by Anna Adams
“Thanks, Miss Livia. You look funny in Daddy’s coat.” But Lily slipped her hand into Olivia’s with the same trust Evan showed Zach.
They slipped into the back of the candlelit church. At the front, in dark pine pews, Beth and Eliza beckoned them forward. Calvert relatives had been spilling into town over the past few days. Young, old, in between, they’d all shown up this morning, talking and laughing, mostly focused on a tall, white-haired man at the top of the aisle.
“Zach,” he called, “bring those babies up here. Join us.”
The crowd made way for them. Lily leaped into the man’s arms. “Grandpa.” She sang his name as he hugged her.
He leaned down, offering his hand to Evan, who took it and clung.
“Hi, Grandpa.”
“Morning. I’m glad you brought your mom.” The lean, older man looked down at her through green eyes that seemed to be a Calvert genetic trait. “I met this fine boy a few days ago at Zach’s. Been looking forward to making your acquaintance.”
“Hello. Thank you for inviting me.”
His smile seemed to warm the cool church. “Thank you for bringing Evan into our lives.” He nodded at her, his heart in his eyes. “Family means a lot to us, and we feel more whole with Evan among us.”
Olivia’s throat contracted. Zach slipped his arm around her, curving his hand around her waist. She should have pulled away, but she appreciated his support as she fought her own emotions. “I wish I’d looked for you all sooner, Mr. Calvert. Evan should have known you before now.”
“My name is Seth, and I guess you won’t be so shy from now on.”
“Ode to Joy” suddenly blared from speakers hidden in the choir gallery. Conversation ended. Olivia turned toward a pew, but Seth set Lily back on her feet and spoke to his family.
“Why are you all hanging back? You’re all part of this ceremony. I like to believe you were here with us when we married, in the form of the future Greta and I were going to give each other. Stand close to us now.”
Another man burst through a door to the right of the altar, adjusting his long black robe. “Seth, she wants to start now—says it’ll be too cold to let the children bob for apples if we don’t get a move on.”
Beethoven started over. Apparently Greta had used the first ode as an attention-getter. She strode down the aisle—the heck with walking in time to the music. She reached Seth, a woman claiming her husband of fifty-five years.
Lily tugged Olivia’s hand and Olivia lifted her. On her other side, Evan tugged, too, frowning in his first show of sibling jealousy. Olivia hoisted him onto her other hip, but then Zach pulled their son into his arms.
The music faded to silence. Greta, smiling into her husband’s eyes, lifted her hand to stop the minister. “I have a wedding present for you, Seth Calvert. I want to tell you about it now before I’m all mushy with love and you think I’m just offering on the spur of the moment.”
Seth laughed. His amusement flowed with love that brought a lump of tears to Olivia’s throat. She wanted love like that.
“It’s the one thing you’ve asked me for—over and over, by the way.” She glanced from face to beaming face, and then stopped at her husband again. “I’m seventy-six years old, only the prime of life for women of my family, but I’m going to retire,” Greta said. She turned and glared pointedly at a tall, blond woman standing beside Beth and a man old enough to be the blonde’s father. “As soon as I can find a capable replacement, I’m going to devote my time to us, Seth—until you beg me to go back to work.”
Olivia looked inquiringly over Lily’s head at Zach.
“Sophie,” he said. “My cousin, an OB/GYN, and that’s my uncle Ethan beside her. Gran considers Sophie her optimum replacement.”
She should have recognized Sophie, but the other woman had been thinner in her pictures six years ago, deep in the stress of her training. Now she was voluptuous and red in the face. Greta must have already started her campaign.
“Today is a new day,” Seth said. “Fire away, Reverend. We’ve got apples to pick, barbecue to grill and the rest of a fruitful life to live. Together.” And with that he reversed the order of the ceremony and kissed his bride until Olivia had to look away.
