Chapter 5
Over. Done. Finished.
Olivia could hardly believe that four years had passed by already. Here she was, standing in the airport, duffle bag at her feet, looking for a glimpse of Bruiser in the bustling throng. She raised up on her tiptoes and scanned the crowd, searching for a tall, handsome man with short chestnut hair and deep green eyes. Drawing her bottom lip into her teeth, she chewed it absently as she worried where he was. Did he forget? Maybe he was called on a mission at the last minute? She pulled out her cell phone and retrieved the last text from him.
Leaving now. See you soon.
Her fingers hovered over the buttons, wondering if she should send a text, asking where he was. With a firm shake of her head, she tucked the device back into her pants pocket. They had caught a tailwind and landed a full twenty minutes ahead of schedule. He said he was on his way; he'll be there.
Once again she scanned the crowd, looking for Bruiser and once again, came up empty. She wrinkled her brow. Patience. She had to have a little patience.
"Miss? Are you alright?"
A gentleman in a dark gray business suit stopped beside her. He was just a little taller than her - maybe five foot, eight inches or so with jet black hair, tan skin and a huge smile full of gleaming white teeth. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. She noticed a shiny gold wedding band on his left hand clasped around the handle of a laptop bag.
"Yes, I'm alright, thank you."
He studied her a moment. "If you need a ride, we can share a cab."
She shook her head. "Thank you, but I'm fine. My ride should be here any moment."
He scowled as he glanced at the plain black duffle bag on the floor by her feet. "There's seating over by the wall. I can take your bag for you if you like. It looks big."
She chuckled. "Thank you, but I've got it. I've been hauling this thing around for years. I don't even notice it anymore."
"Olivia!"
Her head shot up when she heard her name called. Raising up on her tip toes, she spotted Bruiser immediately. And, he looked good! Turning to the man standing beside her, she murmured, "Excuse me." Picking up her bag, she hurried through the crowd until she stood in front of him. Her heart stuttered in her chest then threatened to explode. "Bruiser," she breathed his name.
A beautiful smile greeted her. Bruiser lifted his hand and touched her cheek. "Hi there, sweetheart. Welcome home."
Something inside of her settled at those simple words. For the last three months, some little piece of her deep down inside was afraid she was misreading their relationship. Even with every email they exchanged and each telephone call they shared, she wondered if the growing infatuation between them had been all imagined on her side. One look into Bruiser's eyes and she knew the truth. All the fear and doubt evaporated as he pulled her to him. She closed her eyes and absorbed the quiet warmth of being in Bruiser's arms. It felt safe. It felt like home.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her hair. After several moments, he let her go. She stepped back, albeit reluctantly. "Thank you for the welcome."
He grinned and picked up her bag. "Of course." Splaying his hand over the lower portion of her back, he gently guided her through the crowded airport until they entered the parking garage. When they arrived at his SUV, he opened it and helped her inside. Tossing her bag into the back seat, he slid into the driver's side and buckled up. He looked at her as if he were memorizing her face. Reaching over, he touched her cheek tenderly. "It's good to have you home again."
The touch sent warmth through her body, and she melted against his palm. "It's good to be home," she murmured. Her breath hitched when he leaned over and kissed her sweetly. Okay, so it wasn't just her.
He let his hand slide away and started the vehicle. Olivia glanced out the window as Bruiser navigated the parking garage and pulled out into regular traffic. She had watched this same view several times before in the past four years, but knowing this was the "final" time settled something deep inside. The next time she left home, it would be because she wanted to and not because she had to.
"Are you hungry? We can stop and grab a bite if you want."
She turned back to him and shook her head. "No, I'm good. Besides, I want to save room for Auntie's enchilada casserole." She grinned mischievously. "But if you need to waste some time before taking me to the Community Center for my party, we can just drive around."
She watched his face as shock flashed across it and he coughed. "Jayden?"
"Mmmhm. He couldn't help it. The last time we spoke, he spilled the beans. Don't worry, though, I wouldn't rain on Auntie's parade for anything. I'll act properly surprised."
