CHAPTER ELEVEN

Olivia sat on the hood of Nate’s car as he secured the crime scene with the local sheriff. He had refused to let her anywhere near the inside of the house, which was probably for the best. Olivia’s stomach had been queasy enough lately and the stench was getting to her even outside.

Making the connection between Emily and Tim had been too easy. Olivia should’ve known better than to get her hopes up. But it had all fit so perfectly. It hadn’t been hard for her to convince herself that they were about to solve the case and bring a killer, and her stalker, to justice. Now they were back at the starting line with the whole race still ahead of them. Olivia felt like she had been running in place for the last year.

“I certainly didn’t expect to find Olivia Thompson involved in yet another murder,” a voice said, surprising Olivia.

“Bobby Wallace.” She eyed the gangly deputy warily. They hadn’t exchanged words since he had awkwardly asked Olivia on a date in front of Nate. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”

“It’s Bob. I take it you are still dating the cocky detective,” Bob said with a frown as he glanced toward the house.

“Engaged to him, actually.” She noted the flash of annoyance in his eyes.

The door to the house opened and Nate stepped onto the porch, looking professional and irresistible in his perfectly tailored dark gray suit. While Olivia’s heart fluttered at the sight of him, she could tell that Bob was less than thrilled by his appearance.

“After what he did to your family, I’m surprised he has the balls to show his face in this town,” Bob muttered.

“Nate didn’t do anything to my family,” Olivia said, glaring at him. “My mother is the one that killed Rosie.”

She had been so busy directing her anger at Bob that she hadn’t realized Nate was right next to her now. His arm brushed against hers as he stared at the deputy. “Any idea when we can expect the coroner?” he said with a clipped tone.

“George was out fishing when I called. He’ll be here when he gets here.” Bob was just as annoyed to be talking to Nate as Nate was to be talking to him. “This is a local matter. You should feel free to leave at any time.”

“This murder is likely linked to a string of murders in Chicago,” Nate said in the deep voice that he usually reserved for suspects and men that hit on Olivia. “I won’t be going anywhere until I’m sure the body has been properly transported for the autopsy.”

“A smarter man would limit the amount of time he spends in this town,” Bob said bluntly. “You’re not welcome here.”

“I assure you that I’m here on business, not for pleasure. I’ll be leaving as soon as is practical.” Nate sounded surprisingly calm. “Since you aren’t busy right now, maybe you could drive Olivia to her brother’s house.”

Olivia opened her mouth, ready to protect, when Bob said, “I couldn’t figure out why you brought her to a crime scene to begin with. Olivia, let’s go. My car is just over there.”

“Nate.” Olivia gave him an imploring look. She couldn’t think of a single reason why she needed to stay, but she desperately wished that Nate would change his mind anyway. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Text me when you get to Brian’s so I know you made it there safely. I’ll be there in a couple hours.” Nate gave her hand a tight squeeze. He lowered his voice and added, “Let me do my job, Liv.”

Nate’s eyes searched hers. Olivia could tell that he was conflicted. He didn’t want to send her away, but having her there was a distraction and Bob’s attitude wasn’t helping matters. Nate would get more done with both of them gone.

“Okay.” Olivia nodded. “Find me at Brian’s later.”

Bob was quiet during the quick drive to Brian’s house and Olivia was glad to not be making awkward small talk. She used the time to call her brother and give him a heads up that she was in town and on her way to his place. If he was surprised by her news, he hid it well. When he met her at the door, a curious eyebrow shot skyward. “You sure do seem to love to spend time with the cops,” he said, looking at Bob. “What did she do?”

“Not her,” Bob said, sound more relaxed than he had earlier. “That fiancé of hers stumbled across a dead body in town.”

“Fiancé?” Brian glared at her. “You’re engaged to him?”

“To Nate? Yes.” Olivia braced herself for whatever hateful thing Brian might say about Nate. As conflicted as her own feelings had been after Ed’s death, Olivia’s brother had always been painful clear that he blamed Nate completely. In a softer, less guarded tone, she said, “I’m happy, Bry. Let me have this.”

