Chapter 12 Kiss And Tell
Kiss And Tell
The next night, after Charlie was asleep, Nash knocked lightly on Olivia’s door. “It’s me, Nash.”
In only seconds, Olivia opened the door. She wore flannel sleep pants and a tank top. He nearly drooled.
Yanking his eyes away, a quick peek showed Ella asleep on her small bed, her dragon clutched tightly in her arms.
Olivia’s laptop sat on her bed along with a couple of notebooks and pens. She’d been working on her writing like she did every evening.
“Sorry to bother you, but I hoped to talk for a minute.” She nodded and those big eyes looked over to check on Ella.
“Will we disturb her if we talk in here?”
Olivia shrugged. “Maybe. She’s sometimes a light sleeper.”
He pointed at the wall separating their rooms. “You okay if we head to my room for a bit? We’ll hear her through the wall if she needs you, and I won’t keep you long.”
Olivia nodded and reached for a sweater lying on the bed. He kept the sigh internal when she covered up her pretty shoulders and breasts.
He led her to his room and gestured to the desk chair for her to sit in. No way could he focus on the conversation if she sat with him on his bed. They could head downstairs if she had a baby monitor, but this was the next best thing.
As if reading his mind, Olivia sat. “Troy’s got a baby monitor on order for me. Mostly, I like to get my writing done while she’s sleeping, but it will be good to have it if I need to leave the room.”
He nodded. “I carried a monitor on my hip for the first few months. I set it on my nightstand and turned it up loud. Charlie was in the next room, but I always panicked that I’d fall into a deep sleep and not hear him cry.”
She smiled. “The worry is real. They’re so little.”
He didn’t want her to be uncomfortable, so he figured he’d get to the point. “I want to talk about the man who you think might want to snatch Ella Mae.”
The light in her eyes dimmed, and she lifted her feet onto the chair and wrapped her arms around them. “Why?”
“I want to help protect you and Ella. It’s better to know the enemy and be prepared with a defense.”
“This isn’t the army. We’re not at war.”
He smiled. “I know, but the theory is valid. You’ve made smart decisions and done everything right to keep you and Ella safe.
I’d like to help. My job in the military was to strategize.
To help in both offense and defense. I can do some online surveillance if you tell me Adam’s surname.
The army taught me a few tricks I can use. ”
Her arms tightened around her legs. “How did you know his name is Adam?”
“You mentioned it that day in the kitchen when you told me the basics of your history. You said you were worried Adam’s obsession with your friend might extend to Ella. I’m guessing Mary Mae was that friend.”
Her smile softened. “She was. Mary Mae and I bonded when I moved into the group home. She’d only been there for a few days and we shared a room.
There were eight of us. Liam was her boyfriend almost from the moment they saw each other.
A true love at first sight moment. That never changed over the years I knew them. ”
Nash would have said he didn’t believe in love at first sight. He and Charlotte had known each other for months before dating, and their love had grown steadily and strongly.
But his attraction to Olivia had been more of a punch to the solar plexus. He was pretty sure it had mostly been lust, but his feelings had quickly morphed as he’d seen how she protected the girl, how she’d been afraid but determined to do things anyway.
“Did both Liam and Mary Mae die in the same accident?”
Her frown returned. “Yes, although I’m not convinced it was an accident. Liam was a careful driver.”
Holy hell. “You think Adam killed them?”
She shrugged. “I think it’s possible. Their car was shoved over a guardrail.
The paint on the fender and bumper proved that, but no one came forward with information so that the police couldn’t get anywhere in the investigation.
It was deemed suspicious and left as an open case, but they didn’t have the manpower to deal with it. ”
“I’m sorry. That’s terrible. Was Ella in the car?”
Olivia’s eyes filled with tears. “Yes. She was in the back seat in her baby seat. It saved her life. She was sleeping when the paramedics found her.”
Nash’s heart fluttered. “That poor baby. I know her parents would be glad she lived and she’s with you. Does Adam follow you on social media? Has he ever emailed or called you?”
She smiled softly. “I don’t have any social media.
Being foster kids, we didn’t have phones.
I never got in the habit of using one, although I did buy one when we moved out on our own.
When I took custody of Ella Mae, I changed my phone number and email address.
