Oliver (This is Our Life Book 3)

by F. G. Adams

  Once inside the truck, I recall the strange encounter in the diner. Fallyn appeared almost hypnotized, yet scared. No, not scared. Leery. Then disgusted. Very confusing.

  Harper, on the other hand, was relentless when faced with the alarming circumstance. She took charge of the situation, caring for her mom without a second thought. A strong young lady. I’m impressed.

  Being so close to the girls has me all wound up inside, feelings that don’t make sense and I don’t want to think about. I haven’t felt like this since…Fuck. Taylor, always present in my mind.

  Back it down, Bishop. There’s no room for that right now. Gotta focus. I’m just caught up in the race, finding the asset and finishing the job. It means a lot to so many people back in the View.

  Voices echo from outside my truck, and I look up just as the taller Harper leads a shorter Fallyn out of the diner. The companionship and love is evident as they walk down the street together, hugging and holding hands. It’s adorable but sad.

  In that moment, I’m struck with the realization that they only have each other. I can’t imagine what it must be like for Harper. Growing up on the run. No family or friends. Just her mom.

  The duo disappears into the little mom and pop grocery down the street. I slide the unlock on the screen of my phone and make the call to Keagan.

  “Checkmate, brother.”

  “You found them? Are you positive? Don’t fuck with me, Ols. Last time…” Keagan’s voice tappers off.

  “I get it, man, but it’s confirmed, K. Fallyn and Harper are here in Rescue, Virginia. Alive and well.”

  Excitement resonates through my tone, and I validate the information I’ve gathered.

  “No shit? You’ve seen them?” Keagan’s interrogation continues.

  “I’ve got eyes on her now. She and Harper just went into the local grocery store. Still working out the hows and whys of how to approach. I’ll keep ya updated.”

  “That’s fuckin’ great news, Ollie. They’ve found them, angel,” Keagan whispers.

  A gasp comes through the line.

  “For real? This time it’s for real?” Jo responds with exhilaration along with a hint of sorrow lacing her words. Her sister and niece may finally be coming home.

  When I thought I’d found them back in Tennessee, it was Keagan and Jocelyn’s wedding day. I called and announced the news on their day, but the trail went cold afterwards. My gut tightens because of the way things went south.

  “Glad I could help, man. Glad we finally found them. I’m gonna bring ‘em home soon. Go celebrate with your wife, K.”

  “Thanks, Ols. Catch ya later.”

  Keagan’s satisfied voice fills the cab of my truck.

  That could’ve been me. Should’ve been me and Taylor, enjoying our life together.

  I shudder at my wayward thoughts, dreams I need to keep buried.

  It’s great news for the Blackwood family, for everyone. I’m happy to deliver it.

  The hunt is coming to an end for me, too. Of that, I’m certain.

  Staring out to the deserted street, I deliberate on all I’ve witnessed so far. The way for me to get closer to the pair lies with the daughter. Thinking about the interaction between mother and daughter helps me formulate a plan.

  If Harper feels comfortable with me, Fallyn will trust me. If Harper takes a shine to me and doesn’t feel threatened, Fallyn will trust me. Fuck me. This all rides on a teenage girl giving me a chance. From the polite verbal opposition, along with the tightness in her face and body language back at the diner, the girl could give two shits about me. She’s guarded, and rightfully so.

  The reality of gaining Harper’s approval is paramount in this op. The stiffness in my neck spawns a throbbing in my temples.

  Yet when nothing is going right in life, you say ‘fuck it’ and go left. Case in point with the current situation I’m in. So, here goes nothing.

  I exit the truck and enter the grocery store in search of the vixen and her cub.

  6

  Fallyn

  ‘Slower than a herd of sea turtles stampeding through a mound of chunky peanut butter’ comes to mind. Out of all the times Harper wouldn’t be budged, it had to be now. According to her, she wanted to “savor every mouth-watering morsel” of this divine breakfast Susie had delivered piping-hot from the kitchen. God help me. I, on the other hand, couldn’t swallow a bite of the delicious breakfast taunting my frustrated senses beautifully displayed on the tabletop in front of me.

