The Guarded Widow

by K M Gaffney

  I’m always amazed how my own heart can be ripped open when it comes to my children, Olivia tearfully thought as she wrapped her arms around her two eldest sons and held them while they wept. Her own heart was aching from their pain as she wiped away their tears.

  After a few minutes, their teeth began chattering from the bitter cold wind so she decided to walk them back to the car. As she turned to place guiding hands upon Luke’s and James’s shoulders an unidentifiable object, jutting up out of the snow, at the foot of the headstone caught her attention.

  Olivia called out to her sons as they scurried off.

  “Boys, go on up ahead. Gavin will have the heat on. Tell him I’ll be along in a minute.” Gavin watched the boys hurry back toward the SUV and saw Olivia kneel down by the headstone. Assuming she must’ve needed a few minutes by herself, he helped the boys back into the vehicle.

  Olivia knelt down, brushing away the snow in order to take a better look.

  Her eyes widened a she realized it was a framed photograph. As she lifted it closer and studied the image, she was shocked to find it was a recent picture of her. She was asleep on the living room couch, wearing the same nightgown she’d worn on Christmas Eve. The one Gavin had given her a hard time about.

  Shaken by her discovery, Olivia stood up and surveyed the snow covered landscape of the cemetery. The sky was steel gray, making the landscape desolate. Not a soul was around, except for Gavin and the boys waiting for her.

  Slipping the frame into her coat pocket, she hurriedly rushed back to the car. When she climbed in beside Gavin, he immediately noticed she was pale.

  “Are you alright?” he asked, sympathetically.

  Not trusting herself to speak, she merely shook her head yes.

  Someone, not something, woke me up on Christmas Eve, Olivia conceded as they exited the cemetery. The unsettling revelation of not only being watched, but also being photographed by Johnny Johnson repulsed her. Digging her fingernails into the underside of the leather passenger seat, she forced her mind to forget the previous frightening encounter with him. Gradually, over the short course of the drive home, she went from feeling scared and violated, to feeling downright furious.

  By the time they reached the house, Olivia was seeing red.

  “Gavin, I need to speak with you immediately,” she spat out before stalking right back out the garage door.

  The boys all stared at him with wide questioning eyes, wondering what he’d done wrong. Perplexed, Gavin could only shrug his shoulders at them because he honestly didn’t know.

  Actually, he was asking himself the exact same thing. At a loss, he followed her snowy tracks around the front of the house and climbed the porch steps. He saw her, angrily pacing back and forth, and again wracked his brain as to what he could’ve done between here and the cemetery that would have upset her.

  Still, he came up with absolutely nothing so he decided it was best to ask.

  “Olivia, what did I do?”

  After dramatically rolling her eyes at his question, she hissed in exasperation.

  “Nothing! YOU, did nothing wrong!”

  Then she angrily shoved her hand deep within her coat pocket, removed a framed picture and thrust it toward him.

  “This, this is what’s wrong,” she hissed out.

  Gavin took it from her and silently studied the photograph.

  It was a provocative image of Olivia.

  She was sleeping on her side with her one hand tucked under her face and her other hand resting along her nearly bare hip. Her breasts were straining against the thin fabric of the nightgown, which had actually ridden up rather high as she’d slept, while the blanket was wrapped around one leg, leaving her other leg completely exposed from hip to toes.

  “Did you enjoy that Gavin?” she snapped as she swiped the frame out of his hands. Actually, from a completely male perspective, he had, and under different circumstances he’d have been pleased to tell her so. But considering another man, the one who’s obviously been stalking her, took it, he felt a fierce possessive anger rear its ugly head inside him.

  “This was partially buried under the snow at the foot of Tom’s headstone. Can you venture a guess as to who must’ve put it there?”

  She’d managed to harness her temper all the way home, but now with only Gavin as her witness, she finally gave into it and threw the picture frame as hard as she could up against the stone wall of the house.

