Olive’s face practically caught fire. “Mom, am I on speaker? And Dad—you’re so not helping!”
After her parents had finished embarrassing her, Olive hung up the call. She headed over to the mall pretzel stand and deliberated.
Maybe she couldn’t win Levon back. She had to accept that as a possible outcome. Maybe, despite her parents’ cheerleading, she had already fatally messed it all up on that front.
But at least now she knew what bedding she wanted for the baby.
It took all of Levon’s courage, as a father and an ex-SEAL, to knock on Olive’s door that same evening.
As the seconds passed, he wondered if she would answer. He could tell by her car, and the lights on in the upstairs windows, that she was home. The raid was done. He’d texted Olive himself to tell her the danger had passed, so there was no reason for her to worry anymore, but still. Just because she was there didn’t mean she’d answer the door. Especially when she saw it was him.
When the door finally did open to reveal Olive, wearing baggy denim overalls and covered from head to toe in splattered paint, Levon nearly dropped the gift-wrapped box he was holding. “Olive, what...?”
“It’s okay. It’s safe.” She smiled. “I triple-checked the brand, and it won’t be a problem as long as I keep the room ventilated while working.”
“Uh, okay.” He had no idea what she was talking about. He squinted again, but still couldn’t make out the color of the paint covering her. It was too dark in the twilight realm of her porch, and she was backlit by the lights indoors. “Well, I trust you of all people to have done your research.”
He wanted to kick himself. He wanted to turn around and walk out of her life before she could throw him out of it.
“Want to see the nursery?” To his surprise, Olive stepped aside to invite him in. Levon wondered for a moment if he imagined that shy, flickering glance up at him before she looked away again. Levon nodded gratefully, and followed her inside.
She led him down the hall to a room with dark and tranquil blue walls. Yep, that was the color on Olive’s skin and hair. He’d never realized the color could be so beautiful and... cozy.
“I decided to match it to the nightlight you made,” Olive explained.
“The nightlight we made,” he corrected reflexively. She ducked her head and nodded, but couldn’t hide the shy, happy smile. It transformed her from gorgeous to breathtaking, and the urgency inside Levon couldn’t be denied any longer. “Olive, we need to talk.”
“We’re already talking,” she pointed out.
“Right.” Levon gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head. Shit. He was blowing it already and he’d just gotten here. The adrenaline ricocheting through his system only tangled his thoughts more, and he needed a few extra seconds-to-minutes to mull over his words. He had practiced his apology in the car coming over here, but all of his anticipated excuses seemed to vanish as soon as he was in her presence. Back when they’d been lab partners, Olive had always told him direct and plain was the best course, so he went for it, blurting out, “I love you.”
She didn’t respond. Just stood there blinking at him, looking as poleaxed as he felt.
Dammit. That didn’t go well. And the fact she obviously hadn’t expected him to say it made him feel even worse. Had he bungled their relationship so much she’d not known how he felt about her? Sure, he’d never said the actual words until today, but he’d thought he’d shown her—by being there for her, protecting her. When he couldn’t take her silence any longer, he resorted to babbling, exactly what they trained SEALs not to do in a hostage situation. You’re supposed to keep your mouth shut and wait it out. Except today, there was no way he could keep his feeling in any longer. “I’m sorry you’ve had to be so patient with me. I always thought book-based intelligence wasn’t my thing... now I’m starting to suspect emotional intelligence isn’t in my wheelhouse, either.”
Olive snorted and shook her head, her smile turning rueful. “You and I have always struggled with this, haven’t we? It’s always kept us apart. Our insecurities, I mean.” She shook her head. “Levon, you’re not the only one who struggles with... us. I don’t think I’ve gotten through a single day since you’ve been back without doubting myself, and wondering if you found me attractive, and if so, why—”
“Not attractive?” This was too much. Before he could rethink his actions, Levon set his gift on the bassinet and crossed to her, pulling Olive into his arms, as close as possible with the baby between them. “I wish you could see how beautiful you are to me,” he murmured into her hair. “Every time I look at you, I feel like I’m looking at a miracle. It’s been that way since high school.”
“I feel the same way about you, Levon,” she said, hugging him back just as fiercely. “I mean, you know I love you too, right?”
He did now. Levon drew back and grinned. “Was hoping you’d say that.”
After a sweet, slow kiss, he pulled back and grabbed the gift he’d brought, handing it to Olive and watching with delight as she tore it open. “Oh, Levon! Thank you!”
It was the mobile she’d bought, the fancy one with all the planets and galaxies and stuff on it. He’d spent the whole night last night putting it together for her.
“I knew it was your favorite thing and couldn’t imagine the baby’s room without it.” He indicated the bedding lining the crib: a dark blue sprinkled with reflective stars and swirls of silver.
“True.” Olive thrust the mobile at him excitedly. “Here. Help me put it up. The ladder’s in the hall closet. Grab it, will you?”
“Sure thing.” He did as she asked, then returned to set it up. Once he was done, he stepped down off the ladder to admire his handiwork. “There. Nursery complete.”
“Oh. Wait,” Olive said, holding up a finger as she backed out of the room. “There’s one more thing.”
Moments later she returned to plug something into the electrical socket in the wall, then stepped back to reveal the nightlight they’d made together a few weeks prior. His heart swelled at the memory and at all the possibilities of new memories to come. Olive sm
iled up at him as he gathered her into his arms once more. The room sprang to life around them: dark, dreamy, and full of promise. Levon watched the stars scatter across the walls, and watched the planets spin, as he held Heaven in his arms.