by Geri Foster
“Me, too,” Kendall added. Glaring at her, she said, “You need some food in your stomach to make you feel better.”
“I'm fine,” she assured them. “But, if you insist, then let's go.”
After putting her mug inside and locking up Griff’s place, they all got into Rachel’s car and drove toward Gert’s Diner, passing the Fire Station on their way. “You want to stop and tell him you’re okay?” Rachel asked.
“I sent him a text. He knows where to find me.”
“So,” Kendall said, staring into the rearview mirror. “You and Griff are back on as a couple?”
“I’d say that’s a yes,” Rachel chuckled. “If they weren’t, why would she have been in his house this morning?”
Kendall grinned. “He could just be neighborly.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” Rachel said with a hardy laugh. “Rumor has it they spent the night at the Hampton Inn.”
Her mouth fell open in surprise. “How did you find out about that? Did Lucas tell you?”
Rachel turned around, her brows tightly together. “Lucas knew?”
“Of course, he knew,” she hissed. “He visited us there.”
Rachel tightened her mouth. “Oh, I’m going to get him for that.”
“It wasn’t Lucas?” Kendall asked. “Then who?”
“I do the website for the hotel,” Rachel said, “I saw them leaving yesterday morning, but I didn’t want to say anything to draw attention.”
“I thought you worked from home?” she asked. “What are you doing hanging out at the hotel?”
“I met with the new manager. He wanted to make some changes to the website and I thought it best if we met in person for our first project.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” Kendall glared at her friend. “I’m kept in the dark?”
“I haven’t spoken to you since then. You’ve been too busy at the shop.”
“I’ll give you a pass this time,” she grumbled. “I have been swamped lately.”
“No customers at the Hair Pin today?” she asked, hoping to change the conversation.
“Not until this afternoon. Then I’m slammed until late this evening.”
“So,” Rachel said. “Back to you and Griff.”
She groaned. “Do we have to talk about it?”
“Don’t pull that on us,” Kendall scolded. “We’ve known you too long to fall prey to you being annoyed.”
“It’s just that I’m afraid to jinx it. I don’t have to tell you girls how rough the last year has been. Griff and I are taking it slow. I don’t want anyone to get in our business and make it confusing.”
“No pressure, I get it. And we wouldn’t do that to you,” Rachel promised. “We’re just curious. You’re one of our best friends and we want to see you happy.”
“I know, and I appreciate it. It’s just,” she struggled with what to say. “I want to be with him. After really understanding what happened all those years ago and getting to know Griff as he is now, him getting to know me, I want to go there with him again. I mean, we’re on that track for sure. But, I can’t completely get rid of that voice in my head that tells me opening my heart means he has the ability to hurt me. I don’t want to believe that he will, and he hasn’t done anything to indicate that he would, but I didn’t think Clint would either and I was very, very wrong about that.”
“He’s not like Clint, Olivia,” Rachel said sincerely. “Two completely different men.”
“Logically, I know that. But it’s just going to take time for that to really sink in. I want to just wait and see how it goes.”
“You’re trying, that’s the most important thing,” Kendall said, smiling at her in the rearview mirror.
Pulling into the diner, they got out of the car and headed inside. It no longer felt the same without Candi being their waitress, but she was a full-time wife to Austin, a mom to Tyler and a college student now.
Sitting down, Lily Farris came to their table. “You ladies want to start with coffee?”
“Yes, please,” they all said in unison.
As Lily walked away to retrieve the coffee pot, Olivia noticed Clint heading over. “Ugh,” she tried to hide her face with her hand but it was too late. He sauntered to their table, a smug look on his face. She used to think the expression was just confidence, a good-natured smile, but now she saw it for the arrogance it was, and it turned her stomach.
“Morning, ladies.”
They nodded, but no one said a word.
“Can’t believe you’re all still mad. I’ve apologized.” Looking directly at her, he said, “It wasn’t personal. The heart just wants what it wants.”
She scowled, but before she could say anything Kendall gritted out, “And you think that makes it all better? Well, it doesn’t. No one believes for a second you ‘loved’ Rhonda. Go back to your table.”
Angling himself so he was facing only her, he ignored Kendall and said, “I hear there’s a lot of trouble at the Fire Station. Fires all over town. I spoke to one of the Council members and they didn’t think they’d have this problem if I’d been hired,” he said sadly.
She again opened her mouth to speak but Rachel got there first. “Well, you weren’t. We don’t want you in Rainwater. And Griff Bradford is a better fireman than you’ll ever be.”
“You ladies need to learn how to talk with a little more respect,” he glared at Rachel. “Right about now, being mean might be dangerous.”
Enough was enough. Olivia straightened and took out her cell phone, holding it up. “Are you threatening us?” she shouted. “Because if you are, I have Lucas, David, Austin and Griff all on speed dial. They can be here in minutes.”
He held up his hands and grinned. “Being threatening is the farthest thing from my mind.” Slipping his fingers in the front pockets of his jeans, he backed away, snickering. “My, you ladies sure are touchy.” Turning, he went to the front door and left the restaurant.
