by Geri Foster
Jeff rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the four women. “Well, good luck with that because we don’t want to know in advance. We’ve decided to wait until it’s born.”
Candi pouted. “Well, that’s no fun.”
Jeff shrugged and slapped Austin on the back. “Can’t believe I beat you to the punch, nephew.”
He sent his wife a sexy grin, at which Candi smiled sheepishly. “It’s not due to lack of trying.”
Turning beet red, she stood and gathered the girls to the dessert table. “Are you and Austin trying?” she asked.
Candi lowered her head. “We only decided it was time for Tyler to have a little brother or sister. Austin seems to think that should happen overnight.”
“Men,” Kendall scoffed. “Marcus has been hinting as well.”
Rachel beamed. “I’m not so sure Lucas and I aren’t going to have a December baby.”
“What?” Kendall shouted. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“No, I’m not. I took one of those over the counter pregnancy tests and it showed positive. We’re waiting to announce anything.”
“Oh my God!” Candi squealed. “We’re a virtual nursery around here.”
“What’s going on?” her dad asked, walking up to them. “When I see all of you with your heads together, I get worried.”
Turning to answer him, she started to laugh but it got caught in her throat as she noticed Griff standing beside him. Sobering, she answered stiffly, “We’re just planning a baby shower. That’s all.”
“Good, good. Since you’re planning, I actually came over to ask what evening would be good for you to have us all over for dinner.”
“What? Who all over for dinner?”
“Well,” he looked a little hesitant. “Since it’s been so long, and because he is going to be such an important part of the community, David and I thought it might be good for Griff to get to know the fire station family. You’re always over at the station, practically a fireman yourself you spend so much time there, so…I invited him for dinner.” He paused, gauging her reaction. “And since your house is the biggest, well…” He trailed off.
At a loss for words, she looked up at Griff, whose brows were practically even with his hairline, clearly just as shocked as she was at the suggestion.
Feeling trapped, she thought for a minute about finding an excuse to back out, but the sincere look on her dad’s face deleted that option. He knew this would be awkward for her, but he wanted Griff to feel comfortable in his new position. He wasn’t wrong—she was over at the station all the time. The people there were like a second family to her. This was important to him. “How about Friday?” she offered, resigned. “Unless you have plans? It is the weekend.” She may have said the last a little snidely, but she couldn’t help it.
He shook his head and jammed his hands in the back pockets of his jean. “Nope, I’m free and clear.”
Licking her lips, she tried to think of what to say next but drew a blank. With a sigh of relief, her dad leaned closer. “What time should we be there?”
“Maybe around six-thirty or seven?”
“Perfect,” Griff said, his jaw ticking. “I’ll be there.”
Mouthing a silent, “Thank you,” to her, her dad took his replacement by the arm and led him toward a few of the council members who’d shown up. Never missing an opportunity to secure a few more votes, they usually turned up at all large gatherings. Though, to be fair, Nancy was on the board so it wasn’t so unexpected to see them here.
“So,” Kendall said. “He’s coming to your house for dinner. Do you want us all to show up? We could. That would make it less cumbersome.”
Shaking her head, she turned to her friends. “I’m not doing it for Griff. It’s important to my dad that he does a good job so his crew is proud of his decision. They’re family and he wants them well looked after, which means he needs to have a personal relationship with Griff.” She eyed them all conspiratorially. “You all know as well as I do that Dad’s not going to stay away from the fire department. Keeping in good with Griff ensures he’ll always be welcome.”
“I agree,” Rachel said. “Just let us know if we can help.”
* * *
The tension with Olivia aside, Griff loved being around so many friends and being back home. When his father passed two years ago, he realized his mother needed him closer. She was still young and pretty spry, but he knew him coming back to Rainwater was exactly what she needed emotionally.
He glanced at her enjoying a conversation with the three grandmas of Rainwater—Hope, Faith and Mercy. They were quite the characters, but he loved them. They’d stuck right by his mother’s side when his dad died.
Scanning the crowd, he’d visited with just about everyone at the cookout, which meant he could leave whenever he felt ready. Catching sight of Olivia at the watering hole, a table covered with coolers filled with ice set aside for beer, iced tea and soda, he let out a deep breath. She’d gone out of her way on several occasions to avoid him today and it wore on his nerves. Did she really plan to avoid him for years to come? Clearly the woman hadn’t grown up at all over the years. But he had, and he wasn’t going to walk on eggshells wherever he went.
Approaching quickly, not giving her another chance to scurry away, he stepped behind her and said, “Well, I finally found you alone.”
She flinched, surprised, and looked back over her shoulder at him. “Why do you want to find me alone?”
He held out his arms. “Just harmless conversation.”
She turned, folding her arms at her midsection. “So, talk.”
It only took one look at her golden-brown eyes, closed off and cold, to see talking wasn’t going to be easy. Damn, he hated it that she looked so sexy he wanted to kidnap her and take her someplace private and communicate in an all-together different way. Ten years ago she proved herself to be someone completely different than who he thought she was and with the look she gave him now he knew she hadn’t changed. It didn’t really matter what he said. She’d made her mind up about him and that was that. Still, they were going to be living in the same town, interacting with the same people. The least they could do was be civil.
