Last night, Ava had assured her she was making progress breaking through that indifferent exterior of his. Olivia wasn’t convinced. In fact, she was afraid her attempts at showing him genuine compassion hadn’t even made a dent.

Fighting off a sleep-deprived hangover from their late night, Olivia sat out on the grass in Aunt Becky’s backyard and fed the pointer spoonfuls of kibble out of her hand. The damp grass soaked into the old jogging shorts she’d slept in, helping her resist the temptation to lie back and close her eyes. The only way she’d make it through this day was with copious amounts of coffee.

It had been after midnight by the time she’d gotten home to her aunt’s, and another hour or so after that before she’d gotten the dog settled and crawled into bed. Since Olivia was mobile again and could get to work on her own, Ava had gone home—newly adopted cat in tow—to her house in Kirkwood. If Wes was there, which she’d figured he would be, Ava intended to kick him to the couch for the night. Fair was fair. He was the one initiating the divorce. He could wake up with a crick in his neck for a few nights while they figured out the next steps.

And while Olivia had only been sharing a bed again with her sister for four nights, the tiny guest room she’d been sleeping in since January had seemed just a bit lonely for the first time. Her sister had left their grandparents’ home so many years ago, Olivia had forgotten how all-encompassing her larger-than-life presence was.

Dinner at her grandparents’ had taken just as long and been just as draining as Olivia would’ve guessed. The best parts had been the breaks to get the dog out of his crate and let him explore the farm. He’d been fine with the other dogs, though his real interest had been in the birds he’d spotted hopping along the ground before it got dark.

“It just seems like you’re rubbing it in Trevor’s face,” her mom had said when they were alone in the kitchen spooning ice cream into sundae bowls. “Coming home unannounced—engaging in romantic escapades that turn into the talk of the town.”

The hair on the back of Olivia’s neck had prickled. Her parents had said they understood Olivia’s reasons for calling off the wedding, but Olivia suspected that if they’d had their wish, she’d have gone through with it. “I didn’t plan a romantic escapade. Just like I didn’t plan for my car to break down or to need a ride from a really amazing guy. It just sort of happened.”

“You could’ve called us.”