Trace + Olivia Series Boxed Set (32 page)

“Don’t cry, sweetie,” Warren hugged me to his robust chest. His hand rubbed up and down my back soothingly. “I didn’t tell ya to make ya cry. I just wanted to help you understand my grandson better. He pushed everyone away after his dad died and I don’t want to see him do the same thing to you, because Olivia, you’re the best thing that’s happened to him in a long time,” he swallowed thickly. “If he grows distant, you’re going to have to push him, don’t let him retreat into that dark hole he disappears to inside himself.”

“I won’t,” I vowed, remembering the first time Trace kissed me, and how he walked away from me. I understood now why he did. When you lose someone you care about that much, it’s hard to connect with someone, for the fear of getting hurt again.

Warren continued to hold me until all my tears had been shed.

“Better?” He asked, as I swiped underneath my eyes.

“Yeah,” I nodded, my voice a little shaky, “I’m glad you told me. It was just a lot to take in.”

“Of course,” he replied as the others joined us in the foyer.

“Why are you crying?” Concerned, Trace ran to my side, and began looking me over.

“I’m fine,” I squirmed under his gaze.

“No, you’re not. You’re crying, and in my book, crying never means someone’s fine or okay. Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it,” he pleaded.

I looked at Warren pleadingly, for him to come up with an excuse.

“I was just telling Olivia,” Warren started, “that I may not know her well but I consider her as much my granddaughter as you are my grandson and that she’s welcome here anytime. She just got emotional, that’s all. Women cry for no reason sometimes, boy, get used to it,” he clapped Trace on the shoulder before disappearing behind a door I had been told led to his home office.

“You see, I never had grandparents,” I shrugged, trying to explain away my tears further. I didn’t think Trace would take too kindly to the fact that his grandpa had told me how his dad died.

“Oh,” he nodded, absorbing my words. “Okay.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

I said my goodbye’s to the rest of Trace’s family and followed him out through the garage.

The snow had been completely cleared. I only hoped the actual road was as snow free as the driveway.

Luckily, no one seemed brave enough to be out driving, so we practically had the road to ourselves, which was nice. I didn’t have to worry about us hitting a spot of ice and slamming into another car.

Trace pulled into Avery’s driveway.

“I’m sorry we got snowed in,” he said softly.

“I’m not. It gave me more time to get to know them,” I smiled.

He reached for my hand. “They all love you. You were great.”

“I’m happy I didn’t throw up on myself,” I laughed. “I was really nervous.”

Trace chuckled. “I think Gramps wishes he could replace, Trent and me, with you.”

“I doubt that,” I rolled my eyes. “I better get in there,” I pointed to the door. In fact, I was kind of surprised that Avery hadn’t come running out to assault me with questions.

“Alright,” he leaned over to kiss me deeply.

“On second thought,” I breathed, cupping his chin in my hand, “I can stay.”

“Nice try,” he smiled, running his thumb over my lower lip.

He pecked my lips once more and I slipped out of the car. He waited for me to enter the garage code and go inside. It didn’t escape my attention that there was a new car in the garage. I wondered if Avery’s parents had arrived home or if another one of her brothers was here.

I opened the door that led into the mudroom and was greeted by a flustered Avery. “Olivia! There you are!” She grabbed my arm and dragged me into the kitchen. “My parents are here,” she hissed in my ear warningly. “Mom, dad,” she called to the two people standing at the center island with their backs to us. “This is Olivia.”

They turned around slowly. I was expecting glares and orders to get out of their house. Instead, Avery’s redhead mother came striding towards me with open arms. “It’s so nice to meet you, Olivia. I’m so sorry about what happened with your dad. You and your mom are welcome to stay here as long as you need to. I mean that,” she insisted, holding me at arm’s length. Avery looked like a younger version of her mom but with plumper cheeks and lips. Her mom was very thin and tall. Tall enough that I was sure she could have been a model. “Oh, and I’m Theresa, but just call me Resa. And this-” she motioned to the man beside her, “is my husband, Galen.”

