Chapter 5
Chapter Five
A week later, the first frost glittered across the top of the ground like tiny diamonds. And to Mia’s surprise and supreme gratitude, her shop was cleaned up, the door repaired, and she’d managed to restock some of her inventory.
She’d never expected the outpouring of support from the community, and she never would’ve thought to ask for it. But the O’Haras had rallied, and where the O’Haras led, the rest of Laurel Valley followed.
The morning after the break-in, Mia had arrived at Pawn to Queen at seven to find Simone O’Hara already standing on her doorstep with a large thermos and a determined expression.
“Good morning, dear,” Simone said, as if showing up at a destroyed pawnshop at dawn was the most natural thing in the world. She held up the thermos. “I brought coffee. Real coffee, not that diner swill. You’re going to need it.”
Mia unlocked the temporary plywood door that Ryder, Levi and Hank had installed the night before. “Simone, you didn’t have to—”
“Of course I didn’t have to.” Simone swept past her into the shop, her elegant features taking in the destruction with the assessing eye of someone who’d seen her share of crises. “But you’re part of this community now, whether you’ve fully accepted that or not. And this is what we do.”
She poured coffee into two travel mugs she’d brought and handed one to Mia. The rich aroma filled the space, cutting through the lingering smell of destruction.
“Now,” Simone said, settling onto one of the few chairs that hadn’t been overturned.
“I’ve already called Rose at Heavenly Delights—she’ll be bringing fresh cinnamon rolls and breakfast sandwiches at eight for the crew.
My sons will be here at eight thirty with cleaning supplies and muscle.
Raven is closing the boutique for the afternoon to help sort inventory.
And Lily—well, Lily threatened to track down the Vaqueros herself if anyone gave you trouble, so I had to promise her you’d call if you needed anything. ”
Mia stood there, coffee in hand, completely overwhelmed. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” Simone’s dark eyes softened. “Though I wouldn’t mind you telling me about that man who’s been staying with you. Zeke McBride, isn’t it?”
There it was. Mia should have known the coffee came with questions.
“We knew each other before,” Mia said carefully. “A long time ago.”
“Mmm.” Simone took a sip of her coffee, her gaze never leaving Mia’s face. “And you don’t trust him.”
It wasn’t a question.
“I don’t know,” Mia admitted. The words came easier than she expected. Maybe it was the early hour, or the exhaustion, or the fact that Simone had the kind of presence that made you want to tell the truth. “I want to. But he’s keeping things from me.”
“Most men do, in my experience.” Simone’s smile was knowing. “My Tommy kept it from me for three months when he was planning to propose. Drove me absolutely crazy because I knew something was different, but I couldn’t figure out what. Turned out he was terrified I’d say no.”
“This is different.”
“Is it?” Simone set down her cup and leaned forward slightly.
“Mia, I’ve been married for over forty years.
I’ve raised five children, run a restaurant, and watched this family grow from a tight-knit group into something that spans the entire valley.
And I’ve learned something important—the people we love most are often the ones we’re most afraid to be honest with. ”
“He’s DEA,” Mia said quietly. “He’s working something. Something dangerous enough that he won’t tell me what it is.”
“Ah.” Understanding flickered across Simone’s face. “And you’re caught in the middle.”
“My shop was destroyed because of whatever he’s running. People could have been hurt.”
“But they weren’t.” Simone reached over and squeezed Mia’s hand. “And from what Blaze tells me, Zeke has been here every night making sure you’re safe. That doesn’t sound like a man who doesn’t care.”
“It sounds like a man doing his job.”
“Or a man who’s terrified of losing you again.
” Simone stood, smoothing her hands over her slacks.
“I don’t know the whole story—I’m sure there’s plenty neither of you have shared.
But I know what it looks like when two people are fighting against the very thing they want most. And right now, you both look like you’re drowning. ”
Before Mia could respond, the sound of vehicles pulling up outside drew their attention. Through the window, she could see Blaze’s sheriff’s vehicle, followed by Ryder’s truck.
“That’ll be the crew,” Simone said, moving toward the door. “Now, we’ve got work to do. And while we work, you’re going to tell me about this Zeke McBride and why you look at him like he hung the moon and broke your heart all at once.”
* * *
By the third day, Pawn to Queen had begun to look like something other than a disaster zone. The broken glass had been swept up, the shelves had been repaired and restocked with donated items, and the front counter—which had taken the worst of the damage—had been reinforced.
