Follow Love (Diamond Creek, Alaska Novels Book 2)

by Croix, J. H.

  Tess ignored his question about Nathan. “Chad, I don’t know what you think we could have to discuss. You have enough to worry about with your legal situation. If there’s anyone you should talk to, it’s your attorney, not me.”

  Chad’s lips flattened. “Tess, I’m not stupid. I know I have to face the music. I was hoping you’d be willing to testify as a character witness for me. I know maybe I shouldn’t have done what I did a few weeks ago. But we were almost married at one point. If anyone can testify that I’m a decent guy, it’s you. They have a pretty good electronic trail on me, so my attorney suggests that my best bet to get a good plea deal is to line up some character witnesses and show that I have a history of good deeds – you know, my donations to charity and whatnot.”

  Once again, Tess found herself shocked by Chad. And once again—realized she should have known better. Chad sincerely didn’t understand how unhappy she’d been during most of their relationship because he just wasn’t capable of it. His emotional lens was so narrow and focused on himself that he couldn’t see beyond that. His alleged charitable donations were laughable. During their relationship, Tess had continued her yearly donations to select charities. She never had a ton of money to give but always gave what she could. Once they were engaged, she’d started adding Chad’s name to her donations. He’d initially complained about the waste of money and then discovered that he enjoyed the good press.

  Much as Tess wanted to remind Chad of the many reasons why she walked out on him, she knew it would be a waste of breath. He didn’t have enough insight about himself to comprehend. The very fact that he had the nerve to come to her office and ask for her to be a character witness illuminated just how oblivious he was, not to mention how few people he could turn to for support.

  Tess looked at Chad for a long moment, regret for the time she’d wasted on him competing with sympathy for his situation. He faced a hard time ahead, a time when he wouldn’t be able to rely on his façade and salesman persona to erase the damning trail he’d created. She looked him straight in the eye when she finally responded. “Chad, I can’t testify for you and I won’t…” Tess paused, considering whether to explain. A sense of freedom rose inside when she realized she didn’t owe him an explanation. She stepped to the open door of her office and gestured for Chad to exit. “I’m sorry for what you’re going through, but you’ll have to ask elsewhere for a character witness.”

  Chad pushed away from the desk, his eyes shifting from uncertain to angry. “Thanks for nothing then. Can’t believe you won’t even bother to help me out a little.” He strode through the door before turning to glance back at her. Just as he did, Tess heard Simon’s voice.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Simon demanded. He stepped past Chad through the door to stand beside Tess keeping his eyes trained on Chad.

  As Tess could have predicted, Chad didn’t look the least bit chagrined at Simon’s question. Although any halfway decent person would likely be embarrassed to be facing the charges Chad was, his defenses were so well-constructed, confrontation merely caused him to double-down.

  “Came to see Tess. Are you her keeper now?” Chad asked snidely.

  Simon threw Tess an exasperated look before replying. “Tess doesn’t need a keeper. But you also shouldn’t be here and you damn well know it. You’re in a heap of trouble and on monitored release from what I understood, so if I were you, I’d steer clear of creating more problems. Leave Tess alone,” Simon said flatly.

  Chad gave her a disgusted look. “Between your brother and your boyfriend, seems like you need all kinds of back up.”

  Tess shook her head. “Chad, just go. And don’t come back.”

  Chad turned away without another word. Apparently, he thought better of pursuing the verbal confrontation with Simon. Simon walked to the office windows. Tess followed him over, and together they watched Chad get in his car and leave.

  Simon went to close her office door once Chad drove away. “What the hell did he want?” Simon asked, his tone sharp, gaze annoyed.

  “Geez, Simon, it’s not like I invited him here.”

  Simon’s eyes softened, the annoyance fading quickly. “I know, I know. Just couldn’t believe he had the nerve to show up here. But seriously, what did he want?”

  “You’ll love it. He wanted to know if I’d agree to be a character witness for him.”

  A sharp burst of laughter came from Simon. “You gotta be kidding me! He’s clueless. Man, am I glad you broke up with him long before his whole scheme came to light.”

