by Sharon Dunn
The house came into view. The island was about three acres across with a single dock. The house, constructed of red brick, had a colonial look to it with its columns and big front porch. Gavin brought the boat into the dock.
Larry jumped out. “Got some wooden planks for you to walk on so you don’t have to get your feet wet.”
Gavin got out, sinking one boot into the water in the process to help Larry lay down the boards so Julia could step out.
The older man led the way up a series of stone steps to the house. “Gavin asked that I send the hired help away. I’ve been a widower for three years, so it’s just me here.” The older man had a twinkle in his eyes as he addressed Julia.
They stepped inside the house. A fire crackled in the fireplace of the great room, and a tea service had been set on the coffee table. The scent of cinnamon wafted down the hallway from the kitchen. Gavin stepped in behind Julia.
“This is really nice,” Julia said.
“Have a seat,” Larry encouraged.
The room was much as Gavin had remembered it from the last time he had visited. Larry was the kind of man who thrived on the world staying the same. Julia settled into an overstuffed chair by the fireplace.
“If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I can warm up those sweet rolls.” Larry disappeared down a long hallway.
Gavin moved toward the warmth of the fire, but stopped short when he saw the photographs on the mantel. The first was of Joshua in his racing uniform. The second was of Joshua with an arm around his wife, standing next to his race car.
Gavin felt as though he had been punched in the stomach.
“You’ll have to excuse me. I need some air.” He rushed outside.
As the door closed behind Gavin, Julia sat stunned. Though she had seen an obvious change in emotion in his expression, he had left so quickly she had no idea what had triggered the change.
She sat back in the chair. He never left her side so arbitrarily. Maybe he just felt more relaxed now that they were safe on the island. Still, it was out of character for him.
Larry appeared in the doorway holding a plate of rolls. He took a seat opposite her. “Enjoy.”
“Those look yummy.”
“Where did Gavin go?”
“He went outside. I’m not sure why.” Julia grabbed one of the rolls and stood up to look at the photos on the fireplace mantel. She leaned toward a photo of a young woman embracing a child in each arm.
“That is my daughter, Alison, and my two grandkids, Joe and Maggie. They come out here in the summer to wear me out.”
She picked up the photo of a man in a racing uniform.
Larry moved closer to Julia. “That’s my son, Josh.”
“Oh, yeah, he was Gavin’s friend from high school.”
“He was more than that. Gavin was his bodyguard for over two years.”
“Gavin didn’t say anything about that. Was that when he was in Florida?”
Larry nodded. “Josh was starting to make a name for himself. With a little celebrity, the weirdos come out of the woodwork. Gavin saved my son’s bacon more than once. I am so glad he was there on the day Josh was shot. Things could have been a lot worse if he hadn’t been.”
“What happened?”
The older man rested a gnarled hand on the back of the chair. He shook his head. “A delusional male fan with a gun who thought Josh should respond to his overtures to go into business together.”
“And your son?”
“He’s alive, thanks to Gavin.” The man picked up another picture. “You have to revise your dreams and make career changes all the time. I started out thinking I was going to manage a gas station for the rest of my life. Didn’t think real estate would be the thing that put me over the top.” He showed the picture to Julia. “That’s my new grandson that Josh and Cecelia finally got around to making for me. He was always too busy racing to think about a family.”
“So he’s not a race-car driver anymore?”
“No, he had quite a bit of money in the bank from racing, so he bought himself a hotel. He and Cecelia run it together, and Josh stays put instead of traveling all over the world.”
Julia took a bite of her cinnamon roll and wandered over to a window. Outside, Gavin walked along the shoreline with long, deliberate steps. “Gavin is a very good bodyguard.”
Larry crossed the room and stood beside her. “I thought that boy would have settled down by now. ’Course, the kind of women you meet in his line of work usually aren’t the kind you marry, all Richie-rich and spoiled.”
Larry had a humorous way of looking at things. “Aren’t you kind of Richie-rich?” Julia teased.
“By my bank account. But let’s face it, you can take the hillbilly out of the hills and put him in a fancy house, but he’s still a hillbilly. Can’t bring myself to throw much away, got to try and fix everything with duct tape.”
Julia threw back her head and laughed. Then she turned a half circle around the room, admiring the nice furniture. “So this is all kind of a pretense.”
“Pretty much.” He looked back out at Gavin and shook his head, lost in thought. “Just thought that boy would have found someone by now.”
After Larry slipped away to the kitchen saying something about finding some honey for his tea, Julia watched Gavin through the window. He had shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat, and his head was down, as though he were thinking deeply about something.
She found herself longing to reach out to him, to comfort him in whatever it was that was upsetting him.
SEVENTEEN
“Good news.” Gavin made his way down the rock path to where Julia sat enjoying her early morning cup of coffee.
He’d stepped away from her to take the phone call that had come in. Out of habit, he had kept her in his line of sight. After several days on the island without incident, he had found himself relaxing for the first time since he had taken the assignment to guard Julia. They were safe here.
