by Sonya Weiss
As soon as she arrived back in Butler Field, Beth was waiting for her. Olivia hugged her friend warmly and the two got into Beth’s small Honda.
“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Beth asked, merging into the traffic leaving the area.
“I’ve had enough bad news lately. Give me the good news to soften the blow.”
“The good news is, an assistant for an actress from that prison sitcom wants you to make her daughter’s wedding dress. The daughter’s assistant called the shop this morning and wanted to know if we could meet her a week from now to discuss the details prior to meeting the daughter.”
“Have my assistant call and set that up,” Olivia said with a grin.
“Ha ha, I’ll get my assistant right on that.”
Olivia laughed, then sobered. “The bad news?”
“Larry also called. Apparently, your father discovered the identity of your hottie boyfriend, so you’re a little late with this trek. Needless to say, he was not ecstatic.”
Looking at her watch, Olivia groaned. With it being Thursday and close to lunch, that meant it was the time he had his speech therapy as part of the hospital’s stroke rehabilitation program. If they headed that way now, she’d arrive within seconds of him finishing the session and he wouldn’t be in a good mood. On the other hand, she could deal with it and get it over with. That idea certainly held some appeal.
“Let me go see him first if you don’t mind.”
“Why don’t I drop you off and then you call me when you’re ready? This way, I can get some stuff finished up before I leave to go to Chicago with you.”
“That’ll work,” Olivia said. Though she loved her father deeply, she didn’t look forward to the meeting. His doctor had explained that her father’s anger and anxiety were a result of the psychological trauma he’d endured because of having the stroke. Her father was considered one of the luckier ones, and his long-term prognosis was good, but the aphasia he’d had to deal with since the stroke caused him a great deal of frustration. He often took the frustration as well as his anger out on her. She knew it was because he hated having to depend on anyone else. The independent streak she had was one she’d learned from him.
At the short-term residential care center, located across the street from Butler Field Hospital, Olivia made sure her cell phone was on silent. If it rang when she happened to visit him, it seemed to make her father’s anger flare. Whenever they’d butted heads in the past, she’d let him stew about whatever bugged him, because she refused to make someone else’s issues her responsibility. But the stroke had changed that dynamic. She pasted a smile on her face and walked into her father’s room.
Carl Carter sat in a wheelchair by the window, a blanket over his legs despite the warmth of the day. His friend Larry lounged in a seat across from him reading aloud from the newspaper’s sports page. Larry, who’d always reminded Olivia of jolly old Santa, put the paper aside and got up as soon as he saw her. “I’ll take a walk and let the two of you visit.” He quickly left the room, his shoes echoing down the hallway.
Olivia took the vacated seat. “Hi, Dad.”
He swung his gaze toward her and spoke in the slow, halting way she’d come to expect. “Bad.”
“What’s bad?”
His brows drew together. “Fire.”
Her heart pounded. “A fire or the night of the fire?”
He looked away. “Bad.” Then he looked back at her, struggling to find the word he needed. “Mason.”
Olivia realized that she couldn’t tell her father the truth about the made-up boyfriend. If she did, and then couldn’t afford to continue getting her father the help he needed, he might lose the progress he’d already made. “Yes, he’s my…boyfriend.” Her heart skipped a beat when she thought of Mason. Since the jazz festival, the romantic walk in the rain, and the tender kiss good-night, things had been different between them. Though there was still an electric undercurrent, it was one without anger fueling it, and Olivia knew that it was twice as dangerous. The anger had helped her keep thoughts of anything developing with Mason where they belonged.
Her father’s face blanked. “Bad.”
“He’s actually not that bad once you get to know him.” Olivia realized with a jolt that she spoke the truth. At his core, Mason wasn’t a bad person. He was a wounded one.
“Go.”
“Dad…”
He looked away and after a few minutes, Olivia got up and leaned over him to press a kiss to the side of his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Go.”
When he didn’t like what anyone said, that was her father’s standard response. Simply to order the person to leave. “You want me to bring you anything tomorrow when I come by?”
“Go.”
“Okay.” Trying not to take her father’s behavior personally, Olivia dialed Beth’s number on her way out of the room and told her she’d wait out front for her. Then she checked her voicemail. One from Mason telling her his pilot would arrive in Texas in the morning and not to be stubborn about accepting the flight back. She smiled at that. He thought she was the stubborn one?
The smile was still on her lips when Beth returned.
“You’re smiling. The visit went well?”
“No, actually, it didn’t. He didn’t speak much again, but I know he was furious.”
“I’m sorry.” Beth reached across her seat and squeezed her hand before passing her a berry smoothie. “Thought you could use this.”
“Thanks.” Olivia put the straw through the lid and took a grateful sip.
“After we close up the shop for the day, we should go grab a few drinks and just relax and celebrate.”
“Celebrate?” Olivia shot her a quizzical look.
“Over this.” Tapping a newspaper between them, Beth said. “Nice picture of you and Mason at some fancy hotel in Chicago along with a glowing article about the shop and the designs.”
