Butterfly Cove Read online

  Her fingers tightened. She pulled him toward her.

  Her breathing was fast and Rafe felt the heat of her skin. He wanted to give her more time. He wanted her to be clear when she chose whatever came next. He didn’t want the shadows of her father’s choices to hang over their lives any longer.

  But it appeared that Olivia was as stubborn as ever. She slid her hands over his shoulders. “This is my choice. I want you in my life and beside me on this bed. Touch me, Rafe. I’m ready for whatever happens next. My father is not going to ruin this.”

  Rafe was pretty sure there were a lot of reasons that he should stand up and walk out of the room.

  But his heart wasn’t in it.

  His heart was right here, with Olivia. So he slid down over her, feeling her instant response. And Rafe let his heart lead for once instead of his mind, while Livie matched him heartbeat for heartbeat, need to need, so fierce and honest that she broke his heart.

  And then she made it whole again when she took him deep inside her. Rafe followed, and he didn’t look back. You can’t stop trusting and you can’t forget your dreams, he thought. And this was the only dream that had ever mattered. For a long time the Marines had been his home. He had made his closest friendships there and had learned how to become a man amid the dust and the gunfire and the fear.

  Now Rafe left behind his pain and regrets and replaced them with all the pent-up passion of a decade, watching Olivia shiver, her eyes hazed with shock and delight at the hot touch of his mouth and his tongue.

  He took her there in the silent house, feeling the weight of hard memories burn away into brighter dreams, while the last sunlight brushed the winding streets and glinted over the old coast road.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  FOR A LONG time Rafe simply watched Olivia sleep.

  When she twisted restlessly, he ran a hand over her forehead until she sighed and drifted back down into dreams. Even asleep, she curled toward him, searching for his warmth.

  Rafe felt something slide in beneath his distance and his cynicism. The thing felt fragile and raw, newly sprouted. He was pretty sure it was a sense of peace and security and homecoming, the first time he had felt those things in his troubled life.

  He stood up carefully. He found his clothes, dressed and padded down the stairs. He was pretty sure he had a crooked grin on his face.

  She was going to be ravenous when she woke up, and Rafe had the answer for that. Chipotle macaroni and cheese with roasted poblano guacamole and freshly fried corn chips.

  Jilly was a master chef, but Rafe had his own skills. He had made enough money to survive during those weeks before he had joined the Marines, working at little restaurants along the coast where you were always paid in cash.

  Down in the kitchen Rafe stood silently, taking in the order of the room. All the tile counters were pristine. Canisters were neatly labeled, and the counters shone. Everything was in its place.

  He flipped a dish towel over his bare shoulder and studied the contents of the refrigerator. He hated fast food and he liked the idea of taking care of himself. He was going to enjoy taking care of Olivia now.

  The refrigerator was full of food marked with dates and ingredients. Rafe smiled at Olivia’s clear handwriting on the labeled bags.

  He rummaged through the well-stocked pantry and then pulled out pasta and spices. He found dried peppers and added them to the pile.

  He didn’t indulge in false modesty. His chipotle macaroni and cheese was irresistible, and he was going to love seeing Olivia’s face when she tasted it.

  * * *

  TWENTY MINUTES LATER water was boiling, the cheese was grated and freshly roasted peppers lay on the counter, filling the house with a dark, smoky scent. Rafe took down the good crystal he found in a cabinet, along with blue-and-white china plates and real damask napkins. He set the small table by the big picture window carefully while the pasta cooked. In a cabinet near the pantry he found a merlot that would stand up perfectly against the heat of the macaroni and cheese.

  He stiffened as a shadow crossed the front porch. A key jangled at the front door. Rafe drew back into the pantry so he couldn’t be seen.

  The front door opened. “Livie, are you home?” The shadow formed into Jilly, who strode through the foyer and stopped in the doorway to the kitchen. She frowned at Rafe and then eyed the food on the counter. “Are you cooking?”

  “Why? Is it a capital offense?”

  Jilly moved into the room. “The way you do it could be.”

