"Ms. Pope!"
Olivia finished wiping the whiteboard and turned to see the little girl barreling towards her. Her mother trailed behind her.
"Hi, Natalia." Olivia knelt and hugged the blonde-haired girl. "What are you still doing here?"
"Mama wants to talk to you."
"Hi, Olivia." Natalia's mother smiled and leaned against the corner of Olivia's desk.
"Hi, Lacey. How are you?"
"Good."
She watched as Natalia wandered to her desk and opened the lid before rummaging through it.
"So, what's up?"
Olivia tripped over the leg of her desk and fell into her chair.
"You okay?"
"Fine." She rubbed her knee where she had banged it against the seat of her chair.
"I'm just clumsy."
"You really are," Lacey laughed.
"I've never seen anyone as uncoordinated as you. You must be one giant walking bruise."
Olivia grinned. "You should see the one I have on my side right now."
Lacey patted her arm. "Would you like to join us this weekend for a barbecue? Peter's got grilling fever."
"I'd love to. Thanks for the invite. That's really nice of you."
Lacey shrugged. "I figured it would be a good way for you to meet some more people. This is a small town, but it can be hard to meet other single people."
Olivia gave her a wary look. "Are you trying to set me up with someone?"
Lacey laughed. "No, I swear I'm not. But I thought you might like to meet other people who can go out on a Friday night at a moment's notice."
Olivia eyed her suspiciously.
She had moved to town two months ago and started her new job as the first grade teacher at Ferndale Elementary. Natalia was one of her students, and Olivia and Lacey had quickly hit it off at the parent/teacher meet and greet. She was thankful for Lacey's friendship. She moved to the town of Ferndale after leaving the city she called home for more than fifteen years. After her mother died, she'd grown restless and tired of both the city and her teaching position at one of the private schools. She applied for the job in Ferndale on a whim and was shocked when she was offered the position. The following three months had been a whirlwind of selling her mother's home, sorting through her possessions, and saying goodbye to her friends, coworkers and students. Spurred by the urge for a clean start, she sold most of her mother's furniture and put the majority of her personal items into storage before moving to Ferndale.
"I promise I'm not," Lacey repeated.
She sat on the corner of the desk and examined her brightly-painted fingernails. "How's the house hunt going?"
Olivia loaded her laptop into the pink computer bag.
"Not great. I'm getting really tired of living out of that motel. Although," she brightened, "I'm looking at a townhouse on Denver Street next week. It looked promising on the internet ad."
Lacey winced. "Yeah, don't bother."
"What? Why not?"
"Denver Street is in an awful part of town, Olivia. Just trust me – you don't want to live there. Not unless you like having drug deals going down outside your front door."
Olivia sighed. "This is ridiculous. Who knew it would be so difficult to find a place to live here? Maybe I'm just too picky."
Lacey hesitated. "I might know of a place."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It's a little bit outside of town but as long as you don't mind a longer drive to work…"
"I don't care," Olivia said eagerly. "Tell me about it."
"Actually, it's my parents' farm. After they died my brother took it over. He works from home and he raises sheep as a hobby."
Olivia frowned. "I didn't know you had a brother."
She had gone for coffee and been to Lacey and Peter's place half a dozen times, and Lacey had never mentioned a brother.
"He, uh, he keeps to himself. Anyway, there's the main farmhouse and there's also a small carriage house behind it. Peter and I lived in it for a while after we first got married. It's small but cozy. I'm sure my brother would rent it to you. At least until you find the perfect place to buy."
"Lacey, I can't thank you enough." Olivia hugged the small blonde woman impulsively. "I am so sick of living out of a motel."
Lacey returned her hug. "You're welcome. Why don't we meet there tomorrow night around seven? I'll text you the address."
Olivia stepped out of her car and glanced around curiously. There was a large blue truck parked in the driveway, but no sign of Lacey's car. She leaned against her car for a moment, and then walked towards the large white farmhouse. She would introduce herself to Lacey's brother while she waited for Lacey.
