Chapter Two

 

 

“What do you mean you found guns? Where did you find guns?” Holly asked, leaning across the table.

Laura’s eyes had gone wide, too. “Like on your property?”

“What’s wrong with your property, Nell?” Stella Talbot walked up with a pitcher of water in her hand and started to fill all their glasses.

She might be ready to bring her best friends in on her worries, but she wasn’t ready to alert the whole town, and that’s what would happen if the rumor started going around. It wasn’t that Stella would mean to spread a rumor. She would inevitably talk to her husband, Sebastian, about the problem, and then Sebastian would ask Stef who Henry was—because he was still learning the town. Stef would go to Jen, Jen would mention it to Rachel, and Rachel wouldn’t want Callie left out. From there it would grow to Blissian proportions, and Henry would be in league with the aliens or something equally ridiculous like he was some kind of secret spy.

“Nothing at all.” Nell gave Stella her brightest smile. “Although you know I don’t believe anyone can truly own property. The land is alive, too.” She saw the minute Stella’s eyes went from concerned to slightly dead inside. Sometimes her lectures could be excellent deflection. “Did you know that Aspen trees have a sort of collective consciousness?”

Stella finished with her task. “That’s so interesting. I’m glad to know there’s no trouble after what happened with Seth yesterday. Craziness, I tell you. I was worried it might have spilled over to you since you’re so close to their cabin. We went by the hospital and he seemed real good this morning.”

“I’m glad to hear it. We’re going to visit him this afternoon.” She’d made muffins to take over to their cabin, but Georgia and Logan had stayed at the hospital with Seth. She’d left them on the table. She had a key since she and Henry took care of the place when Seth was in New York.

She’d stood and looked down at the rug and the blood stains on the floors. She’d seen bullet holes and wondered how on earth Logan had taken down so many men on his own.

If she’d been writing it as a scene, her editor would have told her it wasn’t realistic unless the hero was some kind of supernatural creature.

Her husband was her editor. Had her husband helped Logan with more than his plumbing?

“I hope we’re not going to need another town hall. I’m too busy with the wedding and all the parties that go along with it,” Stella admitted. “Jen’s got a caterer for her party, but Mel insisted that I make food for something called a Meeting of Men. I’m fairly certain Mel intends to explain to Cassidy’s grown sons what happens on their wedding night. That requires a lot of sandwiches. And I’m supposed to sneak beets into something the bride eats in case she won’t comply with something called a beeting ceremony. She didn’t spell that out. She’s talking about the vegetable, right? Cassidy’s not going to beat up the poor girl, right?”

“It’s merely a ritual in which the bride proves herself free of alien influence,” Nell explained. Cassidy Meyer had some firmly held beliefs about otherworldly visitors. Personally, Nell believed that the universe was a big place and all should be welcome. She’d told Cassidy that, and it was lucky Nell enjoyed beets because she pretty much had to eat them regularly around Cassidy now. “Don’t worry. I’m sure anyone marrying into Wolf’s family will be a deeply tolerant woman. I’ll make sure to send some food along.”

She always tried to make sure Henry had options when he went to parties where the majority of the attendees would be meat eaters. Which was all the parties he attended with the exception of their monthly vegan cooking class.

Stella’s expression softened. “Don’t you worry about that, honey. I’ve got Henry covered. It’s not any trouble to make sure all my friends get fed properly.” She shrugged a single shoulder and reached up to pat her blonde hair. “It’s what I do. I’m a natural caretaker.”

Stella joked, but it was true. “Thank you so much. He will appreciate it.”

If he was still around and she hadn’t buried him in the backyard.

Had she just thought that?

Stella walked away with their lunch orders and Holly leaned back in, her voice low. “Guns? Are you sure they’re real guns? Maybe they’re like toys or water guns or something. Men can be weird.”

“I know what a gun is, and these are real.” She’d had guns pointed her direction more times than she would like to count. She’d also been pepper sprayed once, and she swore it hurt less than finding those guns. “They’re not hunting guns, either. I thought about the fact that maybe Henry used to hunt, but they were handguns. They’re semiautomatics, and one of them has a suppressor.”