“He’s behind all this, if you ask me,” Kendall said. “He’s so damn slimy.”
“I can’t stand to look at him,” Rachel added. “And just wait until Lucas finds out he harassed us today.”
“He didn’t really do anything wrong,” she said. “He just wants to make a nuisance of himself.”
“Well, he sure accomplished that,” Kendall said.
“God, what did I ever see in him?” she huffed, resting her head on the table.
Kendall reached over and patted her on the back. “He wasn’t like that before. At least, he hid it well.”
Lifting her head, she looked at her friends and asked, “Why did he ever get involved with me in the first place? Why ask me to marry him?”
“I don’t know, sweetie,” Rachel responded, frowning. “He got involved with you because you are a catch and a giving person. I don’t know why he took it as far as he did.”
After a longer breakfast than she’d planned, she returned home to find her new door installed and the keys hanging on the doorknob.
She went inside and immediately began cleaning up the mess left behind from the explosion. It seemed splinters were everywhere. She even had to vacuum the couch.
That task finished, she decided to do what relaxed her most—bake cookies for the firemen. An hour later, she drove to the station, her car filled with the aroma of fresh baked goodies. Parking, she was just reaching for the handle to get out when Ross Kelley suddenly appeared and opened the door for her.
She knew about his suspension and hoped he hadn’t cornered her about that. One man nagging her about the Fire Chief position today was plenty.
Nodding towards the tin in her hand, he asked, “Cookies?”
“Yeah. Thought you boys could use a treat, considering.”
“Kind of you,” he smiled. “May I?” A little dumb-founded at the conversation, she nodded mutely. He opened the container, took a cookie, and smiled again. “How are you today, Olivia?”
She found him a little on the conceited side. Always boasting ab
out being the best man on the force and things like that. His polite demeanor was now unsettling. “I’m fine.”
“You know, Shelia Calhoun came by today and spent time with Griff.”
Her shoulders tightened. “Is that so? What did she want?”
“I have no idea. I’m not allowed inside the station, but I know they were closed up in his office for quite some time.”
She inhaled a soothing breath. “I’m sure it was nothing. Excuse me.” He backed up a step and she got out of the car, slamming the door behind her.
“I wouldn’t be so sure, if I were you.” His gaze dropped. “There was that rumor Griff got her pregnant.”
Anger and humiliation coursed through her veins. “That proved to be a disgusting lie and I resent you bringing it up. Griff didn’t do anything.”
Kelley shrugged. “That’s what Griff claims, anyway.”
“And I believe him.” Stomping away, she turned back and said, “You’d do well to mind your own business, Ross Kelley. My grandma wouldn’t take kindly to hear you were spreading gossip about me.” With that, she stormed into the bay, her hackles raised.
As she entered, Griff came out the greet her. He kissed her soundly on the lips then, noticing how tense she was, lifted his head. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She went to move around him but he stopped her, pulling her close.
“Hmm. Well, not to upset you further, but Sheila came by today. I don’t know what she hoped to accomplish, but I sent her ass packing. I made it clear I belonged to you.”
She gazed into his smoldering gray eyes and her shoulders relaxed a hair. “You did?”
He leaned down and captured her mouth in a sizzling kiss that left her dizzy. “Damn right, I did. It’s you and me, Olivia. Now and forever. If you’ll have me.”
Smiling against his lips, she nodded.
Pulling back, he scanned her face. “So, what’s bothering you?”
Huffing, she confessed, “Ross met me outside and told me you were with Sheila behind the closed door of your office for a long time, insinuating you guys were up to something. It fired me up for a moment, but I trust you, so I didn’t believe a word he said. Then, it angered me that he used something like that to get at you. It was like he was trying to cause you trouble by riling me up, reminding me of why we split in the first place. It was cruel,” she whispered the last part.
Rubbing her shoulders, he pulled her closer. “I’m sorry he said anything to you. But,” leaning down so he could peer into her face, his lips tilted up on one side. “I’m happy that you trust me enough to catch him at his own game.”
She smiled a little and shook her head. “We’re getting there, Griff.”
“And I’m grateful every day that we are. As for Kelley,” he straightened. “I’m working on getting him fired. I spoke with your dad and he didn’t think that was a bad idea. He’s kept excellent records of Kelley’s poor job performance.”
“Good. But that’s not all that happened to upset me.”
His jaw ticked and his nostrils flared. “He did something else?” he gritted out.
“No, not him,” she shook her head. “I sent you the text telling you Kendall and Rachel had come by and we went to Gert’s Diner for breakfast.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I got it.”
“Guess who was there?”
He put his arm around her, guiding her toward the housing area. “Who?”
“Clint. He even came over and in a roundabout way threatened us.”
He stopped abruptly and turned her to face him. “What exactly did he say?”
“Kendall and Rachel let him have it and he said we should be nicer to him or something might happen.”
“Son of a bitch,” he cursed loudly.
“Rachel called Lucas right away and he said he’d take care of it and for us to be careful,” she quickly assured him.
Nodding, he regained his composure. “I trust Lucas will shut him down.” Calmer now, he sniffed then lifted the lid of the container she held. “Are those snickerdoodles?”
