“Mac,” Caro whispered.
He shot her another warning glare before turning it on Henry. “And the next time you disobey me, you will feel the full force of my wrath. Understand?”
His eyes wide with renewed terror, Henry nodded. Mac stood up and swept the boy into his arms, and started for the cabin. Carolina followed in silence, giving an occasional grunt as she carried his sword.
“Just leave it on the side of the path,” Mac told her. “I’ll get it later when I come back for Henry’s clothes and sword. Henry, did you have a conversation with Olivia today that I should know about?”
“I—I don’t know,” he whispered, looking away.
Mac gave him a squeeze. “I’ve had enough evasiveness for one night. And one cold shoulder too many this evening has pushed my patience dangerously close to the edge,” he said in Caro’s direction. He went back to addressing Henry. “What was your conversation with Olivia about?”
“I asked if she thought I should sleep in pajamas,” Henry said, still facing away—which told Mac that far more than nightclothes were discussed. “And I might have said something about sword lessons to her. But I quickly said I meant music lessons,” he added in a rush.
“What else?” Mac snapped, giving him another squeeze. “Something upset Olivia, and I need to know exactly what you said to her.”
Henry glanced at him, his eyes swimming in guilt, but quickly looked away again. “I asked if she might want to fall in love with you and marry us, and move to Midnight Bay,” he whispered, only to suddenly throw his arms around Mac’s neck. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” he sobbed. “But I really like Miss Olivia, and I told her she’d make a really good theurgist’s wife because she always knows just the right thing to say.”
Mac stopped walking. “Did you use that exact term? Did you tell Olivia she’d make a good theurgist’s wife?”
Henry nodded against him, his tears burning Mac’s neck like flaming embers. “And what did Olivia say?” he asked softly.
“She… she said… she promised me she wouldn’t let you marry any woman who didn’t love me as much as you love me,” he said, his tiny body shuddering with sobs. “And that you’d know if the woman was only pretending, and… and that you’re big and strong and brave enough not to let Grampy make you marry Gadzalina.”
Mac started walking again, rubbing Henry’s back as the three of them made the rest of the trip in silence. When they reached the cabin he set Henry on his bed without saying a word, said nothing to Carolina standing in the middle of the main room glaring at him, and walked back outside.
Only instead of going after his and Henry’s swords, Mac headed to the main lodge and let himself in the front door. He silently walked through the darkened kitchen to the window, and saw Olivia sitting in front of the dying fire with her daughter on her lap, the two of them snuggled up in a blanket, softly chatting and occasionally giggling.
Mac soaked in the domestic scene for several minutes before walking back into the main room of the lodge to stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling map of Maine.
The question wasn’t if Olivia was strong enough to weather the coming storm, Mac realized, but if he was. He ran a finger over the map from Midnight Bay to Spellbound Falls. Because once he set things in motion there’d be no turning back, as the energy he was about to unleash was going to do far more than alter the fabric of life for everyone in the vicinity; it could very well start a battle between him and his father that would make the wars of the gods seem like minor skirmishes.
Yet it would be nothing compared to the battle Mac knew he would face when he finally told Olivia why he called her marita.
Chapter Nineteen
Olivia was just cracking her third egg into the frying pan when Carolina came barreling into the lodge kitchen and ran up and grabbed her arm. “You have to help me,” she said, darting a frantic glance over her shoulder. “You have to stop Mac from punishing Henry.”
Olivia dropped the egg in the pan, shell and all, and headed for the door. “Where are they? I swear if that man touches one hair on that boy’s head, I’m going to run him through with a real sword.”
Carolina pulled her to a stop. “No! Mac’s not physically punishing him. He’s making Henry stay in his room.”
Olivia took a calming breath. And then she smiled, patting Carolina’s hand still clutching her arm. “That’s a perfectly acceptable punishment,” she assured the frantic woman. “I send Sophie to her room all the time to mull over what she did wrong.”
“For three days? Giving her nothing but bread and water?”
“Three days?” Olivia shook her head. “Three hours is too long for a six-year-old. What did Henry do, kill someone?” She pulled away and flung open the door to go save the poor child from his ogre of a father, only she ran into Mac’s chest as he strode through the door—obviously in pursuit of his tattletale sister.
Ignoring Olivia’s yelp of surprise, he quickly set her aside as he continued after Carolina—who had run to the opposite end of the island. “I swear by all that’s holy that I’ll lock you in your room for the next three days. You do not run out in the middle of an argument to go after reinforcements.”
Olivia scrambled around Mac to put herself between him and his sister, and then had to brace her hand on his big broad chest to get him to stop. “Give it a rest already!” she snapped as he came to an abrupt halt, his eyes widening in surprise. “What in hell sort of crime could Henry have committed that warrants three days of being locked in his room?” She gave his big broad chest a poke. “The kid’s six. And at that age three days is three years.”
“You will stay out of this.”
