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“Comes with the territory. Harper would kick my ass if I didn’t look out for the girls. Even still, Liv is like a sister to me.”
Milo pulled up to the Green residence and put the car in park. “Need me to pick you up?”
Shane shook his head. “I’m going to walk.” He had a feeling he’d need the fresh air when he was done speaking with Mr. Green. He didn’t know exactly what to expect, but Mr. Green was the first person willing to speak to him about his dad.
“I’ll be around if you change your mind.”
“Thanks.” Shane got out of the car and watched as Milo nailed another three-point turn and headed back in the direction they came from.
Shane didn’t have time to overthink his walk to the door and whether he’d knock or ring the bell. Olivia flung the door open and floated down the stairs. Her long hair was pulled back, showing off her soft features and highlighting her big brown eyes. She was also five inches shorter, and as she approached Shane, he realized that her true height brought the top of her head only up to his shoulder.
He looked down at her in her sneakers and smiled. “You’re half the woman you were when I saw you last.”
She swatted his chest. “Shush you. My feet needed a break. This is the best I can do.”
“I like it,” he said. “You’re the perfect height for this.” He bent and kissed her forehead.
She blinked up, long lashes fanning around her eyes. “Are you always this sweet?”
“Not always,” he said. She smiled, but he felt the need to reassure her that he wasn’t an asshole. “It’s always genuine, though.”
“Good to know.” She took his hand, her slender fingers sliding between his. “Come on. My dad’s waiting for you.”
Shane tugged her gently, bringing her to a stop. She turned to him, curiosity tugging at the corner of her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Shane should’ve been running up the stairs, eager to get a glimpse into his father’s life, but what if Dad wasn’t the man Mom had made him out to be? What if he wasn’t a good person who lived by the rules of his heart? What if he was an asshole like his grandfather? No. He couldn’t be. Olivia’s father didn’t seem the type to be friends with someone like that.
Shane exhaled, trying to get his racing thoughts to hit the brakes, but they only seemed to kick up speed.
Not knowing about his father’s roots had given Shane the chance to create a picture he could live with. What if Mr. Green painted a different picture? What if Mom lied, and Shane was nothing like him at all?
The only connection Shane ever had to the man who died before he was born were their personalities. If he found out he didn’t take after his dad, then all he’d have left of him was a meaningless name and matching eye colors.
Olivia squeezed his hand and he found the strength to look at her. She’d arranged this meeting for him; he couldn’t walk away now. It was time he got his questions answered. “Your dad’s okay with this, right? I don’t want him to feel obligated to speak with me.”
Her eyes met his. “He wants to.”
He inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. “Lead the way, then.”
Olivia continued up the front steps, and Shane followed her into the house. Inside she dropped his hand, her warmth lingering on his palm.
He took in the interior as he followed Olivia, and it was exactly how he pictured it. Olivia might have dressed in designer clothes and carried herself regally, but he knew, in the short time they’d known each other that wasn’t who she really was. From the worn sofa to the years of scratches on the wood floors beneath them… This house was Olivia. The entire house could probably fit in the foyer of Bayview Estate, but it was quaint and cozy, and with the family pictures on the walls and the extra chairs around the small kitchen table, it was a place full of values and love.
“It’s not Bayview Estate,” Olivia said. “But it’s home.”
He hated the look of disappointment in her eyes. “I would have killed to live in a place like this growing up. A place to call my home. A familiar place filled with memories I’d always be able to return to.”
Olivia’s lips parted, but Mr. Green walked in before she could say anything. He wondered what she would have said, but he’d think about that later. Right now, it was time to find out about his dad.
Mr. Green stepped into the living room, and Olivia motioned between them. “Shane, this is my dad. Dad, this is Shane.”
Shane held his hand out, and Mr. Green took it and yanked him into a hug. Mr. Green held him tight. It was as if by joining together they were erecting a bridge to connect the gap between past and present.
Mr. Green stood back and held Shane’s shoulders. “It’s uncanny,” he said. “You look just like him.”
“That’s what my mom used to say. She only had one picture of him, so I never had much to go off of. Sometimes I wondered if she said it to make me feel better.”
“Not at all. You’re his spitting image. I probably have some pictures packed in some boxes in the attic. I’ll look for them.”