She knocked on the front door of the farmhouse, it was desperately in need of painting, and waited patiently. After a few moments she knocked again. When there was still no answer, she stepped off the porch and walked around the side of the house, gasping in delight. The backyard was a gorgeous jungle of flowers. It was early spring but already there were a large amount of bright blooms of flowers nodding in the slight breeze. She could only imagine how beautiful it would be in the summer. She could see the carriage house at the back of the yard, and she followed the small footpath of stones, stopping to smell a fragrant bright yellow hyacinth bush. She climbed the small porch, tripping on the stairs but catching herself before she could fall, and peered into one of the front windows. She cupped her hands around her face to cut the glare of the setting sun.
She knocked on the door and, when there was no answer, tried the handle. It turned easily under her hand and she stepped into the cool and slightly musty smelling house. She was standing in the kitchen, and she squinted in the gloom and tried the light switch. Nothing happened, and she shrugged and moved deeper into the house. It could use a good cleaning, but she was immediately charmed by the small house.
She walked down the hallway, peeking through the first doorway to see the small living room. Furniture, covered in dusty white sheets, filled the room and she continued down the hall. A door on the left opened to reveal a small bathroom. She grinned delightedly at the old-fashioned bath tub and ran her hand over the pedestal sink before returning to the hallway. There was a door at the end and she opened it, expecting to see a small bedroom. It was a bedroom, but it was much larger than she'd anticipated. There was a gas fireplace on the far wall with a small sitting area and a double bed, hidden under a large sheet, was pushed up against the wall next to it. It would be so nice to lay in the bed on a cold night and read with the fireplace going.
Already half in love with the place she moved toward the large window, intending to pull back the dark curtains so she could see the room more clearly. As she reached for the curtains, a low growling started behind her. She turned and stared at the dog standing in the doorway. It was an Australian shepherd type dog, she imagined Lacey's brother probably used it to help herd the sheep, and she stared steadily at it. She wasn't afraid of dogs, not even ones that were growling at her, and she simply said, "Good dog," in a calm and confident voice.
The dog stopped growling and cocked his head at her. "Come here." She made a kissing noise and patted her leg.
The dog slunk into the room, its tail between its legs and its nose sniffing the air delicately. She made another kissing noise and waited patiently as the dog drew closer.
It sniffed at her pant leg and she said, "good dog" but made no move to pet it.
It sniffed at her hand and when its tail began to wag a little, she patted the side of its neck. "Such a good doggie."
The dog chuffed and nudged her with its cold nose. She smiled and sunk her fingers into the deep fur on his neck and scratched.
"Does that feel good? Huh?" She scratched the top of the dog's back near its rump. The dog pressed its upper body against her legs. Its whole back end was wagging now and she laughed.
"Does that feel good? What's your name? Do you have a collar?"
She searched around the thick fur of its neck and found its collar. Before she could find a name tag, a rough voice spoke from the doorway.
"Who the hell are you?"
She jumped and the dog gave a short bark and skittered away. Her heart thumping in her chest, she squinted at the shadowy figure standing in the doorway.
"Hi, my name's Olivia. I'm a friend of Lacey's. You must be her brother."
She started forward, her hand held out, and the man took another step back.
"Don't come any closer. Why are you here?" He snapped.
The dog weaved anxiously around his legs, whining a little and staring up at him. He rested his hand briefly on the dog's head and it sat beside him, tail thumping against the floor. Olivia stopped and stared nervously at the man. She was starting to get a bad feeling in her stomach, and she glanced uneasily around the room. He was blocking her way out, and she could feel tingles of alarm racing down her spine.
"Are you – are you not Lacey's brother?"
"I am. Answer my question – why are you here?"
She took a deep breath. "I'm meeting Lacey here. She said I might be able to rent the carriage house from you? I'm new in town. I um, I teach at the elementary school. Natalia's one of my students."
She was babbling, her nerves getting the best of her, and she suddenly turned and grabbed the curtains. "Do you mind if I open the curtains? It's kind of dark in here."
