Page 322 of The Havenport Collection

Oliver

I had to walk away. I had to get as far away as possible from that shit-stain of a man.

I wanted to punch his smug face and then I wanted to punch it again and not stop until he took back every nasty thing he had ever said, done, or thought about my Maeve.

My eye twitched and my fists flexed as I walked back into the crowd, making sure I could keep an eye on Maeve but far enough away that I wouldn’t do something stupid.

Because I couldn’t do anything. I was an off-duty police officer. Assault and battery on a civilian would not only end my career, but it would compromise who I was as a man.

My feelings for Maeve were so strong I was almost willing to go there, which scared me. So I had to walk away.

I found a spot on the sidewalk where I could still keep tabs on them and shoved my hands into my pockets.

Feelings of confusion washed over me as I tried to keep my feet rooted to the spot.

Seeing Tristian was just a reminder of how deeply I had fallen for Maeve.

And how recently she had been ready to marry another man.

A man I currently wanted to pummel with my fists.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to make sense of all that had happened tonight. It felt like Maeve and I had taken a major step forward, and then he showed up, ruining everything.

I watched as their conversation unfolded and saw Maeve turn away, linking arms with her sisters. Tristian disappeared into the crowd, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Now I just needed to get my head on straight and talk to Maeve.

She found me before I could find her. One of the downsides of being so tall—I’m easy to spot in a crowd.

“Where the hell did you go?” she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. “You just left me there.”

I could see the hurt in her eyes, and it made me sick to my stomach.

I pulled her close, crushing her into a hug. “I had to walk away,” I said into her hair. “I almost did something stupid. I wanted to hurt that prick, and I knew if I stayed I would.”

“I had the situation handled.”

“I know it. That’s why I stepped back because I knew you could fight your own battles. You didn’t need some testosterone-fueled idiot fighting them for you. You’re the most capable, fierce woman I’ve ever met.”

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “Stop it.”

I took a step back and gripped her shoulders.

“Yes, Maeve. You are. It is so hard for me not to swoop in, to want to be the hero, to be the protector. Because I want to protect you, so much. I want to be the man who fights for you and takes care of you. But in that moment, I was not in control, and you were. So I took a step back and let you do what you needed to do.”

“Thank you. I didn’t realize…I would never want you to compromise your job or anything.”

I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I know, babe, I know. It’s just my feelings for you. They make me irrational sometimes.”

She smirked. “Oh really? Sergeant McHottie is not calm, cool, and collected at all times?”

“Not when it comes to you. You know you make me wild.”

I leaned down and kissed her. It was fierce and possessive and probably not fit for a public sidewalk during a town festival. But I didn’t care.