by Lexi Blake
When the printout was done, he grabbed it off the printer and got ready to leave. The quicker he solved this, the quicker he could be on his way. Nell was dangerous. She was dangerous to herself, and she was definitely dangerous to his sanity. He needed to leave as soon as possible. A man could get comfortable in a place like Bliss, but Bishop had made a decision long ago. He could call no place home. He had to stay sharp, and he couldn’t do it in a place filled with lovely brunettes and women who made homemade cookies and apple cider.
He nodded to the boys and started to make his way out. There was something too homey about the small cabin. Everywhere he looked he saw a family and their lives lovingly documented in photos and award certificates and mementoes. He couldn’t help but notice an old family photo that had been framed and mounted on the wall of the living room. It showed two women and a baby boy. He recognized Teeny Green, younger though no less radiant. She was wearing a white dress with a lacy collar as she smiled at the camera. A baby probably no older than eight months sat in her lap, his mouth opened in a big toothless grin. A stout-looking woman stood behind them, her hands protectively on Teeny’s shoulders. She was a bit grim, but something about the picture fascinated him. Though the woman in the back wasn’t smiling, there was a pride in her stance. This was her family.
Lesbian couples might be accepted in big cities these days, but in small-town Colorado two decades ago? What kind of courage had those women had to start a life for themselves here? What kind of fortitude had gone into building this small cabin?
“My wife’s name is Marie.” Teeny walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. She sighed as she looked at the picture. “I know a lot of families like to keep a current portrait up, but I like to look back and remember where we came from. I love this picture. It was the first one we had done. A traveling photographer took it. We couldn’t find a studio who would take it for us. Things were a little less tolerant in this part of the world back then. Bliss didn’t have a portrait studio, so we had to make our own.”
He was curious. “Why would you stay here? You could have gone to San Francisco or New York. People would have accepted you.”
She shook her head. “This was our home, and here in Bliss, we never had a lick of trouble. We were pioneers in our way. Marie’s family came out here from back East. Her family’s held this land for almost a hundred years. Besides, if we all go and hide in the city, no one would ever get to know us.”
That was the point. “And they would never get to hurt you.”
“Nothing good in life ever came without a struggle. When Marie and I opened our store, there were people from some other towns who said they would never buy anything from people like us. We almost went under that first year, and then the Circle G started buying all their supplies from us even though it would have been less expensive to get them from one of the big stores in another town. And Albert Lang walked in and bought every piece of fishing equipment we had. You have to understand, Al was a judge, and he was the head of a very wealthy and influential family. He should have been one of the people trying to push us out, but he told me to hang on for a year or two and before long, no one would care because we would just be a part of the community. And he was right. The Harpers finally started buying from us and before we knew it, Max and Rye were coming in and begging for treats and playing with our kid. Things don’t change unless you make them change, Mr. Flanders. You can’t do that by running away every time the going gets tough.”
A low voice broke through the moment. “No. You do it with the business end of a shotgun. You want to know how to change people’s minds, shove a shotgun in their gut and then see how fast they suddenly don’t care what your sexual orientation is.” The stern lady from the photograph walked through the cabin door. She was as broad as Teeny was slender. And she damn straight looked like a woman who could wield a shotgun. “Who the hell are you?”
Finally, someone he could relate to. “Professor Henry Flanders.”
Marie frowned. “Is he here for Seth? That boy always seems to have some intellectual types sniffing around him.”
Teeny wagged a finger her wife’s way. “Be more polite. People are going to think you don’t have an ounce of manners, Marie Warner.”
Marie stared at Bishop, shaking her head at her wife. “I never did have a lick of manners, but I got a real good nose for trouble. I don’t like the looks of this one. I would bet a lot that he’s hiding something.”
Bishop had to give her credit. He was hiding pretty much everything, but he simply shrugged and gave her a harmless smile. “I’m trying to figure out who trashed the Finn cabin.”
A long moment passed and finally Marie nodded. “Good for Nell. You let me know if you need an extra gun. I’m damn good at taking a son of a bitch down.”
