The location was equally unique. If just three short months ago someone had suggested he’d be basking in the sun on a frozen freshwater lake, with a beautiful woman and her daughter as well as a son of his own, Mac would have thought them insane. But here he was stuffed with simply prepared food, utterly relaxed and undeniably the most content he’d been in a long, long time.
Then again, that also might have had something to do with his immediate company.
Olivia was quite easy to be with, he’d discovered, once he’d stopped baiting her long enough to let her relax and enjoy their outing. But he’d been curious to see how she’d react when confronted when she had no place to hide, and… well, he certainly hadn’t been disappointed.
In fact, he’d been caught completely off guard by the realization that instead of pining for her dead husband, Olivia actually despised the man. The reason why was anyone’s guess; Keith Baldwin could have been a bastard for any number of reasons, from being abusive to unfaithful to indifferent toward her. Which was baffling, really, as Mac couldn’t imagine any man not treating Olivia as a prize to be cherished.
The woman was an enigma of beauty and grace and warm swirling energy just begging to engage life, yet she seemed to go out of her way to keep everyone but her daughter at a distance. She certainly had an intelligent if devious mind, he’d found out when she’d put him to work replanking the docks in hopes that he’d rescind his offer to help, and she definitely wasn’t afraid to come out swinging—or chest-poking—when backed into a corner.
Mac cracked open his eyes to see her relaxing on the ice a good thirty feet away, reclined against a mound of snow she’d formed on a slant to catch the low-hanging sun. The woman also had a sharp sense of humor, which he’d caught a glimpse of when he’d invited her to sit beside him after she’d finished repacking the picnic basket. Looking him right in the eye while pointing off to her left, she’d said her gut was telling her she’d be more comfortable over there, then gracefully sauntered away, dropped to her knees, and started shaping the snow into a bed.
The lady should be thanking the gods they had an audience, as he’d been tempted to jump up and kiss that little smirk right off her face, and not stop until she melted into him. Or rather, into his jacket—the one he’d felt her accidentally brush her cheek against several times this afternoon in the close confines of the shanty, just before she would turn away with a soft sigh. The same jacket that now carried more of her scent than it possibly could have taken on in the brief time she’d worn it the day of her attack.
Oh yeah; Olivia was attracted to him, only the poor woman didn’t seem to know what to do about it. But Mac supposed being a shrine for four years could get a person out of practice. And for that, the local men’s loss was going to be his gain—at least for the next six months.
Mac sat forward just as Henry dropped down beside him with a groan. “Can you tell the fish to stop biting?” the boy whispered, pulling off his hat and wiping his sweaty brow. “Sophie and I just get a hook baited and reset the trap, and another flag goes up. And you drilled the holes so far from each other that we’re spending more time running after flags than flying our kite.”
“There’s not really enough breeze anymore, is there?”
“Well, no. But ice fishing is a lot more work than flying a kite, so I thought you could ask the wind to come back up and the fish to stop being so greedy.”
“Sorry, son; you’re on your own on both counts,” Mac said with a chuckle.
They both looked over to see Sophie flop down to cuddle up against her mother, and Henry released another heavy sigh. “How much longer is this picnic going to last?” he asked softly. “Because I’ve been thinking we could skip dinner and go find that clearing as soon as we get back to Inglenook. I’m still full from lunch, and if we get hungry you can just teach me what’s safe to eat in the forest like you did at the ocean.”
Mac leaned against the shanty again, pulling Henry with him. “Unlike tidal pools, the forest plants are dormant right now or buried under what’s left of the snow.”
“I saw fish in the brook while we were waiting for Sophie’s school bus. If we found another brook on our hike, we could catch some and build a fire and cook them.” Henry let out a yawn and relaxed into Mac’s chest. “I’m glad we came here. I like that there’s not as many people in Spellbound Falls as there are in Midnight Bay, even though I do miss Mr. Trace and Miss Fiona and Misneach.”
Mac stifled a chuckle. Midnight Bay had a population of all of a thousand people, whereas Spellbound Falls had maybe three hundred residents this time of year. Not exactly metropolises, either one of them.
Henry tilted his head back to grin up at him. “But I don’t miss your cooking,” he said, covering his giggle with his gloved hand. “Miss Olivia and Miss Eileen don’t burn everything.” His eyes suddenly turned apprehensive. “Um, I asked Mama last night if it was okay to address adults by their first names like Miss Eileen said I should, but this morning my heart told me that it’s just not right. So I decided to use Miss or Mr. in front of their names, just like I do with everyone in Midnight Bay. Do you think Miss Eileen will mind very much? Even if I tell her my mama said I should?”
“Ah, Henry,” Mac said, pulling him back to his chest with a deep sigh. “You go right ahead and do what your heart’s telling you to, son, and Eileen will just have to respect your decision.” He rubbed his thumb along Henry’s hairline. “Did you also ask if we need to buy you pajamas?”
