10. Dawson

Dawson leaned back in Beau's office chair and watched through the large window as Asa and Jacob sanded the paint off the Porsche 911. Jacob was running the sander, and his dad pointed to spots he missed every once in a while.

It was incredibly boring–much like the rest of the longest week of his life.

Adjusting his now-healed leg on the desk, Dawson looked over his shoulder at Beau who was clicking away at a desktop computer on the other side of the small room. "Is David coming for the painting?"

"He'll be here next week," Beau said without taking his attention from the spreadsheet on the screen.

"Jacob is gonna love that."

Lyric's dad loved restoring classic cars as much as Jacob, and the two had bonded over the Porsche Dawson had picked up a few months ago.

Typically, half the fun was in the fix-up, but sitting on the sidelines wasn't so bad when he got to see Jacob enjoying it so much.

It wasn't much fun being commanded to sit and do nothing per the doctor's orders. Dawson let out a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Will you stop being so loud?" Beau grumbled. "I'm trying to focus, and numbers are hard without distractions."

"I'm so bored. I can't sit anymore."

"When do you get to go back to work?" Beau asked.

"I've been doing light duty all week, but paperwork gets stale in a hurry."

Beau turned around, finally giving up on the spreadsheet. "What about the goats?"

"I think they're actually tired of me. I stayed at the barn all afternoon yesterday. I filmed twenty Instagram reels."

"I can't believe people actually watch your goat videos," Beau said as he stood and checked on the sanding going on in the garage.

"Oh, people love them. Those little guys are hilarious."

Beau kept his attention focused out the window. "Sometimes, I think I should give up the garage and just make stupid videos for the internet."

Dawson let out a big laugh. "You would suck at social media. There's a reason I manage your Blackwater Auto platforms."

Beau widened his stance. "I need some help."

Dawson threw his hands in the air. "Hello. You have a helper who is willing to do anything to get out of this chair. Put me in, coach. I'm ready to play."

"I need a full-time employee. I have to quit working seventy-hour weeks and paying the other guys so much overtime."

Dawson pointed out the window into the garage. "That's your man, right there."

Beau scoffed. "I'd hire Jacob in a heartbeat if it was legal. He still has at least four years."

"Had any prospects?" Dawson asked.

Beau was a hard worker, but that strength turned into a weakness when he worked himself into the ground on a regular basis.

"Not really. It's hard to find people who want to work these days."

Dawson jerked his thumb toward the garage where Jacob was sweating through his T-shirt. "I still think that guy is your best bet."

"He does more work playing around in the evenings than some of the guys on the payroll," Beau admitted.

"Want me to spread the word you're looking for someone?" Dawson asked.

Beau glared at Dawson. "I'll pass on the criminals, thanks."

"I know a lot of people, not just the ones who get arrested."

Beau rubbed his brow and sighed. "Yeah, that would be great. Let me know if you hear anything."

Dawson stood and gave Beau a stiff salute. "Sir, yes, sir."

Beau jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Get out of here so I can finish what I was doing."

"I'm leaving, but not because you told me to. I have to pick Levi up in half an hour."

"Oh, yeah. You two have fun grooming goats or whatever it is you do with them."

"We intend to. We'll also be chicken chasing. I'll call you tomorrow with a full update."

"Please don't," Beau said as he sat back down at the computer.

Dawson headed out of the office and stuck his head into the garage to wave at Asa and Jacob. He slipped into the truck and fired off a text to Olivia.

Dawson: Headed to pick up Levi. Be there soon.

He shifted into reverse, and his phone dinged almost immediately.

Chicken Tender: ok

Dawson frowned at the screen. Olivia's messages always held some hint of excitement. She'd been giddy about having Levi over to the farm for weeks.

He scanned back through their messages. No other two-letter responses.

He tossed the phone into the passenger seat and tried hard to forget about the short text. Maybe she was busy or just didn't have anything else to say.

If he hadn't been texting with her on a regular basis for the last fifteen years, he wouldn't think twice about an "ok" response. Olivia just wasn't an "ok" kinda gal.

He'd thoroughly overanalyzed the text by the time he pulled up at Blackwater Ranch. The rolling hills stretched for miles, and horses grazed in the pasture near the far-off barn.

Aaron said Levi would be at the main house with his grandparents. Silas and Anita Harding were like parents to half the town. Mama Harding had even been Dawson's Sunday School teacher when he was young. He still met up with Silas every week for breakfast with the round table at Deano's. The man had more wisdom than he knew what to do with.

The door of the main house swung open before Dawson parked. Levi stuck his feet in his boots and waved a hand in the air as he barreled toward the truck.

Anita just waved from the doorway with baby Annie on her hip.

Dawson opened the door to go say hello to Mama Harding, but Levi circled his arm toward the truck. "Let's go! Let's go!"

Mama Harding just shook her head and laughed. "Have fun!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Dawson replied.

Levi hopped into the backseat and bounced. "Where's Miss Olivia?"

