Chapter 19
Lo And Behold
Nash didn’t think he’d ever felt this good. He’d lost track of how many times he and Olivia had made love that afternoon, with easy conversation and laughter woven in around the orgasms.
She loved him.
That was the headiest of all. He’d always figured he’d been a lucky bastard to have the love of one incredible woman.
Now, he knew he was beyond lucky. Because Olivia loved him.
And there wasn’t any guilt. No weirdness. Charlotte had been gone for a long time. Nash and Charlie had been alone for more than a decade.
Loving Olivia didn’t take anything away from his love for Charlotte. He understood that now down to the soles of his work boots.
But it was time to head back to reality. They’d already cleaned the cabin and ensured nothing was left to show off their decadent afternoon, but he sent his eyes around the space just to be sure.
Olivia followed his gaze and her smile widened. “I’m never going to look at that table the same way.”
He hugged her. “Me neither. We’ll have to try that again someday.”
“Sounds like an excellent plan to me.”
He picked up their jackets. They’d barely made it inside before ripping their clothes from each other. He figured it was a memory that would have him smiling decades from now.
Realizing he hadn’t checked his phone the entire afternoon made him grin. He knew his buddies would keep their kids safe and that had helped them both relax and focus on each other. A quick check proved he hadn’t missed any calls or messages.
Olivia gasped, and he looked up to find her pale.
“What’s wrong? Is it Ella?”
“No, it’s a message from my agent, filled with apologies.
She said some of the personal photos I sent her got mixed into the ones she sent to the publisher.
They’ve put one of me and Ella Mae up online to encourage other kids to make snow dragons and brucans.
Another one of the four of us, too. Apparently, the photos have gone viral.
I’m so sorry. Photos of you and Charlie were never supposed to be in that group.
Same with Ella. What if Adam sees them?”
Oh shit. He pulled her into a hug and felt her body trembling. “Okay, let’s get up to the farmhouse, get the kids, and then we’ll figure out how to deal with it.” Once they had the kids back and saw with their own eyes that they were safe.
Olivia made another call while he locked up the cabin.
He heard her speak to Amber who reassured her Ella was safe.
He sent a quick text to Ford alerting him to the possibility of Parsons identifying him.
Apparently, Charlie was right beside Ford and they were wrapping up their last tree before heading home.
Still, Nash made the best time he could hauling their asses back to the barn to park the ATV.
They spotted Gray and Boomer walking on either side of Amber as she carried Ella Mae toward them.
Gray barely acknowledged their arrival, keeping his eyes on their surroundings.
Boomer was in his alert mode and Nash breathed a sigh of relief.
As soon as Olivia climbed off the ATV, she ran. Instead of locking up the ATV in the barn, Nash followed. He wanted everyone safe inside the farmhouse first. Then they could talk with the group and plan.
Ford’s truck drove onto the property before they’d even reached the back porch.
Charlie bounced from the back with concern on his face and Oggie in his arms. Charlie raced straight for Nash and kept his voice low.
“Maribel just messaged me when we were packing up at Sylvia’s.
She said she saw pictures of me and you on social media.
Pictures with Olivia and Ella Mae. Wasn’t Olivia trying to keep her identity secret? What if that mean man finds her?”
Nash pulled his son in for a hug with the beagle squirming between them. “Olivia just found out about it, too. Her agent sent those pictures to the publisher by mistake. They were only supposed to show the snow dragons and brucans. Let’s go inside and figure it out.”
When they had all dumped their winter gear and put on their moccasins, they found Knox and Thea in the kitchen. They had a pot of coffee on, the kettle was whistling on the stove, and a tray of brownies sat on the table.
Knox smiled grimly at everyone. “Amber texted us all. Figured we could have a war council while we have dinner.” A timer beeped, and Gray took a tray of stuffed peppers out of the oven.
Thea filled mugs with tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. “We’ve double-checked the window and door locks. The security system is armed, and everything is secure.”
Olivia’s pale face worried him, and he pulled her in for another hug, Ella between them.
Charlie joined in. “It’s going to be okay, Olivia.
My dad and his friends are really good at making sure people stay safe.
Plus, we’ve got the dogs and really smart people here.
