“I’m just hanging out by the lake, so come whenever you want.”
“Good.” Her sister’s voice sounded distracted. “I need a favor, but we’ll talk when I get there, which will be in about twenty minutes. I was stuck in road construction, but the line of cars is finally moving.”
“Okay. See you in a few.”
Arden disconnected and forced herself to get off the rock. The last thing she wanted was to infect her sister with whatever virus she had, but she’d been looking forward to their weekly tea. She’d make sure she didn’t breathe on her.
The dogs followed her back inside and flopped down on the floor. She took the jar of sun tea from its warm spot near the front door and set it on the counter. She hadn’t baked anything special since the thought of food held zero appeal, so Ellie would have to make do with two-day-old croissants and honey, along with herbal iced tea.
She fixed a tray with their snack and took it out to the table in the backyard, not too far from the hives that were abuzz with midmorning activity. The bees wouldn’t bother them, and sitting outside seemed to agree with her. Maybe she’d turned the corner and was on the mend.
When tires crunched gravel in the driveway, and a car door slammed, she shouted, “I’m in the back.”
A few moments later, footsteps approached. The dogs shot out the rear door and ran around the house, barking in excitement.
“That was fast. I thought you said—” When she turned in her chair, her breath stalled. “Brody!”
“I guess you were expecting someone else.” He rubbed both dogs’ ears as they pressed against him and whined. “At least they’re glad to see me.”
She ignored his sarcasm. “Ellie will be here shortly. We have tea on Tuesdays.”
“Oh.” Some of the stiffness in the set of his shoulders eased.
“What’s going on?”
“I assume Thanos’s body never turned up?”
“I would have let you know if it had.” She pointed. “Sit. I’m getting a kink in my neck, staring up at you.”
He pulled the chair away from the table, dropped onto the seat, and studied her. “You don’t look so great. Your face is kind of pasty.”
“Gee, thanks.”
He didn’t look terrific, either. Lines radiated from the corners of his eyes, and his lips were pressed in a flat line. She wondered when he’d last slept.
“Are you okay?” Concern filled his discerning blue eyes.
“I picked up some sort of stomach bug, but I’m feeling a little better. What’s your excuse for a haggard appearance?”
“We were working in New York last night, and I drove straight here afterward.”
“You couldn’t have picked up the phone or texted me to ask about Thanos?” The grim look on his face made her stomach churn worse than it had earlier.
“I’m pretty sure the bastard’s still alive.”
The buzzing of the bees and screech of a blue jay were the only sounds as the seconds ticked by. Arden gripped the arms of her chair, not sure if she should be relieved she hadn’t killed a man, or fearful he wasn’t dead.
“How do you know he didn’t drown?” Somehow, she forced the words out of her tight throat.
“I’m nearly positive he was the brains behind the kidnapping we were working yesterday. His associates didn’t survive, but he got away.” Brody let out a harsh breath. “I’d love to believe I’m wrong.”
“You’re rarely wrong, at least not about something like that.” She swallowed against a surge of nausea. “You think he’ll show up here again?”
“I don’t know what he’ll do. I’m pretty certain he’s pissed as hell right now, having lost more of his men, not to mention a big payday, at the hands of Counterstrike. He saw me. Knew me. Based on his previous actions, he’s not going to let this go without seeking revenge.”
“Why didn’t he come after you—or me—sooner?”
Brody ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Hell if I know. Quite possibly, he was seriously injured when you shot him. Recovery might have taken a while. Maybe he had other abductions already in the works he didn’t want to abandon, and it’s not like you were going anywhere.”
She shivered, imagining the man showing up at her door while she was alone and unprotected. Nausea threatened, and she pressed a hand to her mouth.
“Arden?” He touched her arm.
“Sorry, I . . .” Gravel crunched, and a car engine went silent a few seconds later. She forced the terrifying image out of her head and pulled herself together. “That’ll be Ellie.”
He kept a watchful eye on her. “It’ll be good to see her after all these years.”
Her temper flared. “Are we supposed to sit around drinking tea and pretend like a deranged lunatic isn’t stalking me?”
“You can tell her whatever you like. It isn’t a secret.”
“Arden.” The call came from inside the cabin.
“In the backyard,” she yelled.
A few seconds later, Ellie appeared. “Who’s car . . . Brody!” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Today is full of surprises. How are you?”
He rose to his feet and gave her a hug. “I can’t complain. It’s good to see you, Ellie.”
“It’s good to see you, too.” Her gaze darted over to meet Arden’s as she stepped back. “Why didn’t you mention you had company?”
“He literally just arrived. As you said, quite a surprise.”
“Oh. Uh, should I give you two a chance to talk? I can go for a walk or something.”
Brody shook his head. “You don’t need to leave. I’ll make myself scarce while—”
“Oh, my God. Both of you sit down. I’ll go get another place setting. I don’t need a tête-à-tête with either of you, for Christ’s sake.” Arden pushed back her chair, stood, and strode toward the cabin, angry, upset, and unreasonably grateful all at the same time. Seeing Brody made her heart flutter when she didn’t want it to. Then there was the whole Thanos nightmare to deal with. Again.
