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ANNA
MARLEY STARED,unblinking,asaroyalguardinafreshlypressedblackuniformopenedthereardoor andbowedslightly.“Welcome toAugustine,Miss Marley.” His accentwas smoothandoffthe charts.He tookher handand helpedheroutofthecar
Foramoment,shefeltlikeroyalty.Thatwasalaugh.Shewasakidatheartandpoorerthanapreschoolteacher.Ohwait …she was a preschool teacher.Thatwas whyshe was sopoor andrelatedbetter tochildrenthanadults.She smiledather ownhilariousness
The chillyair nipped ather cheeks. Itwas earlyApril inthe Alps ofcourse itwas bitingcold. Who cared? She was standinginthecourtyardofthecastleofAugustineandshe,AnnaMarley,wasgoingtomeetsomebodyroyal
Thank you, dear Father above.
She followed all the members of the Augustine royal familywho had a social media account. She adored themall and wasn’tpickyaboutwhoshemet,butseeingthecrownprinceupcloseandpersonalwouldbethecrowninggloryofherlife.
Crowning?Ha!
“Thankyou,”shemanaged “Canyoudomeasolidandgivemeagoodtickle?”Sheraisedherrightarmtogivehimaccess toherarmpit.Itwashermostticklishspot.
“Pardonme?”Theyoungguardlookedabsolutelyhorrified
“Whenmylittleonesaresleepingduringlessons,”shetriedtoexplain,“Igivethemagoodtickleandwakethemrightup. It’smuchnicerthanapinchorcoldwater.”
Hisexpressionremainedserious.Nosmile.Nounderstanding.
“Ineedsomeonetowakemeupfromthisdream,”shetriedtoclarify,butthepunchlinewaslostonhislackofanykindof humor “Come on, evenyouhave to admit This is offthe charts!” She gestured around “How do youjuststand there all calmandsayinyourperfectaccent,‘WelcometoAugustine,miss’?Youshouldbescreaming,‘Welcometothemostepicand beautifulplaceonearth!’Theviewofyourvalleyaloneismorethanworthenduringthecoldsoakingthroughmyclothesand turningmynoseandcheeksred.I’mgoingtolookterribleforthecamerasandIdon’tevencare.I’m…in…Augustine!”She didahappydance.
Stillnothing Notevenatwinkleinhiseyes
She patted his arm. “Your home is off the charts, Mr. Too-Stiff Royal Guard. Yay for you! A little gratitude for your blessingswouldnotbeamiss”
He finallysmiled at her dramatics, but she doubted anyone could prod a laughout ofthis stiff. Not everybodywas her targetaudience Sheknewthat Nooneabovetwelveusuallyenjoyedhernonstopteasingandchatter Shedidn’tletitdampen herenthusiasmorhappinessforthisspecialmoment.
Hergazetraveledup,wayup,tothetip-topofthegloriouscastletoweringoverher.TheguardshutthedoortotheAudi, andbeforesheevenrememberedtothankthedriverwho’dmetherattheTraverseAirporthalfanhourago,hewasmotoring away.
As they’d driventhroughthe mountainpass fromTraverse, she’d gawked and prattled onaboutthe gorgeous mountains, greenpinetrees,new greenbudsonthedeciduoustreesandgreenpokingitswayoutoftheground,andthesnow decorating themountainfromthemidpointtothetiptopsofthosegloriouslytallpeaks
Whenthey’ddrivenoutofthemountainpassandshehadglimpsedtheAugustinevalleyinallitssplendor,herdriverhad laughedoutloudathowenamoredshewasandherverbalprayersofgratitudetotheirmakerforcreatingsuchperfectionand miraculouslyallowinghertoseeitinperson
Atleastthedriverhadthoughtshewasfunny.Mr.RoyalGuardwasprobablypaidhandsomelytobestiffandmakeevery non-royalaroundhimfeelawkward
Hereyesdartedaround,tryingtotakeineverydetailofthegranitecastlewallsthatsparkledinthespringsunshine.Huge windowsorglasspatiodoorswithdarlingpatioswereinterspersedalongthecastlewalls.Shehighlyapprovedofthenatural lightandprayedshecouldadmiretheviewfrominside Balconiesdecoratedmanyofthelevels
She noticed a cameramanfilmingher fromnextto the graceful, longsetofstairs leadingto the castle’s imposingdouble frontdoors Wherehadhecomefrom?Shehopedshe’dkepthertongueinhermouthasshegawked,butitwasn’tlikely “Oh,heythere.”Shewaved,putonherbestsmile,andsuckedin.“Youandmetogetherallweek?”
Thecameramanonlychuckledandgaveherathumbsup Ah,beingvideoedwasgoingtobeannoying.Whoknew how manytimesher tonguewouldgetawayfromher andshe’d prattleonhappilyforthewholeworldtomock?No.They’dlaughhappilywithher.Someofthem,atleast.
Themassivedoublefrontdoorsofthecastleburstopen,drawingherattentionandthecamera’sfocus Thankheavens She couldbreatheeasyforhalfaminute.
None other than the host of the show and billionaire heiress Mercedes Belle, Crown Prince Tristan August, and his breathtakingwifePrincessJenniferwalkedout.Theypausedatthetopofthesweepingstaircasetogiveheradramaticmoment toappreciatetheirsplendor
Thank you, thank you,shegushedtoheaveninhermind.
Goodnesssakes,thiswasanillustrious,gorgeous,andintimidatingcrowd.Herkneesbarelysupportedherasshestaredin awe Athrill rushedthroughher,equal parts terror andexcitement She,Anna Marley,was inthe presence ofCrownPrince Tristan. Every single woman she personally knew had harbored a crush on the charming, wealthy, royal, handsome crown princeatonepointoranother NowPrinceTristanwashappilymarried Anna’scrushonhimwaspackagedaway,butstill meetinghercelebritycrushwasn’tsomethingshe’deverplannedonhappening.
Add to thatshock, she was meetinghis perfectwife and Mercedes Belle. Stomach-tumblingdidn’tbeginto describe it. Thankheavens she’d found a knockoffLululemonathletic long-sleeve tee and runningpants atGoodwill thatlooked almost new.Shelookedasgoodasshepossiblycouldonanonexistentclothingbudget.
Annawouldneverinherlifetimemeshwiththiswealthyandfamouscrew,butherbestfriendMayahadinsistedthey’dbe classyenoughtotreather likesheorbitedintheir atmosphere.SheprayedMayawasrightanddiscreetlywipedher clammy palms onher blackpants Her shirtwas pale pinkand mightshow the sweatstain There was nothingto be done abouther stomachchurningorherkneesknockingtogether.
Twotough,handsomeguyswererevealedasthefirstthreestarteddownthesteps.Onemanwasablond,impressiveThorlookalike who hovered behind Mercedes, and the other was a dark-haired, blue-eyed Adonis. He wasn’t one of the royal princes. She knew themall bysight. Was he a model or actor? He was hotenoughto be either. There was somethingvery familiarabouthim,butshecouldn’tplaceit
Evenwithherloveofprattlingonandover-dramatizingeverything,shecouldn’tfindthewordstogivecredittothisman’s face and physical physique Ifthe royal castle and countryofAugustine were the mostpicturesque places onearth, this guy shouldbedescribedasthemostpicturesqueman.Hisfacewassculptedmanliness,withafirmjawlinejustbegginghertocup itwithherpalms,fulllipsshewantedtostudyforalongtimeandthenkissslowly,andpiercingblueeyesshehopedshedared stareinto Eyeslikethatmightbetoomuchforevenherpluckysoul ThismanwassofithismusclesrippledthroughhislongsleevedT-shirtandjoggerpants.Hisclotheswerehighqualityandthesetofhisbroadshouldersrevealedconfidence.
Please say you love me enough I get to spend a week with him,shementallybeggedheavenabove Hermomwascertain that heaven grew tired of Anna’s pleas, but she always argued to the contrary. She was blessed with inspiration and mini miracles almost daily Otherwise, she’d never have gotten her charity up and running, spreading through the country, and noticedbyMercedesBelle,aswellastheopportunitytowinamilliondollarsonthisblessedweeklongrealityshow.
Love and appreciate you,shetoldher HeavenlyFather. Thank You for always listening Even if I don’t get to be alone with Hot Extraordinary Man But please, if it’s possible, just one smoldering glance from those blue eyes?
ThismanwasmesmerizingenoughtodistractherfromevenCrownPrinceTristan.Shedecidedrightthenandthereshe’d callhimHEM Nobodybuther,andMayawhenshesharedherwittyacronym,wouldeverknow Butitwouldmakehersmile ifthingsgottough.Shecouldimagine,withallthedisclaimersMercedes’sassistant,JuliePandoran,hadhere-sign,thingsmay gettough Bodilyinjury,death,lostinthewildsofAugustinetonevercomehome?Whoknewwhatwouldbethrownatherin thenextweek.
Rightnow,eventhoughshewasterrifiedandthrilledabouttheadventuresoftheimmediatefuture,lifewasfarfromtough. Shewasstandingnexttothecastleshe’dalwaysdreamedofvisiting,abouttomeettheillustriouscrownprinceofAugustine andhissweetheartofawife,MercedesBelle,Thor,andherownpersonalandperfectHEM.
“Anna!” Mercedes cried out, rushing down the steps wearing a gorgeous pale blue formal gown that sparkled in the sunlightandsky-highheels.
ThorcaughtMercedes’selbow beforesheflew downthosestairs,brokeaheel,rippedthedress,andmadeher personal designerssob.Look-alikeThor sweetlyescortedthegrinningMercedestoAnnaandearnedsomepointsinAnna’smind.He seemedseriousbutthoughtful.
The restofthe crew followed, ata muchslower pace. Her HEMwas atthe verybackofthe small crowd. Apparently, Mercedeswastheonlyoneheck-bentonmeetingher.Annawasgratefulforthathonor,buttheultra-appealingblue-eyed,darkhairedHEMkeptdrawingher gaze like little Jace inthe presence ofhis heroBatmanor darlingMollytoanythingpinkand sparkly.
Annaprobablyshould’vepumpedupthestairstomeetthem,butshefiguredalevel-groundfirstmeetingwouldbebetter thanona staircase. As level as the ground could be, soaringabove the valleybelow as itwas and withher legs trembling. Eventhe toweringcastle’s courtyard was a good hundred feethigher thanthe valleyfloor So incredible She couldn’thave imaginedAugustineanybetterherself.
Theotherproblemwithrunningupthosestairs?NewshoeshadnotbeeninAnna’sbudget.Shetuckedthetoeofoneworn outSauconybehind the other Unfortunately, she also had a hole inthatsame sock Her left, bright-pinkand sparklytoenail shonethroughtheopening.
Whatcouldshesay?IthadbeenpedicuredayatthePlayTimeChicagolocationtwodaysago Farbeitfromhertotake awaythepleasureofthevivaciouseight-year-oldtwinsSadieandKatewantingtosparklehertoes.Ofcourseshehadhappily returnedthefavor
“You’re here!” Mercedes threw her arms around Anna’s neck, making it a little difficult to maintain Anna’s toe-hiding stance.“Wearesohonoredyoucame.”Thegorgeousblondewascrazyskinny,smelledlikeflowers,andherwelcomemade Annaneedtopraymore Theywerehonored?Goodness,thatwasarolereversal
Thank you, thank you. She’s so kind.
“I’mhonored,”AnnasputteredwhenMercedespulledback “I’mlikemynieceJasminewiththeBarbiemotorhomeasa Christmaspresent.I’mthrilled,inawe,honored,neverexpectedsuchagift,andI’mso,sograteful.”
Therestofthecrewreachedthem.PrinceTristanandPrincessJenniferhadwelcomingsmilesontheirfaces.HEMhada slight smile on his face, but he looked a little uncomfortable. He definitely wasn’t giving her a smoldering look like she wanted. He was in casual clothes like her and wore themwell model gorgeous kind of wearing themwell. Maybe he’d grownupwithmoney,thewaythematerialofhiscasualclothesdrapedsoperfectlyonhim
Hehadaninertconfidencethatradiatedfromhim.Why,then,didshesensehisdiscomfort?Wasitpossiblehealsofeltout ofplace,nervousforthechallengeahead,oranxiousaboutmeetingthewomanhe’dspendthenextsixdaysprotecting? If he washermatch.Shecouldn’timagineamilitaryherolikeJuliesaidshe’dbematchedwithwouldbenervousforanychallenge. Thesmallcrowdnexttohimwasultra-impressive.Maybehewassimplyinaweofthemanddidn’tfancybeingoncamera.
Anna gaped at the prince and Mercedes’s man’s tailored suits, Mercedes’s formal gown, and Princess Jennifer’s softlookingdressthatwrappedaroundherperfectshapelikeahugfromallofAnna’sniecesatonce.
“Ah,youareadoll”Mercedesdrewback,turningtofacetheroyalsandAnna’sHEM,butheldontooneofAnna’shands Annaappreciatedthesupport.ThorstayedclosetoMercedes’sotherside.“Yay!”Mercedescheered.“I’veadoredbeingpart oftheotherthreeshowsleadinguptothisone,butthisoneisalreadymyfavorite”
She beamed atPrincess Jennifer. Two gorgeous, wealthyblondes. Their hair was shiny, long, and insoftwaves. Anna’s hair would probably be termed ‘dirty blonde.’It was stick straight, and because she’d been told by Julie to wear athletic clothing,she’dembracedtheathleticlook,knowingshe’dneverpull offchiccasual Herhairwasalreadyinaponytail,and afterthatlongflight,anymakeupshe’dhadonwasgone.Nobodyhadeveraccusedherofbeingsomegreatnaturalbeauty. She bither lip and foughtto keep her shoulders back Please help my faltering confidence, she begged heaven This is wonderful and overwhelming.
“Somanyintroductions,”Mercedescontinued,hervoicepitchingupwithexcitement “Let’sstartwithourroyals” Prince Tristan inclined his head. He was obviously confident and royal. He could be king already and nobody would questionit.Thescarringontheleftsideofhishandsomefacefrombeingburnedmadehimappearalittlemoredowntoearth, butnothingcouldtakeawaythebearingofroyaltythatheworelikeasecondskin Hisblueeyesdidhaveatwinkleinthem, andshe’dseeninterviewswherehejokedandcharmedeveryoneinthecamera’sview.
“Allowmetointroduce ”Mercedespausedforemphasis,bouncingonherheels Herenthusiasmwascatching,butAnna didn’t need any help to be thrilled and terrified to meet these famous royals. “Crown Prince Tristan of Augustine and his angelicandbeautifulwife,PrincessJennifer”
Annacurtsiedandalmosttrippedwithherleftfootstilltryingtohidebehindtheright.Sheplantedbothfeetequallyasshe roseoutofhercurtsy.Thankfully,noonelookeddown.
MercedesturnedtoAnna “MissAnnaMarley,creatorofPlayTime,ano-chargefacilityforchildrenofallagestohavea safe space, be creative, and simplyhave fun. Anna has centers infive cities throughoutthe United States and is planningto updateeachplayplaceandexpandtonewareaswhenshewinsthemilliondollarsthisweek”
“Ah,Iloveyou,”AnnasaidtoMercedes.Shefocusedontheroyals,claspedher handstogether,drew themtoher chest, andbowed.“Iamdeeplyblessedandgratefultobeineachofyourpresence.IfIdietoday,thishonorwillbeatthetopofmy gravestone.”
