My Love at Last (12 page)

Chapter 14

O
livia arrived at the site in the late afternoon and went in search of Connor. One of the workers pointed her in the direction of the building at the far end of the property, the one where she’d found the folder. She grabbed a hard hat from the hook outside the door and went inside.

Several of the crew were inside, refitting the rafters of the shack. The spotlights were on, saws were buzzing, hammers were hammering. There were power wires and tools spread around the space and the hearty sound of men at work. Olivia spotted Connor at the back of the room, giving direction to the team that was hoisting the ceiling beam. She stood out of the way and waited until he was satisfied with the positioning. When he turned around the serious lines around his eyes and mouth softened when he saw her. A smile crept across his mouth. He walked toward her and his Southern upbringing almost had him taking off his hat in the presence of a lady, but he remembered where he was and good sense prevailed.

“You made it.” He walked up to her. “Kind of busy in here today.”

“I see.” She glanced up. “Great job. Looks just like the original.”

“We try,” he said with a grin. “Let’s step outside.” He led her out. “So what are you going to work on today?”

“I was hoping I might get lucky and uncover some other treasures.” She smiled. “I’ll be examining the old schoolhouse.”

“The foundation and roof have been done on that building so you should be fine. I can send down one of the power lamps if you need it.”

“That would be great. Thanks.” She reached out and touched his arm, took a quick look around to make sure no one was watching, and said, “I told him no.”

“I know,” Connor said softly.

Olivia frowned. “What do you mean, you know?”

“Victor was here a couple of hours ago. He told me.”

Olivia blinked in surprise. “He was here? Why in the world would he come here to tell you that?”

“He asked for my help. He wants me to convince you to take the job.”

“
He
wants
you
to convince me? Why would he think that you would?”

“According to him, ‘he’s not a stupid man,’” Connor said, the innuendo clear.

Olivia flushed.

“What made you change your mind? This morning you said you would take it.”

“The words flowed out of my mouth without me thinking about it and when I heard them I knew I’d made the right decision — for me.”

He stepped closer. “You’re sure?”

She nodded.

“Then, my job is done,” he teased.

Olivia laughed. “Anyway, I should get to work.”

“Listen, I was thinking that maybe we could do a dinner cruise tonight if you’re up for it.”

Her eyes brightened. “Sure.”

“I’ll call and make reservations. Seven good?”

“Perfect.”
And Desiree said he didn’t date
.

“I’ll see you later.” He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips.

“People will talk,” she whispered.

“Let them.”

Her heart leaped in her chest as he strolled back inside.

* * *

“I’m going to have to start shopping for outfits if this keeps up,” Olivia said to Desiree as they walked to the day spa that was located on The Port’s premises.

“Told you that you were special.”

Olivia’s face warmed.

“How is your research coming?”

“Great!” She told Desiree about her find of the folder and her discoveries earlier in the day in the old schoolhouse. “There were some very worn notebooks with what looks like children’s work. Most of the writing is faded but it all has value. Old desks and chairs, and I found an actual abacus.”

“Wow. That’s amazing. There is so much history here at the harbor. When I first moved out here to be with Lincoln, I had no idea the impact that African-Americans had on the area.”

“I know. With this restoration and the ephemera that I’m finding, there’s no telling what long-term effects it will have on the area.”

“What do you mean?” Desiree opened the glass door that led to the spa.

“Once the homestead is fully restored, it will certainly get landmark status, the value of the surrounding community will go up and it will bring in tourists, which is a boon to the economy.”

“Never thought of it that way, but you’re right.”

They stepped inside the spa. There were two other women waiting, reading magazines, swathed in thick white terry-cloth robes.

Layla stepped in from the back room. Her face lit up when she saw Desiree. “Hey, lady, how are you? Did you have an appointment?”

“No. But I wanted you to meet Olivia Gray.”

“Nice to meet you. Are you visiting or are you new to town?”

“I’m here on a work assignment, actually. I’m working on the restoration research of the Dayton Village.”

“Really? So is my cousin-in-law Connor. Have you met him?”

Olivia blushed. “Um, yes, we’ve met.”

It took a moment for the inflection of the comment to register and when it did the surprise was evident. “Well, it’s about time,” she said.

Olivia blinked. “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t get this from me, but I never liked Adrienne and cheered her departure from his life.”

Adrienne?
Connor had never mentioned her. “Oh.”

There was an awkward pause. “I’m sorry. I… ”

“Please. No worries,” Olivia said, even as she wondered about Adrienne and what she meant to Connor.