Henry nodded without lifting his head. “Mama said that if I’m old enough for sword lessons, then I’m too old to be wearing pajamas like a baby.”
Mac gave a quiet chuckle. “Delia is obviously proud of the man you’re becoming, Henry. Why don’t you have a quick nap with me here in the warm sun,” he suggested when the boy yawned again. “And we can skip dinner tonight if you wish.”
“But I have to keep watching for flags.”
“I believe the fish are about to take a nap, too. So close your eyes, little man, and rebuild your strength for tonight. Though it might be sized for your hand, in the morning I believe your muscles are going to let you know your sword’s no toy.”
But instead of closing his own eyes, Mac allowed his gaze to wander over the scene before him; the five ice-fishing traps—flags obediently down—and Henry’s kite half buried in the snow to keep it from blowing away. The ice auger he’d used to drill the holes lay next to the two empty and four full bottles of beer sitting in the carton Olivia had handed him when they’d first arrived, which was sitting next to the sled they’d used to haul everything out to the shanty. And Olivia with her daughter sleeping in her arms, both their cheeks kissed pink by the sun over the last few hours, and himself with his own child tucked securely against his heart.
To a neutral observer they could be any family out enjoying a beautiful early spring afternoon on one of Maine’s more massive lakes.
The very idea stirred something deep inside Mac; a powerful sensation he innately knew was as ancient as the earth itself suddenly making his world shift slightly off center. The word home whispered around him on the dying breeze, drawing his gaze to the heavily forested mountains surrounding the lake, their rolling peaks lined up like sentinels charged with keeping the maddening world at bay.
And Mac understood why Olivia had stayed in Spellbound Falls.
He tried to wrap his mind around his contentment, as home for him was the ocean, the very womb that had given him life and now sustained it. And still he’d traveled inland for Henry’s sake, two hundred miles away from the very essence that pulsed through his veins like blood.
Yet the awareness stirring deep inside him, the whispered litany on the breeze, the expansive lake and towering mountains, the familial scene—all of it triggering something deep inside him that he couldn’t describe but desperately wanted to deny. A new and powerful yearning that suddenly scared him far more than having a son did.
“Can I take Henry to go see the falls, Mom
?” Sophie asked as Olivia started to open her truck door. But before she could answer, her daughter addressed Mac. “I promise we’ll stay on the bridge and I’ll hold his hand.”
“Or all three of you could go see the falls,” Olivia suggest as she climbed out, “while I go in and return the shanty key to Ezra.”
Mac opened his door and also got out. “Or we could all return the key and then all go see the falls,” he said over the hood of his truck, dropping one of his provocative smiles on her like a loaded hand grenade. “That way we won’t have to drag you out of some dark corner of the store again.”
“Yes, I do believe Dad and I should go with you, Miss Olivia,” Henry said before she could think of a snappy comeback. Only the boy’s smile was more compassionate than challenging. “I could even hold your hand if you’d like.”
Good Lord, did the child think she needed protecting?
Granted, their first meeting hadn’t been under the best of circumstances, but it did seem to have left him with the impression that she was a damsel in distress. Especially since Sophie had ingenuously announced in the truck this morning that her mother had needed to be rescued from Simon.
“That’s very chivalrous of you, Henry, but I think I can return the key without getting into any trouble. And besides, Ezra’s pretty good at keeping a lookout for me.” She checked for vehicles and started across the road without making eye contact with Mac, not wanting to see his amusement.
“My mama taught me that chivalry is the foundation of a civilized society,” Henry said, catching up and reaching for her hand.
Olivia let him grasp it with a silent sigh; apparently the son had no more intention of taking no for an answer than his father did. “You have a very wise mama, Henry.”
“I told her I was going to be a powerful knight when I grew up,” the boy continued. “But now I guess I’m going to be a theurgist instead.”
Olivia stopped in front of the trading post as Sophie and Mac crossed the road and stopped beside them. “Um… what’s a theurgist?”
Henry looked at his father, suddenly uncertain.
“It’s an ancient term for wizard,” Mac said. He shrugged. “Or what you might think of as a magician. Rather than being a knight, Henry’s decided he can help people with magic instead of weapons.”
“But it’s still important to grow big and strong and know how to fight,” the boy added, “even though wisdom is stronger than brute strength. Because sometimes people just get contrary, and when both wisdom and warring won’t work, then you need to use the magic.”
Olivia gave him a warm smile. “Good for you, Henry, for wanting to help people. When I was your age I wanted to be a teacher.”
“Teachers help people,” he said, his expression conciliatory as he squeezed her hand. “And in a way, theurgists are teachers. We help everyone learn how to get along together.” He looked up at Mac again. “Right, Dad?”
Mac opened the trading post door. “That’s right, son. Come on, let’s return the key so we can go see the falls before it gets too late.”
