The Guarded Widow

by K M Gaffney

  Ignoring her pithy comment, he easily lifted the box onto a broad shoulder and carried it up the steps. After returning to the basement, he asked, “Anything else?”

  Olivia cast him a cool glance.

  “No! That’s the last of it,” she huffed out, making him chuckle under his breath.

  She’s still mad; he thought with a shake of his head and began wandering around the entire expanse of the basement. He glanced at her again, her expression was mutinous.

  In an attempt to break the ice, he asked with a teasing grin on his face. “Do we still need to go Christmas shopping?”

  Recognizing his desire to call a truce and being the type of person, who could never stay mad long, Olivia grinned, more than pleased to show him the answer. Smiling smugly, she practically danced over to a large padlocked storage unit. Gavin watched her as she gleefully pulled a key out of her pocket, opened the lock and lifted the lid.

  “I pride myself on being organized. I need to have all the gifts purchased and wrapped by Thanksgiving Day. All I have to do yet is take the boys on their Christmas tree hike and prepare a Christmas dinner.”

  Gavin gave her an appreciative smile. “Thank God, I hate to shop.”

  Still marveling over her exceptional organizational skills, he squatted down to peruse the myriad collection of colorfully wrapped gifts.

  “So when will we go on this tree hike?”

  Olivia arched a brow at him. She wasn’t used to the “we” aspect of him staying there yet.

  “We, have basketball tonight, although I’m sure you’re well aware of that. To be honest, the boys and I just started this new tradition after Tom passed away. We usually go on our hike and trim the tree on Christmas Eve; it’s a great way to start off the holiday.”

  She relocked the storage unit and turned.

  “I’ll make us some lunch before I start decorating the house.”

  “I’ll be up in a minute,” Gavin replied, watching her disappear up the stairs.

  As he stood there, looking at the empty stairwell, he reluctantly acknowledged the strange sensations constricting his chest.

  “I think I’m falling for her,” he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

  After all these years, how did I manage to get hung up on a sassy woman with four kids?

  With that final thought, he followed Olivia upstairs to join her for lunch.

  The boys returned home from school extremely excited to see their new house guest, making their mother feel like chopped liver as she watched her sons talk endlessly with Gavin. While she gave them their after school snacks, she informed them of the basketball game scheduled for the night.

  “Are you coming too?” Michael asked Gavin before he ran upstairs to get changed.

  “I am the referee,” he replied, laughing at the pleased expression on Michael’s face.

  “Can I sit beside you in the car?” Luke asked, shoving the last of his granola bar into his mouth.

  Overhearing that question, Olivia looked directly at Gavin. She’d never considered they would go everywhere together, all of them as one unit. She needed to protect her children, didn’t want them growing too attached to Gavin because one day in the very near future he’d walk back out of their lives. She didn’t want the boys considering him part of their family and eventually being crushed. She could tell they liked having him there. A lot!

  Gavin saw the hesitancy in her eyes and said to Luke.

  “Let me talk to your, Mom.”

  “I need to talk to you, right now, in the garage,” she huffed, stalking by him.

  He obligingly followed her out. “What’s wrong, Olivia?”

  She took a deep breath. “I guess I just realized people are going to find out that you’re staying here. It will look as though…well, they will think that we are …”

  Gavin crossed his arms over his chest as he listened to her struggle with her words, and then interrupted her.

  “Given the circumstances, I’m sure people will understand why a police officer is staying with you and your children.”

  She looked into his eyes. “I just don’t think we should go everywhere together. I don’t want us pretending to be a family. That would also be confusing for the boys and I don’t want people thinking we’re together. It just looks bad.”

  Gavin clenched his jaw, suddenly sensing annoyance and frustration threatening to erupt.

  “Fine, then you can follow me there,” he snapped, striding out of the garage.

