You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 108

It wasn’t expensive, but it was something special.

Special enough that, with just one look, she remembered exactly what Oliver once said:

“The deeper a tree’s roots grow, the stronger its grip on the earth. I hope one day you’ll become a tree that touches the sky.”

“I’ll wait for you,” he’d told her, his voice gentle and steady, like he was somehow immune to all the messiness of love.

Inside the Cloud Peak living room, Colton and a few of the younger cousins couldn’t sit still.

Heads down, they were glued to their phones, fingers flying across the screen.

“Did he really get married?”

“For real? Did you hear Uncle Oliver just now? If that’s not his wife, I don’t know what is!”

“Wait, who did he even marry? Why does nobody in the family know anything?”

“What if he brought home some bossy old lady who won’t let him give us spending money anymore?”

Sara fired off a string of panicked emojis: “No way!”

“I won’t survive if that happens! Seriously, I’ll die!”

Oliver set his phone aside and looked at the three of them huddled together, anxious as little quails. “When you meet her, remember to be polite.”

“Uncle Oliver…” Roger piped up, careful and hesitant. “Can we at least know Aunt Patricia’s name in advance?”

“Patricia.”

Sara jumped in, “Can you tell us what she likes? Maybe a hobby or something? So we don’t accidentally mess up and get on her bad side.”

Oliver shot her a look. Sara’s heart skipped a beat and she quickly waved her hands. “Never mind! Forget I asked!”

Patricia? Colton frowned, turning that name over in his head.

Wait a second. Isn’t that the same name as Theo’s ex-wife?

This cannot be happening. Seriously—this is so unlucky!

Colton was stunned.

Oliver’s cool voice broke the silence. “Say hello.”

Sara and Roger called out in unison, “Aunt Patricia!”

Colton just stood there, tongue-tied. He couldn’t get the words out.

Oliver seemed to know exactly what was going through his mind. Without any extra fuss, he slid his arm around Patricia’s waist and gave her a reassuring pat. “Johns will show you to your room so you can freshen up.”

Patricia nodded stiffly. This rushed introduction fit their rushed marriage perfectly.

As soon as she left, Colton sidled up to Oliver. “Uncle Oliver, are you serious? That’s Theo’s ex-wife—the woman who kept the Newton family on their knees for two years!”

Oliver shot him a look and corrected, “Ex-wife.”

“I mean, I always wondered why you cared so much about her. Turns out you had your eye on her the whole time! What’s Uncle Zane supposed to think? He asked you to look after his niece, and you went and married her!”

“He thought you were his friend, and you’re over here trying to become his nephew-in-law…”