Desiree lowered her voice so that the waiting women wouldn’t hear. “I was hoping that you could squeeze Olivia in.”

“I’ll make it work. Can you wait about a half hour? I can take care of you myself.”

“Sure. Thank you.”

“I will leave you ladies to do your thing.” Desiree squeezed Olivia’s arm and walked out.

“Come on in the back and get changed,” Layla said.

Olivia followed Layla down the hallway to the changing rooms.

“You can put your things in one of the lockers. Do you know what you want done?”

“Just a great massage, maybe a facial.”

“Not a problem. Once you’re done changing, you can take a shower and then you can go into room four. I’ll be with you shortly. Can I get you anything? Tea, glass of wine?”

“Glass of wine sounds great.”

Layla grinned. “I’ll have one of my assistants bring it to the room. See you in a few.”

* * *

Olivia got undressed and found her way to the shower, then got settled in room four. As promised, a glass of wine was waiting for her.

The room was dimly lit with soft lighting. A soothing scent that she couldn’t quite place floated in the air and the sound of waterfalls rounded out the tranquil atmosphere.

Olivia relaxed on the chaise lounge and sipped her wine. She leaned her head back and tried to imagine what this Adrienne was like, what kind of relationship she’d had with Connor, for how long. Had they been in love? Or was it just a “thing”? How long ago had they parted ways?

She closed her eyes. Why did it matter? What was going on between them was temporary. They both knew that, which was what made her growing feelings for Connor Lawson hard to accept.

“Sorry, things took longer than I anticipated.”

Olivia opened her eyes and sat up. “No problem. The atmosphere is perfect.”

“Well, let’s get you started. I’ll step out and you can take off the robe and get settled on the table. Lie on your stomach.”

“Okay.”

Moments later Layla returned. “Any special places that need extra attention?”

“My shoulders and neck.”

“Okay. Just relax.” Layla set up her oils, poured some in her hands to warm them and began her work on Olivia. Her skilled fingers kneaded deep in the tight muscles of her neck. Olivia moaned in pleasure.

Olivia wanted to quiz Layla about Connor, but she was feeling so good and relaxed her mind had disconnected from her body. She felt herself floating away.

An hour later Layla whispered that she was done and that Olivia could get dressed. Olivia pulled herself up from the tender grasp of sleep.

“I feel amazing,” she said.

“That’s our motto. See you up front.”

Olivia got dressed and went to the reception area. It was empty save for Layla.

“How much do I owe you?”

“It’s on the house. Any woman who can catch my cousin’s eye is all right in my book.” She rested her arms on the counter. “He’s really a good guy, you know.”

“I think I do.”

“Adrienne really did a number on him.”

“How so?”

Layla glanced away. “I’ve said too much already. Connor should be the one to tell you if he wants you to know. But I will say this — treat him good. Okay? He deserves it.”

“I believe that.”

“Come by anytime. How long will you be in town?”

“At least another six weeks.”

“Hope to see you again.”

“You will.”

Chapter 15

T
he atmosphere aboard the boat was the ultimate in romance. To add to the ambience, the perfect weather and smooth waters, the “cruise to nowhere” had booked the soul singer Ledisi to perform.

“Oh, my goodness. I love her!” Olivia enthused. “Did you know she was going to perform?” she asked as they were being shown to their table on the top deck.

“I had a hint.”

Olivia playfully nudged Connor in the side.

“I’ll be your server for the evening.” The young woman who approached them seemed to be speaking more to Connor than to the two of them. Olivia bit back a smile. The waitress could look all she wanted, but he was going home with her. “Can I get you something to drink to start?”

Connor ordered a bourbon and Olivia a glass of wine.

“Be right back,” the woman said, and sashayed away with an extra roll to her hips.

Connor seemed oblivious to her come-on and focused on the menu. “Food looks good.”

The more she was with him the more Olivia was beginning to believe that she really was special. But as much as she wanted to simply let go and enjoy the ride, there was that part of her that hesitated. At some point the shoe would fall. It always did, and she would be wise to keep that at the forefront of her thoughts. No matter how wonderful Connor seemed, he was no different from all the others who’d come and gone in her life. She couldn’t let good looks, great sex and heart-stopping charm allow her to forget what was real and what was fantasy.

The waitress returned shortly with their drinks and took their dinner orders.

“To a wonderful night,” Connor said, raising his glass.

Olivia touched her glass to his.

Connor angled his head slightly to the side. “So… how long were you and Victor together?”

Olivia bristled. “Why does that matter?”

