Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You’ll see. This town is full of people who actually care about one another. We’re not looking to cause trouble for others who’ve had a rough few years.”
“I know. Don’t forget, I lived my first eighteen years in the place. I loved my childhood. I screwed up one time when I was a teenager, and unfortunately, at that point, I didn’t think the town protected its people as much.”
“Yes, we did!”
“No, I think everyone was happy that I left.” He looked down at his hands. “Especially your brother.”
“Don’t bring Pete into this,” she said.
“But it’s true.”
“No, it’s not. How do you know that? I think you’re wrong. Your family definitely didn’t want you to disappear out of their lives.”
“It was just easier. I knew I was a constant reminder of what had happened. My family had been pretty perfect until I screwed up.”
“Andrew Montgomery, my sister loved you, and I know you felt strongly for her as well. I also know Jessica has forgiven you. I’m sure she’s looking down from Heaven right now and laughing at you acting so crazy.” Isabelle bit down on her bottom lip as a smile slowly appeared on her face. “You’re an amazing man, and I’m so glad you came home. I love that you loved my sister and took care of her. I love that you had so much grief when she died that you had to run away, but when your family really needed you, you came back. I love everything about you. I need you to love me in return.”
Andrew took a long, deep breath. He wanted to love her the same way, but was it possible? Isabelle didn’t deserve to deal with his uncertainties…and his ghosts. She was an incredible woman, but he didn’t know if he felt the same way as she did.
“Isabelle, I want nothing more than to be near you.”
“Stop.” Isabelle held up her hand.
“What?” Andrew responded, taken aback by her abruptness. “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
Isabelle cupped his chin. “Sometimes you say too much.”
“I know, but I’m just trying to be honest.”
“And I appreciate that about you. Now, instead of us talking more about our feelings, let’s go home. We probably need to help take care of some things.”
Andrew knew she was right. They had managed to escape their responsibilities for a couple of hours, but it was time to go back and face reality.
Chapter Thirty-Five
He found his parents at Miles’s house. They were all sitting outside on the porch, having what appeared to be a deep conversation. His mother looked over at him as he walked up.
“Hi, honey. Did you and Isabelle have a good time at the lake house? Did everything look okay out there?”
“Yes. It was nice. You guys have really made it a wonderful place to visit. I almost wish we could have stayed several more days.”
She smiled. “Good. I’m glad. It’s relaxing out there, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. It was peaceful. I probably wouldn’t have come back so soon, except Isabelle needed to get home.”
“She’s busy. That’s what happens when you’re a doctor in a town that is quickly growing.”
“Yep. What are you guys talking about?” Andrew looked around at the rest of his family. The conversation had completely stopped when he’d walked up the stairs and onto the porch.
“Your dad was just going over plans for what’s going to happen with our property. Bulldozers were back there today, clearing the last of the debris.”
“Yes.” Andrew’s father sat back in his chair. He was wearing a white straw cowboy hat that looked like it had seen better days. The turned up edges were slightly brown. Andrew thought that his father really hadn’t changed much. He’d had a similar, if not the same, hat back then. He’d also used to swoop in and take care of things for his family. He’d lectured and pushed his boys, but he’d also always made sure things ran smoothly. That was just how Wayne Montgomery worked.
“Did the fire marshal have adequate time to investigate? It seems like you probably should have given him a little longer to see if he could find any clues about how and who might have tried to kill us.”
“He didn’t find anything else. Trust me. I spoke to him before my crews were allowed down the driveway. We know it was intentionally set, but that’s about it. Whoever did it knew what he was doing.”
“Are you guys going to rebuild?” Andrew asked. He hoped his father would say yes.
“Yes.” His father looked off into the distance, and Andrew wondered if that was a good sign for his parents.
“We’re going to live in the small apartment above my shop while we finish the construction,” his mom chimed in, almost sounding happy. “Thankfully, we remodeled the four apartments upstairs a few years ago and one of the tenants moved out not too long ago. It will give us some time to reconnect.”
Andrew raised his eyebrows. “I’m glad to hear you’ll be reconnecting. Whatever that means.”
“What about you, Andrew? Have you decided what you’re going to do?” his father asked. Andrew knew it was probably killing his father that he didn’t have everything perfectly mapped out like he’d always done.
Andrew paused, before finally saying, “I’m going to stay in Sable Falls. I’ve decided I want to be here. This is my home, and you guys obviously need me.”
“Dude, you’ve definitely made things exciting since your return,” Miles said from the other side of the porch. “Welcome home.”
“I know, but I also intend to figure out how my return has caused so much activity in this town. I haven’t talked to or seen anyone in fifteen years. There’s no reason my return should cause someone to attack our family.”
“That’s an interesting way to put things,” Miles responded. “Attack.”
“I’m not sure how else to explain everything. It’s definitely been busy around here. I do have questions for all of you, but those can wait until the morning.” Andrew settled in one of the wooden chairs near Miles. “Right now, I just want to enjoy sitting out here, looking at the view, and knowing my family is safe…and together.”