Both children ran inside, and Olivia walked down the narrow aisle beside Mac. “Where would Henry have learned such a rare word as theurgist? I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before. Oh, damn,” she hissed, stopping when she saw Ezra bobbing his bushy eyebrows at her as he nodded to his left. Olivia immediately started backing up as she looked around. “Now who the hell’s in here?” She shoved the shanty key at Mac. “You take this to Ezra, and I’ll wait for you and the kids in the truck.”
“It’s locked,” he said as he handed her the key fob. He went very still all of a sudden, his head lifted as if he were listening for something, then smiled. “There’s a chance you’ll make a clean escape if you’re quick. But watch for traffic,” he called after her as Olivia bolted toward the door.
Only she ran smack into Janice Crupp just as she reached the end of the aisle, and then had to catch the elderly woman to keep her from falling into a rack of clothing.
“Good grief!” Janice cried, grabbing Olivia. “I didn’t see you!”
“But we’re glad we ran into you,” Christina Richie said as she helped steady her friend. “We’ve been trying to reach you for days, Livy. Didn’t Eileen give you any of our messages?”
“She did,” Olivia said, eyeing her escape route only to decide she couldn’t be so rude as to run out the door. “But I’ve been so busy getting Inglenook ready for the new season that I guess time got away from me. And I’m sorry, but I can’t really chat with you right now. I’m with a couple of my guests.”
“Olivia was about to show us the falls,” Mac said, coming up beside her.
Just barely catching herself from leaning into him so he could put his arm around her, Olivia ended up sighing instead when he didn’t. Apparently that only happened when he was rescuing her from men. Both women’s gazes traveled up over Mac’s broad chest to his handsome face, and Janice even had to step back to see him.
Mac gave a slight bow. “Mac Oceanus,” he said, his tone as charming as his smile. “I’m actually more Olivia’s employee than her guest.”
God, she wished he’d quit telling everyone that. Nobody in their right mind could see her bossing him around—including Janice and Christina, judging by their shock.
But then Olivia suddenly went as still as a stone herself, at the realization of why the man kept telling people she was his boss. Good Lord, she hadn’t been teased in so long she’d forgotten it even existed.
“I’m Janice Crupp, and this is my friend, Christina Richie,” Janice said, making the introductions since Olivia was too busy trying to remember if teasing was the same as flirting. “We’re co-chairs of the Spellbound Falls Memorial Day committee,” Janice continued—just before grabbing Olivia’s sleeve and pulling her away from the towering protector she’d been inching behind.
Because dammit, she had a pretty good idea why the ladies had been looking for her, and she really, really didn’t want to talk to them.
“We’ve left at least four messages asking you to call us,” Janice continued, “to tell you that we want you and Sophie to be the grand marshals of our parade this year.”
And they wondered why she’d been avoiding them? Olivia gave the women an appreciative smile. “Gee, that’s really sweet of you ladies, but I don’t think—”
“And all the funds we raise over the summer,” Christina broke in excitedly, “are going to provide you and Sophie with an all-expenses-paid trip to Disneyland.”
Olivia reared back in surprise. “What!”
Janice shook her head. “We know its way overdue, Livy, and we’re sorry. And we’re all ashamed of ourselves for letting four years go by without doing something to show you how much everyone appreciates your sacrifice.”
“My… what in hell are you talking about?”
Christina shot her a scowl. “Now Livy, there’s no need for profanity.” But then she reached over and patted her arm. “I guess the shock of our good news just got the best of you.”
“But what sacrifice are you talking about?”
This time Janice gave her arm a pat. “At our Grange meeting last month, Bunkie Watts mentioned a segment she saw on CNN about how people around the nation are doing different things to support our troops and their families. Bunkie said towns are having fund-raisers to send families on fancy vacations together.”
“But—”
“And you’re the only war widow we got, Livy,” Christina interjected. “And so the vote was unanimous that we should send you and Sophie to Disneyland. Thelma got on her Internet at the post office and found out there’s an entire organization dedicated to providing trips to our servicemen’s families.”
“And they even have special trips for people who’ve lost a loved one in the war,” Janice added. “We’re going to try and get you and Sophie on one of those, so you can meet others who know exactly how you feel.” She stepped closer. “It would be healing for both you and that precious little girl of
yours.”
Olivia started backing away, shaking her head even as she looked around for her daughter. “That’s very kind of you ladies,” she said, holding out her hand when they started following. “But Sophie and I don’t want… I can’t… really, we’re doing just—”
“Mom, look what we found,” Sophie said, running up the aisle with a box in her hand, Henry right on her heels. “It’s a magic kit.” She held the box up to Olivia. “It’s got a book that tells how to do all the tricks, and a long scarf and some magic coins and even fake money to practice with.” She held the box toward Mac. “Could you buy it for Henry, Mac? He wants to start being a thee—… a theer—… a wizard. And I can help him practice.”
Instead of taking the box, Mac pulled out his wallet. He took out two twenties and handed them to Henry. “You can pay the gentleman, son. And here,” he said, handing him the key to the shanty. “Return this to him, also.”
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