Rescuing Olivia (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Nightshade Book 1) Read online

  Olivia smiled. “Yes, he is. Dark-haired, but with the brightest blue eyes I think I’ve ever seen on a man.”

  “Sounds yummy,” she sighed. “If you’re going to be there for a while you might as well have fun.”

  “I don’t know how much fun I can have with tender ribs and a healing concussion,” Olivia said, stretching until the pain hit. It was getting better. As long as she kept the pain medication up.

  “Oh, whatever,” Baylee laughed. “A concussion is nothing for you to deal with. I think if the motivation is strong enough you can do a lot with bruised ribs and a concussion.”

  They laughed, and Olivia knew she was right. “It’s different,” she said softly. “I like this place.”

  “Wow,” Baylee murmured. “That’s a hell of an admission.”

  “It’s not like I’m going to stay or anything,” she said quickly. “But it is a nice little spot to recover for a while.”

  “It definitely sounds like it,” Baylee agreed enthusiastically.

  “So, how goes it with the new neighbor,” Olivia asked her.

  Baylee huffed. “Oh, the man is impossible. He won’t even acknowledge me, most of the time.”

  “That doesn’t sound productive.”

  “No,” she sighed, sounding forlorn.

  Baylee had been mooning over the man for weeks, but he seemed to go out of his way to avoid her.

  “I think he saw my scar, and he wants nothing to do with me,” she said softly.

  Olivia straightened, anger surging through her. “That had damned well better not be the reason,” she said harshly. “You are so much more than your scar. Don’t ever be ashamed of it. You earned it being a hero.”

  “No, I didn’t, but thank you for saying that.”

  Olivia hated it when Baylee got into these moods, but then, she was allowed. They all got them, here and there, just a dark phase that had to be worked through. “What’s Rex doing?”

  “Who knows,” Baylee sighed. “Last I heard he was dating but not getting anywhere, if you know what I mean.”

  “Damn. I thought the counseling was doing better for him?”

  “I thought so too, but apparently not good enough.”

  She wanted more for him. What had been done to the three of them on FOB Nightshade would haunt them forever. And the trauma would swallow them under if they weren’t careful. Rex was walking that line.

  It was why the three of them kept in contact. They’d vowed to keep in touch, even when it wasn’t convenient or easy. The day of the wreck had been the ten-year anniversary of leaving Afghanistan, and they’d all been in a low spot, it sounded like.

  “So, when do you go to your next job?” Baylee asked her.

  “I have to call them in a few days to ask. They had that water main break and things got pushed back. I figure they’ll be ready for me by next Wednesday or Thursday. Surely, by then, I’ll have a car…”

  “Well, keep me updated.”

  “I will,” Olivia promised. “Oh, wait, how’s the new job?”

  “Oh, Liv, I love it. I love pediatrics, but this is a truly magical place. I know my heart will probably be broken, but I feel like I’m making a difference.”

  Olivia smiled softly at her friend’s words. “Then that’s where you need to be.” Connor was crossing the grass to her. “Baylee, I need to go. Next time I’m in Austin, I’ll stop for a coffee or something.”

  “Sounds good! Take care, Olivia. No more crashes!”

  Laughing, she agreed and hung up the phone.

  Connor lowered himself to the grass beside her, his body moving easily. Then he laid down onto his back with a groan, hand going to his flat stomach. “I didn’t think I ate that much, but my stomach is telling me otherwise. I have a food baby.”

  Olivia laughed and wanted to reach out to run her fingers through his hair, but she held her hands between her thighs. They didn’t have any kind of relationship, so she didn’t understand why she was thinking about it. Maybe her brain was just sleep addled. “Do you have more to judge?”

  One arm was draped casually over his forehead, and her gaze was drawn to the glimpse of skin revealed just above his waistband. Now, that was a tempting sight, the ridges of his abs exposed, a tiny line of dark hair disappearing beneath his belt. She’d been with muscular men before, but Connor was completely different. His was borne of hard, physical labor, not just gym time.