ZACH MIGHT NOT HAVE any memory of the more vulnerable Olivia he’d known before, but he recognized the moment she came back, the moment his grandfather had greeted his gran with a kiss that rendered the rest of the ceremony superfluous. Olivia had sagged against him without seeming to notice she had. Fortunately, he had plenty of strength and a longing to hold her up.
After the ceremony, his clan fled to their cars with shouts about meeting at the orchard. Zach took Lily and Evan by their hands, peering over his shoulder at Olivia.
Her gaze was lost in dreams he couldn’t remember, couldn’t fathom. If the children weren’t between them, he’d have taken her in his arms to remind her he existed in the here and now.
“I brought our clothes,” he said. “We can change at the campground if you don’t think James would mind.”
“Dad’s probably already on his way. Your mom invited him.”
“Why?” His mother had to be up to something.
“I wonder if they kind of like each other,” she said, “unless your grandparents’ wedding is blurring my thought processes. Your mom came to tell me when he—” she glanced at the children “—handled the reporters. He enjoys baiting her.”
“What’s been going on behind my back?” All this time James had been warning him off. Maybe it was his turn to have a word with Olivia’s father.
“You can be as single-minded as my dad with your animal feed and bank robbers.”
“You’re extremely annoying when you offer advice in that smug tone.”
Olivia laughed, not taking him seriously.
“Feed the animals, Daddy?” Lily asked.
“Tomorrow, sweetie. We’re going to play with Grandma Beth and the cousins today.”
“I know all the cousins,” Lily said to Evan.
“They’re mine, too.”
Zach leaned toward Olivia. “Power struggle.”
“If we’re lucky, it’ll come to a draw.”
“I WAS KIND OF HOPING you wouldn’t bring us a gift.” Rubbing the glass over Evan’s photo with one hand, Greta swiped at her eyes with the other. “So I could shame you into doing a story on my resort. But I’m a selfish woman, and I love this. It’s going on my desk until I leave the office.”
Olivia searched among the colorful Calverts for Zach’s mom. She’d disappeared in the dancing, overloaded trees with Evan and Lily, recounting the story of the first Ethan Calvert, who’d bought this land and planted it.
Evan had known all his life that Kendall Press would come to him some day. He liked to copy things on the machines. He loved playing computer games in her office. But he’d roamed off with his grandma and his sister, eyeing the apple trees with an acquisitiveness he’d never shown toward anything at Kendall.
“I think you should talk to Beth, Greta.” She didn’t spill her promise to do a story. Beth might have saved it for another surprise today.
“Why?”
“About a story on the baby farm. There she is.” Olivia hurried after Zach’s mom and the children. They’d picked up her dad along the way. “Beth, hold on.”
The group turned. Where were Ian and Jock? The bodyguards rarely left more than ten feet of space between themselves and Evan these days. Maybe her dad had given them some time off since they were fairly safe up here.
“Greta just hinted about asking me to do a story.” Olivia dropped her hands on the children’s heads as she reached them.
Zach’s mom wrinkled her forehead in dismay. “Wouldn’t you know? That’s my gift to her. Let’s go talk.”
Olivia fell in step, avoiding apples on the ground. “Hi, Dad.” As her father nodded, she smoothed Evan’s hair. “Are you picking as many as you eat?”
“They’re good just off the trees, Mom.”
; “You’re ’posed to wash ’em,” Lily said.
“She ate some, too.” Evan claimed his sister as a partner in crime.
Olivia pretended not to worry about airborne particulates or germs on the apples. She sniffed the aroma of barbecue. “I’m looking forward to lunch, myself.”
“You don’t eat—”
At her sharp glance, her father bit back the news that she wasn’t a meat eater. Today, she’d eat whatever the Calverts put in front of her.
He shook his head.
“You taught me manners,” she said, low-voiced.
“I didn’t teach you that euphoric look for something you—”
Wisely, he didn’t finish. “Dad, I’m sure someone’s made beans, too. Did you notice the picnic tables?”
“Notice. They could feed the whole town.”
