Heron's Landing: The Complete Series

by Iris Morland

  By midafternoon, Gavin was walking toward the barn with his basket of ripe grapes when he felt his phone vibrate in his hip pocket. After Emma’s episodes, and now the threats against Kat, he’d made sure to carry his phone everywhere with him. His heart pounded each time he got a call, although more often than not, it was some spam call. He set down the basket and pulled out his phone, and when he saw it was Kat herself, fear congealed his blood.

  “Kat, are you okay?” He probably shouldn’t have assumed something was wrong, but dammit, he was worried about her—and for good reason, too.

  He heard an intake of breath on the end of the line before she responded. “I’m okay…I mean, I’m not, but I am.” She laughed, but it sounded more like a sob. “I stopped by the house today to get some things, and they’ve broken in a window and written something on the side of the house.”

  He stopped in his tracks. Now all he could feel was pure, crystallized anger. “They did what? I’ll be right there. Have you called the police?”

  “That was my next call. See you soon.”

  Gavin said goodbye, and after retrieving his things and telling Adam what had happened, he sped off to Kat’s house, his heart in his throat. He knew Kat well enough now to know that her supposed calm was just a mask. She was so good at holding it all together, but she had to be terrified. How long could she last before breaking down?

  By the time he arrived, the cops were there, flashing red lights surrounding the property. Kat stood off to the side, Officer Haldon once again questioning her. Gavin stepped out of the truck and headed toward her, but not before he was arrested by the sight of the words DIE WHORE written in red paint on the side of the house.

  “Son of a bitch,” he breathed. His vision awash in a red fury, he had to restrain himself from yelling in sheer rage. But when he turned to see Kat hugging herself, looking tired and small, he knew he couldn’t give in to his anger. Not yet. She needed him.

  “Kat, are you all right?”

  Before she even replied, he hauled her into his arms. Officer Haldon paused with whatever he’d been saying and then murmured something about giving them a moment. Gavin didn’t particularly care what the other man did; he just wanted to make sure Kat was okay. He ran his hands down her body, checking for injuries, even though he knew she didn’t look injured. She said as much, but he had to know for sure.

  “I’m okay, Gavin,” she said. “I just got here, and whoever did this had already run off.”

  He looked into her face, and she was as dry-eyed as always. So calm, so put-together. But he saw the way a muscle twitched in her cheek, how big the dark circles had gotten underneath her eyes, how she was hunching in on herself. He rubbed her arms.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he vowed in a low voice. “I promise you that much. We’ll find who did this.”

  She nodded and laid her head on his shoulder. He rubbed her back.

  He wondered how long she’d stay together, how long she could be strong for herself and everyone else around her. You’re always the one taking care of everyone else, he thought. But who’s taking care of you, darling Kat?

  Everything became a whirlwind of questions and photos and statements, but Gavin didn’t leave Kat’s side for a second. Officer Haldon told Kat that they hadn’t found any leads, but this case was their top priority. After assuring Kat that they’d add a police presence to watch the house, he assured her that they would make certain she wouldn’t be hurt.

  “This person wants to keep you scared,” Officer Haldon said, his voice disgusted. “But we won’t let that happen. As much as we possibly can, ma’am.”

  Kat nodded tiredly. “Thank you for all your help.”

  “After you get that window boarded up, you can stay here if you’d like. The police will be watching twenty-four seven.”

  Gavin stiffened at the thought of her staying here alone. There was no way in hell he was going to let that happen. But Kat spoke before he did. “I don’t think I want to stay here tonight, but again, thank you.” She held out her hand, and Officer Haldon shook it with a slight frown.

  When Gavin and Kat arrived back at his place, it was just the two of them, as Emma wouldn’t be home from school for another two hours.

  “I only had to teach a half day today,” Kat said by way of explanation, “and I wanted to check on the house. And then…” She sighed. “This person sure isn’t giving up. I guess I have to give them props for consistency.”