  “See anything you like?”

  Olivia startled and her gaze jerked to his face. “I’m so sorry,” she gasped, her face flaming. She jerked her head around and started to get up, but Connor stilled her with a hand on her arm. She glanced back at him, reluctantly, her entire body tense.

  “I love that you like what you see, Olivia. I must admit. I love what I see when I look at you, as well.”

  She shook her head. “We’re crazy. I’m just here for a day or two more.”

  He gave her a broad smile as he rolled up onto one elbow, putting him even closer to her. “Then we’d better get a move on. Kiss me, Olivia.”

  She blinked, wondering if she dared listen to his deep voice. This was so wrong. She was just here for a minute in time. Why bother getting involved? Then her argumentative side reared its head. Why shouldn’t she kiss him? She wasn’t going to be here long enough to get seriously attached. What the hell. Leaning down, she pressed her mouth to his.

  Lightning seared her nerve endings and her world shifted… It should have been an easy, light-hearted thing. Instead, she felt like she’d just been gut-punched. He tasted salty and sweet, and she wanted more. Her ribs twinged with pain, but she couldn’t draw herself away from his mouth. Then his hand cupped her head, and he was very carefully laying her down in the grass. He drew back for just a moment.

  “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  She shook her head, her eyes blinded by the light around him. “Not at all.”

  “Good,” he said, then kissed her again.

  Olivia really tried to keep herself reserved, but there was just something about this man that addled her brain. He was damned sexy, but she’d been with good-looking men before. Was it her mind’s way of letting her know he was safe to be with, this appeal? He’d rescued her at the crash site, but she didn’t think that had anything to do with it.

  Connor kissed her like a man with experience, and she was content to let him be in charge. Maybe that was the appeal. He didn’t mind, preferred actually, taking charge. And he was taking charge of them. Competently. Oh, so, competently.

  When he eventually drew back and looked down at her, there was a rattled look in his eyes.

  “What’s wrong,” she whispered.

  He shook his head. “I didn’t plan on this, Olivia, but I find myself unable to change my path.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. “I didn’t expect this either.”

  One side of his mouth tipped up. “So, let’s see where it goes. Let’s just have fun. I know you might get a rental car and leave at any time, but I want to maximize my time with you. If you don’t mind tagging along with me as I do my official duties, it will give us that much more time.”

  That was what she’d been doing, anyway. “I’m good with that. And if I’m honest, I’m hoping that the rental car doesn’t come available for a while.”

  Connor grinned and leaned down to kiss her again. Olivia let herself go, feeling freer than she had in a long time. No one knew her here, so there was no recrimination. And they didn’t know what her life was like or her history.

  One of Connor’s big hands settled on her hip, pulling her closer to him, and a thrill went through her. Yes, they were in a public park, but there was a bubble of intimacy around them beneath the shade of the tree. Connor wore the same outfit as every other fire fighter at the festival, so there was some anonymity in that.

  “Chief Kelly,” his radio crackled.

  Connor groaned but reached down to key the mic. “Go ahead, dispatch.”

  “Courtney Michaels is looking for you. She requests you meet her at the judging tent as soon as possible.”

  “Roger that,” Connor said, and looked down at her, sighing. “This woman is going to drive me batty, and I’m not kidding. It’s her first year running the festival and she second-guesses every decision she makes. Plus, I think she expects the position to come with perks, if you know what I mean. Just because they put up the prize money…” He raised his eyebrows theatrically. “Maybe you can come with me?”

  “Of course,” she said, no hesitation.

  She expected him to move away immediately, but he didn’t. Looking down at her, he gave her a lingering kiss. “I don’t want to move.”

  Olivia grinned, loving this side of him. “It’s your fault you’re the chief and in demand.”

  Looking aggrieved, his mouth quirked. “I know.”

  In a fluid motion, he rolled vertical, then turned back to her. With an easy movement, he lifted her to her feet with minimal pain to her ribs. “You okay?”