"Meeting us there. Buckle up, small fry."

"I'm not a small fry. I'm a…big fry. Or a whole potato," Levi corrected.

Dawson made a show of assessing the kid. Had Levi grown five inches since the last time Dawson saw him? He did look a whole lot bigger. He was starting to look ten instead of eight. "Okay, you can be a potato. As long as I can be a squash."

Levi laughed. "Why would you want to be a squash?"

Dawson shrugged as he pulled out onto the dirt path leading to the main road. "I don't know. I like squash, and they don't get enough representation. What's wrong with squash?"

"Nothing, I guess." Levi stared out the window and rubbed his chin like he was deep in thought. "I haven't thought about squash enough."

"Now's a good time. You want squash for dinner? I bet Olivia would make us some."

"Yeah. That sounds really good, but can I see the goats first?"

"Dude, you spend your days with horses and cattle. Why are you so interested in goats now?"

"That's just it. I don't get to see them a lot, and they're little enough that I can wrap my arms all the way around their necks." Levi acted like he was squeezing the life out of a baby goat's neck, and Dawson winced.

"Easy there. Don't strangle my goats."

Levi chuckled. "I won't. I'm good with Annie. Mom says so."

"I bet you are. She's gonna need a strong big brother to make sure nobody messes with her when she gets older."

Levi scrunched his nose. "Yeah, but right now she just drools a lot. And she cries sometimes."

"I remember when you were little," Dawson said.

"Really?" Levi's eyes widened in excitement.

"Yeah. I wanted to hold you through the church service once. You chewed on the shoulder of my shirt until you fell asleep in your own drool."

"Gross!" Levi exclaimed through a laugh. "Tell me more."

The short drive over to the Lawrence Farm gave Dawson time to tell the story of Levi's first trip to the pumpkin patch. Dawson still had a copy of the photo he took of the Hardings next to a hay bale. Everyone had a smile on their face, except Levi, who was arms and legs flailing in Aaron's arms with his mouth wide open mid-scream.

They parked next to Olivia's car, and Levi jumped out of the truck before it came to a complete stop.

"Good grief, kid," Dawson mumbled as he pulled his goat boots out of the back seat. He made his way around the house to the farm behind it. No sign of Levi or Olivia.

When Dawson got closer to Cluckingham Palace, he heard Levi talking a mile a minute.

"What else do they eat?"

Olivia's response was slow. "Um… Worms. They like bugs. And…"

Dawson stepped into the watering hole area and caught sight of Olivia. Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck, and her brows and nose were scrunched up.

Something was wrong. The simple text he'd worried over was a cry for help.

"Hey, Liv. You okay?" he asked as he stepped up beside her, resting a hand on her back.

"Mmhm," she hummed. "Just not feeling great. Why don't you take Levi to see the goats, and I'll catch up with you in a few minutes?"

Dawson scanned her for any sign of what was going on but found nothing visibly wrong. When she looked up at him, he did his best to silently ask if she needed help.

"I'm really okay," she said. "I just need a minute."

Taking that as the best answer he'd get, he waved Levi over. "Come on, tater. We've got goats to see."

Levi frolicked with the goats, hugging them, petting them, chatting them up like old friends. The kid definitely had a way with animals. He had a herd following him around within the hour. Dawson had sent Aaron and Jade twenty photos and six videos before Levi asked to milk the goats.

Dawson was operating on autopilot as he explained how to manually milk a goat. Then Levi wanted to see what the milking machine could do. Going through the mechanics did little to keep Dawson's thoughts from Olivia. She hadn't shown up yet, and Levi hadn't stopped playing and talking long enough for Dawson to check on her.

They'd milked all of the mama goats and fed the rest before Levi looked around. "Where's Miss Olivia?"

Dawson was on his feet in a split second. "Let's go check on her."

Levi jogged past a few roaming chickens, and Dawson picked up his own pace. He'd been fighting the urge to check on her since the moment he walked away.

"Are you okay, Miss Olivia?" Levi asked.

Dawson rounded the corner into the feed shed and screeched to a halt. Olivia sat doubled over on a crate.

Levi was already by her side, and Dawson fell to his knee at her feet. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said through gritted teeth. "I just need a minute."

"You've had enough minutes. What can I do to help?" The time for waiting was over. Every cell in his body hummed with the need to act.

"Dawson, just–"

"This isn't normal, Liv. Tell me what to do."

Her eyes pressed tightly closed, and deep lines formed between her brows. Her jaw was tense as she tried to stand. "I–"

As soon as she got to her feet, she crumpled. Dawson wrapped her in his arms and pulled her to his chest.

"Miss Olivia!" Levi shouted.

Dawson set her on her feet long enough to readjust his arms to cradle her. With her body held tight against him, he jerked a chin at Levi. "Go tell Mr. Lawrence I'm bringing her to the house."

Levi rushed off at a quick run, eager to help.

"Hang in there, Liv. I'm right here."