so elated that she couldn’t hide it.
“I got it.” The two hugged.
“You and Colton should come over for dinner tonight so we can celebrate.”
“That’s awfully kind. Sure, why not. … If Colton’s up for it.”
“Oh he will be,” Mal said.
Olivia laughed at her spiritedness about her brother. She was as determined as she was sweet.
“Wade’s in Bozeman for the day, but he should be back around 5:00. So would 6:00 work?”
“I think so. I’ll text you and confirm it after I talk with Colton. I’m so excited, and a bit scared to tell him now that it’s all done.”
“He’ll be even happier than I am,” Mal said. She winked and then said, “Well, I better run. Lots to do.”
***
Olivia was standing on the front porch waiting for Colton to come in from the barn. She watched him walk up and appreciated him absolutely and completely. Even the scar above his eye was endearing to her.
“How was your morning?” he called out as he made his way to the porch.”
“Fantastic,” she said. She explained quickly, talking fast and her hands waving around wildly. It just sort of spilled out.
She looked at him and from the expression on his face, he’d managed to capture every word she’d allowed to roll her tongue at a rapid-fire rate. It was easy to tell because his eyes were wider than she had ever seen them. He looked happy, without a doubt, which was a huge relief to her since she’d just sort of done it, not even considering it might not be such a great idea after it was revealed.
“I knew something was up!” he exclaimed. He took one step forward and wrapped her in his arms and picked her up, squeezing her tightly. He began to kiss her cheek and neck enthusiastically. “I can’t believe you kept that a secret from me. Did anyone know?”
“Only your sister, but I ran in to her on my way in so I had to tell her. I couldn’t think of anything else to say.”
“And when did you find out about this job?” He was asking so many questions at the same rapid rate that Olivia used when she was excited. He finally understood how that could feel, and he couldn’t believe it. His heart was beating rapidly and he was beside himself. With Olivia in Cherish, things would be fantastic.
“There was an ad in the newspaper we’d gotten in Deer Run. I had decided to look through the classifieds and I saw the ad in there. I was shocked. Thought I was reading it wrong at first.”
“We need to celebrate tonight. Not much is open on a Monday, but I think I can cook something up here,” he said.
“Mal invited us over to her house for a celebration dinner. Is that okay?”
“She knew before me?” Colton was a bit surprised. Didn’t really matter in the end, but still …
“I think she must have been waiting for me. Just happened to be by my truck when I was done.”
“She was waiting for you all right,” he said, shaking his head. He realized that he was still squeezing Olivia in his arms and finally set her back down. Shaking his head again, he said, “I can’t believe I didn’t know about that job. Everyone seems to know everything happening with everyone else in town.”
“Do you think they know about us?” she asked.
“Well, I don’t know. If Mal’s not sworn to secrecy, they likely have a hunch. And her friend Cindy at the hospital—she’s practically the official town crier—knows everything about everyone.”
“When Sandra asked me why I wanted to move to Cherish, I mentioned you as part of it. I really couldn’t think of what else to say, but kind of explained the story of the ring.”
With the mention of the word “ring,” Olivia grew silent. The auction was that afternoon near Bozeman and Colton had offered
to take her, but she’d decided it was best to stay far away and keep busy. Plus, she wouldn’t have been able to do the interview, which had turned out pretty ideally.
“When do you start?” he asked.
“Wednesday.”
There was such an energized feeling in the air that it seemed to grow instantly stagnant, despite the slight breeze, when Colton had to go back to work. Then it was only Olivia, alone, thinking about everything.
She debated calling her parents and Amelia right away, but decided to wait. Might as well tell them how much money the ring had sold for first, and then she could call. Hopefully it would be enough to really make a dent in the money Amelia needed to save to get to Paris. That would be so fantastic, definitely making it worth it.
So she paced around and waited and waited and waited.
Finally, her cellphone rang and she quickly answered it.
“Hello,” she said.
“Is this Olivia?” a husky male voice asked.
“It is.”
“This is James with Bartlett Auctioneer Group. I just wanted to let you know that the ring did sell at auction. You got a pretty good price. There were a few bidders.”
“Really? How much?” she asked.
“Three thousand exactly.”
“That’s over the minimum by eight hundred. That’s fantastic!”
“You’ll need to come down to the office to sign off on it and then we’ll be able to cut you a check.”
“Fantastic, when can I do that?” she asked.
“How about tomorrow morning?”
“I’ll be there at 9:00 if that works.”
“Sounds good,” he said.
“Out of curiosity,” she began, “did the person who bought it look happy? Did they really love it?”
James was silent for a second and Olivia wondered if he remembered at all. She supposed he had a lot of things to auction off that day so remembering the ring, specifically, could be tough. Finally, he said, “I remember the fella looking relieved, actually.”
Strange, Olivia thought. The auctioneer must not have been too good with emotions. That didn’t even make sense. “Okay, thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow morning then.”
Cherished Moments (Cherish Cowboys Book 2) Page 11