“Oh, sweetheart,” Aeli murmured. “Don’t let her do this to you.”
He drew a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m trying not to, but old habits die hard. It’s been easy to get over her so far away and with you to show me how good life can be, but I never expected I’d ever have to deal with her here. Once I get over the shock, I’ll be all right. Besides, I may be completely wrong.”
“All evidence to the contrary.”
“I can hope, can’t I?”
“Of course. But like I told Unk, Aaron Hammond will be there and he’s a sheriff’s deputy, so he can keep a lid on things.”
“I hope you’re right, but in my experience, Sara doesn’t play by the same rules as everyone else.”
Aelissm scowled playfully at him. “Would you quit being such a pessimist? That’s my job.”
This time the smile lit his entire face and he leaned down to kiss her.
“That’s much better. Are you going to be okay now?”
“As long as I have you, I’ll be just fine.”
* * *
By the time five o’clock rolled around, Aelissm was a borderline nervous wreck. She, Pat, June, Luke and the three Hammond brothers had just finished setting up the tables and getting things organized. They were running a little late and there were already a lot of people gathered, patiently holding their dishes and waiting for a place to set them down. Aelissm tried to keep a smile plastered to her face, but inside, she trembled with dread and anxiety. Any time now, Amber would show up with Adam on her heels and, most likely, Sara Montgomery following two steps behind. If anyone noticed how badly her hands shook, no one said anything.
Pat wasn’t faring much better. The unreserved, carefree attitude that was usually in place whenever he was around their valley neighbors was absent, but again, if anyone noticed anything amiss, they kept their observations to themselves. Old Matt Carlyle and his wife Livia arrived and the first thing he did was clap Pat on the back and tell him how nice it was to see him. Not two minutes later, John Hammond and his wife Tracy expressed the same sentiments. Aeli momentarily pushed her own concerns aside to watch Pat. It broke her heart to see the forced enthusiasm on his face.
Slowly, the room filled with her friends and family. They were all oblivious to what might soon transpire. Aelissm located Aaron and pulled him aside.
“What’s up?” he asked, distracted.
Aelissm traced his gaze to Jim and Jessie Robinson’s daughter, Erica. She lifted an eyebrow. “You ask her out, yet?”
“What?”
“Erica. Have you asked her out yet?”
“Nah.”
“Since it looks like you’ve finally figured out you like her, you should,” Aelissm advised, noting the dopey smile. “But first, Pat and I need to talk to you. Adam Winters should be here soon. I invited him to the potluck.”
Aaron finally turned his attention to her. “That’s brave. Are you still sure you don’t want me to arrest him?”
“I am,” Aelissm replied. “Although… if he’s brought Sara along with him, I might change my mind.”
“Sara?”
“My ex. I’m not positive she’s coming, but if so….” Pat unbuttoned the top two buttons of the flannel he wore and showed Aaron the scar Sara had given him. “She’s not a pleasant person to deal with.”
Aaron let out a low whistle. “When’d she do that?”
“When I told her I was leaving.”
“Meaning… if she shows up, it might get ugly. In which case, we should probably warn everyone so they’re not surprised if something should happen. I don’t want anyone doing something stupid.” Aaron pulled out a chair and climbed up on to it. “Before we get this party started, may I have everyone’s attention?” he called over the noisy chatter.
Abruptly, silence descended and everyone turned with curious gazes toward the elder Hammond twin. He smiled and thanked them.
“You’ve all been told about Adam Winters, the man who’s been stalking Aeli. Well, she’s invited him to the potluck to try and get everything straightened out and taken care of. I commend her for that. Takes some guts, Aeli, I gotta say.” He paused to make sure everyone was following. “Anyhow, Mr. Winters may be bringing some company with him. From what I’ve heard of this particular, uh, woman, she’s… well, there’s no nice way to put it. I just wanted to let you all know in case something happens. I really hope nothing will, but if so, Pat and I will handle everything.”
The last he said with an authority Aeli had never associated with him before.
