Chapter 292
Two hours later, Patricia finally finished unpacking every last box and sorting everything into neat piles.
She eased herself onto the couch, rubbing her lower back. Oliver noticed and came over, his hands warm and steady as he began to massage her shoulders.
“Want to take a bath?”
“Yeah,” Patricia said, getting to her feet. “I’ll go run the water.”
As the sound of water filled the apartment, Oliver stood in the living room, looking around at all the new clutter. It wasn’t just the space filling up–his heart felt less empty too. Everywhere he looked, there were signs of Patricia, little pieces of her life mixing with his own. The more she settled in, the more at home he felt.
In the bathroom, Patricia stood in front of the mirror, taking off her makeup. She leaned on the sink, gently rubbing circles on her cheeks with her fingertips.
Downstairs, Sara lounged on the couch, a mug in one hand and her phone in the other.
“Barbecue tonight?” she asked.
Colton jumped up, instantly interested. “I’m in.”
Roger drove them down the hill, watching the road, but he couldn’t help asking, “Didn’t Aunt Patricia hate shopping? What made you all go on a spree today?”
Sara sighed. “It’s a long story.”
Colton grinned. “Give us the short version.”
Sara thought for a second, then explained everything–how Patricia had to change her habits just to keep up with Oliver’s moods.
By the time she finished, Roger was frowning. “So Uncle Oliver gets weird and Aunt Patricia has to rearrange her life for him. That’s just messed up.”
Sara hugged her arms around herself. “Marriage is scary.”
Especially if you end up with someone who’s got a possessive streak.
Colton’s lips twisted as he remembered meeting Patricia for the first time. Uncle Oliver had people look into her as soon as she’d shown up at Cloud Peak. Back then, Colton thought it was because he cared. Now he realized it was something else–something more controlling.
“It looks like Aunt Patricia’s always running around and Uncle Oliver’s just waiting for her, but really, she’s the one trying to fit into his life,” Roger said. “If that’s what marriage is, no thanks.”
Love’s supposed to be about two people moving toward each other, not one person doing all the adjusting.
Sara nodded. “Exactly.”
Colton muttered, “Uncle Oliver seriously needs help.”
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Chapter 292
Roger agreed. “For real.”
Whether Oliver actually had issues or not, Patricia didn’t know. All she knew was that she felt terrible.
After spending the evening crouched and standing, her knees were throbbing and sweat dotted her
skin.
She sat up in the bathtub and took a deep breath, trying to push through the pain. Slowly, she tried to stand. She tested her weight on her left foot, but as soon as her toes touched the floor, her knee
buckled and she crashed down to the tiles.
A sharp, searing pain shot through her leg and she cried out.
“It hurts!”
Oliver had just walked out of his study when he heard Patricia’s scream. He froze, heart pounding.
“Pattie?”
She clung to the edge of the tub, biting back tears. “Just a second.”
Outside the door, Oliver sounded panicked. “Did you fall?”
“Yeah.”
Her voice was so faint that it made his chest tighten. He immediately called for Johns to bring the spare key.
When Patricia heard them at the door, she quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it tight around herself.
Thank God, Oliver understood.
He didn’t let anyone else come in–not even Marian, who waited in the living room, not allowed to set foot in the bedroom.
Oliver scooped Patricia up and carried her to the bed, then dashed into the closet for a nightgown and slipped it over her head.
Finally he let himself look at her knee, worry written all over his face. “Did you hurt it?”
Patricia nodded, her voice shaky. “It really hurts. I need a doctor.”
Oliver didn’t waste a second. He told Johns to call for one right away.
Chapter 293
Chapter 293