  The sound of shattering glass actually made her feel somewhat better.

  Gavin quickly surmised the situation.

  “Johnson must’ve taken the picture on Christmas Eve. Remember something woke you up and you were going around checking windows when I found you.”

  Olivia was beyond capable of acting rationally as she sarcastically drawled, “Well yes, I do recall that, Gavin. My gosh you’re a sharp one, aren’t you?”

  Anger sparked off of her, igniting Gavin’s temper. His fired up just as dangerously high as hers.

  “Look, I’m not happy about you being photographed either. But don’t take it out on me,” he snapped.

  Throwing her hands in the air, she shouted, “Who should I take it out on, Gavin? This man is messing with me. It’s only a matter of time until he’s able to get to me again or maybe this time, even one of my children. I’m so angry that I’ve now become a prisoner in my own home. I want; I need for this to end.”

  Understanding her need for his comfort rather than his anger, Gavin stepped forward and wrapped his sturdy arms around her.

  “I promise you this will end soon. We’re going to find him, Olivia.”

  Burying her face against his leather jacket, she resorted to crying out the remaining anger and frustration still festering within her.

  Gavin held her against his chest, stroking her hair while she cried. His gaze focused on the very same window Johnny Johnson had used to violate Olivia’s privacy while she unknowingly slept and bitter rage burned through him. As Gavin willed himself to not tense up and alarm Olivia, he silently hoped he’d finally get the opportunity to find Johnny Johnson, alone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Dad, are you sure you want to go? It’s New Years Eve; you know you’re more than welcome to stay a few days more. I just hate the thought of you starting the New Year alone,” Olivia said, helping her father gather up and pack the remaining articles of clothing scattered throughout the guest bedroom.

  “I appreciate the offer. I really do, but I’m ready to go home. You know I don’t mind being alone. I’ve enjoyed my stay. I just feel like it’s time to leave now,” Walter explained. “Don’t worry about me.”

  As Walter reached for his suitcase, Olivia swatted his hand aside.

  “Don’t you dare lift that, Gavin can put it in the trunk of the car for you.”

  Within a half an hour, everyone was gathered on the front porch saying their goodbyes.

  “I love you, Dad. Please, take care of yourself,” Olivia said as she walked him down to his car.

  He gave his oldest daughter a reassuring smile.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be home by nightfall.” He pivoted, nodding toward Gavin. “You two enjoy yourselves at the New Year’s eve party tonight.”

  After Olivia shut his car door and blew him a kiss through the closed window, Walter slowly traveled down the long winding driveway, his heart heavy, knowing there was one last stop he needed to make.

  He’d been patiently waiting for an opportunity such as this to arise. So when Johnny Johnson watched Olivia’s father cautiously inch his car out of the driveway, he was thrilled to death. A menacing grin rippled across his pock marked face as he proceeded to follow the older man down the road, being sure he kept enough distance to remain undetected.

  Earlier that morning as he’d petered around in Olivia’s guest room, packing, Walter had decided he’d be taking a trip down memory lane. Ever since his previous conversation with Olivia, he’d been missing his wife. So rather than immediately getting on the inters
tate, he steered his car down the achingly familiar streets of his hometown. With each passing block his heart seemed to grow heavier, everywhere he looked memories began flooding his mind. Already overwhelmed by them, he finally turned down his street, their street, and parked in front of the old house. Their house, the house they’d raised their children in.

  The house Walter had barely been able to walk into after burying his wife.

  Anna.

  The memories of his Anna seemed to bombard him all at once, creating a painful lump of unshed tears to form in his throat.

  “My beautiful Anna,” Walter sighed as he cut the engine.

  In a reminiscent daze, he stared at the tall brick colonial while remembering all those evenings spent together, laughing and dreaming, out on the porch swing.

  How many times did we venture out there to relax after the girls were in bed? It’s been twenty years, he wistfully recalled as he wiped away tears. I could never move back to this town and live with the daily reminders of our life together.

