Chapter 34
Iona watched her set up her camera and lights.
“I had a bit of an idea,” Arabella said nervously, she glanced over at Eli who was on his phone.
Kellan said he had some work to do today but he’d kissed her goodbye this morning and told her that he’d be back around seven tonight for dinner.
He’d also texted her earlier to tell her he was alive. He’d said those exact words: I’m alive.
So he was still a bit of a work in progress.
Heath had offered to look after Horse while they were here at the bakery since she didn’t want to bring him into the kitchen area. Heath had an apartment in the hotel so they’d dropped him off there.
Eli was busy trying to find a place for them to stay that wasn’t the hotel. Arabella thought about suggesting they move into the house she’d been living in.
But she couldn’t do it. She didn’t want to go back there and she hoped that she could still get her deposit back.
Arabella still couldn’t believe that the guys were willing to move here to be with her. They’d warned her that they would probably have to go back to Houston regularly and might need to travel around a bit for their jobs.
But that didn’t matter as long as they came home to her.
Eli looked stressed. Was everything all right? Was it work? Would they have to leave?
The day after tomorrow she was meeting their brothers. And then Sunday was the fair which she was really looking forward to.
“What is it?” Iona asked with wide eyes. “Ooh, this is a really professional set-up.”
“Thanks, I was thinking that the cakes I make you could sell in the store. As thanks for letting me use your place.”
Iona wouldn’t hear of her paying any sort of rent. Which was a bit of a relief since she didn’t have much money coming in right now.
Once things settled down she’d be all right.
She hoped.
“Oh wow. That’s a great idea!”
“I mean, try the cake first. It will take me two sessions to make and decorate so it won’t be ready until tomorrow night.”
“No problem! I am so excited. Can I know who you are now?”
“Sure, my name on social media is Bella Bakes. I know it’s not that imaginative . . .”
The rest of her words were drowned out by Iona’s squeal of excitement. “Oh. My. God! I know who you are! You’re freaking famous!”
Eli sent her a questioning look and she just smiled at him as Iona grabbed her arms, shaking her slightly.
She was feeling much better now. Probably because the guys had fussed over her for a few days . . . actually, they were still fussing over her. But she hoped they’d ease up a bit now.
She did not need to take a nap every day.
“You do?” she asked.
“Yes, oh my God! I’m in the presence of baking royalty.”
Arabella gave an embarrassed laugh. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“I would.”
“Everything okay?” Eli asked, walking over to wrap his arm around Arabella.
“Your girl rocks!” Iona said.
Eli grinned. “She does. What did she do now?”
“She’s an amazing baker, but her decorating? That’s next level. I’m so excited.”
“I don’t want anyone knowing who I am, though,” Arabella warned. “I know I probably could now that my father is dead and can’t take this away from me . . . but with this break-in . . . and the press.”
She was suddenly aware that Iona was gaping at her. “Your father would have taken this from you?”
“Um, he was a bit of a bastard.”
“Eh. I get that. Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” She zipped her lips.
“Are there any peanuts in this kitchen?” Eli asked, peering around as though he thought they were hiding and might suddenly attack.
Arabella groaned. “Eli, we’ve talked about this.”
Both men seemed to be very obsessed with what she ate. To the point that it was becoming ridiculous.
Heath had actually made the kitchen at the hotel peanut free.
It was crazy.
They hadn’t just bought one EpiPen when she’d left the hospital, but three so they could each have one on them.
Insane.
But she liked it.
“Um, there is.”
“Where are they?” Eli asked.
“In the pantry. In a clearly marked container.”
“Hmm. I suppose that’s all right.”
Arabella sighed. “Eli, I have to eat them to have a reaction. I don’t have an airborne allergy. I will be fine. Stop stressing.”
Iona’s phone beeped. “Ooh, I’ve got to go or I’ll be late for line dancing. Is there anything else you need?”
“No. Thank you so much. We’ll lock up before we go.”
“Aces! Bye! And I’m so excited.”
“Kellan was right,” Eli said as he stared after Iona. “Too much energy.”
“Eli! I think she’s lovely. And line dancing actually sounds fun. Is everything all right? You look worried.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. That was Jake on the phone. Deputy Doofus has disappeared.”
Now everyone was calling him Deputy Doofus and she didn’t even feel bad about that.
“Disappeared?” she repeated. “What do you mean?”
“The sheriff of the county where he actually works called Jake and told him that he never turned up for work, and that he isn’t at home or answering his phone.”
“Do you think something happened to him?” That was terrible. He wasn’t a good cop and seemed a bit arrogant and rude. But she didn’t want something bad to happen.