  Nope.

  Not.

  One.

  Damn.

  Bite.

  Every last drop of saliva vacated my now cotton-filled mouth when the sexy newcomer’s eyes found mine.

  He is at least six and a half feet tall with tattoos peeking out from the collar of his t-shirt I can see when he unzips and removes his jacket. The thick mass of charcoal hair surrounding his pitch-black eyes is covered with a camouflaged ball cap. Holy shit! There’s a Razorback on that hat. Is he from my neck of the woods, maybe?

  The movement draws my attention to his chest. You could bounce water off the athletic-formed muscles. I wonder if he played football; or maybe not football, baseball? There’s not an ounce of fat to be found on his flawless body.

  I’m positive my hands wouldn’t touch if I tried to wrap my arms around his massive chest. A form-slimming waist creates the perfect valley into a pair of washed-out, tattered jeans. Muscular legs tense from my perusal.

  Quickly, I grab the mug of cold coffee and bring it to my lips. Looking up, I see he’s watching me closely.

  I panic from his intense stare and gulp the drink. I swallow way too fast, and before my bewildered, all of a sudden comatose brain can catch up with my confused body, the coffee goes down the wrong pipe. Well, color me stupid for acting like a fool.

  I’m spitting, choking, and coughing all over the tabletop into the cold waste of a really good breakfast. Harper rushes over to me and starts pounding my back. Humiliation at its best. I hope the sexy giant is long gone by now. This just can’t be happening.

  “Geez, Mom! You okay?”

  I manage an “Um…” before the coughing attack continues.

  “Golly, Ms. M. For a second there I thought you might need me to use some of that stuff I learned in a boring first-aid class Dad made me take last summer. He thought it would come in handy around here.”

  Harper scrunches her nose in confusion. My poor sheltered little girl.

  Susie continues, “You’ve gotta know the Heimlich maneuver, Harper.”

  She clasps her hands and fake pulls back and forth, gyrating her hips. Harper just shakes her head, containing the laughter trying to escape.

  “Ma’am?” a concerned male voice says.

  Inwardly, I groan and close my eyes, knowing what is about to take place. The sexy giant is near. The heartbeat that was finally calming rapidly increases again. I slowly open my watery eyes and look up. Yep. Damn.

  He’s standing close enough to touch, and I really, really want to touch him. I want to know if he’s hard all over his giant body. Huh? What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t react to men like this.

  I haven’t been with anyone but Roman, and I don’t intend to change that sad statistic.

  “Are you okay, ma’am?” he inquires and crouches down to eye-level, broad shoulders blocking my view.

  My mind goes blank as his aroma surrounds me. He smells woodsy and like coffee. He reeks of masculinity. Delicious. Two of my most preferred things.

  I blink trying to focus. Come on, brain. Jump start. I do believe the motherboard has short circuited and the processors have shut down. Hallelujah! I’ve finally lost my mind.

  Harper inserts herself between me and the questioning cowboy. Thank God!

  He moves quickly out of her way and backs away without taking his eyes off me.

  She’s cautious of strangers, and this sexy giant has flustered her mom. I notice her maneuver has created a good distance between us and him. That�
��s my girl.

  “She’s fine. Thank you, sir.”

  Harper pulls me into a hug.

  “Susie, can we have our check, please? I think we are done here.”

  “Sure, Harper. Be right back.”

  I should have known Harper would take control of the situation, giving me a moment to collect myself. She’s a rock under pressure.

  God, I hate feeling helpless and out of control. She deserves so much more. A life worry free of her bastard father!

  Fury boils inside. It always comes back to Roman. The lunatic chasing us for his family and his own perverted happiness. I doubt he will stop. He won’t give up.

  “Don’t fool yourself, Fallyn Blackwood. You and my child belong to me forever…I own you,” Roman’s fervent promise resounds.

  After the reality check, I bury my attraction to the unknown stranger. I can’t think of him when Harper needs me.

  The familiar mask falls into place as the key turns and locks my wants and desires in a box within my heart for safekeeping. The iron will I’ve called on for the last sixteen years appears and shelters the frayed nerves surfacing.