  “Do all chefs have an ego the size of Montana or is it just you?”

  Jilly smiled at him. “Yes.”

  “Livie’s upstairs asleep. She had a tough day.” Rafe turned away to stir the pasta, which had begun to boil.

  “You really can cook, can’t you?” Jilly moved closer, looking over his shoulder. “Macaroni and cheese? With roasted poblanos?”

  “The poblanos are for the guacamole. I’m using chipotle in the macaroni and cheese.”

  “Very nice. I just may steal that.” She leaned back against the counter, scrutinizing Rafe from his bare feet up to his bare chest and tousled hair. “This is interesting. You were here this morning when we arrived. Now you’re cooking in the kitchen, barefoot, as if you own the place. I’m going to take that as a sign that things between you and Olivia are no longer casual. Because if not, you shouldn’t be sleeping with her.”

  “Who said that we were—”

  “Get real, Rafe. You think I couldn’t tell something like that?” Jilly frowned at him.

  Of course she could tell. All Olivia’s friends would be able to tell, Rafe thought grimly. “It’s serious, Jilly.”

  “Glad to hear it. It took you two long enough. But I’m only going to say one thing to you. If you hurt Olivia or betray her trust in any way, I’ll kick that hunky ass of yours all the way up the coast road and over to Portland. Is that understood?”

  “It’s understood. But I’m not going to hurt her.” Rafe stared hard at Jilly. “Exactly the opposite.”

  After a long time Jilly nodded. “Glad to hear that. It’s about time she had a man to watch her back.”

  And then with her usual mercurial change of moods she swung around, studying the ingredients on the counter. “So you really did learn to cook while you were gone. When did this earthshaking event occur?”

  “News flash, Iron Chef. We lowly mortals can stumble along in the kitchen when we have to.”

  Jilly touched the dishes lined up neatly beside the row of spices that Rafe had assembled. “You can do more than stumble along. Is that your recipe?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay, now I’m curious. Are you going to share it with me?”

  Rafe made a big deal of considering it. “I might. If you share your Mayan cinnamon and chipotle brownie recipe with me.”

  Jilly crossed her arms. “I’ll think about it. But that brownie recipe is going to make me a whole lot of money when I get my webstore set up.” Her smile faded. “Not that I’ll be having brownies for a long time.” She stopped abruptly and looked away.

  “Why not? What’s going on?”

  “Never mind,” she muttered. “Forget I said that.”

  “Spill the rest of it, Jilly.”

  She sighed and paced the kitchen. “I wasn’t going to mention it until tonight. The fact is— Oh, hell. I’m pregnant, Rafe. I just found out. And I’m terrified,” she muttered.

  “I don’t understand. You don’t want a baby?”

  “Of course I want a baby. I’m thrilled and Walker is over the moon at being a father. But I don’t think this baby that we’re making will want me. I’m no good at maternal stuff. Nurturing is beyond me. Playdates and birthday parties would terrify me. How could I possibly be a good mother?”

  Rafe waved a hand, cutting off her breathless litany of expected failures. “Stow it, Jilly. You’ll be the best mother on Summer Island, you idiot. You’ll have the best Halloween parties and the most exciting sleepovers.
You’ll be the cool parents that all the other kids wished they had.”

  Jilly brightened considerably. She gave a mock punch to Rafe’s chest. “You’re kidding, right? Wait—if you’re kidding, don’t tell me. Because that’s probably the nicest thing anybody’s ever said.” She frowned and ran a hand through her hair. “And if you’d stop distracting me by being so nice, I would remember to be angry. You two were supposed to come over for dinner, remember? Everybody should be there shortly. They’re expecting you to show up, too. That’s why I came over to see what was going on when you didn’t call. Grace and Noah will only be in town tonight. Then Noah has to go back to San Francisco, and I really want you to meet him.”

  “I’ll try, Jilly, but Olivia had a tough day. We found some things out on the boat, and she has got a lot to think through.”

  “What kind of things?”

  Rafe shrugged. “You can ask her. I know it would be good for Olivia to talk to you about it.”