  Tess smiled ruefully. “Me too. If I could have a do-over, I’d have figured out what a jerk he was much faster than I did.” She shrugged. “Oh well, if there’s one thing I can’t do, it’s change the past. What brings you here?”

  “Oh right. I was up for a work meeting and stopped by to see if you wanted to come to New Bern tomorrow to have dinner with mom and dad. Thought we could take them out for dinner the night before their anniversary.”

  “Sure. I’d love to. What time should I head down?”

  They quickly settled on a time before Simon got ready to leave. Just as he walked to the door, he turned back. “Heard from Nathan lately?” he asked.

  Tess felt a prickle of irritation that she quickly quashed. She knew Simon meant well, but it was near to driving her crazy that everyone wanted an update on Nathan when she was busy trying to decide what the hell to do.

  She summoned her patience. “Talk to him every day. He’s doing great,” she replied.

  “Don’t get annoyed with me. I just want to see you happy. Ten seconds with Chad should show you how awesome Nathan is,” Simon said. “While you’re busy getting annoyed with people who care about you, just think about Chad for a second. That might refresh your memory about why we like Nathan. You know I’m right, which is why you’re cranky about it.” Simon winked and tugged the door shut behind him.

  ***

  Driving to New Bern the following afternoon, Tess watched the familiar scenery roll by. She loved eastern North Carolina, being here felt like slipping on a comfortable pair of slippers. The soft, humid air, the scent of pine needles scattered underfoot, and the subtle hint of the ocean. The roads here were mapped in her mind, she could travel without thought. Being near her parents and her brother meant a lot to her. And yet, she didn’t feel the crackle and spark she’d felt in Alaska. Not to mention that the ache of missing Nathan grew more acute by the day. Texts and calls didn’t fill the void left by his absence.

  When she pulled up a half an hour early, she found that her parents weren’t home and Simon hadn’t arrived yet. She’d left work early after speed session this morning of entering final data from the fundraisers she’d done recently and making a few calls on upcoming contracts for the holidays. Rather than waiting inside, she walked around the back of the house down the sloping lawn to the river.

  Tess sat in down in a swing bench situated just where the grass met the sand. A soft breeze came off the water. Years ago, her parents had a dock that had been blown to bits during a hurricane. The dock pilings remained, worn and weathered. Today, a seagull sat atop one piling. Pelicans flew low across the water in a line. She had always loved pelicans as a child—she’d thought them to be dinosaur birds with their massive beaks and full throats. Being by the river was like a step out of time—peaceful, the earthy, rich scents of the river laced with the ocean pervading her senses. Soaking in the quiet, Tess thought back to her encounter with Chad yesterday. She considered that Nathan had offered to move wherever she wanted if she’d give them a chance. The contrast between Nathan’s consideration of her feelings and Chad’s was stark. So stark in fact, it made her uncomfortable to think about it.

  “Tess!”

  Tess turned when she heard her mother’s voice. Celine stood between the open French doors on the sunroom that faced the river. The flowing red dress she wore waved softly in the breeze. Tess waved and took a long look out over the river before standing to walk up th
e slope to the house. Her mother enveloped her in a warm hug. As Celine stepped back, she clasped Tess’s arms with her hands. “How are you darlin’? Your father’s been worried and so have I. I know all this press about Chad is the last thing you wanted.”

  Celine stepped back, the cluster of silver bracelets that she wore on one arm clinking against each other. Tess’s was quiet for a moment when she realized she’d been about to automatically agree with her mother. All her worry about Chad publicly humiliating her and being associated with the legal fiasco he’d created just wasn’t there. She just didn’t care about any of it, not even a little.

  Tess looked up, into her mother’s warm eyes, so like her own. A glimmer of relief and happiness started to hum in her heart, her lips following its tune with a smile. “Mom…” she began with a shrug. “I could care less about any of it.”

  Celine’s eyes widened, her brows rising in question.

  Laughter bubbled out of Tess. “I honestly don’t care. In fact, much as I want to see you and dad tonight, I’m ready to head home so I can change my flight to Alaska to next week and start packing. I’m moving to Diamond Creek,” she said decisively. For once, she let her heart lead the way, her doubts evaporated and a sense of elation filled her.