“Marie!” Teeny threw her hands up.
Marie finally cracked a smile and sent a wink her wife’s way. “He’s good with me if he’s helping out Nell and her momma. They need someone to watch out for them. Nell’s too good to see real trouble coming her way, I always said. Now, I smell your cider, darlin’. You always know how to warm me up.”
She enveloped the smaller woman in a bear hug.
“God, Mom, can you stop with the gross affection stuff?” Logan made a vomiting sound as he grabbed another couple of cookies from the table, but Bishop caught sight of Seth watching the two women, a wistful expression on his face.
Poor little rich boy.
“Thanks for everything, ladies.” Bishop grabbed his coat from the hanger and buttoned up.
Teeny pressed a bag of cookies into his hand, for the “road” as she called it. He walked out of the house feeling deeply unsettled because he’d liked it there far too much.
He managed to make it out the door and halfway down the drive when Seth Stark came running out. He hadn’t put a coat on and he stood on the porch, his hands shoved in his pockets. “Someone looked into your cover story. It was probably Stef Talbot. He checks into everyone who comes to town for any length of time. I think it’ll hold, though. He didn’t look past the surface stuff. Are you on the run?”
The snow couldn’t be any colder than Bishop’s gut in that moment. He forced himself to smile. The kid couldn’t possibly know anything. “What are you talking about?”
Seth hopped off the porch, his teeth chattering just a bit. “It’s a good construct, but I know how deep to go. The information about you appears to begin at your birth, but it was uploaded to various databases a week ago. You see, the truth is always in the code if you know where to look for it. So I’ll ask again. Are you on the run or are you undercover? You could be a con artist, I suppose.”
He was surprised that criminal hadn’t been the first possibility on the kid’s list. It would have been the first thing Bishop would have thought of. The kid was far too smart for his own good. “It wasn’t the feds who came for you, was it? It was the Agency.”
A single shoulder shrugged. “I’ve done some work for them. Damn it. You’re Agency. That’s why you were able to take out all those guys in the bar fight. Well, it makes me feel better. I was worried you were going to try to take Nell for all she’s worth. It’s not much, by the way.”
Perhaps a nugget of truth was called for. After all, he wouldn’t be using the name Henry Flanders again after a week or two. He would need to come up with another cover because he didn’t trust just having the one in place, but he’d already known he would get rid of the Henry cover last night. He couldn’t leave it out there for Nell to potentially find one day. “I’m on vacation. I’m only here for a few days.”
“And you thought you would sleep with Nell while you’re here?”
Or maybe he would have to take the little fucker out anyway. “I like her, but I’m not the right man for her. I don’t live a life that she could possibly understand or accept.”
Seth’s eyes seemed to find something in the snow. “Yeah, well, sometimes we have to accept who we are deep inside.”
At least the kid was reasonable. “Yes. And Nell wouldn’t like that version of me very much, but I do care about her. It’s why I want to make sure she’s safe. I can handle this problem for her and then I’ll disappear. I’ll be nothing more than a nice memory for her. Of course, if you tell her, she’ll feel used when I’m really not trying to use her. I genuinely care about the lady. Can you leave things be at least long enough for me to figure out who’s trying to hurt her?”
Seth nodded. “Okay.”
“Get back inside. Your lips are starting to turn blue.”
“I only said sometimes, you know.”
Bishop sighed. “What are you talking about now?”
“Sometimes we have to accept who we are and sometimes we just have to change who we are so we can get what we want. I play a lot of D&D.”
Bishop snorted. “I bet.”
Seth shook his head. “Don’t be a snob. You can get really attached to a character in D&D, and then you miss one saving throw and bam, your character’s dead and you have to start all over again. But you don’t stop playing. You keep going, and a lot of times you find out that the character you end up with is way better than the one that came before. Sometimes you gotta keep going until it’s right, until the skin fits finally. That’s all I’m saying. Let me know if you need any more help.” The kid turned and ran back inside.
Bishop stared at the cabin, wondering if he’d ever felt right in his own skin.