“Yes, Cody and Beck love them.”
“So do I.” He reached in and took out three cookies then stuffed half of one in his mouth. “Perfect.”
He put his arm around her waist and finished guiding her to the living area. Seeing the tin in her hand, Steven immediately jumped up and relieved her of the container of cookies, rushing to the corner to keep them all to himself. That ended in a good-natured scuffle between him and the other men in the room. She laughed at their antics.
“Thanks, Olivia. You’re the best,” Cody said, chewing his well fought for cookie. “Griff, you’re one lucky man.”
He laughed. “I agree a hundred percent.”
She smiled at their praise. They always made her feel good. “It’s my pleasure. You guys do a very hard job and it’s the least I can do.”
“Well,” Beck said. “Don’t stop.”
Lonnie came in and headed right for the cookies. “Yum, Olivia.” He crammed two cookies into his mouth then went into the kitchen.
“Do not drink milk out of the carton, Lonnie,” Cody warned. “If you do, I’m banning you from the station for a week.”
Lonnie stomped back into the living area, grabbed a hand full of cookies and stalked out.
Steven looked at Griff. “Something’s been bothering him for a while. I wonder if him and his mom are fighting again.”
“If he’d get a job there wouldn’t be any fights. She’s sick of taking care of him,” Cody said.
Figuring that was her cue to leave, Olivia turned to head out. Griff put his arm around her shoulders. “Let me walk you out.”
As they made their way to her car, she commented, “I’m glad the guys like cookies. Baking is my way of relaxing.”
“You need to take it easy,” he said, kissing her right temple. “You took quite a shock.”
“I have a new door.” She gazed up at him. “Thank you for taking care of that for me.”
“I just ordered a door.”
“You ordered a door, made sure it would be installed today and it’s absolutely beautiful.”
He smiled. “You like it?”
“Love it.”
They stood next to her vehicle staring at each other and he reached for her hand. “Thank you for believing me about Sheila.”
“I do, and I should’ve years ago. I was so silly.”
“As long as we’re okay now, it doesn’t matter.”
“We’re more than okay.”
He pulled her into his arms. “When we move in together can it be my house instead of yours?”
She pushed back. “What?”
“I’m not saying I don’t like your place. I do. But I’ve barely had the opportunity to really enjoy my house.” He held up a finger. “And mine’s a little bigger. We’ll need that when kids come along.”
She laughed and pressed her hand to her chest. “We’ve gone from sleeping together to moving in and having kids? Aren’t you moving a little fast?”
He grasped her shoulders. “I love you. I always have. I want to marry you and I want you to be the mother of my kids.”
“Is that a proposal?” she said breathlessly.
“Yes, but I haven’t had a chance to get a ring yet. Once this mess is behind us that will be my top priority. And before you panic,” he put his finger to her lips. “We can get married whenever you’re ready. A week from now, a month, a year. I just want everyone to see that you’re mine and that’s never going to change.”
She bit his finger playfully and he pulled it back, smiling. “It definitely won’t be a week from now, and probably not next month either, but I do love you Griff, always have, even when I hated you. So, if you can wait for me, then my answer is yes, I’ll marry you.”
Gathering her in his arms, he kissed her soundly. “I love you, Olivia Anderson.”
After a thoroughly enjoyable mini-make-out session, she slipped behind the wheel and started the engine. As
she backed out, grinning from ear to ear, she couldn’t help but feel that someone was watching them, and her smile faded.
Chapter 21
After Olivia left, Griff got in his vehicle. He had business to take care of. Arriving at his destination in record time, he opened the car door, marched up the walk and pounded on the door.
When Ross Kelley saw him, he stepped back and scowled. “What do you want?”
“I don’t want you to ever speak to Olivia again. Not even hello. As your boss, I can’t knock the hell out of you, but as the man who plans to marry her, I can do a whole lot of shit you’re not going to like. I’ll start with submitting the necessary paperwork to get you fired for coming to the station while under suspension.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Watch me.” He turned and walked away.
“That job should’ve been mine. I was the next in line!” Kelley shouted at his back.
He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “Is that why you’ve been setting all the fires? Blew Olivia’s door off the hinges?”
Kelley’s eyes grew. “What? No, no. I’d never set a fire. Are you crazy?”
“Maybe, but I’m going to find out who’s responsible and when I do, they’ll be serving time in prison.”
Back in his car, he drove to the police station and went into Lucas’ office. David was sitting on the edge of the desk, but stopped talking when he walked in.
Addressing Lucas, he asked, “What did you say to Butler? Olivia said he hassled the girls at breakfast this morning.”
“I drove to his mom’s and called him outside.” Lucas took a sip of iced tea that appeared to be left over from his lunch. “I made it clear that we’re watching him closely. Also, I told him David was just looking for an excuse to pay him a visit and, this time, I didn’t plan to hold him back.”
“That’s right,” David said, his face glum. “He has no business approaching anyone, much less Olivia and her friends in a diner. I’m shocked he still feels confident enough to show his face around here.”
Lucas grunted. “Don’t be surprised it Grandma Hope smacks him down with her purse of peaches.”
