Brenda Novak

by Home to Whiskey Creek

  “I’m getting along with my parents about as well as you’re getting along with yours,” he said with a rueful laugh.

  Baxter smiled at Callie, who sat down next to him, put her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Do you really believe Cody raped Adelaide, Noah?”

  There was a long pause. “I don’t want to, but...”

  “You do.”

  “Yes. You don’t?”

  “The boy I remember...I can’t see him doing that. He had Shania, the whole world at his feet.”

  “Maybe that was the problem. He thought he should be able to have everything.”

  “I could see that. Do you think your parents will ever believe her?”

  “I bet they already do. They just don’t want to face it. But I’m not going to let them treat her as if she’s lying.”

  “I’m getting the impression you really care about this woman.”

  “She’s different from the others,” he admitted. “Are you coming to coffee tomorrow?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’d really like to see you.”

  “I’m not sure I’m ready.”

  Callie lifted her head to frown at his response, but he arched his eyebrows as if to say it was the truth.

  “We’re your friends, Bax,” Noah was saying. “Your best friends. We don’t care if you’re gay. We only care that you’re all right.”

  “I appreciate that, but...it’s not going to be easy to get over you.” Baxter had intended that to come off as a flippant remark, a joke making light of The Kiss. He thought things might be more comfortable between them if they could laugh at the situation. But it was too close to the truth to be funny.

  “You’ll find the right person, Bax,” Noah said. “It isn’t me, but...I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”

  Baxter said nothing.

  “I mean that,” Noah insisted. “Will you be there tomorrow?”

  “I doubt Callie will let me stay home even if I want to.”

  “Damn right,” she said, and kissed him on the cheek.

  * * *

  Noah wanted Adelaide to accompany him when he went to coffee the next morning. She was hesitant, because she wasn’t sure how his friends felt toward her. They’d been close to Cody, too. Did they believe he was involved in a gang rape? Or did they believe what Kevin, Tom, Derek and Stephen kept telling everyone, with the support of Shania and the Rackhams? Because that was the thing about Whiskey Creek. They were all so connected, all so familiar with one another. It was difficult to find anyone who’d be unbiased.

  As she walked in with Noah, Adelaide was thinking that she would’ve been smarter to give it more time before showing up at Black Gold, but Kyle, Cheyenne, Dylan, Eve, Riley, Brandon, Olivia, Ted, Callie and a man she’d never met—obviously Callie’s husband, since she knew they’d been on their honeymoon—were already there. They all got up to greet her with a hug.

  “I’m sorry for what you’ve been through,” Eve murmured.

  “I wish we’d been closer, that I could’ve been there for you fifteen years ago,” Olivia told her. “I can’t even imagine how hard it’s been.”

  Dylan’s hug was a little tighter than the others. “You’re going to be okay,” he whispered in her ear. Then he shared what he’d found out about Stephen’s truck with the others, which got everyone mad that Chief Stacy wasn’t doing more to bring those responsible to justice.

  When Baxter walked in, the entire group seemed relieved to see him, but they also seemed slightly ill at ease. Addy sensed that they weren’t used to having problems within the group. Fortunately, because they knew this moment was significant for Noah, they stayed seated and allowed him to be the only one to meet Baxter as he crossed the floor.

  “Hey, I’m glad you came,” Noah said, and embraced him.

  Once Baxter joined them, everyone seemed so happy to put the rift of the past week behind them that Addy forgot her own problems for a while. Then Noah had to go to work. It wasn’t until he dropped her off at Gran’s that the hope and happiness she’d enjoyed at the coffee shop disappeared.

  And it started with the arrival of his mother.

  * * *

  When Noah returned to Milly’s a few hours later, he was surprised not to see Adelaide’s 4-Runner. It had sat in the drive all week because she hadn’t really gone anywhere, other than his place.

  “Where is she?” Noah asked Milly, who answered the door.

  She frowned as she shook her head. “I’m sorry, Noah. She packed up and left.”

  “Why?”

  “Because she thought it was the best thing—for you, for your family, for everyone here in Whiskey Creek.”

  “But...that’s not true.”

  “Isn’t it?” she asked sadly.

  He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t pleased with what his parents were doing, but he’d never been more convinced that Addy was telling the truth. “What about the restaurant? She—she’s been creating new menus and—”

  “That was when she thought her mother would be heading back to Salt Lake. Now Helen’s getting a divorce. She’ll be here, at least for a while. Addy seems to think it might be healthy for her mother to have some responsibility and...something to care about each day.”

  But would Helen be reliable? From what he could tell, she seemed to have calmed down a bit since her younger years, but...who could say what she’d do if she suddenly decided to reunite with her husband, since it seemed to go back and forth from one day to the next, or if she met someone else?

  “What caused this?” he demanded. “Everything was fine when I dropped her off.”

  Milly pursed her lips as if she wasn’t going to say. She didn’t soften until he put his hand over hers. “I’m in love with her, Milly. I think we’re meant to be together. You have to help me. What made her go?”

  “Your mother came by,” she admitted.

  “My mother? What’d she say?”