Brian stared at her for several seconds before a faint smile appeared on his face. “Congratulations, Livvy.”

Having spent his entire life in a small town, Brian’s neighborly instincts kicked-in and he invited Bob inside for coffee. Olivia’s caffeine compulsion prevented her from being able to anything but follow them to the kitchen. She figured a few sips of caffeine would be alright.

“Where are Taylor and the kids?” Olivia knew that if her niece and nephew were home, she would have already been bombarded by them.

“She took them to a water park. I had some things to get done around the house so I stayed back.” He gave her a pointed look as he retrieved three mugs from the cabinet. “I guess that was a wise decision. I didn’t know you were coming to town.”

“I didn’t either,” she admitted, settling into the seat furthest away from Bob. “Nate’s work brought us here.”

“It always comes back to that guy, doesn’t it?” Brian shook his head slowly and punched the button to start the coffee brewing. “He does know we don’t have any parents left to arrest, doesn’t he?”

Olivia sucked in a sharp breath. “Bry. Stop.”

“You said he found a dead body.” Brian turned his attention to Bob. It was strange to think that these two men had once been the young boys from her memories, playing video games for hours and shooting hoops in the backyard. That felt like a lifetime ago to Olivia.

“Tim McCaffery,” Bob said. “You know him?”

“Yeah.” Brian immediately looked at Olivia. “He’s really dead?”

After their mother was arrested, Olivia had filled him in on everything she and Nate had uncovered while investigating Rosie’s murder. He knew all about Rosie’s tennis instructor rapist. Brian had wanted to kill him back then.

“Murdered. Shot in the chest,” Olivia said. Nate hadn’t told her much more than that.

“What did McCaffery have to do with your boyfriend’s job? Chicago is a long way from Mercy.” Brian turned back to the coffee and quickly filled the mugs.

“There have been some murders in Chicago that Nate thought might be linked to Tim. Do you remember a girl named Emily Allen?”

Brian’s head snapped in her direction. “My homecoming date?”

“You went to homecoming with Emily Allen?” Olivia’s heart started to beat faster. “I didn’t know you even knew her. She wasn’t from Mercy.”

“Junior year. She transferred to Mercy High at the beginning of the year.” Brian set the coffees in front of them and took a seat across from Olivia. “Maybe if you had come home more than once a year back then, you would’ve know that Emily and I dated for a few months right before Taylor and I got together.”

“What do you remember about her?” Olivia chose to ignore the non-subtle jab he made. He wasn’t wrong.

Brian shrugged. “She was just a normal girl. Good at tennis until she tore her shoulder in a tournament two weeks after homecoming. We broke up not long after that.”

“Why?” Bob said. He had been so quiet that Olivia had forgotten he was in the room.

“After her injury, she became depressed. She got really obsessed with Rosie’s murder. It was all she wanted to talk about and I finally got sick of it.” Brian’s brow furrowed. “You never said what Emily has to do with Tim.”

“That’s because I’m not sure.” Olivia was more confused now than she had been at the crime scene. “Have you seen Emily recently? Or even since high school?”

“No. She ended up getting hooked on painkillers after her injury and went to rehab for a while. I’m not sure what happened to her after that.”

Taylor and the kids returned a few minutes later and all talk of Emily ended abruptly. Olivia was dragged to Emma’s room for an aggressive hour of Barbie playtime. Olivia hadn’t even realized she was tired until she collapsed onto Emma’s toddler-size bed. She fell asleep almost instantly and didn’t awaken until she felt a soft hand stroking her cheek.

“Liv, honey. Open your eyes.”

“Nate?” It took her a few seconds to remember where she was. Her back ached from being curled into a tight ball. “How long have I been out?”

“Couple hours.” Nate was squatting next to the bed, looking equally uncomfortable. “I have to say, I didn’t expect to find you in bed with a naked man.”

