The Forgotten Claim (The Claim: Book 1)

Chapter 6 - Olivia

After dropping Chloe off at her mother's house the following weekend after her encounter with Cameron, something felt off. Olivia didn't have time to dwell on it though—she had two back-to-back open houses to host that day and two the next. She was in the eastern side of the neighborhood today and would be on the western side of her neighborhood tomorrow.

Once the signs were set up around the vicinity, she hurried into the house and gave it a quick once-over before the owners headed out.

Everything was clean, tidy, and bright. The house was a little on the small side but perfect for a young couple starting their family.

Like yourself. She couldn't help thoughts like that, screaming into her mind. She had to push them out. Now wasn't the time.

Besides, Chloe was already signed up for junior kindergarten in the fall. She didn't want to have to move right when school started for her. That wasn't fair.

Heaving a sigh, Olivia set the plate of cookies she'd asked her clients to make next to the coffee pot, prepped and ready to go as soon as someone walked in the front door.

The market was hot this year, although not as hot as it had been last year. Last year, she could barely keep up with the demand. Houses were snatched up almost as soon as they were put on the market—selling over asking price and entering bidding wars with mountains of paperwork to keep up with. She was glad for the slower winter months that followed but they kept her busy too. The past winter was snowier than it had been in the previous years as well, but that didn't deter the market at all.

Still, she was thankful for the steady stream of work and income. She tucked away a fair amount of it into savings and Chloe's education fund.

She was happy that things were going so well for her now. They were rough at the beginning with having Chloe and trying to make ends meet but everything was coming together now. The older and more independent Chloe got, the easier taking care of her business and family got.

It wasn't long before the front door opened. Olivia plastered on a warm and cheerful smile on her face as she turned on the coffeemaker. Showtime.

She loved her job. Loved being her own boss, the flexibility of her work, interacting with people, helping people find their dream homes, and the constantly changing market and clients that made everything interesting and exciting. Sure, there were some rude and unpleasant clients here and there, but overall her job was deeply satisfying and rewarding.

Two hours quickly passed and soon she was alone when the last two viewers left. With five minutes left of the showing, she rinsed off the coffee mugs in the sink and set them on the top rack in the dishwasher.

When she stood back up, the front door opened again.

She wanted to kick herself. There was always one straggler right at the end even though she had to run out for the next open house.

Pasting another smile on her face, she turned around and froze.

Standing in the doorway was Cameron, looking hotter than ever. His dark brown hair was short on the sides and longer on top and swept to the side by his fingers. His tanned face was unreadable, emotionless. He had denim jeans on and a leather jacket with a black helmet tucked under one arm.

She couldn't move. Couldn't gather air into her lungs. She stood there and stared at him as he set his helmet on the floor and strode across the open-concept living room to the kitchen.

Her senses snapped back into place when he was a few yards away and she lifted her hand up to stop him.

"What are you doing here?"