I sat in the passenger seat of Gavin’s truck and wrote an email to Andy. I had to cc: David on the email too so he wouldn’t get all twisted up and call my father and whine that I was ignoring him. I made my position very clear that for Amelia’s memorial I would be speaking but I would not be speaking from anything that didn’t come from my heart. Of course, David had taken orders from my father to try and weasel some kind of financial impact to the event, which I hated and refused.

“You look lost in thought and work over there,” Gavin finally said. “Are you consulting?”

I put my phone on my lap. “I’m sorry, Gavin.”

“No worries, darling.”

“No, I’m not consulting. I’m deciding.”

“On?”

I looked at him. I bit my bottom lip. He really knew nothing of what I was. Or who people claimed I was.

“Have you ever lost someone that meant something to you?”

Gavin looked at me with a face that was sad and a little angry. “Why?”

“I have a situation I’m trying to get through. It’s a mix of business and personal heartache.”

“Details?”

My phone vibrated.

A text from Andy.

David is livid. Sterling chewed his head off for not having a speech already prepared. Be ready for the fall out.

“Doesn’t matter,” I whispered. I sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry, Gavin. I shouldn’t be doing this right now. Sometimes the lines get blurred and I shouldn’t let that happen.”

Gavin laughed. “Liv, I know we’re on separate ends of the world with business, but you saw what I did for Stacey. There is no business and personal separation for what I do.”

I reached with my left hand and touched his hand. “I think you’re a pretty good guy, Gavin.”

“You hardly know me.”

“We’re working on that part, right?”

Gavin smirked. “You’re smooth, darling. I’ll give you that much. You’re really smooth. I can see why you wanted to come to this shithole small town. Flashing that expensive shit and then flirting. Too bad you picked me though. I don’t fall for any of that.”

“You don’t?”

“Not a chance.”

“Then what do you fall for, Gavin?”

“What’s the fun in spoiling the ending?” he asked and winked at me.

We stopped at a liquor store that was just outside of town. I swore, crossing out of the town of Breakers was like some cartoon going from old fashioned, black and white to reality. The second we were out of town, everything opened up. It was brighter. There were actual stores, businesses, traffic lights, even traffic.

The stop lasted all of five minutes and then Gavin asked where I wanted to go next. So I told him. He raised an eyebrow but didn’t question me.

We rode in silence as I finished texts and emails.

My father had about fifty projects on the table at once. That was his way of scattering attention from everyone. Employees. Those in higher positions that could possibly give him a hard time about anything financial or related.

I finally just put my phone away and promised myself I’d do it for good. What amazed me though was that Gavin didn’t seem to mind. The man - as sexy as he was - was full of mystery.

“You sure about this?” Gavin asked.

“Yup,” I said. I grabbed the brown paper bag and got out of the truck.

I walked into the bar that had been packed a few nights ago. Now, it was much different. The pool sticks were on the tables in a X. No balls in sight. The dartboard had all the darts stuck at the bullseye. It was quiet. The TV was playing the news. There were only four people at the bar. Each with a beer and a shot, far enough apart that they didn’t have to make mindless small talk.

But behind the bar was Dinky.

I knew the name must have had a story.

Dinky spotted me and stopped organizing some glasses.

“She insisted,” Gavin said as he walked by me. “So why not pour us two?”

“You got it,” Dinky said.

Gavin walked to the bar and I followed.

I put the bag on the bar and then peeled the bag down and off the bottle of vodka.

Dinky came over with two perfectly poured beers and nodded to the bottle. “No outside drinks allowed.”

“This is for you,” I said to him.

“What?”

“I stole a bottle of vodka the other night. I’m returning it.”

Dinky smiled. “Well, goddamn. I thought a bottle was missing.” He looked at Gavin. “You put her up to it, huh? Just like always. Been stealing booze from here since you were a teenager.”

“Really?” I asked.

“He tells lies,” Gavin said. “I never touched a drop of alcohol until I was twenty-one.”

From next to me I heard the rough laugh of someone. A man with a big gray beard was laughing, shaking his head.

“That’s Mack,” Gavin whispered. “Used to run the hardware store but gave it to his kid.”

“What are you saying about me?” Mack called out.

