Chapter 30
The flight from Dallas back to Montana had gone by in the blink.
Nash and Ellie had caught a bit of shuteye in Wyatt's hospital room, and they got more on the flight back. Nash’s family, who’d been prepared to vacate their properties if needs be, were relieved to see the report about the takedown.
And while Nash had come to trust Wolf, there'd been that five percent of him that had held back, wondering if Wolf really was on Ellie's side. Yet shortly after they landed, an insider on the case called Ellie and confirmed the very news Wolf shared.
The detective had been working to bring the trafficking ring down for six and a half years. In prior attempts, they’d caught men they suspected were involved but failed to get them to talk, even from prison, with generous offers for parole.
But at the trainyard, they’d finally hit the jackpot.
The helicopter pilot, who was apparently new to the ring and hadn't known the extent of their dealings, ratted them out.
And since officials already had feet on the ground near the location, they were able to sneak up on them before anyone could send a warning.
He went on to explain that one of their cyber specialists had assumed the ring’s user profile on the dark web and was now using it to lure and trap the bidders, those engaging in the heinous crimes.
The best news of all was that Ellie, Nash, and his family were officially out of harm’s way. Still, that didn't mean Nash would let Ellie out of his sight.
Of course, it also meant Bronson could fly back to LA, which, he’d admitted, he was looking forward to. “It’s about time I retire,” the man had said, and the timing had lined up just right.
During a conversation with Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Jackie on the way home, the speaker on so Ellie could be a part of it, Lloyd had a suggestion.
"How about you two go stay at the lake house for a while, have a bit of R however, we will be accepting donations for Convoy of Hope.”
"Well, that sounds like an absolute honor,” Ellie said. "I'd love to be part of that." The emotion in her voice put warmth in Nash’s heart.
“Then stay tuned for details. And don’t worry about stopping to get food if you don’t feel like it. There are plenty of fillets, steaks, and frozen meals to choose from. Oh, and Nash?” she added.
“Yeah?”
“Thatcher and Cash drove your truck out there for you,” Jackie said.
Nash was touched by the thoughtful gesture. “Good thinking. I’ll have to thank them.”
“Oh,” Lloyd added. “Thatcher said you owe him money. Something about a bet. Do you know anything about that?”
Nash glanced over at Ellie. Good thing he’d already told her about his reason for volunteering at Wild Buck’s. A smile pulled at his lips before he answered. “I might.”
“This might be the most peaceful place on this side of heaven," Ellie said as she shuffled out of the patio door, holding a bundle of pillows pinned against her chest with her arms.
The lake looked magical tonight, its dark purple surface seeming to capture the sky and all its starlit glory.
When they’d first arrived, Ellie had been able to take in the splendor of autumn colors in its surrounding trees.
Most striking were the shocks of red among the array of copper, gold, and chestnut brown.
The colors, Nash told her, may have been what gave the lake its name.
‘See how that red reflection sort of shapes the outskirts of the lake? It gives it that feather-like appearance.’ It had, and it was glorious.
The temperature was just chilly enough for sweats, and the pair Nash’s family had left for her fit just right.
Turns out they’d delivered more than just Nash’s truck.
In fact, Nash and Ellie might not have been met by a welcome committee, as Lloyd had implied, but they’d been welcomed back all the same.
A large, colorful poster hung just inside the entryway of the cabin. The words welcome home, Ellie and Nash, were painted in purple lettering. His family had used that banner as a card of sorts, each signing it with a message of encouragement and gratitude for their safe return.
The sentiments had brought Ellie to tears and triggered Nash’s darned allergies, he’d claimed, since his eyes had started to water too.
In addition, they'd placed a few peach pies in the freezer. Jackie jotted the cooking instructions on a scratch pad on the counter. Rosie left her mark on the notepad as well, having scribbled a cute little axolotl in the corner, one amphibian hand raised in a friendly wave.
There were plenty of frozen meals to choose from, as Jackie had said, but Nash indulged Ellie’s fascination for frozen pizza, seeing that she’d never in her life had one.
“Lucky for you,” he’d said, “this is a decent brand. Some are a lot better than others.” He’d gone on to say that he wondered when they’d run out of experiences that were new to her but common to most. “So long as it lasts,” he’d added, “I plan to enjoy it. Starting with a night on the patio under the stars.”
Ellie made her way to the outdoor sofas Nash had scooted together to make one giant bed and dropped the load of bedding on top. Nash had finished blowing up the king-sized mattress and covered it with sheets and bedding while Ellie rounded up pillows from a few of the rooms.
“There,” he said, rubbing his hands together as he used the pillows to create a makeshift headboard. “We’re just missing one little thing…” He pulled out his phone, queued a song, and connected it to the outdoor speaker.
Ellie listened up, wondering if he was about to play something romantic when the jubilant twang of a fiddle picked up instead. She grinned, knowing it was a familiar song but not sure which one it was. Yet just as John Denver began singing about Grandma’s feather bed, she grinned wider.
