by Rachel Cade
Her sleuthing had paid off, but she didn’t know what to do with the information.
Confronting Mitch would have been stupid. She couldn’t go to the police because they were in on it. And if she told Noa, she had no idea how that would play out. She didn’t know how Death Skulls dealt with things. Well, she knew what was likely, but she didn’t want any violence spilling over into the town.
Now that she knew about the stash, was there a need to play nice with Will anymore?
She hovered over the diner counter, immersed in thought.
She had a chance at a life with Noa. It had been something she wanted but had been so afraid to voice it.
But now that they knew how one another felt, they had a chance to be together.
And she wanted it more than anything.
But Will, he was the massive wall in their path.
The ache she felt over just wanting him gone so she could be with her baby and her husband rattled her to her core.
So much had happened. They just needed to make it through.
After her shift, Lyndie went home to change and went back into town to the former bingo hall. It was the last day to prepare for Langley’s big get-together.
“Lyndie, hey.” Ashley’s voice came up behind her. “So glad you could make it.”
Lyndie didn’t respond as she looked around.
“I know I wasn’t too receptive at first, but you’ve been quite the helper.”
Lyndie still didn’t add anything to the conversation.
“I’m happy to be the first to tell you that my father’s celebration has added an event.” Her smile stretched from here to Vegas. “And since you were so eager to be involved in the day, you can help me finish planning the wedding.”
“Wedding?” Lyndie’s brows rose.
“I’m about to become Mrs. Will Durand and you’re invited. And please bring Max. I wish he wasn’t so small. He could have been our ring bearer.”
Mary Lee was over Ashley’s shoulder, a few feet away. Likely with her hearing aid turned up to hear every word.
“My dress is going to be here this evening.”
Lyndie took a step back. Her face was neutral as her tone. “Actually, I need to go.”
Ashley’s eyes sparkled with concern. “Why?”
Mary walked up. “Lyndie, you should stay. You can get some pointers in case you have a wedding too one day.”
Mary really just wanted some live entertainment.
Ashley’s snort was smothered by a dainty smile.
“No.” Lyndie wasn’t going to be anyone’s entertainment. “I really need to get home to my baby.”
As she was about to get into her car, Ashley caught up to her.
“Listen, I know you feel like shit right now, so I just wanted to say my daddy talked with me about letting you lease that theater, but trust I will shut it down. You’re never getting that place. You’re never going to have anything, Lyndie.” Ashley’s eyes were sharp on her. Then on a bounce, she turned and returned to the building.
Lyndie stood there for a moment.
She was surprised by the wedding news, but she wasn’t upset.
Even with that, she wasn’t about to spend the rest of her afternoon in there while Ashley played the smug princess.
The truth was her and Will were a match made in hell and they deserved each other.
Of course she would make sure her father didn’t allow her to lease the theater. She’d already sold it to Mitch’s fake holding company.
Was she just too small a player in this game? A waitress with a little dream that everyone in this town was content to stomp out?
Lyndie’s brows lowered.
No.
That wasn’t the way to think anymore.
Ashley would be preoccupied for the rest of the day, which was good.
*
“Good afternoon.”
Lyndie smiled as she looked down at Noa on the video chat.
“Good afternoon. I wanted to check with you about your invite. How are we going to do this?” she asked.
“Uhhh, we’re going to hold off on it. We got a wedding invite. Did you hear about it?”
Lyndie put on her seatbelt with her free hand. “Not too long ago.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah… I’m okay.”
“We had a meeting with Langley about the town, with Will and your boss Mitch.”
“Really.”
“Yeah. Basically it was for all of us to meet face to face, voice any grievances, and promise to be nice.”
Lyndie held a hand to her cheek. “Do you think that’s going to work?”
“Maybe with Mitch, but Durand… no. He’s got a bug up his ass for us and he doesn’t even know about me and you.”
Lyndie closed her eyes briefly as she listened to him. “Noa… I just wish this wasn’t so complicated.”
“Don’t worry about things, okay? We’re already a family, okay, Babygirl? And we’re gonna stay one, you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“I need it a little louder.”
Lyndie managed to grin. “Yes, husband.”
“Is that your wife?” A heavy Latin voice sounded somewhere on Noa’s end.
“I have to go,” he said quickly. “I’ll call you back.”
She heard the voice again as Noa cut off the call.
Lyndie had to admit she was a little puzzled on who the voice belonged to.
After the call, she sat in her car for a second as the town’s pampered princess prepared to marry her son’s father a few feet away.
“Gram,” she began in a soft prayer, “I need you to watch out for us down here. Please keep me and my loved ones safe.”
She was a waitress. Of that, Ashley was correct.
Maybe Mr. Langley would like some more fresh doughnuts and coffee.
Lyndie pulled away from the curb in her Mustang to find out.
Chapter Seventeen:
To Have And To Hold
Noa would have loved front row seats for this shit.
