The Guarded Widow (28 page)

When she opened her eyes and cast a sidelong glance at Gavin, she found he was once again listening to her with the neutral expression of a trained police officer. She gave a rough estimate as to the length of time it took for her to arrive at Little Pine State Park and described how she’d made her way through the dark toward the cabin.

Next, she explained how the painful shock of Johnny Johnson slamming her headfirst into the cabin wall caused her to drop the policies and the base ball bat that she’d been carrying as her weapon.

Suddenly, her eyes flew open.

“I never gave him the disk,” she murmured. “It must still be in my coat pocket.”

Ron looked to Gavin, who in turn, nodded his head, acknowledging the truth of her words.

“We found it in your coat,” Ron assured her.

Expelling air she didn’t even realize she’d been holding, Olivia hastily blurted out her next words.

“Johnny Johnson confessed to killing my husband, Tom.”

All three men, who up until now had been wearing poker faces, experienced a slight shift in facial expressions as they glanced around the table, at one another.

Gavin, in an attempt to betray as little as possible in the presence of Agent Messinger, kept a death grip on his pen until he was sure his emotions were contained, and only then did he slowly lift his gaze to focus on her face.

Ron cleared his throat before coaxing her on.

“Olivia, please try to repeat what he told you, verbatim.”

She took another deep breath before speaking again. Once she was finally able to continue, her voice was thick, strangled with emotion.

“Johnny Johnson told me, Tom had agreed to participate in their scheme because he was concerned about providing for our family. He said that Tom had wanted out and either wanted to contact or had contacted the FBI. Johnny expressed that he felt Tom had betrayed him. He told me that he’d cut the brake line on Tom’s car which resulted in the accident that took his life.”

She became quiet for a moment.

“He told me he took care of Tom,” she said simply, wiping away a lone tear which managed to escape. “After he confessed to playing an active role in the death of my husband, I attacked him. At some point during the altercation with him, I remember scratching my fingernails down the one side of his face.”

She swallowed hard as she recalled the next turn of events.

“After that Johnny told me he wanted to enjoy me, before he killed me.”

As she voiced the words, she glanced up at Gavin and saw a muscle flexing along his jaw. “He started groping me, and tried to force himself on me. He’d already managed to unbutton my jeans when Officer Rafferty intervened, after that I no longer had any contact with Johnny Johnson.”

Since her statement was completed, Olivia’s eyes lifted to meet Gavin’s fierce gaze, he was studying her intently.

Agent Messinger spoke first.

“Mrs. Jones I need to inform you that we believe there may be a third party involved in this insurance scam. If that is the case and our suspicions are confirmed I’m completely confident this person will be identified by Johnny Johnson, but I wanted to provide you with this information.”

She silently nodded her head before Agent Messinger continued to ask her about a few more minor details.

Finally, Agent Messinger dismissed her, informing her she’d be contacted if there were anymore questions. Thanking them, Olivia stood up to leave.

Gavin rose simultaneously, gently taking her arm.

“I need a few minutes of your time.”

After they both shook Agent Messinger’s hand, he followed her out of the interrogation room.

She stole a quick glance at him as he held the door open for her. Now dressed in his uniform, he seemed so detached, so unfamiliar that suddenly an unexplainable sadness washed over her.

She was going to miss him. She loved having him there in the mornings, loved sharing her day with him and loved knowing he was there, keeping them safe.

In Gavin Rafferty, she’d found a friend. She also realized at that moment, when faced with no longer having him as a daily part of her life, that she’d fallen hopelessly in love with him. She wanted to be with him, day in and day out, sharing her family with him. But since he’d never once uttered any of the same sentiments to her, she opted to remain silent and kept those new found feelings to herself.

Sure he’d talked marriage once before, but there was a huge difference between marrying for sex and marrying for love.

Silently, they walked down the hallway until they reached a side door leading into the rear parking lot. Then Gavin pulled her outside.

Olivia decided she needed to speak first.

“Gavin, I’m very tired. As a matter of fact, I’m exhausted. I need to go home. I don’t have it in me to discuss anything else today.”

He noted her bloodshot eyes and the dark purple shadows which had formed under them. She was pale with exhaustion.

“Olivia, I’ll give you a few days to recuperate. I need some time to think things over. I just wanted to tell you, I’ll be coming up to the house tonight. I won’t come in, but I’ll meet my parents so they can follow me over to my apartment.”

She gaped at him. “Why would your parents need to leave right away?”

Noting her confused expression, he shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I just assumed since I’ll no longer be staying there, my parents should stay with me.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she snapped. “Your parents are guests in my home and they are welcome to stay there until they’re ready to leave.”

Gavin gave her an amused grin. “You’re not so exhausted that you’ve lost your edge, Olivia.”

Rolling her eyes at him, she grinned back. “I’m never that tired, Gavin Rafferty. Now would it be rude of me to ask you for a ride out to Little Pine State Park? My SUV is still out there.”

Gavin shook his head.

“An officer returned it to your house earlier this afternoon. I’d found your car keys in your coat pocket along with the floppy disk,” he paused, arching an eyebrow. “I also found a rock.”

Olivia smirked at him. “I don’t carry a firearm, so I figured the rock may be helpful instead.”

Chuckling with amusement, he placed an arm over her shoulders and casually walked her around the front of the building to a police cruiser. The car was barely out of the precinct parking lot before Olivia was fast asleep.
 