She looked in confusing to where his eyes had landed. Emma had lain one of her male dolls next to her while she slept. It was unfortunate that he was also completely nude. “No need to worry. He’s missing a few key components.”

“Taylor insisted on having us stay for dinner. I didn’t see how I could turn her down.” Nate looked like he was worried that Olivia would be annoyed.

 

“You couldn’t say no,” she assured him. “Just give me a second to fill you in on what I learned from Brian.”

Nate seemed just as confused as Olivia about the information that Brian had shared about Emily. Was it just a weird coincidence that she had dated Olivia’s brother and was now involved in murders that might be tied to Olivia? It didn’t seem possible for that to be the case. There had to be a connection.

Olivia was mulling over the possibilities throughout dinner, plastering a smile on her face as Taylor gossiped about the latest news in town. Brian and Nate both sat in silence, occasionally glaring at one another. It wasn’t until midway through dinner that Taylor noticed the diamond on Olivia’s finger when she reached for her water glass.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she demanded in a high-pitch squeal as she grabbed Olivia’s hand.

“I guess I forgot,” Olivia said lamely. It wasn’t that she had been trying to hide the news from her sister-in-law, it was just that she didn’t want to make a deal of it in front of Brian considering his feelings about Nate. “It’s only been a couple days. I’m still getting used to it.”

“When’s the date?” Taylor asked excitedly.

“Yet to be determined.” Olivia felt Nate watching her carefully. “Probably soon though.”

“Soon?” Taylor’s eyes widened. “You’re pregnant!”

Olivia stifled a groan. She should’ve been more careful answering Taylor’s questions. “I am actually, but that’s not why we decided to get married.”

“You’re pregnant?” Brian stared hard at Olivia and then glared at Nate. “With him?”

“Of course, with Nate. What the hell does that even mean?” Olivia was sick of everyone attacking Nate.

“Aunt Olivia said hell,” Emma whispered excitedly.

“I did. I’m sorry.” Olivia had forgotten the kids were sitting right next to her, listening to every word. “Do you guys want dessert? How about if Nate and I take you to get ice cream.”

“Yeah!” Teddy pumped a fist and Emma jumped out of her chair.

The Ice Cream shack was just two blocks away and it was a nice evening for a walk. The kids talked animatedly through bites of ice cream about their trip to the water park. Teddy sat next to Olivia on the bench while Emma had pulled herself comfortably onto Nate’s lap across from them. She had been the one member of Olivia’s family that had taken an immediate liking to Nate and from the way he twirled her pigtail, it was obvious that the feeling was mutual.

When it was time to head back to the house, Emma claimed to be too tired to walk and Nate immediately offered to carry her. As Olivia watched him bounce the little girl in his arms, she felt a wave of emotion wash over her and had to blink back tears. She couldn’t have asked for a more perfect man to be the father of her unborn child.

“Let’s go, Thompson. It’s getting dark,” Nate called over his shoulder, oblivious to her brief emotional revere.

When Teddy took her hand, she nearly cried again. The entire experience was so incredibly domestic that Olivia was almost able to forget about the murders and drama that had been surrounding her and Nate since she had returned to Chicago. This must be what being part of a normal family feels like, she thought to herself as Nate put Emma back on her feet and held open the front door. The two kids rushed inside, but Olivia hesitated at the door.

“What’s wrong, love?” Nate gave her a concerned look.

“Nothing.” She quickly put her arms around him, holding him in a tight embrace as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “Sometimes I’m just overwhelmed by how much I adore you.”

Nate’s arms were gentle but firm around her and she wanted to stay there forever, surrounded by him. “Thank you, Liv. I needed that.”

“It’s been a long day.” Olivia opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look at him. “You never told me what happened after I left. Did you learn anything?”

“We can talk about it later. I’d rather stay in this moment as long as possible.” Nate kissed her softly. “We probably should get on the road soon. It’s a long drive home.”

“Do you think we’ll ever have something like this for ourselves?” Olivia said, looking through the open door to where the kids were telling Brian all about their ice cream adventure. “Or do you think there will always be death and darkness in our lives?”