PrinceTristanandAnna’sHEMbothchuckledsoftlyatthat.Yay!ShecouldmakeherHEMlaugh.
“We’rehonoredtomeetyou,”PrinceTristansaidnobly.“AndgratefulforyourservicetothechildrenofAmerica.Wepray youwon’tdietodayandwillhavemuchmoreimportantpeopleandexperiencestoengraveonyourheadstone.”
Everybodylaughedatthat ExceptforAnna,whowascertainshe’dswoon thataccent,thosekindwords,thetwinklein hisblueeyes.Goodness,hewasmoreincredibleinreallife.
“Iloveyou!”Annatoldhim Helaughed.Thankfully,hiswifedidn’tsickaroyalguardonherforherimpetuousness.
HerHEMlookedalittleshocked
Annagrimacedandcastaguiltyglanceathiswife.“Idon’tlovehimlikeyoulovehim.Ijustlovehowawesomeheis.A thousandapologies!”
Princess Jennifer stepped forward and extended her hand Anna took it The lady’s hand was soft and manicured and perfect,justliketherestofher.
“NobodyloveshimlikeIlovehim”Theprincesswinked “Butheisfabulous,andI’mnotupsetthatyourecognizethat” Shegrinnedandthensobered.“Iwasblessedbeforeourmarriagetoserveandlovechildrenthroughouttheworld.Whatyou areprovidingtogivechildrenbacktheirinnocentandfunchildhoodisbrilliantandtouching Thankyou”
“Iloveyou!”Annatoldthisperfectmodel ofaprincesswhowasmakingher emotional.Shefannedher face.“Butdon’t makemecry.Iuglycry,andnobodywantstoseethatnonsense.”
Everyonelaughed,exceptforThorandtheroyalguards HerHEMdidn’tbellylaugh,buthedidchuckle Shefoundherself moreexcitedtomeethimthantheroyals,andthatwassayingalot.
“Nocryingatall,”Mercedesdemanded “Andnow,themanIknowyouaredyingtomeet Yourprotectorandbestfriend thisweek.”Shegestureddramatically.“LieutenantQuaidRaven,retiredNavySEAL,hero,andall-aroundstud.” Quaid.Her HotExtraordinaryMan’snamewasQuaid.Shelikedthat.Alot.Shemighthavetocall himbyhisname,not HEM.Andyes!Herblue-eyed,dark-hairedperfectioninthemaleformwashermatch.Shewouldbeabletotalktoandhang outwiththisstudallweek.Howblessedwasshe?
Thank You for Your mighty miracles
He stepped forward and extended his hand, all militarystraightand crisp. His blue gaze focused inonher, and the only worryshehad besidesthismalemodelbeingleapyearsoutofherleague wasthatheseemedfartooserious Hadhebeen damaged bysomethinginhis militarycareer? She prayed not. Maybe he simplyneeded a talkative preschool teacher from Chicagotoprayforhimandmakehimsmile.
Sheputherhandinhis,anditthrilledherstraightdowntohercore.Hishandwaslarge,manly,warm,andperfect.
“Ooh,ooh,ooh,”shecriedout.“Thisisthemostperfecthandshakeever!Ilo…”
Shetrailedoffattheapprehensivelookinhiseyes,andthefactthathe’dreleasedherhandlikeshewasanelectricfence and stepped back. She’d almost told him that she loved him. She told everybody that she loved them her large family, especiallyall her nieces and nephews, the childrenand volunteers at her centers, friends at church, eventhe butcher at the grocerystore.
Forsomereason,itwastheabsolutewrongthingtosaytothistough,alluringmanwiththebesthandsintheworld.Why? Probablybecauseamanlikethiswouldnever lookatawomanlikeher asanythingmorethanafriend Heprobablythought lovemeantromance.Shesupposeditcould,butitneverhadforher.
Help me not embarrass him or myself
“It’snicetomeetyou,MissMarley,”hesaid,fartooseriousanddistant.Thoughhisgazewasstillfocusedonher,hewas watchingherwarily,obviouslynotcertainhowtotakeher Maybeworriedaboutspendingaweekalonewithher
“Now Ihate thatgreeting, all formal and stiff,” she told him, plantingher hands onher hips and tryingfor a feistystare down.“MynameisAnna,ifyouplease,kindandtoughprotectorofmine.”
Hisbearingwasallrigidandstandoffish Hisfacewastight,andshecouldseeamuscleworkinginhisjaw Nobodyelse saidanything,andshesuddenlystressedthathewouldn’tcallherbyhergivenname.
“Anna,”hesaidsoftly
Reliefrushedthroughher.Shelikedhearinghimsayhername,butshefearedthisguywouldn’trelaxwithaweekspentin herhappypresence He’dlaughedatsomeofhercommentsearlier Right?
Asshestaredathishandsomeface,somethingsnappedinhermind.Sherealizedexactlywhereshe’dseenhimbefore.This wasnotQuaidRaven.Hereyesaboutbuggedoutofherhead,andshegaspedinshock.
This man was the Thomas Oliver The famous billionaire crush of her teenage years Before she’d even thought about crushingonPrinceTristan,she’dbeencrushingonThomasOliver.HerandtherestofAmerica.
No It couldn’t be Thomas Oliver Could it? Thomas had beenkidnapped fromhis highschool graduationpartyeight yearsagoandhisrichiefamilyhadspentalargefortunetryingtofindhim.
CouldthispossiblybeThomas?
Ithadtobe.
Everybodygrewsilentasshestaredathimandwonderedhowithadtakenfifteenminutesforhertorealizewhohewas.
She’dstudiedhispicturesandvideosforhoursasasmittensixteen-year-old. Nowthatshe’dputittogether,shewasabsolutelycertain.
She rememberedandknew Thomas like she knew her ownsiblings She andMaya haddiedover how out-of-this-world handsomehewas,andAnnahadfantasizedaboutmeetinghim,havinghimlookatherwiththoseblueeyesandcharmherwith hissmoothwit
HislittlesisterJacqueline,asmodelgorgeousashewas,haddisappearedsixmonthsago,stolenfromafootballgameat her university Thomas and Jacqueline’s parents had blasted their photos and the storyall over America, evengoingontalk showstobegforhelp,whichnormallythebillionaireswouldneverdo.
Ah…Theirpoorfamily.Onlyonesister,Elizabeth,wasstillwithherdistraughtparents.Itwassuchaheartbreak. ThomasOliverwasstandingrightinfrontofher Sheknewhewas Shewantedtograbhishandanddraghimbacktohis distraughtmother’sarms.Hisfamilywouldbeecstatictofindhimaliveandhealthyandperfect.
Someoneclearedtheirthroat,andshewasyankedfromhervisionsofThomashugginghisclassymother Hergazedarted toeveryoneelsewatchingherwithcuriosity,andshecouldn’thelpbutwonderiftheyknewwhohewas.Theyhadto.Orwas shegoinginsaneandhejustlookedlikethatfamoushottie?
She methis gaze, and somethinglike pleadingwas inhis eyes. He was Thomas and he knew thatshe knew, and he was askinghernottospillhissecret.
Whatonearth? Had Mercedes kidnapped himand this was his chance atfreedom? Maybe he’d disappeared onpurpose eightyearsagoandnobodyknewwherehe’dgone.Thisshowwouldn’tairforsixmonths,fromwhatJuliehadtoldher.Was thishiswayoflettinghisfamilyknowhewasallrightbutnotlettingthem,orwhoeverwasafterhim,findhim?Hermindspun, buthewasliterallybeggingherwithhisgazenow.So…
“ThankyouforcallingmeAnna.”Shebeamedathim,andhisshouldersandthelinesaroundhiseyesandmouthrelaxed. “Itisincredibletomeetyou,LieutenantQuaidRaven.Offthecharts!Whatafabulousname.CanIcallyouQuaid,orwecould go straight for HEM?” She should’ve shut her mouthbefore the last sentence escaped, but she was understandablyrattled. She’dbeenexcited tomeetCrownPrince Tristan, but the Thomas Oliver standinginfrontofher was the mostthrillingand unexpectedmiracleshecouldeverdreamup.
“HEM?”Hisbrowwrinkled,andevenMercedesandPrincessJenniferlookedconcerned PrinceTristanwasstillgrinning atherlikehefoundherveryfunny.Thorhadn’tsmiledtheentiretime,soshedidn’tworrytoomuchabouthim.
“HotExtraordinaryMan,”shesqueakedout,prayinghe’dlikehernickname,hopingitwouldhelphimrelax. He tooka step back. Itwas a small step, should’ve beeninconsequential really, butithurt. As he stepped back, he also droppedhisgazefromhereyesandfastenedthemonhertoe.Heblinkedinsurpriseandliftedhisblueeyestomeethersagain. Nowtherewascompassioninhisgaze,andstillsomewariness Shecouldimaginehisthoughts Whatkindofapersoncame onarealitytelevisionshowandmetroyaltywithaholeintheirsockandshoe?
Annajuttedoutherchin,daringhimtosaysomethingandprayingnobodyelselookeddown She’dheldhertongueandnot revealedhewasafamous,wealthymissingpersonthatherteenageselfhadidolizedandwhosefamilywasdyingtofind. Would he returnthe favor? Their gazes held and a silentunderstandingpassed betweenthem. They’d keep eachother’s secrets Eventhoughshewasburningtoaskhimquestions,she’dwait Atsomepoint,they’dbealonewithoutcamerasonthem andshecouldhearhisstory.Shehoped.
“I’dpreferQuaid,”hesaid
“Quaiditis.”Shenoddedtohim,appreciatinghehadn’tsaidanythingaboutherholesbutsadthatheseemedputoffbyher andnotthecharming,smiling,blue-eyessmolderingThomasshe’ddrooledoverasayouth He did give her a verysmall smile ofgratitude. He knew she could blow his entire cover and fake name righthere and now.
I’d prefer Quaid
Quaid didn’t want to be her HEM. Definitely not cool. Hiding from someone or maybe still in bondage to whoever kidnappedhim?Nowthatwasintriguingandamysteryshewasexcitedtosolve
Yetshedoubtedhewasinterestedinher.How couldsheblamehim?Shewasmilesfromthemodel-gorgeouswomenhe couldbewitheverydayoftheweekifhewanted
Her very own HEM and he didn’t like the acronym and definitely wasn’t drawn to her. Anna wasn’t surprised. Only devastated.
LIEUTENANT QUAID RAVEN,
bornThomasOliver,‘StoneCold’tohismilitarybuddies,hadnoideahow torespondtotheengagingandpossiblyunstablewomanstandinginfrontofhim.Shewashilarious,inaveryoddandquirky sortofway,andshehadproclaimedshelovedthefamedCrownPrinceofAugustineofallpeople Infrontoftheman’swife
Quaid had endured his childhood and youthsurrounded bythe wealthiest people inAmerica. Wealthand power didn’t impresshim.Evenstill,hewasblownawaytobestandingnexttoPrinceTristanandPrincessJennifer.Theyweregracious, charming,andobviouslyinlovejustlikethemediaportrayedthem Yetpeoplethoughtthesamethingsabouthisfamily,andit wasallabrilliantly-concocted,expertly-performedlie.
Of course he’d knownwho Mercedes Belle was, but evenworse he was certainshe recognized him Miraculously, Mercedes hadn’tsaidanythingandgivenhimaway.Was she onlybidingher time for maximumimpactonher realityshow? Chillsprickledhisskin.
He’dbeenstiffandslightlyuncomfortablethepasttwentyminutes,makingsmalltalkwiththeroyals,Mercedes,andShawn astheywaitedforQuaid’smatchforthisrealityshow toarrive.Hebecamemorecertainbytheminuteheshouldneverhave committedtothis
Hecouldonlyhopenobodyrevealedhisrealname.Thecrownprinceandhisbridedidn’tseemtoknowwhohewas,but Mercedesdefinitelydid HerboyfriendslashbodyguardtheViking-wannabeShawndidn’tseemtorecognizehim,butthatguy wasevenbetteratastone-coldfacethanQuaidwas,sowhoknew?
Quaid’sfriendCashTrapper,whohadropedhimintothisrealityshow,hadpromisedvoiceandface-obscuringtechnology. Quaidhadonlyagreedtoputhimselfinthisprecarioussituationbecauseheneededthemilliondollarstokeeprelocatinghis sister,Jacey,andstayonestepaheadofhismother’sgoons.Quaidhadsuccessfullyhiddeninthemilitarywithhisnewname andID foryears,buthadtoretireearlywhenhegotwordfromJaceythatsomeonehadtippedhisparentsoffandhewasn’t safe.
He’dhidoutinCash’sgymforvetsandat-riskyouththepastyear Hehadassumedhewassafeandincognitoinanother worldhisparentswouldneverbepartoforunderstand,butthenhe’dseenapostonsocialmediathathadthrownhislifeinto upheavalagain.
Jaceywasgoingtobemarriedtoasnakedisguisedasaforty-year-oldbillionaire Crude,two-facedandsleazierthantheir ownmother,RichardNapoleanwasawomanizerandscumineverysenseoftheword.
Theonlythingmoremiserablethanbeingintheirmother’sservitudewouldbemarryingthatkindoffilth Richardhadbeen marriedfivetimesalready.He’ddivorcedseveralbeautifulwomenafterhe’dgrownboredofthem.Twoofhiswiveshaddied tragically thoughsuspiciouslywasmorelikeit
Jaceyhadn’tusedthesecurephonehe’dhadafriendslipintoherpurseatabanquetyearsagoandcontactedhimlikeshe shouldhave.Hisangelicyetsassylittlesister hadsacrificedher ownhappinessher entirelife,butthiswasaboutsafety.He refusedtostandbyandletJaceybe forcedintoa nightmarishmarriage Nomatter thatJaceypretendedshe was fine andhe didn’tneedtointervene,he’dknownitwaspasttime.Hissisterwasdonebeingaself-appointedmartyrtoprotecthim.
WiththehelpofhisfriendandfellowSEALMilesColeville,he’drescuedJaceyandhiddenherattheColevilles’ranchin Montana.Hehadtokeephermoving.Themoneyhe’dsavedfromthemilitaryandhisretirementwasn’tenoughtoplaykeep awaywithhismother’sbillions,herhiredthugs,andtheloyaltyshehadinmanyinfluentialcirclesbecauseofhervarioustools charm,beauty,intimidation,money,mindgames,extortion,andblackmail.
Quaidfocusedbackonthewomanhewouldspendthenextsixdayswith.Shemightbemoreuncomfortablethanhewas. AnnaMarleyhadshownthetell-talesignsofdiscomfort wipingherpalmsonherpants,shiftingherweightcontinually,her gazeflickeringaround.Yetsomehow,she’dteasedwiththeroyalsandthebillionaire,madethemalllaugh,toldthemsheloved them, and kept her head high and her shoulders back And she had done it all in second-hand athletic wear that had been
washedtoomanytimesandwithaholeinnotonlyhershoebuthersocktoo.Hersparklingpinktoewinkedupathimwithouta careintheworld.
Impressive Brave Naïve Outoftouchwithreality?