“If you want to ask questions, fine, but do it later. After everything is over. Pat and Aeli want to take it easy until then. And what better way to do that than spend time with all us fine folks of Northstar?”
There was a rumble of amusement and vows of compliance. Aaron turned back to Pat and Aeli and grinned. “I love this valley.”
“So do we,” Pat agreed.
Aelissm only nodded and went about serving drinks from the bar. Remarkably, she felt much better about the situation. Echoing Aaron’s declaration, she indulged in a moment of love and adoration for her neighbors. Like she’d told Uncle Bill, they loved her and would protect her if the need arose. She genuinely hoped it wouldn’t.
Five-fifteen came and went and there was no sign of Adam, Amber or Sara. She began to wonder if he’d decided not to come after all. She quelled the hope with a thought. Unlike everyone else here, Adam was driving up from Devyn.
Another half-hour passed and they still hadn’t arrived. Aelissm began to relax a little and she started to enjoy the potluck. The strain was gone from Pat’s body, too. She turned up the music and the people who had finished eating got up to dance. Aeli was surprised when Pat took her hand and led her into the center of it. Memories of that first potluck frolicked playfully through her head as they danced. So many wonderful things had happened to her since then and she gazed lovingly up at the man who’d stolen her heart. Warmth shone brightly in his eyes again and melted away her lingering worries.
“Hello again, Aelissm.”
Her heart skittered sickeningly in her chest at the sound of his voice and she nearly collapsed against Pat. Only Pat’s quick reaction kept her on her feet. But it wasn’t fear that snapped through her. It was anger. She pivoted around to face the man who’d shadowed her every move for so long with a scowl of disdain on her face. Facing him sent a surge of old emotions through her, making it difficult to stay the course she’d chosen. It would be so easy to signal Aaron and have Adam arrested…. Instead, she studied Adam for a moment before she spoke. Miraculously, that brief pause allowed her to think clearly enough to see that Pat was right. Something had changed. The madness was gone from his eyes and though he was clearly nervous, it wasn’t the same half-mad glaze she’d become familiar with. She noted how he glanced over his shoulder, looking for someone.
“You’re late,” she said as the music abruptly ended.
He winced at the tone of her voice, which surprised her.
“Where is she, Adam?”
“Who, Amber?”
“No. Sara.”
She was stunned again when the color left his face, leaving him sickly pale beneath his tan. “Don’t pretend innocence, Adam.”
“I—”
“Who’s Adam?”
They looked up to see Amber walking through the double glass doors with eyes widen in confusion. Aelissm felt her face shift into a feral smirk as Adam’s expression shifted into a look of utter horror, but she felt a pang of sympathy for him. It was clear that he was in love with the girl and his dirty laundry was about to be revealed to her before a room full of people who’d been prepped to hate him.
“Seems that you have some explaining to do, Brandon,” she said. “Perhaps you’d like to tell Amber why you’re here.”
He pleaded silently with his eyes that she not do this. The part of her that remembered the terror he’d put her through took sadistic pleasure in his pain. The rest of her, which had healed f
rom that trauma screamed at her to be fair. She wasn’t a vindictive tyrant, after all, and she didn’t need to start being one now.
“You two know each other?” Amber asked. Her voice quivered with the battle of emotions clearly inscribed on her face. She was smart. She sensed something out of place, but she was hoping one or both of them would tell her there was nothing odd going on.
“We met through a mutual acquaintance back in Seattle a few years ago,” Aelissm told her, never taking her eyes off Adam. “My fiancé was his best friend. Isn’t that right, Adam?”
“Please, Aeli….”
“Why do you keep calling him Adam?”
“Because that’s his name. Adam Winters.”
“Please, Aelissm. I didn’t come here to—”
“To what, Adam?”
“I…. I need to talk to you. About what happened.”
They could talk, all right. She could spell out his nasty little deeds right then and there in front of everyone, but her conscience wouldn’t let her. His demeanor was not that of the man she’d run from, but that of the man she’d known before Bryce’s death. Her friend.