  I release Harper from the tightly-woven hug we share. Without questioning, she takes her seat in the booth while we wait for the check. Susie returns quickly with the bill.

  “See ya both tomorrow,” Susie says as we get up to leave.

  I don’t look for the sexy giant as we wave good-bye to her. I am so ready to get the hell out of the diner. I can’t run away fast enough.

  “You gonna tell me what happened to you back there, Mom? I’ve never seen you act like that. What was wrong? Did you know him?”

  “No, honey. Nothing like that. I can’t explain it. He just got under my skin. Silly stuff.”

  “Do we have to leave?”

  “Not yet. We just got here. We should be safe for a little while. That’s why we took the long way here, remember? I’m hoping we can stay put until after the holidays.”

  “Yeah, me too. I like Susie. She was nice. Crazy fun.” She hesitates. “Maybe we could be friends?”

  “Oh, Harper, I’m so sorry. I wish things were different.”

  “Don’t worry ‘bout it, Mom. As long as we’re together, I’m good.”

  “So you keep saying.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  I don’t answer right away. I convinced myself from day one I was doing the right thing by running away from home and hiding.

  The threats Roman made on my family were real. I never doubted he wouldn’t follow through, and I knew he would eventually kill my body, but my soul would die first under his sadistic ways.

  He needs Harper; she’s his heir. But he burns for me. I’ll never be free of him. Even so, moments like these make me question my actions.

  “Sometimes I just wish we had a stable home. Consistency. You need family and friends, and that’s something I can’t give you.”

  “Nope. Just you, Mom. We’ve got this. One day at a time.”

  I laugh at the reminder we’ve used over the years to help us get through. She’s too damn smart.

  “I guess we should get some grub for later. What do you think?”

  “Can you make pizza? Barbecue chicken and jalapeños?”

  “Let’s get the stuff, and you can help me make it later.”

  “Okay. Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you, too, little cub. More than you can imagine.”

  The family-owned grocery store is half a block from the diner. The convenience of everything being close reminds me of when we lived in a small community in Tennessee a few years back. Everything was within walking distance. No need to own a vehicle unless you were going on a trip.

  “Grab a buggy. You’ve got pushing duty today, young lady.”

  Harper giggles.

  “I’ll suffer through pushing for your pizza and a liter of coke and homemade peanut butter cookies, and some…”

  I turn to say something to her and run smack dab into a mountain of a man. My face is squished up against his solid body. Shit.

  “Excuse me, I…um,” I stutter when my eyes focus on an awfully familiar chest.

  Why does this keep happening to me? Really? I should have stayed home.

  Large hands land on each shoulder to steady my wonky body.

  “Whoa there, sugar. Where’s the fire?”

  “Sugar?” I squeak.

  Oh, hell no! He did not just say that.

  “Yeah, sugar, seems to me you can’t catch a break.”

  “Break?” I say an octave higher and carefully remove his hands from my shoulders.

  “Well, first you choke on coffee in the diner and then you run into me. Doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to put those clues together. You’re a klutz.”

  “A klutz, did you say?” I yell, taking a step back.

  “C’mon, sugar. We’re both havin’ a rough day.”

  He pauses to rub the five-o’clock shadow along his jaw.

  “Can we start over, maybe?”

  He delivers a full-blown grin with dimples.

  I am beyond livid, and even his sexy-as-hell dimples won’t lessen my fury. Well, maybe. I might have no control over Roman Cabricci’s actions, but this asshole has messed with the wrong chick.

  “Please, sugar. I truly didn’t mean to upset you.”

  He stops when I raise my hand up, palm facing out, and take a deep breath to calm my frazzled patience. The peace and quiet sure don’t last long.

  “Lucky for you, my reflexes kicked in or you would have been flat on your backside with a vicious little bruise on that pretty body of yours.”

  “Enough!”

  I sidestep him and motion Harper to move forward.

  “Where’re you going? I didn’t even get your name.”