Hefeltcompassionforher;obviouslyshewasonpoverty’sedgeifshecouldn’tevenaffordsockswithoutholesinthem. He’dseentruepovertyinhismilitaryservice Povertythatwouldwrencheventhehardestmen’shearts littlechildrenwith distendedabdomensandwantintheir darkeyes.AnguishthatmostAmericans wouldnever understand.Thewayhehadfelt insidethroughouthischildhoodandteenageyearshadbeenreflectedinthosechildren’sphysicalappearance
Anna was healthy,obviouslynotstarving,butsocks were inexpensive.He didappreciate the sparklypinktoenail polish shiningthrough,however.Itwas somethingJaceywoulddotoupsettheir mother andshow shestill hadbackboneandspice despite a lifetime of being a prisoner As eccentric as Anna had appeared the past ten minutes, maybe she was making a statement.
Quaidwasdrawntohersparklingpersonality,shimmeringgreeneyes,andincrediblesmile There’dalsobeensomething intriguingand almostcomfortingabouther touch. Hence whyhe’d pulled awayso quickly. Well, thatand she was aboutto proclaimshe loved him Teenage and college fangirls used to claimtheyloved himduringthe stretchwhenhis mother had forcedhimtodomodelingstints.She’ddoneittodemeanhimandtoensurehecouldn’tescapebecausehisfacewouldbeso well-known.Thankfully,he had escaped.
Nowomanintheworldbesideshislittlesisterhadevertrulylovedhim
Quaid studied his counterpart to push the humiliating modeling and women-swarming memories away. Anna wasn’t a classicbeautylikehismotherandsisters,PrincessJennifer,orMercedes Hernosewastoosharp,herfacetoothin,andher hairmoreofadirty-blondethanthesmoothmahoganyofhismomandhissistersortheperfectgoldenwavesoftheprincess andMercedes.
Whatwasitthatwassoappealingabouther?Genuinecametomind.TheexactoppositeofhismotherandElizabeth,very similartotheonlypersonhelivedfor Jacey.
Evenifshe’dnever model or turnheads everywhereshewent,Annahadappealingphysical characteristics as well She wasfit.Inherwell-wornathleticpantsandshirt,itwaseasytoseeleanlinesoftonedmuscle.Hergreeneyeswereuniqueand pretty with dark brows and lashes framing them She wore no makeup to enhance her eyes or her lips, definitely her best feature.Itwashersmilethatdrewhiminthemost.
Quaidhadn’tseenmanyauthenticsmiles likehers.Therehadn’tbeenalotofsmilinginhis childhood,teenageyears,or adult years. His youthhad beenfilled withbeing‘proper and perfect’and representingthe ‘Oliver legacy.’Throughout his militaryyears and the laidbackpastyear inCash’s gym, he’d tried to eradicate the formal and fake fromhis life. He’d run awayfromhomemoretimesthanhecouldcountbeforehistenthbirthday Hismother’slackeyshadalwaysfoundhim,brought himback,andbeathimforher.Heloathedthosemenalmostasmuchashedidhisownmother.
Thenightofhistenthbirthdayparty,theirbelovednannyMariahadhelpedQuaidandJaceyescapewhilehismotherwas busysayinggoodbyetoguests.They’dbeencaughtandhismotherhadshownhowfarshe’dgotokeephiminline.Aftergiving himalecture,shehadorderedherguardstoholdhim.He’dbeggedandscreamedandfought,knowingwhatshewascapable ofbutprayinglikeMariahadtaughthim Ascoollyasabutcherslaughteringachickenfordinner,hismotherhadsnatchedthe knifefromherguard’shandandslitMaria’sthroat.
It had broken him More suddenly than his father’s race horses during long reigning and more deeply than a religious minoritylivinginSyria.Hisresentmentfor her control remained,butthehorror andanguishofthatnighthadbeenenoughto keephiminlineforeightyears He’dcausedMaria’sdeathbylettingherhelphimandJaceytrytoescape Evenasaten-yearold,he’dknownbetter.Hismomhadtaughthimwellhowruthlessherpunishmentswouldbe.
Duringhisexclusiveprivateschool’sgraduationparty,mostlyduetohisbestfriendKennethGregoryliterallyriskinghis ownneck,he’dmiraculouslygivenhisbodyguardstheslip HisandKenny’syoungadultyearshadbeenfilledwithtraining, fighting, and surviving, and prayingnobodyrecognized Quaid fromall the photos circulatingabout the ‘kidnapped Thomas Oliver’UntilKennydied
“Areyoutwobeautifulpeoplereadytohearyourchallengefortheweek?”Mercedesasked,thankfullydrawinghimfrom hisperusal ofAnnaandhismemoriesofhismessed-upfamilylife,worriesoverJacey,andsorrow overMariaandKenny’s deaths.
“Readyaswe’lleverbe.”Annagavehimaconspiratorialsmile.“Right,HEM?” Hiseyeswidened Wasshereallygoingtocallhimthat?HotExtraordinaryMale?He’dbeintroubleforstereotypingifhe ever admittedtoanacronymlikethat.Hadn’theaskedher tocall himQuaid?Hewasproudofhisself-givennameandhad buriedThomasOliverforgood HewasQuaidRaventhroughandthrough AsThomashe’dbeenstereotypedforhiswealth, name,face,andbody.WithAnna,itseemedmoreateaselikeitwouldbewithoneofhismilitarybuddies.
“Ready,”hesaid,forcinghimselftostepclosertoherandpivottofaceMercedes,Shawn,andtheroyals.Interestingthat Mercedeshadn’tintroducedherbodyguard,boyfriend,whateverShawnwastoher,toAnna.Afewtimesintheirconversation, beforethey’dbeeninformedinthecastle’slibrarythathiscounterparthadarrived,MercedeshadlostherfocusandShawnhad
gentlybroughtherback.Therewassomethingoffaboutbothofthem,ormaybeitwastheirrelationshipthatwasoff.
Cash,Bennett,andEli fromCash’s HealthyLife Gymwhere Quaidhadsuccessfullyhiddenoutfor the pastyear helping other vets and at-riskyouthindowntownChicago, had all finished their weeklychallenges He hadn’tseenBennettas he’d gonestraighttoTennesseetoseehismamaandhadn’treturned.Elihadn’treturnedfromhisadventurebeforeQuaidhadgotten onthe flightto Europe Eli had texted thathe was all rightand would have anincredible storyfor himwhentheysaw each otheragain,whateverthatmeant.
Cashhadbeeninjured,barelysurvived His friendhadn’tbeenable totell Quaidmuchas they’dall signedstrictNDAs thatprohibitedthemfromtalkingabouttheirshowbeforeitaired.HehadquietlywarnedQuaidtostayalertandkeepaneye onShawn.Therewasobviousanimositythere.
Cash was the primary contact with Mercedes, and he had confronted Mercedes and Shawn about some things that had happened during his and Bennett’s weeks. Again, Quaid didn’t have details and he didn’t think Cash had any satisfactory answers Cashhad also beenbusysettingup more gyms and everyspare minute was dedicated to the beautiful and sweet redheadhe’dmetrecently,BryleeAuburn.QuaidwashappyCashhadfoundsomeone.Theybothdeservedeverygoodthing.
Quaid didn’t want to be Shawn’s best friend, but the man didn’t appear dangerous He seemed very solicitous of Mercedes’sneedsandlikehewasonlyposturingtoprovehecouldandwouldprotecther.Quaidhadmetbiggerpunksinhis life alotoftheminthecircleshisparentshadforcedhiminto.Manyofthemenheknewfromthemilitarymightpostureor trytobethealphamale,buttheywereloyal,foughtforwhatwasright,andwouldn’tstabhimintheback WouldShawntryto? Quaid would welcome the challenge. He sparred everyday, butitwasn’tlike the challenge offightingwhenyouknew you mightbekilledbyyouropponent Hemissedthemilitary Itwastheonlytimehe’dtrulylived,inhismind Evenwiththestrict rules,he’dfeltfree,choosingtoserveandfightandprotect.
“I’vegraciouslyagreedtoallowPrinceTristanandPrincessJennifertosharethedetailsofyourmillion-dollaradventure.” Mercedesgrinnedandsweptherarmtotheroyalcouple.
“Sogracious,”PrinceTristanteased.Quaidnoticedtheprinceteasedmostofthetime;heremindedQuaidofhisfriendEli. Alwaysfunnyandpositive ElihadlosthislegrescuingthegentlegiantBennettfromcaptivity Eli’sgirlfriendhadcheatedon himatthesametime.Evenwithsuchdeepscars,Elicouldjoke.PrinceTristanhadsomedecentscarringonhisfaceandneck. Evenacrownprinceknewpain,apparently
“Allright.”PrinceTristangrinned.“Sincemygorgeouswifeistheonewhobeggedtosharetheadventures” hewinkedat herandshegavehimamockscowl “I’llletherstartusoff.”
“Thankyou,T.” Princess Jennifer’s blue eyes litwithexcitementas she turnedtoQuaidandAnna.“Your episode ofthe Chance for Charity realityshow has beendubbed ‘Impossible Climb.’Itwill notbe impossible, butdefinitelychallenging. Shallwecallitimprobable?”
“Idon’tloveeither,”Annasaid,edgingclosertohim.
Quaidfeltthewarmthofherarmbrushinghis Hewantedtoedgetheotherdirection,buthecouldn’tbeobviousaboutit Hedidn’thatehumantouch;hesimplychosenottotouchmostpeopletokeephis distancephysicallyandemotionally.He’d experienced firsthand the devastationclose humanrelationships could cause to himand anyone who gotclose to him, so he focused onavoidingfuture emotional damage Whenyouflinched eachtime someone touched you, theyusuallygotthe hint He’dtrainedhimselftodoit.
Waita moment Whyhadn’the flinched whenAnna had brushed his arm? He had to be verycareful notto lethis guard downduringhisweekalonewithher.
“You’llconquertheimpossible,”Jennifersaid “You’vegotLieutenantRaven He’sastoughandexperiencedasT’stwin, GeneralRay.”
“Thankyou,”Quaidsaid,sincereinhisgratitude.He’dseenthecrownprince’stwin,GeneralPrinceRaymondAugust,on television Themanwassingularlyimpressive Ageneralatthirty Incredible
Quaidhaddreamtofbeingageneral sincehewasapreschooler.Imagine notonlybeingtheoneinchargeofyour own destiny,butinspiring,protecting,anddirectinganentirearmy
He’dmadesteadyprogresstowardthatgoalasaNavySEALbuthadn’tbeensurprisedwhenhehadreceivedthemessage fromJacey Ofcoursehisdreamsandgoalswerejustanotherthinghismotherhadrippedfromhisgrasp He’dhadtoretireat twenty-sixandrunonceagain.He’dlostKennytheyearbefore theonlyotherpersonhehadtrulytrustedandloveddeeply, besidesJacey.Well,andMaria,buthe’dburiedthepainsodeepsometimeshecouldgodayswithoutthegruesomeimageof herdeathcomingtomind
EvenCash,Bennett,andElididn’tknow aboutQuaid’spast.TheyallthoughthehadPTSD.WithlosingKennyandother comradesduringhismilitaryservice,hecouldeasilyclaimbattle-inducedPTSD ThoughKenny’sdeathhadbeenhorrificand Quaid felt like he’d lost a piece of himself, only Jacey would understand that it hadn’t been the military scars that had destroyedhim,buthisownmother.
“Youcansee our gorgeous mountains.” Jennifer gestured behind her. “Your challenge is to hike, climb, and explore the Augustinemountains.”
Thatdidn’tsoundtoobadaslongastheyhadthepropergear.Hewonderedwhatthechallengewasspecifically.Simply survivinginthewild?
“Therearedozensofcavesinourmountains T’sbrotherCurthasexploredallofthem CurtandAliyaagreedtohelpout, hiketohisfavoritecavesandsetupfoodandshelter,generatorsandchargingstationsforthecamerasintendifferentcaves. You also have emergency sleeping bags and an emergency shelter in one of your backpacks, but it will be much more comfortableifyousleepinoneofthecaves.Youhavefoodinyourbackpacks,butnothinglikethedeliciousfoodCurthasleft foryouinthecaves Motionsensorcamerasaresetupinthecaves,soyouwon’thavetoworryaboutrecordinginthere,but you’llhavetoweartheGoProsatallothertimes.”Shegrinned.“Suchafabulousadventure,yes?”
“Yes,Iloveit,”Annaagreedhappily.“Howexciting!”
Quaidcouldn’thelpbutlookathiscounterpart Thosegreeneyesweremesmerizing Notthatitmatteredtohim Didshe everstopsmilingandteasing?SheremindedhimfartoomuchofJacey,butthatwasactuallyagoodthing.Itwouldnotonly makehimmoreprotectiveofAnnaandwantingtohelpherwinthemoneyforhercharity,butitwouldalsoremindhimofhis motivationforbeingontheshow thefinancialmeanstokeepJaceysafe.
Thatmeantkeepinganemotional distancefromthisrayofsunshine Ithadneverbeenhardforhimbefore Womenthrew themselvesathimconstantlyandhemightgoononedateorkissaprettygirl,buthenevergotemotionallyinvolved.Awoman offtheNavybasehadneverseenhimwithoutsunglassesandabaseballcapon.
Toobadhehadn’twornbothtodaysoAnnaandMercedeswouldn’thaverecognizedhim “IfyoufindthetencavesbeforeSaturdayatsunset,Annawinsamilliondollars.”
Anna clapped her hands and Quaid nodded his understanding He suddenlyrealized whythe gracious crownprince had shown him the map of Augustine’s eastern mountain range, talked through it with him, and let him study it. Quaid liked geographyand the map had reminded himofhis time withthe SEALs inthe ItalianAlps. Thanks to thatgift, he had a sharp mental picture of the map. He was already impressed with Prince Tristan but the man rose a few more notches in his estimation.
“Yayus!” Anna exclaimed “We’re goingto wina milliondollars and make so manychildrenhappy Thankyou, Jesus” Sheglancedupatthebluesky.“Youbringalllightandgoodness.”
Quaidblinkedather Didshemeanthat?KennyhadlovedhisSaviorandpromisedthatHeprotectedKennyandQuaid,but Kennyhaddied.Notmuchprotectionfromheaven.
Cash and Bennett prayed, too. Quaid didn’t mock anyone’s faith and respected the sincere believers he’d met, but personallyhehadnevergivenhisFatherinHeavenmuchheadspace.IfHelovedKennysomuch,whywouldn’tHekeephim safe?IfHecaredforQuaidorJaceyatall,whyputtheminafamilywithamotherwhowasthedevilinafemaleform? The Devil Wears Prada wasn’tajokeathishouse ItwassaferforQuaidnottogettoocaughtupinhopeorfaith Theonlyhope forhislifewastoprotectJacey.
Anna turned to him, and Quaid flinched but stood his ground He instinctivelyknew he should backawayfromsucha beamingyetmischievousgrin.
“AsmynephewCameronwouldsay,‘You’remybest,Quaid!’”
