Take Me Home (9781455552078) (15 page)

But why not? What am I afraid of?

Finally, it was Peter who spoke. “This afternoon, before the fire, I had lunch with your father,” he said. “He told me that you're promised to another man.”

Olivia gasped; it felt as if she'd been slapped. Peter had already known; his admission had rendered her speechless.

He reached out and grabbed her left hand and raised it between them. Peter held her engagement ring up to the sun, the gold catching the light. Before, she had lied to cover what that band meant, but now she remained silent. She'd been caught.

“Is it true?” he prodded.

Slowly, Olivia nodded. “It is,” she told him, her voice small.

Peter frowned; his face looked pained. He let go of her hand. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“I don't…I don't know…” she answered.

“Olivia…” he said.

“I've…I've been so busy…what with the accident and worrying about whether you would recover…it must have slipped my mind…”

He shook his head. “Agreeing to marry someone isn't the sort of thing you forget about.”

Shame flushed Olivia's cheeks. He was right. Her excuse was a hastily constructed lie, and not a very good one. But what was the real reason? Deep down, she knew; it was that she'd been charmed by the handsome stranger who had suddenly appeared one morning on the sidewalk, the man who had allowed himself to be hurt to keep her from harm. Still, there was no way she could tell him that…

Or maybe I can…

Ever since she had accepted Billy's proposal, all in order to keep from hurting her dearest friend, Olivia had kept the truth locked tightly away. Other than Grace, she had told no one of her reservations. She allowed herself to go along with what others wanted, even if it ran against her own wishes. She had put her growing feelings for Peter to the side, afraid of what would happen were she to acknowledge them, to let them into her heart. But for what? Maybe her sister had been right; if she wasn't careful, she'd live her whole life worrying about the happiness of others, at the cost of her own.

Maybe if, just once, she was honest, if she told someone how she truly felt, things might be different…

“The man I agreed to marry…Billy…is my best friend,” Olivia began. “He has been since we were kids. He knows everything about me, and I about him, but I've never had feelings of love for him,” she admitted. “Not romantic ones, at least.”

Olivia expected Peter to say something, to ask her why, if that was true, she had agreed to marry the man, but he waited for her to continue.

“The morning before you and I met, Billy showed up at the hardware store and said that he had to talk to me about something, that it was urgent,” she explained. “I went with him, worried that something was wrong…but then…he dropped down on one knee and asked me to be his wife…

“I had no idea it was coming. None. He'd never told me he had any feelings for me, not those kinds. No matter how hard I look back, there was nothing that would have clued me in to what he was planning to do. I was so shocked that I swear you could've knocked me over with a feather!”

“But you still accepted,” Peter said, breaking his silence.

Olivia nodded. “I did, but there's a reason why,” she said. “In little more than a month, Billy leaves for the Navy. If he sees fighting…it means that he might not come back…I couldn't let him leave with a broken heart. If something happened to him…knowing that I'd hurt him so badly…I couldn't live with that. So, I agreed to become his wife…”

Waiting for Peter's reaction, Olivia had no regrets about telling him the truth. By admitting to what she'd done, it felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her. Still, that didn't mean she wasn't nervous about what came next.

“Do you love him?” Peter asked.

“No. Not the way he does me,” Olivia answered.

“Then you need to tell him what you just told me. You have to be honest.”

“I've tried,” she said. “I really have. He came by the house just after your accident and I wanted to tell him, to explain how I felt, but…” Olivia paused, remembering the awkward kiss she'd shared with Billy. “I couldn't find the words…”

“You have to,” Peter said. Slowly, he reached out and again took her hand; this time his touch was tender, exhilarating.

“But it will ruin him.”

“If you don't, you'll be the one who suffers,” he replied, looking at her intensely. “It's too late to change what's already been done, but there's still time to make things right. If you're as good a friend to him as you say, then you owe it to him to tell him the truth, no matter the consequences.”

Olivia knew he was right. Her doubts about marrying Billy had never lessened. If she continued to ignore them, everyone would suffer. No matter how much changing her mind might hurt Billy, regardless of how angry her mother would be, she owed it to them all, herself included, to do what was right.

“Is this why you were so out of sorts?” she asked Peter.

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Tell me why,” Olivia insisted. For a moment, she thought he might be as reluctant to talk as he'd been back at the jail. But she was wrong.

“It bothered me because of the way I feel about you,” he said. “From the first moment I saw you, I knew there was something between us. All this time, watching you as you read at the foot of my bed, waiting for you to come back home from work, I've been wanting to ask you something…”

“What is it?” she managed.

