He urged her to swallow the painkiller and watched as she obeyed. "Fine. Get in the shower. I'll call and tell them you're on your way." He took the glass. "Then I'll drive you to your car."
It wouldn't go over very well to have Brandon act as her secretary when she'd blown such an important appointment. They'd assume she was purposely causing problems, that it was a vindictive attempt to strike back at Noelle. But it would postpone the confrontation until she felt more equipped to handle it. And letting them believe she was having an affair was better than the pathetic truth that she wasn't handling Kyle and Noelle's union quite as nonchalantly as she'd planned.
Regardless of anything else, she deserved one small rebellion, didn't she?
"Thanks." She handed him her phone. "They're right there on my list of favorites."
"Towels are on the rack to the left of the sink," he said. "You'll see them."
Despite the pressure she was feeling to hurry, she could only move gingerly. She made her way to the door before turning back. "Did Kyle come to the bar last night?"
He met her eyes. "He did."
"I thought maybe I dreamed that part."
"No."
They stared at each other for a few seconds. Olivia didn't understand why, but she couldn't look away.
"You could steal him back if you want," he said at length. "You know that, right?"
He was serious. He was telling her that if Kyle was the man she really wanted to be with, she could fight for him and would probably win.
But it wasn't so simple. There were other people involved. Not to mention the baby.
"I wouldn't want to hurt the people that would hurt," she said.
"Despite what Noelle has done to you?"
She sighed. "Yes."
"Then you must not want him enough."
"I don't," she said. "Not anymore." That didn't mean what she was going through didn't hurt. The disappointment, the disillusionment, the sense of betrayal and the blow to her self-esteem were very real and ever-present, especially when she was in Whiskey Creek. But she couldn't get back with Kyle knowing he had a child with her sister. How would they interact with that child? How would they interact with her family?
At least, for the first time since falling in love with Kyle, she was feeling desire for another man. The excitement that brought told her life after Kyle was possible; she just had to be careful or she'd land herself in an even worse situation.
"I'm glad to hear it," he said.
Suddenly she became very conscious of the fact that she was wearing nothing but her panties and shirt. She was better covered than if she were wearing a bathing suit. But what had almost happened last night, what she'd wanted to have happen, made her feel very exposed.
The way his gaze traveled over her body, as intimate as a caress, made her breasts tingle. She struggled to find her voice. "Did I really try to rip off my clothes when you put me to bed?"
He grinned, which was answer enough.
"Thought so." She'd actually brought it up so she could apologize. "I'm sorry. From what you said on the phone, I assumed that … that you might welcome a bed partner."
"You think I was rejecting you?"
She felt her eyebrows slide up. "Weren't you? I slept alone last night."
"Next time ask me when I have the option of saying yes."
Chapter 8
Olivia had left her luggage at Brandon's house. Since she didn't have a better place to stay, it'd seemed silly to lug it in so she could get ready, then lug it back out. He would have done the carrying for her, of course. He was a gentleman that way. But since her family already knew she was with him, there was no reason to leave his cabin on their account. He'd invited her to use his guest room for as long as she wanted, and she figured she might as well take him up on it.
That meant she'd be going back....
"Olivia, what do you think?"
She blinked before focusing on her mother, who was wearing a flowery dress and had her hair sectioned off in rollers with a scarf tied over the lot, making her look very 1960s housewife. "About what?"
"The bows that go on the chairs!" The impatience in Nancy's voice suggested she'd already asked once. "Noelle doesn't think they match the table runners. Are you sure these are the shade we ordered?"
Removing the sunglasses she'd been using to hide her bloodshot eyes, Olivia tried to focus. She'd expected these meetings to be difficult. But she was so preoccupied with Brandon, she was finding them more of a nuisance than a challenge.
"They're a shade off," she admitted. "I borrowed these from River City to save money, remember? That's what you wanted me to do."
"But will they look bad?" Nancy refastened a roller that was threatening to fall. Olivia had tried to convince her that a round brush and a blow drier would give her the curl she wanted, but she insisted her hair looked best when she "put it up" for a day-and she was going all out for the wedding.
"I think they'll be fine," Olivia assured her. "They won't be right up against each other. See?" She held the two fabrics a few inches apart. "You won't notice they're not exact, especially with all the shades of pink and peach in the flower arrangements."
"I don't know...." Noelle shot her an accusing glower. "I thought they'd match better than that."
She said this as if it was Olivia's fault they didn't, although it had been Noelle's choice. She'd wanted to save money on the chair covers so she could get a pair of very expensive heels that wouldn't even show beneath her dress.
Noelle wanted this to be the wedding of the century, which was so unrealistic. But it wasn't only the color of the chair bows that was bothering her. She'd been hostile all morning. Olivia could feel the animosity; she just wasn't sure of the cause. Was it the difficulty of pulling off an event like this? Or was it that Noelle knew Kyle had called her last night? That he'd come to the bar to get her?
Maybe she'd been the cause of a fight....
Or was Noelle upset that she was hanging out with Brandon?
The suspicion that her sister was once again jealous of the man in her life-even though she and Brandon weren't as romantically involved as Noelle thought-made Olivia nervous. After everything Noelle had done to get Kyle, including, possibly, a purposeful pregnancy, she had no business even noticing Brandon.
"Regardless, it's too late to change now," Olivia said. Normally she would've gone to greater pains to reassure the bride, but she meant that statement in more ways than one. Noelle had made her decision. And in the process, she'd hurt and embarrassed Olivia, cost their parents a great deal of money by demanding such an expensive wedding, made a public fool of Kyle and humiliated herself.
Now she was carrying Kyle's baby.
It was time for her to quit being so selfish.
"We could do without the bows," her mother suggested, obviously trying to placate Noelle.
"Is that what you want?" Olivia turned to her sister, making it clear by her tone that she didn't care either way.
Noelle pressed her fingers to her eyes. "Ugh! This is turning into a nightmare! Some wedding planner you are. I thought having a wedding was supposed to be fun."
"I think it helps to be in love," Olivia murmured. Fortunately Nancy didn't hear. Abby was showing her where they'd set up the table for all the candy.
"I am in love!" Noelle insisted.
"With Kyle or Brandon?" Olivia asked.
Noelle's lips thinned and her eyes grew so cold they gave Olivia chills. "You're trying to ruin my wedding!"
Seriously? Was that all she was concerned about? There was so much more at stake!
"I'm afraid you're going to ruin Kyle's life," she responded, realizing, for the first time, that what she'd suffered might turn out to be paltry by comparison.
* * *
"How'd it go today?" Brandon asked as he let her in.
Olivia was so tired she could scarcely move. This week had been emotionally draining. Add to that her late night at the bar, and a day spent in her sister's company, and she was ready to crawl into bed. She hadn't even taken the time to have lunch. She'd been running too late, so she'd gone all day without a meal. But they had to be at the rehearsal dinner in an hour. She'd eat then.
"It was weird," she told him.
He went into the kitchen as she dropped onto his couch.
"It's always weird when your sister is marrying the man you love," he said.
Love? Or loved? She couldn't decide anymore.