Stay Forever

by Darcy Schroeder

  Miles reached into his front pocket and pulled out his phone. Andrew could hear Warren’s nervous breathing as they waited. Seconds later he heard the sound of sirens off in the distance.

  “Just let me go and we can meet in the morning to resolve everything,” Warren pleaded. “Come on, man. We’ve been friends for a long time. We’re practically family, and I would never do anything bad to my loved ones.”

  “No. Shut up.”

  “Fine. Then I’ll make sure everyone knows that you attacked me. You’re going down, Andrew.”

  “Okay.”

  Warren tried to jerk out of Andrew’s tight grasp. “Miles, tell your brother he’s a crazy asshole.”

  “Shut up, Warren,” Miles responded.

  Seconds later, flashing red and blue lights raced down the gravel driveway.

  A bright search light illuminated the front of the house. Miles and Anne got up from the couch and hesitantly headed outside.

  Andrew lowered the knife and pushed Warren forward. “Walk, asshole.”

  “No. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Warren turned and hit Andrew in the face. As Andrew was trying to get his bearings, Warren reached for the gun that was lying near the edge of the couch. Warren managed to grab the grip, and then rolled onto his back and pointed the weapon at Andrew.

  “Things were good until you came back home. Why couldn’t you just stay away? None of us wanted you to return to Sable Falls.”

  Andrew’s eyes found the barrel just as he heard the sound of a gun going off and saw a flash of light. Andrew closed his eyes, waiting for death to overcome him. His ears ached from the loud bang, but nothing seemed to happen. He looked down at his body, wondering if he was in shock, but he didn’t see any blood.

  Andrew glanced at the doorway. Pete was standing there, gun drawn. Warren was lying on the ground, a visible red spot growing on his shoulder.

  It took Andrew several seconds to figure out what had happened. Pete had saved him.

  He stared at Warren, and then glanced over at Pete. “Nice shot.”

  Pete walked over to Warren and patted him down. He then spoke into his radio. “I need an ambulance ASAP.”

  Andrew studied Warren. “You’re a real piece of shit, Warren. Don’t worry. My attorneys will be calling yours for all the emotional distress you’ve put me through. Your life is over. Done. Asshole. Don’t ever mess with my family again.” Andrew walked outside into the warm night air. His brother and Anne were standing off in the distance, behind one of the deputy’s cars.

  “How did you know Warren was at my house?” Miles asked.

  “My fridge was empty and I was hungry. I was on my way to the store when I saw his truck. I decided to check things out, since you’d said you weren’t going to talk with him until tomorrow.”

  “I hadn’t planned on talking with him. Anne and I were sitting on the back porch when he suddenly appeared. I’m assuming he got tipped off by someone at the office and knew his time was limited.”

  Andrew looked past Miles. He saw his parents coming down the driveway. “It looks like someone else heard Warren was over here tonight.”

  Miles turned around. “That man seems to know everything that goes on in this town.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Their mother ran over to them. “What happened? Are you both all right?” She threw her arms around their necks and pulled them close. “I can’t lose you boys. You are my everything,” she whispered. Her words hit Andrew hard. For so long, he’d been selfish. He’d thought about himself, but not his family.

  “It’s okay, Mom. We’re fine,” Miles responded.

  The screeching wail of an ambulance siren pierced the night. They watched as it raced down the driveway and came to a stop near one of the deputy’s cars. The paramedics jumped out and then opened the rear doors. Isabelle was standing on the other side. She looked around at the scene. Her eyes locked onto Andrew’s.

  “It was a slow night, and then I heard Pete calling for an ambulance at Miles’s house on the scanners. I immediately ran across the street to the fire department and demanded they take me with them.”

  It felt good to have her in his arms. “We’re fine.”

  She pulled away slightly and looked up at his face. “What happened?”