“Are you as attracted to me as I am to you?”

Olivia gasped; Peter's boldness had surprised her. Though he hadn't said anything that she hadn't already suspected, the strength of his request had managed to catch her off guard. When Billy had admitted his feelings for her, Olivia's shock had been mixed with disbelief; immediately, she had wanted to turn him down, to run away. Now, with Peter, she experienced the opposite; knowing that he was interested in her romantically, she wanted to embrace what she was feeling, to embrace the man who had caused those emotions.

“I…I am…” she admitted. “Those feelings you described…I felt them, too…When I first saw you standing there on the sidewalk, I…I can't explain it…all I wanted was to know your name…to hear the sound of your voice…”

Without warning, Peter stepped forward and kissed her. As his lips touched hers, one of his hands found her waist and the other wrapped around her side, tickling her ribs. Olivia's eyes went wide with surprise. Ever since she and Peter had met, something had been building up inside her, yearning for release. With Billy, there was a bond between them that had been built out of years of friendship, but between her and Peter, there was something else, something different, whispers of a passion that had proven to be too intoxicating to resist. It beckoned to her, called for her to match his boldness, to give in. And so, in the last sunlight left to the day, Olivia surrendered to her desire.

Peter did the same.

He pulled her close, their bodies pressing together. Their first kiss had been tentative, cautious, but this time it was much more; within seconds, her mouth opened and she felt his tongue, warm and wet against her own. Olivia shut her eyes, allowing herself to be swept away. Time no longer mattered. It was as if she was floating. Her kiss with Billy beneath the evergreen couldn't hope to compare;
this
one made her forget everything around her, made her breath catch and her heart race. It was what she'd waited her whole life for.

She never wanted it to end.

But even as Olivia continued to kiss Peter, as she fell deeper into the passion enveloping them, she knew it would.

Someday soon, there would be consequences for her actions. Eventually, she'd have to come clean. Lives would be forever changed, including her own. Imagining Billy's reaction was the worst of all; once again, she would hurt him. Still, for the first time in a long time, she was being true to herself.

But that was later. Right now was a different story…

I
SAW WHAT YOU DID.”

Olivia stopped, her sandwich raised to her open mouth, and stared at her sister. Grace sat beside her on the hardware store's rear steps, the girl's feet dangling over the side, a half-empty bottle of Coca-Cola in her hand. Every so often, Grace would come to share lunch with her, the two of them trading the latest in town gossip, listing their complaints about their mother, and wondering when the war might end. Today, Olivia had noticed that her sister wasn't as talkative as usual, that she was more subdued. Now, she had a clue why.

Deep down in the pit of Olivia's stomach, she knew what Grace was talking about, but she asked anyway. “Saw me do what?”

“Kissing the guy who saved you,” she replied, the words not accusatory, but almost matter-of-fact. “Peter…”

Olivia's heart pounded. Ever since she and Peter had kissed, her mind had been topsy-turvy. It had been a struggle not to stare at him across the dinner table. Purposely, she'd avoided going to his room, fearful that she wouldn't be able to control her urges. Instead, she'd lain in bed, staring up at the ceiling as the hours crawled slowly by, thinking about what she'd done, as well as what she had to do. By morning, she was no closer to a decision.

“I was coming back from the creek,” Grace continued. “Me and Joe Griffin had been down there lookin' for frogs and I knew I had to get home quick 'fore Mother started yellin' to beat the band. I came 'round the corner by the Kilmeades' place and there the two of you were.”

While Olivia had enjoyed kissing Peter, it had been brazen to do so out in the open. She'd tried to comfort herself with the fact that it had been late in the day, a time when most folks were just home from work and getting ready to sit at the dinner table. Still, it had been risky. If one person with loose lips had seen them, the whole town would soon know, including Billy. But Olivia had never imagined that it would be
her sister
who discovered them.

Olivia didn't know what to say. Lying wasn't an option; not only had Grace seen them as plain as day, her sister already knew of her doubts about marrying Billy. As different as they may have been, Grace was still one of her closest friends.

“There's somethin' I just gotta know,” her sister began, smiling mischievously. “Who kissed who? Was it you who made the first move or did he come over and take you in his arms like they do in the movies?”

“He did,” Olivia said. “When it started, I was a little surprised.”

“Didn't look that way when I come along.”

“How long did you watch us?”

Grace shrugged. “All the way back to the house,” she answered. “I wasn't gonna let a show like that go without gettin' my money's worth.”

Olivia flushed with embarrassment. “Did you tell anyone?”

