* * *
Seeing those bibs had been like a slap to the face from reality. She’d worn those every day when she’d go to the airport to work with her dad during summer breaks and after school. They’d been big and baggy at first, then she’d grown into them. By the time they were getting too small, Olivia didn’t want to wear them anymore.
But they held a special place in her memory bank, she couldn’t deny that fact. Seeing Piper in her messy ponytails and the baggy bibs with cuffed hems churned something in Olivia. Those nostalgic memories were starting to consume her. With each passing day, she questioned whether she was making the right decisions. There simply was no good answer and no one to tell her how the future would play out.
“Olivia, did you hear me?”
She gripped the phone and stared down at her blank paper. The pen lay to the side untouched.
“I’m sorry, what?” she asked.
Since Jax had brought her home last night she’d had a difficult time concentrating. Thankfully, Melanie and Jade had been out on the back porch and didn’t know Jax had driven her home—she’d never hear the end of it if they knew.
Now she was trying to concentrate on work, but she just didn’t have the heart. What was happening to her?
“I said, rumor has it the decision for COO will be made as soon as next week,” her assistant whispered.
Olivia could always count on her assistant to keep her updated on the current rumor mill. Nerves and anticipation spiraled through her. She could practically taste the victory.
“I should be getting an acceptance from the VanKirk Agency today,” Olivia said. “I e-mailed the plans to them, great job working on that, by the way.”
“You did most of the work, I just drew up the actual proposal.”
Olivia picked up the pen and started to draw. “We make a great team. I’m sure they’ll love what we came up with and once I land that account, there’s no way I’ll be denied the promotion. We’ve been trying to get the attention of Patrick VanKirk for years.”
Yes, the victory was going to be so sweet. Considering her opponent thought she was incompetent because she was a woman, that was all the fuel she needed to work her ass off toward this promotion. What did boobs and lack of a penis have to do with her job anyway?
“I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as I hear from them,” Olivia said as she slid her pen over the paper. “They wanted things wrapped up by the weekend, so I should be getting word anytime.”
“When are you coming back?”
Olivia sighed and continued doodling. That was the proverbial million-dollar question, wasn’t it? She truly had no clue. Especially now with this brainstorm of Jade’s, Olivia had no idea what the future held. All she knew was she needed to be in the office for the announcement of her promotion.
“Soon.” There, that sounded like she knew what was going on, right? “Text, e-mail, or call anytime. I still have a few things to get done here and I’ll be back as soon as I can. Believe me, I miss you all.”
Although, over the last couple days she hadn’t thought so much about work. Her mind had been preoccupied with one very sexy, very charming pilot who constantly caught her off guard with his touch. And he did have that whole gentlemanly thing going. Why couldn’t he be rude or ugly? Yeah, ugly would really help.
No, he had those broad shoulders, dark hair, tanned skin, striking eyes. He was the perfect poster boy for small-town hunk. The fact he was a caring single father was so charming and sweet, she wanted to find something that turned her off . . . but she kept drawing a blank.
“Have I lost you again?” her assistant asked.
Olivia closed her eyes and sighed. “Sorry. I’m just overwhelmed at the moment.”
More like daydreaming about a man who was driving her out of her mind and keeping her awake at night. Not to mention the adorable toddler who had pretty much stolen her heart.
“It’s okay,” she replied. “Just don’t get too wrapped up in that town and forget to come back to us.”
Olivia laughed. “That would never happen.”
But as she glanced down to the paper, she stilled. She’d drawn her Cessna. No, not her Cessna. Jax’s Cessna. That was his plane now; she had no ties to it. Well, legally she did, but it wasn’t the plane she wanted.
What did she want, though? Because she thought she knew, but now she wasn’t so sure. She still wanted the coveted promotion; she’d worked too hard to just walk away. But part of her wanted that airport to be everything Jade suggested. Was it even possible to have both?
Olivia disconnected the call and sat her cell on the desk in the formal living room. Jade and Melanie had gone out for a run. They’d begged Olivia to join them, but she knew she had too much work to catch up on this morning. She needed to run, though. It was the only thing that kept her sane and cleared her thoughts. Nothing was as therapeutic as getting fresh air, working up a sweat, and pounding the pavement.
Getting in a good workout with her friends sounded ideal, but she wasn’t so sure she’d be good company.
Olivia leaned back in the creaky old leather chair and stared at the plane. Melanie had said to look for signs, something Olivia didn’t necessarily believe in, but if she did, was this a sign? Was Piper wearing Olivia’s old bibs a sign?
What exactly constituted a sign? Because Olivia would seriously love some help right about now.
Olivia couldn’t help but think about how sweet little sleepy Piper felt in her arms. The way she just relaxed and gave in to the state of exhaustion. Olivia couldn’t recall the