"No! Wait -"
She ignored him and drew back the curtains, blinking as the light from the setting sun flooded into the room. "There, that's better."
She turned around and her breath caught in her throat. The man had moved across the bedroom with a silent, spooky speed until he was standing directly behind her.
"Did you come to see the freak? Is that it?"
He grabbed her arm and pushed her until her back was pressed against the cold glass of the window. "Take a good look then, sweetheart."
For the first time, she noticed the terrible burns that were on the left side of his face. They started at his temple and swept down his face and neck to disappear inside the collar of his shirt. His cerulean eyes glittered angrily at her as she stared at the scars on his face.
"Satisfied? Get a good enough look? Are you -"
"Fitz!"
The man turned and Olivia breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Lacey standing in the doorway of the bedroom. Natalia was with her and she hugged the dog before running toward them.
"Hi, Uncle Fitz!" She jumped at him and he caught her, picking her up and settling her in the crook of his arm.
"Hi, Nat. What are you doing here?"
"We're showing Ms. Pope the house. Mama says she's going to live here."
Fitz glanced back at Olivia before staring at Lacey. "Did she now? Lacey, can I speak with you in private please?"
Lacey shook her head. "Nope."
She walked by her brother and her daughter, glaring fiercely at Fitz over Natalia's head before smiling at Olivia. She linked her arm around Olivia's and squeezed.
"Olivia, this is my brother Fitzgerald Grant. Fitz, this is Natalia's teacher and my friend, Olivia Pope."
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Grant."
Olivia held out her hand. Fitz grunted in reply and took her hand. An unexpected shiver ran through her at his touch and he immediately pulled his hand away, turning away so that the burned side of his face was hidden from her view.
"Call him Fitz," Lacey said airily. "So, what do you think of the place, Olivia?"
"It's very nice," Olivia replied. She cleared her throat nervously. "If it's available, I'll take it."
"Actually," Fitz had set Natalia down and was scowling at Lacey, "it's not for rent. I don't -"
"Be quiet, Fitz," Lacey said.
"It is for rent and Olivia, we'd be happy to have you stay here."
"Lacey -"
Lacey sighed and touched Natalia's head. "Honey, why don't you show Ms. Pope the barn while I speak with your Uncle Fitz. I bet she'd like to see it."
"Okay." Natalia held her hand out. "Come on, Ms. Pope. The barn kind of smells, but there are new kittens in it."
Olivia took her hand, giving Lacey an uncertain look. "Lacey, maybe -"
"Go on, Olivia. I'll be right out." Lacey smiled at her and Olivia allowed Natalia to lead her from the room. The moment they were gone, Lacey turned and smacked her brother hard on his right arm.
"What the hell, Fitz? You're being so rude!"
"I'm being rude? I find some chick wandering around my house, and I'm being the rude one? And what the hell are you doing? You're renting it out without even asking me?"
"One – it's not your house, it's our house. Two – Olivia is my friend and she needs a place to stay for a while. I've offered her the carriage house."
"You should have asked me first. I don't want her here."
"I don't care." Lacey glared at him. "It'll do you some good to have another person around here. It's not good for you to spend so much time alone. Do you think Mom and Dad would want you to be living alone in the dark? You hardly leave the farm anymore, Fitz. It's not healthy."
"I don't need you telling me what to do. I'm perfectly happy being out here by myself. I don't need a bunch of people looking at me and whispering behind my back. Nor do I need some woman living in my backyard and staring at me all day. Did you ever think that I live out here by myself because I'm tired of people staring at me? Tired of seeing the goddamn pity in their eyes?"
"Olivia isn't like that. She's not going to stare at you every time you walk by. Besides, you'll undoubtedly keep your distance from her just like you do everyone else."
"I don't keep my distance from you or Peter or Nat," he protested.
"Don't you? When was the last time you came to the house, Fitz? Any time we want to see you, we have to come here."
