Butterfly Cove Read online

  After the smiling waitress took their order, she returned moments later and handed Rafe a huge plate of French fries even though it had not been on the order. “Fries are on the house. I know that you like them because you order them whenever you come in. I figured maybe you forgot, seeing how you might be distracted and all.” The waitress shot a meaningful glance at Olivia.

  “Thanks, Sallyann.” Rafe reached for the salt and the ketchup, grinning. “I never could get decent fries when I was away. After another year of eating them every day, I may actually get tired of them.”

  The waitress crossed her arms. “You mean while you were over in Afghanistan, I take it. Well, we all thank you for your service there. Just because some people in town are all fuss and bother doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t appreciate it. Tom Wilkinson happens to be an old friend of mine. I heard a few stories about the things you did over there,” she said quietly.

  Rafe frowned. “All exaggerated, I assure you.” Before she could say anything else, he picked up the menu. “How about adding some root beer to the order? I’m thinking Olivia and I should split a root-beer float.” He glanced at Olivia and raised an eyebrow. “What do you say?”

  Olivia nodded, remembering the few times that she had shared a float with him on Saturday afternoons in junior high. They hadn’t done it often.

  It had raised too many eyebrows.

  As soon as the waitress had gone, she leaned closer. “You want to explain that?”

  “Not particularly. I’ve put all that behind me. Let’s just have a nice meal, okay?”

  Olivia saw the wife of the mayor glance their way and frown. The daughter of the town librarian was sitting off to their right. She frowned at Rafe, too. Clearly their night out was being noted.

  And because there were so many disapproving looks, Olivia took Rafe’s hand between hers. “Thank you for your service in Afghanistan, Rafe. Sallyann was right. We do value it.”

  Rafe looked down at his hands, gripped inside Olivia’s. He cleared his throat. “I believed in it. I still believe in it. But you don’t have to hold my hands, Livie. Although it’s nice.” He glanced around the crowded diner and smiled a little. “But I get it. I’ve seen the looks, too. You’re just making a statement. After all, once the town bad boy always the town bad boy,” he said dryly.

  It was true; that had been her original intention. But when he put it that way, Olivia realized she needed to be honest. There was something more going on.

  “The day two people can’t go out for dinner and not be frowned at is the day I leave this town,” she said coldly. She followed up the words with a glare at the mayor and his wife.

  To her fury, they answered with little waves and a smile. But the smile was only for her, not Rafe. How could people be so stupid and close-minded?

  Sallyann brought back a huge root-beer float and Olivia attacked it with a straw and a big spoon. She suddenly realized how hungry she was.

  “Hey, slow down. You won’t have any room for dinner,” Rafe said quietly.

  “I could eat a horse. Jilly sent me lasagna a few days back, but it’s all gone. I’ve been too busy to bother cooking.”

  Rafe smiled. When he saw that the mayor and his companions were watching them, he reached across the table and slid an arm around Olivia. Then he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “That was in the spirit of making a public statement, too.”

  Olivia looked around the room and saw more disapproving looks.

  “The hell with that,” she muttered. Leaning forward, she gripped the front of Rafe’s shirt and slowly pulled him toward her.

  This kiss was neither light nor casual, but slow and searching. It held heat and memories, along with an edge of recklessness. And for the space of long heartbeats, Olivia forgot that it was just supposed to be an act.

  When they came up for air, she could have sworn the room around them was silent. She could feel eyes burning into her back, but she didn’t care.

  Rafe cleared his throat, looking a little bit overwhelmed. “That was some statement you just made, honey.”

  “I certainly hope so. Let the small minds talk about that, since they’re so determined to gossip,” she said angrily.

  “I’m sorry to intrude on your meal.” A tall gray-haired lady in a scarlet scarf moved to the table and held out her hand. “I’m Andrea Moore. Andi to my friends. I live around the corner from you, Olivia. You may not remember me, but I knew your father for many years.”