He waited forty eight hours. After spending the last two days deliberating exactly what he wanted to say to her when she opened the front door, Gavin apprehensively drove up the long winding driveway toward the stone farmhouse that now felt like home to him.

The last two days had been torment. He’d missed Olivia and the boys with a fierceness that was completely foreign to him. Not to mention, he’d been mentally reliving the entire nightmare regardless of whether he was asleep or awake.

Gavin had realized he’d never known real terror in his life, until he’d caught a glimpse through the cabin window, of Johnny Johnson viciously attacking Olivia. His emotions over the course of the last couple days had ranged from anger with Olivia, to acknowledging that no matter what, he was in love with her.

He wanted, no, he needed to spend the rest of his life with her.

Gavin grinned as James and Luke threw open the front door and raced down the steps to greet him. I love these kids; he conceded as he wrapped their little hands within his own and climbed the front porch steps in stride with them.

He lifted his hand to knock on the partially ajar front door, but Olivia had already stepped into view with a shy smile enhancing her pretty face.

Gavin felt his heart literally swell within his chest.

He loved her. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind.

Within seconds, Tommy and Michael raced out and began bombarding him with questions about how he’d beat up the bad guy. Curiously lifting his eyes to Olivia, she gave him a slow grin.

“I may have embellished the story a bit. You’re a hero in our eyes.”

Standing before her, he drank in the sight of her and began to experience a physical ache from his desperate need to touch her.

“Would you like to come in, Gavin?” Olivia asked. “I’m sure your parents would like to see you.”

He walked through the front door and saw his mother straighten up from the hidden position which enabled her to spy out the dining room window, undetected.

“Hi, Mom,” he said as he turned his head and then nodded a greeting to his Dad.

Gavin realized his impatience was going to make him sound rude, but didn’t care.

“I need to talk to you, now,” he told her, taking her hand. “In private. Let’s take a walk.”

Olivia looked over at Elsa, who was beaming as she exclaimed, “Honey, you take as much time as you need.”

Casually, Olivia reached into the closet for her jacket. Impatient, Gavin swiped it off the hangar and practically stuffed her into it.

The afternoon sun was flickering through bare tree branches, scattering light across the driveway, as they walked along side one another, holding hands. Once they were out of sight from the house, he stopped and turned to face her.

“I’ve really missed you, Olivia.”

She smiled, tenderly.

“I’ve missed you too, Gavin. I know you’re really mad at me…”

He raised his hand to stop her words so he could speak first.

“I was, I was really angry with you. I’m not anymore. I think more than anything, my pride was hurt. After I got over the initial insult to my pride, I realized it wasn’t a personal attack against me. As I listened to you give your statement the other day, I accepted the fact that you acted out of love and concern for your Dad. I admire that,” he said, lifting his hand to touch her, but then abruptly dropped it again.

“Gavin, I’m so sorry I ran off and placed myself in such a precarious situation. However, I am happy with the outcome.”

She shifted nervously as he narrowed his eyes.

“Well, maybe not the entire outcome. But I am glad I was alone with him long enough for him to tell me about Tom. Believe it or not, Johnny Johnson has inadvertently helped me to be able to forgive Tom. I feel like I have closure now. I feel as though I’m ready to move on to a new phase of my life.”

With lightening speed, he reached out dragging her into his arms.

“I want a new phase in my life, too. I’ve been so miserable these last two days. I miss you and the boys, terribly. I want to be with you every day. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Olivia.”

Tears welled up in her hazel eyes as she raised her hands to place them lovingly along the sides of his face.

“I’ve missed you too. So have the boys, they’ve been asking me if you’ll return. Oh Gavin, I love you.”

Ever so slowly, he lowered his mouth down to Olivia’s and gently moved his lips over hers. Thrilled to be in his arms again, she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

“I need you, Gavin,” she murmured.

Sliding his hands under her jacket, he felt the warmth of her skin through her thin cotton shirt. “Believe me; I need you too, Olivia”.

Then with a great deal of reluctance, he removed his hands from her and reached into his coat pocket. Slowly, with his warm blue eyes smiling lovingly into hers, he withdrew a small black box and proceeded to drop down onto one knee.

“Olivia, will you marry me?”

She gazed down at him with tears glittering in her eyes.

“Yes, Gavin, I would love to marry you.”

He stood up to kiss her again and then lifted her off her feet, swinging her around in his arms.

“I want to be married as soon as possible. I won’t sleep in your house again until I’m your husband. I was thinking we could be married within two weeks.”

As Gavin spoke, he gently placed her down in front of him and flipped open the box. He chuckled when her eyes widened with surprise as she stared down at the breathtaking diamonds flashing brilliantly in the winter afternoon sunlight. She laughed happily, admiring the stunning ring, as Gavin lifted her left hand and slid it onto her finger.

“Let’s go tell the boys and your parents,” she exclaimed, feeling as though she’d burst from excitement.

Gavin slid his hands up to frame her face.

“In a few minutes, I need one more taste of you first.”

She slid into his arms to ravage his mouth with a sultry kiss.

Then they turned to walk up the lane, hand in hand, thrilled to share their joy with their families.

Chapter Twenty-one

Their marriage vows were exchanged under a heated canopy on Mulligan’s outdoor patio. Olivia had specifically requested an evening wedding complete with candles and decorative white lights, similar to those which had graced the patio on New Year’s Eve. Afterwards they celebrated with immediate family and close friends, in a small private room within Mulligan’s restaurant.