Page 18 of Twilight Tactics

Ollie did and her eyes landed on the bird carvings. “Whoa. Those are cool.”

“Thanks. My dad made them for me.”

The teen reached out and traced one of them with her finger. Exactly like Elena used to do with each new gift. Still did when she was feeling particularly nostalgic. It brought a lump to her throat. She picked up the swallow and handed it to Ollie, then walked to the sofa and sat down while Ollie studied the new bird. “Dad always said birds reminded him of hope—how no matter how hard things got, a bird still knew how to find the sky.”

Ollie glanced up. “Did he make a lot of them?”

“A whole flock.” Elena chuckled. “Each one was different. He made a sparrow when I was sick and had to stay in bed for days. He told me sparrows were small but brave—just like me. He showed me the cardinal he carved when my sister Iris was born and said it was to remind himself that even when life changes, there’s always something beautiful to hold on to.” She paused, her fingers brushing lint from the cushion. She had Ollie’s full attention. “But my favorite was the swallow.”

“Why?”

“Because swallows always find their way home, no matterhow far they’ve flown. He gave me that one when I was scared—when I had to leave everything I knew in Virginia to go to a new place close to here. He told me, ‘If you ever get lost in the world, just look for the swallow. It’ll remind you—your story’s not over. You still have a home to fly back to.’” Unfortunately, the place he’d called home was a place she’d been desperate to escape from, but the analogy still fit. This ranch was her home, and she knew she’d always be welcome here no matter where life might take her.

Ollie traced the curve of the bird’s beak. “Do you still believe that?”

Elena looked at her. “I do. And I think maybe you’re a little like that swallow too, Ollie. You’ve been through a lot, but you’re still flying. You’ll find your place to land soon.”

Ollie didn’t speak for a while. Then she held the bird tighter as a knock sounded on Elena’s door.

“Ollie?” Sully called. “Elena? You guys in there?”

Elena stood, but ran a hand over Ollie’s soft hair. “You will.”

The girl nodded and put the bird back on the shelf while Elena went to open the door. Sully stood there, eyes narrowed, jaw set, nostrils flared. Elena would swear he had tendrils of smoke curling from his ears. “We’re here,” she said, keeping her voice low. “She’s fine. Don’t yell at her.”

“She can’t do this.”

“I know. But put yourself in her shoes. Or at least calm down before you talk to her. You’re only mad because you care about her.”

He closed his eyes for a second and gave a short nod. “Fine.” Then he walked into her den. Ollie was on the couch, arms crossed, eyes on the floor. “You ready to go back now?”

“Sure.” She stood and walked to Elena. “Thank you.”

Elena nodded. They left and she said a quick prayer for the duo. Then she walked to her safe stashed in the back of hercloset, hesitated, then spun the dial to unlock the box. She pulled her weapon from the case and holstered it.

No telling what kind of trouble she might find. Four-legged occasionally.

She was mostly worried about the two-legged species.

4

From his vantage point in the kitchen, Sully watched Elena exit the big house, enter the barn, and a few minutes later, come out riding Harley. She rode at a slow clip toward the tree line that led to the untamed area beyond.

He frowned. His blood pressure had just returned to something resembling normal after the terror of knowing Ollie had slipped out of the cabin and over to Elena’s without anyone seeing her do it. Piper might never get hers back to a safe number.

Thank God Elena had texted. He and Ollie had had a very intense chat on the way back to their cabin, and Ollie had promised not to sneak away again. He wasn’t sure he fully believed her, just prayed she understood the risks he’d graphically laid out for her.

And what was Elena doing, heading across the ranch toward the northwest pasture? The horses were all in the barn or the south pasture at this time of day.

“Where are you going?” he muttered.

Piper looked up from her phone. “What?”

“Nothing.” He walked to the door. “You okay here?”

“Yes. I’m taking Ollie down to the gym for some basketball.” She held up a hand before he could ask if that was a good idea. “At the indoor arena. This kid can’t sit inside all the time. I have a teenage daughter only slightly older than her, and trust me, it’s not going to go well unless she gets outside some.”

“What about her school?”