Mia was sorting through a box of costume jewelry when the bell over the temporary door chimed. She looked up to find Raven O’Hara carrying two large shopping bags and a determined expression.
“I brought lunch from The Lampstand,” Raven said, setting the bags on the counter. “And before you argue, Simone’s orders. She said you’ve been skipping meals.”
“I’ve been busy,” Mia said, but she couldn’t deny the savory aroma wafting from the bags made her stomach growl.
Raven smiled. “That’s what I told her you’d say. She told me to sit here until you ate. So…” She pulled out containers of what looked like chicken and dumplings, fresh bread, and chocolate cake. “We’re both stuck.”
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, sitting on stools behind the counter. Raven had an easy way about her—elegant but approachable, the kind of woman who could run a boutique and still pitch in to help clean up broken glass without complaint.
“This is delicious,” Mia said. “Please tell Simone thank you.”
“Tell her yourself when you come to Sunday dinner.” Raven paused. “You are coming, aren’t you? She invited you. And when Simone invites you to Sunday dinner, it’s not really optional.”
Mia felt a flutter of panic. “I don’t want to intrude on family time.”
“Trust me, one more person won’t make a difference. Last count, there were going to be about twenty-five of us.” Raven laughed at Mia’s expression. “I know. It’s a lot. But you get used to it. Eventually.”
“How long have you been married to Wyatt?”
“Fifteen years now. I’ve been in love with him since high school.” Raven’s expression softened, a small smile playing at her lips. “Feels like yesterday and forever at the same time.”
“That must be nice,” Mia said quietly. “Having that kind of stability.”
“It is now.” Raven set down her fork, meeting Mia’s eyes directly. “But it wasn’t always. Wyatt’s DEA—works out of the same field office as Zeke. They’ve known each other for years, worked cases together. A few years ago, we almost lost everything because of the secrets that came with his work.”
Mia’s throat tightened. “What happened?”
“He was working deep undercover and couldn’t tell me.
Operational security, classified information—all the things that make sense intellectually but tear you apart emotionally.
” Raven picked up a piece of bread, but didn’t eat it.
“I spent months thinking he was having an affair. The late nights, the distance, the way he’d come home smelling like cigarette smoke even though he doesn’t smoke.
I was convinced he was with another woman. ”
“But he wasn’t.”
“No. He was risking his life to take down a drug operation, and he couldn’t tell me because the more I knew, the more danger I was in.” Raven’s smile turned sad. “The irony is that keeping me in the dark almost cost him everything anyway. I gave him two weeks to explain or I was leaving.”
“How did you get through it?”
“Honestly? It got worse before it got better. The people he was investigating came after me to get to him. He saved my life, and in doing so, had to blow his cover and tell me everything.” Raven finally took a bite of bread, chewing thoughtfully.
“Turns out knowing the truth—even a terrible truth—is easier than living with silence and suspicion.”
“But you stayed together.”
“We did. Because underneath all the hurt and anger and fear, we still loved each other. And more importantly, we were finally willing to fight for what we had instead of just protecting ourselves.” Raven reached across to squeeze Mia’s hand.
“Blaze told me you and Zeke have history. That you were together before.”
“Three years ago,” Mia admitted. “Before I moved here.”
“And now he’s back.” Raven’s expression turned knowing. “Wyatt mentioned Zeke filed his retirement paperwork from undercover operations. Said it caused quite a stir at the field office—Zeke’s one of their best.”
Mia knew that already. It was one of the things that scared her.
“Can I give you some advice?” Raven asked. “From someone who almost threw away her marriage because she was too hurt and too scared to believe things could be different?”
Mia’s lips twitched. “Normally I’m not one to take advice. I usually listen to my gut. But in your case I’ll make an exception.”
“I appreciate it,” Raven said, grinning.
“These men—Wyatt, Zeke, Blaze—they’re good at what they do because they can compartmentalize.
They can lie to criminals without blinking, can live double lives, can shut off their emotions when the job demands it.
That skill doesn’t turn off when they come home.
Sometimes they forget we’re not the enemy.
” Raven’s dark eyes held Mia’s. “But here’s what I learned—being good at lying doesn’t mean they’re always lying.
And being scared to trust doesn’t mean trust isn’t worth the risk. ”