Chapter Three

 

 

“The wedding was beautiful,” Nell said, and she felt the smile slide over her face. The wedding of Leo, Shelley, and Wolf had been lovely, and it had bolstered her. The words Lexi O’Malley had said the day before still had the power to move her to tears even in the middle of the farmer’s market that was held once a month outside the Feed Store Church.

Marriage, family, life, they’re all hard and require work. Happily ever after is a choice we have to make every day. You think you’re making your choice today, but I challenge you. I challenge every single one of us. Start each day by choosing. Skip the good morning and say something infinitely more important. I do.

“I heard it was lovely.” Belinda Ellison had a small stall where she sold the extras she had from her large garden. Belinda used no pesticides and had very earth-friendly gardening practices. Nell always purchased from her. “Though it’s so sad about Hiram.”

Another thing that could move her to tears. This morning the announcement had gone out that Hiram Jones, the long-time mayor of Bliss, had passed at the age of ninety-seven. He’d lived a good life, but it was hard to let go of anyone.

“It is,” Nell acknowledged. “It’s hard to go from a wedding to a funeral in the course of a few days. We’ll miss him terribly. He was a good neighbor and a good friend.”

She glanced over and saw Henry looking through the late-summer strawberries. It would be fall soon and she would switch from strawberries and melons and zucchini to pumpkin and apples. She would make Henry’s favorite soups and they would watch the trees change as they waited for their baby.

He looked up as though he knew she was watching, and his expression went from bland to soft and affectionate.

She chose him. She’d been silly to even question him. He’d given up his career for her. He loved her. He was exactly who he said he was. Her lover. Her husband. The father of her baby.

“Did you hear the rumor that they stored him in the freezer at Trio?” Belinda asked.

That made her laugh. “That is nothing more than Zane Hollister trying to create urban legends about his bar.”

It was ridiculous to think they would store poor Hi in a freezer. Caleb had a perfectly good facility for those who had passed. Didn’t he? Surely he did.

“I also heard that he died while…well, while having fun, if you know what I mean.” Belinda started packing up some red bell peppers Nell intended to use in a stir fry.

She seemed to be through with morning sickness, and she had a big appetite. She’d felt bad when she’d realized she’d eaten most of the hummus at her table at the reception the night before. Somehow she’d managed to eat the big bowl without really thinking about it. Henry had simply found her another and a big plate of celery sticks to go with it.

“Having fun? Like he was working a puzzle or something?” Nell gave Belinda her best blank look because she knew exactly how Hiram had died, but she wanted to make Belinda say it.

It was a little mean, but it was also the tiniest bit fun. And honestly, the valuable tasks sex workers did should be normalized. Older people needed human touch, too, and if they happened to enjoy being in a sex swing when they got it, Nell couldn’t see how that was a bad thing.

“He was…” Belinda finished placing the peppers in the bag Nell had brought. “Yes, I think it was something like that.”

She took the bag with a grin. “Hiram always liked to have fun. You have a lovely day, Belinda.”

She took her peppers and strode over to the juice bar that Teeny and Marie ran on market days.

“Nell, honey, how are you feeling? I heard you were under the weather.” Teeny didn’t have to ask what she wanted. She immediately started making an alien influencer. It was beet, carrots, and strawberry juice. Her favorite, and it had the added joy of letting Cassidy Meyer know she was alien-free for at least the next week.

“I’m good.” It was such a lovely day, and with the beauty of the wedding and the emotions of Hiram’s passing, she felt like sharing her news. It was time. Henry had told her this was her choice and that when it felt right she should tell their friends. “I wasn’t sick. I’m almost twelve weeks pregnant.”

Out of the corner of her eye she caught Henry talking to the man selling blackberries. Her husband was so gorgeous in his khaki shorts and T-shirt. Even his big feet were sexy in sandals.

She was starting to get horny. Like really, jump-her-husband horny, but Henry was treating her like a delicate princess who couldn’t possibly be touched or she might break. She wanted to play.

Teeny had stopped and her eyes went wide. “Are you serious, honey?”

Tears pierced her eyes. How could she go from crazy horny to super emotional in a single second? Teeny calling her honey made her miss her mom. “Yes.”