"Lacey, you don't get it. You don't have to -"
She put her hand up. "I'm not having this discussion with you. I get that you think you're a freak, and I get that you hate when people stare at you and, honey, I'm sorry. I really am. But I'm not going to baby you anymore. I've tried it for too long and it hasn't done anything but help you wallow in your own self-pity. You need to start living your life. I know it's hard, but I'm not going to indulge you any more. You need to rejoin the living, Fitz."
Fitz stared in surprise at her. "Lacey, I can't -"
"You can and you will." She gave him a hard hug. "I love you and I won't sit back and watch you wither away like this. Enough is enough. Olivia is moving into the carriage house this weekend. She needs a place to stay, and she's a sweet girl. You won't even know she's here."
Fitz grunted and Lacey squeezed his hand. "Also, we're having a barbecue this weekend and you're coming. I mean it, Fitz."
Olivia armed the sweat off her forehead and collapsed in the armchair. She was hot and sweaty and her back hurt, but she was pleased with what she had accomplished. It was Saturday afternoon. She'd moved her meager belongings into the carriage house this morning, and spent the rest of the day cleaning the kitchen and removing the dust protectors from all of the furniture. It was hot and dirty work, despite the breeze that was blowing through the open windows, and she gave her armpits a quick sniff. She would definitely need to have a shower before she went to the barbecue tonight. She stood up and eyed the large couch. It would look much better if she moved it to the other side of the room, she decided. She would move it and then have a quick shower. She grabbed the arm of the couch and, with a loud grunt, pulled it across the room. It was even heavier than it looked, and she paused for a moment to catch her breath.
There was a soft woof behind her. The dog was back and this time it had brought a friend. The second dog was another Australian shepherd that was smaller in size, and grey and white instead of brown. The larger dog woofed again at her.
"Hi, doggie. Who's your friend? And how did you get in here?"
It woofed again, and approached her slowly. It sniffed her jean-covered thigh, and she petted the side of its neck. The second dog approached, already wagging its tail, and she gave it a quick pat as well.
"Since you're here, why don't you two help a girl out and push on the other end of the couch."
The dog chuffed and she patted its head and grabbed the arm of the couch again. With another loud grunt, she pulled on the couch. It moved, but she was beginning to doubt her ability to move it completely across the room.
"Jesus Christ," she muttered. "What the hell are the cushions stuffed with? Rocks?"
"What are you doing?"
She shrieked in surprise at Fitz's deep voice. She staggered back, tripped over her own feet and fell. The back of her head hit the old, wooden floor with a hard thud and she cried out.
"Shit! Are you okay?"
The right side of Fitz's face appeared above her, and she groaned and rubbed the back of her head.
"Just fine." She held her hand out. "Can you help me up?"
He hesitated and then took her hand. He yanked hard and Olivia, not expecting it, tripped over her feet again as she staggered upward and slammed into his hard body. He yelped in surprise and stumbled back, still holding her hand. The arm of the couch hit the back of his knees and he fell backward, dragging Olivia with him. They landed on the couch in a tangle of limbs, curses and dust. There was a deafening crack and Olivia gave a short shriek as the bottom of the couch dropped out from under them.
The dogs were barking loudly and Fitz shouted angrily, "Vincent! Delilah! Enough!"
They quieted immediately and Olivia, coughing from the dust, took stock of the situation. The seat supports of the couch had snapped under their combined weight and they were wedged in the bottom of the couch. Her lower body was caught between the couch and Fitz's hard hip, and her upper half was sprawled across his upper chest. She tried to push away from him and felt a sliver of panic when she couldn't budge. There was a snuffling in her hair and she craned her neck. The larger dog stared down at her before licking her cheek.
"Vincent, leave," Fitz growled. The dog woofed softly and retreated.
Olivia gave Fitz a worried look. "I've broken your couch. I'm so sorry - I'll replace it."
The sound of Olivia's voice drew Vincent over again. As Olivia turned to look at the dog, Fitz studied her closely.
She giggled as Vincent licked her forehead. "Good boy, Vincent. Go get help. Tell them Timmy fell down the well."
