by Geri Foster
She did so whole-heartedly and without hesitation.
Feeling like a weight had lifted from his shoulders, he gave himself over to the kiss, the stroke of his tongue calling hers out to play. Before he knew it, they were moving against each other in such a seductive way that he grew hard. Understanding she might not be ready to take it that far, he turned his body slightly, angling his hips away.
To his surprise, she deepened the kiss, pulling him back. Smiling, he was just about to pick her up when the door opened and Theo walked in. He stopped immediately when he saw them, eyes going wide, then, smiling, excused himself to the bedroom.
The mood gone, they broke apart like two guilty teenagers. Olivia licked her lips and, catching the sight, he shuddered with desire.
“I’m sorry about that,” she said. “I forgot he’d be coming back.”
“Yeah, he always did have great timing.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, I’d better be going.”
They stared at each other for a long moment before she opened the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, I’ll call you as soon as I hear anything.”
“I appreciate that.”
Walking outside, something occurred to him and he quickly turned back. “Do you think Butler might have…” he drifted off, not sure he wanted to voice his concerns.
She cocked her head. “Might’ve?” Then her eyes opened wide in shock. “You surely don’t suspect him of arson, do you? He’s a fireman.”
“So he understands how fires work. Better than most, in fact. That won’t save his ass.”
“But, why would Clint burn down my dad’s house?”
“Did he qualify for the job I got?”
“I...I don’t know. But by the time dad decided to retire, Clint was out of the picture.”
“All the more reason for him to be pissed. I’m going to look into it, just to be safe.”
She wrapped her arms around herself, looking troubled, which instantly worried him.
“Is that a problem, Olivia?” he asked tentatively.
She caught his gaze and her eyes softened. “Not in the way you think, Griff. I’m all in with you. I trust you. And you can trust me. I just don’t want him interfering with my life, or the lives of the people I love anymore.”
He smirked and raised a brow. “Are you saying…”
Shaking her head and laughing, she turned to walk back inside. “Goodnight, Griff.”
“Goodnight, Olivia.”
Chapter 14
Griff wasted no time getting into his Camaro and driving out to Lucas’ ranch. When he stepped on the porch, Lucas came out to greet him.
“What’s up?” the Police Chief asked, his face tense.
“Don’t worry, it’s not another fire...yet. Besides, if it were, I’d be at it and not here.”
“So why are you here? You want to come in and have a beer?”
“No, I’ll make this quick.” He glanced around. “Clint Butler is back in town.”
Surprise raised Lucas’ eyebrows. “How do you know that?”
“The guy had the nerve to show up at Olivia’s tonight after supper.”
“You’re shitting me.” Lucas’ nostrils flared. “His balls aren’t that big. Besides, if David caught sight of him, he’d beat the living crap out of him.”
“That’s what Olivia said. My question is, when did he come back to town?”
“Ah,” Lucas nodded, catching his meaning. “You mean, was it around the time all the fires started?”
“Well, technically we haven’t had that many fires, but we do know an arsonist is at work.” He stepped closer. “Do you think he’s capable of that?”
Lucas rubbed his chin. “I don’t really know. I never really liked the guy and never saw what Olivia liked about him. She was way above his paygrade, if you know what I mean.”
“I do and I agree.”
“Let me do some checking around. If he’s been in town a few days, I’ll call him in as a suspect and you can be there when I talk to him.” Lucas chuckled. “You can hold David back.”
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem.” When he stayed quiet for another minute, Lucas tilted his head and asked, “Another question?”
“Yeah, actually. Did he qualify for Theo’s job?”
Lucas looked to the sky in thought, then nodded. “I think he might have. Why? You thinking he might hold a grudge at not getting it?”
“Well, think about it. If he had stayed in town, if what had happened with Olivia hadn’t happened, would he have been the best choice?”
“I can’t say for sure. That’s something you’d have to ask Theo about.”
He chuckled darkly. “After everything that just happened, talking with Theo about Butler is the last thing I want to do.”
“Yeah,” Lucas nodded. “I see your point.”
“Still,” he rubbed his chin. “If he was the next in line, and he didn’t get the opportunity to go for the job because he was run out of town, that’s a good reason to burn down his old boss’ house, isn’t it?”
“Could be motive, sure. And if that holds up, we can use it to support our suspicion of him, other than his sudden appearance in town. But, now that I think about it, I can say for sure I saw all the applications and Clint’s wasn’t among them.”
“That doesn’t mean he didn’t expect a call from his former boss asking him to apply.” He lifted his eyebrows.
“Yeah, you might be right. But, in all honesty, I never got the feeling Clint was unreasonable. He couldn’t really expect Theo to call him for that. He broke the heart of Theo’s only daughter in the worst way and tarnished her reputation at the same time.”
“I don’t know the man so I can’t say one way or the other about his mental health, but in either case maybe he sees it as lack of professionalism. Keep work to work and home life to home life? I think it’s worth investigating.”
“Absolutely. I’ll keep you posted.”
