Quantum Boxed Set TAME: Books 1-3

by Force, Marie

  I laugh at the cute but sad reply. “We can’t drive, though. With everyone home because of the snow, we’ll never be able to park. We’ll take a cab.”

  “How will we get out of here undetected?”

  “I have the perfect solution.”

  “I won’t wear Russian fur on my head.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of making you do that. I’ve got something even better.” He disappears into the bedroom and returns carrying two hats. When he hands one to me, I see they are knit ski masks with holes for the eyes, nose and mouth that cover the entire face. “No one will look twice at us in these today, because everyone will be wearing them.”

  “I’ve always thought they were kind of creepy when I saw people wearing them on the street.”

  “They do come in handy on days like this. And this way we can leave the security guys at home.”

  “Where are they when we’re here?”

  “In an office in the building next door. I call them when we need them.”

  “That must cost a fortune.”

  “It does, but it’s well worth it.”

  We suit up in the warmest clothes we can find and head out a short time later with Fluff leading the way. In addition to the snow masks, we’re wrapped up in scarves, warm parkas and gloves. “I wish I had my boots.” The best she was able to do is a pair of black Nikes.

  “I’ll carry you over any puddles.”

  The doorman hails a cab for us, and as we’re on our way out the door, Fluff stops right on the sidewalk to pee. Natalie and I lose it laughing, which draws the attention of the photographers camped outside my place. “Quick.” I gesture to the waiting cab. I scoop up Fluff the second she quits peeing, and we make a break for the car before the photographers can get themselves organized.

  Once inside the cab, we remove the masks.

  “I can’t believe they stand out there in the snow hoping for a glimpse of you,” she says.

  “And you.”

  “But mostly you.”

  “I don’t know… Liza says pictures of you are going for a pretty penny these days, too.”

  After a slow ride through slush and ice, we arrive at Aileen’s building. The snowdrifts are so high that I have to make good on my promise to pick up Natalie—and Fluff—and carry them over the snow to the vestibule.

  “Our hero,” she says.

  “I specialize in damsels in distress.”

  We go up a flight of stairs, and Natalie pushes the button for Aileen’s place. A buzzer sounds to admit us. Outside their apartment, Logan is waiting for us and lets out a happy squeal when he sees Natalie. She catches him up in a big hug.

  “You’ve grown a foot since I saw you.”

  “That’s not possible, Ms. Bryant.”

  She keeps him in her arms as we enter the apartment. “You can call me Natalie now that I’m not your teacher anymore.”

  “Miss Natalie,” a weak voice from the sofa says.

  With one glance, it’s obvious Aileen is in rough shape. Her face is ghostly white, and she doesn’t get up when we enter the living room, which looks as if a cyclone has gone through it.

  “We’re a wreck,” she says.

  “You’re not going to be my teacher anymore?” Logan asks mournfully. “They said you were coming back.”

  I squeeze Nat’s shoulder as I help her out of her coat.

  “Logan, honey,” Aileen says, “let Natalie take her coat off before you start asking questions.”

  Natalie sits on the love seat and pats the cushion next to her, inviting Logan to join her. “So here’s the deal… You know my husband, Flynn, is famous.”

  “He’s in movies that Mom says I’m not old enough to see.”

  “That’s right.”

  “So he’s like SpongeBob, only for adults, right?”

  Natalie fights a losing battle with laughter. “Exactly,” she says, glancing at me, the laughter making her eyes dance with joy. “Because I’m married to him now, there’s a lot of interest in both of us that would be a huge distraction for all my students.”

  “What’s a distriction?”

  “A distraction is when things happen that take our attention off our schoolwork.”

  “Like video games?”

  “That’s a great example.”

  Watching her patience with the little boy, I can’t wait to see her with our kids. She’s going to be an amazing mother.

  “I’m afraid of coming back and then having to leave again when the distractions prove to be too much. I’d never want to put you guys through that, so I’ve decided not to come back, as much as I’d love to. But, I’m going to give you all my address so we can write to each other, and I’ll FaceTime with you and your mom and Maddie. Okay?”

