As You Wish (The Summerhouse 3)

The loneliness, the tears, the fear, all came back to her. Kit could have stopped all that pain, could have prevented the tragedy of what happened. If he’d just spoken to her that night. Was that too much to ask of him?

The children came into her room at 6:00 a.m. They wanted to know which Olivia she was going to be today. Was she going to cry some more and dance with them? Or was she going to dump hot dogs and beans into a bowl, then run off with Kit?

Olivia opened her arms and they snuggled with her. Last year Letty’s son had finally been cast in a role as something other than a heartthrob and he’d received great reviews. And Ace would get his wish to have many children.

“Tell us a story,” Letty said.

“A new one. Like the song yesterday,” Ace said.

“How about if I tell you about taming a dragon? Once upon a time, there was a skinny little boy named Hiccup.”

Olivia felt a little bad at stealing a story, but since it would be forgotten, she figured it was all right. When she saw a foot peeping around the corner, she told Uncle Freddy and Mr. Gates to come in.

It was when she was at the part where Hiccup was making a saddle for his dragon, Toothless, that Kit appeared at the door. He had on a tiny pair of shorts, his long, lean body exposed. Yesterday the sight of him had sent her into an explosion of desire. But today, she frowned at him. He was lounging against the door frame in a way that said he knew everything about her. Knew what she was thinking, what she wanted. And what she absolutely, positively must have was HIM.

Olivia looked away and went back to her story. By the time she got to Hiccup refusing to kill a dragon, Kit was gone. She couldn’t help it, but she breathed a sigh of relief.

She made pancakes for breakfast and she did her best to shape them into dragons.

At about ten, she drove Uncle Freddy’s old car into town to see her father. It was time to begin setting in motion the things that she needed to do.

She went to the Summer Hill Bank, where her father was president. The sight of him was as deeply felt as it had been with her mother. It took her a while to get her emotions under control before she could speak. They talked for over an hour before he had to go back to work. On the way out, she made arrangements to meet with Willie, a teller, and the woman Alan would love so much. As Olivia drove back to Tattwell, she felt good about what she planned to do.

In the past, she’d always been impatient, hurrying onto the next thing, but this time around, she was content to spend her time with the children and the dear old men. She led their exercise class and at the end she gave a dance recital for them—or for her as she wanted to feel what her young body could do.

In the late afternoon, she saw Kit in the vegetable patch, pulling weeds.

He glanced up at her, smiling, but when he saw her turn away, his smile disappeared.

I have to fix this, she thought as she went inside the house. She didn’t feel pregnant but it was possible that she was carrying his child. We’re to get married before the three weeks are up. He’s my destiny. Without him I’ll end up with a man who hates me. My child will...

She couldn’t bear to think of what she knew would happen to her without Kit.

But was that true? Kathy had asked if they had to build their futures on a man. Right now, Olivia had the same question. The first time around she’d let her emotions and her pride get in the way. She hadn’t asked for help from anyone. But what if she did? What if after Kit left she asked her parents to help her? She knew without a doubt that if it came to it, her parents would move to another state. They would allow no shame to come onto their daughter or their grandchild.

She was a twenty-first century woman standing in 1970. If she was expecting—oh, for a drugstore pregnancy test!—she could handle it. She used to think she had no help, but it had been there all along. Her parents, Uncle Freddy and Mr. Gates, Dr. Everett. They were all there and ready.

As she prepared an early dinner—chicken with apricots, a recipe that Letty’s son’s wife had taught her—she began to feel better. When she’d been presented with the idea of going back in time, all she could think of was getting together with Kit. But now that she was here she saw that she had choices. What a fabulous word, she thought. Choices! There wasn’t just one man available and, even more important, the twenty-first-century woman had learned that a man wasn’t necessary to a woman’s happiness.

She was singing a Lady Gaga song and dancing around the kitchen when Kit came in. He had showered and put on a full set of clothes. Since they were alone, he slipped his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck.

Olivia twisted out of his grip. “Someone might come in.”

“Would that be so bad? Kissing is something engaged couples do.” He gave a pointed look at her empty finger.

“Housework,” was her explanation for why she wasn’t wearing the ring.

“Is dinner early because you’re going out tonight? And might I ask where?”

She had no intention of telling him the truth. “I’m going on a date. With Willie.”

“Ah,” Kit said as he picked up a carrot stick and crunched it. “Isn’t she the girl who works at your dad’s bank?”

Olivia didn’t answer him, but was annoyed that he knew.

“She called and said she was looking forward to going to the sale tonight and she asked me what she should wear. I told her high heels and tight jeans. She certainly does have a good giggle. And, oh yes, she really needs a new toaster.”

When Olivia didn’t comment, he sat down at the table and watched while she put bowls of food out. “So when do we leave for our date?”