Her sister turned to glare at her. “Of course not,” she said, looking more than a little put out that Olivia would worry she had. “Who would I blab to, anyway? If it doesn't involve mud or dead animals, Joe doesn't care, and it's not as if I'd say anything to our folks.” She paused. “'Course, when they find out, the fireworks are gonna fly.”

“I know,” Olivia answered; all night, she'd thought the same thing.

“So what does this mean for you and Billy?”

Olivia felt queasy. “It means we have to have a long talk.”

“Yeah, you do,” her sister said, echoing Peter's sentiments. “I wouldn't wait too long, neither. Waitin' will only make it worse, especially 'cause you've been friends forever!”

“Which is what makes telling him so hard,” Olivia said with a pained smile.

Grace lifted her soda bottle and took a long swig. “So is it serious?”

“Between me and Peter?”

Her sister nodded.

“Yes, it is,” Olivia admitted; to her it was and, when she recalled how out of sorts Peter had been to learn that she was engaged to another man, she believed he felt the same. “Whenever I'm around him, I don't want our time together to end. When we're apart, I count the hours until I see him again. Sometimes, I find myself staring at him, my heart beating faster. And when we kissed, I couldn't help but think that we were the only two people in the whole world.”

“Well, I suppose he's handsome enough, although I still have trouble believin' that boys grow up to be men you'd want to do that sort of thing with,” Grace said. “Whenever I look at Joe, I can't imagine that the day would
ever
come where I'd want to get within' kissin' range of his lips.”

Olivia couldn't help but laugh.

But then, just as she was about to ask Grace for advice on how to talk to Billy, the shrill sound of a siren unexpectedly rose, growing louder by the second. Moments later, the two sisters watched as their father's police car roared past, kicking up dust as it headed out of town.

“I wonder what that's all about,” Grace said.

“An emergency, I suppose,” Olivia answered, thinking about what had happened the day before with the fire that had burned Peter.

“People here have it good,” her sister said, pausing to drain the last inch of her Coke. “Whenever they need help, Dad comes runnin'.”

Olivia nodded.

Unfortunately,
her
problem wasn't one for which she could call the sheriff. For the most part, she was on her own.

Peter placed the last of the dirty dishes on the kitchen counter, pausing to linger beside Olivia. She stood next to him, her hands submerged in the soapy water that filled the sink, scrubbing away what was left of their meal. Careful not to stare right at her, Peter instead looked at her reflection in the window, at the stray strand of hair that dangled across her face, the thin smile on her lips.

What I wouldn't give to kiss them, right here, right now…

He had surprised even himself by kissing her. It hadn't been his intention; what he had wanted was to know how she felt about him, and to then consider revealing his true identity. But when Olivia had admitted to being attracted to him, Peter had been overwhelmed. It had been bold, maybe even brazen, but when she had returned his passion, her body pressed against his, their lips touching, everything had changed. He hadn't slept well last night; between the dull ache of his burns and the memory of Olivia's kiss, he'd tossed and turned until dawn. Even now, thoughts of her consumed him.

“When can I see you again?” he whispered.

“How about right now?” she teased.

“That's not what I mean.”

“I know. I'm just trying to be careful,” Olivia said. “Someone saw us yesterday…”

“Who?” he asked, his heart pounding.

“Grace,” she answered. “She told me she saw the whole thing.”

Peter didn't dare look at himself in the window; he was sure the embarrassment he felt would be written across his face. Suddenly, the way that Olivia's sister had been stealing glances at him during dinner made a lot more sense. Fear filled him that the Marstens would find out what had gone on between them. He'd heard bits and pieces of Olivia's conversations with her mother and had little doubt Elizabeth wanted him out of her house sooner rather than later.

“Did she tell anyone?” he asked nervously.

“She told me that she didn't.”

“Do you believe her?”

Olivia turned to look at him. “I do.”

Her certainty made him feel more at ease, but he wasn't free from worry.

“I need to talk to you,” he said. “Soon.”

Olivia glanced up at him. “I bet you do.”

Peter knew what she was thinking; that he wanted to kiss her again, which he indeed did. But she could never have guessed his actual reason; that he needed to tell her the truth about himself.

When she finds out, I doubt she'll be as happy as she expects to be…

But before Peter could say more, the kitchen door opened and Olivia's father entered. John looked out on his feet. His eyes were underlined by dark circles. His clothes were filthy; there was even a streak of grime across his badge. Without a word, he dropped wearily into a chair.

Olivia was shocked. “What happened?”

“Another fire,” he answered. Nodding to Peter, he managed a smile. “I thought we'd used up a year's worth of excitement yesterday, but then I got a call that Carter Fredette's place was burning and we were off and running again.”

