Page 93 of The Outpost (Jamison Valley 4)
“Because . . .” I searched her face for an answer.
She gave me wider eyes.
“Is that supposed to mean something? Because I’ve kind of been trapped in the middle of nowhere for a while now and I’m out of the loop.”
Felicity frowned and leaned in closer to whisper. “I can’t have coffee and I feel like shit because I’m pregnant.”
“What!” I shouted then clapped a hand over my mouth.
“Shh,” she hissed and looked over her shoulder at Maisy and Coby in the living room. “We’re not telling people yet.”
I dropped my hand and smiled. “But you told me?”
“You’re an exception. I blame it on the shock of seeing you pop up behind Beau’s counter.”
I smiled wider and wrapped my arms around her waist. “I’m happy for you, lady.”
“I’m happy for me too.”
We broke apart and I couldn’t help but grin. “Are you excited?”
“Yeah. A little scared too but I think that’s to be expected.”
“You have nothing to worry about. You’ll be a wonderful mother.”
“Thanks.” She smiled. “I hope you’re still here when he or she is born.”
“If not, I’ll be back to visit and spoil that baby rotten.” I had new motivation to stay out of witness protection. I wanted to see Felicity’s baby at least once.
“Okay. He’s settled for a little while.” Maisy came back into the kitchen. “So? How are you? Beau said all of your injuries healed okay?”
I nodded. “I’m all better. My ribs took the longest to heal but I’m back to a hundred percent.”
She patted my hand. “Good.”
Maisy moved through the kitchen with ease, filling a coffee cup for herself and getting a small bowl of goldfish crackers to deliver to Coby, who was sprawled on his uncle’s couch. He’d traded his wet blanket for one of Beau’s throws and curled up with a stuffed animal he’d found in the ottoman. Probably something he’d stashed during one of his countless visits to Beau’s house.
“Okay. He’s set.” Maisy came back and pulled out a stool from beneath the island. Felicity settled into the other stool and both stared at me, waiting for an explanation.
I grabbed my own coffee and leaned a hip against the island to start explaining. “So, like I said, Beau didn’t want me at the outpost this winter.”
“I get that,” Felicity said, “but when you showed up months ago, everyone said tow
n was out. Is it really safe to come back?”
Beau’s idea that I could just lay low had made sense earlier, but with Maisy and Felicity now aware of my presence, I was starting to think this move was just courting trouble. How many other family members had keys to Beau’s house? Would his neighbors start to wonder why his lights were on all day if he was at work? Would someone see me through the windows?
As much as I wanted to stay with Beau, was this really safe?
“I thought it would be okay, but now I’m not so sure.”
“I don’t know where else you’d go,” Maisy said. “Beau’s right, the mountains in the winter would be dangerous. This will just have to work until spring.”
“Or until things with the Federovs get wrapped up. Have you heard anything from the FBI?” Felicity asked.
“FBI?” Maisy asked. “Have they been in contact?”
I nodded. “The agent I sent my evidence to tracked me down. I met with him about a month ago.”