We won’t let anything happen to you or Ella Mae. ”
Olivia smiled at Charlie and rolled her lips together. “Thanks, Charlie. You’re right. We’re going to figure out a plan.”
But she was still trembling.
Nash pulled his chair beside her and wrapped his arm around her. Ella must have missed her, because she kept her arms around Olivia and kept repeating Mama within the rest of her rapid babble.
That had Olivia smiling a bit. “Sounds like you had a fun afternoon with Amber and Gray.”
“Oggie.”
Oggie howled happily at his name, and Charlie leaned down to pat him. “We found out today that Oggie can sit and stay.”
Jolie nodded. “He’s also comfortable around strangers and other dogs. He, Hemsworth, and Squirrel had a great time.”
Nash would like to see that. Three very different dogs with different personalities. He felt Olivia stop trembling under his arm while Charlie talked about their day.
Gray’s eyes were serious when he scanned the group. “Okay, let’s talk about the situation with everyone here. Charlie, you good with that?”
His son looked at Nash with a solemn nod, and then turned to Gray. “I’m not as big as you guys, but I want to help.”
Nash pulled him in for a side-armed hug. “We know. And we’re going to keep you in the loop. It’s important you know how to keep yourself safe.”
Charlie nodded at him with those big, dark eyes that reminded him of Charlotte. “And help keep Ella and Olivia safe, too.”
“Absolutely. Your mom would be so proud of the young man you are.”
Charlie’s eyes misted even as his grin widened. Nash wished his son had actual memories of Charlotte, but he tried to fill in with conversations about her whenever possible.
“You always said Mom was brave and strong.”
Nash nodded. “She was.”
Gray grinned. “You must get it from her, Charlie, because we all know Alice here is a wimp.”
Charlie howled with laughter as the rest chuckled. Nash reached across Olivia to cuff the back of Gray’s head. “Says the man also known as Santa Claus.”
Good-natured ribbing continued around the table for the next few minutes while they ate. And planned how to make the already secure farmhouse even more secure.
Olivia found it difficult to eat. Worry and fear tumbled together in her belly. These people were proactive, innovative, and super-protective.
They shot down her suggestion that she and Ella leave immediately to ensure the safety of the others on the farm.
Safety in numbers.
We don’t know if he’s seen the pictures.
Better to stand and face danger when resources surround you.
We want you to stay.
Not without us.
Now they were munching on a batch of apple brownies that Knox had experimented with earlier in the day. Nash handed her another square. “Eat. You need to keep up your energy and your brain power.”
“And apple brownies are the way to do that?”
His smile showed concern and amusement. “Whatever it takes.”
His fingers caressed her shoulder. They hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other. Even in front of Charlie and the rest of the group. Even though danger might be coming their way.
They’d moved into the room where Jay had apparently spent most of his time while he’d lived on the farm. No one seemed to want to be anywhere else other than with the group.
Charlie entertained Ella by showing her the commands Oggie knew and trying to teach him new ones. Dance appeared to confuse the dog, but Charlie wasn’t deterred. He lifted the dog gently to his back feet and helped him wiggle while saying dance.
Ella’s giggles rang through the room, and Olivia had to blink away the moisture threatening to gather in her eyes. No crying, especially in front of the kids.
They’d talked through all the security measures in place on the farm. The windows and doors were wired with alarms. She should feel safe. Adam wouldn’t have the resources of the people around her. Four former special operatives with the best training the army had to offer.
She leaned her head on Nash’s shoulder and listened to the soft laughter and chatter from the group.
They weren’t annoyed with her for potentially putting them in danger.
They’d shared stories of what they’d been through since moving here to the farm.
She figured the stories had been toned down because Charlie was in the room, but it was clear these people were smart and resourceful.
She couldn’t ask for a better family to surround her while she raised Mary Mae’s daughter.
Which meant she needed to be proactive about her protection. “I think I’ll call the store where Adam works tomorrow and make up a story about how helpful he was. Then I can ask when his next shift is. Do you think they’d tell me?”
She’d kept her voice for his ears only and he squeezed her shoulder. “That’s a good idea. We’ll block the phone number and give it a try once the place opens.”
“What else should we do?”
Nash sighed. “I’m not sure. You’ve already called Marcus to update him. I don’t know if there’s any way for Adam to figure out where you are from the photos. It should still be very difficult for him to figure out our location.”
