3. Olivia

Olivia centered the chicken clique on her phone screen. The trio was positioned on the white-washed chicnic table she'd added to the farm over the summer. "Can you move Ginny about an inch to the right?"

Anna cautiously reached for the hen. She slowly placed her hands on Ginny's sides and lifted her just a little. "Like that?"

"Perfect." Olivia started the video and panned around the trio of chickens. Ginny, Gretta, and Gertie were her Instagram stars, and Olivia's followers went crazy whenever the group made an appearance online.

Who could blame them? The Black Star, Golden Comet, and Leghorn were adorable. It helped that they had plenty of personality too. Ginny was subdued, Gretta was feisty, and Gertie was funny.

Anna chuckled as the hens took turns jumping off the chicnic table, flapping their wings frantically, before trotting off together as if they were headed to ladies' night at the local watering hole.

"They're cute. I'll give you that. But I have no idea how you have a hundred thousand followers on Instagram when all you post about are the chickens."

"Who doesn't love chickens?" Olivia asked as she followed the group toward their play area.

Yes, her hens had a play area. They also had a hotel, a tree house, and a sunning yard. Hence the name, Cluckingham Palace. They were also free to roam, so they often visited the goats or hung out on her dad's front porch.

Olivia's phone dinged and a banner popped up at the top of her screen, reminding her she had an unread message from Dawson.

She clicked it and read his reply. "Dawson is on his way."

Anna straightened. "Now? Why?"

Olivia wasn't gung-ho about seeing him after her embarrassing breakdown yesterday. He'd only hounded her once every hour since then, and she wasn't doing a good job of convincing him that she was as fine as she claimed.

Probably because she wasn't, and it hit her hard that he knew she wasn't, despite her insistence.

"He hasn't seen the goats today."

"Does he come over every day?" Anna asked.

"Pretty much. I mean, I don't think I could go a day without seeing my chicks either."

Anna looked down at her clothes. "I would have worn something different if I'd known Dawson would be here."

Olivia replayed the video and fought the urge to react. It wasn't a secret that Anna had a major crush on Dawson. She'd been trying to get his attention for years, and while he was always friendly to her, he hadn't made the move Anna had been waiting on all this time.

Did that ticking time bomb bother Olivia? Yes and no. She wanted her Anna Banana to be happy, but the thought of losing her best friends to each other made her stomach churn.

She would not be jealous. She would not be jealous.

"You look great. Don't worry about it," Olivia said as she moved to the little room outside the palace where she kept treats and equipment. She reached for a plastic cup and handed it to Anna. "Here. Throw these in the sunroom and let me video the feeding frenzy."

Anna took the cup and looked inside. She jerked back with a yelp and shoved the cup back at Olivia. "It's full of worms!"

"They love mealworms. Don't worry. You don't have to touch them. Just toss a few at a time."

Anna frowned at the cup, but even the sour expression couldn't spoil her beautiful features. The woman was model-pretty and with little to no effort. Her straight hair was the perfect shade of sunkissed blonde, and it fell over her shoulders like a golden waterfall. Her blue eyes and easy smile made sure she was never without admirers. Yes, plural. Half the men who came into Blackwater left enamored with her.

As they should because Anna was awesome. They'd been friends long enough for Olivia to know.

Olivia made the motion. "A toss is like this."

Anna took the cup of worms. "I know how to toss." She narrowed her eyes at Olivia. "You owe me for this."

"I have a surprise for you that'll make you love me again," Olivia said, trying to contain her smile.

That got Anna's attention. "Let's toss some worms."

After five minutes of filming the chickens munching on worms, Anna stalked out of the sunning room. "Where's my prize, woman?"

Olivia skipped over to the supply room where she'd stored the box. She cut it open and pulled out the apron she'd ordered. "Look at it!"

Anna's eyes widened, and she let out a hearty laugh. "What is that?"

"It's an egg apron. A new online shop wants me to feature it on Instagram." She held up the apron. The white material was durable with prints of colorful chickens on it. Small pockets for collecting eggs were attached in straight rows along the front.

"I know that's not for me," Anna said, eyeing the contraption.

"It's for me, but I was hoping you'd help me style it. And maybe take some photos and videos I could use."

Anna rubbed her hands together. "This could be so fun. You definitely need a light-blue blouse and maybe medium wash jeans. And boots. I have the perfect pair."

"Bring them over tomorrow," Olivia said.

"You got it." Anna leaned against the coop wall beside the hen bath. "Remind me again why you don't live here?"

The chickens and goats were on the family farm, and as much as she loved her childhood home and her dad, she didn't want to live here now that her mom was gone.

She'd offered to move back home after her mom passed, but thankfully, her dad declined. She still worried about him, but not as much as right after Mom died.

"Two grieving hearts don't equal a whole. We'd just bring each other down. Plus, I'm in and out so much it would probably annoy him."

Anna sighed and reached for Olivia, wrapping her arms around her neck. "I love you. I'm always here for you."

