The hot tub bubbled invitingly, steam rising from its surface and disappearing into the night air. Nash slipped into the warm water with a grateful sigh, feeling the tension of the day begin to dissolve. Amy joined him a moment later, settling across from him.
“This feels amazing,” she murmured, sinking deeper until the water reached her shoulders.
Nash watched as she tilted her head back, looking up at the stars. Her braid had come loose, blonde hair spreading in the water.
“I can’t believe we’re all here,” he said, voicing the thought that had been circling his mind all evening. “My family, the Stones, you …”
Amy lifted her head, meeting his gaze. “They’re pretty amazing, you know. Both families. The way they just … rallied. No questions asked.”
“That’s what they do,” Nash said, pride evident in his voice. “What we do. We show up for each other.”
“I haven’t had that in a long time,” Amy admitted softly. “People who show up. Ever since my dad died and we went into witness protection, it’s been just me. Even when Mom was alive, we kept to ourselves, always careful, always cautious.”
Nash moved through the water until he was beside her, close enough to see the droplets clinging to her eyelashes. “You have that now,” he said. “If you want it.”
The emotion that flashed across her face made his chest tighten. Vulnerability, hope, fear—all wrapped together in a single look. “I think I do,” she whispered, the words barely audible over the bubbling of the hot tub.
Before Nash could respond, the patio door slid open and Trey stepped out, a sleeping child—his youngest—draped over his shoulder. The little boy’s face was pressed into his father’s neck, one small hand clutching Trey’s shirt even in sleep.
“Just checking if you two need anything,” he said, voice lowered to avoid waking the little one. “We’ve got most of the kids down, but a few are still running on pure sugar and excitement.”
Nash chuckled, recognizing the parental exhaustion in Trey’s eyes. For all his military bearing and command presence, the Stone patriarch was clearly wrapped around the tiny fingers of his children. “We’re good. Thanks, Trey.”
Trey nodded, then added, “In the morning, we’ll strategize what to do next after breakfast. I’ve got Brooks pulling somestrings at the FBI to get more info on the Ferrantes, and Marshall’s arranging for aerial surveillance of Mount Olympus.”
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Amy said with a small laugh.
Trey’s expression softened, the lines around his eyes crinkling. “The feeling’s mutual. Anyone who can face down a corrupt professor and organize their research while Colt’s breaking noses is someone I want on my team.” He shifted his sleeping child to a more comfortable position. “Anyway, I’ve got to help get the rest of these munchkins to bed. Don’t stay up too late—tomorrow’s going to be busy.”
“Yes, sir,” Nash said with a mock saluted, earning an eye roll from Trey as he retreated back into the house.
Once they were alone again, Nash found himself drawn to the small waterfall feature at the edge of the hot tub. “Have you seen this?” he asked, moving toward it and feeling the rush of warm water cascade over his shoulders.
Amy followed, her expression curious. When she reached him, Nash gently pulled her close, the sound of falling water creating a private cocoon around them.
“I’ve been wanting to do this all day,” he murmured, before kissing her beneath the waterfall.
The water streamed around them as their lips met, creating a sensation of being suspended in time, sheltered from the world and its dangers.
Amy giggled against his mouth, the sound vibrating between them before she melted into the kiss, her arms sliding around his neck.
They stayed that way, trading kisses under the waterfall, until Nash’s phone chimed loudly from where he’d left it on a nearby chair. “I should check that,” Nash said reluctantly, placing one more quick kiss on her lips before maneuvering out of the hot tub.
He grabbed a towel and his phone, frowning when he saw the message from Malcolm Wheaton:Need you bright and early tomorrow. Harrington case developments. Critical.
“Shoot,” Nash muttered, the message yanking him back to the reality of the career he’d put on hold to chase gold and rediscover Amy.
“What is it?” Amy asked, emerging from under the waterfall. Water streamed from her hair, tracing patterns down her shoulders.
Nash hesitated, then began typing a response. “My boss. He needs me in the office tomorrow.”More family stuff came up. I need the next week off. I’m sorry.He sent the message, then set his phone back down. “Nothing to worry about. I just told him I have family stuff and I can’t come in for a week.”
“I’m sorry to keep you from work.”
“Work will be there.”
That earned him a small smile.
“Besides,” Nash continued, “even if the Rockwell gold is a myth, we’re still connecting it to the conquistador gold. That’s real. We’ve seen pieces of it.”