“Here, here.” Miles held up his beer bottle.
“Agreed,” his mother said. “We’re going to get through this in Montgomery style.”
“We may have to kick some ass along the way,” Andrew’s father bellowed. “But I’ve always enjoyed kicking ass.”
It was obvious Wayne had already had a few drinks. He looked relaxed, but Andrew had never heard him really raise his voice before. The thought brought a smile to Andrew’s lips. His father deserved to be happy, and so did the rest of his family. It was one of the reasons he knew it was time to come home.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The days turned into weeks. Summer was slowly winding down. Thankfully, Isabelle had finally taken off his boot and cleared him to do physical activity.
He had been working for his father’s construction team for the past three months. It kept his mind and body busy. Andrew hadn’t expected to be so happy, but while his days were filled with lifting lumber and building new structures around town, including his parents’ own house, his nights included Isabelle. She made everything worth it. Pete had also finally started to relax and no longer followed Andrew around town with a scowl on his face. Things seemed to calm down.
He was driving over to another site, to check on some of the workers, when his phone rang. He pressed the button on his steering wheel. “Hello.”
“Pick me up in five minutes,” Miles’s familiar voice said on the other end.
“How about twenty minutes? I need to check on one more site.”
“Fine.”
“Where are we going?”
“Lunch.
“Works for me. You at the office?”
“Yeah.”
Andrew checked his rearview mirror and then turned down a side street to check out the construction of a new dental office. He pulled up and met with the crew on site. The entire meet
ing and inspection went quickly. He then headed over to the main office.
When he got there, Miles was waiting outside. He was wearing a starched white button-up shirt. Andrew only had a t-shirt and a pair of worn jeans and boots.
“What’s going on?” Andrew asked.
“Nothing.” Miles climbed into the passenger seat, but Andrew could tell something wasn’t right with his twin brother. He didn’t seem relaxed.
“What are you not telling me, brother?” Andrew prodded.
Miles didn’t respond for several seconds. “I think I may need to talk with Warren.”
“About what?”
“I had an outside auditor go through our books. Something isn’t making sense, and it’s only where we have partnerships with Warren. A part of me thinks he may be doing something illegal.”
“I’m sure he’ll have an explanation,” Andrew said as he adjusted the air conditioner vent so that the cool air would blow directly at his torso. Over the past few months, he had come to realize Warren was involved in a number of businesses with Montgomery Industries. He was a connector and seemed to know people all over the state. However, despite his connection to the business, he was first, and most importantly, one of Andrew’s closest childhood friends.
“I hope so,” Miles said.
“Warren wouldn’t be stupid enough to bite the hand that feeds him.”
Miles looked over at Andrew. “Seriously? Warren has been an idiot on a number of occasions. He’s getting sloppy, and I’m almost certain he’s been popping pills and washing them down with alcohol for at least the past five years.”
Andrew thought back to his brother’s wedding reception. He had seen Warren swallow down some pills. At the time, he had thought they were something for a medical condition, not an addiction.
“Do you think it has something to do with Cassie?”
“Yes and no. I think Warren has just as many demons as your old flame. Those two are toxic together. They can’t stand one another. Cassie only stays with him because he pays for the roof over her head and a new pair of designer shoes every few weeks as well as an endless supply of alcohol.”
Andrew should have been surprised by Miles’s assessment of Warren and his wife, but he wasn’t. “Cassie has always been a little crazy.”
“Yeah, I know,” Miles said. “That’s why I never dated her, but you did.”
“It was during my stupid teen years.”
“Stupid and proud. Don’t try to act like you didn’t like dating the head cheerleader,” Miles quipped. “I’m not that dumb.”
“She drank a lot back then and I know she probably drinks a lot now.”
“She can out-do me any night on drinks. In fact, I’ve never seen her without a cocktail in hand. Anne always gets annoyed when we meet Warren and Cassie out at night.”
Andrew pulled into the parking lot. The Montgomery brothers tried to have lunch several times a week. The majority were at George’s.
“Who did you have lunch with before I came home?”
“People. It always changed. I get offers all the time.”
“Yet you choose to eat with me?”
“Yeah. You get me. Besides, it’s your turn to pay today.”
“You make more money than me,” Andrew said.
“Too bad. It’s your turn, big brother, so pony up.”
“When are you going to talk with Warren?” Andrew slid into the booth opposite Miles. The restaurant was noisy with the lunch crowd.
“I think I should probably talk with Dad first. I want to get his thoughts on our friend.”
“Smart idea.” Andrew nodded, and grabbed the menu off the table. He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to pick it up; he already knew what he wanted to order. It was the same thing he ordered every time they came here for lunch: a cheeseburger with fries and a side salad. The last part was only because Isabelle kept checking on him, asking repeatedly if he’d had any vegetables.
“What are you doing later this afternoon? Maybe we can schedule a dinner meeting with Dad.”