“Can I talk to you alone?”
“Over my dead body,” Pat answered. He stepped forward menacingly.
Adam’s eyes narrowed in resentment.
Aelissm turned and put a restraining hand on her lover’s chest. She met his eyes, asking him to trust her. Turning her attention back to Adam, she said, “Not entirely alone. Whatever you have to say, you’ll have to say it in front of Pat.”
“I’m not going to do anything but talk, Aeli.”
“Forgive me if I don’t entirely trust you.”
“Brandon… what are you talking about? What’s she talking about? Miss Davis?”
Aelissm genuinely regretted Amber’s innocent involvement in this mess. The girl was a sweetheart and she didn’t need to be dragged through the mud along with them.
“Amber, I need to talk to her first. Then, I promise, I’ll explain everything. Everything’s going to be fine. You remember that problem I told you about?”
“Yeah, the one you came to Devyn to fix, right?”
Adam nodded. When he talked to Amber, his attention was focused entirely on her. Aelissm was suddenly glad she’d decided not to spill the beans in so public a place. If getting Adam out of her life depended on his happiness and that depended on Amber, it probably wasn’t a good idea for the girl to find out the truth about him so harshly.
“Right,” Adam was saying. “Aelissm is that problem.”
“What the hell?” Amber gasped, jerking back.
“He doesn’t mean it quite like he said,” Aeli remarked. “Let us talk first and then we’ll explain everything.”
The relief on Adam’s face reminded her forcefully of the man she’d once counted as a friend, making it easier to quell her darker emotions. She could see the same loveable Adam who’d been her only understanding companion in Bryce’s high society world. He wouldn’t hurt her anymore. Whatever had broken the night Bryce died had healed and the release she felt was incredible.
“Let’s step outside, shall we?” Aelissm said, motioning for Adam to join her. She took Pat’s hand and looked up at him. She spoke softly, so only he could hear. “I think everything is going to be okay. He’s the Adam I remember again.”
“Amazing what love will do to a man,” Pat said, his voice all gentle compassion. “It’s powerful enough to heal even the wounds we thought would never stop bleeding.”
She stood on her toes and kissed him. “Turn the music back on, June. I want everyone else to go back to having fun. We’ll be fine. And, Amber, get to mingling. June can introduce you around.”
There was a murmur of support from her neighbors and she was so glad she’d come home. She and Pat ducked outside to join Adam on the front deck. Over the past hour, the bright summer sun had been crowded out of the sky by a building thunderhead. Now, the valley was softened by the strange glow of reflected light and the air was heavy with impending rain. How fitting. She inhaled deeply and prepared herself to take a stroll down memory lane. The warmth of Pat’s arms around her gave her the strength to do it with a clear mind.
“You never looked at Bryce like you look at him,” Adam observed, inclining his head at Pat. He extended his hand. “I know we already know who each other are, but I want to start this right. I’m Adam Winters.”
Pat took his hand and shook it. “Patrick O’Neil.”
“I also want to thank you, Aeli, for keeping a cool head. I know I don’t deserve it, but I really love Amber. I don’t think I could stand to lose her and if she finds out what I’ve done, I will.”
“You’ll have to tell her someday,” Pat remarked. “That kind of secret will destroy you.”
“I know.”
“Your girlfriend and my neighbors are all waiting with baited breath for a conclusion,” Aelissm said. “So let’s start from the night Bryce died.”
Adam walked to the railing and braced his hands on it, staring out at the mountains for a few moments before beginning. “I didn’t realize what I was doing. It was like something broke in me when I saw him hurting you. He was still alive and conscious when I left him,” he asserted defensively as he turned back to Aelissm.
His clarity of thought was further evidence that he was himself again. There would be no more hissed threats, no more incongruent requests and no more broken claims of possession. Aelissm took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the last vestiges of apprehension and fear left her. She motioned for him to continue, not trusting her voice.