Julia looked over the steaming mug she had cradled in her hands. “What happened?”
“The guy who attacked you back at Elizabeth’s has started to sing. Elijah has a stepbrother who works in the kitchen at the prison.” He could never totally let his guard down, but this victory made him even more confident that the threat against Julia had lessened.
“So they fired the guy?”
Gavin nodded. “Elijah can’t receive any visitors. There is no way he can communicate with his followers.”
Julia rose to her feet. “You seem happier than I’ve ever seen you.”
“We’re going to get you to that trial, Julia. The end is in sight.” Though this recent development lifted a weight off him, he had mixed feelings about the trial. Yes, he wanted Elijah put away for good. Yes, he wanted Julia to feel safe and have her freedom back. But once the trial was over, Julia would be getting on with her life, and he would no longer be a part of it—unless he could tell her his feelings before then.
“Yes,” she said. “The end is in sight.” A sadness seemed to flicker across her eyes, but then he thought he was reading too much into a passing change in her expression.
“I’ll make arrangements for the lawyers to come here to the island to finish the preparation. We should be able to pull things together in the next couple of days.”
Larry came down the hill toward them. “How are you kids doing this morning?”
Julia took a sip of her coffee. “I slept better the last couple of nights than I’ve slept in a long time.”
“I think both of us have had the dark circles disappear from under our eyes,” Gavin added.
“The island does that for you.” Larry peered out at the lake. “The water’s calm this morning. The two of you should take a boat out. You can take the canoe if you don’t want to listen to the motor the whole time.”
Gavin tensed. He felt safe on the island, but there was no need to get sloppy. “Are there houses along the shoreline or on other islands?”
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��I’ll show you on the map where you can go to avoid that sort of thing. You’re not likely to find people out on the water for a pleasure cruise this time of year, either. This is the first calm day we’ve had in a while. Just thought you two might like to get out on the water.”
“I like the idea.” Julia bounced on her feet, toe to heel. “Could we go, Gavin?”
The pleading in her eyes tugged at his heart. She’d been so confined for so long. They weren’t in a dangerous place. This wasn’t the department store or the hot springs. “A boat ride sounds like a good idea. I just need to make the arrangement to get your lawyers here, then we can go.”
He liked the sparkle he saw in Julia’s eyes.
She turned to face Larry. “I’m good at reading maps. Maybe while Gavin’s making his calls, you can show me the best place to go.”
Two hours later, Julia showed up at his door with a picnic basket in one hand and map in the other. “All done with your calls?”
A vitality seemed to have returned to her demeanor. The wild red hair only added to the effect.
He snapped his phone shut. “The Flemings will be here tomorrow. They will take extreme precaution to get here.” He reached out his hand for the picnic basket. “Here, let me take that.” Their fingers touched briefly, and warmth spread through his fingertips and up his arm. Being in a place where they could both relax a little had only confirmed his love for her.
Larry came with them as they made their way down to the boat. After Julia and Gavin got in the boat, he pushed them off. He waved and shouted, “If you are not back in a few hours, I’ll come out looking for you.” He pointed to the motorboat in the dock. “Cell phones usually work okay.”
Gavin and Julia paddled out to the open water. Once they were in a place where the shoreline was distant and indistinct, they stopped to rest. “We can just drift for a while and enjoy the quiet.”
She tilted her head and watched the sky. “Pretty out here, isn’t it? So peaceful.” Her lip quivered, and she put a palm to her chest. “It takes my breath away.” Her voice stirred with emotion.
Gavin took in the expression of serenity on Julia’s face. What was she thinking, this beautiful woman? “Does it give you hope?”
She lifted her chin in a slow nod. “Yes. There will come a time when no walls can hold me in.” She turned slightly in the boat, taking in her surroundings. “I have enough faith to believe that now.”
He scooted toward her. “You have more than enough faith. I always thought you did.”
She opened the picnic basket and handed him a sandwich. “I know this is kind of silly, but going out for a picnic like this feels like…almost a date.”
Her comment took him by surprise. “A date?”
Her cheeks flushed with color, and she scooted back in the boat. “I didn’t mean a real date—I mean, I’m not delusional. I know we aren’t really on a date.”
He moved closer to her. “I know you’re not delusional.” As flustered as she was, she had never looked so beautiful.
“They took me when I was thirteen, Gavin. I’ve never even been on a date. I know the picnic isn’t intended to be a real date. I guess I just wanted something that felt like I was getting the pieces of my life back.” She waved her hand in the air. “I know I’m not making any sense.”
Her mile-a-minute banter was endearing. So she was imagining the two of them on a date. The idea of a date with her appealed to him. She stared at him with wide, blue eyes. Her lips parted. Everything about her appealed to him. He leaned toward her, covering her mouth with his. Aware that this was probably her first kiss, he brushed his lips gently over hers and then touched his thumb to her mouth. “You’re making perfect sense.”
Julia drew back, stunned and breathless. “I kept thinking you just thought I was a job.”
