“Oh-ho,” Spur said, chuckling. “They’re retired, right?”
“Yep,” Olli said.
“Siblings both married, if I recall.”
“Yes,” she said again.
“Think about it,” Spur said. “I don’t want to rush you. I really don’t.”
“I know.” Olli tipped up and kissed him again, then let him go. She watched him walk down the sidewalk and get in his truck. When the headlights broke the darkness, she lifted her hand in a wave, though she couldn’t see him anymore.
The next day, Olli did her best to ignore the clock, because the minute hand barely moved at all. She worked on her subscription box advertising in the morning, and then she started packaging the June candles that had been ordered. She’d been scenting and pouring them all week, and when Charity came that evening, they’d get everything labeled and ready for pick-up on Friday afternoon.
Her phone rang just after lunch, and Olli lunged for it and found Benjamin’s name there. “Here we go,” she said, taking a big breath and pushing it out as she answered the call. “Hello?”
“Olivia,” Benjamin said in his round, refined voice. “How are you?”
“Good,” she said. “You?”
“I’m well,” he said. “Frank wanted to make this call with me, but his daughter is graduating from high school today.”
“Wow, that’s great,” she said. Olli wasn’t sure if they both needed to be on the call to let her down easy or to celebrate with her. She paced toward the window she’d left open and through which they’d overheard her and Spur talking. She looked outside, the ranch in the distance.
“Congratulations are in order,” Benjamin said. “Olli, we chose you for our gold standard grant.”
Olli’s smile burst onto her face. As much as she’d coached herself not to squeal, she did. “Thank you, Benjamin. Thank you so much.” She laughed, such relief pouring through her. Relief and joy and gratitude. He laughed too, and Olli suspected she was really going to enjoy working with him.
“The gold standard includes product placement in stores,” he said. “You’ll get the monetary grant requested, and we’ll work together to develop one product to put in our stores, with the option for more in the future.”
“This is so exciting,” she said.
“We want to start with your men’s cologne,” he said. “Specifically, Spur.”
Olli beamed, feeling like actual rays of sunshine were radiating from her very being. “How did your wife like the cologne, Benjamin?”
“She loved it,” Benjamin said. “I have to say, you’ve put a smile on a lot of people’s faces with that scent. Mine included.”
Olli laughed again. “Spur will be thrilled your love life has improved because of him.”
Benjamin laughed, and Olli giggled with him. “Thank you,” she said again. “Really, thank you so much.”
“You’re the one with the talent,” he said. “I’ll send over all the paperwork. Look over it. Have a lawyer look at it. Make sure you’re not giving us anything you don’t want to give us.”
Olli sobered, because she probably should have a lawyer help her with the contracts. “Okay.”
“Everything is negotiable,” he said. “I never tell people that, which just shows how much I like you.” He laughed again, and Olli warmed from the inside out.
She thanked Benjamin one more time and promised she’d be in touch with him about the contracts just as soon as she had her lawyer look them over.
“Your lawyer,” she said to herself, still standing in front of that window. “You better get one of those, Olli.”
She would, too, after she told Spur the good news.
Olli flew from the perfumery and headed for her car. She drove the few minutes to Bluegrass Ranch, but she wasn’t sure where to find Spur on the sprawling estate in the middle of the day. She tried the homestead, and she found one of his brothers—Cayden—there, finishing lunch.
“Do you know where Spur is?” she asked.
“Yeah, he’s out at our parents’ house.”