Chapter Eight
Nell sighed as she eased into the hot tub. This was exactly what she needed. She’d lied to Henry. She was sore, but not so much that she wanted to miss a minute of his lovemaking.
She closed her eyes, letting the soothing sound of the tub lull her. Her body felt well used, as though she’d finally figured out what it had been made to do. Henry had been voracious this morning, using his mouth on her and then working his cock deep inside.
If only she didn’t have that ignorant man trying to hurt her, she would probably still be in bed with Henry.
“Hey, are you up for some company?” A soft voice brought Nell out of her reverie.
Nell opened her eyes and smiled. Callie walked in followed by a tall, handsome man with dark hair and slate gray eyes.
“Hello, Stefan,” Nell said, sitting up more properly. “When did you get back from New York?”
Stefan Talbot was the richest man in Bliss. He had an undeniably soft heart when it came to the women of the town. Nell had made a study of the artist. He was a rather fascinating character. Tall and lean with icy eyes, he could look every inch the ruthless king of all he surveyed, but the minute someone was in trouble, Stef was on hand with an open heart and an even more open checkbook. On several occasions, Nell had managed to squeeze a huge check out of Stef for a good cause.
“I got in late last night. I enjoy the city, but I have to admit, it’s good to be home for a while. The light here is different than anywhere in the world. It’s softer. I paint better here.” Stef dropped his robe, and Nell couldn’t help but admire him. He was an extremely attractive man, but her eyes turned down almost of their own accord. Somehow it didn’t seem right to look at someone else now that she’d been in Henry’s bed.
Stef slid into the water with a long sigh. “Apparently I came back into town at just the right time. Callie called me last night to tell me about all the new people we have hanging around.”
Callie winced as she, too, dropped her robe and got into the hot tub. The resort was clothing optional with the singular exception of the pool and the hot tub. No bathing suits allowed for the tenants of the Mountain and Valley Naturist Community. “Sorry, I have a problem with the gossip bug. I don’t really think of it as gossip. It’s more like sharing fun stories about the people I love.”
“Yes, I love it when you share stories about me,” Stef said with only the mildest hint of rebuke. Callie made up for her lamentable gossip addiction by being one of the nicest people alive. And if Callie was a sweet-hearted gossip, then Stef could be a very nice, overprotective older brother. “So, tell me about this Henry person.”
The last thing she wanted was for Stef Talbot to decide that she needed someone to watch out for her. “He’s a nice man. He’s a history professor, and I like him.”
Stef’s eyes narrowed. “You like him?”
She’d heard stories about Stef’s private life, mostly from Callie. Stef practiced BDSM. From what Nell had learned, he’d started at a fairly young age and now had relationships with women that were purely based on Dominance and submission. Stef had gotten her started reading BDSM romances. Oh, he would never ever admit that he even knew they existed should someone ask. He’d told her if she ratted him out, he would stop helping her favorite charities, but Stef was the one who’d bought her a set of books when she’d admitted she was curious.
Henry was interested in that lifestyle, at least when it came to sex. It was right there on the tip of her tongue to ask Stef some questions, but she held back the impulse. Henry wasn’t staying around. He would be gone, and sooner than Nell would like. She didn’t want to be seen as the poor virgin who got left behind.
“I like him. It’s not a big deal. He’s a tourist. He’s only here until the semester starts up again.”
Stef let a moment pass, his eye pinning her. “Nell, are you sleeping with him?”
“Stefan!” Callie admonished, frowning at her best friend.
But Nell had known the question would come up the minute he’d walked in the door. “There was some sleep involved.”
Callie’s jaw dropped open. “Are you kidding me? I…I didn’t think you would actually sleep with him. Nell, are you sure? I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
She hadn’t expected Callie to react that way. She’d kind of thought she could talk to Callie. Callie was really the only one close to her age. Most of the other women around were closer to her mother’s age, and she couldn’t talk about sex with her mother. Oh, her mother loved to talk about sex. Her mother was a deeply open woman who thought she should talk to her daughter about everything. When Nell had first gotten her period, her mother had thrown her a party celebrating her womanhood.