  The two shook hands, and then the older woman glanced around the room. “Everyone is watching you, but I guess you know that.”

  “It’s hard to ignore. Do you want to sit down, Ms. Moore?”

  “Oh, call me Andi. And thank you, but I just finished my dinner. Best fries outside of L.A. I only came by to introduce myself and leave my card. I handle real estate on the island, and I specialize in high-end properties.” She hesitated. “I hope you’ll forgive me...but I noticed that your rain gutters are clogged and in need of repair. I had mentioned it to your father a few years ago, but he felt the repairs could wait. The thing is, you shouldn’t ignore a roof. It can cause all kinds of problems.”

  Olivia looked down at the business card and frowned. “I’m glad to know about this. I plan to put the house up for sale and I was hoping to find a real estate agent to give me an estimate on what would be necessary first. I could also use a price comparison of other homes that have sold in the area.”

  The real estate agent’s eyes widened. “You’re selling your house? Your father was always so proud of it, especially your view to the sea. Are you sure you want to do something so drastic?”

  “I’m sure. But if you aren’t interested in the business, I understand.”

  “Oh, I’m definitely interested. There’s no house on the island that can compare with yours. With the right touches in place and all repairs done, I could sell it in a second. Of course, the economy is a little slow, but I’m sure I could do very well for you.”

  Olivia nodded, her mind made up. “Then we should talk. I’ll call to set up a time. I’d like to get a repair estimate as soon as possible.”

  A muscular teenager stood up at the adjoining table. He waved to the real estate agent and pointed to his watch.

  “Oh, sorry. My son is finished and he’s getting bored. I’d better go. He has a gymnastics event tomorrow, and he needs his rest. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy your dinner. I look forward to walking the house with you, Olivia.”

  Olivia stopped her as she turned away. “Andi, this may be odd...but I have something to ask you. You said you knew my father for many years. Did you know that he had a boat up north?”

  The real estate agent shook her head. “No, not that I’m aware of. If you’re thinking of selling it, I’m afraid I can’t be of much help. I specialize in land properties only. But I could suggest a good broker, if you like.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” Olivia watched the mother and son walk through the crowded room, talking quietly. Nearby diners seem to be studying them, but Andi did not stop, though several people waved eagerly for her to come to their table.

  “I wonder why he kept it a secret,” Olivia mused aloud.

  “Not a clue. But she seems to know her business. Since she specializes in high-end properties, you’d be in good hands. I still think you should check her out,” Rafe said. “Don’t jump into bed with the first person who makes an offer.”

  “You’re right. I’ll talk to several people before I make up my mind. Now what about dessert? That root-beer float was good, but I could use some coconut-cream pie.”

  By the end of dinner, five local residents had passed by the table. All of them stared curiously at Rafe, but they also glanced at Olivia with disapproval.

  That was fine with her. At least things were equal now. She wanted them to disapprove of her as much as Rafe.

  When they walked back to the car, Rafe leaned down and rummaged through the backseat. Olivia had been too distra
cted before to notice the clothes and running shoes in a pile.

  “Sorry. I haven’t gotten moved in properly. I didn’t really plan to take the job here. I was going to travel for a few months, but Tom Wilkinson needed someone right away...and I couldn’t refuse.” Rafe gave a rueful smile, sweeping up a bag with napkins from a fast-food restaurant down on the coast road.

  “You’ve been living on that? If I tell Jilly, she’ll—”

  “Don’t tell Jilly. Whatever you do, spare me that. She’s been sending me food at the station. The problem is, everybody else wants it. And Tom is looking thin. I’ve been giving most of it to him to take home.”

  Of course he would do that, Olivia thought. “I’m not a major-league cook like Jilly, but I can manage meat loaf and a creditable mac and cheese. I’ll cook you something. There’s no earthly reason for you to be living on fast food.” She saw Rafe flush and push something onto the floor. Peeking over, Olivia saw a pillowcase wedged in the corner. She was pretty sure it was full of dirty clothes. “And you can give me those clothes to wash while you’re at it. Once you finish moving in, you can take over cooking and laundry duty, but until then, I insist.”

