“Is that so?”

“It is. You’ll be begging for seconds.”

I laughed. “You’ll have to make it for me one day, then.”

“I look forward to that. So, what can I do in the meantime to help?”

“Uh, nothing.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, Oliver. I’m not letting you near any of the food I’m preparing for today. It’s too important for me that everything be perfect.”

“It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just a few close friends.”

“And your parents,” I added.

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re trying to impress my parents?”

“Maybe.”

“Why?”

“Uh, I don’t know . . . maybe because they’re your parents?”

He gave me a sly grin, and the amount he’d been smiling over the past few days made me want to wrap my arms around him and hold him close. Maybe that was what was different. He was smiling.

“You’re smiling more,” I commented, allowing my thoughts to leave my head.

“Am I?”

“You are.”

“I must be in good company.”

Oh, Oliver. Don’t make me blush.

“Why are you single?” he asked, throwing me completely off.

I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Sorry. I’ve just been wondering. You’re a good woman. I mean, not that being single means you’re not a good woman. What I mean is, do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Date.”

Oh.

“Well, after Reese, I had a hard time even getting dressed in the morning. Then, as she grew older, I was always working two jobs at least. Time wasn’t really on my hands to be dating. Plus, growing up, I never really saw decent relationships. So it hasn’t been at the forefront of my mind.”

“So you have no interest in it?”

“In dating? If it were the right person, I guess.”

“What makes a person the right person?”

I was surprised at all the questions he was shooting my way. Each day it seemed as if Oliver’s words flowed easier when he was around me. As if he were getting out of his own way with his thoughts.

“Oh, I don’t know, someone who’s caring. And romantic. And kind. Loves kids, obviously. Someone who listens. Someone like . . .” You . . . “Someone like that. Someone who makes me feel like home.”

“I see.” His brows lowered. “Someone who makes you feel safe.”

“Exactly. Who makes me feel like I belong.”

“You do that to me,” he confessed. “Make me feel like I belong. No one has done that since my brother.”

His brother.

He’d finally brought up Alex around me.

Before I could ask him anything about it, a voice burst into the kitchen, breaking into our conversation.

“Oliver, we need to talk before the get-together tonight!” Tyler said, barging into the room. “My wife said I’m not allowed to bring up work stuff today, so I came over early to get work stuff out of the way!” He paused the minute he noticed our proximity to one another. “Uh, am I interrupting something?”

“Mama, I dropped my doughnut and ruined my shirt!” Reese exclaimed as she shot into the room just as quickly as Tyler had. “Can I have another doughnut?”

“How about we get you cleaned up first,” I said, taking her hand into mine. I looked back at Oliver, who was looking my way. A sad smile crossed his face as he turned to go talk to Tyler, leaving our conversation unfinished at the most important part.

19

OLIVER

“Do we have to do this today?” I asked as we sat in my office with the door shut.

“We most definitely have to do this today. I’ve been working with the PR team for the past few days trying to figure out how we dig ourselves out of this mess with Cam. And the best thing that we could come up with was you doing a live sit-down interview with one of the biggest stations. You know everyone will want to talk to you. You haven’t done an interview since . . .” His words faded. Since Alex passed away. Tyler shifted in his chair. “Anyway, we need to put you out there. We need to show your face to be put out there. Otherwise, it paints you in a terrible light.”

“I don’t do interviews,” I said. I hated interviews. I bombed most of the interviews I’d ever done. The only reason they seemed semidecent was because Alex had made them great. For all my flaws, he showcased his talents.

“You have to, man. These type of allegations against you can ruin your career, and even more so, your life. You can’t let someone like Cam ruin your life. You deserve to tell your side. The truth.”

“Even if I told the truth, would they believe me?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “But if you say nothing, they’ll definitely believe her. Just think about it for a minute, all right? I know it’s the holiday, and I won’t bring it up again, but this is a big fucking deal, Oliver. We have to handle it sooner rather than later. Especially if you’re thinking of dropping new music.”