She grabbed a glass and plate from the cupboard and took a few deep breaths to calm her jangling nerves. It didn’t work. After a few minutes, she gave up and stomped back outside, knowing she was being unreasonable and not caring in the least. Brody and Ellie had their heads together, but they stopped talking and gave her identical looks of concern as she reached them.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to throw a tantrum like a two-year-old.”
“Brody told me why he’s here. It sounds like you have every reason to freak out. I’d be in hysterics if some maniac broke into my home. Jesus. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I didn’t want to worry you since it was over and done with. Or so we thought.” She resumed her seat and poured iced tea all around. After squeezing a lemon slice into her glass, she took a sip.
Ellie put a croissant on a plate and broke off a piece. “What do you intend to do?”
“I hope Arden will agree to come home with me until I can track down this asshole.” Brody’s voice was calm, but he radiated tension.
“I can’t do that.” She set her glass down hard. “My animals—”
“Actually, I may have a solution.” Ellie gave her a quick smile. “Remember I said I needed a favor?”
“Sure. You know I’ll do anything you ask.”
“I’m starting an interior design job up in Newport. Since the girls just got out of school for the summer, I was wondering if we could stay with you during the week since the commute will be a heck of a lot shorter than from Stowe. Kirk is traveling for work this month, so he’ll barely be home, anyway.”
“Of course you can stay here. You know how much I enjoy hanging out with you and my nieces.”
“Except your presence would put them all in danger.” Brody leaned back in his chair and regarded her steadily. “I know you don’t want that. If Ellie doesn’t mind feeding your menagerie and doing whatever needs to be done with the bees, you can stay in Marblehead where I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
The lines of worry around her sister’s mouth eased. “I don’t mind at all. In fact, Mae wanted to ask you about a Girl Scout project with your bees. She can take care of your hives, plant some flowers for them, and earn her bronze award.”
“Of course Mae can work with my bees, but I don’t want to hang out in Marblehead.” Arden gritted her teeth to keep from exploding. “Does what I want matter?”
“If you stay, I stay.” Brody brought his chair legs down with a thump. “Ellie and the girls will have to keep their distance from you. It would probably be easier to smoke out Thanos from Boston, but we’ll do it your way.”
She gripped her hands together in her lap and returned Brody’s determined gaze. After a moment, all the fight drained out of her, and she slumped back in her seat. “You won’t give in on this, will you?”
“You’re on a dangerous man’s radar because of me, and I’ll damn well protect you, one way or the other.”
“Fine.” She turned to face her sister. “If you really want to use my cabin and take care of the rabbits and chickens and Henry for me, I’d be grateful. I’ll talk to Mae about the bees before we leave, and Heidi and Hero can go with us.”
Ellie reached over and hugged her. “You’ll be safer this way. That’s what matters.”
She turned to face Brody. “What if Thanos comes looking for me? Ellie and the girls—”
“He won’t have any reason to drive up here if you’re in Marblehead, and I’ll make damn sure he knows you’re there, safe with me.”
Arden stared at his grim face. “How?”
“The man has a large family. Luna can leak the information to someone close to him. Believe me, there isn’t much she can’t do on a computer.”
Arden managed a nod in response. No one seemed to care that living with her ex-husband in her old home would rip her heart out. Or maybe they simply didn’t realize how difficult it would be. A glance at Brody put that idea to rest. He knew. And, by the looks of him, was every bit as tormented as she was. Pain and something akin to defeat were reflected in his eyes. The exact emotions she saw every time she looked in the mirror.
Two months hadn’t changed a damn thing for either of them.
Determined not to dwell on a situation she couldn’t change, she faced her sister. “When do you want to move in?”
“We can be here fairly early tomorrow. Kirk is flying to Chile at the crack of dawn for an avalanche training seminar, and I have a meeting with my client in the afternoon. Tessa is old enough to be left in charge of her sister during the day, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Jim’s kids are staying with him for a couple of weeks. His daughter is fifteen and would probably be happy to babysit if you want a little extra support for the girls.”
“That’s not a bad idea, especially on my longer work days.”
“Great. I’m glad everything is settled.” Brody picked up a croissant and pushed to his feet. “I need to find a spot with phone service to call Luna. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Take your time.” Ellie smiled. “Arden may not want a tête-à-tête, but I do.”
He grinned at her. “Message received.”
Ignoring their byplay, Arden pointed. “Earlier, I got service sitting on that flat rock near the lake.”
With a nod, he walked away.
Ellie barely waited until he was out of earshot to pounce. “Why is the sexual tension between you two so thick I can practically walk on it?”
“Not sexual tension. Just tension. This situation is difficult.”
She rolled her eyes. “Please. I can tell when attraction is sizzling in the air. What gives?”
Arden picked at a piece of flaky pastry. “We care about each other. And the man is still distractingly gorgeous. That hasn’t changed.”
“Brody is definitely aging well. Like prime beef.”
“Funny.” She let her gaze wander over to the rock where he was sitting, his long legs stretched out in front of him as he leaned back on one muscled arm. “Nothing else has changed, either. He’s still wrapped up in saving the world, one victim at a time. I don’t even want to know how many times he’s been shot at.”