“That you are actually cleaned up right now,” Gavin said.

Mack slapped the bar. “Hey. I did my part in life. Now I’m just waiting for my grave to get dug.”

“What a way to live,” Gavin said.

Mack grabbed his beer and lifted it. He tilted it toward Gavin. “Don’t go bullshitting anyone around here, Gavin. How many times did I catch you and your brother out back sipping on cheap bottom shelf whiskey? Remind me again who was the one that got sick at the door and I stepped in it?”

I looked at Gavin.

Brother? You have a brother?

Gavin waved a hand. “That’s enough of that talk.” He reached into his pocket and took out money.

“Keep it,” Dinky said. “Car’s making a rattling noise again.”

“Bring it in,” Gavin said.

I took the atmosphere in. The bar. The quietness. The sadness. That was the crazy part. It felt so depressing in there now. The men at the bar were beaten down by life and were all waiting to die.

“Hey, Gavin,” I said. “I didn’t know you have a br-”

“I don’t feel like drinking at the bar all day, do you?” he asked me, obviously avoiding the conversation.

“No,” I said. “I’m supposed to be a business professional.”

“Well I don’t think there’s anything professional in this town, but we can pretend to be professional.”

I really wasn’t in the mood for professional as I stared at Gavin’s arms and the way they threatened to rip the sleeves of his t-shirt.

“Where to now, Gavin?” I asked.

“So I’m giving you the tour?” he asked with a sly grin.

“Sure. I’d love to see this place.”

“No you don’t.” Gavin stood up and leaned toward me. His lips were close enough that when he spoke my hair moved and a tickling feeling went through my body. “Little Miss Agenda…”

Gavin then walked to the door and held it open for me.

At the last second I looked back and saw Dinky standing there, giving Gavin a thumbs up.

Then I looked at Gavin and put my hand to his chest. Just for fun. Just to feel muscle.

“Are we going to have some fun?” I teased.

Gavin put a hand to the small of my back, sending more hot shivers throughout my body.

“Oh, darling, I got something in mind for you and me…”

 

* * *

 

Gavin held out the large axe and nodded at me to take it.

He held it like it was a bottle of water. When I grabbed and he let go the axe fell to the ground and I flew forward with it.

“Whoa, easy,” he said. “That’s kind of sharp.”

“What are we doing with this?” I asked.

Gavin turned and grabbed a chunk of a tree. He put it on what looked like an old tree stump. He pointed to the axe. “I think I’m going to use that fire pit tonight out back. Need something to burn, right?”

“You’re serious right now.”

“Serious,” Gavin said. “Why? You never swung an axe before?”

I titled my head to the side. Seriously? Come on…

“Oh, okay. Don’t tell me you’re one of those rich girls that can’t do a thing for themselves.”

I swallowed hard. I didn’t want my cover blown. Whatever cover that was. Why was I there? To snoop out the town like my father wanted? To pretend I wasn’t rich, even though I had a car and other transportation on standby with the click of a button? Or to just be there, in the moment, with Gavin, and feel something that seemed normal?

I didn’t answer his question but I did grab the axe. I wrestled with it and managed to give an attempt at a swing. It was more like a golf swing, hitting the log off the stump.

“Yeah, see, the goal is to actually split the log,” Gavin said.

“Funny,” I growled. “Let’s see you do it, hot shot.”

Gavin put the log on the stump. He grabbed the axe. And he swung it like nothing.  Every muscle in both arms flexed as he came down. The axe hit the log and a piece fell to each side of the tree stump.

“There,” Gavin said. “Easy.”

I did all I could to not let my jaw drop.

This man was strong. Seriously strong.

He then put another log on the stump and nodded to the axe. “Your turn.”

“Fine,” I said.

I grabbed the axe.

It took me the same amount of time to lift it.

“Here,” Gavin said. “Let me show you something.”

Next thing I knew Gavin stepped behind me. My entire body stiffened and shivered. His large hands came around me and touched my wrists.

“Keep your wrists straight,” he said, his voice behind me, breath hitting my hair. “Use those muscles and focus on where you’re swinging.”