When her mom had passed she’d found Teeny and Marie and Stella had filled that void. She would always miss her mother, but she was so grateful for the women who stepped in and provided her with their loving care.

Teeny came around the bar and opened her arms. “I’m so happy for you and Henry. Oh, I love seeing all these babies. I’m so glad our Bliss family is growing.”

She hugged Teeny, sniffling because she was right. This was their family. All of Bliss. “Thanks. I’m happy about it. I told a few people, but I’m ready for everyone to know now. Henry and I are excited.”

She was starting to think that all Henry would ever do is worry. He’d seemed so distant in the last few days. She was scared that what had happened to him at Seth’s cabin was affecting him more than he was willing to admit. Between the guns and the odd silence that at times sat between them, she’d been thinking they might need to go to counseling. And not the kind Mel proposed where they would sit in a sweltering tent until they got so hot they simply blurted out whatever they needed to say so they could leave.

Teeny beamed at her as she moved back behind the bar. “I’m thrilled. It’s going to be so much fun watching all these babies grow up. We’re going to need a school soon.”

She’d heard there was already a plan in place to pit Stefan against Seth in a war to see who could spend the most on a school. She was going to have to watch that because some of the things kids needed couldn’t be purchased with cash.

Although now that she actually had a kid on the way, she was thinking a school might be a good idea. Despite the baby boom, the class would still be very small and likely multigrade. They would need to integrate technology, but they would be small enough that they could often enjoy the outdoors.

Would Henry teach history?

“Here you go, sweetie.” Teeny placed the glass in front of her. “It’s on the house, and I promise I’ll let Cassidy know you drank every drop, though after what she did at the wedding, you should be safe for a while.”

Cassidy had sat outside the chapel with shots of beet juice for everyone she hadn’t tested at the various parties. For anyone who refused to take the beet, Mel was there with his handy Detector 6000.

“Thanks.” Nell moved to one of the standing tables that dotted the “food court” part of the farmer’s market. Besides Teeny’s juice bar, there was a baked goods stand with coffee and tea, and a place to get handmade sausages.

Which did not smell good. No. They did not.

She needed more protein. She would stop by the stall where they sold legumes and beans.

What if her baby liked meat? What if she was giving birth to a ferocious carnivore?

She might have to learn how to cook it. It sent a shiver down her spine, but she had to let her child decide what was important to her.

“Hello, ma’am. Do you mind if I join you?”

She turned and there was a man standing at her table. He was probably a bit over six foot and dressed like a tourist in jeans and a T-shirt, though he was wearing all black and it was a warm day. He was likely from a big city where they didn’t have to worry too much about outdoor activities. He had a cup of coffee in his hand, one of the dark roasts from the smell.

It was odd because there was an open table. River Lee stood at one, drinking coffee with her hiking guide, Heather Turner, but the third was empty. Still, it could be hard to be alone in a new town. “Of course.”

He set his coffee down. He had dark hair and eyes and a scar on his face that ran across the left side of his jaw. “Thanks. It’s a nice day. My wife is roaming the stalls but I strained my calf on the golf course yesterday.”

There was a new course outside of town. She didn’t like it. She wasn’t sure why they had to use so much water in order to prove someone could put a tiny ball in a hole on perfectly manicured lawns. It would be more impressive to do it on real land. Still, she gave him a brief smile. “I’m sorry to hear that. Are you staying here in Bliss?”

“We rented a cabin in Del Norte,” he replied. “It’s nice and quiet. It’s also got a kitchen, hence our trip out here. My wife is all into this organic stuff.”

Good for his wife. “She’s lucky. We only have this market once a month.”

“Yes, we’re definitely lucky,” he said with a nod. “This is a nice town. I looked into it a bit when she wanted to come here. I was downloading directions, you know.”

She wasn’t sure why he’d had to download directions. They were right off the only highway that connected Bliss to Del Norte. “Of course. You wouldn’t want to get lost.”

“No. I’m not all that into nature, but I will admit it’s pretty. So do you and your husband live around here?”

He must have seen her wedding ring. “Yes, we’ve been here for a long time. Well, I have. My Henry and I got married almost six years ago. He’s been here ever since.”