  “She said, ‘I only have two sons. You’ve already taken one from me. Can you really be hardhearted enough to take the other?’”

  With a sigh, Noah shoved a hand through his hair. “Oh, God.”

  “I don’t think Addy can live with the constant hate and anger she’d face here, Noah. That’s why I didn’t have the heart to try and stop her,” Milly said as she closed the door.

  * * *

  Addy wasn’t sure where she was going. She didn’t care as long as it was away from Whiskey Creek. Kevin, Tom, Derek and Stephen had achieved what they wanted, with a little help from their friends. She wished it could be otherwise. Noah meant everything to her. But his mother had made her see the truth—that even if Chief Stacy aggressively pursued the investigation and eventually put all four men behind bars, there’d be long-lasting resentment. She’d run into Kevin’s wife or parents at the grocery store or Just Like Mom’s. She’d see his kids around town. The same went for the others. There was no reason for her to make life so difficult for people who were as innocent as she claimed to be, Mrs. Rackham said. If Noah loved her, he’d make arrangements to see her wherever she lived.

  But Addy knew Mrs. Rackham didn’t believe that was the case. Noah had never had a long-lasting love interest. His home and business were in Whiskey Creek. So were all his friends. Mrs. Rackham thought if she could get Addy to leave, she’d be able to bring her family together again.

  And maybe she could. Addy hadn’t been with Noah long enough to expect him to make any great sacrifices. She’d begin looking for an apartment and a job. Only this time she’d head to Los Angeles or somewhere even farther. She needed a fresh start in a place where she wouldn’t have to be reminded of the past.

  Her phone rang. It was Noah. But she turned it off. She wasn’t in any kind of shape to talk to him right now.

  * * *

  When Noah arrived at his parents’, he found his mother’s car in the drive. She was home, apparently. Good. Because he had a few choice things to say to her—to both of his par
ents.

  They were eating dinner when he stormed into the house.

  “How dare you!” he burst out.

  His mother rocked back at the interruption, but she wiped her mouth, set her napkin aside and tried to explain herself. “Noah, you need to understand that I was only being honest with Addy. I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. It was all stuff she should consider.”

  “You were wrong to take matters into your own hands, to get involved. You’ve been wrong from the start. Cody was on coke on graduation night. Did you know that? He’d been doing drugs for months. I didn’t tell you. I couldn’t. I felt it was too big a betrayal. But, in a roundabout way, that makes me as guilty for what he did to Addy as he was, because the rape probably wouldn’t have happened if he’d been able to control himself. That doesn’t excuse his behavior, but it makes me damn sorry I didn’t speak up.”

  “Sorry enough to protect a woman who may or may not be telling the truth?”

  “Stop pretending you don’t believe it’s true,” he said. “Cody and his friends raped the woman I now love. That’s a terrible thing for us all to have to live with. But...I’ll tell you this—nothing would be more terrible for me than living without her.”

  His father bumped the table as he stood, nearly toppling the wine goblets. “Noah, let’s face it. Women come and go in your life. Addy’s only been home for a few weeks. Give this some time. Let the intensity of the emotions die down. And then see how you feel.”

  He whirled on his father. “Maybe I don’t have the most stellar track record when it comes to commitment, Dad. But how do you know this girl isn’t the one who can change all of that? I’ve never felt like I have since I got with her. Are you really willing to ruin my happiness in order to preserve an inaccurate image of my dead brother? To protect some men who feel so little remorse for what they did, and so little compassion for their victim, that they’re trying to make a pariah out of her? Wouldn’t you rather stand on the side of truth and justice?”

  He threw his napkin down. “I would if I knew what the truth is!”

  “You know what the truth is. You just don’t think telling it should require a sacrifice.”

  Noah was halfway to his truck when his father came after him. “Noah!”

  Because he refused to turn back, he was inside his car, starting the engine, when his father knocked on the window.

  “Will you give me a minute? I think you’re going to want to hear this.”

  Something about his father’s expression made Noah roll down his window. “What is it?”

  “You win,” he said.

  “What does that mean?”

  “I know who sent us that note fifteen years ago. Come over to my office. I want to show it to you.”

  * * *

  Of all the times for her 4-Runner to break down, Addy couldn’t believe it would be today. She was stranded on the side of the road and it was getting dark. She had to call for a tow. But Joe DeMarco owned the only towing service she knew of, and that was in Whiskey Creek. She was afraid if she went back there, she’d never scrape up the determination to leave again. She already missed Noah so much she could hardly stand it.

  “I’m leaving because I love him,” she reminded herself, and clicked on a phone application that would search for the closest towing service. She was just about to call one in Jackson, even though it was farther away, when she got a text.

  Come back to me.

  It was from Noah. She’d been avoiding his calls. She’d also been ignoring his texts, but this one was more poignant than the others, which were mostly questions. Where are you going? Why are you leaving? What happened?

  You’re better off without me, she wrote.

  I don’t want to be without you. I love you.

  She stared down at her phone. She was pretty sure he’d never told another woman that.

  How do you know?