Beth reached Greta first, and after a few words, Greta flung her arms around Beth and then she threw herself at Olivia, who held on beneath the onslaught.
“You can’t imagine what this will mean to our funding. Your circulation—you could keep us afloat for a year if even a fraction of your subscribers are interested enough to call us.”
“I’ll make sure the article is worded that way,” Olivia said.
“Hey, what’s up?” Zach materialized out of the trees.
Greta explained, Olivia’s dad looked amused and Olivia wanted to sink into the ground as another round of thank-yous showered her. One article about a great story didn’t seem like that big a deal. “You’re doing me a favor, too, letting me interview you.” She rubbed her hands together. “I’m starving. I think I’ll go see what’s ready. Evan, Lily, want to come?” Whooping, the children ran ahead of her.
“I have to go tell Seth.” Greta scanned the family members hanging off ladders in the trees. “And maybe Sophie.”
“Gran, she’s happy in D.C.” Zach shook his head at Olivia, obviously concerned for Sophie in this recurring argument.
All-powerful and happy because she could use her job to help, and Greta and Beth were so pleased, Olivia grimaced. Being part of a dispute in this family would be painful. Beth caught her arm.
“Don’t worry. Sophie won’t hold it against you.” She pulled Zach to her other side. “I was thinking, if you don’t mind,” she said, “I’d like Lily and Evan to spend the night at my house tonight.”
“Mom, I don’t know. I don’t get to see Lily that much.”
“Neither do I. Of course if you think I can’t take care of her, you can come, too.”
“It’s not that,” he said.
“Good.” She didn’t let him continue. “What do you say, Olivia?”
The conversation and nuances changed too swiftly around here. “I don’t want to be the one who says you don’t know how to care for your grandchildren.” She eyed Evan and Lily already sampling from the laden tables. “Though I think my father’s been teaching you spin.”
“As if I need James Kendall to teach me anything.” Beth laughed, drawing her son’s concerned gaze.
Olivia stared at him, reading his mind without psychic abilities. He didn’t want her father to use his mother to burrow deeper into their oddly amassing family.
“You can both come and pick them up at noon tomorrow.” Beth waited no longer for an answer. “They’ll sleep in and I’ll make them a nice brunch. I do this sausage-and-egg casserole, Olivia. You’re going to beg me for the recipe after you hear Evan rave about it.”
She swept toward Evan and Lily with everything settled to her liking. Olivia stared after Beth and the children. Her father pushed away from a tree and trailed behind them, astoundingly like a lost puppy.
“He’s not a bad guy,” she said.
“But what’s he up to?” Zach asked. “Maybe I’ll go question him.”
“He won’t tell you.” She spun slowly on her heels, looking for the bodyguards. “Where are Jock and Ian?”
“I saw Ian carrying a basket for Sophie a little while ago. I haven’t seen Jock.”
“I’m surprised they’re not hanging around Dad and the children.”
“Are you worried?”
“We can see anyone who drives up here?”
He nodded. “But I thought I’d take a turn around the orchard.” He headed toward the grassy area where they’d parked. “You can come along.”
She went, walking closer than she needed to. “How did the hot spring go last night?”
“It didn’t.” His smile lit her up inside, as if he’d built a fire out of cold embers. “Evan didn’t believe it would really be warm.”
“But hasn’t Lily been in it before?”
“She seems to have forgotten. She sided with Evan.”
Olivia laughed, kicking through high grass. “I love seeing them together.”
“Me, too.” Zach headed down the rows of cars, watching the ground. “How do you suppose two children can instinctively become brother and sister?”
“Evan’s always wanted a sibling. Lily must be a gift to him.”
“As long as he’s in charge.” Zach’s voice deepened with a little laughter. “But she won’t be pushed around. She taught him how to toast marshmallows.” He glanced at her, his eyes teasing. “Apparently, no one ever burned a marshmallow with him before.”
“Dad’s doing the only kind of camping that interests me,” she said.