  Anne put her hand on Isabelle’s shoulder. “He saved us. Warren walked up to our porch. We didn’t see the gun until it was too late. Somehow, Andrew knew to come over here.” Anne turned toward Andrew. “Thank you.”

  “Miles and I are identical twins. He must have been giving me some sort of silent signal that he needed my help. Trust me, ladies, it’s not the first time I’ve come to his rescue.” Andrew was trying everything he could to lighten the mood. It must have worked, because Anne and Isabelle both began to chuckle.

  Miles smiled, and patted Andrew on the shoulder. “Thank you, brother. It’s good to have you home. Although, I’m sure I could have jumped him just like you did.”

  “Then why hadn’t you already done so?”

  “I was waiting for the perfect moment.” Miles scratched the back of his head.

  “You’re full of shit. You had no clue what to do. Admit it.”

  Miles rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’m not sure what would have happened to us if you hadn’t driven over tonight. Thank you. I mean it. Thank you, brother.”

  The paramedics rolled a blue gurney out of the house. Warren’s face was covered with a mask. Pete was walking behind him. He glanced up and saw Isabelle. He nodded, and then climbed into the back of the ambulance.

  “We will be pressing charges,” Wayne Montgomery bellowed from behind his family. “I want to make sure he’s locked up for a while.”

  Andrew pulled Isabelle toward him. “I’m hungry. Anyone else want to go and get something to eat?”

  “Are you serious?” Anne asked. “We just had a traumatic moment, and now you want to eat?”

  Andrew paused. “I’m starving. That’s the reason I was driving past your house. I need to eat. Besides, Warren is going to the hospital and then to jail. The other deputies will take a few pictures, and then they’ll also be done. Let’s go.”

  “The only place open is George’s Bar,” his mother said.

  “Perfect. It’s become my home away from home.”

  Andrew and Isabelle climbed into the back of his parents’ vehicle.

  “We’ll be there in a few minutes,” Miles said. “I just want to lock up.”

  “Don’t worry, son. I’m getting us a few pitchers of beer. They’ll be waiting for you,” Wayne Montgomery said.

  George’s was almost empty when they arrived. Andrew looked down at his watch. The bar should still be open for another hour. That gave them plenty of time to eat.

  “Dad, I’m probably going to take tomorrow off.”

  “Why?”

  “Traumatic event.”

  “Fine. But your ass better be there on Thursday. I’m not paying you to sit around and do nothing.” Wayne Montgomery looked over at his eldest son. Their gazes locked for several seconds. “I guess we don’t have to worry about talking to Warren now.”

  “Guess not.” Andrew shrugged.

  His mom reached out and placed her hand on top of his. “I’m glad you were there. You saved our family…again.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  The waitress approached, and Andrew recognized her from past visits. “Hey, Jenny.”

  “Hello, Montgomery family. I understand you’ve all had a busy night.”

  Andrew was about to ask how she knew. Then he remembered that her boyfriend was a firefighter, who apparently told his girlfriend everything.

  “Yes, it’s been busy. That’s why we’re here.”

  “It’s good to see all of you together.”

  Chapter Forty

  Warren was released from the hospital after several hours and taken to the county jail. Pete had notified Isabelle of his transfer. Andrew wondered what would be in store for his childhood frie
nd.

  The following day, he overheard his father speaking with the Montgomery Industries attorneys, making it clear to his sons that he would not be backing down. Warren had crossed the line, and he would not be allowed to come near the Montgomery family again.

  “I’ve been dealing with Warren for too long. It’s time for him to learn there are consequences when you aren’t loyal,” Wayne Montgomery said.

  Andrew knew there wasn’t much he could add to the conversation. His father had made up his mind. Their talk was over. Andrew shook his head and turned to go back out to the construction site. He wondered just how much Warren had stolen from Montgomery Industries.