“No, I won’t. You’re paying a fortune to be here, and if you don’t like what we teach then you’re free to pack up and leave.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “At a full refund?”
Damn, she hated it when people called her bluff. “What did Henry do, Mac?” Olivia suddenly gasped. “This better not be about my conversation with him yesterday,” she said, raising her hand to poke him again. “Because that was between him and me.”
Only he caught her finger before it connected, and refolded his arms—taking her hand with him. “If you must know, we heard something stalking us on our walk last night and I fell behind to see what it was,” he told her. “Only Henry pulled away from Carolina when they reached the cabin, and disappeared into the woods before she could catch him.” Up went that imperial brow. “Do you expect me to ignore that he could have been mauled by a bear or that he gave his aunt a terrible fright?”
Okay, he had a point. “But don’t you think three days is a bit extreme?”
“With only bread and water,” Carolina added from the safety of the island.
Mac looked past Olivia at his sister. “You will get only water, which might do you some good, considering how winded you became last night trying to catch Henry.”
“Ohmigod, my eggs!” Olivia cried, jerking free before he could realize what she was doing and running to the stove. She turned off the burner and flipped on the range fan, then turned to Mac and Carolina. “Oh, come on, you two, hug and make up.” She walked back over to Mac. “Carolina’s just being an aunt trying to save her nephew from an unreasonably punitive ogre.” She turned to Carolina. “And Mac, now that he’s slept on it,” she told the wide-eyed woman, who apparently had never heard anyone call her brother an ogre to his face, “is going to sit down with Henry and explain how dangerous the woods can be at night, and tell the child he needs to spend the morning in his room thinking about what a scare he gave everyone.” She turned back to Mac. “Right?”
His arms still folded over his big broad chest and his eyes no longer gleaming, Mac shook his head. “Three days, with only bread and water. And one week of making up to his aunt by catering to her every need.” He reached out and closed Olivia’s gaping mouth. “And if you two ladies don’t wish to join Henry in his room, you will leave my son’s discipline to me and put
your energies into finding something to feed the albatrosses.”
He then walked over and grabbed the loaf of bread, and strode out the door.
“You’re not going to let him get away with that, are you?” Carolina asked into the silence, gripping the counter as she stared at Olivia. She suddenly sighed. “Damn; I was so sure you had what it takes to stand up to my brother.”
“I do.” Olivia gestured toward the door. “But not today. He’s scared, Carolina. Can’t you see Mac’s so frightened something bad could have happened to Henry last night that he’s directing his anger at us because he knows we can handle it?” She walked over and touched Carolina’s hand. “Trust me, the next three days are going to be a lot harder on Mac than on Henry. My guess is, he caves before Henry does.”
“But Henry is so disheartened that his father is mad at him,” Carolina whispered. “The child is devastated.”
“He’ll survive, Carolina. And you need to understand that Henry is discovering something very important about his dad.” Olivia gave her an encouraging smile. “I’m guessing this is the first time Henry’s made Mac truly angry, and the child needs to learn that even though his father might go overboard with his punishment, Mac won’t ever stop loving him.” She nodded at Carolina’s look of surprise. “Personally, I think they’ve both been tiptoeing around each other since the moment they met, dreading this day. And now that it’s finally here and they each realize they’ll actually survive it, their relationship will be solid granite from here on out.”
Carolina suddenly threw herself at Olivia, giving her a fierce hug. “Oh please, please fall in love with my brother. Mackie so desperately needs someone like you to keep him grounded.”
Olivia felt her cheeks prickle with heat as she gave up trying to pull away, and hugged Carolina back with a sigh. “I think you and Henry are the ones who need to keep your feet on the ground. All I want is to have just one passionate affair with a sexy man before I die,” she muttered, trying but again failing to pull free.
“Is this some sort of Inglenook ritual for the employees to start off each day?” Peg asked. “Because I got to tell you, I’m not really into group hugs.”
Carolina let Olivia go with a gasp.
“Peg, you’re early,” Olivia said with a laugh.
“I told you I’d be here bright-eyed and bushy-tailed first thing this morning.” She took off her jacket and set it and her purse on one of the chairs at the table. “And look,” she said, lifting her arms and letting them drop. “I’m totally childless for the entire day.”
“Where’s Peter and Jacob?” Olivia asked, leading Carolina over to meet Peg.
“Billy’s mom was so excited I got this job, she offered to watch them until Inglenook’s back up and running so I can spend the next two weeks making myself indispensible to you.” Peg’s cheeks darkened. “She was afraid I’d get fired my first day if you didn’t have any activities to keep Pete and Repeat out of everyone’s hair.”
“Peg, this is Mac’s sister, Carolina,” Olivia said. “And Carolina, this is Peg Thompson, my new counselor-slash-mother-in-residence. Peg’s an expert on staying calm through all sorts of chaos, since she has four children of her own.”
