brow, as though it was an apology.
With sincere regret, Gavin proceeded to turn Olivia’s world upside down for the second time in his life.
Olivia would have sworn she’d just been sucker punched. Struggling to breathe, it physically felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. Everything about her marriage to Tom Jones suddenly seemed like a sham. The man who’d been her husband for twelve years now appeared to have been a complete stranger and their marriage bed, those memories were now marred.
For Olivia, it was forever tainted, ugly.
Not my children though, she told herself. Not my four beautiful sons. They were created during a wonderful time in my marriage which was real and not spoiled with lies.
My children’s lives will not be ruined because of Tom’s mistakes.
As Gavin watched her, he was filled with dismay, despising the torrent of emotions he’d knowingly brought to her lovely face.
Noticing she was on the verge of hyperventilating, he guided her over to a large fallen tree and helped her sit down on the trunk.
“Breathe deep, Olivia. You’re not going to pass out on me are you?”
He hated being the one to deliver this type of news.
“I’m not going to pass out,” she firmly assured him, wondering how she was ever going to look at the wedding portrait in the foyer again, without disgust.
“Gavin, why are you telling me all this? Why does it matter?” Her eyes were huge, glassy with unshed tears.
“Olivia, I’m so sorry,” he breathed out slowly and placed his hand along her cheek to cup her face. He raised her chin up to search her eyes while he spoke.
“I believe that whoever devised and executed this insurance scam with your husband, may be the same man who’s been harassing you.”
Fear twisted with anger, causing her to jump to her feet and start pacing the ground. Walking away from Gavin, she lifted her hands to push hard against both sides of her temples.
She couldn’t quite take it all in. Tears she’d narrowly managed to reign in earlier were now beginning to escape, trailing uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Gavin immediately went to her. Approaching from behind, he wrapped his arms solidly around her waist as she allowed herself to cry. Gently nudging her knees, he carefully slid her down to the ground with him. All he wanted to do was hold her; he at least owed her that much.
Emotionally drained, Olivia tilted her face up to nuzzle Gavin’s neck.
“I guess I should apologize for sniveling and crying all over you,” she managed in a whispered voice.
“Don’t apologize. If anyone deserves an opportunity to pour out stress and grief, I believe it’s you,” he said in a low soothing tone while lightly stroking her back with the tips of his fingers.
“I don’t like to cry. It makes me feel weak.”
Gavin lightly scoffed. “Olivia Jones, you are anything but weak.”
“I want to go back to the house,” she whispered, calmly. “I need to be near my children.”
Gavin stood up first and reached down to help Olivia to her feet. She gazed up at him.
“I’m glad to have found out from you, Gavin. Being here with you, made it somewhat easier to hear.”
She placed her hand gently on his forearm. “Please, stay for dinner.”
Gavin lifted her hand from his arm and stroked her knuckles with his thumb.
“Olivia, please don’t feel obligated…”
She didn’t let him finish his sentence. “I want you to stay. I’m not ready for you to leave yet.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“Then I’ll stay,” he told her.
What did that man say to her? Maddy wondered viciously as Olivia walked in with puffy, red, swollen eyes. Directing a lethal glare toward Gavin, she immediately wrapped protective arms around her sister.
“Gavin, now you can help the boys finish fixing dinner,” Maddy instructed in an icy tone of voice. Then she ushered Olivia right up the stairs to find out what Gavin Rafferty had done now.
As he
With sincere regret, Gavin proceeded to turn Olivia’s world upside down for the second time in his life.
Olivia would have sworn she’d just been sucker punched. Struggling to breathe, it physically felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. Everything about her marriage to Tom Jones suddenly seemed like a sham. The man who’d been her husband for twelve years now appeared to have been a complete stranger and their marriage bed, those memories were now marred.
For Olivia, it was forever tainted, ugly.
Not my children though, she told herself. Not my four beautiful sons. They were created during a wonderful time in my marriage which was real and not spoiled with lies.
My children’s lives will not be ruined because of Tom’s mistakes.
As Gavin watched her, he was filled with dismay, despising the torrent of emotions he’d knowingly brought to her lovely face.
Noticing she was on the verge of hyperventilating, he guided her over to a large fallen tree and helped her sit down on the trunk.
“Breathe deep, Olivia. You’re not going to pass out on me are you?”
He hated being the one to deliver this type of news.
“I’m not going to pass out,” she firmly assured him, wondering how she was ever going to look at the wedding portrait in the foyer again, without disgust.
“Gavin, why are you telling me all this? Why does it matter?” Her eyes were huge, glassy with unshed tears.
“Olivia, I’m so sorry,” he breathed out slowly and placed his hand along her cheek to cup her face. He raised her chin up to search her eyes while he spoke.
“I believe that whoever devised and executed this insurance scam with your husband, may be the same man who’s been harassing you.”
Fear twisted with anger, causing her to jump to her feet and start pacing the ground. Walking away from Gavin, she lifted her hands to push hard against both sides of her temples.
She couldn’t quite take it all in. Tears she’d narrowly managed to reign in earlier were now beginning to escape, trailing uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Gavin immediately went to her. Approaching from behind, he wrapped his arms solidly around her waist as she allowed herself to cry. Gently nudging her knees, he carefully slid her down to the ground with him. All he wanted to do was hold her; he at least owed her that much.
Emotionally drained, Olivia tilted her face up to nuzzle Gavin’s neck.
“I guess I should apologize for sniveling and crying all over you,” she managed in a whispered voice.
“Don’t apologize. If anyone deserves an opportunity to pour out stress and grief, I believe it’s you,” he said in a low soothing tone while lightly stroking her back with the tips of his fingers.
“I don’t like to cry. It makes me feel weak.”
Gavin lightly scoffed. “Olivia Jones, you are anything but weak.”
“I want to go back to the house,” she whispered, calmly. “I need to be near my children.”
Gavin stood up first and reached down to help Olivia to her feet. She gazed up at him.
“I’m glad to have found out from you, Gavin. Being here with you, made it somewhat easier to hear.”
She placed her hand gently on his forearm. “Please, stay for dinner.”
Gavin lifted her hand from his arm and stroked her knuckles with his thumb.
“Olivia, please don’t feel obligated…”
She didn’t let him finish his sentence. “I want you to stay. I’m not ready for you to leave yet.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“Then I’ll stay,” he told her.
What did that man say to her? Maddy wondered viciously as Olivia walked in with puffy, red, swollen eyes. Directing a lethal glare toward Gavin, she immediately wrapped protective arms around her sister.
“Gavin, now you can help the boys finish fixing dinner,” Maddy instructed in an icy tone of voice. Then she ushered Olivia right up the stairs to find out what Gavin Rafferty had done now.
As he
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