Chapter 14
Cash stared at his phone, debating if he should hit send.
It was Easter Sunday, and he’d arrived at the Merveille De L’art early to help with the egg hunt.
Every year, the museum held the event outside in the gardens, but that wasn’t why he was hesitant to send this text.
That first hunt was open to the public, but as the afternoon came to a close and families drifted home to enjoy Easter dinner, the museum hosted a secret and significantly more elaborate hunt for the employees.
It was a family event, and the eggs were hidden inside the exhibits.
Only they weren’t placed where children could pluck them from their barely disguised resting spots.
This was an incredibly competitive competition that hid hundreds of eggs in almost impossible-to-find locations.
The game had a time limit, and whichever family found the most when the bell rang won the prize.
This year, it was a giant chocolate egg…
wrapped in gold foil to match the Precieux design.
Local restaurants had also donated gift cards to the champion’s basket, but since this was an employee-only festivity, the players really craved the bragging rights.
How could Cash show his face as the boss come Monday if he lost?
Which inspired him to type out the text to Sable.
If he and Clover were going to win, they needed the thief’s help, but this was also a closed event.
No employee friends were present. Just relatives.
Sable wasn’t family, but if he invited her, it would send a clear message.
The duo had become a trio, and he was nervous about making such a bold statement.
They’d been taking their relationship at a snail’s pace the past week.
Partially because with Easter rapidly approaching, Cash’s workload was immense, but also because he felt it wise not to bypass the early stages of dating and dive into something serious.
Yes, he could feel the soulmate bond, but she had lied and stolen the egg.
He’d forgiven her actions since they’d saved him and his son from the darker forces at play, but forgiveness and rushing their romance were two different things.
“Sable should be here,” Clover said, voicing his thoughts out loud. “She’s a thief, right?”
“Shhh,” Cash hushed. “That’s not something we want the whole museum knowing.
” Sable’s profession was Cash’s other concern.
She’d returned the Golden Egg, but that didn’t mean she’d retired.
As much as he was falling in love with her, a woman who stole for a living might not be a wise role model for his son.
“Sorry.” Clover grimaced. “But we still need her. She’d be really good at this hunt, and we can’t lose. Think how embarrassing Monday morning will be if you lose, Dad.”
“Wow, lay it on thick, why don’t you?” Cash laughed.
“It’s true.” Clover shrugged. “I want to win, and Sable would be a huge help. Why didn’t you invite her?”
“Because this is a family event.”
“She’s family.”
“But she isn’t.”
“My heart says she is.” Clover rubbed his chest. “I think your heart does, too.”
“Why do you always gotta call me out like that?”
“Because you need help. You do everything by yourself, so you need someone to look out for you.”
“Well, I appreciate you looking out for your old dad.” Cash pulled his son in for a hug.
“You’re welcome. So, can we invite Sable now?”
“Only if you answer me this. Do you want her here just because you want to win or because you want her to stay in our lives?”
“I want her to be my mom.”
“Okay then.” Cash rolled his eyes. “Let’s not tell her that, though. Being a parent is a big responsibility, so I don’t want to pressure her. She needs to make that decision on her own.”
“She will,” Clover said with all the confidence in the world. “She likes me better than you.” He playfully shoved his dad and then raced across the room to escape his father’s retaliation.
“You can run!” Cash chuckled. “But you can’t hide. I know where you live.” He shook his head and stared at his phone for a moment before finally hitting send.
Cash
There’s an Easter Egg Hunt at the museum tonight. Clover and I could use your help. Can you come?
His text had been barely delivered for thirty seconds when he got a reply.
Sable
Be there in 5. Time me.
“Is it too tight?” Sable asked as she strapped Clover into her harness. She’d nearly exploded out of her skin at Cash’s request for help with the Easter Egg Hunt, and gathering a small pack of supplies, she’d sailed over the rooftops to make it on time.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “Maybe a little right here.” He shoved his thumb below the strap on his waist to illustrate his point.
“That needs to be tight.” She playfully tugged his hair. “It’s so you don’t fall out and break your cute little head. If you’re too nervous, I can do it.”
“No, I want to try.”
“Okay. If you get scared, let us know, and we’ll lower you.”
“I won’t. I’m brave like Dad.”
“That you are.” Sable hit the controls, and the wires slowly hoisted Clover into the air.