  The attempt at a joke fell flat, and Gavin couldn’t even try to laugh. He handed her a cup of tea. After that first night, he’d made sure to stock every flavor of tea he could buy at the local store, although Kat had assured him that plain old black tea was perfectly fine.

  “Mike told me that this jasmine tea is good,” he explained.

  Her mouth quirked into a smile. “I’m not sure how much of a tea connoisseur Mike is, but I’ll take his word for it.”

  She sipped her tea in silence. He didn’t want to press her to talk. But as she drank her tea, he could see her hands starting to shake; eventually, she was shaking so hard that he took the mug from her, worried she’d spill the hot liquid on her fingers.

  “I was so scared,” she gasped. “When I saw what they’d written on the house, I was sure they were still there, just waiting to hurt me.” She swallowed, and her eyes were wild when she looked at him. “They’re going to kill me, aren’t they?”

  Gavin’s heart lurched. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, her words terrifying him. “Not without killing me first,” he vowed.

  She clutched at him, like she couldn’t get close enough. He could feel her heart pounding wildly, like a bird fluttering against its cage doors.

  “I was so scared, so scared, oh my God, Gavin.” She kept saying the same thing over and over again, her entire body trembling, and he didn’t know how to make her feel safe. He felt utterly useless, but at least he could hold her, keep her close, and murmur things in her ear. He could rub her back and tell her he’d never let anything happen to her.

  She kept trembling, though, and soon he heard her breath hitch. That was when she started crying: in deep, rolling sobs, she was crying so hard that he was afraid she’d hyperventilate. He let her cry until his shirt was soaked with her tears, but he didn’t care. He knew someone like Kat didn’t let her guard down easily. He doubted she’d cried even once since all this had started. So all the fear and anger and grief came out in one intense burst of tears that finally petered out after what seemed like an eternity.

  She took off her glasses to wipe her eyes, her cheeks tear-streaked. She looked exhausted and yet, inexplicably, absolutely beautiful. He kissed her on the lips, but it was a tender kiss. It didn’t suggest anything other than affection and reassurance. Afterward, he tucked her head underneath his chin and held her until she dozed off in his arms.

  He carried her to his bed, stripping off her boots before placing a blanket on top of her. He changed his wet shirt, and soon after, Emma arrived home from school.

  “Kat’s taking a nap,” he said, “so let’s be quiet, okay?”

  Emma nodded, frowning. “Why is she taking a nap? Is she sick?”

  “Kind of. She had a hard day.” Gavin wasn’t going to tell Emma what had happened. It would just terrify her, and he didn’t need both Kat and Emma crying. “Did you have a good day at school?”

  Emma pulled her pant leg up to show him her knee. “I fell off the tire swing and got this. But I didn’t even cry.”

  It was a rather impressive bruise, he had to admit. “How did you fall off the tire swing, anyway?”

  “We were standing on it and then Danny made it go so fast that I fell off. I had to lie still underneath it until it stopped turning, otherwise it would’ve hit me in the head.”

  Honestly, sometimes he wondered how any child survived elementary school. “And are you supposed to be standing on the tire swing?”

  She shrugged. “No, but Ms. Reeves has a crush on Mr. L
oy and doesn’t pay much attention while on recess duty if he’s around.”

  Emma recounted the rest of her day, which included various bits of teacher-related gossip that both amused and rather astonished Gavin—mostly due to the fact that Emma knew of such gossip in the first place—while Kat slept the afternoon away. He heard her get up around five o’clock, but she didn’t come out into the living room. He couldn’t blame her. He was the type of person who needed space after something so emotional, and he imagined Kat was similar. But that didn’t stop him from knocking on the door and asking if she needed anything, to which she’d replied that she was fine.

  “I heard someone broke into Ms. Williamson’s house,” Emma said as he started making dinner that evening.

  He stilled. “Who told you that?”

  Another shrug. “I heard it on the bus. So it’s true? Is that why she’s staying with us?”