  The two opposing teams were still practicing on the court when Gavin blew the whistle to start the game. Why was I so annoyed with her in the garage? He wondered, watching the boys disperse and hurry over to their respective teams. He understood her concern for her sons’ well being, but still felt irrationally irritated.

  Seconds later, he realized why.

  It dawned on him as he watched Jeff Masters approach Olivia. She doesn’t want to give other people or better yet, other men, the wrong impression about us.

  Coach Rathton waved at Gavin to let him know they were ready to start the game. After one final glance at Olivia and Jeff, he threw the ball into the air to initiate the tip off. He didn’t like what he saw.

  Annoyed that Jeff had once again managed to plant himself directly beside her, Olivia decided to ignore him, doing her best to keep her attention focused on the game.

  But Jeff was compelled to make an earnest attempt at conversation and when she didn’t respond adequately, he began to feel frustrated.

  She keeps watching Rafferty, Jeff silently brooded.

  With only a few minutes of the game remaining, he decided it was time to obtain her undivided attention. So he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her over toward him, whispering in her ear.

  “Olivia, I heard about all your troubles.”

  Although it grated Jeff when her body tensed in response to his close proximity, it did help his ego to see Gavin pause, mid stride, to watch them.

  “I also heard a rumor this could be related to Tom,” he said, noting Gavin’s repeated glances in their direction. “I’d like to privately speak with you about a job I’d done for Tom. It was years ago, when your house was being renovated.”

  Her head whipped around before he’d finished uttering his last word.

  I’ve got her attention now, he snidely thought.

  “Do you want to find a quiet place to talk?”

  Olivia didn’t need to be asked twice. She was already on her feet, hurriedly making her way down the bleachers.

  Just as Jeff was about to follow her out of the gymnasium, he turned around and deliberately flashed an antagonizing smile directly at the referee.

  By the time the game ended, Gavin was furious.

  Masters purposely bated me with that departing smile. He knew I’d be wondering why Olivia left with him.

  On his way out of the gym, he stopped and laid a hand on Tommy’s shoulder.

  “I’m going to go find your Mom and then we’ll head back to the house. Round up your brothers,” he commanded before he striding out.

  Where is she? Gavin fumed as he rounded the last hallway, prepared to take his search

  outdoors. He found them, in a dimly lit corner of the hallway corridor, deeply engrossed in private conversation.

  Jeff was hovering over her, with one hand braced up against the wall, partially blocking Olivia from his view. At just a few feet away from them, Gavin overheard her say, “Thank you so much for telling me Jeff.”

  Already pissed, his temper completely erupted when he saw her stiffen as Jeff moved in and embraced her.

  So being the level headed man that he was, Gavin ushered fair warning.

  “Back away from her, Masters!”

  Instead of heeding the warning, Jeff flashed a cocky smile and foolishly decided to swing an arm over her shoulders. He’d just turned to address the man who approached them, when Gavin’s hand shot out.

  Gavin grabbed Jeff’s arm and violently spun hi
m off Olivia.

  Gaping in shock, she helplessly watched as Jeff Masters flew up against the exposed brick wall.

  “Gavin Rafferty, what in the world is wrong with you?” she demanded, furiously.

  Jeff regained his footing and now faced Gavin with rage contorting his normally laid back features. Olivia, having made a quick assessment of the situation, and realized how poorly this could end for both parties, began frantically tugging on Gavin’s arm.

  “Let go of me,” he warned, keeping his eyes on Jeff. “Olivia, go pack up the boys and head back to the house. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Glaring up at him, she heatedly stated, “Gavin Rafferty, you have no right to…”

  Jeff Masters had been waiting for his window of opportunity to open. When it did, he took it by lunging forward and swinging. Only, Gavin merely sidestepped him, and landed a direct hit deep within Jeff’s soft abdomen.

  Hauling him up against the brick wall, Gavin glared into Jeff’s enraged face, and without bothering to even look at her, demanded a second time that Olivia gather up the kids and go home.