“It just seemed that he’s overly involved in your life. That’s usually because there’s still something there.”

Olivia set her drink down. “I can’t speak for Victor. I can only speak for myself, and beside the fact that we are on two opposite ends of the spectrum, Victor wants something that I can’t give him.”

Connor stared at her above the rim of his glass. “What is that?”

“Permanence. A future. Even if I had feelings for him, which I don’t, I can’t see myself tied down to anyone.”

Connor was thoughtful. He wasn’t sure how he felt about what she’d said. He should feel some sense of relief. But he didn’t.

“Totally understandable,” he finally said. He tossed back the rest of his drink. “With the kind of work that you do, it would be hard to maintain any kind of meaningful relationship.”

Olivia inwardly flinched. “Exactly.”

“I feel the same way.”

“Oh. Makes sense,” she said, in a barely audible voice.

The waitress arrived with their meals and the tight line of tension that was lengthening between them was momentarily broken.

* * *

Dinner and the entertainment were both excellent and put them back in a good mood. By the time they disembarked from the boat they were literally on solid ground, the comments of earlier at least pushed aside if not forgotten.

“Want to join me for a run in the morning?” Connor asked as he slid his arm around her waist.

It was a loaded question and they both knew it.

“Mind if I take a rain check?”

His mouth tightened ever so slightly. “Sure.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and checked the time. “Getting late. Let me take you home.”

Why was she disappointed?
“Sure.”

* * *

“Thank you for tonight,” Olivia said when they pulled to a stop in front of her cottage.

“I enjoyed myself.” He got out of the car, came around and opened her door. “Get some rest,” he said, and lightly kissed her forehead.

Before Olivia could react he’d turned and gotten back in the car. She spun away and tried to fight off the tightness that was building in her throat. She’d never gotten a chance to talk to him about Adrienne. Maybe it was just as well.

* * *

In bed that night, alone, she tried to piece together what was happening between her and Connor. Clearly there was an attraction. Was it totally sexual? That was the vibe she’d gotten from him when she’d declined to run with him in the morning. She knew what he was asking. He wanted them to spend the night together, and when she said no to him, his whole attitude toward her changed. Maybe all he wanted was sex. So what? That was all she wanted. Then, why did she feel so crappy?

* * *

Connor was in a foul mood when he arrived at the work site. Everything and everyone seemed to piss him off. He spent all morning barking orders and slamming things around, yelling at the crew for any and everything.

“Maybe you should go home,” Jake said, coming up behind him.

Connor glanced over his shoulder. “What the hell are you talking about? There’s work to be done and I’m working with a bunch of idiots,” he grumbled, and tossed a bag of tools into the back of the truck.

“If you’re suddenly working with a bunch of idiots, that says more about you than it does about them.”

Connor spun around, his expression a storm cloud waiting to erupt. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m saying you hired these ‘idiots’ and if you don’t get the bug out of your ass you’re going to be the only idiot left on the job,” he said from between his teeth.

Connor’s jaw clenched.

“What is wrong with you today?”

“Nothing.”

“Let me try again. What’s wrong with you? Is it Olivia?”

Connor’s brow tightened. “No.”

“Wrong answer.” Jake waited a beat. “Something happen?”

“No.”

“You want to talk?”

“Nothing to talk about.”

“Cool. I’m going to the office. I need to call the vendor.”

Connor grumbled something under his breath. He knew Jake was right. He felt raw inside, as if a scab had been ripped off before whatever was underneath had healed. Not getting more than an hour’s sleep didn’t help his mood, either. He leaned against the side of the truck and looked around. His men were excellent workers and he knew it. He lowered his head and then started off toward the office.

Jake was hanging up the phone when Connor walked in.

“Think I’ll take your advice and head home. Didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Hmm.”

“Went on one of those dinner cruises.”

“Yeah?” he said, noncommittal. He organized some papers on the desk. “Went with Olivia?”

“Yeah.”

“Guess that’s why you didn’t get any sleep,” Jake said with an inquiring lift of his eyes.

“Something like that. Dropped her off and I went home.”

“She decide what she’s going to do about the job offer?”

“Not going to take it.”

“Really? Humph. Is that a good thing?”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“She coming out here today?”

“Not sure.”

“Maybe you should find out.”

The two men looked at each other, the understanding of longtime friendship in their eyes.

“Yeah, I probably should.”

“I can handle things from here.”

“Thanks.” Connor turned to go, stopped and looked back. “Thanks.”

Jake waved him off and returned to the task at hand.

