Page 18 of Caden
He wondered if she really was curious or if she was asking something else, something she wasn’t ready to tell him.
A while later when food was coming off the grill, he fetched the two of them plates and Miles and his new girlfriend Courtney joined them at the table.
“Where’s Drew?” Caden asked as they chatted while eating.
“He had a birthday party with some of his friends. We gave him the option of coming, but he decided it would be more fun to spend time with kids his own age rather than his dad’s friends,” Miles said with a half shrug.
“How’s he coming around to the idea of you being around more?” Caden asked.
The boy was Miles’, but Miles had only recently discovered him. He and Courtney had been together years before while Miles was still on the rodeo circuit. He’d left town before Courtney had found out about her pregnancy and she’d never told him, not wanting to take him away from the career he loved.
Now they’d found each other again and were stumbling through getting to know each other again and working on making up for the years they’d lost.
Was that even possible? Caden didn’t know but he didn’t want to have to try either.
“How long have you two been seeing each other?” Courtney asked.
“That depends, do you want the truth or what my family believes?” Olivia asked with a grin.
“Um, both?” Courtney asked, chatting excitedly with Olivia.
Miles caught Caden’s eye and lifted a single brow, as if asking what the hell was going on here?
Caden grinned. He wasn’t going to tell him, to see if his brother had the nerve to ask.
“Let’s start with what your family thinks, then move on to the truth,” Miles said, narrowing his eyes at Olivia.
“They think we’ve been dating several weeks. Somewhere between two or three months. I’ve been vague, but they’re pushy sometimes.”
“And how long really?” Miles lifted one brow again.
Olivia turned to look at Caden. “What’s it been forty-four hours? Forty-five?”
“About that yeah.” Caden almost laughed out loud at the shocked look that crossed Miles’ face.
He saw so many questions cross his mind, then flee again unasked.
“Your family thought you were dating Caden for almost two months before you actually did?” Miles seemed dumbfounded.
“Well, not Caden exactly. They just thought I was dating someone. I never told them who. That’s because I wasn’t seeing anyone, not as seriously as they thought. When I took him to my sister’s wedding yesterday, we led them to believe he is the mysterious guy I’d been telling them I was seeing.”
Miles only looked more confused. Caden hadn’t seen anything as amusing in quite some time. His friend looked back and forth between Caden and Olivia several times, then finally seemed to decide what he wanted to say.
“So are you actually dating or just screwing with her family?”
“Dating. I originally told them I was seeing someone new after my sisters were bugging me about going to the wedding alone. I was just lucky that when I talked someone into going with me that we hit it off.” She reached over and wove her fingers with his, then left both hands resting on his leg.
“But you let your family believe he’s the guy you’d been telling them you were seeing?”
“Sure… Not only will it drive them crazy wondering where I’ve been hiding him, but who takes someone they’ve only just met to a wedding?” She shrugged. “Serves them right for trying to tell me how to live my life.”
“Do they do that often?” Miles seemed intrigued.
“Try to run my life? Every chance they get. And they all do it, well, all but my dad, he doesn’t do it. But Mom and all five of my siblings do over one thing or another.”
“Five siblings?” Miles blinked, eyes wide with horror.
“Yep, there are six of us. My oldest sister is more than ten years older than I am. And you would think she was my mom from the way she bosses me around.” Olivia shook her head. “Either way, it’s none of their business who I date and how long I’ve been seeing them. All they should care about is that I’m happy.”