Peg shook Carolina’s hand with a laugh. “My specific expertise is runny noses and crowd control.”
“And Pete and Repeat are?” Carolina asked.
“My four-year-old twin boys.” Peg looked at Olivia. “I’m ready to be put to work.”
“And not a moment too soon,” Olivia said, taking off her apron and handing it to her. “Only I’m afraid I’m abandoning you. So after you cook breakfast for everyone you can spend the day making yourself familiar with Inglenook.” She grabbed her jacket and purse off the peg and turned back to the women. “I need to drive to Bangor today to… um, do stuff. So Peg, you check out all the cabins and outbuildings and everything here at the main lodge. Oh, and start a list of anything you might think needs to be addressed.” She shook her head. “There’s nothing like a new set of eyes to see something I’ve been overlooking for years. And you’ll have to make lunch, but the freezer and the pantry are full, so help yourself to what you need.”
She looked at Carolina, giving her a crooked smile. “And if I can be so bold as to suggest it, you might want to stay away from Mac today.” She looked at her watch, then back at Peg. “If I leave now I should make it home by the time the school bus gets here. But if not, could you throw a stew in the slow cooker for supper?”
“Wow,” Peg said, slipping on the apron. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk that much all at once,” she said with a cheeky smile. “And you’re so… bossy. Who knew duck-out-the-back-door-Baldwin had it in her?” Peg picked up the spatula and used it to salute her. “I’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone, boss.”
Olivia groaned as she opened the door. “I’m docking you a day’s pay every time you call me boss,” she warned, stepping onto the porch only to run into Sam’s chest.
“Oh, sorry,” he said, quickly stepping back.
“Good morning, Sam.”
“Olivia,” he said with a nod. “You have anything in particular you want me to do today? The horses are all settled in, so I’m free.”
“You could check out the tack and make a list of anything you need. And if that doesn’t keep you busy enough, you could— Wait, Caleb said you were in the military. You know anything about obstacle courses?”
That got a hesitant smile from him. “A little bit.”
Olivia gestured over her shoulder. “In the main room of the lodge there’s a map of Inglenook on the wall, and you’ll see where we’ve got an obstacle course laid out on a mile-and-a-half-long path.” The smile she gave him was sheepish. “Well, it’s our version of a family-friendly obstacle course. I was going to have Mac check out the stations to make sure there wasn’t any winter damage we need to repair, but maybe I should have you go with him. I think Mac’s expertise is more corporate than military.”
Just for a fleeting second, Olivia would swear Sam looked a little incredulous before he went back to smiling. “Sure, I’d love to check out the course with him,” he said tightly.
“You can carry any tools or materials you’ll need on the older one of the golf carts parked in the machine shed. That way you… you won’t have to walk the entire course,” she finished weakly, feeling her damn cheeks heat up again.
“It’s okay, Olivia. It’s not exactly like I can hide my limp. And I’m supposed to walk to rebuild my back muscles. I guess you could say Inglenook’s like therapy to me.”
“Okay,” she said, going down the steps but turning back when he said her name.
“You won’t be here today?” he asked, gesturing at her purse and jacket.
“No, I’m driving to Bangor. You need me to pick up anything for you?”
“No. I’m good. But I could go with you to help handle whatever supplies you’re going after, if you want. It would give us a chance to get to know each other better before the campers arrive.”
“I’m afraid you’d get to know me better than you care to, Sam,” she drawled. “I’m going clothes shopping.”
The man actually took a step back before he caught himself. “Maybe another time, then,” he said with a wave, heading inside before she changed her mind.
Olivia headed for the van parked in front of the lodge garage, feeling confident Sam was going to work out after all. She’d always figured kids had a way of reading grown-ups far better than most adults, and Sophie had done nothing but sing Sam’s praises last night after everyone had left the campfire. Olivia tossed her purse and jacket on the opposite seat of the van and climbed in, but when she reached to close her door while checking to make sure the key was in the ignition, her hand touched a big broad chest instead of the door handle.
“Oh! You scared me!”
“Going somewhere?” Mac asked.
She collapsed against her seat with a laugh. “Gee, I haven’t had so many people aski
ng me to account for my whereabouts since I was sixteen. If you must know, I’m driving to Bangor. To… um, do stuff,” she tacked on when he merely arched a brow.
“Maybe I’ll come with you.”
“Maybe you won’t. I’m doing girl stuff.”
He stepped closer. “What sort of girl stuff?”
Olivia stared at the top button on his shirt. Should she or shouldn’t she tell him?
“Olivia.”
Well, she supposed he’d have to know eventually, wouldn’t he?
“Olivia.”
But he didn’t have to know right now, because… well, because he might not be the one she was doing it for anymore.
She gasped when he leaned in and kissed her.
Oh yeah, she needed him to be the one, she thought, sighing into his very talented mouth. And if she didn’t start the van and get out of here, she really might take him with her. They had hotel rooms in Bangor, didn’t they?
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