* * *

Olivia finished writing up her report, reviewed it one more time and hit Send. The leather folder and the two class books that she was able to salvage were sealed in plastic and she’d placed them in a special glass container that she’d brought along specifically for something like this.

She stared at the items through the glass. In there was life — adventures and memories of those long gone. They’d left a trail of clues about their existence, something to say, “Yes, I was here.” Like teens did when they carved their names in trees or painted them on walls. She smiled. Everyone wanted to let the world know that they existed and that they would be remembered when they were gone. Who would remember her? Even her last foster parents were gone, having passed away years earlier. That pit began to open in her stomach again and if she didn’t snap out of it, she’d be sucked in.

She shook her head to try to dispel the melancholy, and had begun to gather the things that were spread out on the table when the doorbell rang. She checked the time. It was barely ten o’clock. Desiree said she might stop by but this was early even for her. Olivia got up and went to the door.

“Connor.” Her stomach jumped and sent her heart racing.

“Mornin’.” He took her in with a sweeping glance. “I should have called first.”

“It’s not a problem. Do you want to come in?”

“Thanks.”

The heat of him touched her as he passed and her eyes fluttered closed for an instant. She shut the door and followed him inside.

“Can I get you anything? Have you had breakfast?”

He turned to her and grinned and her insides lit up.

“I ate about four hours ago. But I’d love some coffee if you have it.”

“Sure. Come on in the kitchen.” She took out the package of coffee filters, discarded the old one and prepared a fresh batch. “So how is everything going at the work site?” She took a seat at the counter.

“I was kicked off the project today.”

“What!”

The corner of his mouth curved into a grin. He held up his hand. “Not officially. Jake told me to get lost. Said I had a bad attitude.”

Olivia’s thoughts settled down. “Oh.” She pressed her hand to her chest. “And why would he say that?”

“He thinks it might have something to do with you.”

“Me?” She frowned.

Connor pushed out a breath and pressed his palms onto the countertop. “Look, I don’t do this whole relationship thing. It’s been a long time… and with good reason. So I don’t know what will happen between me and you. Maybe something, maybe nothing at all. Once we’re finished with this project—” he gave a slight shrug “—who knows. But there are no guarantees, not from me. And before we take this any further, I need to be sure that we’re both in the same place about this.”

Olivia didn’t know if she was hurt or relieved. On the one hand he was pretty much telling her that he wasn’t going to commit and that this was purely sexual. And at the same time he held out the carrot of hope that “maybe” things “might” work between them. But wasn’t that what she wanted — a friend with benefits? Besides, how could she ever commit and be fully true to anyone, share a life with anyone, when she didn’t really know who she was?

“You’re absolutely right. Neither one of us is in a position to focus on anything beyond right here and now. We both have so much going on. Let’s just enjoy the time we have together and leave it at that.”

A glint of surprise registered in his eyes and then was gone. He nodded in agreement.

Olivia jumped up from her seat and spun away before he saw the shimmer of tears that suddenly sprang up in her eyes. She took out two mugs from the cabinet and filled them.

She and Connor sealed their tacit agreement over coffee and talked about other things, impersonal things, not the things that were really weighing down their souls. It was better that way.

* * *

“Thanks for the coffee and the conversation.” He stood in the front doorway. “There’s an art exhibit opening tonight at the Grenning Gallery. Think you might want to go?”

“Oh, I think I saw a flyer for that when I was in town.” She held the door open. “Sure. That sounds good. I can meet you there.”

His eyes flashed for a second. “Okay. It opens at seven. Maybe we can do dinner after.”

“Perfect.”

He turned to leave. “If you change your mind and want me to pick you up, let me know.”

“Okay.”

He jogged down the two steps of the front porch and strode off toward his truck. Olivia didn’t wait for him to pull off before she went inside and shut the door.

* * *

“I don’t understand why you’re upset,” Desiree was saying. “This is the way you wanted things, easy with no strings.” She took a forkful of tossed salad.

“I know that’s what I said.” Olivia slowly spun her glass of iced green tea in a circle on the table.

“But… ”

“But I didn’t think that I would start to care for him.”

“It would be hard not to fall for a man like Connor Lawson.”

“So now what?”

Desiree blew out a breath. “You either put your cards on the table and be honest with him or you let things go the way they’ve been going.”

“I’m
not
going to tell him how I feel,” she insisted with a vigorous shake of her head. “He made it pretty clear where he stood.”

“Then, there is always option number three.”

“What’s that?”

“Get out before someone gets hurt,” her friend said with soft conviction.