Chapter 16
Olivia
I walk into the company this time; I’m wearing a suit and looking the part. I’ve had two weeks of spending time with Autumn, seeing as Neil’s been in the office during the week, he hasn’t been going home.
She's well looked after, but that doesn’t stop me worrying about her and just get on with my life. I pop my head into Isaac’s office, and sure enough, Neil’s serving him coffee. They seem to be getting on which was part of the reason that I thought of my little scheme.
I had the impression that there was still a rift between them. Neil had done everything the wrong way, but for the right reasons. He wrote me a letter one that I’ve taken to heart and one that’s making me walk into the office today. He knew that I’ve been going to see Autumn or that I would see her again, and once I read it. I knew that I couldn’t stay away. Mainly, because for the first time since I’ve go to know Neil, I think that he wasn’t lying to me.
Dearest Olivia,
I know that you hate me and you have every reason to tear up this letter from the moment that you read it. But I want to thank you, not only for the time that you gave to me but for bringing life back into my grandson’s cold heart.
You see before you came alone and brought him back to life, he was ready to die. He may never admit it and pretend that he had it all under control, but it’s far from it.
I paid off the company’s loans, and even the one’s in his apartment from the moment that he came to see me. Isaac was so intoxicated that he couldn’t even see it. He turned a blind eye to his finances and worse of all himself.
I did think of the idea to pair you both up from the moment you were homeless and financially unable to support yourself. But from the time we started talking, and I learned about you. I soon changed my mind about my initial scheme. I lied to both of you, and for that, I’m truly sorry. I gave you a home because for some crazy reason I thought that your pure heart is something that both Isaac and I need in our lives.
Everyone in town thinks that we are an item. They believe that I am your ‘sugar daddy,' but not once did you leave the ranch or even put people in their place. You let them talk, and that makes you lonely.
No one talks to you.
No one wants to associate with you.
You lead this life just to appease me, to make me happy and I am forever grateful for the sacrifice. I suspected that you and Isaac could find love in each other. I went out of my way to push you to be one. I did not expect you to bond as much as you have and I would be eternally grateful for you giving my grandson back his heart. The one that he had lost. I know that he loves you, so please do not punish him for my mistake. They are mine alone.
Anything you need Olivia, you just shout, and I’ll come running.
Anything you want Olivia, just say the word and I will give it to you.
I owe you everything, and you owe me nothing. I do hope that one day you can forgive me. But I know that I do not deserve it. Especially the way that I have treated you. I do hope that one day you can forgive me or at least try.
Neil
I know that Neil was secretly trying to manipulate me. I remember Isaac saying that he thinks that it’s just natural for Neil. He has a way of manipulating everyone that he comes into contact with and I hate to admit that he’s right.
But the fact that Neil wrote a letter and there seems to be the bond that they both lost a long time ago slowly rebuilding their relationship. The way that I hoped when I set them up on the task.
“Good morning gentlemen,” I say as I walk through the door.
“Good morning Olivia,” Isaac smiles at me. He does look completely different from when I first met him. It’s as if he’s been working out or something. I’m distracted as I can see his biceps through his shirt and I wonder if he looks completely different underneath from what I remember. To say that I miss him is an understatement.
I remember him telling Neil that he loves me and would marry me in time. I remember smiling about that, but then the realization that they’d made a pact together tore me apart.
“Good morning Olivia,” Neil says indifferently. I think that he’s nervous about my appearance.
“I read your letter, Neil.”
“What letter?” Isaac asks, “I didn’t know that you knew where she lived?” His question is directed at Neil who shakes his head, “I don’t. I just left it with Autumn.”
“Ah,” Isaac says as the penny drops.
I shut the door and say, “I was thinking that if you’re not busy we could go to breakfast?” I ask Isaac and then Neil says, “He only has one appointment at eleven. He has time for that.”
I’m about to ask Neil, but I’m really hurt by what he did. I need time before I can forgive him with open arms.
“In that case I’m free,” Isaac nods his head.
“Cool, because I know this great little bakery. They have all types of croissants and cookies.”
“Sounds like my kind of place,” he says as he comes closer towards me. I want to back away, but between his moody scent and his black suit, which always melts me I find it hard. I just know that I’m not about to give in. Not in a hurry.
“Well, if you’re taking me out to breakfast then you better be paying. You see if I have this assistant who comes into the office whenever she feels like it, and she demanded that I pay her to double the going rate.”
“Maybe you should sack her.”
He presses his lips against mine, “Maybe I will. But for now, you’re taking me out for breakfast.”
Then I take his hand and lead him out of his office. As we stop at the desk, which is supposed to be mine. Neil’s sitting there, and I smile at him, “Maybe next week if you’re free then you can join us.”
He nods his head, “That’ll be fun.”
Isaac says, “But she’s still paying.”
Then I loop my arm around his, and as we enter the elevator it’s empty, and I know as much as I’m trying hard to get. It’s not going to work with Isaac. Especially when I feel as if I’m kidding myself. We’ve had our time apart, but I want a relationship that’s built on trust. He’s going to have to earn it. Whether he likes it or not.
Three months later…
Epilogue
Olivia
The touch of Isaac’s warm skin awakens me. I feel the afterglow of last night. Isaac’s damn hot in bed. I lie looking at the rays of morning sunlight shining through the curtains at a spot on the floor, thinking that I could stay in bed all day. Of course, I know that isn’t going to happen. Isaac has marketing people to meet. We have to return to Houston. I don’t want to, because I would love to spend the whole day in bed. The way that we’ve been accustomed to doing on the odd weekend.
Isaac raises his head and glances at me.
“How long have you been awake? I thought you were still sleeping.”