“He’s not from Colorado?”

She shook her head. “No. He was born in Ohio, but he was working as a college professor in Washington State when he came here for a vacation, met me, and moved here six months later.”

She didn’t mention the whole “he left her alone for those six months and she hadn’t thought he would ever return” part.

“That must have been a big change,” the man said.

“He fit right in.” When he’d come back to her, he’d embraced the whole of Bliss. It made it easy to remember how naïve he’d thought she was, how he’d initially been cold. He was so warm now.

“Well, I’ve heard this is the place to be. I read something about that tech guy building a big cabin out here. The one from New York. Read about it on the plane. Can’t remember his name, though.”

“Are you talking about Seth?”

He pointed her way. “Seth Stark. That was it. Yeah. Read he spent some time out here. I work in the tech sector, so I hear about him all the time.”

But he couldn’t remember Seth’s name? Something was off. “What’s your wife’s name?”

He took a long drink and then smiled again. “Susan. We’re from Houston. How about your husband?”

“Henry. Henry Flanders. And I’m Nell.”

“Dave Smith,” he replied smoothly. “I’d love to meet your husband. I spent some time in Washington State, too. Does your husband golf by any chance?”

Oh, that was not happening. “No. He’s more of an intellectual.”

She often invited new friends over to dinner, but something about the man put her off. She wasn’t sure what it was, but there was definitely some instinct telling her it was time to find a way to politely exit the conversation.

“Hey, Nell. I was looking for you. I needed to ask your opinion about the zucchinis.” River walked up with a smile. She was a sweet-faced woman with dark hair that was cut in a bob that hit right past her jawline. “I was going to make your muffins. I don’t want to overbuy. Could you help me?”

Women always seemed to know when their sisters needed a hand. “I would love to. Please excuse me, Mr. Smith. I hope you enjoy your day.”

“I will, Ms. Flanders. I think I’ll enjoy it very much,” he replied.

“Okay, Heather was right,” River said with a shake of her head as they walked away. Nell placed her glass back on the bar for Teeny to wash. “She thought you needed some help. That dude was creepy.”

He kind of was. She didn’t like to judge people, but he’d been rather intense for a man on vacation. “I think he was lonely in a new place. Where did Heather go?”

River shrugged. “That girl is a mystery to me. She’s been so great to have around, but she spaces out at the oddest times.”

She probably had an artistic nature. Nell herself had been accused of spaciness. “Well, I’m more than happy to help you find the perfect zucchini. I heard there was some lovely okra, too.”

She was kind of craving fried okra. This baby was making her crave all kinds of things.

But mostly she craved Henry. If he didn’t touch her soon, she was going to go crazy. “How many muffins did you want to make?”

River sighed. “Oh, the muffins were just to get you out of the situation. I don’t cook much anymore. It’s only me now.”

River’s husband had left her, and her father had passed after a long illness. Nell was glad she had a friend in Heather. River needed more people around her, and it had been a while since Nell had gone out to River’s. She slid her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “Well, I’m going to buy some ingredients because I need your rice casserole. I’ve been thinking about it for days. I’m pregnant, and you can’t turn away a pregnant lady.”

She was fairly certain River was struggling financially, but she was a proud lady. Nell would simply overbuy, and River would have plenty for herself, too.

“Oh, Nell, that’s wonderful,” River said, smiling brightly. “What exciting news for you and Henry. You know I always thought you would make great parents. I would love to make it for you. We veggie girls have to stick together.”

She let go of her worries again. It was the theme of the month. She let River lead the way and vowed to enjoy the afternoon.

 

* * * *

 

Henry stepped away from the berry stand and glanced down at his phone. He was waiting on some information Seth was running down for him. Something was happening in Mexico and he was afraid he was putting together threads that he would rather stayed apart.

If he was right, he might need to bring John Bishop out of retirement because his old friends were going to walk into a nightmare.

He could come up with some excuse to travel, deal with the situation, and maybe take a side trip to South America. If the whole cartel was dead, they couldn’t come after him.

Then Nell would be safe, and she wouldn’t ever have to know anything was wrong.