She laughed again and the corners of Fitz's mouth twitched. She was beautiful, he decided. With her captivating doe eyes, caramel skin, full lips and a slim body accentuated with soft curves. That body was currently lying snugly on his, and his groin was embarrassingly aware of it. He dropped his gaze to where her breasts were pushed against his chest. She was wearing a t-shirt with a scoop neckline, and he could see just a hint of her cleavage. It was enough to make the blood rush to his dick, and he thanked God that her lower half was wedged beside him and not on top of him.
"Mr. Grant?"
He realized he was still staring at her chest and lifted his gaze in a hurry. She was studying him, and he automatically turned his face so the left side was pressed against the cushion under his head. A small frown line appeared in the smooth patch of flesh between her eyes. He was struck with the ridiculous urge to touch it with his fingers, to try and smooth it away. He cleared his throat. Her eyes were still on his face, but they weren't looking at the ruined landscape of the left side, nor did he see any pity in them.
"Mr. Grant?" She said again, a tinge of worry in her voice. "Are you hurt?"
"No, and call me Fitz."
"I'm so sorry about your couch. I'm a real klutz and I -"
"It's fine. It was an old couch."
"Are you sure?"
She bit at her bottom lip, and he almost groaned out loud. He had a full-blown erection now, and he was ashamed of his lack of self-control. He had to get away from her before she looked down and saw the tell-tale bulge in his jeans. His dick had a mind of its own.
Can you blame it? You haven't had a woman touch you in years. Hell, you've never even –
He silenced his inner voice bitterly as she shifted, her breasts rubbing against his chest. "Um, I think we're really trapped in here."
"I just need to move to my side. Hold on," he grunted.
He twisted under her, worming his way on to his side, and she gave a small squeak as her head banged against the side of the couch. They were face-to-face now, both of them lying on their sides. Without thinking about it, he leaned forward, pressing against her and touching the back of her head.
"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"Yup. Stuff like this happens to me all the time. I'm a walking accident."
She moved her body experimentally. It made her pelvis rub against his, and he could see the exact moment she realized he had an erection. Color flooded her cheeks, and her pink lips pursed in surprise. He groaned in embarrassment and pushed his way out of the couch. She hit her head again as he scrambled free, and he winced and took her arm, helping her out of the ruined remains of the couch. She dusted off her shirt, staring at the floor. He turned away and looked at the two dogs.
"I'm sorry," he rasped.
"It's fine."
She cleared her throat. His damn dick had finally decided to cooperate and he turned back around, making sure to keep just the right side of his face in profile. He made himself look at her. She was staring at the couch.
"Gosh, I really am sorry about your couch. I shouldn't have tried to move it."
"It's not your fault. If I hadn't scared you when I came in, none of this would have happened."
She cocked her head at him. "Why are you here anyway?"
"I came to see if the power was back on. I called and asked them to turn it on yesterday."
"Oh. You know, I haven't even checked. Hit the light switch."
He flicked the switch by the door and she smiled when the light came on.
"Thanks for calling them."
"Yeah." He hesitated and then said, "The front door was wide open. I know we're out in the country, but you should keep the door shut. There are coyotes and bears."
She frowned. "I'm sure I shut the door. Maybe it didn't latch properly."
Fitz eyed Vincent suspiciously. "I'm sure you did shut it." He gave the dog a hard look. "Vincent..."
The dog ducked behind the couch and Olivia gave Fitz a confused look. "I don't understand."
"Vincent knows how to open doors. If the door is unlocked, he can open the handle with his mouth."
"That's amazing!" Olivia actually clapped with delight as Vincent crowded up behind her. "You're the smartest doggie ever. Yes, you are, oh yes you are."
She crouched down and petted the dog.
Not to be ignored, Delilah nosed her way in. "Oh, you're a clever girl too, honey. Yes, you are." Olivia kissed the top of Delilah's head as Vincent chuffed and head butted her. She fell over with another loud thump, her elbow banging off the wooden floor. Fitz winced as she popped back up to her feet, dusting her ass off with her hands.