  “I’m good, thank you. I miss being able to move easily,” she admitted.

  “I don’t blame you. I bet it took a while for you to get used to your leg, as well.”

  The question kind of came out of left field, and it threw her for a minute. “Yes, it did, actually.”

  They were walking back to the midway, but he paused to look down at her. “Did you lose it in the Army?”

  “Yes,” she answered, her voice curt. “In Afghanistan.”

  He seemed to sense that she didn’t want to talk about it. “I’m sorry if it bothers you, my asking about it.”

  Olivia shook her head, feeling tired. “It’s okay. I just forget about it most of the time, until something reminds me of it.”

  “I’m sorry I reminded you,” he said, frown
ing. “I won’t bring it up again.”

  She shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, but the loss of her leg was a serious ego killer. Yes, she was one of thousands now. She’d seen another amputee walking the midway. He’d been a little older than her and wore a Grunt Style t-shirt, and something about his demeanor spoke military. She wondered if he’d lost his leg, same side as her own, in the war as well. She wasn’t curious enough to go up and ask him, though. Because that would mean sharing a story, and she didn’t like to do that.

  Baylee was very open with what had happened to her over there, and she’d been to countless counselors to give her that ease. Olivia had been to counselors as well, but she didn’t have the same ability to let history go.

  “It’s just one of those things…” she said, making a face at him.

  “I get it,” he said simply. “I don’t like to talk about my brother’s death, either, but it’s there in front of me every day.”

  Olivia stopped in the middle of the stream of people and pulled him to a stop beside her. “I’m so sorry, Connor. I didn’t know.”

  He smiled down at her, but sadness lingered in his eyes. “It’s okay, Olivia. It was years ago, but the pain feels just as fresh today as it did ten years ago.”

  “It doesn’t just go away, does it?” she whispered, and he shook his head.

  “What are you doing, Chief,” someone called out, laughing.

  Connor grinned and waved a hand, pulling back from her, and turned to wade back into the traffic. He held her hand, though, tugging her along with him.

  There were depths to him, Olivia realized, feeling a little ashamed of the realization. It was so easy to sink into her own head, her own issues, as to block out those around her. And she’d been constantly distracted by his prettiness. It was so unlike her.

  The massive white judging tent was nestled in the grass behind the rodeo ring. Each competitor, Connor explained, had to bring a plate of whatever meat was being judged to the tables in one partitioned corner, and they were assigned numbers. The judges tasted the samples and graded the meat blind, covering several different aspects of the meat’s flavor, consistency and tenderness.

  Courtney Michaels pounced as soon as he walked in the door, and Olivia could understand why she grated on Connor’s nerves. The woman was on the younger side, beautiful in a careless, natural way that took a lot of makeup and skill to apply. She wore a dress that flattered her trim shape, and carried a tablet, her hand through a grip on the back of the device. A glittery Kate Spade bag hung over her other elbow.

  “Oh, Connor, my WIFI has gone out, and I can’t find my maintenance man. I caught him drinking a beer earlier, and I think he’s abandoned me.”

  Olivia would have laughed at the woman’s outraged look, but it wasn’t the time. Obviously, it was important to her.

  “I don’t know if I can help with that, Courtney,” he said slowly. “Where’s your router?”

  She gave him a doe in the headlight look. “I have no idea,” she whispered. “Is that the thing with the…” she put two fingers up near her head, jostling the tablet and almost hitting herself in the face with her bag.

  Olivia looked at Connor, impressed that he was holding it in. She was about to die from restrained laughter.

  “Yes, Courtney, the thing with antennae.”

  The young woman nodded her head and looked toward one corner of the tent, batting her false eyelashes. “You know about everything, Connor. I’m so glad to have you here.”

  She spared Olivia a glance, but apparently didn’t read her as a threat. “I think it’s over here.”

  She led the way to what was obviously a management corner, sectioned off with tent flaps, and waved toward the black box.

  “There’s a red light, Courtney. You have to reset it.”