He’d started thinking more and more like John Bishop. Ruthless. Uncompromising. Out for the best result for himself.

If he was John Bishop, he would have spent the last couple of weeks fucking his wife. He would have put her in bondage and tweaked those rings on her nipples until she cried prettily for him and she begged him to give her what she needed.

John Bishop wouldn’t care about how fragile she was. He would only care about branding himself on her and ensuring she understood who she belonged to.

John Bishop was an asshole.

Henry Flanders was the nice man who took care of his wife and didn’t burn down the world to ensure she never had to know he lied. Henry Flanders was going to tell her.

Tomorrow. Maybe the day after. Maybe after he figured out what was happening with the Jalisco Cartel and a CIA operative who went by the name Levi Green.

“Hey, Henry.” One of the Harper twins strode up. “Did you get the news about Hiram? Got done in by a hooker and a sex swing. At least it was a hell of a way to go.”

Ah, Max. The Harper twins were perfectly identical to the eye. Totally different once they started talking. Rye Harper was the former sheriff and a completely reasonable man. Max was amusing. Most of the time. “Sex worker, please. They have dignity, too.”

“I heard about the position he was in from Zane, and I don’t know there was a lot of dignity to it. Though Hi did die with a smile on his face.” Max sighed. “I’m going to miss the old guy.”

“We all will.” Hiram Jones had been the mayor of Bliss for as long as anyone could remember.

Henry had sat in his office days after what had happened at Seth’s. Nate had decided that the mayor needed to be brought up to date on the potential threat to Bliss. Henry had been forced to sit in front of Hiram and admit what he’d done.

Hi had been told that a citizen had lied and now the town was in danger, and all he’d done was given Henry a hug and told him they would get through this the way they always did. Together.

Then Hi had told him to tell his wife.

He still wasn’t sure how to tell his wife. What would he do if she got upset and lost the baby? How would he ever take another breath? Caleb said Nell was healthy and sex was fine, that oftentimes women who miscarry have perfectly healthy pregnancies follow and they never knew exactly what went wrong the first time.

“Anyway, I wanted to come over and ask if I can borrow your drill. Mine crapped out and I don’t have time to go into Alamosa for a new one. The latch on my barn door finally rusted over and the new one came in. Rach will have my hide if I don’t fix it soon. That woman does not understand that preseason football is important.”

“Sure. I’ll bring it by this afternoon. I’ll even help you.”

“I appreciate it.” Max tipped his hat and started to turn.

“How did you get through Rachel’s pregnancy? The first one. I can imagine this one is easier. Were you scared?” The question was out of Henry’s mouth and he couldn’t take it back.

Max turned, his eyes going wide. “Uh, this is probably one of those times I should call Rye in, but I’m super curious now.”

“Can you not be an asshole and just answer my question?”

Max seemed to think about it for a moment. “I think asshole is my default state, but I can put it off for a few seconds since we both know you’ll end up fixing that door and I’ll drink a beer while I watch you. So, the first time Rach was pregnant I was pretty freaked out. Do not look shit up on the Internet. It will not ease your mind. I don’t know who said knowledge is power, but they have obviously never had a pregnant wife. Knowledge is scary as shit. I found it was best if I just let Doc give me a thumbs-up at the end of an appointment.” He glanced around as though wanting to make sure no one was listening. “You and Nell trying?”

Henry shook his head. “Forget I said anything.”

“I’m real good at forgetting things. Ask my wife. If you need to talk, I can listen and totally forget until such time as you think it’s good for me to remember.” Max sighed and patted Henry’s shoulder. “When you come over, I’ll tell you how I trained Quigley to let me know when Rach’s water broke. You need a dog.”

Actually, that wasn’t a terrible idea. A big nasty dog he could train to protect its mistress. Nell would love that.

Of course she would also love the fact that he’d told Max. He’d promised to keep it private until Nell was ready.

Max pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked down at it. He grinned when he looked back up. “Hey, congrats on the baby, man. Rach says she already knew but kept it quiet. Now I don’t have to forget.”

What had happened? “Rachel sent you a text?”

“Yeah, she heard it from Callie, who heard it from Marie, who heard it from Teeny.” Max’s phone buzzed again. “Oh, and it’s gotten to Mel. Has Nell recently been probed?”