“Lightweight.”
“You bet.”
As they reached the farthest car, they both turned. Zach looked down the ridge. Olivia glanced along the stand of apple trees. Movement on a branch caught her eye. She narrowed her gaze. Arms winding around each other. Blond hair sifting through an up-swept hand.
“Zach?” She pointed. “I don’t have my glasses, and I hope you’re not going to feel you have to protect Sophie’s honor, but is that Jock with her?”
Zach followed her pointing finger, but he looked uncomfortable. “Ian.”
“Unless he caught her on the verge of firing a blowgun at my dad, he seems to have forgotten his job. What does this place do to people? My dad’s suddenly fine without protection, and Ian…”
“Yeah, it seems out of character.” He looked away from the other couple. “Olivia, how do you feel about hot springs?”
“What?” Her heart beat a desperate path into her throat.
“Would you like to see it?”
“Sort of, but why do you want me to?” She couldn’t take much more of his push and pull.
“Nothing has to happen. We’re Evan’s parents getting to know each other. We have to learn to be just his parents.” Even he didn’t look as if he believed it was possible.
“That sounds good.” She looked down at his hands, flexing on the wide leather belt at his hips. He’d always had beautiful hands, expressive, capable, sensual when he… “I’m not a camper.”
“I’m not asking you to sleep in the woods. You can take my bed again.”
She must be out of her ever-loving mind. She couldn’t even lie to herself about her motives. She wanted to be alone with Zach Calvert, and Evan need never know. He’d have no reason to hope one night could turn into every day.
She lifted her head and hoped he was lying to himself in the worst way. Her legs trembled. “I’ll need clothes,” she said.
“I’ll lend you my sweats again.”
His hoarse tone warned her she was going to have to decide if she was willing to take what he’d give and not one thing more.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ZACH’S FLASHLIGHT BOBBED on the thickly strewn pine needles and grass in front of them, but Olivia couldn’t make out a path through the woods. She’d be amazed if her father didn’t show up at Zach’s house, once he heard her message on his answering machine. She’d declined to lie about where she was spending the night.
The trees overhead and the stream she’d never actually seen seemed to chat together, but she and Zach had both lost the ability to speak.
At last they came to the tent he and the children had shared the nigh
t before. “You just left it up?” she asked.
“I’m not supposed to tell you, but Lily woke up scared, and we went home at 2:33 exactly.”
Olivia permitted herself a proud smile. “Evan kept her secret.”
“He’s a pretty good brother.”
“We aren’t staying here tonight, right?”
“I heard what you said about camping.” He shone the light on her face. “Besides, we wouldn’t be smart to share the same bed space.”
“I don’t understand you.”
“I know. The spring’s through here. It has a sulfuric smell, but you get used to it in a hurry.” He turned sideways and twisted through some low pine branches. “Careful of the sap.”
“Where?” She looked up and a long thin, armlike sapling slapped her on the shoulder.
“On the branches.”
“Oh.” She checked the sleeve of another coat she’d borrowed from him. “I guess it’s sticky?”
“Yeah.”
“All clear, then— Wow.”
The pool was lovely, in a clearing just a few yards wider than the spring itself. Zach set his flashlight on the ground.
“There’s a ledge about here,” he said.
The smell already seemed less offensive. Olivia inched her jacket off her shoulders. Then she stopped. “You’re sure no one else will have the same idea?”
“Are you kidding? It’s freezing.” He glanced at the steam rising into moonlight over the water. “I remember hearing my parents over here after they thought I was asleep in the tent.”
Olivia twisted her mouth. “You could hear them?”
“Just laughter now and then. I didn’t know what they were doing.” He shrugged. “I don’t suppose they always—”
“Probably not.” Although the setting suggested romantic goings-on. She pulled her sweater over her head. “You don’t mind a bra and panties, do you?”
He swallowed so hard, she suddenly felt naked in perfectly concealing lace. “No,” he muttered. “It’s fine. Most fine.”