Nora's Redemption
Page 14
Half an hour later, she pulled into her own driveway, shut the motor off, and simply sat staring at her new home. Her home. A feeling of warmth, comfort, and independence filled her with possibilities she hadn’t felt in forever. So much had happened since she’d met Gavin Redmond and started working for him. Who would have thought she would be accepted by the community, the McClintocks, and Gavin’s family? And find someone who was caring, upstanding, pulled no punches, and was willing to work on an honest relationship with her. And love. She’d found love.
Nora entered her new home, tears streaming down her cheeks as she shut the door behind her. The peaceful silence surrounded her. She’d unload the boxes later. Instead, she strolled through the rooms, each one reminding her of Gavin. The living room where they’d kissed and almost made out in front of the sprawling fireplace. The bedroom where she’d envisioned them actually making love. Thinking of him being here in her home made her feel closer to him. Still, she couldn’t wait to wrap her arms around him and feel his warmth seep into her.
Make sure he was okay.
He had to be okay!
Nora carted the rest of the boxes in and then put the tea kettle on to boil. A hot cup of cocoa was called for while she waited to hear from Gavin, even if it took all night. She settled next to the window overlooking the bay as the nighttime descended and the lights began to sparkle in the distance. The serenity mocked her chaotic thoughts. Was Gavin really okay? Where was he? What about the men who were responsible for the McClintock situation? Where they all rounded up? Was Gavin completely out of danger?
She leaned back on the settee and closed her eyes. And then it hit her. No one knew she had moved into her new home. Would he even think to come looking for her here? She should text him and let him know she had moved. Or would that seem too forward after her demanding they keep their relationship status quo? She could always call Bethany to find out what was happening. Still, she hung back until she couldn’t stand it any longer. She decided to call Jackie when a loud knocking on her front door drew her out of her chair. She raced across the room, hoping against hope it was Gavin. She threw the door open and gasped.
Gavin filled the doorway, an angry bruise the size of a fist on his left temple as if someone had coldcocked him. His left wrist was padded and wrapped in an Ace bandage. He hesitated a millisecond before he stepped over the threshold and enfolded her in his arms. He kicked the door shut behind them as they melded into each other. His lips covered hers. The kiss consumed her, igniting a fire within her entire being. She wasn’t ready for him to release her when he leaned back and shook his head. Confused as to his thoughts, she let him lead her in a daze-like state to the new sofa next to the fireplace.
“Are you all right?” Nora wiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks again, looking up at him as he tucked her in his arms. She ran her hand gently along his temple, brushing the hair aside. “Your head? Do you have a concussion? What happened? Eric didn’t tell me a thing. Have you seen a doctor?”
“Slow down, slow down, sweetheart. I’m fine. A few bumps and bruises from being knocked against the boat when I was trying to get back on board, but nothing major. I’ve been checked out, and I’ll live. I’ve lived through worse in the military.”
“Oh, my God, Gavin, you have no idea the thoughts that went through my mind,” she sobbed and laid her head on his chest. “I thought for sure something terrible had happened, and I’d lost you before I had a chance to tell you I love you.”
He didn’t give her a chance to say more. He lifted her chin, looked into her teary eyes, and kissed her. His good hand caressed her cheek before sliding through her hair, down her neck, and around her shoulders. He tugged her still closer and lowered his lips to hers. His kiss deepened, said more than words could say. But she longed to hear those three words. She pulled back, ran her hands through her hair, brushing it back from her heated face. Her body was on fire from his kiss, from his touch.
Gavin let out a deep satisfying breath, drew her back into the sofa, and in his arms. She snuggled into him.
“We need to talk,” he stated.
Her heart beat double time, hoping he wasn’t going to break it. She closed her eyes as he hesitated before he finally continued.
“But first, I want to tell you…I love you, too. I’ve been mesmerized by you from the beginning. I was so ecstatic to learn Bethany didn’t send you my way. I couldn’t help hiring you on the spot.”
Nora sat up, brushed her smiling lips against his. “Oh, my God, Gavin, I was so afraid you didn’t really love me, too. I was so taken in by you as well. But I’ve come to love your kindness, your generosity, and your love of giving back to the community. I think I fell in love with you almost immediately, too.”
“I never thought I could love again,” Gavin confessed. “Never wanted to. I felt as if I let my wife down. I wasn’t there for her, and getting this business back on track didn’t leave time for a relationship. But seeing you every day, knowing what you went through and how you held yourself up in the face of adversity, I knew I could love again. You are such a survivor. Your work ethics speak a lot for your integrity, as does your friendship with Jackie and Brad and their boys.”
“It’s true I’ve been ashamed of my behavior, Gavin, and I’ve hidden from life. But I also learned I couldn’t have been in love with Sebastian like I should have been if it was true love. I would have been more hurt by his duplicity and unfaithfulness rather than the fact I was more hurt over how he died and how it made me look. I regret the time I wasted and the fact that I had been taken in by him.”
“It’s all behind us. Like we’ve said, lessons learned.”
“You’re such an honest, upstanding man. I know you wouldn’t hurt me on purpose.”
“I’ll be there for you, I promise.”
He kissed her again, and again. She melted into his embrace, oblivious of the time, the absence of light as the sun set for the evening, and they lost themselves in each other’s arms.
So much for status quo.
****
Nora woke in the early hours, wondering when they had climbed the stairs and ended up in her new bed. She stretched, sated, and snuggled into Gavin’s warm body and sighed.
He shifted, wrapped his arm around her, and whispered in her ear, “I’m afraid we’ve already passed status quo and hit the point of no return. And I can’t say I’m sorry.”
She turned and smiled up at him. “You do know I can no longer work for you.”
“Why?”
“There is no way I’m going to be labeled as ‘sleeping with the boss.’”
“Not a problem. I’ll hire someone else. You can establish your own business. In fact, if you want, you can open shop next door to my office. I hear the owner is willing to rent.”
“I happen to know you are the owner, and I don’t want to depend on you for my livelihood.”
“You did hear me say ‘rent,’ correct?”
“I can’t afford to rent. I plan to work from home.”
“But you’ll continue to work for me until I can hire a replacement for you?”
“Does this mean I’ll have to call in all those applicants to set up interviews for you?”
“Nope. I’m not interested in any of them. In fact, I have a friend that might be interested.”
“Oh?”
“Don’t even think it. Gwendolyn is not on the list, not even close. No, a friend of mine who is rotating out of the military is looking for work. I think he’ll do a great job. That is if you really feel you can’t work with me.”
“I really want to make it on my own, prove I have what it takes. But I like the idea of you hiring a man to fill my spot.”
“No one could ever fill your spot. Your spot is right here next to me. Always.”
A word about the author…
Carol Henry is a #1 Best Selling author who lives with her husband in the beautiful New York State Finger Lakes area, where they are surrounded by family and friends
.
Carol took an early retirement from Cornell University to write and travel the world. As a world traveler, Carol writes about her visits to exotic locations for major cruise lines’ deluxe in-cabin books, and takes pleasure in sharing her adventures with her “characters” and readers in her romantic suspense adventure novel “Connection” series—Destination Romance—Exotic, Romantic Adventures—where the heroine discovers more than the “wild and wonderful” world around her—she finds her inner courage and a once-in-a-lifetime love. Carol also delights in writing contemporary and holiday romance novels.
~*~
Find Carol online at:
http://www.carolhenry.org
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