  “It sounds serious.”

  “It’s as serious as she’ll let it be. Myself, I think it’s nothing so bad. But I’m not Olivia. I’ve always thought she was a little bit fragile. Now I don’t think she’s fragile at all. I think under that quiet facade, she’s one tough woman. But she needs her friends, so stay close, Jilly. With what’s going on in your life, everything is going to change. You four always watched out for each other. You’re going to have to do that now more than ever,” Rafe said slowly.

  There was a movement behind them in the doorway. Olivia stood in her nightgown, a long knitted shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Even fresh from sleep, with her hair tumbled around her shoulders, she looked elegant and sexy as hell, Rafe thought.

  “I hope we didn’t wake you up,” Jilly said quickly. “I was worried when you didn’t call, since I expected you two for dinner tonight. Grace and Noah are already there. Caro and her grandmother came, too, along with the baby. But if you don’t feel up to coming...” Jilly let the words trail away.

  “I’m really sorry, Jilly. I forgot all about it.” Olivia slanted a look at Rafe. “Did you tell her?”

  Rafe shook his head.

  “You wouldn’t. You’re honorable that way.” She walked slowly across the room. “It’s one of the reasons I love you so much,” she said quietly. And then she rose to her toes and kissed Rafe slowly.

  When she turned around, Jilly’s eyebrow rose. “If you two lovebirds can manage to get dressed and finish your dinner, we’ll expect you at the Harbor house for dessert. In one hour.”

  Jilly glanced at Rafe’s bare chest and shook her head. “Do me a favor. Don’t ever get your picture taken like that in the kitchen. Bare feet. Bare chest. Tight blue jeans. Sweet heaven, I’ll have no business left. Every woman in the world will want your mac and cheese, if they see you cooking like that.”

  Rafe muttered darkly. “If you’d get out of here and give us some peace and quiet, we might manage to finish dinner in time to get to the Harbor House.”

  Jilly flicked her hair at him. “Enjoy the chipotle. Something tells me you’ll be generating your own kind of heat in here first.”

  After Jilly left, Olivia moved to the stove. “It smells amazing. And I’m ravenous.” She looked at the formally set table and the dishes on the counter. “I can’t believe you did all this while I was asleep.” She smiled self-consciously and then wiggled away when Rafe ran a hand over her waist and down her slender hips. “None of that, Deputy. If we get started, you’ll distract me. Then I’ll never get my food.” She slanted him a look under her lashes.

  “All you have to do is ask, honey.” Rafe’s voice was husky. “Why don’t you go sit down while I get this into the oven. Then I’ll open up that bottle of merlot I found in the pantry.”

  “Feeling quite at home. I’m glad to see that, Rafe. Because for as long as I have this house—you should make it your home.” She watched him assemble the casserole and slide it into the oven. “But why was Jilly so edgy, as if something was up?”

  Rafe glanced back at her. “Not sure I follow.”

  “Did she tell you something?”

  Rafe didn’t answer, his face expressionless. Jilly wanted to break the news tonight. He had to respect that.

  “It looked important.” Olivia’s eyes widened. She ran across the room and grabbed Rafe by the shoulder, knocking wine over both of them. “She’s pregnant! It slipped out, didn’t it? Jilly can’t keep a secret about anything for long.”

  Olivia beamed up at him, so pleased with her detective work that Rafe couldn’t find it in his heart to lie. “You aren’t supposed to know. She wants to announce it tonight. She’s also worried that she’ll be a terrible mother.”

  “Jilly? She’ll be fantastic. They will be great parents. I’ll bet they’ll have the most popular house on the block.”

  “That’s exactly what I told her. But you know how Jilly likes to worry.”

  “You know us all so well.” Olivia studied his face for a long time. “Sometimes I forget how close we all were back then. We used to go to the beach, to climb on the cliffs.”

  “Better not forget it. I know all your secrets, starting with grade school. And now if you’ll stop distracting me, I’ll get this into the oven so we can take our wine out on the porch and watch the last of the sunset.”