  “Yes, but I don’t want you talking about it in front of her. It’ll upset her.”

  “What if the burglar comes here, though?”

  He recognized that tone in Emma’s voice, which could so easily blossom into full-blown anxiety. Turning to look her in the eye, he said, “That won’t happen. I promise. You know I’ll keep you safe, right?”

  Emma didn’t look totally convinced, but he made sure to distract her with helping with dinner to make her forget her fear. It worked—at least for now.

  10

  When Kat woke up, it was already dark out. She fumbled for her phone and groaned at the time displayed: nine o’clock. Now she’d never sleep. She stared up at the ceiling, dimly registering that she’d somehow ended up in Gavin’s bed, and not for the reasons she would’ve preferred.

  Sighing, she rose and went into the living room, where she found Gavin reading. He looked up when she entered.

  “How are you feeling?” He got up to lead her to the couch.

  “Tired, but I’ll be okay.” Embarrassment made her edgy. She hadn’t cried like that in front of someone since her mom had died. Kat wished she could bury herself underneath a rock and maybe hide there for the foreseeable future. When she glanced at Gavin, she saw that his expression was full of concern, and she had to admit, it made her even antsier.

  “I think I’ll go home tomorrow,” she said out of the blue. She hadn’t even thought about it, but she needed distance. Time. Space to think about what the hell she was doing. Having sex with a man was one thing; crying like a baby against his shoulder was another.

  His dark eyebrows winged upward. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  No, but it’s better than being here, with you. “The police are watching the house, and I’d hate to intrude further.”

  “Don’t even worry about that. I don’t want you staying somewhere where you aren’t safe.” His eyes darkened, and now she couldn’t look away. “I told you I’d keep you safe, and I meant it.”

  Kat didn’t know if she wanted to turn tail and run, or launch herself into his embrace more. She hadn’t had someone to look out for her for so long. Lillian had done her best after her mom’s passing, but she’d been too far away to do much. And then she’d been diagnosed with dementia, and the grandmother Kat had known for twenty-five years had disappeared.

  She hugged herself. “I think it’s for the best if I go home,” she said quietly.

  “Is this about what happened last night?” His voice was little more than a growl, and it caused the hairs on the back of her neck to prickle.

  “No, I mean, kind of…” She looked away from him. “It’s more that I don’t think we should continue what we’re doing.”

  He didn’t say anything to that. She knew, deep in her gut, that she was taking the easy way out. But she’d rather bring everything to a halt now before she got in so deep that she’d get her heart broken.

  He rose from the couch and began pacing. He looked rather like a grumpy lion, all rumpled and glorious and scowling. Her heart—her stupid, stupid heart—fluttered as she watched him. Even now, she still wanted him.

  “You can’t leave,” he said, and she blinked at him. “I mean, it’s your choice, but it’s a stupid one. You’ll put yourself in danger, and for what? Because you regret what we did the other night?”

  “I never said I regretted it.”

  “You’re acting like you did.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t put words in my mouth, Gavin. I’m trying to be cautious. I’m trying not to screw myself over, okay?”

  “And how, exactly, would you screw yourself over?”

  She realized what she’d said, but she refused to apologize. “Look, I know you’re not ready to move on from your divorce. I get it. It takes a while to get to that place, and I don’t want to be your rebound chick.”

  He stared at her. Then he cursed. “You would not be my rebound chick.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. But I also don’t want to be the other woman in your relationship.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “You know what it means!” She rose and pointed a finger at his chest. “How can we have a relationship if you’re still not over your ex-wife? Or your marriage? You haven’t exactly been interested in making this anything more than a fling, and I’m telling you, I don’t want to have just a fling.”

  He gaped at her, but then he narrowed his eyes at her. “I assure you,” he said in a low voice, “I’m over my marriage. I have been for years. It ended way before we ever filed for divorce.” He took her hand that still had her finger pointed against his chest, and he lifted it to his mouth, kissing her fingers. She had to keep her knees from buckling, just from that simple caress. “That doesn’t change the fact that I want you more than I’ve ever wanted another woman. And I think you feel the same way.”

