Now she understood what she was missing out on—what she was depriving herself of…
Grant deserved better. He deserved the kind of woman who could open up and give all of herself to him. He deserved the kind of warmth and contentment she wasn’t capable of giving.
Her insides were contorted like a Cirque Du Soleil performer. God, she missed him. Missed the sound of his laughter; the intoxicating masculine scent of his skin; the intensity of his ice-blue eyes when they were focused on her…
But this was for the best. Better to endure the unbearable heartache now; there was no need to postpone the inevitable…
Grant Womack was in love with the picture perfect character she portrayed: the easy-going, witty, free-spirited persona she’d carefully cultivated. He didn’t know the real Olivia, the one she fought to keep hidden. Because truthfully if he did, he probably wouldn’t like her very much.
Olivia stared at the latest issue of Adversity Magazine, the picture she’d submitted of Grant fleeing the theater as it collapsed behind him on the cover. The editor had indicated it was her best work yet and had rewarded her with another sizeable check.
Funny how that accomplishment didn’t seem to mean a whole hell of a lot without the man on the cover to share it with…
The sound of her phone ringing startled her, transporting her back to the here and now. Rising from her gray velvet loveseat, she tossed the magazine on the coffee table and then reached into her purse for her cell phone: KENDALL.
“Hello?”
“Happy birthday!” Kendall squealed.
“Well, not sure I’m ‘happy’ about turning twenty-eight, but thanks!”
“You okay?” Kendall prodded.
“What? Oh, yeah—I’m fine. I guess I just suddenly realized how close to thirty I’m gettin’.”
“It’s just a number, ya know”, she kindly reminded her.
“Yeah, I guess so. So, anything excitin’ happen on the island for New Year’s Eve?”
“Nope—just the usual fireworks gathering on the beach… I, ah… ran into Ty.”
“Yeah, he mentioned he’d seen you.”
“He did?” Kendall asked hopefully. “I mean—yeah, we talked. He was pretty torn-up about not being able to visit for your birthday this year”, she amended. No way did her best friend need to know about everything that’d happened New Year’s Eve!
At least not yet.
“I know. I forget sometimes that not everyone has the flexibility with their careers like I do.”
“It’s definitely a perk. Running the pharmacy doesn’t allow me to take off very often either.”
Just then, Olivia’s doorbell rang, indicating there was someone just outside the wrought iron gate that led to her small guesthouse. “Hey, listen, someone’s at the gate. Ty told me he mailed a package—I bet it’s here! Call you back later?”
“Of course”, Kendall agreed.
After tossing her cell phone onto the loveseat cushion, she bolted toward the door. Barefoot, she wrapped her arms around herself for warmth and quickly tiptoed to the wrought iron gate. The mailman was long gone, but he’d left her package on the ground on the other side. Once she had it in her grasp, she pranced inside and gave it a gentle shake.
“I wonder what it is?” she mumbled softly. After locating a pair of scissors, she sliced through the tape and unfolded the cardboard flaps, revealing the contents inside: an album.
She expected that Ty had replaced her worn, leather portfolio. But that’s not what she saw when she opened to the first page…
Instead, she saw Grant… Turning the page, she relived her time with him back on Butler Island. She hadn’t taken all of the pictures; some were probably captured by various friends at various gatherings: poker night, Halloween, Winterfest…
Tears erupted from her eyes as she thumbed through the album. Ty hated the idea of her and Grant—why had he sent this? And more importantly, what’d possessed him to fabricate it in the first place?
On the very last page was one of her favorite memories of them: the picture captured by her time-lapse feature when Grant had chased her on the beach. Every time she saw it, it made her smile, and this time was no different. Below the picture was a yellow Post-it note that read:
Olivia,
Hoping your day will be filled with
unforgettable memories.
All my love,
Grant
Collapsing onto the loveseat, she clutched the album tightly against her chest and surrendered to the overwhelming wave of despair and regret that’d suddenly washed over her.
Why was she torturing herself? He loved her… and she was in love with him, too.
She loved Grant Womack! There, she admitted it.
Walking away from the man she loved had been much harder than she imagined it would be. Who was she kidding?—she didn’t want a future of what-if’s. Didn’t want to deprive herself of his love any longer.
What did she want?
Well, that was easy: Grant Womack—no matter if it was six months or sixty years. She just wanted him—for as long as he would have her.
Releasing the album from her tight clutch, she glanced at the handwritten note again, savoring each word. It wasn’t until she’d re-read it that she noticed a tiny arrow at the bottom, encouraging her to peel the sticky paper away from the page and look on the other side.
Flipping the small yellow paper over, she read the most exciting three words…
Open the gate
A rush of euphoria coursed through her veins. With the album still in her grasp, she hurried toward the door, raced down the porch steps and then ran toward the man that was standing on the other side of the wrought iron gate…
Grant.
It’d taken all of his strength to remain hidden after he pressed the buzzer on her gate. He’d heard it swing open and had been so tempted to reveal his presence. But it wasn’t time—not yet.