  Thoroughly embarrassed by his outrageous behavior, Olivia parked the SUV in the garage and stalked right back out the open garage door and stood, with her hands on her hips, in the middle of the driveway.

  Seconds later Gavin’s truck appeared, slowly drifting up to the house. He’d barely finished engaging the emergency brake when she stormed over and whipped open the driver’s side door.

  He just sat there inside the dimly lit cabin, casually watching her while she railed at him.

  “Gavin Rafferty! You had no idea what was going on when you found us, in that hallway! Jeff had just finished telling me that he’d installed some kind of hidden safe in the house when it was being renovated. He’d felt compelled to share that information with me, given the fact that someone had recently attacked me in my own home.”

  She angrily slammed her hand on the hood of his truck.

  “What is wrong with you?”

  He’d been prepared to apologize to her. Just as he’d been prepared to land a fist into Masters’ snide face, at least until Jeff had the intelligence to spill the information he’d shared with Olivia. But now as she stood there before him, with her hazel eyes a darker shade of green and spitting fire, he chose a different means to an end and slowly slid his tall frame out of the truck.

  A slow grin spread over his face as he walked forward and grabbed her hand, forcefully hauling her up against him. His eyes darkened as he spoke in a dangerously low voice.

  “I didn’t like how close he was to you. I don’t like to see or know of any man touching you,” Gavin explained, his tone deceptively calm. “Especially not, Masters. He’s had his eye on you from the start.”

  Then he brought his mouth down upon hers. Viciously, as though staking claim to what was his.

  A warm tingling started in her toes and slowly surged upward through her body. It never once registered that she should pull away. Instead, Olivia heatedly met his demands, sliding her hands up over his jacket, thrilled to feel the hard strength in his shoulders.

  Longing to touch her, he shifted his own hands underneath her coat and skimmed them over the thin cotton covering her breasts. Her low sigh of approval nearly pushed him to his breaking point. Gavin knew he needed to gain control or he’d end up dragging her onto the hood of his truck.

  So he shoved her away and turned his back to take a deep breath, trying to clamp down on the fierce desire raging within him.

  “Olivia, you need to go into your house and leave me alone. I need a few minutes,” he ground out between clenched teeth.

  She stared at him for a moment.

  “You’d promised not touch or kiss me again,” she stated, coldly.

  Gavin turned around to rake a scorching gaze over her.

  “I promised not to touch you or kiss you while I was in your house. But we aren’t standing inside your house right now,” he said with a contemptuous smile.

  She narrowed her eyes at him.

  Smiling arrogantly, Gavin replied, “Besides, I didn’t feel you resisting.”

  Angrily spinning on her heels, Olivia marched back into her house. She hated it when he was right.

  The following morning Olivia never encountered him until she’d returned from the bus stop, which was Gavin’s intent. He’d decided it was best to hole up in his room for the remainder of the night. After mulling over the events of the previous evening, he eventually admitted to himself that he did overreact to Jeff Masters.

  So he decided he owed Olivia an apology.

  Again.

  He found her sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee resting within the curved palm of her hand.

  Lost in her own thoughts, she gazed silently out the sliding glass door.

  “Good Morning,” he said, walking over to pour a cup of coffee.

  She merely flicked him a split second glance before returning her gaze back to the outdoors again.

  Gavin walked over and tugged a chair out to sit down. He sat facing her in silence for a few moments before finally speaking. Never once did she look his way, purposefully averted her gaze.

  “I owe you another apology,” he told her, sheepishly.

  Olivia finally looked at him, keeping her face void of any emotion.

  “Gavin, I’ve never been so embarrassed in my entire life. Jeff Masters has been interested in me for years, since high school and I’ve always been able to handle him. Last night, when you came rampaging down the hall, the look in your eyes scared me. I was afraid you would seriously hurt him.”

  Gavin sighed. It was his turn to stare out the sliding glass door.

  “I’m going to be very honest with you, Olivia. I did want to hurt him. I didn’t like him holding you.” He paused a moment before he spoke again. “I want to be the only one to touch you.”

