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