“Not long, but I could stay in bed all day the way I am feeling. I thought that you were sleeping too.”
“Olivia, I need to go in later. But after we can spend time together.”
“I know I just feel lazy.”
“You can’t be lazy. You own the ranch, and there’ll be no rest for you. I’ll tell Dan to give you all the dirty jobs.”
“Ha, I’m his boss now, not you?” I move on top of Isaac, because he’s trying to wind me up and it’s not working. Maybe I’ll tempt him into staying in bed.
“You’re in a great mood this morning. Well, I have a lot to be thankful for, don’t you agree. Neil signed over the ranch, but he didn’t have to do that. I never asked him to.”
“Neither did I. But he wanted to leave. He hated staying here alone and he thought that three’s a crowd.”
I shrug, “Not really, you spend just as much time in the office as you do here. So, I could do with the company.”
He laughs, “Not when you have Autumn.”
I ignore his comment and ask, “Are you not fixing breakfast before you go?
“Maybe?”
I move off him and say, “Well I’ll like some scrambled eggs and toast please?” I kiss him on the cheek and head into the shower.
I missed the ranch when I moved out, that must be the most heartbreaking part of living in the city. The crazy part was when I was here, I used to dream about leaving. I used to think about living in the city. When I had the opportunity to do it. I hated it. Despised it with a passion.
As soon as I finish in the shower. I hear Isaac in the kitchen and decide to pop to the barn to see Autumn. I walk across the lawn toward the barn. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Neil gave me the ranch and moved out. Having lived with him here for years, I know how much he loves the ranch.
I know I shouldn’t forgive Neil, but I can’t hold a grudge against him. I care for him too much. I take in a deep breathe as I enter the barn and let the smell of horses and hay percolate throughout my body. I know that if I had been forced to stay away from the ranch, a part of my soul would have withered, so much had I became a part of the ranch.
Autumn has her head out the stall looking for me as I approach. It’s funny how she always seems to know when I’m approaching her stall. “I missed you,” I tell her as I hug her neck. She nudges my pocket to see if I have brought her an apple. “No, I didn’t bring anything for you. Just me. I wish I could take time and give you a good brushing, but Isaac has to get back to the office.” I talk to her as though she’s a person. Well, to me maybe she is. When Neil and I lived on the ranch I used to spend so much time coming here and talking to her, especially whenever I felt lonely.
My phone’s vibrating in my back pocket I pick it up as I kiss Autumn on the forehead. “I’ve got to run,” I say as I walk away. I know that only one person would be calling me on my cell right now and that’s Isaac. Most likely to tell me that breakfast is ready.
As soon as I enter the kitchen I can smell toast and eggs. I glance at Isaac thinking that he’s really learning to cook and not feel the need to always go out to eat,“See that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“You’re just lucky I didn’t burn the toast. Did you look in on Buckskin?”
“No, I thought that you would do that before, you go to the office. His head’s outside the stall looking for you. When’s the last time you rode him?”
“Too long. After I get things settled in the office I want to do some riding.”
We both sit down to eat and both of us are avoiding looking at the chair. The one chair that Neil always sits in whenever he eats at the table is empty and it pulls a chord in my heart. Maybe I should just tell him that I don’t want this place?
Isaac eats so fast as if his life depends on it. I know that there’s no room for a conversation, let alone a discussion about Neil.
“Need to go,” he says as he pops the last bit of toast in his mouth.
I nod my head and then I walk behind him as he rushes to his car and then his car pulls out of the driveway, I found myself already missing the ranch. I really didn’t want to return to Houston, but it was necessary. I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell what was going to become of Isaac and I.
When I first started working for the company I grew to enjoy the challenge of working for Isaac. You’d think that when his employees found out I was the boss’s girlfriend, they would cut me some slack. They were different from people around me. They didn’t care and no one battered an eyelash about our relationship in and out of the office.
The time I'd spent in the office was fun while it lasted. I proved to myself that I'm capable of doing more than just running a stable. It felt good to have issues and not run to Isaac, every time I faced a problem.
I loved going to lunch with the other secretaries. They would invite me, and we would sit and gossip. Everyone wanted to know what it was like with Isaac.
“We can't believe that he's found happiness again after..”
No one wanted to say her name. It was as if there would be a cloud of darkness at the mention of her name.
“Dede. I know about her, and he's come a long way from it all. He's healed, and he's moving on from what happened in his past.”
“Good,” they would smile, but I wondered if part of them were disappointed that there wasn’t any gossip about our relationship or even more about the boss. Even if our friendships weren’t real, they had treated me better than some of the people in town that I’ve known my whole life.
I get up and clear the table and then I hear a familiar voice behind me, “I could do that?”
I turn around and hug him, “Neil, you came back?”
He nods, “I couldn’t stay away from this place. Do you mind if I stay for a little while?”
I push him back and say, “You really are stubborn. This is your home. I don’t care what it says on paper. You can stay here as long as you want.”
He shakes his head, “But I don’t like the way that you look at me, or the fact that you don’t trust me.”
I agree with him and say, “If you want things to change then you have to change it.”
He takes out his hand and says, “You got a deal!”
I hug him one more time and say, “You really are an old fool and I love you. And Isaac does too. He’s going to be thrilled that you’ve come back.”
He winks, “He his, he’s bringing my things into the house right now.”
I laugh as I think about the two men in my life. They’re a handful, but I feel proud because before I didn’t have any family. I had no one that really loved me and although Neil had hurt me and done things the wrong way. I knew that he loved me. He’d showed me when he handed me his home, took up a meaningless job and the pity in his eyes right now. I shouldn’t let the old man suffer, because as angry as I was in the past. It’s truly buried, and that’s the only way to move forward with a happy new beginning.