Olivia picked up the paper. What drew her eye was the photograph of Mason staring down at her as if she were the only woman alive. As if he couldn’t get enough of her. She remembered every second of how his hands felt against her back as he’d escorted her in. Her mind wandered to their kiss on the way to the party. That had been a different Mason from the one she’d discovered at the jazz festival. The man at the party was the one who’d destroy her life to get what he wanted. The man at the festival had shown her glimpses of the boy who’d fascinated her high school. The boy who would risk his life to save a dog.
“So we celebrate?” Beth turned on the street leading to the shop.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Olivia folded the paper and placed it so Mason’s profile wasn’t in her visual field. She needed to stop thinking about him. When the six weeks were over, there was no doubt in her mind they’d go their separate ways. The last thing she needed to do was to get hung up on him.
“Good, I’m glad you agree, because I already committed us to being there.”
“Being where?”
“I ran into some of the crew from high school while I was getting the smoothie. Seth and Bobby are here visiting their parents. I told them we’d meet them, their wives, and the rest of the others at the bar.”
The mention of the names of two football players caused Olivia’s stomach to tighten. They’d been at the party, and though both of them had been friendly before, after that night, they avoided her. Later, while she and Beth worked on business details, she still struggled with knots in her stomach. Maybe she shouldn’t go to the bar with Beth. It didn’t feel right, and she’d learned to always trust her instincts.
Besides, she could catch up on some work. Instead of hitting the bar, she could hang around the shop and make some phone calls to her fabric suppliers to find out about shipping material to Chicago. She needed to find out how much the rates would change. If the cost went up too much, she’d have to do something else.
When six o’clock rolled around, Beth switched the sign to the close
d side and did her funny Saturday Night Fever dance moves in the foyer. The antics never failed to make Olivia laugh.
“Party time. Go change your clothes and we’ll head to the bar.”
“Actually, if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to stay here.” Olivia pressed a hand to her stomach. “Probably nothing, but I’m not feeling so hot.”
“Oh, no!” Beth’s expression instantly sobered. “I can stay with you and skip going out.”
“No, you go on ahead. You’ve worked extra hard lately and I want you to go out and have fun. I’ll finish up some things here, and then I plan on heading to my house for a nice hot bath.”
“Okay. I’ll drink one for you and dance with any handsome men twice. Once for you and once for me.” She winked and sailed out the door singing the lyrics to a popular rock song.
Shaking her head at her friend’s off-key rendition, Olivia walked behind the counter and her cell phone rang. Scrambling back around the counter, she rushed to answer in case it was something about her father. Mason was on the line instead.
“I know why you’re calling. You can’t go a day without hearing my sexy voice, right?” she joked.
“That sounds about right. I’m actually calling to tell you that I saw a location you can work from near my office.”
“Near your office? How much is the rent?”
He named a figure and Olivia gasped. “No, I’m not going to be there long enough for it to be worth signing a lease.”
“Don’t worry about the cost. I can afford it. I can easily use the space for something else once you’ve signed over the land and left.”
“I said no, Mason.”
“Actually, I signed the paperwork already.”
Olivia rubbed her forehead. “Then you use it. I told you that I didn’t need anything from you.” She’d have to deal with this when she returned to Chicago. There was no way she was going to go along with his plans. It was a waste of money and time since she wasn’t going to be around long, and she didn’t want to be lumped in with women who always took something from Mason. She lowered her hand and muttered, “I knew I should have joined Beth and the crew for a drink.”
“The crew?”
“Some people we knew from high school are visiting. We were supposed to meet them at the bar but I didn’t feel like it so she went.”
“What people?”
Taken aback by the sharpness of his tone, Olivia said, “I told you. Some of the kids from high school. A couple of them were on the football team. You probably knew them. Seth Rivers and Bobby Pressman.”
“Where are you?”
“The shop, why?”
“Stay put. I’ll be there in a few hours.”
“You’re going to fly all the way to Texas just because I mentioned some people from high school? Why? What’s going on?”
“I’m asking you to trust me.”
“Okay, but I told you I didn’t feel like going to the bar, so I’m not meeting up with any of them.”
“Please lock up, turn off the lights, and go into your office. Wait there for me.” The line went dead.
She stared at the screen. Mason’s reaction made her nervous. Biting her lip, she slid her cell phone into the pocket of her skirt.
Deciding she’d waste time she didn’t have to spare trying to figure that one out, Olivia went back to work, uncomfortable with the way her stomach felt and uncomfortable, too, that she looked forward to seeing Mason.
Chapter Seven
A few hours later, Mason exited the taxi and stared at the door of Forever. The lights in Olivia’s shop should have been off, but were lit up instead. From where he stood, he couldn’t see her inside, and he didn’t like not knowing if Olivia was safe or not. The minute she’d said the names of the football players, he’d known he had to get to Olivia. Though he hadn’t been able to prove it yet, there’d been plenty of rumors going around that Olivia wasn’t the first girl the two had tried to rape. He was afraid of them being anywhere near her. The night of the jazz festival had changed the driving anger he’d felt toward her. He’d known that night that he didn’t hate Olivia. Had never really hated her. He thrust a handful of bills at the cab driver and hurried toward the front entrance.