“Hi,” I waved awkwardly.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he replied. His blonde hair was cut short and styled to perfection. His light blue eyes seemed to miss nothing. “Avery speaks highly of you,” he added, peering down at me over his thin aristocratic nose, which appeared to be the only thing his daughter had inherited from him.

“Okay, great,” Avery grabbed my arm again, “now that introductions have been made, I really need to talk to my best friend.”

Before her parents had a chance to respond, she pulled me out of the kitchen. I looked over my shoulder at them apologetically.

Avery led me upstairs, and into her room, closing the door behind us.

“Spill girl,” she demanded. “How’d it go?”

“It went good,” I shrugged.

“Good?” She perched on the end of her bed and I collapsed into a green beanbag chair. “I need more details than that.”

“I really liked them and I managed to not do anything stupid,” I answered. “His grandpa is great.”

“So, what kind of house did they live in?” She asked, twirling a lock of red hair.

“They didn’t exactly live in a—uh—house,” I muttered.

Her brows furrowed together. “So, where’d they live? A trailer?”

“Um, not quite,” I nervously chewed on a hangnail, and wiggled, causing the balls in the beanbag chair to make a funny swishing sound.

“You’re being vague, Olivia. Speak,” she commanded.

“You see—well—I don’t know where to begin,” I stuttered, still biting on that stubborn hangnail.

“Here’s a wild idea,” she snapped sarcastically, “start at the beginning.”

“It’s a mansion, Avery,” I finally managed to find the words, “and when I say a mansion, I mean a
mansion
.”

“Bigger than this house?” She raised one brow.

“It makes this house look like a trailer,” I replied.

She whistled. “Holy crap…wait,” she eyed me, “what did you say his last name is?”

“Wentworth,” I shrugged.

“Oh my God,” she stood and began to pace across her bedroom. “I can’t believe I never connected the dots before. I’m so stupid!” She smacked her forehead. “I should’ve known he was one
those
Wentworth’s. It’s not like there are many around and that family is practically like royalty in this area. I just assumed he couldn’t be related because why would someone worth billions be working at a mechanics shop.”

“Billions!?” I screamed shrilly. “No one said anything about billions!”

She stopped and gave me a ‘duh’ look. “Of course they’re billionaires, Olivia, or at least pretty damn close to it.”

I couldn’t breathe. “Billions?” I gasped again.

It had been hard enough for me to swallow the unexpected news of Trace’s family being rich…but billions went beyond rich…that was…insane. I couldn’t begin to imagine what a billion dollars even looked like or what on Earth you’d do with it.

“Hey,” Avery knelt down in front of me and pulled my hands away from where they clutched my cheeks. “Are you okay? Is this what a panic attack looks like? Where’s my stupid brother Ben when you need him?”

“Why do you need Ben?” I asked.

“He’s a doctor,” she shrugged. “Are you okay?” She repeated, looking me over.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I choked.

“Do what?”

“This—this—relationship with Trace-” I waved my hand dramatically. “He didn’t tell me about his family being rich and now, you’re telling me they’re worth billions! How can I compete with that! I’m a normal girl from New Hampshire, Avery! Not the Hamptons!”

“Hey, hey, hey,” she grabbed my flinging hands, and brought them down to my sides, holding them in place. “This,” she pointed her finger in my face, “is exactly why lover boy didn’t tell you. Frankly, I don’t blame him. You do have the tendency to overreact.” I opened my mouth but she shushed me. “Trace is still the same guy he was before you found all this out.”

“That’s exactly what he said,” I mumbled reluctantly.

She smiled. “It seems to me that Trace has tried to distance himself from that lifestyle. He works as a mechanic, and lives above the garage, it seems to me that he’s trying to make his own life not based on his family’s name.”

“It’s just…weird,” I pleaded with my eyes for her to understand me. “I have
nothing
to my name and he has
everything
.”