Holly’s brow rose. “What’s that?”

Laura was staring Nell’s way. “It’s what laypeople call a silencer. I find it interesting that Nell knows what a gun enthusiast would call it. Did he have any ammo?”

“A couple of…” She’d been about to say magazines. “Boxes. They’re the clippy things.”

Laura still looked suspicious, but she seemed to let it pass. “Okay, so where were they?”

“Two were in his shop, and one was in the back of the closet under some old textbooks. I went out to his shop because I’d cleaned his pliers. He’d gotten them all filthy working on our septic system. I went back to put them up on his tool wall and that was when I noticed his tool kit.”

“Did he have it with him when he came back from Seth’s?” Holly asked.

“He didn’t. And before you tell me maybe he grabbed it this morning, he didn’t. I went over there early to drop off some muffins. I checked the bathroom and it wasn’t there. Also, it looked like he hadn’t touched it in a couple of days. I put his pliers up and that was when I noticed there was something behind the organizational wall.”

“I understand how you found the guns in the shop, but how did you find the one in your closet?” Holly asked.

“Because Nell is exactly like the rest of us and she went crazy-ass paranoid and tossed her whole house,” Laura replied.

Nell bit her bottom lip and sighed. “Not the whole house. Just the parts I don’t regularly see. Like his side of the closet and his desk. Maybe I went through his wallet.”

There had been nothing special in his wallet—a couple of pictures of her, his driver’s license, two fives and a ten, a library card.

But then she’d found the small case under an old blanket at the very back of his side of the closet. It had been locked but she’d quickly figured out the combo. Their anniversary.

“Why haven’t you asked him?” Holly took a sip of her water. She seemed oddly flustered, as though she was as shocked as Nell herself. “I’m sure there’s a reason. He came from the city. He’s probably had those guns for years, and honestly, Bliss can be dangerous at times.”

That had also gone through her head. “He’s always been so in sync with me when it comes to gun control.”

“He’s got them hidden and or locked up. It sounds like they’re under control.” Laura had never seen her point on guns, but then Laura had actually been held hostage and tortured by a real serial killer, so she had her reasons.

“Honestly, my views have changed a bit over the years. I suppose I was influenced by the fact that my mother kept many weapons in our house at one point. She had several swords, a mace, knives, and some weird-looking thing she always told me was a sonic weapon I should never touch.” The weapons her mother had hidden all over any place they lived had been one of the reasons Nell had spent time in the foster care system. When her mother had regained custody, she’d gotten rid of all of them, but Nell would still find odd knives under her mother’s pillow. And bits of wrought iron sometimes.

“Was it because she was worried the bad faeries would come and take you?” Holly knew the story.

Nell nodded. “According to the state’s psychiatrist, my mom was the victim of a violent incident that her mind couldn’t process, so her brain created a more comfortable backstory. She believed she was a Fae royal who had to flee her home plane when her evil cousin killed her nice cousin and took over. It was why we couldn’t have cats. They’re familiars to hags and sent to spy on us. We couldn’t have dogs because she was allergic. But we had lots of swords.”

“I don’t think Henry keeping a couple of guns around for protection is the same thing,” Holly said gently. “Why don’t you ask him about them? You’re going to have a baby in the house.”

“Were they loaded?” Laura asked.

“No, but the magazines were close at hand. It wouldn’t have been at all hard to…” Nell stopped.

Laura pointed her way. “I knew you knew more about guns. What the hell is going on? Last week you left a bunch of notes at my house about how to defuse a bomb. What are you planning, Nell? I know you’re upset about the practices at the new water treatment plant in Alamosa, but you can’t blow it up.”

They thought she was going full-on anarchist, blow everything up? It was good to know she could still surprise someone. So many people assumed she would be nonviolent—likely because she preached nonviolence—and she’d found that made many of them think she was weak.