  As the sun slowly set, Andrew found himself sitting alone at the construction site. His crew had finished the framing for a house. He should close up and go home, but the sight of the sun’s dark orange rays dancing over the ridge was captivating. He found himself thinking about the curve in the road where the accident had happened, Jessica’s cross, Isabelle, the knife in his tire, the fire that had destroyed his family’s home, and finally, the cup with Lucy’s name engraved in a child’s handwriting. Andrew knew he should let it all go, but there was a part of him that needed answers.

  He pulled out his phone and scrolled down to his dad’s number. It rang once before he heard his father’s familiar voice on the other end of the line.

  “What do you need, son?”

  “Do you have a few minutes tonight for me to come by to talk?” Andrew asked, unsure how Wayne Montgomery would respond.

  “I can’t tonight, but let’s meet tomorrow for breakfast. Does that work for you?”

  “Yes, thank you. See you in the morning, Dad.” Andrew pressed the button to disconnect the call.

  Seconds later, his phone began vibrating in his front pocket. He pulled it out, but the screen showed that the caller couldn’t be identified. Andrew hesitated, but then pressed the button.

  “Hello. This is Andrew Montgomery.”

  “Andrew, I need to talk with you.”

  “Warren, is that you?”

  “Yes. I’m still in the county jail, but there’s something you need to know. I’m not the horrible person your family is making me out to be.”

  “Shut up. You’re a fool. I don’t want to hear your stupid excuses, Warren. You took advantage of my family, and now you’ll pay.”

  “Yeah,” Warren mumbled. “But they also took advantage of me. Who do you think cleaned up your father’s messes over the years? If you think I’m going to go quietly, you’re wrong.”

  Andrew didn’t want to hear anything more from Warren and disconnected the call. His former friend was obviously reaching at anything to save his butt from doing serious time behind bars. Andrew shoved the phone back into his pocket, and then went around to secure things before heading over to Isabelle’s for the night. He needed to see her.

  ***

  He found Isabelle standing in her kitchen, staring at her iPad, a perplexed look on her face. She was wearing a yellow sundress, with her hair pulled up in a ponytail. Everything about her seemed perfect. After several seconds, Andrew let out a whistle, causing Isabelle to jump.

  “How long have you been standing there?” she looked over at him with a slight laugh.

  “Just long enough for devilish thoughts to enter my mind about what I want to do to you later.” He leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

  “It’s good to see you, Mr. Montgomery. How was work?”

  “Interesting. What are you doing?” He motioned toward her iPad.

  She winked. “I was trying to figure out what I could make for dinner. I thought we could eat out on the patio, so my family has some entertainment tonight. My mom told me today that we’ve been a little boring lately.”

  “Oh, really? I like your mom more and more.” He lifted the thin fabric strap on her shoulder. “If you want, we can go sit out on the porch right now. I’m not that hungry.”

  “Well, I’m starving,” Isabelle responded. “So, you and Mom are just going to have to wait.”

  Andrew let out a deep sigh. “Fine. Go back to what you were doing, Dr. Rodriguez. I’ll go relax in your living room.” Andrew started to walk toward her fridge when Isabelle turned, hands on her hips, one eyebrow cocked.

  “Bullshit. You’re here now, so you can help me,” she said. “I don’t know what kind of woman you think I am, but I’m not going to stand here after a full day of work, cooking for you while you sit on the couch.”

  “Sorry. Let me help. You have to know that I would move mountains for you,” he said, growing serious as he pulled her close. He could smell the soft scent of her perfume as his lips caressed her neck. Everything about her was so inviting.

  She responded, and then placed her hand on his chest, pushing him away. “Fine. You don’t have to help me in the kitchen. I have a feeling nothing will get done if you’re in here.”

  Andrew popped the cap on his beer. “How about I just sit over here and we can talk. I know all you women love to talk.”

  “Keep it up and you may be heading home early tonight,” she responded as she returned her attention to her iPad.

  “We both know that’s not true.” Andrew took a swig of his beer.