“Why do I need to be there?” Andrew asked, confused. It seemed odd Miles would want to include him in a management conversation. “I’m just a lowly construction hand.”
“A lowly construction hand now, but Dad and I have already talked, and we have plans for you to move up in the company.”
“Sorry, but I have something I need to do tonight,” Andrew said, trying to get out of having to be in any sort of tough conversation with Warren. He just didn’t want to put his one true friend in an awkward position.
“Andrew, I need you to talk to Dad with me. We’ve got to figure out what’s going on. Too much shit has happened recently.”
“I know, but I really have something I need to finish tonight. Sorry, I need to focus on a project I’m working on right now.” Andrew could tell his brother had no intention of giving up. He had that determined Montgomery look on his face.
“Fine. I’ll talk with Dad and see if we can’t schedule something in the next few days.”
“Okay.” Andrew took a drink of his iced tea, thinking about what Miles had told him. A part of him definitely did not want to be part of a partnership meeting, but he also just wanted a night off. Isabelle was working late, and he knew it would be one of the few times when he would have time to himself to get some things done.
“Have you talked to Warren lately?” Miles asked.
Andrew shrugged. “I saw him last week and we talked for a few minutes, but really, we didn’t say much.” He wondered exactly what Miles thought Warren had done. It wasn’t like his brother to jump to conclusions. He must have some sort of concrete information that pointed to Warren.
“Sorry. I’m just frustrated. Warren has been our best friend for years. He must have an answer. Maybe I should just go and talk to him myself.”
“What exactly did you find?” Andrew finally decided to ask the question.
“The numbers don’t add up. He’s been skimming off the books. A lot of money is missing and when I talk with the guys they all have different stories that don’t seem to make sense. I not only think he’s stealing, but possibly also using our company as a cover for something.”
“How is that possible? I thought he was only a business partner on certain projects,” Andrew said.
“Yeah, but you know Warren. He always knows everything, and everyone in this country seems to love him. It’s honestly amazing how good he is at making connections and closing deals. It’s uncanny.”
“Are you sure he could have done something like this?”
Miles nodded. “I’ve had doubts about his loyalty to the company for the past few months. It started before you came back into town. Warren was suddenly buying some pretty big properties. I did the math and couldn’t seem to make the numbers work. I’m the second in charge at Montgomery Industries, and I don’t have the sort of investment portfolio Warren has managed to acquire. How is that possible?”
“Fine. I’ll go with you to meet Warren, but can we please have this talk tomorrow or sometime next week? Not tonight.”
Andrew met Miles’s gaze. The two brothers sat in silence, but the older Montgomery sibling was suddenly worried that his friend had gotten in over his head at some point. Warren had always been a quick talker, but Andrew also knew he liked to take risks.
“Do you think Dad and Mom will make it?” Andrew asked after a pause.
“I’m not sure. Dad mentioned they had come to the end of their rope recently. I don’t quite understand what that means. How do two people who have been together for such a long time suddenly fall out of love?”
“Do you think he’s having an affair?” Andrew asked.
“I don’t think he’s having an affair right now, but I’m pretty certain he had one a few years ago, and he can’t seem to deal with the guilt.”
“Really? You think Dad slept with another woman?”
“I don’t think so, brother. I know. One night he had a few too many drinks and
he admitted to me he’d been unfaithful. At first, I thought he was joking around, and then I realized he was serious. He had cheated on Mom. It took everything for me to walk away and not hit him. I was so mad. The funny part is, I don’t think he remembers telling me his long kept secret. He hasn’t uttered a word about it since then.”
“I need to show you something in my truck.”
“What?” Miles asked.
“It’s something I found after the fire. I didn’t know what to make of it, and then I got busy and forgot I had it.”
The waitress brought out their orders. Andrew managed to finish his in record time, and Miles wasn’t far behind. They both inhaled their food in silence. Then Andrew grabbed the check and threw down some cash on the table.
“It’s always good to have the Montgomery boys eat here.” She waved the bills as they walked away.
“You know, I don’t recall that waitress being so friendly before your return. Isabelle had better watch out. I think she’s definitely wanting to sink her claws into my twin brother.” Miles rolled a toothpick in his mouth as they walked out of the restaurant.
As the engine roared to life, Andrew opened the center console and pulled out the old ceramic mug with the name “Lucy” etched into the bottom.
“What’s that?”
“I found it at the house. After the fire.”
“Okay. Whose coffee mug is it?” Miles asked.
“I don’t know,” Andrew said.
“Did you make it?” Miles reached for the object.
“No. I didn’t make it, and neither did you.”
“All right. What are you trying to say?”
“Turn it over.”
Miles lifted it up. “Lucy? Who’s Lucy?”
“I’ve met a girl in town named Lucy, but I’m not sure if she’s the same one whose name is on the bottom of this craft project.”
“Are you talking about that teenage girl with long, curly brown hair? The weird girl?”
Stay Forever Page 20