Chapter 14 Twists And Turns
Twists And Turns
Olivia watched Nash wave off the men and slam the tailgate closed.
The man who resembled Adam smiled, waved, and returned to the store. Definitely not the man she feared. Still, it took two tries for her to unlock the door for Nash to climb in.
He took one look at her, and then turned to check on the kids in the back. Ella Mae babbled his name, but Charlie wasn’t smiling. “What’s wrong?”
She’d already relocked the doors, even as Nash’s hand reached to do the same. His gaze returned to hers. “What happened?”
Olivia shrugged. “Nothing. I thought I recognized one of the men, but it wasn’t who I thought.”
Nash grabbed her hand and turned to look out the back window, but the men had disappeared inside. “You’re sure?”
She nodded. “Positive. From the back, he looked similar, but it was a different man.”
Nash squeezed her hand and she rolled her lips together to keep herself from bubbling up with tears of relief.
“She was really scared, Dad.” Charlie’s concern was evident in his tone as well as the words.
Blinking back as much emotion as she could, Olivia turned to him. She reached through the seats and squeezed his hand. “You’re right, Charlie. The man I thought he was isn’t a nice person. I didn’t want him near you or Ella Mae. I’m sorry I overreacted.”
Charlie didn’t smile. “You didn’t overreact. You got us all inside the truck in case it was him. And you made sure he couldn’t see you to recognize you.”
She took off his ball cap and handed it back. “Thanks, Charlie.”
Nash sighed. “You did all the right things to keep you and the kids safe. Thanks.”
She managed a small smile, even though her reaction had put Charlie on alert to the problem.
The boy still hadn’t smiled. “Are you and Ella in danger? Does he want to hurt you?”
Olivia kept the sigh internal as she looked to Nash for guidance. She didn’t want to scare Charlie, but he was intuitive and knew something was wrong. Nash nodded at her, so she turned back to Charlie. Ella had fallen asleep beside him and the sight bolstered her with love for these two kids.
“I don’t think we’re in danger. The man I’m worried about was angry about my friend Mary Mae falling in love with Liam.
He thought she should fall in love with him instead.
He was scary about it. It didn’t have anything to do with me, but I don’t want to see him again, and I don’t want him near either you or Ella Mae. ”
Charlie nodded. “I’m glad it wasn’t him, and I’m glad we’re leaving New York. You’ll be safe in Vermont. Dad will make sure of it.”
Love swelled in her heart and she reached out for Nash. “I know. Thank you.”
Nash leaned over and kissed her softly. “Let’s put some miles between us and New York.”
“Good idea.”
A few hours later, when they were close to the state line, Nash glanced over at her. “Can you look up the nearest DMV where I can change out my license plates? Seems like a good time to put Vermont plates on the truck, and Phail isn’t large enough to have an office.”
Which meant he was giving her an extra layer of protection. While the man hadn’t been Adam, the fear had returned and she’d been berating herself for putting Ella at risk with her publicity trip.
If by some ridiculous chance Adam had seen her in this truck, changing the plates would make it harder to find them. “Good idea.”
Charlie piped up. “Will that stop the man from finding the truck? Or figuring out where you live?”
Guilt pricked her again. A ten-year-old shouldn’t be worrying about things like this. “I think it will.”
Charlie frowned. “Can he look you up online and find out that you live on the apple farm?”
Nash glanced in the rear-view mirror to smile at his son.
“Smart thinking, kiddo. No, he won’t be able to find us that way.
The farm belongs to the Malssums. Neither Olivia nor I have our names on paperwork connecting us to the farm.
We chip in with the mortgage payments, but the farm belongs to the Malssums.”
That was one of the reasons Olivia had been so quick to move to the farm.
Charlie grinned. “So, even if he did see you, he’d think we were tourists from Florida because of the license plates.”
“You’ve got it.” Except she’d just done interviews that could expose her. She’d been careful about what she’d said, but reporters were notorious for digging out information. Would one of them find her birth name? Or connect Livie Sanchez to Olivia Gonzalez?
It wasn’t like she was famous with paparazzi following her. No one would bother digging.
If Adam had hacking skills, could he find out more about them that way? If she wrote detective stories, she might have researched that, but her dragons didn’t need to know anything about computer hacking.
Hoping to divert them all from the depressing thoughts, Olivia smiled.
