She gripped his hand.“I’m so sorry.That must have been incredibly difficult.”
He shrugged.“Charlie is worth it.”
“He’s a wonderful boy.He’s kind and sweet.Thoughtful, too.I only hope Ella can grow to be that kind of person.”
“She will.She’s got a great role model.”
That warmed her up.
They both sipped at the tea and let the information settle.She didn’t regret telling him.He’d seen how skittish she’d been at the park and had figured out she was worried about someone finding them.
Having him share the secret she hadn’t told anyone other than the lawyers felt good.Not as scary as bearing the burden alone.Even if she moved on, she knew Nash would never betray her confidence.He was the very best kind of man.
The door from the mudroom swung open, and Olivia tensed.Just because she’d shared the information with Nash didn’t mean Adam had found them.Still the panic skittered through her veins until Gray entered the kitchen.He grinned at them and then looked around.“You lose the munchkins, Alice?”
Nash laughed.“We sent them to play on the road out front.”
Gray grinned.“I bet you did.”
Olivia smiled.“Ella crashed and Charlie offered her his bed to nap in.He’s watching her upstairs.”
Gray’s eyes softened.“He’s a great kid.She couldn’t be in better hands.”
“I agree.Now, I need to ask why Gray called you Alice?When we were in the park, Charlie told us some people call you that.”
Nash rolled his eyes.“When I was in boot camp, one of the sergeants was a music fan.One of his favorites was a singer from the seventies.A guy named Alice Cooper.”
Olivia shook her head.“I don’t know that name.I’ve never heard of a man named Alice before.I figured it was something from Alice in Wonderland.”That made the two men grin.
Nash nodded.“Alice Cooper was a bit of a wild musician.Weird makeup and props, heavy, dark music.The sergeant was a fan, so I got stuck with Alice.”
Olivia laughed.“I’ll have to look him up one day.”She wouldn’t now because she wanted to be ready to answer her phone when Charlie texted.It didn’t sound like her kind of music, but it was connected to Nash, so she wanted to know.
Gray walked to the fridge.“Most callsigns are chosen by someone else in the army, which means they can be really strange.Because my surname is Santoro, I mostly get Santa or Claus.Knox is Annie because of the song from Annie, “It’s a Hard Knock Life.”Ford gets Dodge mostly, but sometimes Volvo or Toyota.”
Nash nodded.“The other Malssums are Bobby and Boss Man.”
Gray grinned.“And Knox is working on getting them to move here, so I’m sure you’ll meet them one day.Knox mostly gets his way.Now, onto the important things.I’m putting on a pot of sauce.We’re having gnocchi and meatballs with garlic bread and roasted veggies tonight.Are you and Ella able to stay?There’s going to be tons.”
As the man spoke, he set a pot on the stove to boil and started cleaning potatoes.She hadn’t answered so he turned and raised an eyebrow.“Well?”
She smiled.“I’m just trying to figure out what you’re doing.You said pasta, but you’re working with potatoes.”
Gray slammed his hand dramatically on his heart.“Gnocchi isn’t pasta.No Italian heritage in your background, I guess.Watch and learn, Olivia.”
Nash got up and moved to the chair beside Olivia to watch the proceedings as well.“Gray’s an amazing cook.Not as great as his mamma was, but better than most anyone.”
Gray bowed with a grin.“My mama made sure of it.I wouldn’t want to do it full-time, but there’s something relaxing about making a true Italian meal for people who love to eat.So, can you and Ella stay?”
She nodded.“We can stay.”
And she realized she wanted that, not only for supper, but for the foreseeable future.Everything about the apple farm and the nearby town appealed—haha—to her.
Surely Adam wouldn’t think of looking in small-town Vermont for her and Ella.The name changes should keep them safe.As would the fact that she’d told no one where they were headed.Not only because she hadn’t had anyone to speak to, but she hadn’t wanted to risk anyone knowing the truth.
But she’d just shared it with Nash.He wouldn’t talk about her situation without her permission.He wouldn’t leak her location or story to others who would put them at risk.
She nodded as she watched Gray select tomatoes, garlic, and onions, and then pull herbs from pots on the windowsill.