Feeling moderately better, he drove back home slowly, checking the downtown area and then cruising through several neighborhoods on his way. He purposely drove by David’s house and made sure everything was okay there. Thinking of David’s little girl, Leah, he slipped his phone from his pocket.
“Hey, David, how’s it going?”
“Great,” his voice sounded grave. “I hope there isn’t another fire.”
“No, I just wanted to give you a heads up.”
“Yeah, what about?”
“Clint Butler came to Olivia’s house this evening. He’s in town. I’m driving by your place now, but I want you to be careful. I wasn’t around when all that stuff went down, but Lucas made it clear there’s no love lost between you and Butler.”
“What the hell? He’s absolutely correct.” David’s voice rose but he lowered it quickly, probably trying not to wake Leah. “We were tight, sure, but after what he did to Olivia? No way, never again.” Taking a deep breath, David sighed. “Thanks for the warning. If I’d run into him and Leah was with me, well, I’d hate to lose my temper in front of her and I can’t say for sure that wouldn’t have happened.”
“Anytime, man. I actually just got done speaking with Lucas about it. I could be over-reacting, but it hasn’t missed my attention that Butler’s sudden appearance has coincided with the arsonist attacks.”
“Damn. I’d like to say there’s no way it could be him but, then again, I never thought he’d cheat on my sister and leave her at the altar either.”
“I hear you. I don’t want Olivia to suffer anymore and his showing up was certainly not a happy surprise.”
“How’s she doing?”
“When I left, she seemed fine. She didn’t think Butler could be the arsonist, but she wasn’t against me looking into it either.” He smiled a little. “She told him to get out, she didn’t want to see him.”
“Way to go, Olivia.”
“Yeah. I was worried for a second, but she’s made it clear she’s a
ll in with me.”
“Glad to hear it, man. You’re a great guy, Griff. I appreciate the call.”
“Just doing my job.”
“Bullshit. You’re still in love with my sister and that makes us family. You’re looking out for family and that’s why I like you.”
“You bet your ass I am. And you’re not getting rid of me this time,” he laughed.
“Ha! It’s not me you’ve got to convince.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Sobering, he cautioned, “I want your wife and child safe, David. Keep an eye out. Whoever this guy is, he went after your dad. He might go after you next.”
“Got it. And if I find out it was Clint who burned down my old man’s house, I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.”
“I’ll help,” he agreed. “But I’ve told myself this so I’m going to tell you—we can’t overreact. We have to have the facts. There’s the chance that whoever this arsonist is, they’re setting Butler up to take the fall because they know we won’t hesitate to take him out if given half the chance.”
“You sure you shouldn’t have been a detective?” David asked, humor in his voice.
“Nah. I’ll leave that to you. Our paths are just crossing on this one. In more ways than one.”
Ending the call, he headed home, worried that he’d already stayed away too long. Now that Butler was back it didn’t sit well with him, leaving Olivia alone. He liked knowing he was right next door in case anything happened, which also left him close enough to keep an eye out. Until he knew for sure that Butler was in the clear that was exactly what he’d be doing.
He cruised the neighborhood several times before deciding he wasn’t going to find Butler, or anyone, lurking around in the shadows then pulled the Camaro into his garage and let down the door. That didn’t mean he’d let down his guard.
Olivia’s lights were still on and he felt tempted to go over and at least say goodnight, but he decided he’d call her later instead. Entering his house, he flipped the light switch and, overhead, a bright flash exploded and glass shattered. He threw his arms up to cover his head and ducked.
Recognizing the faint hint of gas in the air, he quickly backed out, opened the garage door and ran to the front of the house to open the door. Then, he went to the back and kicked open the French doors. Taking off his T-shirt and holding it against his face, he ran inside to the stove and turned off the gas before going back outside and into the fresh air.
Lowering his shirt, he understood that, had he been gone longer, the gas would’ve built up to a dangerous level and the whole place could’ve gone up with him in it.
There was no denying it. Someone had tried to torch his home.
Cursing under his breath, he called Lucas and David and let them know what’d happened. He assured them he was going to spend the night with his mom and they could investigate tomorrow. Hanging up, he looked to Olivia’s house. Shit. She and her dad could be in danger.
After calling David again, he walked over and pounded on the door. Olivia answered, her face pale and concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone just tried to torch my house with me in it. I want you and your dad out of here tonight. I talked to David and he’s on his way to pick up your dad. You and I are staying at my mom’s.”
“Okay, but I can stay at Kendall and Marcus’. I don’t have to bother your mom.”
“I want you with me. This is personal.”
She took in his earnest gaze and nodded. “Okay.”
“Really? No fight?”
She shrugged. “I trust you.”
Grabbing her into his arms, he hugged her tightly. “You have no idea what it does to me to hear you say that.”
She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. “I don’t know when it happened, but I do know how. It’s you, Griff. You are a trustworthy man and it shows in everything you do. I’m sorry if my past comes back to haunt me sometimes and if you get the brunt of that, but I’m working on it.”