  Rafe blew out a breath. “I keep meaning to get things set up at the house, but something always comes up. Still, the Laundromat downtown is fine. I wouldn’t dream of—”

  Olivia scooped the pillowcase up and moved it to her lap. “No more arguments. I’m taking this home and that’s final.” She drummed her fingers on the dashboard as they drove down darkened streets. “Any idea when this power failure will be over? Was it a transformer problem or a weather problem?”

  “We were told it was an equipment error. Somebody cut a line. They said to expect full service within six hours.”

  But that didn’t make Olivia feel better, because her problem was not a simple equipment malfunction. “I still don’t understand. If someone got into my attic, they had to use a ladder. Surely I or one of my neighbors would have noticed that.”

  “Not necessarily. I checked out the back porch. If you were agile enough, you could climb up that big apple tree and then jump to the roof of the porch. From there, it’s possible to reach the dormer window at the back of the house. That would give you a pretty good vantage point to reach the attic.”

  Olivia didn’t move, chilled by the picture Rafe had just painted. “I have to do something then. I hate to cut down that old tree but—”

  “There’s no need. One branch is enough. None of the others are big enough to stand on. I’ll take care of it in the morning.”

  Olivia blew out a little breath. “Just show me the branch. I’ll cut it down myself.”

  “With a shoulder still not healed?” Rafe shook his head. “Are you always this difficult, or is it just me that brings out the worst in you?”

  Olivia stared out the front of the car, feeling the weight of his laundry in her lap. “Yes...and yes,” she said, trying to hide a smile. “And thanks for dinner.”

  * * *

  BY THE TIME they got home, Olivia had three voice messages waiting for her. The real estate agent named Andi wanted to swing by and check out the property for a price estimate. She said she had gotten the number from directory information and she sounded eager to move forward. Another message was from the mayor’s wife. The third one was from the head of the bank. Both of them hoped to invite Olivia to lunch the following week. Olivia knew the real reason for the calls was to find out exactly what was going on between her and Rafe.

  She decided to let them stew.

  After she put away her coat, she went to make tea. “You don’t have to stay here tonight, Rafe. I’ll be fine.”

  He simply ignored her, moving to the back wall, where he tested the locks to the garage and back porch. “These things are too flimsy. I’ll give you the name of a locksmith to call tomorrow to replace them. Now where’s your security system?”

  “What security system? I don’t have one.”

  Rafe muttered under his breath. “You do now. That locksmith will get you set up. Here’s the monitoring service I suggest.” He scribbled a name and phone number on a small card near her phone. “This may be nothing, Livie, but you need to take it seriously. Get a security system set up and then use it. That means every time you go out you trigger it. When you’re inside, you set it and keep the fob in your pocket. That’s not a request. As your town law enforcement officer, that’s an order.” His voice was cold now. The look in his eyes made Olivia nod slowly.

  “Okay. I will. But you’re probably blowing this all out of proportion,” she muttered.

  She started to reach for the teakettle and was shocked to feel Rafe swing her around abruptly. His hands gripped her waist as he pushed her back against the wall. “Do you think I’m going to take any chances with your safety? Do you think I’m going to ignore this as a simple prank? I’ve worried about you every day since I left Summer Island. I thought about you and wondered how you were doing. I wanted to write, but I always tore up the letters. Most of all, I wanted to go back and change everything that happened between us.” His voice was raw with emotion.

  His hands tightened on her waist, and Olivia frowned at the sudden pressure. This made Rafe pull away.

  His hands opened and closed at his sides. “You mattered to me. You always did. I think you always will matter to me, damn it. So don’t treat this lightly and don’t think I’ll treat it lightly either,” he said grimly.

  Olivia cleared her throat. Her heart was pounding. Heat swirled through her face and became sensual awareness. She felt how close he was standing and caught his scent of coffee and aftershave.