Thenshethrewherarmsaroundhim
Thankfully,itwasbrief.ThatwastheonlypositiveQuaidcouldfind.Hestoodstiffanddidn’trespondtoher impetuous hug The fleeting embrace shook himto his core This woman’s warmarms around himfelt like he’d been encased with sunshineandshownavision thathislifecouldbemorethanrunning,self-sacrifice,andhidinghimselfandJacey.
Annadrewbackandhergrinwasn’tquiteasbig Becausehehadn’tphysicallyresponded?Quaidyankedhisgazefromher sohewouldn’tgrabherandhugherforaslongasshewaswilling.
Thatwouldbeidiotic.
Quaid pushed awaythe visionofa happyfuture for himas well ProtectJacey Thatwas his life’s missionand all that couldmatter.
Maybe someday Whenhis parents were dead and Jaceywas safe Thenhe could lookata relationship for himself So, twentyto thirtyyears fromnow. It was at least a goal to shoot for. He doubted he’d survive twentymore years, but goals helpedsharpenfocus
“Thereissomedeepsnowonthenorthfacingslopesandinsomeofthevalleys,butCurtandAliyagotthrough,andyou’ll havetopofthelinegear,”PrinceTristanexplained.
Quaidwas grateful theywouldprovide themwiththe bestgear available He wasn’ttooworriedabouthimself,butthis whimsical,too-lovingwomanwouldn’tmakeittenstepsintoAugustine’sportionoftheAlpsinspringtimewithaholeinher shoeandhersock
“How longdidittakePrinceCurtis andPrincess Aliya?”Quaidasked.He’dheardaboutthepair ofroyals aSouthern sweetheartandareclusiveprincemarried,bothofthemadventurersandfreespirits.He’dlikeastorylikethat.Iftherewas anywhereonearthsafefromhismother’sreach.
“Fourdays.Theyhadsnowshoesandtheyhadtocarryalotofgearandretracetheirstepstotheirhouseoften.Theyalso
spenttimesettingupyoursleepingspotsandmeals,”PrinceTristansaid.“Theyknow thesemountainswell,hikedstraightto the caves theywanted to hide the supplies in, sometimes usingsnowmobiles or dirtbikes, and theyhad clear weather.” His blueeyestwinkled
Hewasbasicallysayingitwaspossibleforthem,butnotprobable.They’dhavetoscourunknownareastofindthecaves. Thesemountainsweresteep,ahugeexpansefilledwithsnow,andtherewasprobablyaspringstormonthehorizon “Whatelseisinourbackpacks?”Quaidasked.
“Everythingyouneed,”PrincessJennifersaid,“tosurviveforsixdaysinthemountains food,waterwhichyoucanrefill inourmanydeliciousstreams,theemergencybedding,Yaktrax,rope,firstaidsupplies,climbinggear…”Shelookedtoher husband.QuaidlikedtheirAugustineaccentsandadmiredtheirlovingrelationship.
“Willweneedfirstaidsuppliesandclimbinggear?”Anna’seyeswerewideasshelookedatMercedes “Possibly.” Mercedes shrugged. She looked uneasyand apologetic, but … “This is anadventure realityshow, and you signeddisclaimersacknowledgingthedanger”
“AndthatImightdieorloseafoottofrostbite,”Annawhispered.
Quaidwasn’tevenawarehe’ddoneituntilhisarmbrushedhersandthenhishandwastouchingherhand Notholdingit, just the back of their hands touching lightly. It felt like a grounding wire. Anna’s touch could hold himdown to earth and electrifyhimatthe same time. He needed to pull away, butfirsthe had to reassure her. He’d wantanyofhis friends or the ColevillebrotherstodothesameforJacey Hebentandwhisperedinherear,“I’llkeepyousafe,Anna.Noworries.”
“Noworries?”Shegazedupathim Trustanddeterminationfilledhergaze “You’vegotme,Quaid?” Helikedhersayinghisname,nottheweird‘HEM’nickname.Helethimselfsmileather arealsmile.“Yeah.Ido.”
“Yes!”Sheimpulsivelyflungher armsaroundhisneckagain,andthistimeshecalledout,“Iloveyou,myownpersonal HEM!”
Quaid was struck by so many things at once. Her body was firm, warm, and enticing against him. Electrifying and grounding definitely Shesmelleddelicious,likepeaches andcream Sheabsolutelydid not love himand never could or should.Shewasfartooimpetuous.SheandJaceywouldadoreeachother.
Hehadtogetsomedistancefromherandsomehowkeepit Whilehikingandsleepinginthesamecavesforsixdays He was introuble.He shudderedtothinkwhathis mother coulddotosuchaninnocentsweetheart.Thathorrific thoughthelped himcenter.
NoddingtoAnna,heremovedherarmsandsteppedaway,butnotbeforehereadthedisappointmentinherincrediblegreen eyes.
Heswungtofacetheroyals,Mercedes,andShawn Theyall hadwideeyes,watchingthemliketheywereasoapopera Great.
Pop some popcorn, grab a soda, and pull up a chair to watch the show,healmostquipped Thatsurprisedhim.Hehadn’tteasedlikethatwithoutKennyorJaceytoteasewith.
Annashiftednexttohim.Hedidnotlookather.He’dbeentryingtoreassureherwiththebrushofhishandandhiswords, butshe’dtakenitmuchtoofar How wouldthenextsixdaysgo?Afun-lovingandspontaneouswomanlikeAnnamighttake anyencouragementmuchtoofar.He’dhavetobeonconstantguard.Luckily,thatwasnothingnewforhim.
“Didweforgetanything?”PrinceTristanaskedMercedes
Thetoo-skinnybillionaireturnedtoShawn,appearinguncertain.SomethingwaswrongwithMercedes.Quaidwishedhe couldhelpthelady,butShawnseemedtotakefabulouscareofher Quaidwasgratefulshehadn’trevealedwhohewas “Talkingintothecamera,”Shawnprodded.
“Ohyes!”Mercedesturnedtothemwithabrightsmile.Itwasalmostasifshesmiledbigenough,shecouldhidewhatever wasgoingwronginherlife Quaidhaddonesomethingsimilarforyears,buthedidn’tsmile Asayouth,he’dhidbehindhis ‘ultra-handsomeface.’Asanadult,he’dhadhisfightingskills.
“Everynight,youhavetoeachtakeacamera,findalittlebitofprivacy,whichwillbedifficult,andshareyourthoughtson theday’sadventuresandyouradventuringpartner.”Shebeamedasifthey’dsharesomeromanticthoughtsorlongings.
Silly and unrealistic, but that was reality television Thankfully, it wasn’t The Bachelor, and more importantly, they’d obscurehisfaceandvoice.
Anna shifted nextto him;her warmthand peaches and creamscentmade his pulse quicken. She was tempting, and there wasdefinitelyachemistrybetweenthemhehadn’tpreviouslyexperienced Still,anykindofromanceforhimwasoutofthe questionand verydumb. He had to protectJacey, and he would never puta womanindanger the likes ofwhichhis mother could dole out She’d killed Maria to ‘teachhima lesson’He’d internalized thatlesson, butnotinthe wayhis mother had hoped.Hecouldneverallowhismotherthatkindofleverage.
“Well…anyquestionsbeforeweoutfityou?”PrincessJenniferasked.
“Yes.”Anna’svoicewastremulous.“Dowegetatourofthecastle?” TheroyalsandMercedesalllaughedatthat.
“Yes,youdo,”PrincessJenniferassuredher.
“Yes!”Annajumpedintheair,grabbedhisarmwithherwarmhand,andstartedtotughimforward.“Let’sdothis.”
PrinceTristanheldupahand “Whenyoufinishyouradventure”
“Ah,dang.”Annareleasedhisarmandhershouldersslumped.Shewasexpressiveand…reallycute.
“Don’t worry The waitingwill make it evenbetter” Princess Jennifer’s eyes twinkled “Youwill be our guest for the eveningand nightafter youwinthe milliondollars. You’ll notonlytour our beautiful castle, butyou’ll also getto stayina suite, use the spa area, and eveneat dinner withthe kingand queenof Augustine Myfather-in-law and mother-in-law are fabulous,bytheway.You’lllovethem.”
“Iwill.Ireallywill.”Annabeamed.
Quaid hid a laugh Anna loved everyone apparently, so that wasn’t muchof a plugfor meetingthe kingand queen He would like to meetthemand see the castle. Spa treatments sounded greattoo. Once he gotthroughthis adventure, he could maybe relax for one evening Then he would head to Montana and evaluate if he needed to relocate Jacey Miles kept reassuringhimthathisbrothersanddadweretougherthananyoneheknewandwouldprotectherwiththeirverylives.Sadly, if his mother found her, the Colevilles’lives would be sacrificed Even his former SEALunit, his friend Aiden’s security experts thesecond-bestsecurityintheworldAidenwouldquip,orateamofSuttonSmith’stopops thetopsecurityinthe world,evenAidenagreedonthat couldn’tkeephissistersafe.
“This is goingto be amazing!” Anna cheered “Dinner withthe kingand queenof Augustine and a tour of that dreamy castle. That sounds as fabulous as winningthe money.” She turned to Quaid and looked himover. The adoringlookinher beautifulgreeneyesdidsomethingfunnytohisstomach “Allright,HEM,myownpersonalsuperhero Let’sgofindourcaves, andnotdiedoingit.”
Quaidsmiled,relievedthatshewassopositive.Hecouldbehersuperhero,keephersafe,helpherfindthecavesandearn themoneythatwasalreadyinhisaccount.Healsocouldnotforgetforaminutetokeepanemotionaldistance.“Let’sdoit.” Annagrinned,grabbedhishand,andheldittight.
Quaid’sstomachdidthatfunnyba-bump again Hewasindangerwiththisunexpectedlady.Adangerhe’dneverfacedbefore. Luckily,heknewhowtofightand,moreimportantly,howtorun
ANNA’S STOMACH FLUTTERED NERVOUSLY,
but she was as readyas she could be for this adventure. Ina downstairs bathroomofthe castle the onlypart they’d beenallowed to see, darnit they’d changed their clothes She’dsquealedwithdelightatthe lovelypile ofLadyFitathletic wear,designedbytwoAmericansisters whohad marriedAugustinemilitaryheroes.
Shereveledinthesoftandwarmbaselayers,waterprooftoplayers,glovesthatwereperfectlyflexiblebutsomehowalso kept all the cold and wetness out, boots she could’ve danced in, and wool-blend socks withno holes Everysingle article stampedwithabrandthathadonlyexistedinherdaydreamsandfantasies.She’dneverwornsuchexceptionalclothing soft, comfortable, protective, she could sleep in all of it It would keep her warm, dry, and prevent her from losing a foot to frostbite.
Annahadonlykepttheonepersonalitemshe’dbeenallowedtobringfromhome,apictureofherniecesandnephewswith manyofthechildrenatChicago’sPlayTime.Studyingthepictureforamoment,shefocusedoneachofhertwelveniecesand nephewsandJaceandMolly,herfavoritelittlewildpeople.Thosetwocouldbehuggingheronemomentandtryingtowrestle hertothegroundthenext Shemissedthemalready
Please be with Jace, Molly, and all my little ones. NeitherJacenorMollygotmuchattentionathome WithoutPlayTime,theywouldn’tevergetawarm,well-roundedmeal, opportunitiestolaughandrunor,mostimportantly,hugs.ThebestAnnacouldsayaboutJace’sdadorMolly’smomwasthey didn’tabusetheirchildren.Atleast,she’dneverseenanysignsofabuseorheardanythingfromthechildren’slipsthathinted atit.Notmanyinhercentershadsuchagoodsituation.Sheknewtheonlyreasonmostofthoseparentsbroughttheirchildren toPlayTimewasitwasfreedaycare.Herniecesandnephewswereallhappyandloved.ItwasforJaceandMollyandthe manyotherswhoneededasafeandhappyspacethatAnnawasdoingthis
Sofar,this realityshow experiencehadbeenamazing.Theyhadall madeher feel welcomeandcomfortable.Mayawas right Classypeople Shelovedallofthem,butapparentlyshecouldn’tsaythattoherHEM ShewasburningtotalktoQuaid aboutthehugesecrethewashiding,muchbiggerthanaholeinhersock.
Didanybodyelseknowwhoheactuallywas?Howhadhebeenkidnappedeightyearsagoandwassomehowstandingin frontofher, evenbetter-lookingthanhe’d beenateighteen? She’d have to waituntil theywere outofthe cameras’listening ears.Whenwouldthatbe?Shemighthavetowhisperherburningquestions.Itsoundedlikethecamerasmightneverturnoff. Dang
Their packs were readyto go, the GoPro cameras mounted onthe frontand backofeachbackpackand turned on. They couldchargethebatteriesandturnthesecamerasoffwhentheystoppedinthecaves
Forthenextsixdays,shewouldbealoneinthewildsofAugustine’spristinemountainswiththemosthandsomemanonthe planet.Amysterious,famousmanwhonobodybutherseemedtorecognize.True,sheandMayahadbeenobsessedwithhim when they were sixteen and he was eighteen For almost a year, his photos had been splayed everywhere social media, billboards,magazinecovers.Shewasn’tcertainwhyanultra-wealthyheirtobillionswouldneedamodelingcareer,butwith hisperfectfaceandbody,he’dbecomeanovernightteenageandcollegegirlobsession
Thenallthepressabouthimbeingkidnappedhadcomeoutandhe’ddroppedoffthefaceoftheearth.She’ddaydreamed aboutrescuingThomas Oliver, returninghimto his family, and notonlyreceivingthe five-million-dollar reward his parents hadofferedforhissafereturn,buthavinghimfallinlovewithher.
Crazy.Sheknewthat.
Butmaybenotsocrazytoday Couldshemakethosedreamscometrue,orwouldshescarehimaway?
Sadly,Quaid orThomasorHEM,dependingonwhoyouwereasking wasalsothemostreticentandseriousmanshe’d beenaroundinalongtime
Anna didn’t do serious very well. Truly, she didn’t relate to adults very well either, especially ultra-handsome, tough, seriousmen.Shegoofedaroundandjokedwithchildreneveryday.Shehelpedeventhesaddest,mostneglectedchildrendry their tears, smile, and sometimes evenlaugh Itwas whyshe’d come up withPlayTime, used everybitofsavings she and Mayahadtostartthefirstcenter,andbeggedeverybodytheyknew,andsometheydidn’tknow,todonatesotheycouldopen more
WavinggoodbyetoPrinceTristan,PrincessJennifer,Mercedes,Shawn,andGarrettthecameraman,theysetoffdownthe windingasphaltroad ofthe castle Neither ofthemsaid anything Anna didn’tknow thatshe’d beenquietfor this longofa stretchinherentirelife.She’dheardfromMayaandhersiblingsthatshewasn’tquietevenwhenshewasasleep.
Aterrifyingthoughthither.WhatifsherambledinhersleepaboutQuaidandhethoughtshewasobsessedwithhim?She sortofwas,buttohavehimknowthatwouldbehorrific
Theyreachedadirttrailshortlyaftertheywalkedthroughthelowercastlebarricademannedbymoreofthosetoo-serious Augustineroyalguards Shewavedjubilantlytothesoldiers Quaidgavethemanod,whichoneguardreturned SheandQuaidturnedontothetrailandheadedtowardthetoweringmountains.Thetrailwasinclinedbuthard-packeddirt anddry Thatwasnice Howsoonwouldtheyhitmudorsnow?