  Connor picked the box up and showed her how to do it. Olivia watched their backs, waiting for him to get done. Once the green lights started to pop onto the display again, he stepped back. “There you go. You saw what I did?”

  “Yes, but it likes you best.”

  Olivia blinked at the idiocy of the comment, her gaze going to Connor. A cool expression had settled onto his face, and somehow, she knew he was fighting to stay in control.

  “I think you can do it, Courtney,” he said firmly.

  The young woman blinked and flung her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Connor. You’ve saved the festival.”

  He smiled slightly, trying to step back. “I don’t know about that. Someone would have figured it out, or you could have gone to paper to keep your scores.”

  Courtney looked down at her tablet, horrified. “Paper? Seriously? We’re beyond paper with this many competitors.”

  “I’m sure you would have figured something out,” he said, finally pulling her arms away from his neck. Stepping back, he put his arm around Olivia’s shoulder, pulling her close. “Courtney, this is Olivia. She was the nurse involved in the wreck two days ago, who started treating people at the scene.”

  Courtney’s eyes went huge in her face. “Oh, my dear, that must have been terrifying. I can’t imagine. It could have been so bad.”

  Olivia frowned. “A young mother lost her life in that crash. It was pretty bad.”

  “Yes, but it could have been so bad for the festival. Luckily, most of the competitors were already here setting up.”

  Olivia stared at the manager, wondering how she could be so callous. A woman died. But at least it wasn’t one of her competitors. Olivia looked up at Connor. “I think I need some air,” she said, voice clipped.

  “Was it something I said,” Courtney asked faintly.

  Connor’s voice responded, but Olivia didn’t hear the words. She was too angry. Stomping out to the midway, she planted her hands on her hips and looked out over the pond, trying to find the Zen she’d experienced there. She rocked her neck back and forth, feeling the tightness from the crash.

  “She really has no idea how callous she sounds. The most traumatic thing she’s ever experienced was having to move this festival to the wilds of Lockhart and away from Austin.” Connor stopped beside her, his arm brushing her own. “She can’t imagine not having her mother and father here to back her every play, and bail her out when she needs it. She’s not lost a parent, or even anyone close to her.”

  Maybe that was what was bothering her. In the back of her mind was still the worry about the orphan baby, who wasn’t even her kid. She’d barely met her. Barely spent five minutes with her.

  “Oh, to be that young again,” she sighed, letting the anger go and giving him a smile.

  “Isn’t that the truth,” he laughed. He gave her a look. “You’re not that old, though.”

  “No, it just feels like it sometimes.”

  “Sometimes experience ages you prematurely,” he murmured, and there was knowledge there, and pain.

  “Courtney has a long way to go. And I wish her luck. Maybe she’ll make it through unscathed.”

  She glanced around, feeling at loose ends. The nap under the tree had done her well, and her energy was recharged. “Let’s go get into something,” she said, grinning at him.

  “Sounds good.”

  CHAPTER 7

  It was a surreal day for Olivia. She’d been on some decent dates in her lifetime, but this was different. They talked about everything as they wandered the grounds, having good-natured debates about politics and books. And as they did their arms would brush, or even their hips, and a shower of awareness would roll over her. It was very distracting, and she wondered if he was having as much problem staying focused as she was.

  Olivia could see how much he loved serving the public. When he talked to people, there was a satisfaction in his expression, and she wondered if he planned to go higher than the fire chief. She thought he definitely had the aptitude to do it. Many of the people he talked to asked about his parents.

  More and more people filled the grounds as people streamed in for the fair. The rodeo and the winner announcements would be tomorrow, as well as the gift of the fifty thousand dollars. Manu won his class in tenderloin, and now he was moving on to compete with brisket. The men of the department were so excited that he won tenderloin they set off all the sirens on all of the trucks at once for a solid ten seconds.

  Manu beamed, nodding his head, accepting his due. Olivia hoped he won the whole damn thing, but she’d eaten some good meat throughout the day. It was going to be a real competition.