She’d once lived in a massive tree for two weeks in order to save it from being turned into someone’s mulch. There were no bathroom breaks when protesting. She wasn’t weak.

“I’m not blowing anything up. I’m merely researching for my book.” The one her friends thought she’d been writing for years.

Laura’s eyes narrowed. “The book about the Dust Bowl? You needed modern-day bomb technology for your romance about the Dust Bowl? You know that happened in the last century.”

Laura seemed to be zeroing in on her secrets. The last couple of weeks her friend had asked some incredibly specific questions that made Nell think Laura was suspicious. It should be annoying, but it was kind of a fun game. The good news was she had a creative imagination. “There’s now a time travel element. I finally figured it out. It’s what’s been missing all along. You see, there’s this odd artifact in the barn and when my heroine touches it, she meets her own great granddaughter, who also happens to be a bombmaker.”

She saw the minute the light in Laura’s eyes died. Score another one for Nell. Sometimes she thought her superpower was being able to drain a person’s will to live simply by talking.

It was kind of a sucky superpower.

Henry always listened to her. He never zoned out or shut her down no matter what she was talking about. She could be talking about the most boring aspects of public policy and Henry would stare right at her and ask intelligent questions.

“All I’m saying is it seems to me Henry’s being responsible. Yes, he should have told you he had the guns, but you can be hard to talk to about these things,” Laura said with a sigh.

Her heart ached. “Henry’s never found it hard to talk to me.”

“I have to think there’s a reason.” Holly sat back. “How much do you know about who he was before he came to Bliss?”

She’d thought about this all morning. “I thought I knew a lot. Like when we’re talking it feels like he’s told me things, but I look back at the conversations we’ve had about his past and I realize he always deflects. I know he’s an only child and he doesn’t know who his father is. His mom died when he was young, but he doesn’t like to talk about that. He went to college and discovered a love of history and that’s about it.”

“Have you ever read anything he’s published?” Laura asked, seemingly diverted away from the other mystery.

“Of course. He’s got a bunch of papers he published on his computer. He didn’t bring the copies of the journals with him. He had a roommate who threw them out. He thought they were supposed to be recycled with the other paper products.” She’d thought about trying to hunt down copies for their anniversary. It might be a good project.

“That’s sad.” Holly waved at someone walking in.

“It’s weird.” Laura nodded, greeting someone behind Nell. She leaned in. “Rachel’s on her way over. Nell, I think you should talk to Henry. You have to be open and honest about what you’re worried about.”

“I’m not truly worried about the guns. I’m worried about the lies. He lied by omission, and I worry he’s lied about other things,” Nell admitted.

“Would it change how you feel about him?” Laura asked, her voice low.

That was the question she didn’t want to ask at all. “I think I need to consider that. I need some time before I confront him. It could be pregnancy hormones.”

“Who’s got pregnancy hormones?” Rachel Harper stood at the head of the booth, her strawberry blonde hair up in a ponytail. “Because I’ll trade stories with that lady. The best way to deal with hormones is to follow all your homicidal impulses.”

Laura had flushed and Holly’s mouth closed.

Rachel’s face lost its snarky look. “I’m sorry. Is it a secret thing? I won’t say anything. I promise.”

Should she tell Rachel? If she told Rachel everyone would know, and she’d wanted to wait for a while longer. Telling Holly and Laura was one thing, but…

“It’s not a secret that Alexei, Caleb, and I are trying.” Holly gave Rachel a bright smile. “But I’m not pregnant yet. Although I am full of hormones.” Holly gave Nell a wink. “I’ve already told both my men to buckle up because being pregnant can make you do crazy things.”

Like suspect her husband was anything but prepared for trouble that might come their way. Henry was a good man. He’d proven it to her over and over again.

She would find those journals for him. She would replace something he’d lost and she would forget about accusing him of something she was sure he hadn’t done.

“Well, I hope it works and soon. I would love to have another pregnant lady to hang out with.” Rachel’s hand went to her barely there belly. “I’m almost sure this one is a boy, and I fear for my sanity. Now I came over to let you know we’re moving book club out to Jen’s because I have feelings about this one. Deep, personal feelings.”