  Celine squealed and tugged Tess back into another hug. She clapped her hands together, tears welling in her eyes when she released Tess. “Oh honey! This is the best news I’ve heard from you in a long time!” She slipped a hand through Tess’s elbow and led her inside. “Why don’t you use your father’s computer to change your reservation? Let’s just take care of that right away.”

  Instead of feeling the accustomed flash of irritation that she would at her mother’s bossy manner, Tess was happy to comply. This was her decision, not anyone else’s. It felt so right that she didn’t care what anyone else thought.

  Celine stepped ahead of Tess, freeing her arm. The flared edge of her red dress swung with her gait as she walked quickly into the living room, calling to Tess’s father. “Michael! Tess is moving to Alaska! Isn’t that wonderful? She needs to borrow your laptop for a few minutes.”

  Tess entered the living room in her mother’s wake. Michael merely shook his head and chuckled as Celine lifted the laptop out of his hands.

  Michael turned to look in Tess’s direction. “Hey Tess! Got your mom pretty excited here.” Michael stood from his customary reading chair, pushing the ottoman out of the way as he did. When Tess reached his side, her father wrapped her in a bear hug. Tess returned the hug and stepped away with a laugh as her mother asked which website she needed to change her flight.

  “Give me a sec, Mom.”

  Her father tilted his head to the side and winked, his smile crinkling his eyes. “So sounds like you’re goin’ for it then? You know your mother damn near talked my ear off about how wonderful Nathan was, so it’s a good thing you’re decidin’ to take a chance on ‘im.”

  Tess felt a wash of emotion. All her worry about moving away and her parents just wanted her to have what she wanted. She nodded firmly. “Yup, I’m going for it. I figured that if I missed Nathan as much as I do that it’d be stupid to not give this a shot. Not to mention that Diamond Creek is amazing.”

  Michael’s small broadened. “Amazing is one way to put it. Don’t you worry, we’ll be out there plenty. Some of the best fishing in the world is there, you’ll just give me a good excuse. As for Nathan—far as I can tell, he’s a keeper. Never been one to tell you who you should be with, but now that you’ve made your decision, I’ll say that much.” Her father tugged her into a side hug, rubbing her shoulder.

  “I know you’ll be there plenty, Dad. That’s half the reason I got over myself and decided to go for it. I’ll miss being so close to you and mom, but much as you love fishing and travel, I’m guessing I might even get more quality time with you,” she said with a small laugh.

  “Tess,” her mother called.

  Her father released her. “Better get over there. You know your mom. She’s like a dog with a bone when she’s got something in mind.”

  Tess went to her mother’s side and quickly logged into her account, picking a flight a mere week away. Simon arrived while she was still on the computer, immediately high-fiving her after being updated by their mother. In short order, they went out to dinner, Tess making sure to enjoy shrimp and grits, figuring she’d better stock up the Southern seafood specialties now.

  Hours later, Tess set the remote on the coffee table and glanced at her phone screen. Nathan had texted earlier to say he and his brothers had headed to Anchorage for a shopping run and he might not be able to call tonight. Her level of disappointment was completely out of proportion. To think she’d been struggling over this decision.

  The only struggle she had now was whether to tell Nathan or surprise him. She grabbed her phone and tapped her contacts open. A moment later, Hannah answered.

  Chapter 19

  Nathan swung his truck into the small lookout area where he’d brought Tess when she’d finally agreed to have dinner with him. He was on his way to Luke and Hannah’s place for dinner. The sky was gray, the air chilly and damp. Looking out over the bay, he wished Tess were here with him. He missed her warmth, the way her eyes tipped up when she smiled, those luscious curves…just her. The fireweed that had filled the view when she was here in late summer was long gone now. The once fiery fuchsia flowers were blanched petals scattered in the field. The flicker of fall in Alaska was almost past. The bright reds, oranges, and yellows that hugged the ground were faded to brown. The only color left was the green of the spruce, which held true no matter the season. Once the snow fell, the evergreen trees would appear an even deeper shade of green in contrast to the bright white.