“Rika wants me to write at least a couple more books featuring the dragons and brucans. I’d like to expand the world to include more species eventually.
I think I’d like to have one storyline that brings some of the characters away from the mountains and to the shores of a wide sea. ”
Charlie’s face lit up and Nash nodded as he drove. He would have figured out she was distracting his son. Ella was asleep beside Charlie, and he had nothing to do but think.
They talked about avian and aquatic species in the real world and batted around ideas to use those as a basis for a few new species. They also talked about story lines that would introduce them naturally.
Charlie grinned at her. “This is fun. Is this how you came up with the brucans?”
Olivia nodded. “I did a lot of the brainstorming myself, but Mary Mae helped some as well.”
Charlie nodded. “Sometimes it’s easier to come up with ideas when you’re talking with someone else. Maribel and I used to make up stories, too.”
She smiled. “Tell me more about Maribel. You said she moved away?”
He nodded. “Her mom got a job in Spain, so they had to move. We still talk online and do video chats, but it’s hard when the time zones are so different.”
“I bet you’re glad you have the internet and phones, though.”
He nodded. “I can’t imagine not having those things.”
And that topic distracted them again. By the time they’d talked about a bunch of different historical eras and how they were different and the same, Nash was pulling into the DMV in Dummerston, just over the border into Vermont.
They all went inside, none of them wanting to be separated after what had happened in New York. Charlie made up stories with Ella while Nash dealt with the logistics.
He changed the plates right in the lot and they all grinned when that was done.
Charlie laughed. “I feel like we’re super spies. Now you’re safe from the creep.”
They found a park where Ella could run around for a few minutes and then they headed to Phail, preferring to stop for food on their own territory.
The Saloon was open, so they headed there. They found Amber and Gray at a table with Garrett and Kimi from town, Boomer snoozing beside Amber’s chair. The group waved them over and they added tables together to make room.
Kimi was a local veterinarian. She and her husband also ran a petting farm and therapy center for animals.
Charlie nearly vibrated in his seat with his excitement about the animals. He focused on what breeds of dogs made the best pets, which would be happy on the farm with the animals that were already there, and what dogs were good with kids Ella’s age.
Kimi’s eyes sparkled as she answered, sending mischievous looks at Nash the whole time. “Your son is very subtle.”
Nash rolled his eyes. “As subtle as a tank. He’s been bugging for a dog for years.”
Charlie grinned. “And we’re in a great place to have a dog. The apple farm is huge, and we know everyone there likes animals. I’m old enough to be responsible for him. And Ella really wants a dog, too.”
Everyone laughed and warmth filled Olivia. She loved this boy, wanted to be part of his life forever, and wanted to watch him grow to be as good a man as his father.
When she caught Nash watching her with a warm smile in return, her heart thudded heavily in her chest, and her blood thickened.
She was in love with him. She’d never really believed in love.
There hadn’t been many examples of romantic love in her life.
A couple of her foster families had been good role models.
Healthy relationships with enough love to share with kids who weren’t part of their traditional family.
Some of the workers in the group home had spouses who’d helped and went on outings with them.
She’d loved Mary Mae and Liam. She loved Ella Mae with her whole being. Charlie, too.
But what she felt for Nash was a different kind of love. It filled her heart with hope for the future, and, she blushingly admitted, lust.
Seeing him brought a smile to her face every time. butterflies danced in her belly when he gave her one of those looks that told her he wanted to devour her in the very best way.
She wanted to do the same with him.
And she wanted to make a family with him. Wanted to spend the rest of her days working with him, loving him. Being loved by him.
Which had her heart stuttering. She knew he was attracted to her. She’d have to be an idiot not to know that. Their kisses were full of affection and desire.
But as two single parents, they hadn’t taken things further. They hadn’t discussed feelings or the future.
“Oggie.”
Olivia tuned back into the conversation with Ella Mae’s new word. Charlie had been using his phone to show her pictures of the different dogs he’d been discussing with Kimi and Garrett.
Charlie held up the phone to show a beagle. Ella Mae pointed at the photo and repeated her new word. “Oggie.”
Olivia ran her hand over the little girl’s hair. “Is that a doggy, Ella?”
“Oggie, Mama.”
Olivia’s eyes misted and she leaned down to kiss Ella’s hair. “Good girl, Ella. That’s a doggie.”