They drove around for another twenty minutes before Bruiser announced they had wasted enough time. When they got to the center, he took her hand and gave her a wink. Together they walked into the door.
"Surprise!"
People shouted to her as she entered. Acting properly shocked, she grinned and waved. She recognized a few members of Auntie's church, several attendees of the center and a couple of neighbors. There was also a group of four handsome, buff, men whom she had never seen before standing in one corner. Bruiser raised a hand in greeting which they returned. That had to be Bruiser's team.
Jayden rushed forward and threw his arms around her. Squeezing her tightly, he yelled, "Welcome home, Livy! Now you don't have to leave ever again."
Olivia tightly hugged her little brother, who was already taller than her. "Hey there Jaybug. Nope, I'm not planning on ever leaving again. You're stuck with me, kiddo."
He let her go and scrunched up his face. "I'm not a kiddo, Livy. I'm as big as you."
"I see that. You've grown another foot since March."
He grinned and puffed out his chest. "Come see what I did." He grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled.
"Jayden," Auntie Nat admonished gently. "We talked about this, remember? There's plenty of time later. She's only just gotten home. Let her get her breath first." She also hugged Livy closely. "It's good to have you home again."
"Okay, Auntie," Jayden mumbled and dropped Livy's hand. "After you breathe, I'll show you my big painting."
Everyone laughed, and music filled the air. In one corner, a large retro style boom box sat on a card table. Tunes poured from the speakers on either side of it. On the countertop sat a large flat cake. Olivia wandered over and smiled at the camouflage design on top with a huge, "Welcome Home Livy" written in bright orange icing. There was a suspicious looking gouge in one side. She was pretty sure it would match Jayden's finger. She laughed. It was perfect.
"Olivia!"
She glanced up and saw Bruiser standing with the four strangers next to a punch bowl. Motioning her over he handed her a cup of the fruity drink and pulled her into his side. "Olivia, I'd like you to meet Cowboy, Finch, Railroad, and Hick, members of my team. Gentlemen, this is Olivia Parker, the guest of honor. Toad couldn't make it today; he had other plans."
Olivia blinked as she looked up at them. "Nice to meet you." She glanced at Bruiser. "Toad? Why in the world would you guys give him that name?"
The one named Finch muttered, "He earned it." He took a big drink of the watered down punch and frowned.
She started to ask another question but was cut off by Jayden grabbing her hand. "Hi, guys. Come on; you've breathed enough. I want to show you," he whined.
Livy couldn't help but laugh at his exuberance. "Excuse me, please." She gave them a nod and slipped from the comfort of Bruiser's side. "Alright, Jaybug, I'm coming. You're pulling my arm out of the socket."
He continued to drag her until they stopped before a large wall on one side of the massive room. Dropping her hand, he stood back. "See? They let me paint on the wall."
She gasped.
It was a beautiful mural done in vivid colors. At the center, Jayden had carefully airbrushed the words "Community" in the gaudy block letters common with many graffitists. However, the six mini pictures around it stunned her. Mixing the street art style with caricatures, he had portrayed scenes he had obviously witnessed within the center. At the top, several small children sat in a circle while a woman helped them with homework assignments in the after-hours school tutoring program. To the right and slightly lower, a group of young teens played basketball. The next one depicted Mrs. Claymore drawing on a large sketchpad. The lowest picture was a group of young women sitting in a group, doing their nails, their faces animated as if in the midst of gossip. Next was a group of men and women carrying boxes toward a table with "Food Bank" draped across it. However, it was the last picture that caught her attention. In it, a muscular man stood in a tank shirt and shorts, showing a group of women how to kick a dummy in the knee. Jayden had captured Bruiser's good looks in perfect caricature form with his head slightly larger than his body, and a grimace on his face with tiny beads of sweat flying from his body.
"He did a good job," Bruiser stood beside her looking up at the wall.
"It's fabulous." She turned and hugged her brother proudly. "Look what you did!"
"I know, Livy. I'm the one that did it, duh." He rolled his eyes. "Mr. Art said he is going to ask if I can do one of the walls on the outside. He has to get permission first."
She grinned at him. "I'm so proud of you."