“Not sure. They’re treating it as a missing person. We’ll see what happens.”
“All right.”
Eli cupped the back of her head. “Are you feeling all right? If you’re too tired you don’t have to do this.”
“No, I’m good. I promise. I really want to get back to work.”
He nodded. “Get to it, then. I’ll tell you when it’s time to stop.”
Arabella had worried that she might be embarrassed with someone watching on. But she quickly forgot Eli was in the room as he worked on his laptop. She soon zoned him out and it wasn’t long until she had her cake baked and cooled and was starting to put the icing on.
Suddenly, she became aware of someone waving at her in her peripheral vision. Reaching over, she paused her video. Then she smiled as she saw Kellan.
“Hey, you’re home early.”
He frowned at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Actually, I’m late. You just didn’t notice.”
“Oh, sorry.” She winced, realizing that she hadn’t seen him come in. That was so rude.
“You really do zone out when you work, don’t you?” Eli said.
“We’ll have to watch that,” Kellan said. “She could easily exhaust herself.”
“And forget to eat,” Eli added.
“Um, guys. I’m right here,” she said, waving her hand in the air.
“Yes, we know,” Kellan said.
“Do you need some help with cleaning up?” Eli asked. “We thought we’d go to Fet for dinner.”
Fet? Ooh, it looked really nice. She’d heard good things.
“I meant that you don’t need to talk about me when I’m right here. You can talk to me. And there’s not much to clean up.” She’d sort out the video footage for editing later and started cleaning. To her surprise, Kellan and Eli pitched in anyway.
She paused, staring at them.
“Something wrong?” Eli asked.
“I’m just not used to people helping me, I guess.”
“You’ll have to get used to it,” Kellan said.
“You didn’t kiss me hello,” she said to him suddenly.
He turned and she blushed. “I mean, um, if you want to, it would be nice if when I saw you, that you hugged or kissed me. I know I had the video going and stuff, I just thought I’d mention that.”
Eli had said to lay down the boundaries. But would Kellan want that? Was he annoyed at her?
She watched him carefully, but he just nodded and stepped forward, hugging her tight.
“Hello, Butterfly.” Leaning down, he kissed her lightly.
Since those orgasms, they hadn’t done much more than kiss. They had pushed the beds together and she slept in between them. Although Kellan didn’t sleep much, he was usually up and running before she woke.
“Hello,” she said huskily before pulling back and getting busy tidying up.
After they had finished and locked up, she turned to Kellan again.
“Did you have a good day?”
Kellan grunted. “It was mixed. The assholes that spread those images of you are still in jail but they’re coming up for parole. I’m just making sure that parole is very, very hard for them.”
“Wait. That’s what you were doing?” she asked, pausing.
“Not the entire day. That just took a few phone calls. Then I went to visit a couple of the local sheriffs to have a chat about anything they might have heard or seen regarding this new drug.”
“Anything?” Eli asked.
“Nothing,” Kellan replied grimly as they headed to Eli’s car. They’d decided to drive rather than walk because of her equipment. Plus, it was getting late.
“I should text Heath and make sure Horse is all right,” she said as Kellan held open the car door for her.
“I’ll do it,” Eli said.
She couldn’t see Kellan’s car anywhere. Maybe he’d dropped it off at the hotel and walked here.
Leaning in, he did up her seatbelt as Eli placed everything in the trunk.
Kellan tested her seatbelt and grunted, she was guessing in satisfaction.
Definitely crazy.
They all got in and Eli started driving.
“Jake rang. Deputy Doofus never turned up for work and no one has seen him,” Eli said.
Kellan hummed. “That’s interesting. I was going to look into him next.”
“Why?” she asked as they pulled up outside Fet.
“Because I didn’t like the way he treated you. So I was going to look for something to use to make sure he couldn’t do that to anyone else.”
“Oh.” While she didn’t like the idea of him seeking revenge for her . . . she also didn’t want Doofus doing the same thing to other women.
Women who likely didn’t have two hot, protective FBI agents taking care of them.
Kellan opened her door and she startled, she hadn’t even noticed him move.
“Are you all right?” he asked in concern.
“Sorry. Thinking.”
“You look tired,” Kellan stated. “We should go home and order room service.”
“No!” she cried. “Please don’t. I just . . . I’m sick of room service.”
The hotel had limited options. Most people ate at the two restaurants in town or the diner.
The sooner they got somewhere to live the better.
“I’m fine. Really.”
Kellan helped her out and then hovered close. Did he want something?
Finally, he held out his hand. “Hold.”