They were the only family to search the Precieux Exhibit so far.
It seemed everyone was afraid to disrupt the golden egg, but Sable had no such qualms. She’d had the idea to use her harness and pulley system to lift Clover to the ceiling, hoping the boy’s bird’s-eye view would help them find all the hidden Easter Eggs in this room.
Based on Clover’s smile, their plan would pay off, but they had to hurry.
It wouldn’t be long before others caught on.
“I see one there!” Clover pointed to the Precieux Egg’s display.
“Here?” Sable sauntered to it and reached for the precious gold.
“Really?” Cash deadpanned from where his towering height was pulling eggs out of a vent.
“What?” she teased with a cute shrug. “It’s an egg.”
Cash rolled his eyes, and she winked as she grabbed the toy his son had been referring to.
“Okay, Clover,” she called to the dangling kid who was having a grand time swinging above her head. “Where do I look next?”
With Clover’s sight and Sable’s resourceful skills, they cleared the room in a matter of minutes, and retrieving the boy from his flight, they left the exhibit bare just as another family rushed inside to check.
“How many did we get?” Sable slipped her arm through Cash’s.
“One hundred and thirteen,” he said triumphantly.
“Wow!” Clover beamed. “Do you think we’ve won?”
“Are you crazy?” Sable asked. “Definitely not. We have to keep looking.”
“Okay. Where to next?”
“Remember when we first met? I was in that restricted area,” Sable said.
“Restricted area?” Cash pulled her to a stop. “Clover told me he was helping you find a place to call your mom.”
“What can I say?” Sable shrugged. “I like being in places I shouldn’t be.”
“Clearly.” Cash looked unsettled at her joke, and she reached out and cupped his jaw.
She knew why he seemed worried. She was a thief and just because she’d helped him didn’t mean she was finished with the life.
She loved it too much, and she understood why it bothered him.
Could she be a wife and a mother if she made a living breaking and entering to rob her hosts blind?
“Come on.” She tugged his hand. “This is an employees-only game. I bet the restricted access rooms are teaming with eggs no one has thought to look for yet.”
“But if we walk into them, people will catch on if they haven’t already,” Cash said.
“Well, we could move through the museum my way,” she said.
“What’s that?” Clover asked.
“We use the vents.”
After the bell signaled the end of the game, the employees and their families gathered to wait on the main floor as the officials tallied each team’s eggs.
They would announce the winners any minute, but Sable was convinced they’d won.
Her skills had come in handy, and they’d found six hundred and forty-four eggs.
The entire evening had been exhilarating fun, and despite his job title, Cash thoroughly enjoyed playing a thief for the night.
His agility and power as a Fae warrior had proved essential, and Sable practically drooled over him on multiple occasions.
She’d tried not to because every time Clover caught her gawking at his father, his cheeks flushed and his smile widened.
She was thrilled the boy approved of her, but it felt a little awkward to flirt under the watchful—if not encouraging—eye of a ten-year-old chaperone.
“They are taking so long!” Clover danced around them with impatience.
“Soon, buddy. Soon.” Cash reached out to halt his son’s vibrating, but Clover shimmied out of his reach. “Why don’t you play with your friends while you wait?”
“Yeah?” Clover looked up at him with wide eyes.
“Yes. Go before your running in circles makes me dizzy,” he chuckled, but he’d barely finished speaking before his son bolted toward a group of boys.
“Hey.” Sable stepped closer to him now that they had a moment of privacy. She longed to take his hand, but she wasn’t sure if he’d approve of showing affection in front of his employees. “Did you have fun tonight?”
“I did have fun.” Cash leaned closer until his arm brushed hers, and Sable’s entire body relaxed at the contact. “Why do you ask? Didn’t I look happy? Because I was.”
“You had a blast,” she agreed. “But the joke about the restricted area seemed to bother you. I don’t want you to resent me because of who I am. If I hadn’t been a thief, we would’ve never met.”
“I know.” Cash lifted his hand and absent-mindedly tugged on her left bunny ear, smiling at the silken softness between his fingers and the way it bobbed on her head.
“But it’s not my past that bothers you,” she said, suddenly understanding his concern. “You’re worried about letting a thief live with Clover.”
“Yeah…” His eyes snapped to hers. “Live?”
“I meant it metaphorically,” she said quickly, lying through her teeth so she didn’t sound presumptuous.