  Because I’ll sell my house and my store if that’s what it’ll take for us to be together.

  She smiled through the tears filling her eyes. I’d feel too guilty taking you away from Whiskey Creek.

  I don’t want to be here if you can’t be happy here with me.

  I can’t separate you from your family. You know that.

  Things have changed since you left.

  How could they? I’ve only been gone a few hours.

  Tom confessed.

  Her heart began to race as she stared at those two words. She’d given up on Tom. She’d decided his apology and all the other things he’d had to say that night hadn’t been sincere.

  To you?

  To Chief Stacy two days ago. Stacy was keeping it quiet, but my father has agreed to get out of the way and let Stacy pursue this case as aggressively as he would any other.

  What changed your father’s mind?

  Two things. A note Tom left for him right after it happened.

  And?

  I told him I don’t want to live without you.

  A smile stretched across her face as she read those words. Then her phone rang.

  “So are you coming home?” Noah asked when she answered.

  “I’m afraid you’re going to have to come and get me.” She wiped her wet cheeks. “And bring Joe with his tow truck.”

  “You’re broken down?”

  “I am.”

  She gave him her location.

  “Can you be happy here, living in Whiskey Creek? Or should I put my house up for sale?” he asked.

  Even though Helen was around now, Addy hated to leave Gran. She wanted to spend as much time with her own family as possible. Gran didn’t have long, and Addy had never had a good relationship with her mother. Maybe that could change if they worked together to make Just Like Mom’s an even better restaurant. And Noah was happy in Whiskey Creek. He’d already told her that. “We can try to make it work, Noah.”

  “I can’t imagine anyone would give you any trouble. Not now that Tom’s admitted the truth. What happens to him and the others is out of your hands. Chief Stacy will investigate, put together a case and the D.A. will try them. At that point, their fate will be in the hands of a jury.”

  “I’d be fine with an apology and probation.”

  “Seriously? You’re too forgiving.”

  “I’m not out for vengeance,” she said. “As long as I have you, that’s all I care about.”

  She could hear the tenderness in his voice when he answered. “You definitely have me.”

  She remembered thinking that love made one weak. Somehow she didn’t feel that way anymore.

  Epilogue

  Stephen’s case was the last to come to trial. By the time that occurred, it was nearly September and Addy was married to Noah and pregnant with her first child. She didn’t want to relive what she’d gone through at sixteen for a fourth time. Giving testimony about that night was never easy. But she’d been so happy the past eleven months that she’d put some emotional distance between the woman she was now and the girl she’d been then. So she made herself testify but afterward told the judge what she’d said at the other trials: somehow she’d managed to forgive her attackers and wasn’t holding out hope for a stiff penalty. She felt they’d be judged by a higher power some day and was content to let God take care of it, since only God knew whether they were truly as penitent as they professed to be when they apologized to her in court.

  But her forgiveness didn’t make as much difference in Stephen’s case as it had the others. If he hadn’t kidnapped and dragged her to the mine when she’d returned to Whiskey Creek, he, too, might’ve gotten off with four hundred hours of community service. Instead, he was sentenced to two years in prison.

  When it was all said and done, Kevin Colbert lost his job and Audrey left him. He was trying to sell his house so he could move out of town and start over somewhere else. Tom lost his job, too. But he took Stephen’s job at Kyle’s solar plant and his wife stood by him—maybe because he was the only one who’d had a conscience. Derek continued to make
do as he’d been making do, but his life had never been all that great. Addy figured he now had his chance to improve it, but doubted he would. During the investigation it came out that www.SkintightEntertainment.com, which was on the sweatshirt Stephen had worn when he abducted her, didn’t have any connection to Derek. It was just something Stephen had picked up somewhere, knowing that if she looked up the website, it would frighten her, considering the ordeal she’d suffered fifteen years ago. But probably the best part of going through the whole process was seeing how much those trials affected Noah’s parents, how much more understanding they’d become. Sometimes Addy wondered if they’d finally embraced her because of the baby. But then she’d catch his mother smiling at the way Noah protected her from anything that might upset her, or kissed her, or simply watched her cross the room.

  “He really loves you,” she said to Addy the day they sentenced Stephen.

  “I really love him,” Addy responded.

  “I can tell. I’m sorry, you know. I was wrong to react the way I did last year.”

  Addy squeezed her hand. “It’s okay.”

  “I’m glad I’ve been around to see how kind you were to Kevin, Tom and the others.”

  “Kind?” Addy wasn’t sure she’d go quite that far.

  “Because you were capable of forgiving them, I can believe that you really have forgiven me.”

  She had tears in her eyes when she said that, which convinced Addy she was sincere. “We’re going to be able to put the past behind us.”

  “You’re sure?”

  She touched her belly, which was just beginning to swell. “Why hang on to hard feelings when we have so much to look forward to?”

  * * * * *

  A new CEO and only one promotion… That makes Audrey Mathews and Zach Black direct competition! She’s determined to make a good first impression and secure the job, but Zach might have something to say about that… Read on for an exciting excerpt of Her Favorite Rival by Sarah Mayberry.

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