upset at being ignored, wanting his help with Billy. Although Hayden knew that was an excuse, he couldn’t not acknowledge her this time, especially with the gossip that was circulating about him and Livvie.
Could you call it gossip if it was true? He wondered. And why hide it or try to hide it from the others? He wasn’t doing anything wrong. And it wasn’t any of anyone’s business anyway.
Lights were on in the house. He wondered what she’d been doing, if she was looking forward to tonight’s surprise as much as he had been all day. Since the first time he’d made love to her, she’d wanted him every night. She was insatiable, as he thought she would be. And that suited him just fine. He gathered up the box on the passenger seat and climbed out of the car. Tonight he’d introduce her to a new sort of pleasure.
* * *
Livvie exhaled, disappointed. The first few boxes didn’t contain anything interesting. It was when she got to the fourth one that her curiosity was piqued. This one was unmarked and that was why she’d left it alone at first. When she opened it, however, she found it stuffed with files, old-looking, worn and yellowed pages. She picked up the first one, which was titled H. Daniel Hawke.
She tilted her head to the side, her mouth beginning to form a word but not. She sat back and opened the file on her lap, turning page after page, reading name after name.
She barely registered the closing of a car door as she put the folder aside and delved deeper into the box. Inside was a bundle wrapped in plastic. She pulled it out and tilted the bag to drop the contents out. The old uniform spilled out and when the metal badge hit the floor, it made a clanking sound as it landed.
The front door opened and closed, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from what she sat looking at. She picked up the uniform and looked at it, read the name written across the chest. H. Daniel Hawke, Commander.
“Olivia,” came his stern voice from above her.
She turned to look up at him, her expression empty while his was a mix of emotions. Understanding dawned on her in those moments, things falling in place, finally making sense.
“Hayden Hawke. H. Daniel Hawke. You’re H. Daniel Hawke. The hero.” Her eyes filled with tears that spilled over when she lowered them to find the badge. She picked it up. “They didn’t have the explosive set inside it back then, did they?” She half laughed. Goose bumps made her cold, her skin prickling.
He stood staring down at her as she looked through the rest of the box. More folders, files, but she didn’t need to read anymore. There was nothing to see.
Hayden descended the ladder and knelt next to her. She turned to him, searching his eyes, not sure what she was looking for at all. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what? There was nothing to tell. Nothing you would have believed anyway.”
“I see it now,” she said, pushing his hair away from his face. “God, you must have thought me the fool.” She laughed at herself, but it wasn’t a laugh, really.
“No, Livvie. I’ve never thought you a fool. Come upstairs with me,” he said quietly.
She pulled her hand out of his. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’ll tell you now. I’ll tell you everything now, Livvie.”
“You’re supposed to be dead. They said you were killed on a mission fighting the resistance. They teach us that at school, you know. But you are the resistance. I trusted you, Hayden.”
“You can still trust me; this doesn’t change anything.”
“What else are you keeping from me?”
Hayden took a moment and she knew what he would say next would rock her world.
“I knew your brother, Livvie. He was one of us.”
Chapter Eight
“No! No way!” Livvie jumped to her feet and tried to push him away when he gathered her into his arms. “My brother was not a traitor!”
“No, he wasn’t. He was one of the good guys.”
“He died on a mission. Like you were
Could you call it gossip if it was true? He wondered. And why hide it or try to hide it from the others? He wasn’t doing anything wrong. And it wasn’t any of anyone’s business anyway.
Lights were on in the house. He wondered what she’d been doing, if she was looking forward to tonight’s surprise as much as he had been all day. Since the first time he’d made love to her, she’d wanted him every night. She was insatiable, as he thought she would be. And that suited him just fine. He gathered up the box on the passenger seat and climbed out of the car. Tonight he’d introduce her to a new sort of pleasure.
* * *
Livvie exhaled, disappointed. The first few boxes didn’t contain anything interesting. It was when she got to the fourth one that her curiosity was piqued. This one was unmarked and that was why she’d left it alone at first. When she opened it, however, she found it stuffed with files, old-looking, worn and yellowed pages. She picked up the first one, which was titled H. Daniel Hawke.
She tilted her head to the side, her mouth beginning to form a word but not. She sat back and opened the file on her lap, turning page after page, reading name after name.
She barely registered the closing of a car door as she put the folder aside and delved deeper into the box. Inside was a bundle wrapped in plastic. She pulled it out and tilted the bag to drop the contents out. The old uniform spilled out and when the metal badge hit the floor, it made a clanking sound as it landed.
The front door opened and closed, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from what she sat looking at. She picked up the uniform and looked at it, read the name written across the chest. H. Daniel Hawke, Commander.
“Olivia,” came his stern voice from above her.
She turned to look up at him, her expression empty while his was a mix of emotions. Understanding dawned on her in those moments, things falling in place, finally making sense.
“Hayden Hawke. H. Daniel Hawke. You’re H. Daniel Hawke. The hero.” Her eyes filled with tears that spilled over when she lowered them to find the badge. She picked it up. “They didn’t have the explosive set inside it back then, did they?” She half laughed. Goose bumps made her cold, her skin prickling.
He stood staring down at her as she looked through the rest of the box. More folders, files, but she didn’t need to read anymore. There was nothing to see.
Hayden descended the ladder and knelt next to her. She turned to him, searching his eyes, not sure what she was looking for at all. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what? There was nothing to tell. Nothing you would have believed anyway.”
“I see it now,” she said, pushing his hair away from his face. “God, you must have thought me the fool.” She laughed at herself, but it wasn’t a laugh, really.
“No, Livvie. I’ve never thought you a fool. Come upstairs with me,” he said quietly.
She pulled her hand out of his. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’ll tell you now. I’ll tell you everything now, Livvie.”
“You’re supposed to be dead. They said you were killed on a mission fighting the resistance. They teach us that at school, you know. But you are the resistance. I trusted you, Hayden.”
“You can still trust me; this doesn’t change anything.”
“What else are you keeping from me?”
Hayden took a moment and she knew what he would say next would rock her world.
“I knew your brother, Livvie. He was one of us.”
Chapter Eight
“No! No way!” Livvie jumped to her feet and tried to push him away when he gathered her into his arms. “My brother was not a traitor!”
“No, he wasn’t. He was one of the good guys.”
“He died on a mission. Like you were
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