“No. I won’t do it.” Josh ground his teeth.
Olivia stood up with her hands on her hips. “Then you can consider our engagement-to-be-engaged officially off. If you won’t even try when there’s a perfectly good alternative, I’m not going to try either.”
“You can’t do that—the kids are coming today.”
“I’ll still come and spend time with them after work this week, just like I promised. But I’m not getting married in January. So lucky you—now you don’t have to explain our engagement, because there isn’t one.”
“But I’ll lose the kids for sure.” He struggled to control his rising panic. “You can’t do this.”
“I certainly can. If you can be too stubborn to even approach Charlie about this, then I can be stubborn enough to flat-out turn you down.” She marched away with stiff shoulders.
“Olivia!”
She disappeared around the corner, without a single glance in his direction. Josh sank into his chair. Olivia was his last hope, and now she’d turned him down. He would lose the kids for sure. He’d felt certain she’d agree to the marriage if he could only convince her there was no other option. But that seemed to be impossible. She’d made up her mind Charlie would accept his proposition without any basis in fact. It was hopeless.
Unless... An idea formed in his head. What if Olivia sees for herself Charlie and I are like oil and water. Surely she won’t be able to deny how impossible a relationship would be between Charlie and me when she watches how we clash every time we’re together. And then she’ll agree to marry me. Maybe during the ski trip...
CHARLIE COULD FEEL the tension in the room. Spencer was extremely solicitous with Olivia, asking her multiple times if she liked her meal or if she needed a refill on her drink. She regarded her brother with an inscrutable expression, responding politely with monosyllabic words. Their parents were oblivious to the tautness of the atmosphere, chatting mostly about the latest pictures Grace and Brad had posted online. Hannah had obviously given Claire a report of the previous night’s events, because both were barely stifling their giggles as they watched Spencer squirming.
Charlie whispered to her sister, “Has Spencer figured out what he’s going to say to Olivia?”
“I don’t know. He’s pretty nervous.”
“I hope his little slip-up doesn’t spoil things between Josh and Olivia. I could tell at dinner he’s really smitten with her. Couldn’t you?”
“Yeah. When he said, ‘We’re still in this together, aren’t we?’ It broke my heart.”
“Me, too. And she really blew him off. Of course, I can’t really judge, can I? I did the same thing to him.”
“Yes, but he was a different guy back then. I bet if you had known he was really going to change, you two would be together now.”
“Don’t say that! I don’t even want to think about the possibility when Josh is in love with Olivia. Let’s just concentrate on getting them together—whatever it takes.”
It seemed the usually fun-filled Sunday night dinner stretched painfully long. Her nerves were on edge by the time Connie and Joe Marshall finished their desserts and retired to watch television, leaving the kids with cleanup duty.
As soon as the coast was clear, Spencer cornered Olivia, his face contrite. “Olivia, I’m sorry. I really am. I must have misunderstood what Josh told me. But honestly, I was only speaking up because I love you, and I was worried about you.”
She pulled up one corner of her mouth and regarded him with her arms crossed. “My dear brother.” The sarcasm dripped from her tongue. “There are several problems with your argument. First, you believed I could be pregnant. And not only that, but you also believed Josh could be the father. And you said something about it in public!”
“I didn’t believe it, at least not at first. But he kept talking about doing the right thing and being a father. And he was trying to rush the wedding and all...”
“I see.” She tapped her foot on the floor in a steady rhythm.
“It would help if you explained it,” Spencer said.
“Perhaps, but I’m not ready to. Let’s discuss how you accused me of being pregnant, not privately, but publicly, in a restaurant, in front of people we’d only just met.”
“I’d rather not discuss it.”
“I bet you wouldn’t! Let’s just say I’m prepared to forgive you, but you should be prepared to serve a long penance. I’m still pondering all the ways I’m going to let you make it up to me.”
“I’m prepared to write your thank-you notes for you after the wedding. Surely that would make up for it.”
“There’s not going to be a wedding.” Olivia made the declaration with the same nonchalance she displayed when announcing dinner.
“But why not?” asked Charlie, as she strained to control her shaky voice. “Josh didn’t tell Spencer you were pregnant. It’s not his fault this happened.”
“Oh, I know that. But he’s not in love with me.” Charlie squirmed under Olivia’s meaningful regard.