Herbackpackwasheavy.Itwastopoftheline,sotheweightwasdistributedevenly,butherlegsandbackwouldfeelthe extraweightbytonight.
The air was still crisp, but the movement got her blood pumpingand she was plentywarm FollowingHEM, she was mesmerizedbythestrengthanddefinitioninhisshouldersandarms.
Shetriedtofocusontheexquisitebeautyoflushgreeneryandspringgrowthcomingtolifearoundthembutwasconstantly distractedbytheexquisitebeautyoftheLord’smostbeautifulmanlycreationstridinginfrontofher.
“So…Ithinkit’stime.Dun,dun,dun…”Sheinterruptedthecadenceoftheirmarchingfootstepsandthetweetingofthe birds.Shecouldn’tstandthesilenceorthesuspenseofnotknowinghismysteriousstoryforonemoresecond.
“Timefor?”heasked,acautiousnoteinhisvoice.Hedidn’tlookbackather.
“Ithinkyoushouldentertainmewithstories Enthrallme TellmeallabouttheincredibleandimpressiveLieutenantQuaid Raven.Startatbirthandjustworkyourwayonup.I’vegottime.”
Heglancedoverhisshoulderather Thoseblueeyesweretantalizing Evenateighteenwhenhe’dbeen‘kidnapped,’he’d beentouted as one ofthe mostbeautiful meninAmerica. As a full-grownman, he was one ofthe mostbeautiful meninthe world.Inheropinion.He’deasilyoutshineevenPrinceTristan.
Ifhe’dsmile.
“Why?”heasked,turningforwardandpickingupthepace.
“Why? Um ” She didn’t meet manyadults who didn’t want to talkabout themselves Sometimes childrenwere more reticent,especiallythosewhocamefromhardsituations.Shewasanexpertatdrawingthemout,makingthemlaugh.Thisguy washidingsecretsthelikesofwhichanytalkshow hostorinfluencerintheworldwouldgoinsaneover Shedidn’twantto exploithim,andsherealizeditwasnotgoodformtoaskhimtorevealallwhenthecameraswererolling.Shoot.
Wouldheevertellherthetruth?Shewasdyingtoknow.
Couldshehelphimescapewhoeverhadkidnappedhim,orhadhealreadyescapedandthendecidedhelikedthelifeofa hermit?Whatifthismysteriousenigmawalkinginfrontofhernolongerwantedtobewealthy,famous,partofhisillustrious andcharitablefamily,andsoughtafterbywomentheworldover?
Yeah,right.Thatmadenosense.
“We’llbealoneforsixdays,”shesaid,tryingtoactcasualandasifshedidn’tknowhissecret Hecouldtellherstories aboutthisLieutenantQuaidRaven,thepersonheorsomeoneelsehadcreatedtohideThomasOliver’strueidentity.“Wemight aswellgetthepreliminarysmalltalkoutofthewayandbecomefastfriendsduringthefirstepichourofoursharedadventure. Right?”
“Anna.” His deep, melodious voice sounded annoyed, and he didn’t evenglance over his shoulder to give her another snapshotofthosebabyblues “Iappreciateyourhumorandoutgoingnature,andI’mcertainwe’llgetalongwell ButI’mnota fanof…thefastfriendstype,ortellingstoriesaboutmyself.”
“Well,that’sjustsad”
Did that mean he wasn’t a fan of her? She knew he was completely out of her league romantically. Nobody had ever accusedherofbeinganygreatbeauty,andthedatesshe’dbeenaskedonhadbeenbecauseofhersenseofhumor.
Shewasn’ttryingtohitonhim,unlesshewantedthat,whichheobviouslydidn’t Sheonlywantedtobefriends Shecould quietlydaydreamaboutmore.
Hewas closed-offwasthemostgenerousdescriptionshecouldgive Quaidwashidingfartoomuchfromherandtherestoftheworld.Hiskidnapperscouldstillbeafterhim.Hisdistraughtyet stillclassy,benevolent,andimpressivemotherprobablyhadnoideahewasalive.Maybehehadtostayawayfromhisfamily tokeepthemsafe.Howtragic.
She created a mental image ofhimwatchinghis mother froma distance. Thoughhe looked stoic and ultra-handsome, of
courseheyearnedforthecharitableangeltoknow hewassafeandmaybeonemoremotherlyhug?Shealmosttearedupjust thinkingofit.
Thenhissisterhadbeenkidnappedtoo Eventhewealthyhadtodealwithhorribletragedies Maybeevenmoresoasthey wereobviouslytargetsfordepravedsouls.
Quaidhadtraineddiligentlyinthemilitary AyounglieutenantandaNavySEAL Soimpressive Hecouldprotecthimself ifthosekidnapperswerestillafterhim,butcouldheprotecthisfamily?Washeevennowsearchingforhismissingsister?
Theywalkedandwalkedasshestewed
“Ifyoudon’tlike‘fastfriends,’doyoulikeothertypesoffriends?”sheasked. Noresponse.
“Doyouhave friends?”
His backstiffened, and she feltawful. This handsome, appealingmandidn’thave friends? The heartbreakfor her HEM keptcompounding
AnnaexcelledinhelpingthechildrenatPlayTimeeverymorningandevening,andatherfull-timepreschooljobduringthe day somebodyhad to paythe bills to learnpeople skills and how to make friends Most importantly, how to be a good friend.‘Tohaveafriend,youhavetobeafriend.’Sherepeatedthatlineatleastadozentimesaday.
“Ihaveenoughfriends,”hemuttered.
“Oh That’sgood”
Anna’s mind scrambled to know how to draw himout, how to help him. She’d worked with numerous children from abusivehomesordealingwiththelossofalovedoneoranintensebullyingsituation Itwasadelicatebalance comforting andunderstanding,notpushingtoohardbutnotgivinguponthemeither.Ninetypercentofthetime,shecoulddraw themout untiltheycouldlaugh,play,makefriends,findhappiness,andmostimportantlyturntoJesus.
Ofcourse!Duh.Thatwaswhyshewasn’tgettingthroughtoherHEM.Hernonstopprayerdialoguehadceasedforthepast hourashermindhadspunwithquestionsabouthim.Alittle,oralotof,heavenlyhelpwasalwaysinorder.
Please help me know how to help him Is he a wounded soul? Closed off? Angry? Scared? Lonely? Running? In danger? Oppressed?
I am Your tool Guide me
“Why don’t you tell me about yourself? Then I’ll know what I’m expected to share,” Quaid said. His voice sounded amusedandatthesametimeresignedtohisfate.Talkingabouthimselfmustbeaformoftorturetohim.Shedoubtedhe’dtell herthetruth.Ifhewaslivingunderanassumedname,hemusthavecreatedagoodbackstory.
“Oh,that’seasy,”shechirped,determinedtohelphimbecomfortablearoundherandmaybesomedaytellherhisstory.“I have the best family ever Two fabulous and caring parents Five siblings All happily married, successful, loyal, full of Christianlight, and kind. I’mthe youngestand ofcourse the mostwell-loved.” She grinned. Her momsaid well-loved was muchbetterthanspoiled
Hesaidnothingtoanyofthat.
Okay. Maybe too upbeatand braggy? His familywas insanelyimpressive, beautiful, rich, and charitable. She’d listento himbragtoo Excepthewas hidinghis family Hewas probablyprotectinghis mom,dad,andsisters fromtheawful people whohadkidnappedhim.Hewasamartyr,sacrificinghimselftokeephisfamilysafeandhappy.OfcourseherHEMwouldbe thatunselfish
“Ihavefivenephewsandsevennieces,”shecontinued.“Agesninemonthstotenyearsold.They’reallabsolutelyadorable andendearing OfcourseI’mtheirfavoriteauntie NobodyknowshowtoplaylikeAuntieAnna” Noresponse.
Didhelikechildren?Yikes.Hugeredflagifthatwasano.
“I’mcertainyou’realivelyaunt,”hesaidstiffly Lively?Gag.Shewasthelifeoftheparty.
“Areyourniecesandnephews happy?”Hestilldidn’tlookather,butsomethinginhisquestiontuggedatherheart She couldonlyimaginehowhelongedforhisownfamilyandthereshewentboastingaboutherbeautifullovedones.
“Veryhappy”Shecouldn’tlie Shedidn’tthinkhe’dwantthatanyway “Mysiblingsandtheirspousesaredevotedparents wholoveJesus.Theblessingseverychildneeds.”
“I’mgladtohearthat.”
Hekeptwalkingandwalking Shefollowedalong
Withno follow-up questions abouther family, she was prettycertainitwasn’ttime to startentertaininghimwithstories abouteachofherniecesandnephews,Jace,Molly,andtheotherregularsatPlayTime Shecouldmesmerizeanyoneforhours withthosestories.
Whenthe chirpingofhappybirds and their ownrhythmic footfalls were the onlysounds for muchtoo long, she tried a differentsubject.“I’mfromChicago.”
“Whichpart?”
“Northwestside. Up bythe lake. So beautiful. Notnearlyas beautiful as this.” She gestured around. Theywalked up a gradual incline, and the gorgeous pine trees around them were thick. Spring sunshine was drawing out blossoms on the deciduoustreesandcoveringthegroundwithtendershootsofgreen
“Thisisverybeautiful,”headmitted.“What’syourfavoritepartaboutyourhome?”
Hewasatleasttryingtocontinuetheconversationanddrawherout Goodjob,HEM
“Ilovethelakeandthethicktreeseverywhere.Mybrothers,sisters,Maya,andIbuiltfortsandexploredintheforestand playedinthelakeeverychancewegot”
Quaidglancedbackather.“Thatsounds…reallynormalandnice.”
“Itwasnormal,butmuchbetterthannice.”Shegrinned.
Helookedaway,butnotbeforeshecaughtalonginginhisgaze
“Whatwasyourchildhoodlike?”Itwastheobviousfollow-upquestion,butshegotthesensequicklysheshouldn’thave askedit
Hisbackstiffened.“I’msureprettysimilartoyours.”
Anna’s eyes widened She was sure not He came fromridiculous wealth His familyhadhomes all over the world His sistersandmotherweresomeofthemostbeautifulwomenshe’deverseen,hisdaddistinguishedandperfectlooking.Shehad somanyquestionsfor him,butshedidn’tdareaskanyofthem.He’dobviouslychangedhisnameandgoneintothemilitary. Why?Hidingfromhiskidnappers,mostlikely Didhisparentsknowhewasallright?Iftheydid,whytheconstantpleasand huge reward moneyto help find himand his sister Jacqueline? So manyquestions. She would lose itifshe didn’tgetsome answerssoon
Theyploddedalong.Shetriedtothinkofwhattosay.
Please help me help him If I can’t get my questions answered, help my brain to calm down “Tellmeaboutyourcharity,”herequested.
“Oh, that’s easy!Mydegree is inearlychildhood developmentand Iworked ata preschool all throughhighschool and college Well, I still work there Gotta pay the bills somehow, right?” Her cheeks heated as she asked that How could a billionaireheirrelatetopayingbills?
“Certainly,”herespondedgraciously “ThenMaya she’smybestfriend andIgottheideatostartourownplaycenterthatanychildcouldcometoandplay andbeakid.Wealsowantedtohelpparentswhowereoverwhelmed,lookingforasafespacefortheirchildren,orneedinga breakforamomentsotheycouldbeagoodparentagainwhentheyreturned.Sometimesallyouneedisatimeouttogetyour goodattitudeback.”Thetruthwasn’tquiteasidealistic,agoodportionoftheparentsseemedhappytodumptheir childand quiteoftenrepeatedphonecallshadtobemadeforthelittleonestobepickedupattheendoftheday Sometimesitwasthe policewhohadtocome,oftenfindingtheparentdrunk,drugged,ormissing.Itbrokeherheart.
“Interesting,”hesaid “MyfriendCashhasagymthathelpsvetsandat-riskyouthhaveasafespacetogo Thevetsmentor theteenageboys,teachthemhowtobehealthyandprotectthemselves.Kindofsimilar.”
“Oh,cool!Yes,kindofsimilar,butourplaceisallaboutplayandwehavetoddlersuptopreteens.”
“Cash’sgymonlyhasteenageboys Goodkidswhoneedabreakinlife” “Fromhardsituations?”
“Asarule”
“Soyouhelpoutthere?”sheasked.
Hedidn’tanswer
Anna’snecktingled.Hewas still hidingout.Afugitive.Ontherun.Needinghelpandprotection.Astoughashelooked, sheknewhecouldprotecthimselfphysically,buthewasshoutingforemotionalandspiritualsupport.
Howcouldshehelpifshedidn’tknowtherootofhispain?
Sheuppedher paceuntil sheranintohisbackpack.Thenshegrabbedontohisarmsfrombehind.Ohmy.Her heartwas suddenlyracingout of control and her skinfar too warm Quaid’s defined arms were more fabulous to touchthanstare at Bulgesofsmoothmuscleonhisbicepsandtricepswasnotonlyeyecandy itwasgoodtouchoverload.
“Delicious,”shemurmured “Perfect”
Hestoppedandfinallyglancedbackather,concernevidentonhisface.“Areyouwell?” “Goinginsane,”sheadmitted.
Hisbrowslifted,butthelookhegavehersaidhealreadythoughtshe’darrivedatinsaneandwasspeedingpastittoabed inamentalhospital.
Shethrewcautiontothewind,archedontohertiptoes,leanedinclosetohisear,andwhispered,“You’reThomasOliver, andyoudon’twantanybodytoknow.”
Stiffenedwasn’tstrongenoughfor how he reacted.His entire bodywas one hard,coiledmuscle.His blue eyes lostany warmthandnarrowedtoadangerousglare.
“Areyouinmortalperil?”sheaskedurgently.
Quaidwhippedaroundandpulledherinclose.Hislargeandwarmpalmswrappedaroundherlowerback,justunderher backpack,asheheldheronhertiptoesandagainsthisstrongchest.Theairwhooshedfromherlungs.Himwillinglyhugging hersotightwas heavenly,awe-inspiring,magical
Quaidheldherpressedagainsthismuscledchest.Thefrontcameraswerebothsquishedbetweenthem.Leaningdown,he whisperedinherear,“Ifyoueversaythatnameoutloud,toanyone,Iwillbeinworsethanmortalperil”
“Oh!Oh,my.Allright.”Shenoddedwithresolve.“IswearonGrannyIsabelle’sgravenevertobreatheawordtoanyone.” Herelaxedslightlybutdidn’tlethergo Easingbackenoughtomeethergaze,hestudiedher,checkingforsinceritymore effectivelythanaliedetectortest.
“Youcantrustme,Quaid,”shesaidsoftly,noddingherencouragement. Hesoftenedafractionmoreandthenreturnedhernod “Thankyou” “Anythingforyou,myHEM.”
Heactuallysmiledatthat
Annablinkedupathimforseveralseconds,surprisedhedidn’treleaseher.Shelovedbeinginhisarms.Shewantedtojust hughim,butshedoubtedshe’dgetthiswhispering-closeopportunityanytimesoon Sosheleanedaroundtohiseartowhisper, “Canyoutellmeaboutwhatreallyhappenedsometime?”