“I can see why that would upset you. So, you aren’t reconciling with him?”
“Not if I want to keep my sanity.” She took a sip of her tea. “I went out with Jim a couple of times.”
Ellie perked up. “Yeah? And?”
A sigh slipped out. “No spark. He’s a nice man, and we have a lot in common, but—”
“He doesn’t curl your toes in bed?”
“We never got that far. After a couple of kisses, I realized it wasn’t going to happen.”
Her sister frowned. “He’ll let his daughter babysit, even though you dumped him?”
“We’re neighbors . . . and friends. I told him it wouldn’t be more than that, and he took the news pretty well. Maybe the attraction for him was more convenience than anything else.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself. When it comes to single women in Whitetail Crossing, you’re a twelve on a scale of one to ten.”
“Right now, I feel like a two. Brody told me I look like crap.”
“Your crap is still at least an eight. When we were in high school, it used to piss me off that you could look so good without makeup.”
“Says the prom queen. Actually, I feel a lot better than I did earlier. Hopefully, I’m kicking this bug.”
Ellie studied her for a moment, a speculative look in her eyes. “You’re never sick.”
“True. I guess I was due.”
She slid back her chair. “I should head home since I need to pack for an extended stay.”
“You made an awfully long drive up here for an extremely short visit.” Arden rose to her feet and walked with her sister toward the front of the house.
“Yes, but you and Brody probably have things to work out. At least I feel safe leaving you. I’d back your ex against some lunatic asshole every time.”
“That’s true, too.” She couldn’t help the grim smile that curved her lips. The only person Brody couldn’t protect her from was himself.
When they reached her sister’s car, she gave her a hug. “Thanks for agreeing to this.”
“Hey, you’re the one helping me out. I’ll see you tomorrow.” After a quick wave in Brody’s direction, she got behind the wheel.
Arden waited until she drove away and then wandered back to the lake. Brody got up off the rock and walked over to meet her.
“Ellie left.” She stated the obvious, not sure what else to say.
He touched her arm. “I’m sorry. The last thing I wanted was to disrupt your life more than I already have.”
“I know that.” She stared out over the water, and for the first time since March, found peace in the pristine blue depths. “I’m glad I’m not responsible for a man’s death, but I’m also angry he’s still able to terrorize people who don’t have anyone to protect them.”
“My thoughts exactly. We’ll nail the bastard.” He gave her what was probably meant to be a reassuring smile. “I talked to Luna. She’ll make sure Thanos hears through the grapevine you’re not in Vermont. She’s been tracking his known associates. The ones still breathing, anyway.” His voice held a hint of satisfaction. “GQ nicked him in the arm, so right now, he’s probably holed up, nursing his latest bullet wound.”
She perked up at the news. “Maybe we’re worrying unnecessarily, then.”
Brody shook his head. “I won’t risk it. He saw me, and he must be ready to explode with anger after what went down last night. A man like that will want revenge. I’ve advised the whole team to watch their backs.”
A shiver coursed through her, despite the warmth of the day. She swatted at a black fly that buzzed her head and let out a long breath. “So, your plan is to keep me hidden in Marblehead?”
“Not hidden. The neighbors will see you, and word will spread before you’ve been there two hours. My hope is to locate Thanos an
d eliminate the problem, and that’ll be a whole lot easier if I’m in close contact with my team.”
“Oh.”
“That bastard won’t get near you.”
“How long do you think it will take to find him?”
“I wish I knew, but if we don’t locate him before Friday, we’ll have to put the hunt on hold for the weekend.”
She frowned. “You have plans?”
“Scarlet and Eli are getting married on Saturday. I guess you’ll want to pack a dress appropriate for the occasion.”
“Gee, thanks for the heads-up.”
He grinned. “Hey, at least I have a date for the wedding now.”
Memories of their own wedding, held on the lawn at their home in Marblehead with the ocean behind them, played through her mind. Only close friends and family had been invited, and she’d never been happier in her life. Her heart had been full to overflowing with love for this man.
She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to sit beside him, listening to vows spoken by a couple pledging their lives to each other, and not break down. The pain in her chest twisted a little deeper. She closed her eyes, unable to look at him.
He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “We’ll get through this, Arden. Count on it.”
Chapter Fourteen
Brody carried Arden’s bags into the house and set them at the foot of the stairs. “I’ll take those up after we have lunch.”
Arden nodded. She’d been quiet for most of the drive from Vermont to Marblehead, and he’d frequently wondered what she was thinking. Not that he’d asked since she’d clearly put up mile-high walls complete with sharp spikes around her emotions. The entire situation was awkward at best. Painful at worst. They’d reverted to polite generalities during the long drive—when they’d talked at all. His heart ached as he led the way toward the kitchen.
Bernice turned from stirring something on the stove, and the smile on her face slowly faded. “My goodness. I wasn’t expecting . . .” She cleared her throat and spoke with more conviction. “Welcome home, Mr. Grant. Hello, Mrs. Grant.”
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