Page 19 of Keeping Caroline

“Favorite? I’m honored.” Unable to resist, I bit into one of the muffins, groaning at how good it was. Her eyebrows quirked up at my overdramatization, which only made me grin wider. “What? It’s really good. You are a woman of many talents. Superwoman—like I said.”

“Tristan!” Evie’s voice shattered our moment like a stone through glass, her giggles filling the air as she burst into the room. Still in her pajamas, she bounded toward me with endless energy, her eyes bright as though she hadn’t just rolled out of bed. I wished I had that much energy first thing in the morning. I barely had time to set my coffee down on the table before she leaped onto the bed, bouncing the entire mattress.

“Hey there, wild child,” I said, unable to suppress a chuckle at her infectious enthusiasm. “What’s got you so excited this morning?”

“Mommy says we’re going to Uncle Ethan’s house today!” she beamed, bouncing on the bed again. “I can’t wait!”

Stepping out of the cottage with Caroline and Evie by my side an hour later, I breathed in the crisp mountain air as I led them to my black 1969 Mustang—my baby. The car had always been a symbol of my independence, a sleek machine that allowed me to escape when the weight of the world became too heavy.

“Wow, Mr. Tristan!” Evie exclaimed, running forward, her stuffed llama flopping in her hands. “Do we get to ride in your car today? It’s a super cool spy car!”

“Thank you, Captain.” Smiling back down at her, I pulled the door open. “Are you ready to show me how to get to your Uncle Ethan’s house?”

Without hesitation, she nodded, climbing into the back seat, and allowing her mother to strap her into the seatbelt.

“Nice car,” Caroline said, her tone playful. “Almost makes me forget about the whole ‘lawless computer nerd’ thing.”

A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I watched her strap in Evie, shamelessly checking her out. I found myself doing that a lot lately. “Thanks. I’m glad you approve.”

Once everyone was settled, I slid behind the wheel and started the engine. The Mustang roared to life, its power vibrating through me like an extension of my own being. I could have let Caroline drive, but I rarely had the chance to take my car out on mountain roads, so I looked forward to any opportunity to do so. Maybe I could even impress her a little with how I handled the curves.

The roar of the engine bounced off the mountainside as I guided my car up the winding road, its black sheen catching glints of the midday sun. Beside me, Caroline’s gaze danced out over the landscape, her fingers tracing imaginary on the fabric of her tights. The sky was an endless expanse of blue, stretching out to touch the peaks of the mountains in the distance. Who would have thought Alabama could be so beautiful?

“Over there,” she pointed, “is a trail that leads to a waterfall I’ve yet to explore. It’s supposed to be beautiful this time of year.”

The corners of her mouth lifted in a smile that was part longing, part invitation. I glanced at her, the warmth of her enthusiasm disrupting my cool isolation I usually kept draped around myself like a cloak. All I wanted to do was touch her cheek. She was so fucking beautiful, it hurt. “Sounds like it’s worth the hike. I haven’t been on one in a while.”

“Maybe we could go together sometime.” A hint of playfulness threaded through her tone, sending a surge of heat through me. “With Ethan and Scarlett so busy, and not knowing anyone here, I’ve yet to see much of the area.”

“Maybe,” I murmured, steering the car around a tight bend, the thought lingering like the sweet aftertaste of forbidden fruit. I was fairly sure Ethan would want to kick my ass if he knew how filthy my thoughts about his sister were turning, but I wasn’t sure if I cared. I was still going to think about her when I stroked myself before bed.

“Have you ever been up here before?” she asked, still staring at the passing landscape. “Well, aside from this last time when you came for the day.”

“Never. I grew up in the city. I traveled a little, but never here.” A pang of regret hit me as I thought about all the years I spent locked away in dark rooms and hidden corners, my world limited to the confines of a computer screen. “It’s incredible.”

“Well, wait until you see what’s coming up.” There was a hint of excitement in her voice that made me smile, as though she couldn’t wait to show her world off to me. “This next stretch of road has some of the most breathtaking views. It’s one of the reasons why Ethan and Scarlett chose this place. They wanted a sanctuary—somewhere they could escape to—when the world became too much.”

I could understand the appeal, the allure of a simpler life far removed from the chaos and complexities of our daily existence. And for a moment, I allowed myself to imagine a different future, one where I could trade shadows and secrets for the warmth and comfort of a loving family.

In the backseat, Evie sat quietly, her eyelids already drooping as she fought off a nap. When she caught me glancing at her in the rearview mirror, she sat up straighter. “Mr. Tristan, did you know there are secret places in the mountains where the faeries live? Aunt Scarlett told me about them.”

My grin widened, my eyes going wide in excitement to reflect hers as I met her eyes in the mirror again. “Is that so? Well, it certainly looks like a magical place.”

She nodded. “Mhmm, Auntie says they’re very shy, though. You have to be very quiet, or they’ll hide.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Caroline smile, before turning my eyes back to her daughter. “Then we’ll have to tread softly, won’t we?” The absolute wonder on Evie’s face filled my chest with a lightness that was completely alien to me, but completely welcome. I knew I would eventually have to return to my life in Atlanta, but I was already dreading it.

Ethan emerged from the front door as we pulled into the driveway, his presence commanding against the very domestic background of the cabin’s porch. Scarlett stood beside him, radiant in a simple ivory dress with her hand resting on her baby bump. After everything she’d been through, seeing her smiling gave me a little more faith in the world.

Stepping off the porch as I parked, Ethan opened the passenger door for his sister, helping Evie out of the car once Caroline was out of the way. “Welcome back, Tristan. Glad you could make it.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I replied, grabbing my tech gear out of the trunk. “Anything for my new family.”

Caroline’s laughter filled the air as she held a mumbled conversation with Scarlett several feet away. Stealing a glance at her, I grinned, imagining what they could be talking about. I didn’t doubt it involved why we’d shown up together. Although it was innocent, I could see Scarlett picking on her about it just to get a rise out of her.

Once we went inside, Ethan and I headed into the basement, where Ethan had converted nearly the entire lower level on one side of the house into a safe room apartment. It was their sanctuary within a sanctuary—a place to hide if danger ever found them again. Some would have thought it overkill, but after the things they’d gone through, and the world both Ethan and I knew existed, it wasn’t. There was no such thing as being too vigilant when it came to protecting those you loved.

“I told Scarlett what you found out about her old man,” Ethan said a few hours later as he stared at the computer screen in the safe room where images blinked to life one by one. “He’s like an old wound that never seems to heal for her, even without him being an active part of her life.”

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