  “I guess,” he says, though he’s clearly crushed. Who could blame him? I felt the same way when Natalie left me, and that was only for a day.

  “I’m so sorry about all this, buddy.”

  “I know.”

  “Hey, Logan,” I say, anxious to end this conversation for Nat’s sake, “do you and Maddie want to go play in the snow?”

  His eyes light up as his sister lets out a squeal. “Can we, Mom?”

  “You don’t want to do that,” Aileen says.

  “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked. I’d love to take them to the park, if it’s all right with you.”

  “Sure, they’d love that. They’ve been asking to go out all morning, and I just…” Her eyes fill. “I couldn’t.”

  “No problem. I’ve gotcha covered. Why don’t you come, too, Nat, and we’ll let Aileen get some sleep?”

  “I don’t have boots.”

  “What size are you?” Aileen asks.

  “Seven.”

  “I’m a seven and a half. Use mine.”

  “Okay, then, I’m in!”

  While I help get the kids bundled up, Natalie walks Aileen to her bedroom and tucks her in for a nap. She comes out of Aileen’s room with tears in her eyes and the boots in hand. “Hard to see her this way,” she whispers.

  “I know.” I kiss her forehead and let her pass me in the hallway. The kids’ rooms are cluttered with toys, the beds are unmade, and dirty clothes are on the floor. While the kids pull on their snow pants, I withdraw my phone from my pocket and fire off a text to Addie.

  We’re at Aileen’s, and she needs some help. Can you please check into an agency here that does nurses/nannies/housekeepers? Get one of each if you would.

  Got it. On it.

  You truly are the best.

  I know!

  I love her cheeky reply, and I love her, too. I’d be lost without her. Nothing I ever ask her to do is too much for her, and she’s endlessly efficient and organized. I make it well worth her time and effort, but the truth is I’d pay her twice as much to keep her.

  I stash my phone and go to help Natalie with the kids. On the way out the door, Logan produces a plastic sled from the front closet. We clomp down the stairs in a noisy group, Natalie and I with our ski masks covering our faces. The kids think they’re hilarious, which I suppose is better than scary.

  On the sidewalk, I load the kids onto the sled and pull them behind me down the snow-covered sidewalk, extending my free arm to my wife. We’ve left Fluff sleeping in a ball on Aileen’s sofa. At the park, we spend more than an hour making a snowman, having a snowball fight and making snow angels. When the kids begin showing signs of tiring, we load them back up and set out for home, stopping on the way for pizza and hot chocolate.

  The startled restaurant staff immediately recognize us, but I ask them not to make a thing of it in front of the kids. Thankfully, they respect my wishes. I’ll ask Addie to send them a signed photo to show my appreciation.

  We return to the apartment with two tired, well-fed kids who had a great time.

  “Thanks for this,” Natalie says as we follow them up the stairs.

  “It was fun.” And it was. Life’s simple pleasures tend to get lost in the sea of celebrity madn
ess that surrounds me. I like that Natalie and her friends have helped to remind me of what’s really important.

  “Guys,” I say to the kids, who’re preparing to barge into the apartment. “Your mom is probably sleeping, so let’s be really quiet, okay?”

  “Okay, Mr. Flynn,” Maddie says solemnly.

  We help them out of their snow clothes and boots outside the door. “One other thing I want you to do for me.”

  “What?” Logan asks.

  “I want you to go in your rooms and pick up all your toys and put them away. Then you need to make your beds and gather up your dirty clothes. Can you do that?”

  “If we hafta,” Logan says glumly.

  “Let’s see who can get their rooms picked up the fastest.” The contest sparks some interest in them, and they scurry into their rooms.

  “You’re going to be an awesome father,” Natalie says.

  “Funny, I was thinking the same about you earlier.” I kiss her nose. “An awesome mom.”