Olivia squeezed back. She couldn't be more different from her friend, but they balanced each other out in ways neither of them understood.

Anna loved fashion and made a good living as an online influencer. Clothing designers sent her pieces from all over the world. It helped that Anna looked good in anything. She could wear a towel, and the internet would go wild, scrambling for the exact one she posted on her Instagram and vlog.

Anna was also an attorney working at her dad's firm. She had the brains to back up that beauty.

Olivia, on the other hand, promoted mostly small businesses that made home decor featuring poultry.

"Friend, I ask this with all the love in the world, but how are you going to find a man if you spend all of your extra time volunteering or hanging out with chickens?"

Resting the back of her hand on her forehead, Olivia wailed, "My kingdom for a date!"

Anna swatted Olivia's shoulder. "I'm serious. You never date. It's sad."

Olivia groaned. "I don't need a man. I'm doing what I want to do."

"But who doesn't love love? I mean, you're a strong, independent woman, but we're both getting old, and we need husbands and families."

Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Anna knew about Olivia's endometriosis, but they'd never talked about Olivia's possible inability to bear children, and it needed to stay that way. "I don't need a man or a baby. I'm fine. Can we talk about something else?"

Anna clapped her hands and flashed a smile so bright it rivaled Times Square. "Yes, let's talk about Dawson. Has he said anything about me lately?"

Not this again. Talking about Dawson always sent her heart racing, and not in a good way like a cardio workout. "He says a lot, but I only listen a little."

Anna tapped a finger against her lips and lifted her chin. "I wonder if he'll ask me to be his date to the wedding."

Ugh. Another topic that needed to be avoided. Dawson would be the perfect wedding date, but there wasn't a chance in the world Olivia would end up with him that night. "Why don't you just ask him?" The words burned her throat as she spoke.

Anna frowned. "Um, no. A woman needs to be pursued."

"Why don't you just tell him how you feel?"

Olivia was one hundred percent guilty of keeping her feelings to herself, but that didn't mean it wasn't good advice. Dawson didn't have a clue Anna was interested in him, despite her obvious attempts to let him know. The guy flirted and joked with everyone. Anna was just another woman who flirted and joked right back.

"I just can't. He needs to make the move. Who are you going with?"

Despite her excitement over Asa and Lyric's wedding, Olivia had zero intentions of bringing a date. "I'm not taking a date. I'm a bridesmaid, and I'm helping with the planning. I have to focus on making sure things go smoothly."

"Too bad things with Trey didn't last a little longer. You could have gone with him."

Olivia furrowed her brows and leveled her friend with a lethal glare. "No, thank you. I'm glad that ship has sailed."

That ship had sailed so far over the horizon, it wasn't even a dot in the distance anymore. She might have been semi-content with their relationship at one point, but he trampled on every good feeling she ever had about him with that epic ending.

Anna sucked in a breath through her teeth. "You're right. I forgot how awful he was."

"He cheated on me, then broke up with me," Olivia reminded her.

"He's a double loser. What about Travis?"

Travis was a good guy. He was a few years older than her, handsome, and had a steady job. "Nah."

"What? Hot and independent isn't your type?" Anna asked.

Olivia didn't want to get into her type, mostly because it was the same as Anna's–Dawson. "There aren't any sparks there."

"How do you know?"

"I've known him my whole life! If there were sparks, I'd know it by now. No offense to Travis, but he's not my prince charming."

Life would be a lot easier if she was interested in Travis Monroe. Anna was right when she said he was hot. Plus, he had that everyday hero and all-around good guy thing going for him. As a paramedic, he actually saved lives on a regular basis.

Anna crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you being picky?"

Olivia held up a finger. "I am rightfully picky."

"Okay, okay. I'm not trying to get you to settle or anything. Just have some fun with a date."

Olivia walked out of Cluckingham Palace hoping to escape the topic of conversation with the change in scenery. "Besides, pickings are slim in Blackwater, and I don't have time to date."

"You mean you don't want to make time to date," Anna corrected.

"Right. If I wanted to, I would."

Anna stopped following Olivia, and she turned to see what was wrong. "You coming to see the goats?"

Anna's nose crinkled, and she tilted her head slightly. "I forgot about something."

The theatrics meant whatever Anna had to say wasn't good. "Well, spit it out."

To Anna's credit, she really didn't look like she wanted to be the bearer of bad news. "Trey is Lyric's cousin. There's a good chance he'll be at the wedding."

Olivia took a deep breath and pushed the anger deeper into her gut. She'd forgotten about that in her rush to forget him altogether. "Really?"

"Really," Anna whispered.

Fantastic. The guy who cheated on Olivia was going to be at the wedding. Probably with a date. And Olivia would be alone, though, of her own choosing.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the worst news she'd had this week. She'd probably get jury duty before the weekend.

"He's still a creep. Don't think about him one more second," Anna said.

Olivia turned and headed for the goat pens, determined to find some silver lining as the bad news kept coming. "This wedding just keeps getting better by the minute."