  Now he realized why he’d had the sudden urge to return home.

  The longer he stayed, the more his soul ached.

  Johnny was extremely annoyed. What the hell’s he doing just sitting there, staring at some stupid house?

  “Let’s go old man,” he sneered.

  As if on command, Walter started his car. Johnny’s face twisted into a vicious grin as the older gentleman drove off in the direction of the highway.

  Maddy arrived, late in the afternoon, carrying numerous dresses. Gavin opened the front door, greeting her, while warily eying the clothes draped over her arm.

  But Maddy, being Maddy, only offered him her most gracious smile before gliding up the staircase to find her sister. After strolling into Olivia’s bedroom and not seeing her, she knocked on the closed door to the master bathroom.

  “Gavin, I told you to leave me alone! I will not open that door. I’m in the bath tub, Olivia shouted, sounding exasperated.

  Maddy laughed out loud.

  “Olivia, it’s me. I brought the dresses you’d asked for.” Then she snickered, informing older sister, “The next time you want a man to leave you alone, you shouldn’t tell him you’re in the tub.”

  When Olivia threw open the bathroom door, she was wrapped in a towel with curlers rolled up in her hair and sticking her tongue out at her sister like she was ten years old again.

  Smiling ruefully, she studied the dresses lying across her bed.

  “So which one of those do you think I should wear tonight? I want Gavin to grovel at my feet.”

  Maddy started holding each dress against Olivia’s tall frame, one at a time. A slow mischievous grin crossed her lovely face as she lifted up a slinky white sequin dress.

  “If you want groveling, you must wear this one.”

  Olivia raised a brow as she assessed the dress, or lack thereof.

  “It’s January, I’ll be cold if I wear that one.”

  Maddy gave her a mocking smile before chastising her, “Oh Olivia, it’s a heated restaurant. Believe me; it’ll be well worth it to see the look on Gavin’s face.”

  She hung the dress on the closet door.

  “Be sure to wear your hair up so the deep V in the back of the dress will be more accentuated. You’re taller than I am so this will make your legs look like they go on forever,” she told her, wearing a knowing smile.

  Maddy knew just by having watched Gavin, watching her sister, that he already wanted her, badly. Poor guy, Maddy thought with a giggle, he doesn’t stand a fighting chance tonight.

  Twenty minutes later, Olivia emerged from the bathroom wearing a dazzling smile on her face.

  “Wow, look at you,” Maddy said. “I love what you did with your eyes. Nice up do, it’s just what I had in mind.”

  Gingerly lifting the white sequin dress off the hangar, Olivia asked, “How do I even get into this thing?”

  “Carefully, Olivia, very carefully. Although I must admit, that’s not how I usually get out of it,” Maddy said, with a wicked grin.

  Shaking her head over the insinuating remark, Olivia dryly replied, “Just help me to get into it.”

  Walter traveled the busy highway for about an hour before deciding he needed to take a break. He wanted to stretch his legs. With his poor health he was always worried about blood clots, and he desperately needed to relieve his bladder. So at the next exit, he swung off onto a back road. After driving a few more miles without any restroom in sight, he decided being a man definitely had its perks.

  Parking his car along the shoulder of the road, he climbed out and carefully made his way far enough into the woods to ensure no one could see him as he went about his business.

  Emerging from the dark forest, he was feeling remarkably better and now ready to resume his trip home.

  As he plodded his way back over the dirty, gray snow, Walter was surprised to see an older style car parked directly behind his own car. A stocky middle aged man was just stepping out of the older vehicle as Walter approaching.

  “I saw your car and stopped to make sure you didn’t need any help,” Johnny hollered out, sending him a friendly smile.

  Walter waved his hand, stepping up to his car door.

  “I appreciate it, I’m fine,” he replied before turning his back on the young stranger for a few brief seconds.

  Johnny moved with lightening speed.