  The view seemed muted, the mountains dark against the gray of the water. Termination dust, the first snow, was expected any day now and would brighten the dark mountains. The next few months on the way to winter solstice tended to feel long as the days shortened rapidly. Nathan couldn’t say he enjoyed the short days of winter, but he did enjoy the quiet. Winter was a marked contrast to the insanity of summer in Alaska. Summer brought work that he loved, but at a frenetic pace. By the time November rolled around, he could breathe and relax into a few months of quiet, slow paced days.

  Facing winter this year left him melancholy, a feeling to which he wasn’t accustomed. He still couldn’t suss out where Tess stood. They talked every day, along with plenty of texts, some random, some steamy. As far as he knew, she was still planning to fly out to visit in another two weeks. But that was all he knew. While she hadn’t started shutting him out, as she had before, he sensed something was afoot. It was a harrowing distraction—not knowing, wanting Tess here, with him, so fiercely that if Tess ended up deciding not to give them a chance…He couldn’t even think about it.

  Nathan took a last look out over the bay before putting his truck in gear. The setting sun flashed in his rear view mirror as he pulled away, the light arcing brightly through the truck cab. When he parked at Luke and Hannah’s house a few minutes later, their dog Jessie came racing up to greet him the second he opened the door. Hannah stepped onto the deck and waved from the kitchen door.

  “Hey there,” Nathan called out as he gave Jessie a quick pet and followed her to the house. He reached Hannah’s side on the deck as Jessie’s tail disappeared inside.

  “Jessie knows how to make someone feel welcome,” Nathan said with a chuckle as Hannah tugged him in for a quick hug.

  “That she does. We can’t really compete with her,” Hannah said. She stepped away and gestured Nathan into the house.

  He took off his boots while Hannah hung his coat. She looked as if she’d just come in from the cold. Her cheeks were flushed and her glossy brown hair windblown. She wore jeans and what looked to be one of Luke’s shirts over a fitted cotton tank top.

  “How you been?” Nathan asked.

  Hannah headed for the refrigerator. “Oh fine. We just got in f
rom stacking wood. Beer or wine?” she asked, gesturing from the wine on the kitchen counter to beer in the fridge.

  “Beer,” he replied. “Where’s Luke?”

  Hannah poured a beer into a pint glass for Nathan, setting the glass in front of him where he’d seated himself at the counter. “He’s upstairs putting John down for a nap. We spent most of the day running errands and picked up a load of wood this afternoon. Between that and then watching us stack wood from his car seat, John’s fussy and ready for a nap,” Hannah said with a small laugh as she poured herself a glass of red wine.

  Nathan nodded. “Nobody said kids were easy, but John seems pretty easy-going most of the time.” He reached down to stroke Jessie when she rubbed her head against his leg. Her tail thumped softly against the legs of a stool to one side.

  Luke answered as he entered the kitchen. “Most of the time. But when he’s cranky, he’s cranky. Not the best sleeper when we’re out and about. How you doing bro?” Luke asked, giving Nathan’s shoulder a quick squeeze as he walked past him to kiss Hannah on the cheek. Luke helped himself to a sip of her wine. Hannah merely shook her head and poured him his own glass, giving him a pointed look when she handed it over.

  “What? Can’t share your wine?” Luke asked wryly.

  “Not when I need it as much as I do right now.” She glanced to Nathan. “Last night was rough. John was up every few hours, which means we were too. Between that and today, I could use a few glasses of wine to take the edge off.”

  “You know, you could have canceled tonight. Jared and I can fend for ourselves,” Nathan said. He caught a glance between Luke and Hannah. It was so brief that he couldn’t be sure, but something was up. He started to ask and thought better of it.

  The next half hour passed quickly. Jared joined them shortly. Luke was in and out from the deck, grilling halibut while Hannah tossed a salad. Nathan noshed on the array of cheese and crackers that Hannah set on the counter. When Luke returned with a large quantity of grilled halibut, Nathan said, “Dude, we eat a lot, but not that much.”