But he was near the back with his guys.
A lot of the crowd was still wandering around and only a few people were occupying the seats.
They’d set up outside with a stage built and everything.
Noa was looking for Lyndie, but hadn’t spotted her yet.
The fact that she was going to be there surprised him.
He was amused by it all, but he understood if she wouldn’t want to expose herself to the spectacle.
Imagine having someone like Lyndie and a great kid like Max and abandoning them for a chick like Ashley.
Noa had to grin a little when he thought about the info Bleed had come back with.
Durand was an idiot.
Microphone feedback made him wince.
Langley was on the stage.
“Ladies and gentleman of Amber Falls, hello,” he said loudly into the microphone.
He was in a tux and his hair was as white as his collared shirt.
Applause came from the crowd as people began gathering around the stage and the chairs.
“Still kickin,” Langley laughed a little bit.
“As you all know, me and my son Scott were in a serious fire that damaged part of my home. Fortunately, due to some quick thinking by our new residents and the fire department, we both made it out safely. A little banged up, but safe.”
Langley looked over the crowd. “I wanted us to gather not just in celebration of that, but to remind us of who we are as a town. And that even though we’ve had some rough times, better days are ahead. What better way to express that than a wedding? I’m… proud today to be giving my daughter Ashley Elizabeth Langley away to Sheriff William Durand.”
A ground swell of applause went up.
Chaos reached over him with a slice of pizza.
“Courtesy of our happy customer, Mr. Baker.”
Noa felt at peace when the smell hit his nose, gladly accepting it.
“Yes. A
good man. And thanks for the delivery.”
“No prob, boss.”
“This town is strange,” Whisper said as he sat down next to him.
“You should feel right at home then,” Noa spoke around his food before smiling.
*
“You hear that clapping?” Ashley said as Peggy brushed her hair. “That’s for me.”
They were in her salon at one of the stations, just the two of them.
Peggy kept quiet and was trying to work as quickly as possible.
“Thanks for opening to do this, Peggy. When I realized how fast everything was moving, I knew you’d be the perfect person for the job.”
“I’ve got to concentrate on my work, dear,” Peggy said.
She worked as quickly as she possibly could so she could get this girl out of her shop.
“Not that today is just about me. It’s really going to be a new beginning for Amber Falls too. One day, me and Will are going to be in charge of all this. We’re going to bring the town back, Peg, even better than when the plant was here.”
Peggy wondered who she was campaigning to.
“I’m going to have someone come in and give your place a new paint job.” Ashley smiled. “How ‘bout that? A little tight on the bun there.”
“Is it?” Peggy questioned.
*
Will was in his tux at the station.
He was sitting at his desk and the building was pretty much silent since everyone was out enjoying the festivities.
And he was about to get married to the woman of his dreams. That’s how it was supposed to be on your wedding day. Yet he couldn’t get another woman off his mind.
Will knew he wasn’t obsessed with Lyndie.
He was obsessed with making things right.
And out of all the repercussions of his plans, he never considered this scenario.
That the need would arise to make such high sacrifices to bring order not just to the town, but to his own life.
They were intrinsically linked now.
Still, as he sat there for all the stoicism, he had to present today he felt a clammy feeling in his gut.
It was dread.
Was that the same as cold feet?
Everything was set now, though; there wasn’t any turning back. His rise to the place he needed to be just wasn’t going to come to fruition without bloodshed.
But he just had to suck it up and be a grown man about all this shit.
He knew that.
“Will you take Ashley Elizabeth Langley to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Ashley smiled up at him; her eyes were glassy as she was caught up in the moment.
Will thought about her manipulation, how she was a true Langley and living with her for years until wrinkles were on her face.
“I do,” he answered.
The reverend offered a few more words and Ashley stepped toward him.
They were supposed to kiss.
Will leaned down to press his mouth against hers and she wrapped her arms over his shoulders.
The crowd cheered as she crowded into him. Will had wrapped his arms around her waist.
They faced their audience with Ashley holding up his hand.
“I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Will Durand.”
Will smiled and laughed a little, scanning the people in the seats until his eyes fell on Lyndie.
She actually came. And she was in a dark purple strapped dress, holding his son, whose mouth was covered by a pacifier.
But Lyndie’s head was turned. As the crowd’s applause grew heavier when his father-in-law walked on stage, he followed Lyndie’s gaze to see she was staring at Noa Callas.
Callas was also staring back, and a slow smile spread over his face.
Lyndie smiled back, dimples and all.
It was like some kind of secret conversation was going on between them.
She adjusted Max in her lap and he seemed to get a little cranky, so she turned him to her, holding him up.
Will spotted the diamond on her finger.
He had to snatch his gaze away, feeling like he’d been punched in the gut.
*
Lyndie didn’t know why she’d come.