He’s never contacted me, and I hope he’s forgotten all about me and Ella. ”
Nash nodded. “I hope so, but people with obsessions don’t let them go easily. If the fixation was all about Mary Mae, he’s probably let it go. But if that fixation extends to everything connected to Mary, he might be looking for you.”
She nodded. “Which is why I was so paranoid when Charlie spoke to me in Phail Way Park that day. I’d spent weeks moving from one place to another, never staying in one place for more than a couple of days.
It was exhausting for Ella, and she hated being stuck in the car so much of the time.
I thought that Phail seemed like a perfect place to settle for a while.
It’s not like it’s a place most people have heard of. ”
Nash grinned. “Don’t let Troy hear you say that.”
She laughed and he was glad he’d been able to give her that while discussing a heavy topic.
She worried her lip, and her eyes were serious when she looked up at him.
“My agent wants me to go to Manhattan for a few days. With Kayaia’s book just being released, she wants me to do some publicity to boost Christmas sales.
I haven’t given her an answer yet, but I know it’s a smart career move. ”
Nash nodded slowly. The idea scared the shit out of him. “Does Adam know you’re an author?”
“I don’t think so. Mary Mae, Liam and I shared apartments after we left the group home. Because they were stepbrothers, Adam was able to find us a few times. Liam figures a cousin was keeping in touch with both sides.”
“What happened when he found you?”
Olivia wrapped her arms around herself. “He’d bang on the door and scream for Mary Mae. Tell her she was his and if she and the baby didn’t go with him, he’d kill Liam slowly and take them for himself.”
“Holy shit, Olivia. That’s a nightmare. The police were involved?”
She nodded. “Mary and Liam had restraining orders against him but it didn’t make much difference. We moved a few times, but he always found us.”
Her eyes filled with tears and Nash crossed the room and knelt at her side to pull her in for a gentle hug.
She shuddered out a breath and leaned in. He lifted her into his arms and then sat in the chair with her cuddled into his lap. “Okay?” His question was gruff and rumbly, but he couldn’t help it.
She nodded and settled against him, making him feel powerful and content despite the horrible conversation.
With another shuddery sigh, she continued to talk.
“He found us again a few days before the crash. We’d learned to install extra bolts and locks, but he tried to kick his way in anyway.
Liam and Mary Mae were both working, and I was watching Ella Mae and writing.
I called the police as soon as he started yelling.
So did the neighbors. One man came out of his apartment to tell Adam to get lost. Adam punched and kicked him before the police showed up. ”
Nash ran his hands over Olivia’s body, trying to offer comfort. “This guy’s scary. Was the neighbor okay?”
She nodded. “Had a few bruised ribs but he said he was fine. We found another apartment. Liam and Mary moved the last boxes while I was serving at a nearby restaurant. That’s when he killed them.” Her voice wobbled and her body shuddered.
Nash held her closer. “Let it out, Olivia. Let it out.”
With a gulping sob, she huddled into him and he held her while the tears fell. Had she had an opportunity to let go before? Had she had a chance to grieve the loss of her friends? And to deal with her new reality as a mother of a child who needed protection?
Nash held her close and kissed her hair, telling her what a wonderful woman she was, and how lucky Ella Mae was to have her in her life.
Not many people would have left their home and the only city they’d known to take on the care of an infant. Never mind changing her name and cutting ties with everyone she knew to move to a different state all to keep the child safe.
Nash figured he’d been well on his way to falling in love with Olivia. After hearing her entire story, he was pretty sure his heart had plopped at her feet. And he knew without a doubt that Charlotte would approve.
Olivia gulped in breaths to settle herself. Nash’s arms continued to hold her safely. He murmured to her as she settled, reminding her she was safe and strong. “I’m sorry.”
Nash chuckled. “For letting me hold you and trusting me with your story?”
She smiled. “For blubbering all over you.”
“Anytime, Olivia. Seriously.”
He passed her a box of tissues, and she mopped at her face and blew her nose. But she didn’t have the energy to move herself off his lap.
He didn’t seem in any hurry to shove her off. One arm held her tight and the other hand cruised over her body, offering comfort. Comfort like she’d never felt before. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I’m sorry you haven’t had anyone else to share the burdens with. You must have been scared to death half the time.”
She snorted a laugh. “All the time. Until I landed in Phail.”