  “Whatever. So, what happened today with your family?” Isabelle changed the subject on him.

  Andrew paused, and rolled the beer bottle in his hands. “Well, I got a call tonight from Warren.”

  Isabelle’s head snapped up. “What did he want?”

  “He said he needed to talk with me, and wanted to give me some information.”

  Isabelle shook her head vigorously. “Stay away from him, Andrew. He’s nothing but trouble. The entire town knows Warren has been up to no good for the past few years, but no one could touch him, due to his affiliation with Montgomery Industries.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. I wanted to tell you, but we both just got so busy. I’ve always liked Warren and Cassie, but something hasn’t seemed right for a long time. Warren always had lots of cash, but no one could figure out where he was getting it from. I even asked my brother about him, and he basically said the same thing.”

  Andrew thought back to the night in his parents’ garage when he’d found the safe. It had been full of cash, and then someone had walked in. He’d always known it hadn’t been his father, but as he thought back to the silhouette, he decided it could have been Warren. Why would Andrew’s father be giving him cash?

  Chapter Forty-One

  Andrew stayed up most of the night thinking about Warren and his family. He was dressed and had already had two cups of coffee by the time Isabelle’s alarm went off shortly before seven.

  She opened one eye and mumbled, “I can tell you didn’t sleep.”

  Andrew grabbed his bag. It was true. He hadn’t slept much. “Yeah. I had a lot on my mind last night. Sorry. I really tried to be quiet, but my mind was racing with so many things. For starters, I’m meeting my dad this morning for breakfast.”

  She took a deep breath as she propped her naked body on her arm, her bottom half still covered by the blanket. Her dark eyes studied him, as if she wanted to say more, but she didn’t. If it had been a different time, Andrew might have taken off his clothes and climbed back into bed next to her, but this morning he had too much on his mind.

  “I’m glad you’re going to talk with your dad.”

  “I’m a little nervous about the conversation,” he said. “I don’t know what he’s going to say.”

  “You’ll be fine. I’m hoping your dad might provide you with some answers about what Warren did and didn’t do to the company. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely think Warren has been up to something, but I’m also one of those crazy people who believes you’re innocent until proven guilty. We need to see the evidence, and your dad needs to start talking some more.”

  Andrew sat on the edge of the bed and softly stroked Isabelle’s hair. “I agree. That’s part of the problem.”

  “This breakfa
st meeting will be good for you.” She sighed as she lay back in bed, her hair spilling over her shoulders.

  “I hope so.” He leaned down and let his lips caress her soft cheek. She smelled good. He quickly pulled away before he lost control and decided to take advantage of his girlfriend before she’d had a chance to get dressed. “I need to go.”

  “Probably a good idea,” she responded, a smile on her face as she rolled on to her side and swatted him in the back. “But call me when you’re done meeting with your dad. I want to know what he says.”

  “Okay,” Andrew said. “Do you want me to make you a cup of coffee before I leave?”

  She bit down on her lower lip. “I’m a pretty lucky woman. You’re an amazing man, Andrew Montgomery. Go to your meeting. I’ll make my own cup of coffee and will be sitting on the porch, waiting for your call.”

  ***

  Andrew felt the nervous energy coursing through his veins as he pulled open the door to the diner, wondering if his father was already here, but knowing the answer. He had been restless all night, tossing and turning uncomfortably, trying not to wake Isabelle. He knew where his father would be at this moment. Wayne Montgomery was always early for meetings. Of course, Andrew found his father sitting in one of the back booths.

  “Hey, Dad. How long have you been here?” Andrew slid into the seat opposite.

  “Just a few minutes.” His father held up his coffee mug, as if to show he’d only had a few sips.

  Andrew nodded. He was sure his father was just being respectful and had probably already had at least two refills. “I’m glad we’re getting to have breakfast together. I have several things I want to discuss.”

  “Me too, son,” Wayne Montgomery responded, his voice suddenly going lower.