by Lexi Blake
Would she still love him when she knew who he was?
“I’ll look into things from my end,” Seth began.
Henry opened his mouth to argue, but Logan stopped him.
“He’s going to play it safe, Henry, but Seth can’t leave you alone in this,” Logan said. “He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did. Do you have what you need to protect yourself and Nell if something goes wrong?”
He’d checked his stash before dawn, making sure everything was still stowed away. “I’ve got some guns, but I can’t keep them too close or she’ll find them and she’ll have questions I’m not ready to answer. I would walk away, but if they find me, they’ll be able to find her. They’ll be able to figure out she’s my weakness and they’ll use her.”
Georgia held up a hand. “Oh, that is the wrong thing to do. I know I said I was on Miss Nell’s side, but I wasn’t telling you to leave. That would be a mistake. You need to stay and grovel. Like really grovel. Buy her things she likes.”
He wasn’t sure that was how to get to Nell. “I don’t think I can buy social justice.”
“I don’t think Georgia understands Nell.” Logan glanced at his girlfriend with an affectionate grin. “Nell is from Bliss and she can’t be bought with Chanel. But she is a reasonable woman. She’ll be upset, but then Henry’s going to explain to her how much he loves her and how she changed him and she’ll understand.”
“She will, you know,” Seth added. “I’ve known Nell for a long time, and she’s got so much compassion for the world around her. She’s going to be fine.”
His wife was a reasonable woman. She was tolerant and accepting. She was open hearted and loving.
“You two are crazy. She’s a woman. His ass lied, and she will not be happy about it,” Georgia said with a shake of her head.
He had to pray that Logan and Seth knew his wife better than Georgia did.
The three of them started to argue about how to best deal with a woman’s fury, and Henry glanced down at his watch. It was almost time to pick up Nell from Stella’s and head home. She was planning on writing this afternoon, and he would use the time to start to figure out how to get them out of this situation.
A plan. That was all he needed. He would formulate a plan and have something to tell her when he…told her. That would make her feel better. They would get through the wedding and it would put her in a better mood. Weddings always reminded Nell of love and commitment. She would be upset with him, but Logan and Seth were right. She would be okay.
He would make sure of it.
Chapter Three
“The wedding was beautiful,” Nell said, and she felt the smile slide over her face. The wedding of Leo, Shelley, and Wolf had been lovely, and it had bolstered her. The words Lexi O’Malley had said the day before still had the power to move her to tears even in the middle of the farmer’s market that was held once a month outside the Feed Store Church.
Marriage, family, life, they’re all hard and require work. Happily ever after is a choice we have to make every day. You think you’re making your choice today, but I challenge you. I challenge every single one of us. Start each day by choosing. Skip the good morning and say something infinitely more important. I do.
“I heard it was lovely.” Belinda Ellison had a small stall where she sold the extras she had from her large garden. Belinda used no pesticides and had very earth-friendly gardening practices. Nell always purchased from her. “Though it’s so sad about Hiram.”
Another thing that could move her to tears. This morning the announcement had gone out that Hiram Jones, the long-time mayor of Bliss, had passed at the age of ninety-seven. He’d lived a good life, but it was hard to let go of anyone.
“It is,” Nell acknowledged. “It’s hard to go from a wedding to a funeral in the course of a few days. We’ll miss him terribly. He was a good neighbor and a good friend.”
She glanced over and saw Henry looking through the late-summer strawberries. It would be fall soon and she would switch from strawberries and melons and zucchini to pumpkin and apples. She would make Henry’s favorite soups and they would watch the trees change as they waited for their baby.
He looked up as though he knew she was watching, and his expression went from bland to soft and affectionate.
She chose him. She’d been silly to even question him. He’d given up his career for her. He loved her. He was exactly who he said he was. Her lover. Her husband. The father of her baby.
“Did you hear the rumor that they stored him in the freezer at Trio?” Belinda asked.
That made her laugh. “That is nothing more than Zane Hollister trying to create urban legends about his bar.”
It was ridiculous to think they would store poor Hi in a freezer. Caleb had a perfectly good facility for those who had passed. Didn’t he? Surely he did.
“I also heard that he died while…well, while having fun, if you know what I mean.” Belinda started packing up some red bell peppers Nell intended to use in a stir fry.
She seemed to be through with morning sickness, and she had a big appetite. She’d felt bad when she’d realized she’d eaten most of the hummus at her table at the reception the night before. Somehow she’d managed to eat the big bowl without really thinking about it. Henry had simply found her another and a big plate of celery sticks to go with it.
“Having fun? Like he was working a puzzle or something?” Nell gave Belinda her best blank look because she knew exactly how Hiram had died, but she wanted to make Belinda say it.
It was a little mean, but it was also the tiniest bit fun. And honestly, the valuable tasks sex workers did should be normalized. Older people needed human touch, too, and if they happened to enjoy being in a sex swing when they got it, Nell couldn’t see how that was a bad thing.
“He was…” Belinda finished placing the peppers in the bag Nell had brought. “Yes, I think it was something like that.”