"Woops!" She rubbed vigorously at her elbow.
"Are you okay?"
"Yep." She glanced at her watch. "I should start getting ready for the barbecue though. Did you want to drive in together?"
"I'm not going to the barbecue."
Olivia blinked at him. "Oh, I thought you were. Lacey said that you were going."
"She was wrong."
He made a clicking noise with his tongue and the two dogs followed him out of the living room.
Olivia blew out her breath when she heard the front door shut. The back of her head was aching and her elbow was stinging, but she barely noticed. The butterflies in her stomach – now those she noticed. She was no delicate flower. She knew exactly what that hardness was against her hip when Fitz pressed against her. She started toward the bathroom, yanking her t-shirt over her head and tossing it through the open door of her bedroom. She knew she wasn't a raving beauty. She guessed that her eyes were her prettiest feature, but she was also blind as a bat. Without her contacts or glasses, she couldn't see five feet in front of herself. She had dated steadily through college but afterward there hadn't seemed to be enough time. She was starting a new career, her mother was sick, and dating fell to the side.
Hell, she hadn't been laid in nearly four years. That, she decided, was the reason she had felt an answering call of desire in her stomach when Fitz's erection pressed against her. Not that he wasn't handsome, she mused as she kicked off her jeans and left them in the hallway. His eyes were gorgeous and he had thick curly dark hair and what felt like an amazingly hard body. He would have to have muscles from lifting hay bales and stuff. Did sheep eat hay? She had no idea.
She closed her eyes and pictured Fitz's face. The right side was perfect – high cheekbone and a strong chiseled jaw. The left side – she winced a little. She hadn't seen very much of it, Fitz did a remarkably good job of keeping it hidden, but she had seen enough. She wasn't horrified by it like he probably thought she was. At her old school, a student's father had been burned in a house fire. His burns covered nearly all of his face, most of his hair was gone and his right ear was completely burned off. His son was one of her "problem" students and consequently she had spent a great deal of time with both his mom and dad.
After a while she hadn't really noticed the scarring. The dad was friendly and funny with a good sense of humor about his scars. Olivia had been a little envious of the obvious love between him and his wife. She wondered how far Fitz's scarring went down. She'd only met him twice, but both times he was wearing a long-sleeve shirt buttoned to his neck. She shook her head. It didn't matter. Fitz was obviously a borderline recluse with serious emotional issues. It was best to leave him be.
She glanced at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and sighed. Her face was streaked with dirt, she had dark circles under her eyes. Why the hell Fitz had even gotten a stiffy after looking at her, she'd never know. Maybe he was attracted to the smell of sweat. She quickly stripped off her bra and panties and started the shower. Despite being tired and dirty and smacking her head a record three times today, she was happy to be in such a perfect little house.
"So tell me, Olivia. Are you enjoying living in our small town? It must be a big difference from the city." Tim smiled at her.
Olivia took a sip of beer. The barbecue was in full swing, and it hadn't taken long for the handsome blonde man to start chatting her up.
"I love it actually. Ferndale is a great little town. Have you lived here all your life?"
"I have," Tim said. "I thought about moving away when I was in my early twenties, but my girlfriend at the time convinced me not to."
He took his own sip of beer. "Ironically, two months after we broke up she left Ferndale."
"I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "It was a long time ago. Speaking of girlfriends - would you like to have dinner with me this week?"
Olivia choked on her sip of beer. "Oh, I, um -"
Tim grinned at her. "Too forward?"
She laughed. "No. I was just surprised."
"I like to keep people on their toes. What do you say, Olivia? I promise I'll be charming and attentive, and pay for dinner."
"Then I say yes."
"Great. Give me your cell number and I'll text you on Monday."
Tim grinned at her and took another drink of beer.
"Did you have fun tonight, Olivia?" Lacey smoothed plastic wrap over the leftover potato salad.
"I did. Thank you for inviting me." Olivia added another plate to the dishwasher.