Nell had missed the last two book clubs. They were held on a monthly basis, and every month one of the ladies picked a book to read and discuss. “Why would your feelings mean we need to change locations?”

Laura snorted slightly. “I was wondering if you would pick up on that.”

Rachel’s hands went to her hips. “Laura picked a book called Her Two Cowboys by the romance author named Libby Finn. It’s a ménage where this dipshit chick thinks she can handle her stalker with kindness or something, but then she finds these twin cowboys in a small town and falls for them. It’s a good book and that woman’s mind is filthy, but damn, the heroine could be a little more trusting, you know. It’s ridiculous that she won’t tell the sheriff the mob is after her. Also, those two men are so much smarter than my husbands. But seriously the fact that the heroine accidently ends up kissing the wrong brother is silly. You can always tell.”

Yep, she would be missing book club again. She was totally skipping out because while she had a thick skin, she did not need to hear about all the ways she’d gotten it wrong. She got enough of that off the Internet.

Everyone was a critic.

“Have you read that one, Nell?” Laura had that suspicious gleam in her eyes.

Nell put on her blandest smile. “I tend to stick to nonfiction and the classics, but you know I would never judge anyone on what they read. You should read what makes you happy.”

“Nonfiction texts about climate change make you happy?” Holly asked.

“Only in that knowledge makes me happy.” Though she had to admit that sometimes ignorance really was bliss.

She needed to back off. If Henry felt better with protection around the house, then she wouldn’t cause a fuss. Of course when the baby came, they would have to talk about better hiding places.

She could imagine Henry’s face when he realized she’d known about them all along. It would make him think twice about keeping things from her.

As for whatever happened at Seth’s cabin, she would drop that, too. Henry seemed haunted by whatever he’d done. He would talk to her when he felt comfortable enough to. If he’d had to do something terrible to protect their friends, then she would help him get through it. Henry was a gentle soul at heart. She simply had to be patient and he would open up to her.

“I find it interesting that the cowboys are named Mac and Ty,” Laura pointed out. “That seems like too close to be a coincidence.”

Well, she couldn’t simply call them Max and Rye. That would have outed her quickly. The fact that the heroine was named Rene was pure coincidence. After all, she’d written it before Rachel had ever come to town. And she thought it was awfully judgmental of Rachel to condemn her poor heroine’s trust issues. “You think someone wrote that book who knew Max and Rye? Someone wrote their love story with Rachel? That would be so interesting.”

She wouldn’t lie outright, but she could hide behind a wall of wide-eyed naïvety.

“It was published before Rachel came to town, but those brothers are awfully close to Max and Rye,” Laura pointed out.

Rachel laughed. “Mac and Ty are much smarter. They figure out Rene’s problems way before she’s willing to talk to them. See, that’s why we need to move the meeting. Max is fine being known for his hotness, but Rye thinks he’s an intellectual. I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

“Because he’ll spank you silly,” Holly pointed out.

Rachel grinned. “In that case maybe I should have it at my house.” She winked. “There’s Callie. See you guys there?”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Holly gave her a wave and her eyes lit up. “Lunch is here. I’m starving. I kind of hoped the fertility treatments would suppress my appetite and I could lose some weight before I gain a bunch, but it hasn’t.”

Stella set the plates down in front of them, and Nell found her appetite was back as well.

“I’m hungry, too.” It was good to let go of her suspicions. “And forget about the stuff I said before. Laura’s right. I’m being paranoid. Eventually I’ll talk to him about the guns, but I’m letting it go for now. He seems shaken by what happened to Seth and Logan and Georgia. I’m going to be supportive.”

Laura reached out and put her hand over Nell’s. “I think that sounds like a Nell thing to do.” She sat back. “But I’m still going to figure out who Libby Finn is. I think you know her. I think you’ve been feeding her stories for years.”