  She couldn’t deny it: she desired him, like she’d desire water in the middle of a desert. As he kissed her fingers, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she found herself moving closer, until she was pressed against him, her breasts against his chest and his hardness against her belly.

  She knew she should resist. She shouldn’t give in. Another voice whispered that her accusations were just because she was scared, but didn’t she have a reason to be scared? Letting herself trust and lean on another person—on this man—was a gamble she didn’t know if she could take. And especially not on a man who’d experienced his own heartbreak that had left him bleeding and fractured.

  All of that was pushed aside when he sucked her index finger into his mouth. The wet heat of his mouth stunned her, and she could feel herself growing painfully aroused. He let her finger go with a last lick of his tongue.

  “We can’t,” she breathed. “Emma…” It was her last excuse.

  “She’s at Joy’s for the night.”

  They stared at each other, knowing what that meant. There was no reason to say no. There was nothing to hold them back.

  So Kat made a decision: she wasn’t going to hold back anymore.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him, and he groaned deep in his throat at the contact. His muscular arms hugged her close and almost stole the breath from her lungs. But she didn’t care: she just wanted to get as close to him as possible.

  They stood in the living room, kissing and licking and touching, and then Gavin reached down and lifted her up into his arms. She squeaked a little, and then squeaked again when he brought her down on his bed, still kissing her. His hands roved all over her body, like they couldn’t stay in one place for too long, like he had to feel every inch of her skin. She felt the same. She reached underneath his shirt and skimmed her nails down his spine, which caused him to shudder in her arms.

  “You have too much clothing on.” She tugged on the hem of his shirt.

  “So do you.” He lifted her shirt off, and then she did the same for him. His eyes gleamed as he saw her in her bra, and feeling daring, she stripped out of her jeans, glad that she’d thought to wear something other than her cotton boy-shorts.

  “Damn, Kat.” Hi
s gaze drank her in. “You’re gorgeous.”

  She stared at his chest, muscular and lightly dusted with dark hair, and she found her mouth watering. She sat up and began skimming her fingers across his chest, loving how warm and solid he was. She’d missed this, having a man so close, having him at her mercy. And the fact that it was Gavin Danvers? Made it even better.

  She played for a few moments, but seeing his eyes narrow to tiny slits, she knew his self-control wasn’t going to last. She unbuckled his belt and then palmed his erection through his jeans, which made him curse. Smiling, she traced his length, her heart pounding and her center becoming slicker.

  Gavin, though, wasn’t going to sit there and take what she doled out. He reached inside her silk panties, and she gasped when he parted her damp folds. He thrust a finger inside of her as his palm rubbed against her clit, and she let out a mewl when he barely brushed his hand against that aching bud. Her hand fell away from his cock without even realizing it.

  She felt herself reaching toward climax, and when Gavin added a second finger, that was enough to send her off. He caught her moan of completion with a deep kiss. She shuddered and shook as they collapsed onto the bed together.

  But Kat wasn’t going to go down without a fight. She flipped him onto his back and climbed up onto his lap, undoing the buttons on his jeans and taking out his cock. God, his cock was amazing: long and hard, and she couldn’t help but lick the tip before sucking it into her mouth.

  “Fuck,” he hissed as she licked him. “Goddamn, Kat, you’re going to kill me.”

  She rather hoped she did. She smiled, taking more of his length into her mouth, but after a few more minutes, he pulled her up. “I want to come inside you,” he said before reaching into the nightstand for a condom. He handed her the foil packet, which she managed to tear open and roll the latex down his cock despite her shaking hands.

  She rose up over him, letting his cock brush against her. She was still wearing her panties, but that somehow made it more erotic, like they wanted each other so badly they couldn’t take the time to fully undress. She rubbed against him, his cock glancing off of her still-sensitive clit, and they both hissed in a breath.