Page 9 of Silver Sanctuary (The Silver Springs #3)

Not only had dinner been delicious, but Nash had brought up board games for them to play while they ate.

Embrie absolutely crushed him in Battleship, much to his outspoken dismay.

There certainly were some jabs about a SEAL losing to a nine-year-old, but he laughed it off like a true champ.

And Lacy took the time to watch him, truly watch him, while he was lost in dueling coordinates.

He was incredibly handsome, a fact she’d noticed the first time he walked into the shop.

But beyond the salt-and-pepper hair, and tattoos that made her legs feel a little weak every time he rolled up his sleeves around her, there was such genuine kindness in his eyes.

Each time he looked at Lacy or Embrie, little smile lines popped out along his cheekbones.

She wanted to reach out and touch them. They were precious, and special.

It felt like a reward to see them forming when he looked at her.

“Well, in that cooler over there, I have a little cheese spread. Figured it was time to make good on my promise to young Monteray Jack here… so I got a selection of the cheeses she guessed right for us to try.”

“Yay! Does that mean I won this too?!” Embrie jumped up from the table and started wiggling her body back and forth in a celebratory dance.

“The first round, for sure. But just get ready. I’ve been doing some research; I don’t think you stand a chance in round two.”

Lacy laughed as Embrie took off toward the cooler, her hand drifting to rest on Nash’s back.

“You didn’t answer me,” she whispered .

“Huh?”

“About the movie…”

“Oh! Well, we’ve got a double feature—both cheese themed, of course. And also, weirdly, a mouse stars as the main character in them.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“Which movie do we want to watch first?” His question seemed to stun Lacy, so he continued, unable to hold back his smile. “We can go animated, with Ratatouille ? Or live action, with Mouse Hunt ?”

“How do you know these movies?”

“Sage loves Ratatouille. ” He laughed, looking down at the DVD like he was thinking of a fond memory with Gunner and Lily’s daughter. “We get roped into watching it with her all the time. And my Nanny is a big Christopher Walken fan. We watched Mouse Hunt probably a million times as kids.”

“Let’s watch that one—the one your Nanny likes!” Embrie plopped down on the pillows by the small table and started unwrapping the cheese platter. “Mom! Look! Nash even wrote the name of the cheese on little flags. And he got your favorite! Brie, just like me! This is the best night ever!”

He remembered. He remembered the small, irrelevant conversation they’d had about Embrie’s name. “He’s thought of everything.”

“Come on. Before your little mouse eats all the cheese.”

He slipped his fingers between Lacy’s, guiding her over to the seating area.

There were fluffy pillows and cushions scattered about, but Nash brought her to the only two-seat spot.

She didn’t want to be too affectionate with Embrie there, but the thought of Nash maneuvering to sit right next to her, the two of them maybe sharing the same blanket, his arm wrapped around her shoulders while she rested her head on his chest, had her heart racing.

“Nash?” Embrie turned toward them .

“Yeah, cheese curd?”

“America?”

“I’ll give it to you this time, because technically, yes. But I’ll add the origin story to our list for the next date night.”

The next date night. Lacy’s throat grew tight with emotion. But instead of letting herself feel overwhelmed at the sweet sentiment, she cleared her throat and reached for the drink in front of her.

“What’s your Nanny like? I always wanted a Grandma.” Embrie’s eyes grew wide with wonder.

Lacy’s hand tightened around his, her body going stiff at her daughter’s confession, but Nash didn’t miss a beat.

“Well, I suspect my Nanny would love you. So, if you want to borrow her as your own, you’re welcome to.”

“Will you take me to meet her?”

“Embrie…” Lacy pushed every ounce of gentle warning into her voice.

“No, it’s okay.” Nash tugged at the edge of a large flannel blanket, draping it over Lacy’s lap.

“I don’t want her getting her hopes up. This is… new… and you’re busy with The Trident and security stuff,” she whispered, hoping he would understand. But he just shook his head.

“It’s only new for you, Lace. I’ve been invested in making this work since the first day I met you,” he whispered back as if it wasn’t the biggest revelation you could share with someone else. Her mind was still spinning while Nash turned back to Embrie.

“I’ll have to ask my Pops when the next big family get-together is. Then we can plan a proper trip. You’ll get to meet my Nanny, and Pops, and all my crazy cousins. They have about forty-five kids between all of ‘em, so you’ll have lots of new friends. ”

Lacy watched her daughter’s eyes grow wide. “Forty-five? How do you remember all their names?”

Nash laughed. “It’s just stuck in my brain. After a few days together, you’ll remember them too. Now, which of these should we try first?”