“Hey,” she shook me lightly. “Money is
not
everything. Money does not buy you happiness, Olivia. A shiny new toy doesn’t make up for mommy and daddy being gone all the time. It doesn’t fill an ache inside you. All that matters is how you feel about Trace and how he feels about you.”

I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “You’re right.”

“Of course I’m right,” she scoffed. “I’m always right.”

I scooted over and made room for her on the beanbag chair. I lay with my head on her shoulder.

“You were talking about your mom and dad, weren’t you?” I asked quietly.

She nodded. “It’s not that they’re bad people…they’re just not very good parents. They’ve both always been too focused on making money and traveling…just the two of them. We didn’t matter to them. It’s sad, but true. They tried to make up for being gone all the time by giving us gifts. But that wasn’t enough.”

“I’m sorry, Avery,” I whispered.

“It was a long time ago. I know they love me and I love them…but it’s a different kind of love. It’s not the way it should be. I hardly know them.” We both grew quiet and then she pleaded, “Don’t let your insecurities make you miss out on the greatest thing to ever happen to you.”

“I won’t,” I sighed, “I’m in too deep.”

I had fallen too far and too deep to swim back to the surface now.

I was sunk, hook, line, and sinker, into Trace Wentworth.

It was Christmas day at the Callahan house, which meant it was awkward central for my mom and me.

I made my way down the curved staircase and I heard the whole family in the living room. The sounds of wrapping paper being ripped, met my ears, and I was sure they were all gathered around the massive Christmas tree.

I tried to tiptoe by them, into the kitchen, for a glass of orange juice, but since I had the crappiest luck
ever
, Avery spotted me.

“Olivia! Come in here!” She called, and her whole family stopped what they were doing, to look at me. Her remaining four brothers had arrived a few days ago. They seemed nice but I hadn’t talked to them much, preferring to stay out of the way, unnoticed. Unfortunately, Nick had a knack for finding my mother. Gag.

Ben, the brother that was a doctor, smiled kindly at me. “Don’t stand there, come in,” he waved me into the room.

“Uh,” I stepped into the room and faced all of them. “I was going to get something to drink and go back upstairs. I promise I won’t be in your way.”

“Olivia, please, sit down. It’s Christmas,” Galen said. I was surprised he had spoken. He hadn’t said much to me since him and his wife arrived, he hadn’t been mean to me or anything, but he certainly didn’t go out of his way to make conversation.

“I feel like I’m intruding,” I tried to back out of the room.

“Sit, Olivia,” Avery demanded and like an obedient dog I listened. Dammit.

“Thata’ girl,” she patted the top of my head.

“I will so get you for this,” I hissed.

“Don’t be such a baby. It’s Christmas!” She chimed, throwing her hands in the air with excitement.

I glared at her and then began to giggle. “Why are you wearing an elf hat?” I eyed the monstrosity on her head.

“It’s tradition!” She exclaimed.

I looked around and realized that Galen was wearing a Santa hat, Resa was wearing a Mrs. Klaus bonnet or whatever you wanted to call it, while Avery and the guys all wore elf hats, pointy ears included.

A giggle bubbled to the surface, and escaped my lips. At the sound of my laugh, I couldn’t hold back full-blown hysterics.

“I need a picture of this,” I wiped tears from my eyes and grabbed my phone from my pocket, snapping a picture of Avery before she had the chance to react. “This is so going in our dorm room,” I laughed, waving my phone around.

When her brother’s caught sight of the picture, they began to laugh. Pretty soon, even Resa, Galen, and Avery were laughing.

Once our laughter had ceased, Avery smiled menacingly. “Luckily, we have an extra hat,” she stuck one of those ridiculous elf contraptions on my head. “Now,” she smiled, “we can continue with presents.”

“What’s going on?” I turned around to see my mom standing in the doorway.

“Olivia’s making everyone laugh,” Nick grinned at my mom. “Join us,” he patted an empty spot of carpet beside him. I watched as she made her way across the room, to Nick, and sat down beside him. He leaned over, and whispered something in her ear, which made her smile and blush at the same time.