High Stakes Hideout

Chapter One

Oliver grunted as he dodged out of the way of the horse galloping toward him. Midnight was a beautiful, solid black horse that the ranch had recently acquired. She was also a pain in his neck. They had rescued her from a bad case of neglect about a month ago and Oliver had been slowly working toward earning her trust. Some days progressed better than others. This was clearly going to be one of those others.

He couldn't blame it all on the horse, though. He had no doubt she was picking up on the agitation that had been settling on his shoulders since the call from Jake. He had been doing his best not to get tied up in thought, or emotions, about it. There was nothing he could to change anything about it now. He owed the favor and he'd already given his word, and that meant something between them. He just found himself wishing Jake had chosen something, anything, else to cash in on.

His best friend had called him last night, requesting his pay up on the favor he owed Jake for saving his life when they served together. He had been all about helping him out until he mentioned one word that quickly squelched that feeling. Well, one name. The only name that had been bouncing around in his head, begging for attention, for the past thirteen years. Ivy. His childhood best friend, adolescent crush, and the one who go away. The one he pushed away, if he were being honest with himself. Like most things, it felt better to place the blame somewhere else though.

As his thoughts drifted to Ivy, he looked at the sun and realized he had better head in for a shower. He didn't suppose smelling like a barn would be the first impression he wanted to give. He fed and watered Midnight and the other horses before slipping his boots off at the door of the home he was currently sharing with his sister. She was apt to kick him out if he dirtied her floors with the baby just starting to crawl.

Speaking of his sister, his phone began to ring and the caller ID flashed her smiling face back at him. He looked longingly toward the bathroom where a hot, relaxing shower lay. Sighing, he answered the phone. "Hey sis," he said, trying to infuse the cheer into his voice that she would undoubtedly be searching for but that he didn't feel.

"Ollie, is she there yet?" He could hear the intrigue in her voice. He never should have told her that Ivy was coming. He couldn't avoid it, however, when it was her house she would be coming to.

"No, it will probably be another hour before they get here. The flight is about three hours in itself and she was never much of a morning person. I'm just heading to shower off the work of the morning, actually..." Oliver said, trailing off and hoping she would get the hint that he could stay and talk. He should know it wouldn't be that easy when it came to Allison. She had always felt it her sworn duty as the elder sibling, by one measly year, to do everything in her power to make sure Oliver was okay.

"It's been thirteen years Ollie. People change. Maybe she is a morning person now. You never know." Oliver rolled his eyes, though of course Ally couldn't see it. He knew. If anyone knew Ivy Kent it was him. You didn't spend eighteen years joined at the hip with someone and not know all the intricacies of them.

"Yeah, maybe so sis," he said to appease her and hopefully shorten the conversation. "Don't you have a second honeymoon to be enjoying instead of sitting there worrying over me?"

"Babymoon, Oliver, not honeymoon. And don't give me your surly attitude young man," Ally said. He could imagine her stance from the tone of her voice. Eyes narrowed, hand on her hip, bossy older sister vibes written all over her face. "I have every right to be worried about this. Outside of the facts surrounding the reason Ivy is coming to stay there, which are still largely unknown, I remember what it was like the last time. You may not remember how you were when she left, but I do."

How could he forget? That was the day his heart died inside of him and it hadn't beat right since. "She didn't leave me, Ally Kat. I'm the one who left her, remember?" Oliver stared down at the hardwoods beneath him, running his sock clad toe along one of the grooves.

"Well, she didn't do a very good job of convincing you otherwise. That girl had to be blind if she didn't see  your feeble excuses for what they were. They were baloney, that's what they were. I know she was my best friend too, but I'd have to say as kindly as I possibly could that that girl must have lost her mind somewhere along the way."

Oliver could tell Ally was working herself into a fit, which wouldn't be good for her stress levels given the current pregnancy. Her doctor had told her she needed to work on her blood pressure, hence the babymoon" vacation her husband had whisked her away on. He needed to get off the phone so she could calm down or her husband, Haden, would be upset with him. Happy wife, happy life, or so they say. Oliver wouldn't have any experience with that but he could assume it was true. He also didn't want to listen to her insult Ivy any further. No one knew the real reason he had pushed Ivy away that day, but her being at fault couldn't be further from the truth. He hadn't given Ivy a chance to chase after him. He had shipped off to boot camp that same night.

"Ally, just stop right there. No more insults, please, unless they're directed at me, where they belong. Now, you sure you're okay with her staying here. Jake said he can find somewhere else for her to go if you're not. This is your house and also means you have to extend your time away," he pointed out. He halfway crossed his fingers that she would change her mind and not be okay with it.

Oliver heard Ally start sniffling through the phone and he bit back a groan, rubbing his forehead as a headache began. Great, now he could count on a phone call from Haden about him making his sister cry. "Ally, please don't cry. I'm sorry for whatever I said. Maybe I should hang up now before Haden flies back down here to give me a kick for upsetting you and your blood pressure."

"No, it's nothing you said. I just miss Ivy so much. Of course I'm fine with her staying there. To think she could be in danger," she said, voice breaking at the end. Pregnancy hormones, something Oliver would never understand but would try his hardest to stay on the good side of whenever possible. How anyone could go from insulting someone to crying over their welfare over the course of two minutes was beyond him.

"Okay, well then. I guess that settles it. Listen Ally, I love you and I love talking to you, but I really need to get that shower before our house guest arrives. Go drink a cup of cocoa for me and tell Haden I said hello. And give your belly a hug for me. I can't wait to meet my little niece or nephew soon," he said gently. He managed to make out an okay in the midst of her sniffles and gratefully hung up the phone.

Oliver shot an apology text to Haden for whatever he said that started the waterworks. Hopefully that would circumvent an ear ringing from Haden later. Sure enough, a text came through acknowledging his apology and telling him not to worry about it. Oliver really did have some of the best friends a guy could ask for. He had know Ally's husband since grade school. He, Haden, and Jake had formed the three musketeers, adding a few additional friends once they hit high school. Depending on how these next couple of weeks went with Ivy intruding in his personal space, he may be kicking Jake out of his circle. 

Oliver sat the phone on the dining room table and went to his bedroom to grab some clean clothing. As he was grabbing a flannel shirt, he heard a horn honk from the front of the house. He moved his curtain aside so he could search out the cause of the offending noise. Jake stepped from the driver's side of a rental car and jogged around to open the passenger door.

Oliver rubbed a hand over his face as she stepped out. Ivy Kent, his dream woman, his dream everything, live and in person standing in his front yard. Looks like maybe Ally was right and she was now a morning person after all. So much for that shower.