Leaning back to catch her eyes, he shook his head. “I can take it. If I have you, we can work through anything.” She blushed and ducked her head, so he leaned down to kiss her hair. “Pack your stuff. This could be a while, so pack for a week.”
“You really think so?” she looked up and worried her bottom lip.
“I don’t know. We’re doing our best, but we only have one good lead right now.”
“So you really think this could be Clint?” she asked in a small voice.
“I don’t know of anyone else who might have a reason to hurt your dad.” She didn’t say anything for a moment and he studied her, conflicted over what to say. Gritting his jaw, he offered comfort for something that hurt his heart even to think about. “I’m sorry that it might be him. Even after everything, it’s understandable that you might still have feel—“
Pulling back a little, she cut him off adamantly, “No! I don’t have feelings for the jerk. What he did to me was beyond forgiveness. I’m just sorry that what happened between us may have ultimately led to this.”
On the inside, he was jumping for joy that she was in no way hung up on the guy, but he didn’t want her thinking this was her fault.
“What he did and the consequences of those actions are all on him. You are in no way responsible for any of this. You hear me?”
She gripped him tightly, then nodded. “Okay.” Thinking for a moment, she asked, “If it is him, why do you think he wants to hurt us? Why dad? Why you?”
“Maybe because he didn’t get the job as Fire Chief?”
She grew silent again. “He once mentioned he’d like to have my dad’s position and, really, he probably would have, if he hadn’t gotten on everyone’s bad side.”
A door slammed, and he turned to see David had pulled into the driveway. “I hope I’m being overly cautious,” he said by way of greeting. “But I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
“I agree a hundred percent. This isn’t the time to take chances.” David looked at Olivia. “Are you spending the night with us as well?”
“No, I’m taking her to my mom’s,” he said. “I’ll be there if anything happens.”
“Okay, I’m going to get dad settled. You guys be careful and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
As David headed inside, Olivia stood in her front yard, hugging herself. “You going to pack? You need to get something to wear to work tomorrow.”
“No, I’ll come back home in the morning and get dressed.”
“You sure? What about night clothes?”
She nodded. “Right. Just a T-shirt and a pair of shorts then.”
“Get them so we can leave as soon as possible.”
She turned to go inside then swung back around, a distressed look on her face. “I really don’t want to go to your mom’s, Griff. She’s been through so much. She doesn’t need this stress.”
“It’s really okay, but if you’re that worried, what do you suggest?”
“You go to your mom’s and I’ll stay with a friend. You were a target. Who knows if she will be too? She needs you there.”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t want you out of my sight.”
“That’s silly. You can’t walk around behind me until this is all cleared up.”
“No, but I want to keep you as safe as possible.” He slipped his hands in his back pockets and observed her, thinking. Sending her a tantalizing grin, he suggested, “We could go to a hotel.”
Her gaze shot up and her eyes widened. “What?”
“We’re grown adults. We don’t have to sneak around anymore. We can get a hotel room for the next couple of nights.”
“I’m not sure about that, Griff. I mean, people will talk.”
“What are they going to say? Everyone knows we have a past. They’ll just assume we’ve kissed and made up.”
“But I don’t want them talking about it. It’s…personal.”
He smiled at her warmly. “That it is.”
She nodded emphatically. “
Besides, I don’t want to jump into bed with you, Griff. I’m...I’m not ready.”
“I know. And I’m not pressing you. We’ll get two beds. That way, we won’t be tempted.”
She laughed, blushing. “You’re kidding, aren’t you?”
“Not about keeping you safe, I’m not. Get your stuff and let’s get out of here. I’m going to lock up.”
“What about your mom?”
“She’ll be okay. Her house has fire alarms and carbon dioxide detectors.” He pointed to himself. “Fireman, remember?”
Smirking at him, she headed into the house.
He went into his house and closed the doors now that the gas had dissipated. Grabbing a bag and packing it with a few personal items, he checked all the locks and walked out the front door, closing and locking it behind him. Facing his car, he smiled. Even with all that was going on, seeing Olivia waiting for him calmed his heart.
Chapter 15
Olivia could not believe she was going to a hotel with Griff. The entire concept was foreign and bordered on foolishness. She’d never spent the night at a hotel with a man before and the town was sure to talk. She should back out now while she could, but something, maybe curiosity or the danger of it all, kept her interested enough to see this through.
Besides, if by chance he was right about Clint, she didn’t want to be in the line of fire. She hadn’t mentioned it, but Clint had a temper, was quick to criticize and cutting with his words. Would he physically hurt her? She didn’t think so, but if he did burn down her dad’s house, what else was he capable of? She hadn’t thought he was capable of breaking her heart and he’d done a fine job of that.
Griff threw their bags in the back and opened her door. Walking around to his side, he carefully scanned the area to make sure no one hid nearby.
“Think the arsonist is still around?” she asked, checking out their surroundings.
He shook his head. “It’s hard to say. On the one hand, why hang around and increase your chances of getting caught? On the other, arsonists like to watch the destruction they cause. The fascination is too great for them to pass up. I’m just being cautious.”