“How have you been?”
“Fine.”
He clenched his jaw at her curt response. “I’m glad you’re a nurse. That was always you goal.”
“It was.”
Damn, she wasn’t giving a fricking inch. “What else have you been doing?”
“You mean between making a fool of myself over a married man or having my soon to be husband run off with my best friend?”
He blinked several times and licked his dry lips, bewildered at the information.
“Seriously?” she scoffed, cocking a hip. “You’re seriously going to pretend like you didn’t know that?”
“How would I?”
“I don’t know, your mom, the grandmas, any one of the members of this town would have been happy to tell you. Sheila more than anyone, I suspect.”
Standing taller, he defended himself. “The first time I’ve seen Sheila in ten years was today at lunch and I don’t plan on repeating that unhappy meeting.”
She shook her head in derision. “Please.”
Throwing his hands out, he lost his temper. “Still? This, still?” Running his hand through his hair he looked away. “I don’t know why I even bother.”
“Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Turns out guys get one reading from me and that is, have your fun until something better comes along.”
Taken aback at her words, he dropped his arms, his mouth falling open. “Olivia—”
“Save it.” She cut him off. “I’m fine. Everything is fine.”
He didn’t believe that for a second. Taking in her face, the sadness she tried so desperately to hide behind her sarcasm and biting tongue was exposed for the barest of seconds. Damn it all to hell. He’d gone and stepped right in it.
“I...” He took a deep breath. “I
honestly didn’t know any of that. I’m sorry.” She might have hurt him, but it didn’t mean he didn’t care about her. She still had a place in his heart whether he liked it or not.
She tilted her head, allowing long brown hair to brush her shoulder, and assessed him. He hoped she saw how sincerely sorry he was for all that she’d been through. Finally, in a small voice, she said, “Why? It wasn’t your fault.”
“I don’t like when bad things happen to people I care about.”
Any softness she’d shown was gone and she reared back, lowering her chin. “You’re kidding, right?”
“You find it hard to believe I care about you?”
She cocked an eyebrow in doubt. “You’re damn right I do.” She glanced to the right and he followed her gaze. Sheila Calhoun was talking to Nancy. “She’s living proof of how big an ass you can be.”
She turned to walk away, but he clasped her arm. “For the last time, nothing happened between us.”
“I caught you kissing her in your car while she sat on your lap, Griff. Your hands were in her hair and everything. Deny that.”
“She was in my car. Uninvited,” he stressed the word. “She jumped in and before I knew it she had scooted over and sat herself on my thigh. Not my lap.”
She glared up at him. “What’s the difference?”
He lowered his head and grit out, his voice husky, “You of all people should know the answer to that. You sat on my lap a hundred times and you weren’t on my leg. You sat right up against my crotch.” He winked, a cruel smile on his lips before he straightened. “Remember that?”
She blushed even as her lips twisted angrily. “And the kiss? You can’t talk your way out of that one.”
“She kissed me. I was pulling her away. That’s why my hands were in her hair.”
They locked eyes, challengingly, neither one wanting to be the one to look away first. Now, just as before, she wasn’t going to budge. Even with the truth laid right out before her.
Growling, he turned and walked away, mad that she’d made him be so crude, but hell, enough was enough. He’d told her a dozen times there wasn’t anything between him and Sheila, yet she refused to believe him. What more could he do?
As he walked away, a small part of him wanted to turn back and apologize, but he fought the temptation. His pride couldn’t take one more hit, so he refused to relent.
He didn’t deserve to be hurt anymore. Especially by her.
Chapter 3
Emotionally shot, Olivia walked away and debated on leaving, but it would be hard to sneak away without anyone noticing. Then, there would be question after question about why she’d left. Her friends would never be convinced it was for any reason other than Griff.
Alone for the moment, she went inside, grateful to be away from everyone so she could take a moment to gather her thoughts. There wasn’t anything she could do about Griff becoming the new Fire Chief or him moving back to Rainwater, but she could avoid him as much as possible.
And she planned to.
The door opened, and her spine shot up. What if he’d followed her inside? What if he demanded they talk? How could she go on like this?
When it was Jeff’s voice that called out, she instantly relaxed. “You okay?”
She turned, relieved he wasn’t Griff. “I’m fine. Just needed to use the bathroom.”
He pointed to her left. “It’s right there. If you need anything else, let me know.”
She headed toward the small room then stopped, glancing back at Jeff. “I’m really happy for you and Nancy.”
He grinned like he’d just won the lottery. “Yeah, we’re still reeling.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad at my age.”
“You must feel very proud.”
“Blessed.” He put his hands in his pockets and dropped his gaze to the floor. “Like Nancy says, we’re blessed.”
Nodding, she went into the bathroom and splashed cool water on her face. Just a little while longer and she could leave. Opening the door, she decided to get her sweater. The weather grew a tiny bit chilly. She left the bathroom, walked to her car, picked up her white cashmere sweater and draped it over her shoulders.
Closing the door and beeping her locks, she turned to head back when she noticed Griff’s well-maintained, red Camaro parked nearby. It was the same car he’d had in High School. Memories rushed over her like water over a busted damn. She gripped her stomach and nearly bent over from the pain.