“The next afternoon, I went by to apologize and there were cops crawling all over his apartment. That’s when I found out he was dead. I didn’t find out how he died until the hearing. I don’t remember anything about the next couple of days. I still don’t remember that night I cornered you. But I know I did because that’s when you put the restraining order on me.” He paused to consider his next words. “I almost didn’t come because of it. I was afraid you were just trying to trick me into breaking it and that you’d have me arrested as soon as I got out of my car.”
“The thought crossed my mind. So, I suppose I’m a little surprised you’re here.”
“Then you understand how important it is for me to talk to you. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you. I never intended to hurt you, Aelissm. But I haven’t exactly been in full control of my mind since Bryce died. At least, not until I met Amber.”
“There was a long stretch in there when I didn’t hear from you at all. I did a little healing of my own during that time.” She glanced up at Pat. “And I began to move forward.”
“I’m glad, Aeli. I really am. I always loved you, or thought I did, and you were always so sweet to me. I think you were more my best friend than Bryce was. You were the only thing I had to hang on to. The only thing that kept me from completely losing my mind. After Bryce…” He paused. Tears welled in his eyes. “Oh, God, Bryce. I know what the autopsy said, but I killed him, Aeli. I thought I wanted your gratitude for protecting you from him that night, but that’s not right. I needed to hear you tell me I wasn’t a killer. That I’m not a bad man. I just couldn’t get there.”
“Oh, Adam….”
He collapsed into one of the whicker chairs, dropped his head into his hands and sobbed.
“Adam. Listen to me. And please believe that I’m not saying it because you want to hear it. I mean what I say. You are not a bad man and what happened was a tragic accident. You shouldn’t have let your anger control you that night, but Bryce could have died at any time.”
“But I nearly strangled him. What if I hadn’t stopped?”
“But you did. You didn’t murder him, Adam. And I am grateful that you came to my rescue. Because you did, I can still find joy in a man’s touch. Pat’s grateful, too, aren’t you, lover?”
Adam looked up, his face resembling a Picasso painting. There was regret, relief, embarrassment, and amusement all fighting for cont
rol of him. The sight was comical, but Aelissm refused to laugh. He was at too delicate a place to understand it. So was she, for that matter. The idea that her nightmare was finally coming to an end was too new for comprehension.
“I appreciate it, Aeli. And someday I may forgive myself for everything I’ve done. I think I can start that process now.” When a car pulled in the driveway, Adam jumped.
“It’s just one of my regulars from Devyn,” Aelissm said. She waved a hand in greeting. The man glanced at them and continued inside with little more than a nod.
“I thought it might be Sara.” Adam shuddered. “I guess that makes one more stupid mistake I need to apologize for. I never should have called her and told her about the two of you.”
“You told her about us?” Pat asked coldly.
Adam nodded. “I wasn’t thinking straight. This is none of her business. I was scared shitless the first time I talked to her. I killed her best friend’s brother, after all.”
“Adam….”
“So, why involve her?” Pat inquired.
“I thought I needed you out of the way. I see now that I didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting rid of you.” Adam’s smile was self-mocking. “I wonder how long it’s going to be before I stop making these stupid decisions. I tried to tell her not to come. I even lied and told her I’d been wrong about the two of you. I even told her Pat had gone back to Washington. She didn’t believe me.”
“So, we can expect her any time?”
Aeli pulled Pat’s arms more tightly around her. She was too focused on his state of mind to pay much attention to the sound of another car coming up the driveway. Both Adam and Pat, however, watched the vehicle intently.
“I’m sorry,” was Adam’s reply. His voice cracked.
Pat stiffened, then released her and walked to the top of the stairs. She couldn’t see what he was looking at, but then she noticed the other car that had pulled up. A car with Washington plates. The driver turned out to be a perfectly groomed, expensively dressed redhead with a petite, lithe body and the air of someone who knew their precise effect on everyone around them. Aeli didn’t have to think hard to figure out who the woman was, but when Pat spoke, she was chilled to the bone by the vicious hatred dripping from his voice.
Mountain Angel (Northstar Angels, Book One) Page 29