“That’s never what I thought.” This time, he gathered her in his arms. She responded by leaning closer. Her cool, smooth hand skimmed over his neck, and he kissed her again, pressing harder. Surrounded by that sweet citrus scent, holding her close enough to relish the warmth of her made every worry he had about the future more bearable. He kissed her again.
The promise he’d made to her father rose to the surface of his awareness. He pulled back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Disappointment clouded her expression. “What are you talking about?”
He gathered her hands in his. “No, I didn’t mean the kiss. I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time. It’s just that I made a promise to your father that I wouldn’t see you romantically.”
She let out a gasp of air. “What? I’m old enough to make that decision myself.”
“That promise was easy enough to make before I got to know you.”
“What exactly did my father say to you?” She could not hide her irritation.
“He thought you were still fragile psychologically, but I can see that is not true after all we’ve been through together. You are stronger and more grounded than any woman I’ve ever met.”
She continued to shake her head. “Why would he say something like that?”
“Julia, he is only trying to protect you. He lost you once. I am sure he feels enormous guilt that he didn’t somehow prevent the abduction. He’s probably afraid of losing you again, so he’s overprotective. All that has happened, plus the guilt, messes with his perception of you.”
“I hadn’t thought if it that way. I know my father loves me. But it’s like I’m still thirteen to him because he missed out on all that.” Julia sat back in the boat and crossed her arms. “I wish he could see me the way you see me.”
“He will in time. I think it’s important to earn his respect by keeping my promise. Then maybe it will open the door for me to talk to him about us.”
She bent her head and looked up at him coyly. “I guess this means no more kisses?”
His thumb grazed her cheek. “You have no idea how much I want to kiss you again.”
A faint smile illuminated her whole face. “Me, too, but you’re right. I’d like my father’s blessing in this.”
The afterglow of the kiss made his head buzz. “How about that picnic?”
Julia took more of the supplies out. They ate with the water lapping against the boat as it swayed on the waves.
As they talked, he realized it was a gift just to be in her presence, enjoying her company.
She took a bite of her sandwich. “Do you think Larry will notice something different when we get back?”
Gavin shook his head. “I think he planned for this to happen while we were out on the boat.”
Julia tilted her head. “He must have noticed something about the way we interacted. I had a nice talk with him yesterday. He’s so grateful that you were with his son when he was shot.”
Gavin sat back in the boat. “That’s what he said?” He hadn’t intended for his voice to grow cold. The defensiveness happened automatically.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her. “Hey, I don’t know exactly what happened in Florida, but it seems like your view of events is different from Larry’s.” She squeezed his hands, refusing to let go.
Gavin’s hands curled into fists within hers. “My decisions led to Joshua being shot. I should have been able to prevent it. Maybe Larry is okay with how things turned out, but I’m sure Joshua blames me.”
“How do you know that? Have you talked to him?”
“Why wouldn’t he? He depended on me to protect him.” Gavin massaged his chest where it had grown tight. He’d carried this burden alone for so long. This was the first time he had talked about it to anyone. “I let him down.”
“And maybe if you hadn’t been there at all, he would have been dead.” She looked him in the eyes. The intensity of her gaze told him he could not look away. “I was eaten up with guilt by Marlena’s death. A very wise person pointed out that I did the best I could when a split-second decision needed to be made. Maybe that very wise person needs to take his own advice.�
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He scooted to the other side of the boat as her words sank in. “I prayed that God would take the guilt away. Maybe it hasn’t gone away because I deserve to feel guilty.” He rested his head in his hands.
“God doesn’t operate that way.” She took a breath and spoke slowly. “You need to forgive yourself for what happened.”
He wrestled with her words, not wanting to receive them. “Forgive myself?” Her wisdom, the depth of her understanding and her willingness to gently push him to the place where he had to face what he had been running from made him love her even more.
She nodded. “And then I think you need to call Joshua. His father doesn’t blame you. Joshua might have the same perspective.”
And he might not. Gavin tensed. All the same, it was a phone call he knew he would have to make. He needed to at least make an effort toward repairing the relationship.
He stared at the wise woman in front of him. A single snowflake hit Julia’s face, melted and trickled down her cheek. Several more landed on her hair. He leaned toward her and wiped it away with his finger as he stared into her eyes. He tilted his head and stared at the darkening clouds. “Storm’s moving in. So much for a calm day. I suppose we better head back.” They paddled together, creating a steady rhythm as they worked in tandem.
By the time he steered the boat into the dock, the snow was falling steadily. His boots were tall enough that the cold water didn’t seep in when he stepped into the shallow water. He reached out for Julia, gathering her into his arms and carrying her the few steps it took to get her to the dry shore.
On the way back to the house, though they didn’t hold hands, they walked close enough so their hands brushed against each other. Each look from her, every time she touched him—intentionally or by accident—made his feet melt in his shoes.
His world had shifted 180 degrees. The barriers between him and Julia were gone.
As Larry’s house came into view, he realized that even though the end was in sight and he and Julia were in a good place, they faced an uphill battle in more ways than one.