He smirked then hugged her. "Auntie is cutting the cake now." He turned and hurried off toward the table where Natalie was placing squares on paper plates.
"He amazes me," Olivia leaned against Bruiser.
"You amaze me," he whispered and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Come on. You don't want to miss out on your cake, do you?"
Bruiser's eyes rarely left Olivia as she flittered around the room, talking to everyone. Sitting at a table with his team, he watched her make the rounds, thanking each person for coming. Every once in a while, she would glance up at the mural and smile wistfully. He could tell she was insanely proud of her little brother.
"Hey, Romeo, you and Livy an item?" Cowboy picked up the cup of punch and drained it. "Because it sure looks that way from here. "You haven't taken your eyes off her since you arrived."
Bruiser reluctantly drew his gaze from watching her move around the room. He raised one eyebrow. "As I told you before, we're just friends."
Cowboy barked out a laugh. "Just friends, eh? That possessive streak you're showing says a lot more than 'just friends.' Don't think we haven't noticed how your mood changed after getting certain texts and emails over the past three months. Admit it, Bruise, you got it bad for her."
Bruiser chuckled. "I admit nothing."
"I noticed she and her brother don't favor," Finch nodded toward the two standing by the cake table. "Is one of them adopted?"
The question took Bruiser by surprise. "No. Why do you ask?"
"Jayden is light complexioned," Finch answered. "Livy is much darker."
"From what I understand, they have the same mother but different fathers. Olivia is Biracial, and Jayden is Caucasian." Bruiser's gaze darkened. "Don't tell me you are a racist because that shit doesn't fly with me."
Finch threw his hands up in surrender. "Hell no, I'm not a bigot. I may be from the South, but that doesn't mean I believe in that elitist bull-crap. I was just curious about adoption, that's all." He stood and picked up his cup. "I'm going to head out. I have a few things to take care of."
"Finch!" Bruiser called out, but his teammate kept walking. Finch dropped his cup in the trash. He stopped to say something to Olivia before exiting the building.
"What was that about?" Bruiser asked in stunned disbelief.
Railroad, the quietest, most focused member of their team shrugged his shoulders. "He's been moody as hell since coming back from leave last week. I tried to get him to talk about whatever is bugging him but he won't."
Bruiser watched the door as if waiting for it to open and readmit Finch. He had been so focused on Olivia's homecoming he hadn't even noticed the change in his teammate. His thoughts were interrupted when Hick dropped into the chair Finch had just vacated. He held a paper plate with a huge piece of cake in one hand and a plastic fork in the other.
Smacking his lips, Hick crooned, "Mmmmm. Good cake."
"Again?" Cowboy shook his head. "Man, why do you do that to yourself? You know that weird metabolism of yours is going to slow down eventually."
"Nah, my whole family is like this. We can eat anything and never gain any weight." He shoved a bite of the sugary confection into his mouth and chewed. Washing the bite down with the watered down punch he licked the frosting from his lips. "Best cake I've had since New Orleans."
"I'm surprised you aren't covering it in mustard or pickles," Bruiser snickered.
Hick stopped with the fork in the air. "Do you think they have pickles around here?" He laughed at their disgusted looks. "Kidding. I'm just joking." He shoveled the cake into his mouth.
"How is..." Bruiser paused and searched his mind for the woman's name. "How is Annabeth? Are you two still talking?"
Hick lowered his chin in a brief nod. Swallowing the bite in his mouth, he continued. "Yeah. We Skype a couple of times a week. She's coming out next month for some writing something or another. We may hook-up while she's here."
Bruiser nodded. "The convention downtown. River and Joselyn are coming out as well. I was thinking about having a BBQ while they were here. Sound good to you guys?"
"As long as you're not cooking, Hick," Cowboy said with a bit of snark.
"Bite me, Cowboy," Hick grinned and shoveled the last of the cake into his mouth.
The table fell silent. Turning his attention back to Olivia, Bruiser watched her as people started to leave. "Looks like this shindig is winding down," he stated. Standing, he picked up cups and plates from the table. As one, the others stood and helped as well. They returned the tables and chairs to storage, cleaned the floors and put away the decorations. Hick claimed the last few pieces of cake. Auntie Nat had been about to throw them away, but Hick saved them at the last minute.