“I don’t evenknow you, Anna.” His whisper was harsh. “Please, just … let me help youthis weekand don’t askany questions,orsayanythingtothecameras,aboutmeormypast”
Thatstunk.She’ddaydreamedaboutthismanforyearsandnowhewashere,holdingher,atruecelebritycrushmomentin fulfillment,buthedidn’twanttogettoknowortrusther “Whatabouttheshow?Thewholeworldwillseeit” “Voiceandfaceobfuscationsoftware,”hemurmured.“Whenitairs,I’ll belonggonefromhereandeveryoneassociated withtheshow.”
“Ah.Thatmakessense.”
Hepulledbackjustenoughtostareintohereyes.Hisblueeyescaptivatedher.She’ddoanythingheasked,except…not askquestionsabouthim?Thatstunkworsethanoneofherbrother’sproteindrinkfarts
“Thankyou,”hemouthed.
“Anythingforyou,”shetoldhimagain Shehopedshesaiditsweetly,purely,irresistibly Hestudiedherandthensimplynoddedandreleasedher.Pivoting,hestrodeupthetrail.
Annafollowed.Deflated,dejected,lonely,awkward.Atleastshewasn’tboredashermindspunamillionmilesanhour, thequestionsandneedtoknowgrowingwitheverystep.
ThomasOliver,inthehandsomeflesh,refusingtogivehermorethanacrumbofinformation.Thismightbethelongestand mostfrustratingweekofherlife
Please help calm my frantic mind.
Quaidwasindanger Mortalperil Hissafetywasmoreimportantthanherquestions.
QUAID MADE
itthroughaverylongdayofhikingthroughthesteepbutgorgeousmountainssoutheastoftheAugustine castle. Somehow, he resisted pullingthe intriguingand increasingly-appealingmotormouthAnna into his arms again. When she’dgrabbedhimfrombehindanhourintotheirhikeandsaidsheknewwhohewas,andhe’dspunandpulledherincloseto stopherfrombroadcastinghisidentitytothecameras,thepowerofhertouchandthefeelofherinhisarmshadoverwhelmed him.He’dalmostlosthistrainofthoughtandhisdesiretostayaloofandsingleformanyyearstocome.
Whoknewholdinganenticingwomancouldfeellikethat?Well,mostoftheworldwhowashappilymarriedmustknow, butithad never happened for himbefore. He held himselfas aloofas possible throughoutthe restofthe day, buther happy chatterandhonestdelightandappreciationofeverythingwashardtoresist
Quaidrespondedaswellashecouldunderthecircumstances.Hesurprisedhimselfbyaskingherfollow-upquestionsand laughingathersillyjokesandteasesoften.Whenhadhelastlethimselflaugh?Hecouldn’tremember.Jaceyusedtomakehim laugh,butthey’dlearnedtobeverycarefulnottolaughoutloud.Kennyhadmadehimlaugh,buthewasdead.
Astheyhiked,heexplainedthementalsnapshothewasplanninghisstrategyofattackfrom.He’dhadnocluehowvaluable the map Prince Tristanhad shownhimwould be Now he had to keep trackof the peaks and valleys and the approximate distancecoveredsotheydidn’twastetimehikingtoofarsouthtoItaly,easttoAustria,ornorthtoGermany.Hewouldgrayout theportionsofthemapinhismindastheytraversed,andhopefullynotwastetimecoveringanareatwiceorhikingaroundin othercountries.Iftheyexploredallthebrokentrails,they’dfindthetencaves.
The sunhadsunkbehindthe mountains anddarkness was quicklyapproaching.They’dseena waterfall,numerous lakes, trompedthroughknee-deepsnowinacoupleofvalleys,slidovericytrails,sloggedthroughmud,andfoundthreecavestoday. Nottherightcaves.Noneofthethreehadanyfoodorshelterinthem.They’dcoveredmaybeatwentiethoftheareahe’dseen onthemap IfAnnawasdisappointedintheirlackofprogress,sheneverleton
They’dsubsistedontheproteinbars,fruitleather,andtrailmixfromtheirbackpacks,refillingtheirwaterbottlesinaclear spring He wouldn’t mind some real food, but their sleeping situation was his bigger concern Sleeping on the edge of a mountain switchback trail like they were on right now and having to cuddle close in emergency sleeping bags and an emergencyshelterwerenothighonhisprioritylist.
IfQuaidweretruthfulwithhimself,thethoughtofholdingAnnathroughthenightsoundedlikethemostexcitingadventure intheworld.Butbeinghonestwithhimselfwasn’thighonhisprioritylistrightnoweither.Keepinghersafe,helpingherwin hermoney,andkeepingfocusedonprotectingJaceyafterhefinishedthisadventurewerethetoppriorities
“Anycavesinsighttohunkerdowninforthenight,myperfectandbeautifulHEM?”sheasked.
Quaid hid a smile She insisted oncallinghimHEM She threw a lot ofQuaid inthere too She was quirky, hilarious, upbeat,andanunapologeticChristianjustlikeKenny,Miles,andJacey.
“Notinsight.” He stopped and turned to her, pullinga water bottle outofhis backpackand offeringitto her. He knew exactlywhatshe’ddo
She didn’tdisappoint.Anna tooka longdrink,lookingmore appealingtohimthananyofthe models,actresses,wealthy socialites, or influencers who used to hitonhimwhenhe was inthe limelightwithhis family Ina moment, she’d offer the drinkbackto himand encourage himto ‘drinkup.’He liked that she wasn’t worried about germs and her generous nature showedwiththegesture Hecouldn’timaginehismotherorElizabetheversharingadrinkwithanyone
“Drinkup,”shechirped,waterglisteningonherlips.Thoselipsofherswerecallingtohim.Ithadbeenoverayearsince he’dletdownhisguardenoughtokisssomeone.
HeandKennyhadgonetoclubsor danceswhentheyhadbreaksbetweenmissions He’dwornahatandsunglassesand Kennyhad introduced himas his ‘blind friend.’The womenhad gone nuts over the ploy. Some had tried to take his hat or sunglassesoff,butheneverletthem Manyhadkissedhimattheendofthenight He’denjoyedit
OnetouchofAnna’slipswouldsurelyblowanyofthosekissesoutofthewater.
AfterKennydied,Quaidhadstoppeddoinganythingsocial.ThathadtobewhyhewassoinvestedinAnna’severyword, touch,andtease Hewassimplylonely
Neitherhislonelinessnorhisdesireforhercouldfactorintotheequation.He’dbestrongandresisther.Therewasahost ofreasonswhyheneededtobestrong,andJaceywasattheverytopofthelist KeepingtheirresistibleAnnasafefromhis mother’sscopeswasscreamingintoaclosesecond.
“Okay”Helookedaroundonthepretenseofmakingadecision,buthewasactuallygivinghimselfabreakfromyearning to letdownhis guard and connectwiththis innocentsweethearthe didn’ttrulyknow and shouldn’tbe so mesmerized with. Todayshe’devendrawnhimoutandhe’dsharedalittlebit.OfcoursehisstorieswerealteredtoprotectJaceyandhisown identity, but still he found himself jokingwithher and givingher far more informationthanhe’d shared about his life with anyonebutKenny.
Heenjoyedbeingaroundher Hecouldn’tbelievehe’doriginallythoughtshewasn’tinsanelybeautiful She’dnevergrace thecoverofVogue or Cosmopolitan,buttohimshewaslightyearsmorebeautifulthananyofthewomenhe’ddatedorthathis motherhadpushedonhim
Itdidn’tmatter.Couldn’tmatter.HeandAnna’sfuturewasthenextsixdaystogether,thenitwouldcometoanabruptend. Itwouldbeinfinitelykinderofhimtokeepherfromfallingforhimandnotlethisheartgetentangledwithhers.
“Let’s keepheadingupthe switchbacks until we lose natural light,” he decided “I’mhopingtofinda level place onthe trail,orevenbetter,acavethathasthesuppliestheypromisedusandasleepingspot.”
“Metoo ThoughIwouldn’tmindsnugglingupwithmyHEMinemergencyblanketsonthepretenseofneedingtostayalive andwarm.”Shewinkedathim.
Quaidgrinned.Howcouldhenot?Shewasbaitinghim.Heknewit,andhecouldactcasualandteaselikeanysingle,redbloodedmanwithabraininhisheadwoulddo.
“Icoulddefinitelykeepyoualiveandwarm.”Heoverheatedjustimaginingsnugglingclose.Hehadtoshutthosethoughts downandredirect “ButIpromiseitwouldbeamiserablenight”
“Miseryneversoundedsoincredible.”Shegrinned,ashappyandappealingasanywomanhadarighttobe.
Quaid’sheartthreatenedtopoundoutofhischest Hestoredthewaterbottleandturnedtokeepfromreachingforher His bodybeggedhimtotouchheragainandseeifitwasanythingclosetoasamazingasithadbeenearliertoday. Nothappening.
“Let’sgetupthisslushy,muddymessofamountain,”hesaid.
“Yes,sir.”
Quaidledtheway TheyhadtheYaktraksonbutstillslidoftenontheicyandmuddytrail Couldn’tMercedes’steamhave waiteduntilAugusttoshootthishikingthroughthemountainepisode?Themud,ice,andsnow madeitmoredifficult,andhe wascertaintheproducerswantedexactlythat
Quaidknewtheproducershadtheirweeksscheduledout.Cashhadexplainedthey’dorganizethefootageandpromotethe shows throughout the spring and summer. They planned to start showing the different episodes in the fall on several large networks
ThankheavensMercedeshadagreedtothevoiceandfaceobfuscation,paidhimupfront,andhadn’trevealedwhohewas. Hisidentitywouldstaysafeaswellashispride HesmiledthinkingofCash,Bennett,andElisplayedbeforetheworld He’d havefunwatchingthoseepisodes.He’dprobablywatchthisepisoderepeatedly,simplytorevisithistimewithAnna.
Thetemperatureswereplummetingtobelow freezing Hestrainedtoseethetrail;theyhadtoeither hunker downandbe miserableyetsnuggledclose,orputtheheadlampsonandslow theirpace.BeingtuckedinclosetoAnnawouldbefarfrom miserableforhim,andthatwasaglaringproblem.Headlampsitwas.
Stopping,hepulledoffhisbackpack
“Wrappingupinemergencyblanketsnow?”Annachirped. Heglancedback Eveninthedimlight,hecouldseehergrin “Astemptingasthatsounds ”Heshouldn’thaveadmitted that.Shebeamedathim.“We’reoptingforheadlamps.It’stimetofindacave.” “Ilovethepositivity Let’sdoit,baby!”
Quaidchuckled.He’ddonethatregularlytoday.Todaywasthehappiestdayhe’dhadsinceKennydied. Hepulledouttheheadlampsandhandedonetoher.Thankfully,shehadgloveson.Toomanyincidentalbrushesofthehand mightdohimin
Switchingonhis ownheadlight, he was tempted to praytheyfound a cave. He held strong. Jaceybelieved heavenhad helped himrescue her, but it had beenhis and Miles’s ingenuity, experience, and a bit of good luck Heavenhadn’t saved Maria,andhe’dprayedandbeggedforherlife.Heavenhadn’thelpedKenny,andhisbestfriendhadstrongerfaiththananyone heknew.
He took a few slow steps, swinging the headlamp around so he wouldn’t miss anything. Their progress slowed even further. As theyplodded along, slippingand sliding, witha hundred-foot drop to their right, he wondered iffindinga cave
tonightwasworththeriskoffalling.
“PleasehelpusFathertonotslipoffthecliffs,nevertobeheardfromagain.”
Quaidgrinned,thoughitreallywasn’tfunny
“Pleaseguideustoawarm,safecavetosnuggleinthroughthenight,”Annacontinuedtoprayaloudbehindhim,soclose hecouldfeelherwarmbreathonhisneck
Quaiddidn’tcomment.Hewouldneverdisparageanyone’sfaithorbeliefs.He’dlearnedfrombirthhowwordscouldcut, buthedidn’tknowthataHeavenlyFatherwasconcernedaboutthemfindingacave Therewereplentyofviciousbattlesand impoverishedchildrentocaptureheaven’sattention.Healsodidn’tthinksheshouldprayforthemtosnuggle.
Hesmiled.Helikedher.Itwasokaytoadmitthatmuch tohimself. Shouldhecallitandhunkerdownasclosetothemountainastheycould?
“Anna … ” He turned back to share his thoughts and ask her opinion. His headlamp swung over an opening in the mountainsideonhisleft
Oh.Heblinked.Thatwasapleasantsurprise.
“Anna” He stopped and she raninto him, claspinghis armwithbothher hands He was filled withpurpose, light, and warmthfromsimplytouchingher.“It’sacave.”
“Yay!I’vebeenprayingsohard!”
“Iheardthat”
“Youonlyheardone-onethousandthofmymanyprayers.”
Hechuckled “Thankyouforpraying”
“Let’sgetwarm.”
Shetriedtopushpasthimtogoinside.Heheldherback.“Letmecheckitoutfirst.”
“Okay,Mr.Overprotective.MyperfectHEM.”Sheblinkedupathim,hergreeneyesmorealluringthanever.
Hesmiledandsteppedintotheopening,beaminghisheadlamparound.
“Would you look at that?” Anna breathed out, poking her head in “The emergency blanket snuggling situation sounded ideal,butIguessthis’lltakeaclosesecond.PrinceCurtisandPrincessAliyaarethebomb!”
Hechuckledandledher throughthecaveopening,their headlightsbouncingaroundtherockwalls Theystoppednextto somecampchairs,asmalltable,agriddle,andacooler.Tuckedagainstthefarwallweretwosleepingbagsandpillowson topofathicksleepingpad.Therewasaduffelbagthatheassumedhadclothingandtoiletriesinit.
Hepannedtheflashlightaroundandsawthatthecavewasn’ttoobig maybetwentybytwenty.Itwasplentybigtohunker downforthenight,eat,andrest.Hedidn’tseeanytelltalecrackswheresnakesorotherunfriendliesmightcrawlout.Thatwas good Prince Curtis andPrincess Aliya haddone thema solidfavor This was a greatplace toresttonight One cave down, ninetogo.Onedaygone,sixtogo.
Turningonthecamplightrestingonthetable,thecaveglowedwiththesoftlight Cameraswereplacedinthecornersof thecave.Theybothshutofftheirheadlamps.Annaheldoutherhand.“Handoverthegoods.”
Quaid chuckled, removed his headlamp, and placed it in her hand. She stowed it in his backpack. They eased to an unoccupiedwallandbothshruggedoutoftheirbackpacks,restingthemagainstthewall TakingofftheGoProsbatteries,they placedallfouronthechargersprovided.
“Yayus!Wefoundourcave Nowlet’seat”
“Ilikehowyouthink.”
“Ofcourseyoudo”Shewinkedathim,andhisbloodranhotter
Turningawaybeforehedidsomethingrashlikeflirtmoreorpullherclose,hesquattednexttothecooler.Shewaspressed closebeforehecouldsayanything.
Theyworkedtogethertopullfoodoutofthecoolerandcookmeatandveggiesfordinner Annawascomfortabletowork withandtheywerewell-matched,asifthey’dbeeninthesameunitforyears.He’dneverfeltathrillwhensomeoneinhisunit brushed his hand or grinned at him, though Thank heavens He wasn’t certain what to do about these unexpected and overwhelmingfeelingsforAnna.