The first twenty minutes of the movie were filled with giggles as they settled into the space and ate through the cheese.

Lacy had to admit, some of them were absolutely delicious.

And others, like the stinky blue cheese from some small region in France, she just wasn’t brave enough to try.

But Nash dared Embrie, and she immediately saw the determination in her daughter’s eyes.

Their dare ended with both of them fanning their tongues and gulping down water, Lacy holding onto her sides from laughing so hard at the faces both of them made.

And then they’d all sat back, settling in against the cushions and blankets, eyes trained on the screen.

Slowly, Nash’s hand had been making its way to her thigh.

At first, just his fingers grazed along her skin, but then, he slid his hand over so his palm was resting just above her knee.

She couldn’t hold back the smile as he leaned in.

“Are you warm enough?” His whispered question and ever-so-slight tightening grip set off butterflies in her stomach.

“I was feeling a little chilly, but you’re so warm.”

“So this…” His eyes dropped to his hand. “This is okay.”

“Yes,” she answered, letting her head drop onto his shoulder. “Will you tell me about your family? Why did you grow up with Nanny and Pops instead of your parents?”

Nash nodded, his eyes flicking to Embrie, who was completely lost to the antics of the main characters in the movie.

“I didn’t live with Nanny and Pops until I was fifteen. My parents had me young, but they were incredible. In fact, I think I’m the first person in my lineage to not have a kid by twenty.”

Lacy thought back to the first time she’d held Embrie in her arms—a scared baby herself, with no idea just what she’d have to do to keep them safe.

“My grandparents own a big ranch. I’m talking thousands of acres up in a place called Goldfinch Falls. They had four kids by the time they were twenty-three, and those four kids all married and built little cabins on the ranch where they started their own families.”

“It sounds incredible to grow up with so much family around you—so much support.”

“It was. I was incredibly lucky.”

“You didn’t want to stay? To ranch like the rest of your family?”

Nash sighed. “The thing is, no one really understands just how dangerous a job ranching is, especially somewhere like Montana, where the weather can change on a dime.”

His eyes settled back on the movie screen, but Lacy could see he was lost in a memory. “Is that what happened to your parents?” she whispered. “They were caught in bad weather?”

“Yeah. A blizzard in late spring. They were too far out, working on a fence line that had fallen during the winter on our property line. There wasn’t adequate shelter, and they…”

His mouth closed, and Lacy watched as he swallowed.

“I’m so sorry, Nash. I’m so sorry that happened.”

“It was so long ago now, it almost feels like Nanny and Pop were always meant to be the people to guide me through this life. Anyway.” He cleared his throat.

“I moved in with them, and they encouraged me to enlist. I was a rotten kid after my parents died. I think they figured that being away from the ranch—all the memories and reminders of my parents—for a while, would help straighten me out. And boy did it. ”

She shook her head. “I can’t imagine you being rotten.”

“I was. I was angry at the world, angry that my parents hadn’t kept themselves safe.

Angry that I couldn’t keep them safe. I was the only one in my family that was an only child.

I resented my aunts and uncles for not being the ones to go out and work the fence repairs that day.

I said some things I’ll never be able to take back.

It’s honestly a wonder they ever forgave me. ”

Lacy slipped her hand out from under the blanket and placed it on Nash’s cheek, gently turning his head so he had to look in her eyes.

“I don’t know what you said, but I do know that you were a child, in pain.

Of course they forgave you, because that’s what family is supposed to do.

I would do that in a heartbeat for Embrie because I love her.

And I would never ever hold it over her head like it was for…

” She stopped herself, but not before Nash’s eyes narrowed on her.

He took her hand, removing it from his cheek, and pressed his lips to the center of her palm.

“I don’t know the whole story of what happened with your mom, but I hope one day you feel safe enough to share it with me. Because you’re right, I had people who truly loved me, and who forgave me when I made a mistake. And you deserve that too, Lacy. You deserved that all along.”

“Thanks,” she managed to whisper beyond the painful memories.

“So.” Nash winked, setting her hand in her lap, but keeping their fingers laced together.

“My Nanny and Pops are truly something else. They’ll hug you, Nanny will stuff you right full of brambleberry pie, and then Pops will have you out riding a horse like you were born on the back on it in no time. ”

“They sound incredible. I’d love to meet them one day. ”

“I meant what I said to Embrie. I’d take you up there tomorrow if I thought you’d let me.”

“Maybe not tomorrow… but definitely one day soon.” She smiled as she set her head back on his shoulder, never wanting the night to end.