“I would never feed someone stories about my hometown.” Not a lie. She would, however, write them herself. It was good to know Laura wasn’t as close as she thought she was. “Holly, tell me all about your fertility treatments.”

Nell worried about the chemicals, but if Holly thought this was the best way to take her shot, she would be supportive. It was the theme of the day.

Holly started to tell her all about it and Nell settled back.

Everything was going to be okay. She just had to believe it and it would happen.

 

* * * *

 

It was all going to go to hell. He could feel it. He needed to hold out a bit longer. Wolf Meyer’s wedding was soon and then…

Then he might not make it to his anniversary. Maybe he should wait for that. Perhaps celebrating their anniversary would soften Nell up. He could plan something lovely—picnic under the stars with chocolate-covered strawberries and her favorite salad. He could gently make love to her and then when she was satisfied, slip in that “hey, I used to be a CIA operative and I killed a whole bunch of people but they’d all deserved it.”

He hoped.

Yeah, that was going to go over like gangbusters.

“Henry, you okay?” Seth Stark was the one who wasn’t okay. He was hooked up to a whole bunch of machines that monitored his every bodily function.

Henry had dropped off Nell at Stella’s and then made the drive to the hospital in Del Norte, where Seth would be laid up for at least another day. He’d texted and been told Logan and Georgia were downstairs in the cafeteria.

Henry sank down on the chair next to Seth’s bedside. “I’m fine. I just wanted to talk to you alone. Does Logan know everything?”

Seth’s eyes closed, and he took in a long breath. “I’m sorry about that. He doesn’t know everything, but he knows enough.”

Henry had told Logan the basics, but he needed to know if Seth had filled him in on the rest. “No. Don’t be. I’m only asking because I need to know how much to tell him. He should know what’s been going on for the last several years. Seth, I should never have put this on you.”

Seth’s eyes came open and he winced as he turned a bit Henry’s way. “I didn’t actually tell him, you know. He figured it out. He’s smarter than he thinks he is. You should know that Georgia figured it out, too. The man kept talking about John Bishop, and it wasn’t so hard to connect those dots. Outside of Logan, you’re the person I’m closest to in Bliss. Logan remembers what you were like when you first came to town. I think everyone else has forgotten.”

He was the monster who’d smiled enough that people had forgotten how sharp his teeth were. “There are some new people who have suspicions. I probably shouldn’t have killed Gemma Wells’s ex-fiancé the way I did.”

Seth’s lips kicked up slightly. “Ye old internal decapitation?”

“Force of habit.” He cringed even as he said it. A man’s habits shouldn’t include a favored method of murder. He didn’t want to be this man. “Are you feeling okay? I know how the cartel treats people it wants information out of.”

He’d been on the receiving end more than once.

“It was awful, and now my future wife knows exactly how serious I am about her. She knows I’ll do anything to protect her, even take a beating.” Seth always found a way to look on the bright side of a situation. “It’s weird. I think it was way harder to sit there and let them beat on me than it would have been to do what you did. Not that I could have. Really it was best that I was the one tied to a chair.”

“You did everything perfectly. You gave Logan time to come get me.” He didn’t want Seth to think for a second he’d been less than heroic. “I was proud of how you held up.”

“Thanks. I knew Logan would save us. It was good to have faith. I haven’t always had it, you know.” Seth turned serious. “But you didn’t come here to recap yesterday. We need to talk about what’s going to happen.”

It was exactly why he’d come here today. Seth had told him a little, but he’d been in pain and then on drugs. “How bad is the situation?”

“The cartel definitely knows you’re alive. According to the man who tortured me, they found a…somebody who worked at a bar.”

Henry nodded. “Yes, there was a man who owned a bar in Bolivia. He was paid to tell the police what we wanted them to hear. I worried that there would always be rumors. So the cartel knows I’m alive and they connected me to you.”

“They’ve gone high tech. They managed to find the number of the phone you used shortly after you died. You called me,” Seth explained.

Guilt threatened to eat him alive. “Like I said. I shouldn’t have brought you into this. You were a kid.”