God, it had been so long since he’d probed her. So freaking long.

“How did Teeny know?” He should find Nell.

Or she’d decided to tell the world and knew Teeny would be a good way to get the word out. She’d been on her way to the juice bar when they’d split up. Teeny was a sweetheart. She wouldn’t have started a rumor if Nell hadn’t told her it was okay. Well, Nell was in for a whole lot of beets. Luckily he didn’t hate them, and they might lower his damn blood pressure since he could feel it ticking up.

You wouldn’t be so on the edge if you got dirty with your wife.

You wouldn’t be so on the edge if you got honest with your wife.

Yep, he had an angel and a devil on his shoulder, and he didn’t want to listen to either one.

Max shrugged. “No idea. She has her ways. But again, congrats, and if you need it, I’ll loan out Q when Nell’s closing in on the finish line. See you later on this afternoon.” He turned and then Max was tipping his hat Heather Turner’s way. “Ms. Turner.”

The tall blonde gave him a snarky curtsy. “Mr. Harper.” She smiled Henry’s way. “I love a small town.” She had a backpack on her back and carried a small tote filled with veggies. “Hey, I thought you should know there’s a weird dude asking Nell all kinds of questions. I don’t think he’s from around here.”

Henry felt his whole body shift into fight mode. “Where is she?”

Heather pointed over her shoulder. “She was at the food court, but I had River save her. I think the guy’s still there. Not that it matters or anything. Just thought I’d warn you. I heard some of it. He was asking about Seth Stark. He might be a reporter or something. Nell’s such a sweetie. We all have to look out for her.”

Henry nodded, but his mind was already running through all the possible scenarios. He moved down the aisle, heading toward the food court that sat in the middle of the parking lot. Up ahead he could already see Nell moving away with River at her side. She was smiling at her friend, and he caught her say something about zucchinis.

Fuck. If he missed the asshole, there would be no way to find him. Bliss didn’t have CCTV cameras on every block. They had exactly one, and it had been used to prove to Mel that it had been a hungry bear that had knocked over the trash cans at city hall and not aliens attempting to steal DNA.

It was precisely one of the things he loved about Bliss, one of the things that had kept him safe, but now it could hurt his wife. He brushed past a couple buying potatoes and made it to the small courtyard.

It was empty.

“Henry, such wonderful news.” Teeny was smiling brightly. “I’m going to start on a baby blanket as soon as possible. Only organic cotton, and I’ll make sure it’s sustainably sourced.”

He didn’t have time to talk about baby gifts. “Teeny, do you know where the man who was talking to Nell went?”

“He seemed rather odd. Asked me if I knew where Seth lived,” Teeny said. “And then he didn’t even want a juice. A little rude if you ask me. He walked off toward the church. Is everything all right?”

He couldn’t tell her that the man might be an investigator for a drug cartel that wanted him dead. He could only imagine the text chain that would come from that admission. “I thought I recognized him from my professor days. I wanted to see if he was an old friend. If my wife asks, tell her I ran to the restroom and I’ll be back.”

He made his way toward the church in time to see a man dressed in black slip inside. The church kept its doors unlocked during the market to provide access to restrooms, but he happened to know the staff wasn’t working today. When he and Nell had a stall earlier in the year, they’d joined with the other sellers to ensure the church was cleaned after the market closed and they locked everything up.

He wanted a look at the guy. He would follow the man into the bathroom, get a good look at his face, and then see what car he got into. It would likely be a rental if he’d been sent to look for John Bishop, but Seth could work miracles if he had a plate number.

He slipped inside the church and the world immediately went darker and colder. The air conditioner was running, giving the quiet space a hum. The bathrooms were to the left, and the feed store portion of the Feed Store Church was in front of him. The lights were out, and he didn’t hear footsteps.

He felt that instinct flare up again. It was too quiet. He’d seen the man come in. Unless he’d sprinted down the hallway, Henry should be able to hear him walking.

Cautiously, he stepped into the store. It was the only place to hide quickly.

Why would he hide?

