Return to You

asked Mae not to say anything to
Olivia.
    "Didn't tell me what?"
    "I'm going to be staying for the duration of
the filming." He could have smiled at the sour look that wrinkled
her face. She used to get that same look when Lily tried to feed
her something she didn't like. "In fact, Mae kindly agreed to allow
me to stay here at the farmhouse."
    " What ?" Olivia jumped out of her chair
so quickly she knocked it over.
    He ignored its clatter, focused on her
unwavering gaze. "Become hard of hearing?"
    "What part of 'I never want to see you
again' didn't you understand?" She propped her fists on her hips.
"Or have you forgotten? Because I'd be happy to refresh your
memory."
    "I remember every word you said to me, but
isn't it time you grew up?"
    "Open your eyes, Parker." She held her arms
out. "You missed it. I grew up."
    Yes, you
did , he thought sadly. And he'd missed it.
"Your behavior would suggest otherwise."
    "I wondered when we were going to get to the
part where you voice your disapproval of me." She looked down at
her bare wrist. "You held out for a whole two minutes.
Impressive."
    "Sarcasm doesn't suit you."
    "How the hell would you
know what suits me?" she yelled. "You don't know me. You dumped me
on Gran after mom died and didn't come back to see me until I
was fifteen . Even
then it wasn't me you were interested in."
    "Remember who you're talking to, Olivia
Parker."
    "Who am I talking to? The guy who donated
sperm to create me? Because you sure aren't my father."
    He'd expected this. He'd been ready for it,
but her words pierced just as sharply as they had eleven years
ago.
    She put her hands flat on the table and
leaned down to get eye to eye with him. "Stay here if you want.
Just stay the hell away from me. And keep your monkey boy away from
me too."
    She strode out.
    His gaze lingered on the archway.
    "That was a gutsy thing you did." Mae walked
in and headed for the sink. "Gutsy or stupid."
    "It was neither. It was necessary." He
needed to make sure all Olivia's anger was directed at him and not
Mae for agreeing to let him stay at their house. He didn't want to
interfere in their relationship. Olivia was bound to need her
before this was all settled.
    "It was heroic." Mae's eyes were shrewd.
"Don't think I don't know what you did."
    He chose to ignore that. "You did a good job
with her."
    "She did it herself. You have your work cut
out for you, you know."
    "Nothing that's worthwhile is easily
obtained."
    Chuckling, Mae pulled out lettuce and some
other vegetables from the refrigerator. "Then this is obviously
priceless."
    "I'm surprised you agreed to let me stay here with
you," he said as he watched her put together a salad. "I'd have
thought you'd tell me to get away from Olivia too."
    She kept her head bent over the salad bowl.
"I want great-grandchildren."
    "That's hardly contingent on me or
Michael."
    "It's time to put the past to rest. Olivia
says she's moved on but she hasn't. She can't. Not until you two
settle things." She reached for a knife. "Besides, that girl's
still in love with Michael."
    "I would have thought you'd be against me
getting them back together."
    "You're trying to set a wrong right. Nothing
bad about that. You going to tell her why you left her here after
Lily died?" Mae asked, setting the salad on the table and looking
into his eyes.
    Stifling the urge to squirm under her
knowing gaze, he said, "I don't know what you mean."
    "Yes, you do."
    He leaned back in his chair with deceptive
calm. "Why don't you elucidate?"
    "That it broke your heart to look at her
after Lily died in that accident, because Olivia's her spitting
image."
    He kept his expression blank. "I didn't have
time to raise a five year old child."
    Mae harrumphed. "You couldn't stand looking
into eyes that were just like Lily's and remembering what you
lost."
    Forcing his jaw to relax, he asked, "Is that
really what you think?"
    "It's what I know." She patted her chest.
"Deep down in here. I remember how you loved Lily. I watched you
after she died. I should've done something about that." Walking
over to the cabinet, she pulled out dinner plates. "Go wash up for
dinner."
    It wasn't often he was dismissed. He stood
up, frowning. He should have brought a bottle of scotch with him.
He'd have Elaine get him one in the morning.
    As he turned to leave, Mae's voice stopped
him. "The man you were is still inside you, Everett. He's buried,
but alive. He deserves happiness too."
    Parker looked over his shoulder, catching
Mae