Three hours later, Bruiser delivered Olivia, Auntie Nat, and Jayden to their home. He was invited to stay for dinner, for which he happily accepted. He would gladly take all the time he could in Olivia's company. After helping to clean up, Bruiser and Olivia wandered outside, hands clasped, where they perched on the sturdy porch railing. He had his arm around her back with his fingers tucked into her pants pocket. She took his other hand in hers and ran her fingers over the rough, calloused pads. Crickets serenaded them from the shrubs bracketing the sidewalk. Olivia had her head on Bruiser's shoulder.
"How about dinner this Friday?" he asked as he pressed his lips against her hair.
"Okay," she whispered then yawned.
He laughed and pulled his fingers out of her pocket. "Alright, you need your rest. It's been a long day for you."
She opened her mouth to argue, but he stopped her with a look. "Sweetheart, you're don't have to pack a month's worth of leaves into a week. We've got time." He hopped off the railing and pulled her down beside him. "I need to go anyway. It's late, and I have PT in the morning."
The expression on her face made his gut clench. She didn't want him to go. He didn't want to go, either, but he knew he needed to. It made him feel good that she wasn't ready to say goodnight yet. He cupped her cheek with his hand and watched the play of emotions on her face. In this light, with the way her eyes shone, she was so beautiful and vulnerable. He groaned. "Honey, please?" he pleaded. He wouldn't be able to leave her like this.
She closed her eyes and looked away. "Okay," she agreed and turned toward the door.
He pulled her back and curled his arms around her, pulling her protectively into his embrace. Looking down at her, he sighed. "You're getting under my skin, Olivia."
She giggled. "My plan is working."
He raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "So it is."
They stared at each other a moment longer before Bruiser lowered his face to hers. He hesitated, watching the way her thick, dark lashes brushed against her cheeks. She rose up on her toes, breaching the minuscule distance until they shared a breath. His eyes swept over her face, drinking in the exquisite beauty that was his Olivia. He wondered, Was she his? Not yet, but she would be. With his mind made up, he brushed her lips tenderly. With the first electric touch, she pressed herself against his body, winding her arms around his waist. Sliding his hand around until he cupped her neck, his thumb swept circles against her throat as his tongue mimicked the gesture against her plush lips. With a soft sigh of surrender, she granted him access, and he slipped inside easily. The taste of her was ambrosia mixed with sweet sunshine and the promise of a thousand moments of pure bliss. He was lost in her. Breathless, it deepened until they were both panting. As the kiss broke, she gave a soft whimper of hunger. The sound twisted him inside. With a groan, he recaptured her mouth in a harder kiss, taking her flavors as he nipped and sucked on her tender bottom lip. Reluctantly, he released her mouth. She laid her head against his shoulder, and he curled his fingers into her hair, tenderly stroking. He could hear her heart racing in time with his. Cripes, what this woman did to him!
They stayed that way, clinging tightly to each other as the world passed them by. He would have stayed there all night holding her in his arms except for the yawn that overtook her. He sighed forlornly.
"I better go before Auntie Nat comes after me with a broom," he whispered against her hair.
Drawing out of his arms, she pulled her lip into her mouth and nodded slowly. "Okay," she acquiesced, taking a step back and wrapping her arms around her middle.
Standing there, less than two foot from her and he was already missing her. She had burrowed in under his skin and was well on her way to stealing his heart. This woman whom he had seen only a handful of hours was rapidly becoming more important to Bruiser by the minute. She was bordering on vital. It should have scared him. It didn't.
He forced himself to turn away. He dropped down the steps and walked to his SUV. Unlocking the door, he looked back to find her watching him with a beautiful smile on her face. Again, his body reacted. Clearing his throat, he called out, "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay," she returned.
Finally, as he pulled out of the driveway, he noticed her enter the house and closed the door. The guys were right. He had it bad for her and frankly, he didn't care. Olivia was what he wanted most in this world. He had a feeling she harbored the same desires, but if she didn't, he would do his best to convince her they belonged together.