She took the bag with a grin. “Hiram always liked to have fun. You have a lovely day, Belinda.”
She took her peppers and strode over to the juice bar that Teeny and Marie ran on market days.
“Nell, honey, how are you feeling? I heard you were under the weather.” Teeny didn’t have to ask what she wanted. She immediately started making an alien influencer. It was beet, carrots, and strawberry juice. Her favorite, and it had the added joy of letting Cassidy Meyer know she was alien-free for at least the next week.
“I’m good.” It was such a lovely day, and with the beauty of the wedding and the emotions of Hiram’s passing, she felt like sharing her news. It was time. Henry had told her this was her choice and that when it felt right she should tell their friends. “I wasn’t sick. I’m almost twelve weeks pregnant.”
Out of the corner of her eye she caught Henry talking to the man selling blackberries. Her husband was so gorgeous in his khaki shorts and T-shirt. Even his big feet were sexy in sandals.
She was starting to get horny. Like really, jump-her-husband horny, but Henry was treating her like a delicate princess who couldn’t possibly be touched or she might break. She wanted to play.
Teeny had stopped and her eyes went wide. “Are you serious, honey?”
Tears pierced her eyes. How could she go from crazy horny to super emotional in a single second? Teeny calling her honey made her miss her mom. “Yes.”
When her mom had passed she’d found Teeny and Marie and Stella had filled that void. She would always miss her mother, but she was so grateful for the women who stepped in and provided her with their loving care.
Teeny came around the bar and opened her arms. “I’m so happy for you and Henry. Oh, I love seeing all these babies. I’m so glad our Bliss family is growing.”
She hugged Teeny, sniffling because she was right. This was their family. All of Bliss. “Thanks. I’m happy about it. I told a few people, but I’m ready for everyone to know now. Henry and I are excited.”
She was starting to think that all Henry would e
ver do is worry. He’d seemed so distant in the last few days. She was scared that what had happened to him at Seth’s cabin was affecting him more than he was willing to admit. Between the guns and the odd silence that at times sat between them, she’d been thinking they might need to go to counseling. And not the kind Mel proposed where they would sit in a sweltering tent until they got so hot they simply blurted out whatever they needed to say so they could leave.
Teeny beamed at her as she moved back behind the bar. “I’m thrilled. It’s going to be so much fun watching all these babies grow up. We’re going to need a school soon.”
She’d heard there was already a plan in place to pit Stefan against Seth in a war to see who could spend the most on a school. She was going to have to watch that because some of the things kids needed couldn’t be purchased with cash.
Although now that she actually had a kid on the way, she was thinking a school might be a good idea. Despite the baby boom, the class would still be very small and likely multigrade. They would need to integrate technology, but they would be small enough that they could often enjoy the outdoors.
Would Henry teach history?
“Here you go, sweetie.” Teeny placed the glass in front of her. “It’s on the house, and I promise I’ll let Cassidy know you drank every drop, though after what she did at the wedding, you should be safe for a while.”
Cassidy had sat outside the chapel with shots of beet juice for everyone she hadn’t tested at the various parties. For anyone who refused to take the beet, Mel was there with his handy Detector 6000.
“Thanks.” Nell moved to one of the standing tables that dotted the “food court” part of the farmer’s market. Besides Teeny’s juice bar, there was a baked goods stand with coffee and tea, and a place to get handmade sausages.
Which did not smell good. No. They did not.
She needed more protein. She would stop by the stall where they sold legumes and beans.
What if her baby liked meat? What if she was giving birth to a ferocious carnivore?
She might have to learn how to cook it. It sent a shiver down her spine, but she had to let her child decide what was important to her.
“Hello, ma’am. Do you mind if I join you?”
She turned and there was a man standing at her table. He was probably a bit over six foot and dressed like a tourist in jeans and a T-shirt, though he was wearing all black and it was a warm day. He was likely from a big city where they didn’t have to worry too much about outdoor activities. He had a cup of coffee in his hand, one of the dark roasts from the smell.
It was odd because there was an open table. River Lee stood at one, drinking coffee with her hiking guide, Heather Turner, but the third was empty. Still, it could be hard to be alone in a new town. “Of course.”
He set his coffee down. He had dark hair and eyes and a scar on his face that ran across the left side of his jaw. “Thanks. It’s a nice day. My wife is roaming the stalls but I strained my calf on the golf course yesterday.”
There was a new course outside of town. She didn’t like it. She wasn’t sure why they had to use so much water in order to prove someone could put a tiny ball in a hole on perfectly manicured lawns. It would be more impressive to do it on real land. Still, she gave him a brief smile. “I’m sorry to hear that. Are you staying here in Bliss?”
“We rented a cabin in Del Norte,” he replied. “It’s nice and quiet. It’s also got a kitchen, hence our trip out here. My wife is all into this organic stuff.”
Good for his wife. “She’s lucky. We only have this market once a month.”
“Yes, we’re definitely lucky,” he said with a nod. “This is a nice town. I looked into it a bit when she wanted to come here. I was downloading directions, you know.”
She wasn’t sure why he’d had to download directions. They were right off the only highway that connected Bliss to Del Norte. “Of course. You wouldn’t want to get lost.”