Olivia had her back pressed against the wall behind the counter, her eyes huge in her beautiful face. In her hand, she held a silver letter opener extended, and though she looked afraid, she also looked determined.
“Back off,” she said.
Facing her, standing far too close, his hands out, his tone a mixture of threat and pleading, stood Seth Rivers.
Mason would be damned if he’d let history repeat itself with that jackass. There was no way Seth would be in the same room as Olivia and not pay for it. Not again. He cleared the counter in one jump, grabbed the other man by the throat and slammed his face down onto the glass with such force it cracked beneath the man’s cheek. “If you ever come near her again, you son of a bitch, I’ll destroy your goddamn life.”
He yanked his hand back and braced, waiting for the other man to make a threatening move so he could kick his ass again. But just like he had that night years ago, just like all cowards do when confronted by someone their own size, Seth slunk toward the door, dabbing at his bloody cheek with his hand. He started to say something, but when Mason took a step toward him, he closed his mouth.
The bell on the door made a soft tinkling sound as Seth left. Once they were alone, Mason turned his attention back to Olivia. He’d seen that expression on her face the night of the fire. The confusion. The fear. Caused by the same guy. His gut twisted.
Carefully, speaking in gentle tones, he said, “Olivia, it’s all right.”
She blinked. “He said he wanted to talk and then he started threatening me, telling me to keep my mouth shut. He said that one of my friends from high school confronted him at the bar, accused him of slipping something into her drink tonight. He warned me not to validate her story by coming forward.”
Color started coming back to her face, and relief flooded Mason’s body.
She held her hand out. “Look at this. I’m shaking.”
Mason’s eyes were drawn from her shaking fingers to her upswept hair. Several strands were falling in disarray around her face, giving her a soft, vulnerable air, not the self-confident one she usually had.
She swallowed and a look of horror crossed her face. “Did Seth slip something into my drink that night? Is that why I don’t remember?” She frowned. “But I asked his sister. If she’d suspected her brother, she would have said something. She was my friend.”
“Olivia…”
“I want to know. Please.”
“I don’t know if he was the one who did or didn’t put something in your drink,” Mason said. He’d arrived past that point, if that’s what had been done to her. The memory of Olivia on the bed, her clothes missing while Bobby held her down and Seth tried to remove her bra, still ate at Mason. If only he’d listened to his gut and returned sooner. He might have spared her that. At least he’d found some satisfaction in breaking Seth’s nose.
“But he did do something that night.”
“Yes.”
“How? How do you know?”
“Would you believe me if I told you?”
“Yes.”
“Even if it means your father covered up a crime?”
He saw it the minute it happened, the minute she withdrew. Her expression turned guarded and he kicked himself for even thinking she’d be willing to consider that her father hadn’t acted on the right side of the law.
“Mason, if my father thought for one second that someone slipped something into my drink or tried to harm me, there’s no way he would cover that up. I know him better than you do.”
Mason clenched his jaw so hard it made his teeth ache from the pressure. But looking into her face, her eyes still filled with apprehension, he knew he couldn’t take the conversation any further. He might end up saying something that would wound her, and he didn’
t want to do that. Taking a deep breath, he slowly released it and tapped the top of the counter. “Sorry about the glass. I’ll have it replaced. Are you ready to call it a night?”
“I want to talk about this. I want to know what you know. Please.”
“Now isn’t the time to talk about it. Okay?” Not yet. He wanted the proof his investigators were searching for. Once he had that, no one would be able to deny it ever again. He would bring them all down at once. Seth, Bobby.
Her father.
“Let me get my purse.” Olivia bent to retrieve her purse and then said softly, “I can take you to the hotel if that’s what you want me to do, but I have a spare bedroom at my house. I know this might sound strange, but I think I would feel safer with you there.”
To keep the mood light for her sake, Mason said, “Safe. Sounds suspiciously like ‘friend zone’ to me. Are we becoming friends, sweet Olivia?”
She laughed at that, and Mason was glad to hear the sound.
“Does a man like you have women friends? Wait. Let me guess. You do, but only ones too old to sleep with, right?”
“You wound me, darling. I’m not a player.”
“You forget, I’ve seen all the photos of you with various women.”
“I’ve been photographed with you now, and we’re certainly not sleeping together.”
“That’s true.” She turned off the lights and stepped outside onto the sidewalk, waiting for him to exit the shop before she locked the front door. “Thank you for getting rid of Seth.”
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t my pleasure.” Given the opportunity, he’d do a lot more bodily harm to that coward. “I want to know if he contacts you in any way again.” He held his hand up. “This is not about you being independent or not. Could you humor me this once?”
“I wasn’t going to argue with you, and I promise that I’ll let you know if he does. After you introduced him to the counter, I don’t think he’s going to be in a big hurry to seek me out again.”
“It’s okay to lean on me, Olivia.”
She nodded, but he could tell she wasn’t fully convinced.