She was expecting a package from Ty and once she opened it, needed time to digest the contents of the album. And then, she had to digest that the package hadn’t come from Ty at all—it’d come from him.
He admitted that normally he was a confident man—but not now. Hell, for all he knew, she’d rip the pages from the binding and toss it in the trash.
After several minutes had elapsed, he ambled toward the gate and waited nervously for the front door to open. He still wasn’t sure how he’d be greeted—or if she’d even bother for that matter.
With each passing minute, his anxiety grew; every tick of his watch, his morale weakened. And then, it happened…
The door flew open and the most beautiful woman he’d ever known ran toward him. Her honey-blonde hair had been haphazardly piled on the top of her head, held in place by a pencil; the long sleeve, heather-gray nightshirt hugged her hourglass curves and the hem fell mid-thigh, revealing an incredible pair of legs. But that wasn’t the best part. The expression on her face almost rendered him speechless: a beautiful smile and a look in her eyes that revealed more than any words she could’ve spoken.
She was running toward her future…
Gnawing on her bottom lip, she halted in front of the gate and stared at a grinning Grant.
“Surprise”, he said as he opened his arms.
“I can’t believe you’re here! I… I thought Chief Handler revoked all vacation time this week?” she asked confusedly.
“All, but one.”
“And it was Ty’s. But he said one of the guys at the department had a family emergency. They needed time off so—”
“—So he gave up his scheduled vacation time… for me”, he clarified.
“You?” she asked, bewildered. “Is something wrong?”
“Yeah”, he said as he gestured toward the gate between them. “Mind if I come in?”
“I’m sorry, yes, of course you can.” Olivia unlocked the gate and opened it. She’d been so surprised to see him, she’d completely forgotten her manners—and not to mention—her
pants!
Pivoting, she turned toward her front door and tugged on the hem of her gray nightshirt, suddenly aware of how exposed she actually was. Once inside, she gestured for Grant to sit on the loveseat, and then joined him.
“So what’s wrong?” she asked impatiently. “It’s not your parents, is it?”
“No, although I did visit them on the way here—”
“Grant, that’s great! I’m so happy you realized the grudge you’ve carried with you all these years was trivial. You have two parents who wanna be a part of your life!—do you know what I’d give to have that?”
Grant smiled. “I know. And if not for you, I honestly don’t know if I would‘ve taken that first step.”
Uncomfortable with his praise, she tucked her feet underneath her and tugged at the hem of her shirt again. “So if your parents are fine, what’s the emergency?”
“It’s personal”, he uttered softly.
“Oh… I’m sorry. I—”
“—You see”, he interrupted, “a very beautiful photographer left town; left me with a hole in my heart… I was hoping you could mend it.”
Olivia lowered her head. “Grant, I—”
“No, listen to me”, he demanded as he cupped the back of her neck. “I love you. You’re a part of me now—you can’t just take-off and leave.”
“There’s so much you don’t know about me, Grant. I’m—”
“I know more than you think. You’re a smart-ass with a big heart and an infectious laugh; you’re talented, you’re beautiful, and you’re the bravest person I’ve ever known.”
Olivia met his gaze and shook her head. “I’m not brave—I’m a coward. I’m afraid, Grant. I’m so afraid to allow anyone to get too close. And when I feel like someone’s broken through the barrier, I push them away. I’ve never completely lowered my guard before—until you. The more I pushed, the harder you pushed back… I let you get too close, and now… now I’m terrified”, she confessed.
“Of what?” he prodded as his thumb brushed her cheek.
Olivia closed her eyes as a tear escaped. She needed to be honest with not only Grant, but herself. And somehow, saying the words with her eyes closed seemed safer. “Terrified that I’ve found the love of my life—scared that it’s only a matter of time before I lose him.”
“What?” He questioned optimistically.
Olivia opened her eyes and gnawed on her bottom lip. “I… I love you.”
The words had barely left her lips before his mouth came over hers. It was fiery and ravenous at first, and then their tongues waltzed to a slow, soothing melody.
A sensual oral promenade.
Breaking the kiss, Grant leaned his forehead against Olivia’s and gazed into her vibrant emerald eyes. “Marry me”, he blurted.
“What?” she asked in disbelief.
“Livvy, you fill a void in my life I never knew existed. Now that I know, I can’t live without you. You’re a vital part of me now—I need you like my lungs need air. Please, Livvy, please say yes…”
Those next few seconds were the longest of his entire life. Once the initial shock faded from her angelic face, he knew.
The corners of her mouth turned upward and a radiant glow beamed from her eyes, beckoning him—calling him home.
Olivia nodded and then threw her arms around him.
“I promise I’ll make you happy, Livvy; we’ll spend a lifetime filling albums with good memories.”
And that’s when she knew: Although her road to “happily ever after” hadn’t been paved, she still managed to find her picture perfect fairytale ending.
Stay tuned for
Nikki Rittenberry’s
next Butler Island novel
Coming Fall 2012
Picture Perfect (Butler Island) Page 20