The tantalizingsmell of the food cookingmade his stomachrumble Anna teased himabout it, but mostlyshe chattered aboutherniecesandnephewsandthechildrenatherplaycenters.Shecertainlylovedchildren.He’dneverbeenaroundhappy children,alwaysinawarzoneofsometype.Herchildrensoundedincredible.
Shetalkedwhiletheycookedtogether,whiletheyate,andwhiletheystoredthefoodbackinthecooler Therewasfoodfor breakfastaswell.
Theyeachusedtheportabletoiletinthecorner,turningtheirback,pluggingtheirnose,andsingingloudlywhenitwasthe otherperson’sturn.Anna’sidea,ofcourse.Thetoiletwastopofthelineandsealedoffanysmells,sothatmadeitalittleless awkward.
Quaidheldupasleepingbagtocoverherfromthecameras,turnedhisback,andsheusedbodywipestocleanherselfup andchangeintocomfortablesweatsandthicksockstosleepin.Shereturnedthefavor.Itwasn’tawkward,andheappreciated
thatmodestywasimportanttoher.
Theyusedfacewipestocleantheirfacesandthenbrushedtheirteeth.Theprinceandprincesswhohadsetthisallupwere verythoughtful
Hethoughttheywerereadytoturnoffthelightandsleep,butsheremindedhim,allchipper,“Weeachhavetorecordour thoughtsaboutthedayandabouteachother”Shewinkedathim “SoturnyourbackandplugyourearswhileIgofirst,sinceI knowyou’dinsistonthatwithallyourgentlemanlybehavior.IpromiseIwillonlysaywonderfulthingsaboutyou,HEM.”
Hechuckled “Thankyouforeasingmymind I’vebeenstressingaboutthatallday”
“Ah,sureyouhave.Idon’tthinkanythingstressesyou.Sobrave,powerful,andalluring.”Shebeamedathim. Quaid’seyebrowsshotup.Shenever heldanythingback,buthe’dfeltlikeshewasprettyintuitiveabouthim.Obviously not Hemightappearbrave,powerful,andalluringtoher,buthewasconstantlystressed,hismindscramblingatalltimes wonderingifJaceywasgoingtobefoundandsnatchedbyhismother,wonderingiftheshe-devil wouldfindhimandtorture himtotrytofindJacey,wonderinghowhe’devercreateanormallifeforJaceyorhimself,knowingthatwouldneverhappen They’dneverfeelsafeuntilhismotherwasdead.
Insteadofresponding,heturnedtothecavewall
“Andplugyourears,”sheurgedassheedgedtowardacameraontheoppositewall.“Youcan’tbelisteningtowhatI’m saying.Howembarrassingwouldthatbe?”
Shewashilarious Everythingtheysaidwouldbebroadcasttotheworldinthefall Hefeltridiculous,butheputhisfingersinhisears.
Quaidwaitedforaboutfiveminutes Hecouldhearhervoicebutcouldn’tdistinguishherwords Feelingherapproach,he pulledhisfingersoutofhisears.Sheleanedintohisshoulderandsmiledupathim.Quaid’sthroatcaught.Hestareddownat her.Thoseeyes…greenlikethebeautifulforestthey’dtraipsedthroughallday.
“Yourturn,”shesaid,pointingtothecameraabovehim.
“Right.”Heswirledhisfinger.“Turnaround,noseinthecorner,andplugyourears.”Hesmiledtohimselfasshespunina circle,hurriedtotheoppositeedgeofthecaveagain,andshovedherfingersinherears Evenintoo-bigsweats,shelooked incrediblestandingthere.
Itdidn’tmatterifshepluggedherears Hewasn’tgoingtosaymuch Heedgedclosertotheclosestcamera,feelingmore ridiculousthanhe’dfeltwithhisfingersinhisears.
“Um…it’sthenightofdaynumberone.Wecrossedalotofgroundtoday,ruledoutseveralareas,foundfourcaves,but onlythisonewithashelter.Soonedaydownandonecavedown.Fivemoredaysandninemorecaves.We’llpickupthepace tomorrowandcovermoreground.Luckily,mostoftheelevationgainfortheweekisbehindus.Somehow,we’llmakeitand earnthemoneyforAnna’scharity”
Hesmiledatthecamera,whichwassillyastheywouldobscurehisfaceanyway,andstartedtoturnaway.
“Makesureyoutellthecamerawhatyouthinkofme,”Annacalledout Heglancedbackather.Shehadn’tmoved.Couldshehearhim?
“Andno-o,”shesangout.“Ican’thearyou.Ijustknowhowyouare,tryingtobeallbriefandstoic.Smileandenjoylifea little,myHEM”
Quaidlaughed.Lookingbackatthecamera,hepassedahandoverhisface.“AnnaknowshowIam.”Heshookhishead, unabletostopsmiling “She’s great Shetalksalot Arealyappologist,asmyfriendswouldsay Ithoughtthatwouldannoy me,butIlikeher chatter.She’s funnyandhappyandisverydedicatedtoandinlovewithall thechildrenshehelpsandher niecesandnephewsandfamily Shedeservestowinthismoney”
Therewasnoworldwherehewouldtellthecamerathatshewasultra-appealingtohim,hewasbesottedwithhereyesand lips.Maybeshewasn’tamodel-gorgeousbeautythateverymanwouldgawkat,butbecauseofhersparklingpersonalityand positiveattitudeandacrazyconnectionwhentheytouched,shewasalreadymorebeautifultohimthananywomanhe’dmet Howhadthathappenedinamatterofhours?
Nowaywasherevealinganyofthosethoughtstothecameraoranyoneelse Ever
SoheturnedandwalkedtowardAnna.Shedidn’tmove,herfingersstillshovedinherears.Hereachedherandrealized he’dhavetotouchherorcomearoundinfrontofherorshemightnevermove
Hehadabetteridea.SomethingKennywould’vedone.Heleapedaroundinfrontofherandcalledout,“Anna!” She screamed, jumped at him, and almost knocked himoff his feet. He laughed as she curled herself around himand scolded,“Youaboutgavemeaheartattack!”
Quaid laughed harder. Her arms around his back and her body pressed into his with no cameras, backpacks, or coats betweenthemwas messingwithhis mind He’d be the one havinga heartattackwithhow fasthis heartwas racingfroma simplehug.“Aheartattackattwenty-four,”heteased.“Thatwouldbesomekindofcrazytragedy.”
“I’llgiveyouacrazytragedy.”Shereleasedhergriponhim,whichsurprisedhimbutwasforthebest.Thenshegrabbed hisforearm,liftedhisarmup,andfeatheredherfingertipsalonghisarmpit,mirthfillinghergreeneyes.
Hestaredather.Thishilariouswomanwasgettingunderhisskinineverywhichway,butsometimessheactedcompletely
off.HismotherandElizabethwouldn’tlikeheratall.Kennywould’veharpedonhimuntilQuaidcommittedtodateher.Jacey wouldadoreher.Hecouldalreadyhear theterms fromJacey soul sisters,BFFs,bosomfriends.Ifonlytherewas aworld wherehecouldintroduceAnnatohissisteranddateher Thisworldwasn’tthatone.
“Whatareyoudoing?”heasked
“I’mticklingyou,”shesaid,staringupathim,frustrationevidentinhergreeneyes.“Andyouaren’tlaughingorfightingme atall Areyounotticklish?”Sheaskedthequestionasifitwashorrifying
“Nope.”Hedidn’tmove.Helether‘tickle’hisarmpit.Itdidn’tmakehimticklishorwanttolaugh,buthertouchinghim feltincredible.Hecouldstandhereallnightandlethertrytoticklehim.
“Ohmygoodness You!”Shereleasedhim,sweptapillowoffthesleepingbag,andsmackedhiminthefacewithit Quaidjoltedinsurpriseandremovedthepillowfromhergrasp.Shegotasneaky,mischievouslookonherface,grabbed theotherpillow,andtriedtoswingitathim Hetookthatpillowfromherbeforeshecouldconnectwiththesideofhishead Sheplantedherhandsonherhipsandtossedherlongponytailoverhershoulder.“Whatisupwithyou?Youdon’tjust… refusetolaughatbeingtickledandthenstealbothofthepillowsandnothitmeback Doyouevenknowhowtoplay?”
“Play?”Thewordwascommonplace,butaforeignconcepttohim.HeandJaceyhadtriedtoplayaschildren,whentheir parentsandoldersisterweren’taround,andtheystayedquietenoughtonotannoyandgetreprimandedbythehousestaffand theirever-presentguards Hehadselectmemoriesof‘playing’outsidewithhisnannyMariabeforeshe’dbeenkilled “Play.”Sheeasedinandfeatheredherfingersacrosshisabdomen.Herecognizedshewastryingtoticklehim,buthewas farfromlaughter Hertouchmadehisbodytingleandgrowfartoowarm “Youare supposedtolaughwhensomeone tickles you,andyoucanrespondtoa pillow fight,for heaven’s sake.Maybe youshould…pickmeupandflipmeupsidedownorsomethingfunlikethat.”
Quaiddidn’twanthertostoptouchinghisstomachandattemptingtoticklehim,buthelikedherlastidea.Hedroppedboth pillowsandsweptheroffherfeetandagainsthischest.Hefeltexultant,powerful,andhappyasshecriedoutinsurprise.Then hedroppedherupperbodytowardthepillowsandshiftedhisgriptowrappingheruptightwithhisarmsaroundherthighsas shedangledupsidedown.
“Quaid!”shecriedout “Stop,youmonster!” “Youridea,”heremindedher,laughingoutloud. Shelaughedtoo.Heglanceddownather;herfacewasturningred. “Uncle Icryuncle,”sheyelled. Shewashilarious.
Quaideasilyshiftedherweightandswungherupperbodybackup Hishandslandedunderherupperbackandherthighs Shewascradledtighttohischest,andhe’dneverhadsuchaperfectfitinhisarms.
Anna wrapped her arms around his neckand pulled herselfcloser to him Her peaches and creamscentwas muted now withachangeofclothesandalongdayoutdoors,buthecouldstillsmellitonherskin.Whathewouldn’tdotosoftlykissher neckandworkhiswayuptoherlips.
“See,”shecrowed “Youwerelaughingandhavingfun Youprotectmeandhelpmewinamilliondollars,andI’llteach youhow to playand enjoylife.” She ranher fingertips alongthe backofhis neckand into his hair, ticklinghis scalp. His musclestightenedinresponseandhisheartthreatenedtopoundoutofhischest He’dneverforgetthesestolenmomentswith Anna.Hecouldenjoylife…withher.
“Oh,youcanteachme,eh?”
“Yes,sir,myHEM.Icanteachyou alotofveryessentialandexcitingthings.”Hergazesweptacrosshislips. Exciting?Beingclosetoherwasawe-inspiring.Kissingherwouldblowhismind.
Quaidlosthissmileashefocusedonherappealinglips Heshouldputastoptothis,butnothinghadeverbeensotempting inhislifeasAnnaMarley.Heneededanicknameforher.HEF?HotExtraordinaryFemale.
Annaarcheduptowardhim,andQuaidknewitwouldbeeasierandmorethrillingthanjumpingoutofanairplanetomeet herkissandshowherexactlywhathecouldlearnfromherandwhathecouldteachher,howhecould‘play’withherlovely mouthandmakebothofthemvery,veryhappy
ButQuaiddidn’tliveforpleasureandhappiness.Helivedtoprotecthissister.Hecouldnotlethisguarddownlikethis anddragAnnaintothedangerandnightmarethatwastheOliverfamily.Atargetonthisbeautifulwoman’sbackandgivinghis motheranopportunitytomanipulatehimwasstupidityatitsfinest
Hesquattedquicklywithherstillinhisarms,laidheronthesleepingbagclosesttothewall,andsaid,“Goodnight,Anna.I hadfuntoday”
Thewordsweresimplebuttrue.Hehadfun.Toobadafterthesesixdays,he’dneverseeheragain. Shelaythere,stillclingingtohisneck,hergreeneyesbegginghimnottosaygoodnight.Toinsteadkissherforagood,long time.
Akisswouldmaketonightafabulousnight.
No.
Quaidslidhisarmsoutfromunderherandgentlytuggedherarmsfromhisneck.Herexpressionlookedbetrayed,hurt,and longingforhim Hisguttwisted Heyearnedforher HowwouldhestaystrongagainstthepowersAnnawielded?Herpower wasverydifferentfromhismanipulativemother.Anna’spowerwasinnocence,light,andjoy.Shehadpoweroverhimsimply becauseshewaskindandappealingtohim She’dneverdemandorextorthim,neverabusethepowershehadoverhimorhurt himinanyway.
He couldn’t lookat her anylonger or he’d kiss her, and that would be a huge mistake Anna deserved muchmore than entanglingherheartwithhis.Withthemessed-uplifeheled,theonlythinghecouldofferherwaspainandheartachewhenhis mothercaughtupwithhim,whichheknewwouldhappensomeday.
Quaidleapttohisfeet,hurriedacrossthesmallspace,andturnedoutthelight
Thenheslowlywalkedback.Ashiseyesadjusted,hesankontohisownsleepingbag,tryingnottotouchher.Hopefully, thedarknesswouldhelphimgethisdesiresundercontrol
Somehow,itmadeitworse.Themostincrediblewomanhe’devermetwaslyingrightnexttohim.Hedidn’tneedanykind ofilluminationtopictureherfullandenticinglips
Andhehadtoshutoffanylongingforherandsomehowsleep.
Apillowwhackedhimintheface.Heopenedhiseyesbutcouldn’tseemuchinthedark.Hedidsmile.
“Goodnight,HEM,”shesaidsweetly “Ihadfuntoo,andtomorrowwe’llhavealotmore I’llreallyteachyouhowto play. ”
Annawasn’tthesultrytype,butthewayshesaid‘play’hadhimenvisioningkissingher andwasastemptingasanything he’deverheardfromawomantryingtotraphim.Annawasn’tlikethewomenwhotriedtotraphim.Shewaspure,innocent, andeverythinghe’dneverknownhewanted.
Quaidswallowedagainsthisdrythroat.Heputthepillowunderhisheadandclosedhiseyes.Hecouldonlyimaginewhat Anna’sversionof‘fun’and‘play’wouldbe.Teasing,flirting,laughing,tickling…Surely,itwouldculminateinloadsofsweet kisses,firingthesparksbetweenthemintoaredhotflame
Hegroanedandheardherlaughsoftly.Didsheknowthepowershehadoverhim?Wasshemanipulatinghim?Hestewed aboutthatforfartoomanymoments
No. He couldn’tbelieve there was anythingbutpurityand lightinthatintriguingwoman’s heart. Whichwas evenmore reasontokeephersafeandoutofhisfamily’sreach.
Quaidwantedtoteaseher,haveapillowfight,pickherupinhisarmsagain,andhavelotsoffunkissingher. Turningawayfromher,hepromisedhimselfnoneofthatwouldhappen.Ifonlyhecouldexplainhewasprotectingherby keepinghisdistance Nomatterhowmiserableitwasforhim
He’donlybeenaroundherforoneday.Howwouldhestaystrongandnotfallforherforanentireweek?