Henry looked around, and nothing seemed to have been disturbed. There were big bags of feed of all kinds and aisles of tools. To his right was a display of various lawn care machines. He’d had his eye on a sweet leaf blower, but he suspected his wife liked the leaves to be free.

It was darker as he moved into the middle of the store.

What was he doing? He didn’t even have a gun. He turned, ready to check the bathroom and then get the hell out of here. He would sort it all out later. He could come up with some excuse and have Heather give him a thorough description of the man.

“Hello.” The man was standing right beside a big display of bird baths. He held a Ruger in his right hand, pointing it straight at Henry’s heart. “I suspect you’re the one Jones was looking for. You Bishop?”

Fuck. Henry held up his hands. He needed to get his head back in the game. “My name is Henry. I was just looking around. I don’t want any trouble.”

But he would have to make some because this man knew his face and if he was allowed to get back to the cartel, all hell would break loose. It seemed someone was looking for Jones and they’d found Henry instead.

“Cut the crap. I’ve seen your picture,” the man said with a sneer. “Fucking Agency assholes have to ruin everything. Jones was being cagey about where he was heading, but when he didn’t come back, I checked into things. He came here. I found evidence that he was looking into Seth Stark. Stark is working with you, isn’t he? I’m intrigued as to why a billionaire is working with a ghost. Did you kill Jones?”

“I don’t know a Jones.” It wouldn’t work, but he needed time and a whole lot of luck.

The man chuckled, an amused sound, as though he enjoyed this part of the game. “Maybe you didn’t catch his name. He would have come through town a couple of weeks ago with some of our associates. Big guys. Big guns. I’m trying to figure out what happened to them because they all went real quiet. Now someone sent all their cell phones to Los Angeles. Imagine my surprise when I get to the place in LA where their signals say they are and all that’s there are the phones that some asshole has helpfully kept charged.”

That had been his idea. He was certain whoever Seth had given the job to had thought the boss was running some kind of test on the phones and how easy they were to track. It had bought them time because even if he’d destroyed the cells, there would have been a way to track their last known locations. So he’d given them another one.

Henry started to back up. If he wasn’t mistaken, he was close to the shovels. They would be one aisle over. He would have one chance. He couldn’t let this guy get away. He knew far too much.

He had to hope the other man hadn’t had enough time to get a call out. “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

The man’s hand had the slightest tremor. “We’ll see if you keep quiet when I get you back to our base. My boss is incredibly angry with you. You’re the reason he’s in the mess he’s in, and he will cover me in riches when I deliver you to him. I think I’ll bring your wife along and see if she can make you talk.”

The idea of his sweet Nell under this man’s thumb made him see red, and he knew he wasn’t going to make it to the next aisle. They were going to do this here and now.

Henry kicked out, catching the other man’s hand before he could get a shot off. The gun clattered against a riding lawnmower and Henry took a punch to the gut.

He didn’t even feel it. It registered, but not as anything close to pain. That would come later. Adrenaline pumped through his system as he focused fully on the task at hand.

He took another punch, but landed one of his own. The man flew back and his head hit hard against the floor.

That was the moment the knife made its appearance.

His opponent flipped up to standing and rushed Henry, knife at the ready.

Henry moved to one side, letting the heavier man’s weight carry him past. He wasn’t particularly skilled, but then Henry had found most of the cartel men weren’t well versed in hand to hand.

It was a mere moment before Henry had his arm wrapped around the man’s neck and heard the crunching sound that let him know his job was done. Nell was safe. For now.

The cartel man slipped to the floor without a sound.

But there was a gasp that let Henry know he wasn’t alone. He turned and his worst nightmare was standing there in her organic cotton dress. She was alone and her eyes went right to the body on the floor, the dead body he now had to find a way to make her understand.

“Henry?” Nell looked pale.

“I can explain.”

She dropped the bag she’d been carrying and then she started for the floor, her eyes rolling back.

He caught her and realized everything had gone wrong. He felt for her pulse. It was strong. Henry held her close and reached for his cell. He kept this particular number on speed dial.

“This is Wright.”

Nell was going to kill him. “Sheriff, I seem to have a problem.”

He hoped Zane Hollister’s freezer could handle another dead body.