  He grabbed the metal flashlight off his car seat and raced over to Walter. Without an ounce of remorse, he brought the heavy casing down against the older man’s skull with a sickening crack of metal against bony, thin flesh.

  The stunning sisters stood, side by side, admiring their reflections in the full length mirror mounted on the inside of the walk-in closet door.

  “My my, we clean up rather well, don’t you think?” Maddy asked, flippantly.

  Then, as if just noticing the time, she spun around and started to gathering up her belongings.

  “I’ll meet you there, Olivia. See you soon.”

  Downstairs, Gavin was pacing the first floor as he waited for Olivia to emerge from the clutches of her sister. When Maddy finally descended the staircase, it was without Olivia in sight and by now he was very close to losing his patience.

  Elsa, however, took one look at Maddy and began to gush, “Oh honey, you’re such a beautiful girl. I wish…”

  With the good intentions of ending her statement, Maddy quickly planted a kiss against her cheek. “Good night, Elsa, I have to go. I’ll see you there, Gavin. Enjoy!”

  Then she raced off to Mulligan’s, never wanting to be late for a good party.

  Olivia stared, again, at the unfamiliar image in the mirror. The back of her dress was shocking; it literally stopped just above her derriere. And yes, even though the hemline did make her legs look very long, it skimmed a good seven inches above her knees while the neckline plunged daringly low for her usual taste.

  As Olivia fingered the thin spaghetti straps, which must’ve been designed purely for show, she wondered why she was even wearing a dress like this.

  Well, it’s too late now, she decided as she slipped into her shoes. I’m surprised Gavin hasn’t stomped up here looking for me as it.

  One more turn in front of the mirror enabled Olivia to admire the shocking dress one final time. After picking up her purse and wrap, she went to find him.

  Gavin was convinced that she was never coming down on her own accord and strode down the hallway with irritation coursing through him. I’ve waited long enough, he decided as he approached the stairs to go retrieve her.

  His first jaw dropping glimpse of Olivia descending the second half of the staircase stopped him cold as he completely lost his previous train of thought.

  “Wow! You look gorgeous. Wow!”

  His tongue suddenly proved uncooperative as he tried to speak and his brain was no help, being unable to think far enough too properly to form a sentence.

  Giving up, he finally decided to settle for uttering a t
hird time, “Wow!”

  Olivia smiled brilliantly as she leisurely performed a complete turn for him.

  The spark of heat which instantly fired within his eyes was worth far more than any words he could have ever spoken.

  Stepping forward, he languidly trailed one finger from the base of her neck all the way down the plunging back of her dress.

  “I’m going to be the only one to dance with you while you’re wearing that dress,” he whispered in her ear, his voice rough with desire.

  Olivia’s lips lifted, giving him a purely feline smile.

  “I wore it with only you in mind.”

  Then she presented her back to him so he could place the wrap around her. After it was securely draped across her shoulders, he used it to slowly bring her around to face him again.

  Parting it open once more, he grinned slyly.

  “I’m just enjoying my view.”

  Elsa hurried down the hallway before they had the chance to leave without saying good bye. She gushed with motherly pride when she saw them.

  “Olivia, you’re a beautiful woman. As a couple, you fit well together.” Before returning to the family room, she paused and reassured them both. “We’ll be just fine tonight. Go, enjoy your evening out.”

  Once Olivia finished thanking Elsa again, for offering to stay with the boys, they finally departed for Mulligan’s.

  An ardent grin spanned Gavin’s face as he followed her out to the truck. He fully intended to savor their first evening alone together.

  Mulligan’s was overflowing with enthusiastic revelers by the time they strolled through the doors. As Gavin checked her wrap and his coat, Olivia delighted herself with a generous eyeful of him.

  “You look rather handsome yourself, this evening,” she purred.

  Gavin placed a possessive hand on the small of Olivia’s back as he guided her through the crowded New Year’s Eve celebration. In order to be heard over the booming rock song being performed by the band, he projected his deep voice.