She’d lost so much, so quickly. She didn’t know if she would ever find happiness. The lasting, real kind, or if she even wanted to try, really. There was only so much one person could take.
Careful to hide her sadness, as she always did, she reluctantly returned to the party, joining her dad and brother around the drink table with some of their friends. A tap touched her shoulder and she drew to a complete stop, fearing Griff might be behind her. Honestly, she admonished herself, she had to toughen up. She couldn’t be jumping all over the place anytime someone approached her. Letting out a pent-up breath, gathering her courage, she slowly turned and found Ann, Griff’s mom, smiling at her.
Returning her cheerful greeting, she moved to face her. Griff might be a sore subject, but his mom had always been a joy to her, if you could believe it. “Hi, how are you?”
“I’m fine.” She took her hand. “I’m so excited Griff is moving back to town. I’ve missed him.”
She put her arm around the shorter woman and hugged her tightly. She’d always been careful to hide the true nature of her and Griff’s break-up from his mom. He was her son and, other than being a cheating liar, he was a good person. Ann didn’t need to know all the painful details. “I know it’s been a difficult time for you and I’m sure you’re glad he’s back home.”
Ann had undergone a mastectomy last year, grueling doses of chemotherapy and radiation. She’d lost weight, her hair and her usual generous smile. While Olivia didn’t work the oncology wing, she’d often made an effort to visit and encourage Ann to keep up hope.
The nurses said Griff was a familiar face on the ward, but miraculously she’d managed to avoid him and he’d never come looking for her. Once Ann had been released from the hospital, the town took it upon themselves to see that she was never alone, never cooked and never had to ask for anything.
It felt good to see her regaining her health.
“I am. He’s looking at buying a house. He’s seen several places. I hope it’s close.”
Surprised, she was at a loss for words for a second. She’d assumed he’d live with his mom since she still resided in their original two-story house. It was certainly big enough and she could probably use the help.
“He staying with you until he finds a place?”
“Yes, but I don’t expect to have him long. He insists on his own place.” She winked, her smile weak. “Probably wants his privacy.”
She couldn’t force herself to smile, imagining all the reasons why he might need that privacy. Great, now she’d be forced to watch him escorting other women around town. Wouldn’t that be just grand? She bit down hard on her back teeth and glanced away.
“Your dad seems very pleased with his decision.”
She followed Ann’s gaze to her dad, laughing and having a great time talking with Griff. “Yes, I’m sure he is. He’s always liked Griff.”
“So does your brother, David.”
“Yes, the whole family likes him. Even my mom used to.”
Ann’s smile widened. “That makes me proud. I know it didn’t work out between you two, but he really is a good boy. I’m glad there are no hard feelings.”
Right.
Her gaze swung to Ann. She was so proud of her son. In her eyes, he came as close as one could get to being perfect. She understood the feeling. She’d looked at him the same way once.
If she were honest with herself, even now, after everything, she was still proud of Griff. He had been in the military and was now a firefighter. He risked his li
fe to help others. Hell, anyone who put themselves in the line of fire was worthy of respect, like her father and brother. They saved lives, homes, and puppy dogs. They were the epitome of truth, justice and the American way. They deserved recognition and trust for the hard work they put in.
But, unfortunately, she’d learned the hard way that trusting someone with your life was not the same as trusting someone with your heart.
Rachel’s mom came up and stole Ann away, wanting to set up a time the ladies could get together for bridge. Her dad took the opportunity to come over, Griff right beside him.
How many times would she be faced with this man in one afternoon!
“Olivia, how’s your work schedule this week?” her dad asked.
“Why?” she asked wearily.
“Since you’re the Emergency Coordinator I thought you might meet with Griff sometime this week and go over what we have set up. He might have a few ideas that would be useful.”
“Aren’t we having dinner soon? I can do it then. Or better yet, I could just give him the notebook I put together and leave it at that.”
Her dad shook his head. “No, this is too important. It needs to be done as soon as possible. I want you two meeting and discussing the best strategy for evacuation should the need arise.”
“Dad, we haven’t had to do that in years.”
“Wildfires aren’t something we take lightly, Olivia.” He scowled. “And I can’t believe you’d blow off the opportunity to make our town safer. That’s not like you, no matter the circumstances.” He tilted his head to indicate Griff, then, raised his brows, giving her the dad look.
“I’m not,” she said trying to defend herself. “I’m just stating—”
Griff put his hands on his hip and cocked his leg impatiently. “How long have you been the ESC?” he asked.
“Five years.”
“Maybe it’s time you step aside and let someone else take up that responsibility. It’s a tough job and I’m sure you’re busy.”
She balled her hands into fists. He wanted to dump her? Poor choice of words, she knew, but she’d created the volunteer position and worked very hard in coordination with the fire department to keep the city safe when struck by massive local fires and wildfires. Four years ago, she’d worked five straight days without sleep to keep Rainwater residents safe as a massive forest fire raged around them. She’d coordinated evacuations, the Hot Shot crews, how to keep everyone hydrated, and treated minor injuries.