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“He is, and we are. All of our team members are exceptional and the best at what they do, including Savannah. I should tell you…”
“Woo hoo! We’re back!” shouts Savannah, her blond ponytail swishing behind her. “I hear we have some planning to do!” It’s hard not to smile at her enthusiasm, her chipper demeanor making you feel at ease and comfortable. But I’m not comfortable, and I really don’t want to like her. Although, if things were different, I could see us becoming friends.
The next person to walk in is Jerry, with his features pinched as if he had just eaten a lemon, “Come on, Jer, let’s play nice today,” Savannah teases as she slings an arm around his shoulders. He’s short and stocky with shock white hair and hazel eyes. If he wasn’t scowling, I imagine he would be a very handsome man. He certainly stands out in a crowd, and I wonder how that works with going undercover.
Jessie slinks in behind them, her small stature making her appear unassuming. But the tight lips and “don’t mess with me” vibe makes me think she’s the most lethal of them all.
When Patrick enters, my breath hitches, and I don’t realize I’m holding it in until Kiernan grabs my hand. His breath tickles my ear when he says, “Just breathe. Otherwise, I might get jealous,” he says jokingly. Patrick notices the exchange, and I see his eyes darken and his features tighten. Kiernan whispers again, “Maybe I’ll keep doing this and make him the jealous one.”
I step away from him as he chuckles. As we take our seats, Ethan gets down to business. “Patrick, you’re assigned to protect Ariella and Alex. Jessie, Jerry, and Savannah will have your six. I think we should use the safe house in Arizona. What are your thoughts?”
Patrick’s deep voice still makes my body hum, just as it did all those years ago. “We could do that, but I think using the safe house in Montana is a better option.”
Ethan smirks. “I agree, Montana, it is. We will provide Ariella and Alex with assumed identities if the owners have hired any ranch hands until it’s deemed safe enough for them to return to Cothena. Are the owners of the ranch amenable to having unexpected guests?”
“They’ve helped us out several times before. I can’t see why this would be any different. It’s always better to hide in plain sight, and I don’t think anyone would suspect a princess and her little prince to be farm hands,” Patrick states.
“Are there going to be horses there?” Alex asks.
“The sweetest horses,” Savannah tells him. “You’re going to love it there. Rolling hills and beautiful mountains. Lots of snow to play in this time of year.” I can tell that Savannah adores children, and I bet she would make a great mom.
“Are you sure that the ranch owners will be okay with having a few stowaways? I wouldn’t want to bring danger to anyone’s doorstep.”
Patrick graces me with the first smile I’ve seen on him since we’ve reconnected. “Yes, they are more than capable of handling any danger that comes their way. The owner is a retired Navy Seal, and his wife has won several sharpshooting competitions. As far as being welcoming, I can’t imagine they would turn away their one and only son.”
I look at him confused, but he clears it up quickly when he says, “Ariella, you and Alex are about to meet my parents.”
Chapter five
Patrick
Idon’t know what I was thinking when I suggested my family’s ranch as a place for us to hide out, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time. I reconsidered the idea several times, but staying elsewhere just felt wrong. It was as if the ranch was where we needed to be. When I get an overwhelming sense of “rightness,” I don’t argue with God about it.
For the next two days, Ariella and Alex stayed with Ethan and Amelia at their place while I got everything in order for our departure. Kiernan had said his goodbyes once the meeting was over and gave us his contact number in case of an emergency. He was advised to tell no one where Ariella and Alex were staying or try to contact them in any way.
I called my parents to ensure they were okay with us coming, not that they would have declined knowing that there was someone in need. They get paid handsomely by Shining Knight any time we use the ranch as a safe house, but they were ecstatic to know I would be returning home for this assignment. When I told them who would be with me, my mother almost broke down and cried. Until recently, they were the only two people who knew about my relationship with the princess.
“Mom, it’s not what you think. Ariella’s not here to rekindle a romance. She needs protection. She and Alex are hiding out because there was an assassination attempt on her life. If that hadn’t happened, she never would have contacted me. She’s married and has a son.”
“How can she be married when she…”
“I don’t know. She just is,” I said, cutting her off.
“Well, I’m glad we’re finally going to get to meet her. What will their names be when they arrive? I need to know so I don’t accidentally call her by her real name,” she asked.
“As long as no one is around, feel free to use their real names, Ariella and Alex. If there are any ranch hands on the property or if Dad needs the vet to stop by and check on the animals, she will go by Aria, and her son will go by Lex. He thought that was a cool name since he loves the Superman comics.”
She giggled and then promised me that everything would be ready for our arrival. “Who will be joining you this time?”
“Savannah, Jessie, and Jerry,” I told her. “Do you have the bunkhouse ready so they can bring in their equipment?”
“No, but it will be by the time they get here. What will you do about Alex’s education?” she asked,
“I was hoping you could home-school him. He’s eight going on nine, so it should be pretty easy for you.” She home-schooled me until I was 12.
She was silent for a long moment before finally asking, “How old did you say he was?” I repeated my answer, and her only response was, “Hmm.”
“Hmm, what?”