Seth snorted at the thought. “If you hadn’t called I would have tried to track you down. I was completely fascinated with you. You underestimate my stubborn will. In the months you were gone, I’d already managed to put some stuff together about you. I had a whole file.”

His heart clenched. “That could have gotten you killed. You’re lucky you didn’t get the Agency on your doorstep. They don’t like having their operatives looked into.”

“Hence it was good you decided to come back and you needed my help. You should take it again now because if you don’t, I’ll try to do it all myself, and it could go poorly. I had Logan bring me my laptop and I did some investigating this morning. This Jones guy, he was looking for information. I have no doubt if he’d found you, he would have taken you in,” Seth explained. “But he clearly didn’t want to be wrong. I think I’ve managed to trace him back. I checked his phone records. He’s had no communication with his employers in the past week. He was a guy looking to move up in his organization. He wanted to walk back into the office with you as an offering.”

“So Jones knew where to look, but no one else knew what he was doing.” He went over the possibilities in his mind. “I assure you if the cartel knows I’m alive, they’ve got feelers out. If they’re looking, eventually they’ll find me.”

“Jones got lucky. I can hide you. He didn’t know the name Henry Flanders. He was only here in town because I was. I think it’s time for John Bishop to resurface.”

He knew Seth wasn’t talking about him going back into business. “I take it you mean to put some rumors on the Deep Web? Maybe fake some pictures of me in another country. If you do that I’ll have more than the cartel looking.”

“The Agency?”

Henry sighed and sat back. “Yes, though I suspect they’re already looking. I assure you the Agency still watches the cartels, especially the ones that work more closely with jihadists. If the Agency knows I’m alive, they will want answers I’m not willing to give them. Or they might simply send someone to kill me.”

And Nell could be caught in the crossfire.

“Let me poke around a bit,” Seth said. “I have a lot of government contacts. I also have contacts that I probably shouldn’t. Don’t do anything right now except watch your back. If someone has eyes on you, anything out of the ordinary could tip them off.”

He wasn’t wrong about that. “I’m out of practice.”

“Then let me help you. Unless you want to reach out to old friends. How about that guy in Dallas? The one you said I should work with when I had that corporate spy problem.”

Seth had been the only one he could talk to over the years. “Taggart. He thinks I’m dead. Ian is oddly the most reasonable of my former…students. I worry I would be dragging him and his family into something they shouldn’t be involved in. He’s got kids now. I think it best I leave him out of this. I’m going to do some research.”

He’d already decided to do it the previous night. He’d gotten next to no sleep, merely sat in bed watching Nell and wondering if he was going to lose her.

He needed to get a lay of the land. He’d completely washed his hands of everything having to do with the cartel when he’d walked away. It hadn’t been hard. It wasn’t like he’d made friends there, but he had felt guilty for leaving a few people behind. Taggart had left the Agency around the same time and he’d done well for himself. Tennessee Smith was another of his trainees, and even he’d left the Agency after some time. Kayla Summers was the one he felt the most guilt over.

“I can help you with that,” Seth promised. “But first you have to decide what you’re going to do about Nell.”

“I’m going to tell her.”

A brow rose over Seth’s eyes. “When? I think it needs to be soon. It was an easy secret to keep when it was only you and me who knew. As soon as I can get out of this bed, I’m going to take Logan and Georgia to New York. I have some things I need to do there. I want you to think about coming with us.”

“That would only put a target on you. And I think you’re right about not doing anything out of the ordinary. My Nell getting on a private jet would be out of the ordinary.” She didn’t like big cities. She was a country girl at heart. Though maybe if he took her somewhere like New York, she would be forced to cling to him.

He hated this. He hated the way his skin felt too tight, like that bastard John Bishop was trying to get out, wanted another taste of what he’d had the day before. Like his old life was a shark that had merely dove deep and now was resurfacing to feed again.

“I want you to stay out of this, Seth.” He already had too many people to worry about. He’d sat with Nate Wright and Cameron Briggs the night before and told them everything he knew about the possible danger that could come to Bliss.

