“Tabitha kicking Uncle Craig’s arse.”
Tabitha’s phone pinged. It was Major letting her know he was pulling in at the gate. Tabitha prayed the surprise didn’t blow up in their faces. She topped off everyone’s coffee before starting a fresh pot. Then she pulled the bacon out of the oven when the timer went off.
Iggy bounced around the island, getting closer. “Are you feeding an army? I mean, I can eat most of that by myself, but that’s a lot of bacon.”
“Craig, Major’s back. Why don’t you go help him?”
“Help him with what?”
“You’ll see.”
Craig rolled his eyes but did as she asked. Once he was out of the room, Tabitha told Daniel, “Olivia is here. She wanted to surprise Craig.”
Daniel groaned. “She hates my guts.”
“Yes, but you have Iggy as a buffer, and maybe once Craig tells her the truth, she’ll show you a little grace.” Iggy already knew how Daniel behaved when they first arrived in the States. He hadn’t held anything back during their heart-to-hearts.
“Do you think he’ll tell her?” Daniel asked, shuffling from foot to foot, looking toward the front of the house.
“Yes. He said he wanted to do it in person, and I believe now is the time.”
The front door opened, and Craig shouted, “Livie?” His feet pounded as he rushed to get to his wife. A few seconds later, the door closed, and a few more after that, Major appeared. “Something smells good.” He strode directly to Tabitha and wrapped an arm around her waist, bent her backwards, and kissed her. When he pulled her upright, he whispered, “I missed you.”
Tabitha wiped at Major’s bottom lip. She didn’t give him shit that it had only been an hour since he’d last seen her. She got it. They were newly mated, and the bond was strong.
Iggy sighed dramatically. When Major turned and looked at the young man, Iggy raised his hands and backed away. “You’re a lucky man is all. I mean, look at all the bacon, and it’s perfectly crisp. Not like the soggy stuff our cook fixes.” Iggy made a face, sticking out his tongue, and everyone laughed. Yes, he was a bit immature, but he was funny.
“Uh, where…” Daniel looked past them again.
“Craig said to eat without them. There was something he needed to talk to Olivia about.”
Tabitha scrambled a dozen eggs while Major set the table. She was going against the norm and putting everything on the table instead of eating off the stove. Iggy offered to help with the butter and jellies, and Daniel walked to the back window and stared out. Tabitha couldn’t imagine what he had been through, nor could she imagine what it was like for someone todislike her so much it rattled her. She prayed that Olivia was a good person, and once she knew the whole story would treat Daniel with kindness and not disdain.
Iggy hadn’t been kidding about his love for bacon. He filled his plate full along with a small spoonful of eggs and two biscuits, which he called scones. He and Daniel talked about all the different names for things here in the States, and Iggy was excited to see where his dad had lived for the last two decades. They had decided to travel a bit once the Trio had Iggy’s new identity. They weren’t taking a chance on Buchard not trying to track the younger man down. Daniel had money saved from what Craig had paid him for acting as his agent, and Iggy had the first part of his inheritance safely tucked away.
Craig and Olivia sat in the den where he told her everything. He explained how Buchard threatened both Daniel and him if they ever disclosed their true identity. Tabitha wasn’t eavesdropping… Okay, she absolutely was, but she wanted to run interference on Daniel’s behalf if the woman was going to treat him poorly. She shouldn’t have worried, though. Olivia Kilbrook was a lovely person. When they joined the others, Daniel and Iggy stood, showing good manners. After a few seconds, Major half rose from his chair, and Tabitha smothered a giggle.
Olivia crossed the room. “Daniel, it’s good to see you. And you must be Iggy.”
Iggy muttered, “Wow.” To Craig, he asked, “How did you snag someone so pretty?”
“Brat,” Craig responded with no heat.
Tabitha stood and walked to the cabinet, pulling down another cup. “Welcome, Olivia. Can I get yousome coffee?”
“Yes, please. Cream, no sugar. Oh, my god. These biscuits look amazing. My grandmother was the only one in our family who could make them right.”
“Have a seat and help yourself. I can make fresh eggs if you’d like.”
“No need. I’m used to lukewarm food eaten in a hurry.”
Craig pulled out an empty chair for his wife, then sat next to her. Then he jumped up and retrieved his now cold coffee mug and stuck it in the microwave.
Iggy being Iggy asked, “Why do you have to eat in a hurry?”
“Oh, I’m a doctor. Some days go my way, and I can stick to the appointments I have scheduled. Then other days, I’ll be eating and get an emergency call and have to drop everything.”
Iggy had taken it in stride that Craig was a famous actor, but he seemed awestruck with Olivia. “I always wanted to be a nurse.”