Something flickered in Nate’s eyes. “Are you asking me to quit my job?”

“What? No. Of course not.” Olivia pulled away from him. “How in the world did you infer that from what I said?”

“You know what I do for a living, Liv. Death and darkness aren’t optional in my line of work. If you want to remove that from our lives, I have to find a career,” Nate said evenly.

“I would never ask you to quit your job for me, Nate.” Olivia knew that had been the biggest source of contention in Nate’s marriage and giving him an ultimatum about his job would never end well for her. Not only that, she loved that he had a job he was passionate about and that allowed him to help people.

“I would do it,” he said softly. “If I thought that it would keep you safe, I would quit my job right now.”

She knew that he was telling the truth. As hard as it would be for him to quit, he would do it for her. “Let’s not go there. I’m sure everything is going to work out fine without you making a drastic move like that.”

They finally hit the road thirty minutes later, after a series of long goodbyes with the kids. As much as Olivia wanted to leave Mercy, she hated leaving Teddy and Emma. They were the last of her family and they filled a part of her heart that always felt empty in Chicago.

On the edge of town, Nate stopped to fill up the gas tank and Olivia went inside the gas station to get him a big cup of coffee. Even though she had offered to drive several times, Nate had insisted he wasn’t the least bit tired. Olivia loved how strong and capable he was, but sometimes she wished he would let her take care of him.

“Olivia Thompson?” a voice said from behind her as she finished paying.

“Tanner?” Olivia felt her mouth hanging open and she hurried to close it.

“I never expected to run into you here.” He shook his head as he looked her over from head to toe.

Olivia and Tanner Gilliad had dated for almost two years in high school. At the time, Olivia had thought they were madly in love. Then Tanner had cheated on her. And then a decade after that, his brother had almost killed her.

“Just leaving town,” Olivia said, unable to stop staring at him. She hadn’t been this close to Tanner in over a decade. His resemblance to Mark was uncanny. “How have you been?”

“Good. Ruby and I had a baby last year.” Tanner shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Sorry about Mark.”

“It’s in the past,” she said quickly. “I’ve moved on.”

His eyes landed on her ring finger. “I can see that. Who is the lucky guy?”

“Nathaniel Tucker,” Nate said, appearing behind Tanner. He must have gotten worried about Olivia when she didn’t return to the car. He didn’t look too pleased to see her chatting with her old boyfriend.

As Nate and Tanner shook hands, Olivia noticed a long scratch on Tanner’s arm. It looked pretty painful. She remembered that Tanner had always been hurting himself in high school, whether from spinning out on his motorcycle or getting into stupid fights.

“I’m Tanner Gilliad,” he said, squeezing Nate’s hand hard enough that Olivia could see the muscles in his arm clenching. “You must be the cop.”

Of course Tanner would know about Nate. Probably everyone in Mercy knew that Olivia was dating a detective from Chicago.

“I know all about you as well,” Nate said in his deep, detective voice.

Olivia put a hand on his arm as a gentle plea to let go of Tanner’s hand. Nate would never normally be the first to back down, but she didn’t want Nate to add a brawl in a gas station to his list of crimes in Mercy.

“Nate and I really need to get on the road. It was nice running into you,” she said.

Tanner nodded slowly as they backed away. “Take care of yourself, Livvy.”

Once they were back in the car, Nate turned to her. “I really don’t like that guy.”

“Like I said, I traded up.” She shook away the strange feeling that built in her chest and took Nate’s hand. Olivia knew that the second she saw Mercy in the rearview mirror she would finally be able to breathe normally again.

“Be gentle,” Nate said. “Loverboy was trying to break every bone in that hand.”

“Poor baby,” Olivia teased. “Was he testing your manhood?”

“Please. No contest.” He hesitated. “Right?”

Olivia moved her hand to his thigh and squeezed it purposefully. “None at all. But just to be safe, maybe you’ll have to prove that to me when we get home.”

Nate smiled Olivia’s favorite sexy smile and said, “Deal.”