“Like I said, I’m already in it, and it’s hard for me to stop once I’ve started.”

“You have a family now, too.” He couldn’t risk any more people than he already had.

“Yes, he does, and this family sticks together,” a deep voice said.

God, he was out of practice if he hadn’t even heard the door open. He turned and Logan and Georgia had apparently cut their lunch short. Henry stood and faced Seth’s new family. “You should, and I think New York is a good place for you right now. I don’t want you to have to go through anything like this again.”

Logan merely smiled.

Georgia strode in and took her place at Seth’s side. “Well, I thought it was exciting. And I was good. I’m thinking seriously about a job with the CIA.”

Seth groaned. “You would bedazzle the whole place.”

Georgia’s shoulder shrugged. “Shiny objects distract people. I suspect they work on spies too. After all, my boobs distracted that jerk long enough for Logan to save the day.”

Logan’s jaw tightened. “He’s lucky he’s dead because I would very much like to kill that fucker again. Henry, I didn’t get a chance to say thank you.”

Henry shook his head. “No need. You wouldn’t have been in danger without me.”

“That wasn’t what I meant,” Logan corrected. “I meant thank you for taking care of Seth all these years. You’ve been more a father to him than his own.”

“Because my own is an asshole,” Seth offered.

“You kept up with him even when I didn’t, and I appreciate it. Seth brought us all together, and you had a part in that,” Logan continued. “I understand that you feel guilty, but I also understand why you did what you did. You fell in love with Nell and you had to get out in order to be with her. You changed your whole life for her. I get it. I admire you for it. But it’s time to tell her.”

“I don’t think that’s going to go well.” Georgia almost always said what other people were thinking.

“She will understand.” Logan moved close to Georgia. “If there’s one thing I know it’s that Nell loves you. She’ll be okay.”

“I think Henry should count himself lucky that Nell doesn’t believe in violence.” Georgia frowned as though she couldn’t quite believe the “everything’s going to be all right” bit.

He didn’t believe it either. “I’m going to talk to her, but I would like to push it off a little if I can. If we’ve got some time, I’d like to get through the wedding before I talk to her. I know I have no right to ask…”

Logan held up a hand. “We’re not going to say a thing. This is between you and your wife. And Seth here tells me you probably have time. Nate’s got to be ready, though, and that means telling some of our citizens. Cam’s got to know. So does the mayor. You have to bring in Stef at some point.”

The wedding was only a couple of weeks away. “I need to process this and figure out how fucked I am.”

“We also need to be on the lookout for new people hanging around town,” Seth pointed out. “If your old bosses figure out what the cartel did, they’ll likely send someone in.”

Henry nodded. “I’ll be on the lookout. I know there are a couple of new hires at the lodge, and I think River Lee hired some guy from Canada.”

“And the blonde,” Logan added. “Though I think she’s been here for a while. Name’s Heather and she’s from California. Nate says she’s been helpful. River’s been struggling since her husband walked out.”

He’d met the bubbly Heather a couple of times, but she showed no real interest in him. She talked to Nell at length about granola and the best storage techniques. He hadn’t met River’s other hire at all.

“I need some time. That’s all. After the wedding, I’ll sit her down and tell her. Until then, I’m going to figure out how to protect her. I worry if she knows and I don’t have a plan, she’ll come up with one on her own,” he admitted.

“Or she’ll kick you out and throw, like, tofu at your head,” Georgia said under her breath.

“Hey. Give him a break.” Seth reached for her hand. “He’s been like a dad to me.”

Henry felt the need to point out a few facts. “I am not old enough to be your dad. Could I be like a kindly big brother?”

Georgia’s lips quirked up. “I don’t know. You have serious dad vibes. But I’m on Nell’s side here. And I think she’s hiding some serious rage under all that happy-earth talk.”

He was okay with having dad vibes. He wanted to be a dad, wanted the chance to raise a child with the woman he loved.

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.