Chapter 174

Olivia

The sun was setting, casting a golden hue over my garden. The light shimmered off the dewdrops on the grass, making it look like a field of glistening diamonds.

We had moved the party outside, with a makeshift dance floor where Angela was showing off her latest salsa moves, and a corner where the little ones were chasing each other with their tiny, squealing laughter filling the air.

The aroma of the barbecued food filled the evening, and soft music played in the background. I watched as Clint tried to outdo Levi in a ridiculous dance-off, and for a moment, it felt perfect.

Sinking down onto the swing that sat overlooking the backyard, I found myself watching Nathan from afar. His laughter was infectious as he grilled, bantering with Levi and Angela. The lightness in his demeanor made my heart flutter; to see him so happy and carefree after those months of strife made me feel at ease.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice Clint taking a seat beside me until he cleared his throat.

“Hey there,” he began, casting a glance over at Nathan. “Quite the party, isn’t it?”

I blinked, slightly started. “Oh, Clint. Yes… It’s wonderful. I’m really happy.”

Clint smiled slightly, the lines in his face deepening. “But you’re thinking deeply, too, aren’t you?”

I raised my eyebrows. “How can you tell.”

“I could always tell,” Clint said. “When you were a little one, you always had a thoughtful look about you. Although, I must say it made you a poor liar. Your facial expressions always gave it away.”

Clint’s words made me chuckle. “So I’ve been told,” I said. “What about now? Am I still such an open book?”

“I’d say so,” Clint replied, reaching out to pat my hand. “I can tell that you’re holding yourself back with Nathan. Why?”

I hesitated for a moment, my fingers playing with the fabric of my dress. For a few moments, I chewed my lower lip, wondering how much I wanted to give away. “I think… part of me wouldn’t mind if Nathan stayed here. With me. For the foreseeable future. But…” I trailed off, the weight of my apprehensions settling on my shoulders.

“But what?” Clint urged gently.

“I’m afraid,” I admitted. “Afraid of what the future holds, of getting too attached, of ending up alone again.”

Clint looked out into the distance, his eyes taking on a weary look. “You know, I had someone special once. My wife, Carla.”

I turned to face him, my interest piqued. “I didn’t know you were married.”

Clint chuckled softly. “It was many years ago. I was scared, just like you. So scared, in fact, that I waited to ask her out on our first date for three whole years. Can you believe that?”

I blinked in surprise. “Three years?”

He nodded. “Every time I saw her getting close to another man or entering into a new relationship during that time, it broke my heart. But my fear always held me back.”

Clint took a deep breath, the weight of the memories evident on his face. “Finally, I mustered the courage to ask her out. And the rest, as they say, was history. We had the most wonderful 15 years of marriage until…”

He hesitated, swallowing hard. “Until she was taken from me.”

I felt a lump in my throat. “I’m so sorry, Clint.”

Clint said nothing, but gave me a gentle smile. “The point is, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t regret not asking her out sooner. I could have had a whole extra three years with her, but I was too afraid. And now, she’s gone.”

As Clint spoke, my gaze drifted back to Nathan. He was gesturing wildly at Levi now and shouting animatedly, but they were both grinning. They were arguing over who could have the bigger burger on the grill.

“Do you think I’ll regret it if I drag my feet with him?”

Clint studied me for a moment. “Only you can answer that. But let me ask you this: when you look at him, do you see a future?”

Before I could respond, a sudden movement inside me drew my attention. I placed a hand on my belly, feeling the baby kick. My face lit up. Clint, watching the exchange, gave me a tender look.

“Seems like someone else has an opinion on the matter,” he remarked with a grin.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you, Clint,” I said quietly, reaching out to squeeze his weathered old hand—a hand which had changed so much since I last saw him, but still held all of its familiar warmth. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Clint smiled, and opened his mouth to respond. But before he could say anything, the harmony of the evening was shattered.

A car roared up my driveway, its engine loud and intrusive. The music faded into the background as heads turned, and conversations hushed. Out of the car stepped…

“Ryan?”

I stood abruptly, cradling my belly with both hands as though protecting the little life inside.

Clint reached for me. “Be careful, Olivia—”

But I wasn’t listening. I waddled as fast as I could down the slope toward the party, where Ryan had already made his entrance.

“Ryan!” I called out. “What are you doing here?!”

There was no answer. By the time I made it to the party, Ryan was already storming past me and up to Nathan, his hands balled up into fists at his sides. Without any warning or word, he pushed Nathan, nearly knocking him over.

“Really, asshole?” Ryan spat out, his voice dripping with venom. “First, you steal my kid, and now you’ve moved in and are throwing baby showers like you’re the father?”

Nathan straightened up, his jaw clenched, his blue-green eyes now cold. “You chose to leave, Ryan. You made it abundantly clear that you didn’t give a damn about the baby.”

Around us, whispers grew, and the tension was palpable. I saw some guests discreetly move the kids away, while others just stood, frozen by the escalating scene before them.

Levi moved to place himself between me and Ryan, and behind me, I felt Clint’s hand on my shoulder. From the side, Angela stood frozen, her eyes wide.

A dangerous growl rumbled in Ryan’s throat, his body tensing up. Nathan mirrored him, his own growl joining the cacophony. The energy between them shifted, the air growing thick and electric.

It was clear to anyone who understood the supernatural that both were on the brink of shifting into their wolf forms.

Fists flew. People gasped and screamed.

“No!” I shouted, moving swiftly to stand between them. “Both of you, stop this! This is my home, my party! How dare you ruin this special day over your stupid male hormones!”

My voice trembled, a mix of anger and tears. I could feel the weight of their gaze on me, both men momentarily pausing in their animosity.

Ryan’s face contorted in a mixture of pain and anger. “This was supposed to be our special time, Olivia! Not his!” He pointed accusingly at Nathan.

“You left!” My voice broke, tears spilling over. “You made that choice, Ryan!”

With one last glare at Nathan, and then at me, Ryan turned on his heel, stalking back to his car. The engine roared to life, and he sped away, leaving behind a cloud of dust and a broken atmosphere.

Nathan, still breathing heavily, wiped a little blood from his split lip, his eyes not meeting mine. The deep growl hadn’t left his voice. “He had no right…”

I reached out to him, trying to soothe the anger that was palpably emanating from him. But before I could touch him, Nathan jerked away and, without a word, stormed off in the direction of the beach.