"I saw you talking with Tim."
Olivia grinned. "He asked me out on a date."
"He did? That's great." Lacey put the potato salad in the fridge and leaned against the counter. "Did you say yes?"
"I did." Olivia added more glasses to the top rack. "He seems like a nice guy."
"I don't know him well. He's a friend of one of Peter's co-workers, but he's super cute."
"He is, isn't he? I don't normally go for blondes, but he was very charming."
"Good. How did unpacking today go?"
"Oh fine. I broke the couch."
Lacey frowned. "You broke the couch?"
Olivia laughed. "Yep. Well, technically your brother and I broke the couch, but I started it."
"Okay, explain yourself."
"I was trying to move the couch, and your brother's super smart dog broke into my house and brought his girlfriend with him. Then your brother stopped by and scared the crap out of me. I tripped, he helped me up, I tripped again and we both fell on the couch and basically crushed it."
Lacey laughed. "It was an old couch."
"That's what Fitz said, but I think he was just trying to be nice."
Lacey snorted. "Trust me, my brother is never nice just for the sake of being nice."
Olivia shrugged. "He seems nice enough to me. A bit rough around the edges, but I think that has more to do with him cutting himself off from everyone."
"Yeah," Lacey sighed. "Don't be mad, but part of my reason for offering the carriage house to you was so that my brother might have some human contact."
"I'm not mad." Olivia patted her arm. "Although I'm not sure it'll work. I don't know him very well, but your brother seems pretty intent on keeping everyone away."
"He wasn't always like that. He was such a sweet, sociable kid. He always wanted to be around others, wanted to help them however he could. He's great with animals. He was going to be a vet, and he would have been a damn good one."
"Can I ask what happened to him?" Olivia said.
Lacey took a deep breath. "When he was fifteen, he and some of his friends went for a drive. His best friend Tony had just gotten his driver's license and so they, along with two other boys, took Tony's mom's car and went driving. They were hit by a drunk driver. The car caught on fire. Two of the boys died in the fire. Tony and Fitz were rescued, but both of them were terribly burned. Tony died two days later without ever waking up. Fitz nearly died but he – he's so strong you know? Always has been. He recovered, but he was left with horrible scarring."
"Is it all over his body?" Olivia asked.
Lacey shook her head. "No. It was just his upper body that was burned and mostly just the left side. It goes a little further onto the right side on his back, but they pulled him out of the car and put him out before it could go further down his body."
"Oh my goodness." Olivia couldn't imagine how much pain and suffering Fitz would have gone through as he healed.
Her face pale and her hands trembling, Lacey sat down at the table.
"The doctor said he was actually quite lucky. His face was burned of course, but it missed his eye and his ear. He could have been blinded or gone deaf. His chest and back got the worst of it, although for a while there they thought they might have to amputate his left arm."
Olivia sat down at the table and took Lacey's cold hands in her own. "I'm sorry, Lacey."
"Yeah, me too. I wish you could have known him before this happened. I really do. Anyway, his body healed, but emotionally he just shut down. People talked and stared. It's a such small town and he couldn't get away from it. He gave up on being a vet and took some courses online to become a website developer. He's successful at it, but he does all of his work from home."
Lacey picked at one nail. "After Mom and Dad died, he became more and more withdrawn. Natalia drew him out of his shell for a bit, but even she wasn't enough to bring him completely out of it. Now he just spends all of his time at the farm, only goes into town when necessary, and I get more and more worried about him by the day. I've tried everything – sympathy, bullying, anger, tears – but nothing gets through to him. I had actually hoped he would come to the barbecue tonight, but I should have known better then to get my hopes up."
Olivia squeezed her hand as Lacey wiped away the tears that were dripping down her face.
"Anyway, I'm kind of hoping that with another human being out there, maybe he'll start to come out of his shell a bit."
Olivia smiled. "I'll do what I can."
"Thanks, Olivia. I appreciate that," Lacey replied. "Now, tell me where you're going with Tim on your date."