  Ignoring the imbecile, because, well, I want to, I mentally check off the grocery list. He follows us to the dairy section and offers me a gallon of ‘fat-free’ milk.

  “Name’s Oliver Bishop.”

  I look down at him even though he’s a freaking giant. Learned that one from my grandma.

  I ignore him and reach for a half-gallon carton of two-percent milk, check the expiration date, and place it in the cart. Maybe if I pretend he’s not there, he’ll get the picture and go away?

  Three aisles later, I realize there’s no such luck. He’s still following us.

  I peruse the fresh fruits and vegetables.

  He grabs two melons, holds them up to his chest, and blurts, “Eat your heart out, Dolly Parton!”

  I stifle a giggle slowly creeping up my throat. This man is a looney bird. I make a few selections for the weekend and add them to the buggy. I try to finish collecting the groceries we need. I feel his stare follow me.

  Harper quietly pushes the cart. I look her over, concerned that perhaps Oliver’s behavior has frightened or spooked her. The look on her face isn’t fear but amusement. What in the world? She’s enjoying the spectacle Oliver has conjured up.

  The last aisle is a personal favorite: cookies. Harper grabs a peanut butter sandwich cookie pack and adds it the growing items. A second pack lands beside hers. I whip around to face Oliver and his dimples beaming from ear to ear.

  “You can’t just have one pack, right?” He pauses and grins at Harper’s continuous nodding. “Double dipping is a late-night must-have. Two are better than one, sugar.”

  He winks at me.

  Well, shit-on-a-stick.

  I give up.

  Ignoring doesn’t work on him.

  Not only is he an overbearing, persistent sexy giant, he’s got a good sense of humor, too. Damn. The whole package.

  Where were you sixteen years ago, Oliver?

  I sigh loudly.

  “Look, Oliver. I just want to get my groceries and go to my safe, comfortable house. Would you please just go away?”

  I cup my hands and move them forward, brushing quickly in a shooing motion.

  He bends down and looks directly at me.

&nbs
p; “On one condition.”

  What the hell?

  “M’kay. I’ll bite, cowboy. What’s it gonna take to get you to leave me alone, Mr. Bishop?”

  “Just give me your name, sugar.”

  I start to panic; a full-blown panic attack overwhelms me. My breath quickens and my eyes go wide.

  Why does he want my name? Oh, God! Does he work for Roman?

  No. He’s just flirting, Fallyn. Right? Yes. That’s all. He wouldn’t know anything about Roman.

  Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, warning bells ring. Insecurities flitter in my mind. Old reminders of the past sneak in.

  Roman’s promise surfaces. “You are mine, Fallyn. No one will ever touch what belongs to me. It would be a death warrant.”

  I shiver at the cold reminder.

  I try to talk myself down off the proverbial ledge. Don’t worry. He doesn’t know you from Adam, but what if I’m wrong?

  Harper!

  My chest tightens with pain like a vise gradually squeezing every ounce of air from my body. I bend forward placing my hands on bent knees. I release the pent-up air from my lungs that I wasn’t aware of holding and look down.

  I gulp the life-giving oxygen into my deprived body. I pant. Remember to breathe, Fallyn.

  In the next moment, warm fingers cup my cheek and begin a circular motion to rub the worry lines away. Sooty, black lashes spear through my addled brain, grounding me and holding me to this world.

  “Stop your frettin’. I can wait ’til you’re ready to share,” the concerned man before me gently whispers for my ears only.

  I lift my hand to cover his and stare into the endless pools of obsidian. Comfort I haven’t felt in so long engulfs me. I search him. For what? I’m not sure. When the last remnants of my sudden attack fade away, he lowers his hands and steps out of my personal bubble.

  Huh? How did he know I wouldn’t be comfortable once it was over?

  He glances at Harper then back at me.

  “You ladies goin’ to the Fall Festival?”

  I nod and Harper answers, “I’m meeting Susie. She’s going to introduce me to her friends.”

  I’m shocked at her statement. I can’t believe she just told him our plans. That is so unlike her to give information to a stranger. I’ve warned her so many times. Not only that, we have an agreement. The less others know, the better off they will be in the long run.