  “That’s going to be fun,” she says, smiling at me.

  “I can’t wait.”

  “Really?”

  “To see you round with our baby?” The thought of it does weird things to my heart and stomach. “I. Can’t. Wait.”

  She wraps her arm around my neck and kisses me. “Love you,” she whispers.

  “Love you, too.”

  “I’m going to clean up the kitchen.”

  “I’ll check on the kids and then take on the living room.”

  “This is way, way above and beyond the call of husbandly duty.”

  I lean in close so my lips are touching her ear. “You can reward me later.”

  I leave her with that thought and go to pick up the toys, pillows, blankets and newspapers that are strewn about Aileen’s living room.

  While I tend to the mountain of dirty dishes in Aileen’s sink, I think about how great Flynn was with Logan and Maddie. From pulling them on a sled to supervising the building of a snowman, to engaging in a snowball fight, he was incredible with them, and they loved every minute of the attention he showered them with.

  I’m not sure what the deal is with their dad, just that he’s not in the picture.

  When I finish in the kitchen, I go to find Flynn, who’s stretched out on the floor of Logan’s room with both kids pinning him down.

  “Natalie, help! I’ve been taken hostage!”

  The kids giggle madly as he tries to tickle his way out of the bind they have him in.

  Aileen joins me at the doorway, smiling at the sound of her children’s laughter. “That’s a very nice thing to hear.”

  “We had the best time,” I tell her.

  “Apparently, they did, too.” She takes a closer look at Logan’s room. “Did you clean his room?”

  “Nope, he did.”

  “How did you pull off that particular miracle?”

  “Flynn gets all the credit. He made it a brother-sister race to see who could clean their rooms the fastest.”

  “Wow. He’s good.”

  “I think so, too. Are you feeling better?”

  “So much better. I can’t thank you enough for this today.”

  “Believe me when I say it was our pleasure. We had a blast playing in the snow with the kids.”

  “Logan, go easy,” Aileen says. “God forbid we damage that priceless face.”

  “That’s right,” Flynn says. “It’s insured for millions.”

  I roll my eyes and share a laugh with Aileen. As we prepare to head out a short time later, Flynn lets her know help is on the way.

  “You’ve already done more than enough,” she says in protest, referring to the half-million dollars he donated to the fundraiser for their family at school.

  He puts his hands on her shoulders and kisses her forehead. “Let us help. There’s no need for you to try to do this alone. You have friends who care, and if we lived here full time, we could come by every day and check on you guys. But since we don’t, this is the next best thing, okay?”

  “Are you ever able to say no to him?” she asks me.

  “Rarely,” I reply with a saucy wink that makes them both laugh.

  “Thank you,” she says, gesturing to the spotless apartment and the two kids on the sofa, quietly watching a movie. “I’ll never forget this, and neither will they.”

  “We had a great time.” I hug her, and the feel of her sharp bones under my hands unsettles me as I lean down to gather up Fluff. “Call you tomorrow, okay?”

  “I’ll be here.”

  “Bye, guys,” I say to the kids.

  “What do you say to Flynn and Natalie?”

  “Thank you!”

  “You’re welcome. We’ll see you soon.”

  Flynn has summoned an Uber car that’s waiting for us outside Aileen’s building. He holds the door for me and follows me inside.

  After a long period of silence, I reach for his hand. “I’m worried about her.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Her bones… She’s…”

  “I know, sweetheart. I felt them, too. My dad has a friend who’s a big-time surgeon here. I’m going to ask him to get a name for us. I want the top breast cancer doctor in the city for her.”

  I lean my head on his shoulder. “I’m scared for her. For all of them.”

  “We’ll do everything we can for them.”

  “Thank you for making my friends your friends.”

  “Aileen and the kids are easy to like. I’ve enjoyed getting to know them.”

  Flynn asks the driver to take us into the garage to avoid the photographers still staked out in front of the building. The driver makes all the usual noise about the Bugatti, but while he’s friendly, Flynn doesn’t offer photos.