“Is this how you imagined it?” she asked Nash, who’d begun playing an air fiddle.
He nodded, lip-syncing as he danced closer to her, and gave her a daring look while extending one hand.
Ellie took it, and Nash pulled her into him, his other hand at her hip to encourage a sway in rhythm with his.
“Ever since we were kids, we’d come out here at night, push the couches together.
My folks are the ones who started the tradition when we were out here with Lloyd and Jackie.
You can imagine the excitement of all those rowdy boys climbing onto this massive bed.
Pops layered foam mattresses while we rounded up all the bedding, and Mama played this song. ”
He gave her a spin before pulling her back in close. “We’d sing every word, belting it to the high heavens.”
“That’s a great memory,” Ellie said, sensing her troubles drifting further away as she welcomed the happy scene. She imagined creating memories like that for her own kids and welcomed another deep sense of happiness at the thought.
“Of course,” Nash said, “for tonight, we’ll have to fashion a pillow wall.”
“A pillow wall?” she asked, pulling back to quirk a brow at him.
“You heard Aunt Jackie. I need to behave, which means you can’t go getting handsy while we’re sharing the bed.”
Ellie gave him an indignant laugh. “Me?” She recalled the gentlemanly way he’d responded when his thumb glided above the waist of her jeans.
Not only had he tugged the hem of her shirt back into place, but he’d also mentioned it afterward to make sure Ellie knew it’d been an accident. She wasn’t used to manners like that.
In fact, in the few relationships she’d had over the years, she’d experienced quite the opposite. An urgency of sorts and an entitlement that she hadn’t—at the time—been expecting.
She studied Nash for a moment, intrigued by the man he’d proven to be.
How had they raised him to have so much honor and self-control?
So much respect where women were concerned?
Even if she did sense his passion and desire for more.
He was not only physically strong, but he was also strong-willed, and she admired that.
Her gaze moved millimeters at a time as she appreciated the features that made up his face.
His prominent jawline with a generous dusting of facial hair, the handsome set of his dark brows, and the hypnotizing effect of his honey, hazel eyes.
“You are abnormally attractive. Has anyone ever told you that?”
He grinned. “Abnormal is a strong word,” he said, eyeing her face in return. “I prefer freakish. Freakishly attractive.”
She laughed and bumped his arm. “Okay.”
“And you,” he said, dropping his mouth to a spot just below her earlobe, “are impossibly attractive in every way.”
Ellie stifled a moan as he nibbled on her earlobe, causing a wave of pleasure to ripple through her. “Every is a strong word,” she said weakly.
“You’re right,” he rasped against her skin, the heat of his breath adding to the thrill. “There is the whole turkey jerky thing…”
Ellie giggled. “You should try it,” she urged.
Nash shook his head. “Sugar,” he murmured, “when your man raises cattle for a living, it’s time for poultry to move over for something…meatier.” He grazed her flesh with his teeth, releasing a low growl. “Speaking of which, let’s grill a few of those steaks in the freezer for tomorrow night.”
“Mmm hmm,” she purred, more in favor of what he was doing with that skilled mouth of his. A mouth that finally met hers in a deep, passionate kiss that had Ellie seeing a different set of stars.
It would take a long time to process what they’d been through; she knew that much. Their brush with death would likely haunt them for years to come, but the Copelands had been through similar traumas in recent years, and it hadn’t held them back.
She and Nash would get through it, and they’d have a whole lot of support as they did.
As a new song picked up, Nash brought their kiss to a slow end, then groaned against her lips. “I love you like crazy,” he said.
A delighted laugh bubbled in her throat. “I love you like…something crazier than crazy.”
He lifted a brow. “Something crazier than crazy?”
Her face flushed. “I couldn’t think of anything else,” she admitted through a laugh.
Nash shook his head. “No, it’s good. I think they should put it in a Hallmark card.
” He took her hand and began leading her in another dance on the patio beneath the starlit sky.
Crickets blended with the sweet melody as Nash instructed Ellie to twirl into him and then spin out before falling back into a casual sway and shuffle.
“What do you want to do now that you’re not acting anymore? Become an astronaut?”
She giggled. “Maybe. I do like the moon.”
“Who doesn’t?”
“Actually,” she said, recalling a conversation she’d had with Tucker at the ranch. “I’ve considered doing a bit of volunteer work.”
“Eh?”
“A guy I know sort of inspired me— gave up eighty full hours of his time.”
“Sounds like a stud.”
“Oh, he is,” she assured him. “Trust me, he is.”
Ellie liked Nash’s references to the future, whether it was a comment about tomorrow night’s dinner, his question about new pursuits, or the way he spoke about Thanksgivings at Copeland Brothers Ranch and how he couldn’t wait for her to see how they celebrated, it gave her a thrill every time.
Nash wanted to be a part of her future as much as she wanted to be part of his, and that made Ellie look forward to it all the more.