  Olivia moved close behind him and kissed his shoulder. Then she kissed the hollow beneath his neck and the center of his hard chest. “I love you, Deputy Russo.” The words held absolute certainty. “I guess I’ve loved you since you stalked me at nine. So can we please get it right this time?”

  Rafe Russo’s Crowd-pleasing Guacamole Recipe

  Forget about salsa.

  This knocks salsa out of the competition. Try it with chips. With rice. With lettuce wraps. With English muffins or black bean soup or chili. As a topping on salad or hamburger.

  The ingredients are limited, but be sure the avocados are newly ripened and with no bruises. It’s all about the avocados! And please—only white onions. Not yellow. Not red.

  Definitely not Vidalia.

  Ingredients

  3 ripe avocados

  1/2 medium white onion, chopped fine

  1 poblano pepper

  2 T freshly squeezed lime juice

  1/2 tsp smoked sea salt

  Chopped cilantro for topping

  Chop white onion and put aside.

  Dry roast uncut poblanos over a grill or in a cast-iron pan for about five minutes until blistered and black, turning often. (Remember—no oil.) Place cooked peppers in a paper bag until cool, and then peel away the black areas of the skin. Cut peppers and remove seeds. Chop coarsely and add to onions.

  Mix in salt.

  Cut avocados in half, remove skin and mash slightly, leaving chunks for texture. Toss with vegetables. Add fresh lime juice and mix well.

  Sprinkle with cilantro—and enjoy!

  Optional: add 3 T chopped fresh tomatoes and crumbles of freshly cooked bacon. Serves 3-6, depending on the appetite.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  THE HARBOR HOUSE was lit up brightly when Olivia and Rafe parked outside. Small Christmas-tree lights were draped across the front porch and a big autumn wreath hung at the freshly painted wooden door. Bright red geraniums ran along the top of the porch railing. The house looked alive again, glowing with good energy and fresh life, Olivia thought.

  Through the open windows she could hear laughter and the clink of glasses. A baby cried and was quickly comforted. Olivia heard Duffy bark, followed by the sound of Jilly’s good-natured commands to the dog to be quiet and come sit down beside her.

  It was chaos. It was noisy and unpredictable.

  It was friendship in all its shapes and sizes. The noisy house welcomed her in, wrapped warm arms around her the way it always had growing up, when Olivia had no real home of her own except the cold house and even colder father who had never really made her feel welcome.

  She looked up, feeling Rafe’s arm slip around her shoulders. �
��So what do you think? Will it pass muster for the opening?”

  “It looks incredible. You four could never tackle anything simple, could you? You always had to dream big. And you got it right this time. My guess is the parking lot will be overflowing from the first hour you open.”

  “I hope you’re right. If I were a tourist driving by, I’d definitely stop in. We’re working on special promotions for knitters. We may even get some visitors from as far away as Portland.”

  “Oh, I think they’ll come from a lot farther than Portland,” Rafe said slowly. “Let’s go in. Jilly’s brownies are calling to me. I’m going to get that recipe out of her somehow, mark my words. After all, with a big thriving enterprise like the Harbor House, you need to keep your local law enforcement satisfied.”

  Olivia ran a hand across his chest and smiled darkly. “Satisfaction is very high on my list. You can be certain of that.”

  Rafe stopped at the doorway. The smells and the noise and the bustle and the laughter hit him with almost physical force. He remembered the derelict outline of the Harbor House, full of graffiti and broken windows as he had seen it, growing up. Every few years things would look better; new owners came, and then they went. Businesses started up and businesses failed.

  But this venture would succeed. He could feel it in his gut.

  Because these women cared. They would stay the course. All this bustle and laughter and commitment were what he had fought for on the other side of the world. This was what he had come home to find.

  But his philosophical musings were forgotten the second the door opened. Caro bore down upon them. Her grandmother followed, carrying Caro’s wriggling child. Jilly’s white dog jumped around Rafe in circles, thrilled by the new arrivals.

  After the noisy hellos, Grace introduced the man she was going to marry. Noah studied Rafe gravely as the two men sized each other up.