His use of the word our had Olivia feeling his love right down to her toes.
“I don’t know anything about tracking images and photos. I never thought of checking to see if the location is identifiable from the pictures. Do you know how any of that works?”
Nash shook his head. “Sorry. Not my field. I don’t know if that kind of information is scrubbed away when you forward an image. I imagine the publisher does that before it posts pictures, but I don’t know.”
She pulled out her phone and they scrolled through until they found the location services information in the settings. She blew out a relieved breath when she saw the setting had been turned off for her camera. “I didn’t inadvertently give away our location.”
Nash tucked her in for a hug. “That’s good news. I don’t see how he could figure out where we are from those photos but we’re going to keep our guard up.”
She nodded and snuggled into his side. When Charlie spotted them sitting so close, he smiled and returned to playing.
Nash spoke softly so only she would hear. “I’ll talk to him tonight. Tell him we’re officially dating. He’s going to be happy about it.”
“I hope so.”
Nash rubbed his thumb along her arm. “He will be.”
For a few minutes, they sat and enjoyed the security of the room and the people.
Nash pulled out his phone. “I haven’t checked the publisher’s website or social media yet. Did you see what they posted?”
That sent panic zipping through her veins again. “No. I didn’t even think about it. I was so worried about being with Ella and Charlie again, it didn’t cross my mind.”
She pulled out her phone and tapped the shortcut for her publisher’s site.
Her heart stuttered at the front page. She’d never been one of their top-tier authors. There were big names with the company, and they always had the front page.
Now, her book sat on the front page, along with a close-up picture of her and Ella with the snow dragon. Her heart thumped and she couldn’t stop the worried sound from escaping.
Nash wrapped his arm around her. “It’s going to be okay.”
Olivia enlarged the photo to focus on Ella’s smile. “She looks so much like Mary Mae. If Adam sees it, he’s sure to recognize her.”
Nash squeezed her shoulder. “I’m betting he already knows that you and Ella are together. He’s probably always known.”
Okay, that was true and helped her control her galloping heartbeat.
The page’s banner read, “Snow dragons and brucans are popping up in Vermont. Where else? We’d love to see your photos.
Don’t have snow? That’s okay. How about a brucan made from paper or wool?
A drawing of Lelja and Kayaia in action?
We’ll showcase them all on our social media links. ”
Her voice shook when she whispered. “They know we’re in Vermont. I didn’t even tell Rika that.”
Nash reached over and clicked on the first social media link. “Let’s see if someone on here figured out our location.”
There were even more images on the social media pages, including those of Charlie and Nash. Olivia’s stomach tightened. “I’m so sorry.”
Nash shrugged. “It’s fine. Charlie will be thrilled to be on your socials. Let’s scroll through the comments and see if we can figure it out.
Sure enough, it didn’t take long to scroll through to find the culprit. Charlie’s friend Maribel.
That’s my friend Charlie, who just moved to Phail, Vermont. Great snow brucan, Charlie. I miss you! Maribel.
At least Olivia knew her publisher hadn’t dug into her location. Neither had Rika. It was the innocence of a child living in Europe and excited to see her friend’s picture online.
She’d have to ensure Charlie never felt bad about Maribel’s comment.
She snuggled in closer to Nash as they scrolled through various sites. Maribel’s comment wasn’t the only one identifying them. Some people mentioned they’d spotted her in multiple places in New England. A few mentioned she lived in Phail. At least no one mentioned the farm.
Charlie spoke up from across the room, his voice filled with laughter. “I think Ella Mae is ready for bed, Olivia.”
She looked up to find her girl snuggled up with her head on Oggie’s back while the dog rested with his head on his paws.
Olivia blinked back the rush of emotion at the sweetness of the sight. “Looks like bedtime.” A quick check of the time showed her that it was thirty minutes past the time Ella usually fell asleep.
Olivia scooped Ella up gently and headed to the stairs. Charlie yawned and announced he was headed to bed to read for a bit.
As she climbed the stairs with her girl in her arms, the boy and his dog beside her, she knew even though their images had become public knowledge, she wouldn’t change a thing about having these people in her life.
Whatever they had to face going forward, they’d do it together.