Sophie Oak - Found in Bliss

“You tried.” Caleb’s hand was on his back.

“We’ve all tried.” Nate Wright and the Marshals stood on the steps of the station house. It was obvious they had heard more than Alexei would have liked. The whole town had a curious nose.

“Alexei, I really think you should come with us.” Jessie frowned down at him. “This isn’t about the doctor. This is about you.”

“I cannot leave. This is home.”

“Yes, and you’re endangering everyone in this town,” Jessie pointed out.

The sheriff snorted. “I wouldn’t count us out just yet, Marshal.”

“He needs to be in witness protection.” Jessie’s face was set in mulish lines.

“Jessie, you know why he’s here. He’s in love with the woman.” Michael turned to his partner, his lover, his voice going low. “I thought we talked about this.”

Her head shook. “I changed my mind. He needs to come with us. He’s too valuable to risk.”

“I can’t go. I can’t leave.” If he left, Holly and Caleb would fall apart. He would fall apart. He knew it was selfish, but he couldn’t leave.

Nate stood tall, settling his hat on his head. “Stand down, Marshal. I already put out a call. Every man in town is going to be looking out for Alexei. He’s one of ours now. We protect our own. Now, unless you’re willing to take him into protective custody, I think you should let him go. I just got a call from Callie. The women of Bliss are currently descending on Holly’s cabin.”

Caleb went a little white. “Are you serious?”

“Why are they going to Holly’s?” Alexei asked.

Nate frowned. “It’s called ‘Break Up Patrol.’ Every woman who can will rush to the recent dumpee’s house to offer support. It’s an estrogen fest of the highest order. No man who wants to keep his balls on will go in there, but I think you two are going to have to. Unless you want to end up groveling for the next year or so. And I would appreciate it if you would break that shit up. Callie insisted on going. She needs to be in bed. I have some riot gear if you need it.”

Alexei shook his head. “I can handle these womens.”

Caleb pointed to him. “He can handle the women. I’m going to hide behind him.”

“Good thinking.” Nate tipped his hat. “Alexei, you carrying?”

“I carry much.” He could carry many things. He was very strong.

Caleb’s head shook. “He wants to know about the gun you stuff down your ass.”

“I do not stuff the gun in ass. I have it in small of back. You need to reread anatomy book.” He realized what he’d revealed and winced. “Sheriff, I need gun.”

“You also need a permit to carry concealed. Congratulations, I just certified you as a training instructor for Bliss County’s safe gun program. Cam will get all the paperwork done. Until then, don’t conceal the fucker. And Caleb, it might be a good idea for you to carry that tranq gun. I know you don’t want to kill anyone, but if you don’t have a problem shooting Mel on a regular basis, I don’t see why you can’t tranq an assassin.” Nate tossed Caleb a radio. “And keep this on at all times. You see anything shady, you call.”

“I think I can handle that.” Caleb put the radio in his pocket.

And they could handle Holly. If she thought they would let her walk away, she was in for a surprise.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Laura asked, throwing her hands up in the air as she paced across Holly’s living room floor.

If she’d expected sympathy from her BFF, she’d been wrong. Laura had charged in like a lion and started to roar.

“He lied to me,” Holly explained though she’d mentioned this more than once.

“About his name,” Laura shot back.

“Yes.”

Laura pointed at her. “I lied to you about my name.”

“That was different.”

“I lied about mine, too.” Rachel Harper came to stand beside Laura.

Holly turned to Nell, who held Rachel’s baby, Paige, on her lap. Nell looked completely innocent even though she was the one who had started this horror show. “Why would you do this to me?”

“I didn’t lie about my name,” Nell said with those wide eyes of hers.

“That is not what I am talking about, and you know it.” She wasn’t going to let Nell be obtuse about this.

“I did what any friend would do when she sees her friend jumping off a cliff. She calls in her stronger friends to pull you back.” Nell bounced the baby on her knee. “I would just jump off with you. I’m really not the best person to handle this sort of thing. But Laura is really good.”

“So is Rachel,” Callie added with a bright smile. “Rachel is excellent at telling you when you’re doing something silly.”

Callie sat on the recliner with her hand over her huge belly and her feet up.

“Well, why don’t you join in, Callie? You want to let me know how stupid I am?” Holly was getting really frustrated with her houseguests.

She shook her head. “Oh, no. I’m just happy to be out of my house. I thought Zane was going to have to roll me over in a wheelbarrow, though. If I don’t have this baby soon, I think I’m going to pop. But if you’re asking me, then I think you’re making a mistake.”

“He lied to me.” She would say it over and over again until someone understood.

Callie looked at her sympathetically but shook her head. “So did Rachel and Laura.”

“That was different.” Apparently everyone was planning on acting obtuse today.

“How?” Callie asked.

“They were trying to hide from something.”

“So is Caleb.” Laura sighed and sat down. “I’m sorry. I’m coming on way too strong. Holly, I love you, but I think you’re wrong. I changed my name because I was running from my past. I didn’t want Rafe and Cam to find me. I also didn’t want the serial killer to find me, but it was about Rafe and Cam, too.”

“And I was on the run.” Rachel’s mouth became tight as she obviously thought about her life before Max and Rye. “I still don’t go by my old name. I changed it because I’m not that woman anymore. I’m Rachel. I’m the person I found here in Bliss. I think Caleb is the same. He smiled at me yesterday. Do you know how little that man smiles?”

“Did you ask him why he didn’t tell you about his name?” Laura asked.

“He said he couldn’t be sure I wasn’t a gold digger.” She could still feel the humiliation that had flared.

Rachel snorted. “Idiot.”

Laura’s eyes narrowed. “Is that what he said?”

“No,” Nicky called out from the kitchen where he was making coffee. “He said he’d had a lot of women who were more interested in his family than him.” He walked in carrying mugs of coffee. “And I understand that. I get him, Mom. When you’re a member of an incredibly wealthy family, you have to wonder why people are around you. I don’t think he thought you were a gold digger for a second. I think you scared the crap out of him.”

No one understood. She felt frustrated tears pricking at her eyes. “I seriously doubt that. I know you think you know how he feels, but I want you to think about how I feel. I was married to your father for years. It was a huge mistake. The Langs ripped me apart. I can’t do that again. I don’t even want to try.”

“It’s not like his family is here all the time,” Rachel pointed out. “I didn’t even know he had a family. I knew his wife died, but that’s about it. If Jen weren’t on her honeymoon, I would put her on this. Trust me, Stef Talbot knows something about this. No one comes into his town without a file. I wonder. I bet he has an actual file.”

“Rachel, you can’t break into the Talbot Estate,” Callie said.