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The judge was in desperate need of a cigarette. Where were the times when a man could enjoy a glass of good bourbon and a cigarette in his own house? Gone forever. Now we live in such virtuous times that we’ve given up every pleasure, he thought gloomily. No more liquor, not even at social gatherings. Only iced-tea was de bon ton. As for cigarettes, they were banished forever from every place, at home or at work. Recently, his doctor had concluded that the judge’s cholesterol was too high and since then Lorraine was serving him only rabbit food at dinner, vegetables with seeds that had fancy names, quinoa and couscous and orzo.
Too bad he had given up smoking and didn’t indulge, not even in secret. Now, a cigarette would help calm his nerves. Because last night had been quite eventful. Their visit was in the nick of time to clear the muddy waters around their daughters. They thought they did the night before.
Olivia, his pride and joy, manifested a peculiar affinity for a young man eight years younger than her. The judge wished he could argue that the youngster was immature. He couldn’t. The truth was Gideon proved to be smart beyond his years and better yet, while quite besotted with Olivia, he was not going to let her walk all over him. Given a choice, the judge wouldn’t have picked Gideon as the best partner for his darling daughter, but he was not a tyrannical father. If Olivia wanted Gideon, then she could have him.
His eldest daughter Polly was a different matter. She was head over heels in love with the handsome Ryan Calhoun. That girl had a penchant for romance and her judgment was always influenced by the fictional world created in her books. The judge could have told her that real life was not exactly a romance and whatever reason Calhoun had for darkening her doorstep, it was not love. Unfortunately, discovering the truth was not pleasant. It was downright hurtful. And no matter his opinion about Polly, she was his daughter and he didn’t want her hurt.
Now both his daughters were moping around and the idiotic men who were the cause of their unhappiness were notably absent.
The judge had to investigate and take care of the problem as he always did. But first he’d seen some eggs and bacon in Polly’s refrigerator and he could cook a mean omelette. There was only that much kale and spinach a man could digest, after all.
The sun was shining brightly. It was a beautiful day. The work at the new development progressed nicely. The model home was only a few days away from being ready for staging and the foundation for the second house had been finished in record time. Ryan had all the reasons to be happy. He was not.
“It looks good,” Gideon commented briefly, coming to stand near Ryan to look at the progress done at the second house at the end of what was going to be a cul-de-sac.
At first Ryan didn’t notice a change in the younger man. He waited for the usual enthusiastic words to wash over him and change his mood for the better. They didn’t come. Gideon was as morose as Ryan himself.
“Who sank your boats, may I ask you? I thought you got what you wanted. A chance to melt the heart of Olivia, the icy queen. She was not adverse to your attention after she rejected all men around her. Who can understand women?”
“Not me, that’s for sure. By the time we arrived home, she changed her mind. She got cold feet and told me we’re over.”
“I thought you were determined not to give up,” Ryan reminded him.
“She rejected me in such a way that cured me of any attempt to mend fences. Simply because there is nothing to mend. What man can come back after he is treated...” He swallowed hard trying to regain his composure.
“...with contempt,” Ryan filled in.
“No. I could accept contempt, if only she’d have treated me like a man. But she rejected me with the pity you have for a silly kid who is not mature to know his own mind and make sound decisions. I knew I was not worthy of her, but I was hoping...” He made a cutting motion with his hand. “I was hoping to be treated as an equal. I should have known better.”
Ryan had anticipated that this would be the end of Gideon’s infatuation with Olivia. It had come earlier than he’d expected. What could he tell the young man? ‘I told you so,’ was not going to be what Gideon needed.
While he pondered what to say, Gideon was in need of a change in subject. “What about you, Boss? You don’t look so cheerful either. Did the judge rake you over hot coals too? He’s one scary dude.”
“Hmm. Something like that. He said he understood why I didn’t want to marry Polly when no other man ever intended to do it,” Ryan explained.
“So, didn’t you contradict him?”
“No. How could I? I’m her friend, but I’m not going to marry her.”
“Nonsense. Miss Polly is sweet and generous, and the man who marries her will be very lucky,” Gideon argued.
“Really? I don’t see you interested in her. Why not? Why did you fix your attention on the beautiful Olivia?”
Gideon looked at him shaking his head. “Because, while I like her very much, I’m not attracted to Polly. You are. Don’t deny it. I have eyes to see.”
Ryan opened his mouth to say no, when an image of Polly crossed his mind. Dressed in her cute pajamas with zebras and with her hair sticking in al directions from the clip meant to keep it in place, she looked sexier and more attractive to him than Olivia could ever be. “I’m not marriage material,” he grumbled.
Gideon arched his eyebrow questioning. “And why is that? I hope you don’t have some guilty feeling since the time when you were a young man who ran away with his brother’s fiancée.” One look at Ryan and his wild guess was confirmed. “This is it? Dude, get over it. Mr. Calhoun would be the first to tell you that he is happy now, you should be too.” He smiled mischievously. “Maybe you need a shrink to relieve you of the burden of this guilt. Miss Polly deserves better.”