“No. I’m not all that into nature, but I will admit it’s pretty. So do you and your husband live around here?”
He must have seen her wedding ring. “Yes, we’ve been here for a long time. Well, I have. My Henry and I got married almost six years ago. He’s been here ever since.”
“He’s not from Colorado?”
She shook her head. “No. He was born in Ohio, but he was working as a college professor in Washington State when he came here for a vacation, met me, and moved here six months later.”
She didn’t mention the whole “he left her alone for those six months and she hadn’t thought he would ever return” part.
“That must have been a big change,” the man said.
“He fit right in.” When he’d come back to her, he’d embraced the whole of Bliss. It made it easy to remember how naïve he’d thought she was, how he’d initially been cold. He was so warm now.
“Well, I’ve heard this is the place to be. I read something about that tech guy building a big cabin out here. The one from New York. Read about it on the plane. Can’t remember his name, though.”
“Are you talking about Seth?”
He pointed her way. “Seth Stark. That was it. Yeah. Read he spent some time out here. I work in the tech sector, so I hear about him all the time.”
But he couldn’t remember Seth’s name? Something was off. “What’s your wife’s name?”
He took a long drink and then smiled again. “Susan. We’re from Houston. How about your husband?”
“Henry. Henry Flanders. And I’m Nell.”
“Dave Smith,” he replied smoothly. “I’d love to meet your husband. I spent some time in Washington State, too. Does your husband golf by any chance?”
Oh, that was not happening. “No. He’s more of an intellectual.”
She often invited new friends over to dinner, but something about the man put her off. She wasn’t sure what it was, but there was definitely some instinct telling her it was time to find a way to politely exit the conversation.
“Hey, Nell. I was looking for you. I needed to ask your opinion about the zucchinis.” River walked up with a smile. She was a sweet-faced woman with dark hair that was cut in a bob that hit right past her jawline. “I was going to make your muffins. I don’t want to overbuy. Could you help me?”
Women always seemed to know when their sisters needed a hand. “I would love to. Please excuse me, Mr. Smith. I hope you enjoy your day.”
“I will, Ms. Flanders. I think I’ll enjoy it very much,” he replied.
“Okay, Heather was right,” River said with a shake of her head as they walked away. Nell placed her glass back on the bar for Teeny to wash. “She thought you needed some help. That dude was creepy.”
He kind of was. She didn’t like to judge people, but he’d been rather intense for a man on vacation. “I think he was lonely in a new place. Where did Heather go?”
River shrugged. “That girl is a mystery to me. She’s been so great to have around, but she spaces out at the oddest times.”
She probably had an artistic nature. Nell herself had been accused of spaciness. “Well, I’m more than happy to help you find the perfect zucchini. I heard there was some lovely okra, too.”
She was kind of craving fried okra. This baby was making her crave all kinds of things.
But mostly she craved Henry. If he didn’t touch her soon, she was going to go crazy. “How many muffins did you want to make?”
River sighed. “Oh, the muffins were just to get you out of the situation. I don’t cook much anymore. It’s only me now.”
River’s husband had left her, and her father had passed after a long illness. Nell was glad she had a friend in Heather. River needed more people around her, and it had been a while since Nell had gone out to River’s. She slid her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “Well, I’m going to buy some ingredients because I need your rice casserole. I’ve been thinking about it for days. I’m pregnant, and you can’t turn away a pregnant lady.”
She was f
airly certain River was struggling financially, but she was a proud lady. Nell would simply overbuy, and River would have plenty for herself, too.
“Oh, Nell, that’s wonderful,” River said, smiling brightly. “What exciting news for you and Henry. You know I always thought you would make great parents. I would love to make it for you. We veggie girls have to stick together.”
She let go of her worries again. It was the theme of the month. She let River lead the way and vowed to enjoy the afternoon.
* * * *
Henry stepped away from the berry stand and glanced down at his phone. He was waiting on some information Seth was running down for him. Something was happening in Mexico and he was afraid he was putting together threads that he would rather stayed apart.
If he was right, he might need to bring John Bishop out of retirement because his old friends were going to walk into a nightmare.
He could come up with some excuse to travel, deal with the situation, and maybe take a side trip to South America. If the whole cartel was dead, they couldn’t come after him.
Then Nell would be safe, and she wouldn’t ever have to know anything was wrong.
He’d started thinking more and more like John Bishop. Ruthless. Uncompromising. Out for the best result for himself.
If he was John Bishop, he would have spent the last couple of weeks fucking his wife. He would have put her in bondage and tweaked those rings on her nipples until she cried prettily for him and she begged him to give her what she needed.
John Bishop wouldn’t care about how fragile she was. He would only care about branding himself on her and ensuring she understood who she belonged to.
John Bishop was an asshole.
Henry Flanders was the nice man who took care of his wife and didn’t burn down the world to ensure she never had to know he lied. Henry Flanders was going to tell her.
Tomorrow. Maybe the day after. Maybe after he figured out what was happening with the Jalisco Cartel and a CIA operative who went by the name Levi Green.