“Grace and I saw you drive by around noon,” Olivia said.

Her father nodded. “Been there ever since.” Again, he looked toward Peter. “Be glad you got to sit this one out.”

“That bad?” Peter asked.

“The Fredettes' place isn't like out at Roy's. It's right up against its neighbors. We spent hours just trying to keep the blaze from spreading. Somehow, we managed, although I reckon Carter doesn't feel as good as I do about it, what with his place no more than a pile of burnt wood and ashes.”

“Two days of fires in a row?” Olivia observed.

“Here's to a better tomorrow,” John said with a chuckle.

“But doesn't that seem strange? What are the odds of that happening in Miller's Creek?”

“I've seen some mighty bizarre things over the years,” the sheriff answered. “I'm not much surprised by anything anymore.”

Peter could see that the fires were worrying John more than he wanted to let on. Olivia was right; what
were
the chances of fires on consecutive days? Of course, it could be a coincidence and the blazes were unrelated, but Peter's gut said otherwise. In fact, his worrying even had a name.

Could it be Otto…?

Up until now, Peter had allowed himself to believe that the dangerous Nazi would be far away from Miller's Creek or that he'd been captured. But what if he was wrong? What if Otto had never left? If he was still out there? Hadn't he promised a campaign of terror against the Americans he so deeply despised? Wouldn't arson be a way to obtain his vengeance?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the kitchen door.

“That's probably Huck,” John explained. “He said he was going to stop by on his way home.”

But when Olivia opened it, she stiffened.

As soon as Peter saw the man, noticed the way he smiled at Olivia, the way he tried to look past her and inside, he knew who it was.

This was the man engaged to the woman he was falling in love with.

Olivia stood at the kitchen door and stared out in surprise. Billy grinned up at her, acting as if there was nothing strange about his being there, as if he was showing up as invited. But that wasn't the case. After her lunch with Grace, Olivia had spent the rest of the day thinking about her two relationships; the unexpected, newly passionate one she'd begun with Peter, as well as the muddled mess of her own making with Billy. Eventually, she'd come to a decision.

She needed to break off her engagement to Billy.

To that end, Olivia had phoned him from the hardware store. She'd told Billy that they needed to talk and they had agreed to meet the following afternoon. Still, he must have heard the disquiet in her voice; she'd had to fend off plenty of questions. She'd wanted some time to figure out just what to say.

Clearly, Billy hadn't wanted to wait.

“What…what are you doing here?” she asked a bit more brusquely than she had intended. “I thought we agreed to meet tomorrow at lunchtime.”

“Sorry,” he answered. “I didn't think you'd mind. I can leave…”

“No, no…come in…” Olivia answered, her heart beating faster knowing that Peter was just behind her.

When she moved away from the door, Billy stepped inside. His eyes immediately found Peter, his smile faltering for a second before he looked away, his attention turning to her father. “I hope I'm not interrupting anything.”

“Of course not,” the sheriff replied. “I've been expecting you.”

“You have?” Billy asked.

John nodded. “Back in my day, it was customary for a young man to ask a girl's father for permission before he proposed…”

“I'm…I'm sorry, sir…” he stammered. “It wasn't my intention. Your blessing is important to me, but with training coming and all I have to get settled at the bank, not to mention trying to figure out when to—”

“It's all right, son,” John interrupted with a tired smile. “I'm just giving you a hard time. Heaven knows you've got plenty on your plate. Besides, if you had asked, I hope you know by now that my permission would've been granted.”

Olivia quietly stewed; she couldn't help but feel as if they were discussing her future as if she wasn't even in the room. She knew her father had always liked Billy, but she also remembered the conversation they'd had just after she'd accepted the proposal. Her father knew she had her doubts; wouldn't he understand if she ended the engagement?

Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia noticed Peter's reaction to the conversation. He appeared uncomfortable. He kept looking Billy over, as if he were measuring the man; she wondered if he found her fiancé lacking. She'd hoped to spend some time with him that night, to hear what he wanted to say and to steal a few more kisses, but with Billy here, all of that was out the window.

What Olivia didn't want was trouble. Billy had always been self-conscious about his looks; being thin and gangly had gotten him plenty of teasing when they'd been children. Now, looking at him as he stood near Peter, the difference between the two men was striking; Peter's broad, muscular physique and handsome, almost movie-star good looks stood in stark contrast to Billy. Olivia hoped that Billy wouldn't feel jealous or threatened. She recalled the things he'd said about Peter, how dismissive he'd been, wondering and worrying about the stranger who'd suddenly entered her life.