  Hesitantly, she breathed out a quiet laugh.

  “Well I’ve gathered that much, Gavin.”

  As his deep blue eyes sought hers, regret shaded them.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I lose my head when it comes to you. I promise it won’t happen again. Never. Not anywhere.”

  She offered him a soft smile. “I will hold you to that promise.”

  Then she reached out, placing her hand over his as she confessed. “I believe I have feelings for you too, Gavin. I just don’t know what to do about them.”

  She stood up and with an alluring smile, walked over to him.

  “You know, I’m beginning to think I don’t want to hold you to that first promise you made me, your promise not to kiss me.” She ran a teasing fingertip along his jaw, giving him a sultry look before bending down to brush her lips ever so gently over his. “I definitely know I don’t want the not anywhere, never, clause applied to your first promise.”

  Gavin grabbed her hands, drawing her down onto his lap.

  “Olivia, don’t play with me,” he warned.

  Her lashes lowered, sensually, as she gave him an enticing smile.

  “Kiss me, Gavin. I’m inviting you too.”

  He wrapped an arm around her waist, growling with pleasure. “I’m pleased to accept your invitation.”

  Stunned by his desperation for her, she molded her body to his and completely poured herself into the kiss, making him groan aloud from sexual frustration.

  She loved how it made her feel, the heady rush of sexual power from knowing he wanted only her.

  Drowning, Gavin realized she had no intentions of ending their embrace and even though it went against every carnal instinct, he pulled away and held her at arms length.

  “Olivia, I fully intend to respect your wishes regarding sex. But I can only take so much and you need to get off my lap, right now,” he told her and promptly dropped her onto a kitchen chair.

  Walking briskly toward the front door, he yelled over his shoulder.

  “I’m going for a run.” Then he shut the front door behind him.

 
; Olivia, feeling shaky from the intensity of their kiss, dropped back against the chair, realizing she needed her own time to regroup.

  Since Gavin was gone for the time being, Olivia decided to take an opportunity to sneak into the guest bedroom and search for the hidden safe. Her intentions were to get in and out, before he returned. Not wanting to risk the possibility of being discovered, she hurried up the staircase.

  The guest room had originally served for years as Tom’s office and Jeff had specifically stated that he’d installed a hidden safe inside the office’s closet. But that doesn’t necessarily mean anything; she told herself, trying not to get her hopes up. Impatient to discover whether it was true or not, she hastily pushed aside Gavin’s clothes in order to view the left rear wall of the closet.

  Sure enough, when she brushed her fingers over the plaster she could feel a slight texture difference. As per Jeff’s instructions, she swept her fingers up to the ceiling, found a small lever, and then forced it down. The wall sprang open, revealing a small safe nestled discreetly inside.

  She stared at it. Once again facing the knowledge that the man she’d been married to for twelve years had been a man of many secrets and wondered what he would’ve used as a combination. Knowing Tom, at least as much as I thought I did, he probably would’ve used one of our birthdays; she mused and started with the boys’ birthdays.

  She smiled with satisfaction when her fourth attempt unlocked the safe. But as the door loudly unbolted and the heavy door creaked open, she grimaced over the irony that it was her own birth date Tom had chosen for the combination. After inspecting the entire belly of the safe by running her fingers over every inch, she realized it was empty and was overcome by an overwhelming disappointment. She’d thought she’d finally be finding the answers she so desperately sought and was crushed to learn that once again she’d hit a dead end.

  “What are you doing in here, Olivia?”

  The sound of Gavin’s voice made her jump, hitting her head on the open safe door. She winced from pain and abruptly spun around, feeling like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She hoped to jump out quickly, but accidentally entangled herself within some of his clothes. By the time she had wrenched herself free Gavin had closed the distance between them and now stood before her with narrowed eyes and sweat trickling down his face, blocking the exit out of the closet.