  In the elevator, he says, “I feel like steak tonight. I need some protein to build up my strength.” He waggles his brows, reminding me of our plans for the evening. As if I could forget. All afternoon with the kids, I’ve been thinking about how this night might unfold.

  But after seeing Aileen in such poor condition, I’m not sure if I can get my head straight to concentrate on him.

  “Nat?”

  “Hmm?”

  “You okay?”

  “Sure.” I force a smile for his benefit, but he’s not buying it.

  “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  The elevator opens into the foyer, and he takes my coat, hanging it next to his in the closet.

  “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just worried about Aileen.”

  Flynn withdraws his phone from his pocket and places a call. “Hey, Dad, what’s up?” He glances at me. “We’re good. In New York for a couple of days but heading back your way tomorrow. You can tell Mom to go forth with her party planning. We have to go to London for the BAFTAs next weekend, so the weekend after that?” He looks to me for confirmation.

  We’re going to London next weekend? I want to squeal with excitement. I’ve always wanted to go there.

  “Nat? Is that okay?”

  I nod in agreement. Stella is excited to throw a party to celebrate our wedding, and since I already adore my new mother-in-law, whatever she wants is fine with me. This will be their big show, as I don’t have many people to invite.

  “So listen, Natalie has a friend here in New York who has breast cancer. She doesn’t seem to be doing so well, and I wondered if you would ask your friend Jared about a recommendation of someone who could see her. I want the top doctor in the city.”

  While he talks to his father, I take advantage of the opportunity to text my former roommate, Leah.

  So I’ve decided to decline the school’s offer to return. Too much of a circus comes with me now, and it’s not fair to the kids.

  I sort of wondered if that would happen. We’ll miss you, but I understand. I’m a short-timer there myself. They asked me to train to be a manager at the bar, and I’ll do that while I figure out what’s next.

  Keep me posted.

  Will do. How’s married life with the hot m
ovie star?

  It’s hot. If only she knew.

  I hate you.

  No, you don’t.

  Yes, I really do! LOL! You can make it all better if you invite me to some fabulous Hollywood party.

  I’ll see what I can do.

  Squeeeee! How’s Fluff?

  She’s good. I think she’s starting to fall in love with her new daddy.

  Awww too cute! Miss you guys.

  We miss you, too. See you soon I hope!

  Tell the hot movie star I said hello.

  Will do. xoxo

  “My dad is going to call his friend tonight and get back to me tomorrow,” Flynn says when he finds me in the kitchen.

  “Thank you for that. Leah says to tell my hot movie star husband she says hello.”

  “How is she?”

  “Good. I wanted to tell her about not going back to school so she doesn’t hear it through the grapevine.”

  “How’d she take it?”

  “She totally understands.”

  “You could, if you wanted to, that is, send an email to Mr. Poole tonight to officially close that circle.”

  “Is that your way of saying you’re glad I’m not going back?”

  He props his hands on the counter, on either side of my hips. “I’m glad you made a decision you’re comfortable with, and selfish bastard that I am, I’m thrilled you’ll be coming home to LA with me, moving in permanently and sleeping next to me every night.”

  Looping my hands around his neck, I say, “I’m thrilled about those things, too.”

  “Yeah?”

  I bite my bottom lip and nod, watching his eyes home in on the movement of my mouth.

  “Are we really going to London?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “So why are we going back to LA tomorrow when London is in the opposite direction?”

  “Oscar nominees’ luncheon is Monday, and the nominees’ party is Monday night.” He’s still staring at my mouth. “I was on my best behavior all afternoon with the kids. I think you owe me some thanks for that.”

  “I owe you?”

  “Uh-huh.” He swoops in and captures my mouth in a kiss full of hours’ worth of pent-up desire. His arms band around me as he explores every corner of my mouth with his tongue. I’m left reeling when he ends the kiss as suddenly as he began it. “Food first. More of that later. Steak? Yes?”