  What if she pulled him down and kissed him again? For real.

  The naked hunger in his eyes told her that Rafe was thinking the same thing.

  Olivia swallowed and then put a hand against his chest. “I’m not taking any of this lightly, Rafe. I’ll...be careful.”

  “That’s not what’s bothering you. It’s not what’s bothering me either.”

  Her hand trembled. “You’re right. But it’s been a long day. I think we both need to sleep on this.”

  “I could sleep for a thousand years and it wouldn’t make a bit of difference,” he said hoarsely. He ran a hand along his neck and turned, tossing his jacket over one shoulder. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  THAT WAS THE sane answer, of course.

  Olivia knew that clearly. Getting a whole floor of the house between them was the best way to prevent any serious slips in judgment. But when she was curled in bed with the blankets tight around her face, sleep was completely impossible. How could she rest knowing that Rafe was one floor below her, and that he had been thinking of her all the time he was away in the Marines? How could she stop her feet from heading to the stairs so she could find out exactly where that last conversation would have taken them?

  But Olivia was mature enough now to realize that simple sex with Rafe, as amazing as it might have been, would take them nowhere. She wanted more than an hour or two of pleasure. She wanted...

  She couldn’t put her finger on what she wanted. Her dreams had changed in the past weeks. She had also learned not to rely on anyone else to create her happiness.

  But she was thinking about the old apple tree and moonlight dancing over Butterfly Cove and the strength of Rafe’s lean body when she finally drifted off into troubled dreams.

  * * *

  OLIVIA WOKE UP half a dozen times in the next few hours. Something was close behind her, but she couldn’t figure out what. In her dreams, she was on the old coast road and fog was moving in from a storm out at sea. The memory made her think of the storm and the car accident, but there was more at stake here.

  She woke up, her heart pounding, her fingers digging into the blanket. The wind tossed pebbles at the big window overlooking the harbor. The noise must have woken her, Olivia thought. She listened but heard no other sounds. No one was in the house—no one other than Rafe, she reminded her
self. She moved silently to the door and listened.

  There was no sound. Just the stones, carried in the driving wind.

  But curiosity locked her in its grip and she pulled a knitted shawl around her shoulders, moving silently down the winding staircase. She wanted to check on the house and be sure she had locked all the doors.

  Then she saw Rafe, asleep on the couch.

  His blue jeans were open at the waist. He wore nothing else, and Olivia saw the dark, chiseled sweep of his chest in the moonlight. The sight of him left her throat blocked. A sharp wave of desire made her knees go weak. She gripped the banister hard, listening to his low breathing. Only then did she realize Rafe was as restless as she had been. He lay tensely, his hands curved as if holding something heavy.

  He muttered, and to Olivia it sounded like a low order.

  She couldn’t have turned away for any amount of money. Her feet moved down the steps, closer and closer, pulling her in a hypnotic spell as she struggled to make out what he was saying.

  Another low order.

  The words sounded like target sighted.

  Something from the war. Some memory from Afghanistan, she thought.

  Olivia couldn’t turn away. She moved to the foot of the stairs, and with every step she was aware that she was bringing them both into danger and uncertain territory. She stopped, watching the rise and fall of his chest.

  In a daze, she crossed the gleaming wood and then leaned down, captured by the fall of the moonlight and the clean citrus smell of Rafe’s skin.

  Claimed by yearning and bittersweet memories.

  A board squeaked beneath her feet, and Rafe shot upright, circling her waist and yanking her down against his chest. Olivia gasped, the breath knocked out of her from the violence of his movement. He rolled her beneath him, his eyes dark with shadows, his body hard and impersonal.

  Olivia knew she should have been frightened. But because this was Rafe and she had always loved him, she wasn’t frightened. She didn’t resist or make a sound.

  She watched comprehension slowly fill his face, saw his eyes narrow. One strong finger eased back a strand of hair from her cheek. She heard him curse softly. “What the hell are you doing here, Livie?”