The only easy day was yesterday
TheSEALsmottousedtonotfeel likeitappliedtohim.EverydayofhismilitaryservicebuttheonehelostKennyhad beeneasierthanlivingunderhismother’sreign.
Right now, that motto felt accurate Tomorrow would definitelychallenge his abilityto keep his distance fromthis fun, captivatingwoman.
ANNA HADtoprayforaverylongtimebeforeshewasabletosettledownandsleep Todayhadbeenfun,andQuaid’s charmingpersonalitywascomingoutmoreandmore.Sadly,hehadn’tmadeheryearandkissedherlongandslow.
Sheshouldbeworriedthatthey’donlyfoundoneofthetenspecifiedcaves They’dcoveredalotofmuddy,icy,andsnowy mountains, and Quaid said they’d probablygottenthrougha twelfthofthe area theyneeded to. That was discouraging. She needed to restwell and be readyto go fastand hard tomorrow. She was here for the milliondollars for PlayTime, buther mindhadquicklybecomeconsumedwithallthingsQuaid
ShelikedQuaid,Thomas,herHEM. Liked wasashallowtermtodescribeherfeelings.She’dtoldthecameraallofthis, wonderingwhathe’dsaywhenheheardit
Annawascompletelyenamoredwithhim.Beingaroundhimforadayasadults,sherealizedhercrushasateenagerhad beenshallow,silly,andshort-sightedasteenagecrushesoftenwere.Thereal andfull-grownThomasOliver washer Quaid. He was thoughtful, smart, fun, a Navy SEAL, a hero, and even more attractive than her sixteen-year-old dreams could comprehend.
AtfirstQuaidhadn’ttalkedmuch,buthehadencouragedhertogabnonstopanddidn’tseemtomindhermotormouth Then he started instigatingand beinga worthwhile partner inthe conversation. He’d become more charmingand funbythe hour. He’dteasedheraboutbeinga‘yappologist,amasterofchatter’Shesmiledatthesillytitle
HerHEMdefinitelyneededhertokeephimlaughing,talkinghisearoff,andteachinghimhow tohavefunandplay.Did funorplaymeankissingtohim?Shecertainlyhopedso,butthereweresomecautionflags.
A‘yappologist’didn’texactlytranslatetoadesirablewomanhewantedtodateafter their sharedexperiencesthisweek. She saw entertainmentnews occasionally, magazine covers, and had social media. Menlike Quaid didn’tstrutaround with preschoolteacherswithholesintheirshoesandsocks,nottomentionsomephysicaldeficienciesshechosenottodwellon
Shedriftedoff,becomingmoreconvincedthatamodel-perfectmanlikeQuaidcouldnevertrulybeinterestedinafunbut below-average atleastinthelooksandfinancialdivisions,notthefunorhappycategories womanlikeher
When she woke, the sun lit up the cave opening and Quaid wasn’t lying by her side. Dang. She’d actually slept well, burrowedinherwarmsleepingbagwiththehigh-qualitypadandpillowmakingherascomfortableasherbedathome.
Lookingacross the cave, she saw himscramblingeggs onthe cooktop and thenliftingmore breakfast foods out of the cooler. Just looking at himmade her heart race. Joy filled her soul, and she suspected she’d been dropped into the exact fairytaleshewould’veorchestratedforherself Butthiswasreallife,incolorandinthrillingfeels
Thank you, Jesus, for another day. Thank you for Quaid. Please let me be with him forever … if that be Your will for him
She didn’tquestionifthemdatingafter this weekwas the Savior’s will for her. Ofcourse itwas. Quaid was outofher league,themostcharming,noble,andhandsomemanofthecentury,butwhowasshetoquestionaheaven-sentgiftlikehim?
“Goodmorning,”shecalledout,scramblingoutofher sleepingbagandinstantlyregrettingit “Brr!It’s adeep-freezein here!”
Quaidgiftedher withhis full grin She lostthe abilitytomove or breathe properly “Itis,” he agreed “Let’s eatandget movingsoyougetwarm.”
“Bossy,bossy”Hervoicewasfartoobreathless Shedidn’twanthimthinkingshewassomeinfatuated,sillygirl even though she was. “You’d think we’re trying to beat the clock and win a million dollars to give light and joy to children throughoutAmericaorsomething.”
He chuckled and gestured her over She padded over, grateful for the thicksocks The cold morningair filtered into the cave.It’dprobablybeenalmostthiscoldlastnight,butshe’dbeendressedwarmthen,andQuaidhadwarmedherupasshe shedlayers Shelookedhimoverandgrinned Hewassoappealing;ofcoursehe’dheatedherup Sadly,hehadn’theatedher
upwithhiskisses.
Theyateeggs,cheese,yogurt,granola,fruit,andnuts.Hurryingtotaketurnsusingthetemporarytoiletinthecornerofthe cavewhiletheotheronewaitedjustoutsidethecave,theythenchangedintocleanclothes,brushedtheirteeth,andgearedup Shemadecertaintomovethepictureofherlittleonestoapocketofthebackpacksoshewouldn’tleaveitinthepocketofone ofthe pairs ofpants Itwas roughto leave the beautiful pile ofLadyFitclothingbehind eveniftheywere dirty Whenshe staredatthemfor abittoolong,debatingifshecouldshovetheminthebackpackandstinkitupwithsweaty,dustyclothes, Quaidgaveheraquestioninglook Sheleftthembehindratherthanexplainhowlimitedherfundswere
Theywereouthikinginthepristinebutfreezingmorningfartoosoon.Shewantedtopushhardandfindalltencaves,but shealsowantedsomeleisurelytimealonewiththisfinespecimenofaman.
Onedaydownandonlyfivetogo Howcouldtheyfindalltencaves?HowcouldshegetherHEMtofallheadoverheels forher?
Please help me I know this is a selfish prayer, but I would do everything in my power to make him happy and bring light and joy to him and his family.
“SoyoujustmemorizedthemapPrinceTristanshowedyouoftheir mountains?”sheaskedhim “How’dyouknow what we’dbelookingfor?”
Thank you heaven above that Quaid is as smart as he is tough and handsome.
“IwishIwould’veknownmorespecificsaboutourchallenge Iwould’vestudieditmoredeeply”
He was a SEAL; he’d automatically been in mission mode, even at the castle, while Anna had only been focused on meetingtheroyals,Mercedes,andmostimportantly,him
“I’vealwayslikedgeographyandfounditintriguinghowmanyridgesandvalleystheeasternAugustinemountainshave.I had a SEALassignment in the Italian Alps a few summers ago and couldn’t get enough of the picturesque mountains and valleys.IfoundmyselfcomparingthepeaksanddropsinAugustine’smountainstowhatI’dseenandhiked.”
Sheperkedup,hopinghe’dtellherabouttheassignmentinItaly.“Wow.ItalianAlps.That’senthralling.Dosharewithus inexperiencedanduntraveledpaupers,mydearHEM”
Maybesheshouldn’thighlighttheirdifferences.Hertongueoftenranawayfromher.
Quaidgrinnedatherandtiltedhishead “Thisiseverybitasbeautiful,ifnotmoreso” “Itisgorgeous.”Annaadoredthesemountains.Shewouldneverforgettheviewofherdreammanhikingwithherthrough thesepeaksandvalleys.Ifsheneversawhimagainortraveledtosuchsplendor,atleastshe’dhavethememories.Thatwasa depressingthought.Shewouldn’tdwellonneveragainbutfocusonthehereandnow.Theview,theexperience,andmostof allQuaidwereenthralling.
Theymadeittothetopofthenextsetofswitchbacksandadmiredtheviewofsomesmalllakesinthevalleyfarbelow He pointed outthe trail and some probable spots for more caves. Theykeptmovingalongthe ridge, and he explained itwasn’t terriblyhighfortheAlpsastherewerestillthicktrees Itwasconsideredhighwhentheyencounteredbarrengranite,ice,and snowabovethetreeline.
“Willwehitthose?”
“Ofcoursewewill Theonlyeasydayisyesterday” “Well,that’sadepressingviewoflife,”shesaid. Hechuckled “OneoftheNavySEALmottos”
“Oh, sorry.” Her face and neckgot hot. “I would never deemto not emulate, revere, admire youknow, lookup to anythingyouNavySEALshaveasamotto”
“Ah,Anna.”Hewasstilllaughing,andasthoseblueeyestwinkledsobecomingly,sheknewshehadtokisshimsoon.“I believeyouwouldn’t.You’regreat.”
“Thankyou,myHEM You’rebetterthangreat”
Quaid shookhis head and swepthis hand atthe nextvalleybelow them. “Ilove these mountains. Impressive, don’tyou think?”
“Almostasimpressiveasyou.”
He justgrinned “InItaly,there were boutique ski resorts inthe mostidyllic spots andquaintvillages nestledinvalleys Prince Tristantold me Augustine onlyhas a few mountainous villages and mostare closer to their capital cityofTraverse. Their biggest city maybe their onlycity. It’s one of the smaller countries inthe world. We might come cross one or two villages,butplanonbeingalonewithmeallweek”
“Thatisn’tsomepunishment.”
“Thank you Prince Tristan also kindly gave me a few clues that will let us know we’ve wandered too far and are in Austria,Germany,orItaly.Atthetime,Ithoughthewassimplysharingabouthiscountry.I’mgratefulIwasintriguedenough bythe conversationto catalogue it. Especiallyworryingatthe time about…” He broke offand focused onleadingthe way throughanicypatchonthetrail.
Worrying? About meeting his counterpart for the week? That somebody would recognize his handsome face? That his
kidnappersmightfindhimagain?
Apparently,hehadn’tbeenasrelaxedatthecastleashe’dportrayed.
Hedidn’tsayanythingforafewminutes,andAnnaknewbetterthantotrytodrawhimoutwhilethecameraswererolling Sheneededtotryatnight.Hadn’ttheysaidthecamerasweremotion-activated?Solowvoicesshouldn’ttriggerrecording.
“ThankYou, Father above, for Prince Tristan’s help and insights,” she prayed aloud whenQuaid didn’tspeakup again “ThankYouforthisbeautifulspotofearthandthemostbeautifulmaninexistencewalkingthroughitwithme.ThankYouthat myHEMisalsobrilliant,memorizedthemountainmap,andcannavigatemetovictoryforthechildren’ssake”
Quaid stopped walkingand turned to her as she said amen. He gave her a smolderinglookthatshe’d never seenoffthe moviescreen.Herkneeswentweak,andshewould’vefallenoverifhehadn’tcaughther.
“Areyouallright?”Hisvoicewasdeepandhusky
“Withyouaround,howcanInotbe?”
He chuckled atthat, released her, and turned forward again Sometimes she worried thather teasingor flirtations would pushhimthewrongdirection,buthedidn’tseembotheredbythem.Hesimplydidn’tbanterflirtatiouslywithher.
“Thisisallsointriguing,”shesaidbeforehetookoffatsomekillerpaceagain “Isn’tit?”Heflashedasmilebackather.“Augustineisgorgeous,andthesemountainsarelikeheaven.” “Imeantyou.”Shesmiledsweetly.“Themostcharmingandhandsomemaninexistence.”
Hiseyeswidened,buthesmiledandputahandtohiswell-builtchest “I’mthemostcharmingandhandsome?” “Yes,sir,myHEM.”
“I’mbeginningtohavedeepconcernsaboutyou,MissAnnaMarley,masteryappologistwiththegiftofgab” “Whatdoyoumean?Whatkindofconcerns?”
“Ithinkyou’reaveryproficientflirt.”
“Pardonme?Thathurts.”Shewasnokindofflirt hadrarelyflirtedinheradultlife.Withhim,itjustcamenaturally.
“Hurtsbecauseit’strue?”Heseemedtobeteasing,butshewonderediftherewasaflickerofjealousythere.Probablynot. Womenconstantlyflungthemselvesathim Sheknewthat Hewasnaturallycharmingandhadbecomemoresothelongerthey weretogether.Shecouldunderstandwhyhe’dbeenreluctantatfirstbasedonallhewashiding.Rightnow,hewasonlyteasing her Howcouldsheproveshewasn’tflirtingandhercomplimentswerecompletelysincere?
Hestartedforwardagain.Theywereheadeddownaverysteepslope.
“Sadly,it’snottrue,”shesaid,keepingpaceandstayingclosetohisback.“Ihavenocluehowtoflirt.EverythingIsayto youissincereandheartfelt.”Shepausedandthenhadtoadmit,“Iwillconcedetobeingamasteryappologistwiththegiftof gab,though.”
“Thatyouare,butyou’reteasingmeaboutnotknowinghowtoflirt Yourskillsaresingularlyimpressive”
“Ah,thankyou,butthat’sonlybecauseyouaresoalluringandbringoutthebestinme.” Hechuckled “Ihighlydoubtithasanythingtodowithme I’msurementhroughoutthegreaterChicagometropolitanarea havebeensmittenbyyourimpressiveyappingandflirtingskills.”
Annawrinkledhernose.Funny,buthedefinitelywasn’tsayingshewassomeirresistiblewomantohim,andheactedlike hewasn’tuniqueandperfectforher “Yappingandflirtingskills?” She shookher head.“Ispendmydays withtwo- totwelve- year-olds andrarelygooutat nightbecauseI’msoexhausted WhoamIsupposedlyflirtingwith?” “Theirdads.”
“Gross!”Sheshovedathisback Hedidn’tevenstumbleorgiveheradirtylook.
“Idonotflirtwithmarriedmen,”sheinsisted,herstomachchurninguncomfortablythathewouldthinksolowofher.Some ofthedadswereprobablysingle,butshedidn’ttakethetimetodifferentiate Shewastoofocusedontheirchildren
“Ibelieveyou.”Heglancedback,andhis blueeyes weresincere.Butthenheturnedforwardandsaid,“I’msuresingle dadscomethroughyourcenterregularly,andyoucan’tworkallthetimeandbeexhaustedeverynight Areyoutellingmethe foolsinChicagoaren’tsmartenoughtobanterwithyou,eatupall your flirtations,stareatthatbeautiful mouthofyours,and askyououtconstantly?I’mcertaintheyfalltoyourfeetandbegforyourattention”
Hewasn’tlookingather.Shelikedthatheseemedtohaveanimageofherasthisfunbeautythatmenweredroolingover.It wasfarfromthetruth,andshewasn’tlyingthatshedidn’tgooutonthetownandflirtwithsinglemen.Shewastooexhausted after workingtwelvetofourteenhoursbetweenthepreschool andPlayTimeandtryingtoraisemoneyfor her centersinher freetime.Herfamily,friends,workersatthecenter,andsomeoftheparentshadtriedtosetherupondates,butitneverwent anywhere
“Youtellme,”shesassedback,feelingbraveandempoweredbythewayheviewedher.‘Stareatthatbeautifulmouthof yours’?Shelovedthat.“Isthefoolwalkinginfrontofmegoingtotakemeuponmyflirtationsandaskmeout?”
Hepivotedtofaceher.Shestoppedwalking,hereyeswideningattheintensityinhisenticingblueeyes.
“Apologies,”shesqueakedout.“Youarethefurthestthingfromafool.I’dlovetodateyouafter thisweekisover.”She