I lifted the axe again and this time I had Gavin’s hands holding me. I could feel his body inches away from touching mine. I was so wildly turned on, I sucked in a breath and swung the axe down. I wasn’t even paying attention, not with Gavin touching me. But lucky for me, the axe hit the wood. It didn’t cut the wood but it was stuck there.

“Nice,” Gavin said.

He let me go and backed away.

“What now?” I asked.

“Pick it up, wood and all, and smack it against the stump.”

I tried but the method wasn’t working for me.

“I’ll show you,” Gavin said with patience in his voice.

He grabbed the axe. Before he could lift it, I did something. I stepped behind him and reached around his body. My hands slid down his beautiful, muscle laced arms. My body pressed against his.

I couldn’t quite reach his wrists but I wasn’t there to really give a damn about cutting a piece of wood.

Gavin lifted the axe with the wood attached to it. With a quick slam down to the tree stump the log broke into two. For me, I got to feel his body move. His body flex. The hardness of his back that his t-shirt had been trying so hard to hide.

I couldn’t believe the mental notes my body was making about Gavin. A man who was so completely my opposite it turned me on even more.

I then stood there and watched him work as he cut a large pile of wood.

My mind raced with thoughts.

The town may have been a little beat up with time. The businesses may have been struggling. But the people here didn’t care about their balance sheets, if they even had one. They only cared about helping each other and getting to another day. I tried to envision my father’s vision of the town and it didn’t make sense.

Gavin split one more piece of wood and then slammed the axe in the tree stump. He glanced back at me. He raised an eyebrow. I knew he wasn’t stupid. I knew he was reading me. And I knew I was getting more and more exposed.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I don’t know, Gavin,” I admitted without thinking.

He then crouched and collected as much wood as his big arms could hold.

When he walked, I went with him.

“Hey,” I said. “I’ve noticed a few things around here.”

“Yeah?”

“Stacey. Nikki. What’s the deal there?”

Gavin laughed. “Years. That’s the deal. Years.”

“Years? Meaning?”

Gavin paused. “Women. Okay?”

“Really?” I asked.

“Things aren’t always as easy in life as you’d think,” Gavin said.

“Meaning what, Gavin?”

“Meaning we should just keep walking,” he said. He took a step. “Unless you want to tell me what you were talking about when you were drunk?”

“Okay. I get it. Fine. This is my escape right now. Okay? Maybe it’s wrong. Maybe I’m just using you, Gavin. I’ll admit it. This town. This house. This everything. It’s crazy. I know it’s crazy.”

Gavin then dropped the pile of wood to the ground and slapped his hands together. He turned to face me and grabbed my shoulders.

“What are you escaping from, darling?”

I shook my head. “Right now I’m not sure.”

“Do I smell bullshit?”

“Probably just your dog’s.”

Gavin laughed. “You are the most interesting and yet stubborn person I’ve ever met.”

“Not your typical one night stand, huh?”

“One night stand, darling? We haven’t come close to sleeping together yet. Not unless you count when you tried to take off your hoodie and pulled up your shirt. That was a nice bra you were wearing. Really fancy. Really revealing.”

“And you didn’t make a move,” I said. “What a shame.”

Gavin leaned in a little. “Darling, when I’m ready to make a move you won’t know what to do with yourself.”

“So you just assume I’ve got time?”

“That’s right. I forgot. You’re a big, bad business woman.”

“And I’ll huff and puff and blow your house down.”

Gavin laughed. “That house? Be careful. It won’t take much.”

He winked.

I was suddenly breathless.

Before he could let my shoulders go, I grabbed at his shirt.

“Gavin… I don’t know why you’re okay with my being here but I appreciate it. I don’t do this stuff, just so you know. And if there was something happening. My life is…”

I sort of wanted to just be me in front of Gavin still. Not the princess. Not The Princess… the woman in fancy dresses, diamonds, gold. I just wanted to be Olivia in a shirt and jeans. I just wanted to be Olivia staring at Gavin, thinking about a cool night and a warm fire. I just wanted to be Olivia… watching as Gavin started to close in…

He wanted to steal a kiss and I was willing to give him one. And then some.

Our lips gently brushed together, the moment finally winning.

It was such a soft kiss but with so much more waiting.

But it never came.

Before we could kiss again I heard someone yell Gavin’s name…