Page 8 of Breached

“Savi’s lookin’ for you. I told her I’d find you.” He smiled at me. “Mornin’, Ms. Nicole.”

“Just Nicole is fine, Brandon, and good morning to you too. Is everyone awake now?”

He looked up toward the house. “Dad and Uncle Paul are. He was looking for you but got sidetracked with Aunt Mia and Chase.”

“Oh, I promised Aunt Mia that I’d play with Chase in the playroom,” Olivia said, “but I should go check on Easton.”

“He’s okay.” Brandon folded his arms, much like his dad. “Your mom’s with him.”

I hid my amusement at the two of them. They were kids and were allowed to be, but they were also incredibly mature for their age. I suppose, given the world they lived in, they had to be.

“Well, I should get my day started.” I smiled at them then tossed the little bit of coffee I had left into the snow.

“Nicole,” Olivia stopped me, “thank you.”

“For what?”

“For not asking if I’m okay, for just talking to me.”

I leaned in for a hug. “I’ve always hated that question, too. If you ever want to talk again, you know where to find me.” I looked at Brandon. He’d had a hard go in life, especially with the loss of his mother. “Same goes for you.”

He smiled. “Thanks.”

I could hear activity in the house as I walked toward the kitchen to put my mug away. Paul and Keith seemed to be deep in conversation in the dining room, and when I walked by, he turned a little away from Keith and caught my eye. The hungry little smile he gave me almost caused me to miss a step. God, that man could bring me to my knees with one look.

“I’m going downstairs to work for a bit,” I called and saw him nod.

As I stepped into the kitchen, I found Savannah there. “Good morning.” She forced a tired smile. She hadn’t been her normal cheery self in a while, and her face was clouded by a visible headache. She reached for some pain killers and squinted out the window. I stood beside her and saw she had spotted her daughter. “There you are.”

“I was just speaking with her.” I wanted her to know we were all looking out for each other.

She rubbed her head with a sigh. “How is she?”

“She’s hanging in there.”

“Did she mention school?” I nodded. “I know I’m not her favorite person right now, but I can’t handle the idea of her being away from the property.”

I began to peel an orange as I wondered when she’d last eaten. It would normally have been Abigail who would have watched out for that sort of thing, so I cautiously handed it to her. “A natural sugar fix can help the head.”

The corners of her mouth dipped, and I knew she appreciated the gesture. “Thanks, Nicole. Normally…”

“I know. I haven’t been here for very long, but I know how much she did for all of you. You’ll really miss her.”

“Always.” She brushed away a tear and let out a painful laugh. “I hope you take this the right way, but I’m glad you came when you did. We need someone who can still function.”

“I’m glad I’m here, too.” I gave her arm a squeeze, not wanting to draw too much attention to her situation. Cole had already walked by the doorway a couple times, and I knew he was watching her like a hawk. He went into the living room, and I heard his voice. The men were fiercely protective. I walked over to sneak a peek at Paul, and he saw me immediately. Maybe some women wouldn’t like it, but I was beginning to feel what the wives did, and it was a powerful thing.

“This is good.” Savannah popped another slice in her mouth. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Got any more tricks?” She leaned against the island. I snagged the peanut butter and a spoon and scooped out a good amount and handed it to her, and she smiled.

“This is why we were meant to be friends, Nicole. You get me.” She mouthed some off the spoon with her lips and moaned.

“With the life I had growing up, and then in the job I chose, food wasn’t always easy to find, so you get resourceful.” I let her in slightly. “About Olivia.” She looked at me. “On the contrary, your daughter fully understands and isn’t at all upset that she has to be homeschooled for a while. She said she can FaceTime her friends and knows that her uncles will take her out if she needs it.”

Savannah nodded a few times. “That’s really wonderful to hear. She’s always been good with changes—we’ve fought so hard to give our children as normal a life as possible.”

“Normal is overrated.”

“This is true.” She looked out the window again. “Anything else I should know?”