They were interrupted by one of the recently hired men, who came running. He came to a halt in front of them breathing heavily. “Mr. Calhoun, sir, there is a lady there yonder, at the model house,” he said pointing in that direction. “She’s mighty pretty and the men have surrounded her. She hisses at them like a cornered kitten, but she’s not backing away. I think she might be interested to buy one of the houses, ‘cause she’s not leaving. You should go. She’s very beautiful.”
“Beautiful... That’s Olivia,” Gideon said and ran away fast toward the model home.
“What’s gotten into him?” the man asked surprised.
“He knows the lady,” Ryan answered him looking after Gideon.
“Oh, he does. Lucky Gideon,” the man added and went to join his team.
As Gideon had guessed it was Olivia surrounded by the men in front of the model home.
“Look at this golden hair how it sparkles in the sun,” the guy called Steve said, reaching out to touch her hair.
Gideon clamped his fingers around the other man’s wrist and pushed him away. “Do that and you’ll find yourself missing a hand,” he said in a lethal voice showing he meant it.
“Hey, we saw her first,” Steve protested.
“She’s a lady. If you don’t have brains to know how to behave, then I’ll make you.” Gideon placed himself in front of Olivia. “Anyone who comes closer I’ll make you eat dirt.”
There were times when men contradicted each other or fought just for proving a point or even for fun. Not in this case. Whatever connection Gideon had with the lady, it was clear that he was willing to fight because this meant so much to him.
Mike Torrence, the older electrician interfered with authority. “Back to work, all of you. Right now.” He turned to Gideon. “You have five minutes to settle this issue. Then I expect you to go back to help Waylon sort the tiles.” Then he left them alone.
Gideon took a deep breath. The adrenaline was still pumping in his veins. He thought his legs turned to mush when he’d seen her there facing all the rough men. “Olivia, why are you here?”
“I had to see you.” She was in control, but barely. Her face was inscrutable and only a slight tremor at the corner of her mouth betrayed her emotion.
He took his hard hat off and raked his hair with his fingers. How to explain this to her? “Look, I’m a simple country boy at heart. It’s true. I’m not one of the fancy city gents that you are used to. I don’t know the rules of this game. I can’t blow first hot, then cold, and then switch again. That is not me. What I have in my heart, I tell you openly.”
“I know, I know,” she repeated. “I’m sorry. I panicked. I was taught since I was a girl that I had to be in control.” She closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. “I thought if I lost control, I’d be vulnerable.”
He nodded. “I guessed that might be the reason.”
“Miles confirmed this. I was not very much in love with him, but I had feelings for him and hearing him talk that he valued me only for the money I had, was very hurtful.”
He caught her to him and she looked up. Olivia would never cry or shed tears, but her emotions ran deep. Gideon had started to know the telltale signs when she was deeply affected emotionally. “I’m not Miles.”
“I know, but you can’t guarantee a happy ending. No one can. I was scared. What happened was so sudden and unexpected that it took me by surprise.”
“What do you mean?”
It was time to tell the truth. Reluctantly, she spoke. “When you came in my office with Ryan, you were so smitten by my beauty and with stars in your eyes that I thought, ‘Oh well, here is another naïve, even goofy, young man. A boy really, who knows no better than to be infatuated whenever he sees a beautiful face.”
“That’s not true. That’s not who I am,” he protested frowning. Was this what she thought of him?
“I know this now. In fact, I was disabused of this notion fast when you confronted Miles. It was not that you threatened to beat him up. Men like to brag this way. It was that in general, you were more mature and in control of the situation than he was. My opinion of you changed instantly before I even realized that. When I did, yesterday night, I panicked and the first instinct was to regain my inner balance.”
“So you rejected me in the only way you knew that would push me away for good.” He smiled at her sadly.
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
“Is this another change of mind?” he asked not daring to hope.
“After you left, I felt an infinite sadness and sense of loss.” The grey eyes looking at him were not icy, but warm turning to blue.
“What are you saying, Olivia?” he asked determined not to accept another half measure. If they had any chance together, then she had to trust him and be completely honest, just as he was with her. This was not going to be a one-sided relationship.
“I guess I’m saying that I care and I want to give us a chance.” She smiled back at him, showing that she was aware of his pushing her to confess the truth and she was willing to give him that for both their sakes. It was too important not to.
Gideon leaned his head back and looked up at the sky. He felt like shouting his joy, like a warrior winning a battle. “Very well. I’m willing to give you as much time as you need to be convinced we’re good together, if you’re willing to give me a chance to prove to you that the age doesn’t matter in our case and I’m the man who can make you happy.”
And to the big surprise of the men working inside the model home, their jaws dropped when young Gideon took the fancy lady in his brawny arms and kissed her with passion.
“Frank, you wiped that window so much that it sparkles like a mirror. Enough. Get back to your jobs, men,” Mike admonished them although his eyes widened when he too peeked out the much wiped window. Who knew that young Gideon had it in him?