Yeah, Nell didn’t want her mother throwing a Punching Out Her V-Card Party.
She’d thought she might be able to talk to Callie. She’d gotten close to her, but Nell hated the look in Callie’s eyes now. Callie looked slightly horrified at the idea of her sleeping with Henry. “Well, I will admit there wasn’t much thought behind it. It’s a fun fling, you know?”
“I’m sure it seems fun now.” Callie stood up, reaching for her robe. “I bet it won’t be so great later. Uhm, I remembered I promised my mom I would help her out with something. I’ll be back soon.”
She hurried out, knotting her robe around her.
Humiliation washed over Nell. She had no idea what had just happened, but she hated the way she felt now. Vulnerable. Alone. “I guess I should go, too.”
Stef put a hand out, his eyes warming with sympathy. “Please stay. Callie wasn’t judging you. She was feeling the weight of her own decisions, and I’m pretty sure she needs a good cry. Look, I shouldn’t tell you this, but the last thing either of you needs is a rift in your friendship. Callie lost her virginity to a couple of friends of mine.”
She felt her eyes widen as his words sank in. “A couple? Like Max and Rye?”
Stef shook his head. “Not Max and Rye, though I’m sure the desire for a ménage came from her childhood crush on those two. It was hard on Callie being the only girl around here. We didn’t make it any easier, but that’s neither here nor there. I think Callie’s worried about you. She doesn’t want you to be in the same position she’s in. She thought she could handle one wild weekend, and she fell for them. Now they’re gone and her heart still hurts.”
Callie hadn’t said a word. “They were stupid to leave her.”
A frown crossed his handsome face. “Yes, and if I could find the little fuckers, I would very likely
get my ass kicked because they’re not so little and I’m pretty sure Zane was found in some Paleolithic cave and unfrozen for scientific purposes.” He leaned forward, his eyes softening. “I’ll find them one day. I know one of them quite well, and if he didn’t fall for Callie, I’ll eat Max’s hat. I know where it’s been, so that’s a bet I don’t want to lose. I just want you to know she’s not judging you. I think she’s judging herself.”
Her heart ached for Callie. Callie seemed so very alone even though everyone in town adored her. She knew the feeling. Bliss was a wonderful place, but she still felt the weight of her solitude. Meeting Henry had pointed out how lonely she’d been. “I’m so sorry to hear that. She has nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not wrong to love someone, even if they can’t love you back.”
“You keep believing, Mary Sunshine. I mean that. I know you’ve only been around for a couple of months, but I already can’t imagine Bliss without you here.”
“Well, I’ll certainly stay as long as Mom…” She couldn’t say it.
Stef leaned forward. “Nell, after your mother passes, you have to stay. This is your home now.”
She loved this place, but there were problems she hadn’t been able to solve, and they weren’t going to go away. “I’m afraid Mom pays all the bills. I have to find a job, and even then I likely won’t be able to find one where I can make a livable wage out here. There’s not much call for a woman with a degree in social work in a town of a couple of hundred people.”
It was what she’d been avoiding for months—the thought of having to leave after her mom was gone. Losing her mother would be hard enough, but losing this place, too, would be terrible. She couldn’t imagine herself in a city now that she’d lived out here, but that was where she would have to go.
“What about your writing?” Stef asked quietly.
Nell snorted. That was a pipe dream. She’d been writing since she was a kid. She’d started out writing little stories, faery tales really, about the other world her mother loved to talk about. Then she’d grown up and realized she needed to write adult books, books that could change hearts and minds. Well, they might be able to change them if anyone ever actually read them. “Uhm, apparently no one wants to read thrillers about social justice. I thought it was a good idea at the time. It’s sort of a Steve Berry–meets–Les Misérables story all set around the man-made disaster that was the Dust Bowl. An intrepid farm girl finds the clues to saving mankind buried deep in Oklahoma, but she has to fight dust storms and misogyny and rabid politicians to save everyone. I really thought it would sell.”
