Charlie’s face beamed with delight, making Nash chuckle.“Great job, bud.She feels safe with you.”
Charlie nodded and hugged her gently.“When you wake up a little more, do you want to see my dragons, Ella?”
At the word dragon, Ella sat up tall and looked around.Olivia rubbed her back again.“It’s okay, sweetie.Your dragon is safe in the car, having a nap like you.”
Her lips turned into a pout, and panic covered Charlie’s face.“I didn’t mean to make her cry.”
Olivia laughed.“You didn’t.Why don’t you grab some of your dragons to distract her?”
Olivia lifted the girl, and Charlie scrambled off the bed.He grabbed a tub from the corner and snapped off the lid.“These are my LEGO dragons.I built them.Wait, the pieces are too small for you.But you can look at the whole dragon.I’ve got more.”
Ella’s pout disappeared as she watched Charlie hustle around the room.Nash grinned as Charlie pulled out another tub with plastic dinosaurs and dragons.He hadn’t played with them for a while, but he and Maribel had spent hours with those toys over the years—lots of happy memories there.
Charlie looked into his closet with a frown.“I don’t have any stuffed dragons, but you can cuddle with Carino.”
He sat on the bed and handed Ella his precious bear.“My mom bought her for me before she died.Carino’s good at cuddling.”
Nash had to suck back the emotion at Charlie’s words.Man, he loved his kid.
Oblivious to the emotions running through Nash, Charlie opened the tub and pulled out a blue plastic dragon.
Ella squealed and reached for it with the hand not clutching Carino.She held it up and babbled.Charlie nodded.“Yep, that’s a blue one.Can you find another one?”
Ella reached into the tub, pulled out a brontosaurus, and held it up to Charlie, waiting for his explanation of the toy.
Soon, the kids and Olivia were surrounded by dragons and dinosaurs on the bed.Ella bounced one on Olivia’s leg and squealed.
Olivia patted her hair.“You want a story about the dragon?Maybe Charlie can make one up for you.”
Charlie grinned.“I’ll start.Then you and Dad can take turns.”
It was a game he and his son had played from an early age.Probably a way for his kid to stretch out bedtime, but they’d had many happy hours making up stories.
Charlie drew in a deep breath.“Once upon a time in the land of Norissamin, there was a purple dragon who wasn’t very old.Her name was Zina, and she wanted to help her family be safe.”
Charlie looked to Nash to continue.He knew the land of Norissamin was from the books they’d discussed earlier, one of Charlie’s favorite series.“Zina was old enough to fly alone and she had plans.She wanted to fly around the mountain.Lelja had done it when she was only eight turns old.It couldn’t be that hard.”
He turned to Olivia, hoping she would jump in and not feel uncomfortable with the storytelling fun.
Olivia’s eyes were wide and her mouth slightly open.In a moment, she blinked and smiled.“Zina loved Samin mountain and couldn’t wait to prove she was just as strong as Lelja, even if she was only five turns old.Maybe she’d find her own brucan to befriend.”
Charlie bounced on the bed and grinned at her.“You know about Norissamin.That’s amazing.It’s my favorite series.Have you read both books?The third one is going to be out in a couple of days.I’ve preordered the ebook and asked for the hardcover for Christmas.And there’s a book four coming too, but I don’t know the title yet.I can’t wait.”
Olivia’s skin flushed, and Nash clued in.Olivia Gonzalez.Livie Sanchez.Olivia and Livie.He’d never asked Olivia what she did for a living.Was she the author?
She smiled at his bright-eyed son and Nash figured he was right.“Livie?”
She turned to him automatically at the name, and he was sure he was right.The only question was whether it was safe for anyone else to know about her identity.
If this Adam jerk knew it, no one else should know, and Nash should have kept his mouth shut.But Olivia didn’t look scared.Maybe he was wrong or overreacting.He probably shouldn’t have said anything because it was too late to put the cat back in the bag.
Charlie gasped.“Livie.Olivia.Is that a coincidence?Are you Livie Sanchez?”
Nash watched Olivia carefully.Was she okay with this, or had they just made everything worse?He was relieved when she smiled.
“You’re a smart one, Charlie.Yes, I write books under the name Livie Sanchez.”
“That’s so cool.Cool times a million.Dad, she writes my favorite books.Olivia’s the author.For real.”