She really was the last person that belonged here and wasn’t planning on staying long. She was sick of the occasional look she’d spy from someone at the sight of her.
Yeah, it had been the talk of Amber Falls for the last year: Will leaving her for Ashley.
It was old news to her now.
But they just wanted to hold on…
“…speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Lyndie felt Peggy move next to her and quickly grabbed her wrist.
Peggy made a face, flattening her mouth.
Lyndie clamped down on the woman’s hand hard. She appreciated her, but Will’s wedding needed to go off without a hitch. Ashley Langley was who he deserved.
Lyndie spotted Noa in the crowd. He was sitting in the aisle across from her. Lyndie was sure he picked the wildest outfit he had to show up in and loved him a little more for it.
Someone had thought it was a good idea to sandwich Death Skulls between several old ladies, and the sight was too much.
Lyndie just wanted to be near him.
When she caught his eye, he smiled and with the many in the crowd beginning to stand for the nuptials she smiled back at him. And wrapped her arm around Max so that he hopefully noticed she was wearing his ring.
Once the couple was joined in unholy matrimony, Lyndie stood up with Max, ready to distance from the crowd.
She offered Peggy a half smile.
The woman grabbed her face just like she did when she was five.
Her eyes said everything her mouth couldn’t.
“It’s okay,” Lyndie said softly.
Lyndie walked up to a small gathering with Max on her hip.
“Hi, Mr. Baker.”
“Lyndie! Hey, how are you?”
“Fine.”
Mr. Baker waved at Max as the little boy stared at him. When Carl smiled, Max laughed.
He was pretty easy to please.
“Hi, stranger,” she said to Noa.
Noa had caught her walking up and never stopped staring at her.
“Hey,” he answered back.
“If you ever have any trouble with your car, these are the guys to go to.” Carl said. “Excellent work.”
Lyndie offered her hand to Noa. “Welcome to Amber Falls.”
Noa accepted it for the shake. “I feel welcome, thanks.”
“I’ll leave you men with you’re conversation.” Lyndie bounced Max a little before parting their company.
*
Noa couldn’t let his eyes linger too much on her with Carl around. This was the first time he’d been near her publicly outside of Vegas. They should have been walking around here with Max together, not caring what anyone thought about it.
When he touched her hand, it had been so hard not to pull her to him.
The small piece of paper she’d discreetly passed off to him as she welcomed him was held tightly in his palm.
After Mr. Baker left to go back to his shop, Noa opened it.
“Holy shit,” Chaos said. “You got a love note.”
“God damn.” Noa snapped the paper closed. “She found it.”
“Found what?”
“The cops’ stash. It’s in the movie theater.”
“Shit.” Bleed swallowed a small sip from his flask.
“We got to lift that shit.” Chaos stepped to face Noa so that they were all in a circle.
“Our best shot at scoping out the building would be to check it out now. Then we come back tonight.”
“Who’s going?” Whisper asked.
“Chaos can get inside quick. Bleed, you go with him and watch the door.”
*
“Just so we can keep the festivities high,” Langley’s voice rang out through the crowd again, “one of the staples of our downtown, the movie
theater, will be reopened soon. With a new owner, Miss Lyndie Hargood.”
Surprise and applause came from the crowd.
Lyndie looked up wide-eyed from the sidewalk.
She’d visited Langley at his home and they spoke a while over coffee and doughnuts, but she never expected him to announce anything.
The next thing she knew, she was bombarded by well-wishers, and the attention was a little jarring. Max didn’t seem to like it either and began sinking closer to her. Soon, he spit his pacifier out and began crying.
Lyndie quickly excused herself.
“Honey, it’s okay,” she said by his ear.
Her heart was beating pretty fast.
The fallout behind this when Langley found out about Ashley’s deal would be… interesting.
Lord, the timing, now that Noa knew about where the drugs were, she had to trust he’d know what to do. The clock was ticking.
But just then, she needed to take care of Max.
“You want to go home for a bit and relax, munch?” she asked.
Lyndie was thankful to be back at her little sanctuary.
The first thing she did was give Max quick bath to cool him off and then fed him. Not long after, he curled into a solid nap before she rested him in his crib.
Another good idea would be for her to try to take a quick shower herself.
Lyndie knew it was likely she wouldn’t own the theater, but she just wanted Ashley to get busted. Mitch, she supposed, would also be collateral damage for it.
As she dried herself from her shower, she understood somethings just couldn’t be planned for. So many things in town were so entwined, like heavy weeds in a garden.
Her foot scraped against the rug when she stepped into her bedroom.
Will was sitting on her bed.
Chapter Eighteen:
Til Death Do Us Part
“Will!” His name scratched her throat. “How did you get in here?”
He was still in his tux, with his elbows resting on his thighs as he sat forward. “I’m a cop,” he answered quietly.
Her jaw tightened at the sight of him, and she couldn’t describe the feeling running over her skin at finding him in her space.