by Deanna Chase
Deep sadness radiated from him, but he stood and nodded. “I understand. Can I say goodbye to my daughter?”
“Of course.” Noel disappeared into the inn to retrieve Daisy.
Her daughter had been sitting against the door, her arms wrapped around her knees while she silently cried.
“Come on, sweetheart. Your dad is waiting,” Noel said.
Daisy bolted out the door and back into her father’s arms.
Chapter 24
Drew sped down the two-lane road heading into Keating Hollow, taking the turns too fast and passing anyone and everyone who got in his way. He’d tried to call Noel no less than six times. Every single call went straight to voicemail. He’d even tried calling the inn, but he’d run into the same thing. Voicemail.
Where the hell was everyone?
Then he’d called Clay and asked him to check on his girls. Unfortunately, Clay was meeting with a supplier in Eureka and was even further away.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and headed straight for the school. It was deserted. He hadn’t really expected anyone to still be there and kept moving. Finally, he pulled into the small parking lot behind her inn. He took off, running for the door, but before he disappeared inside, he heard a cry come from the side of the building. Drew immediately switched course and followed the sounds of an upset little girl.
He rounded the corner and spotted Xavier standing with his back to Drew in the middle of the patio area. Daisy was in his arms, crying, “No, Daddy, no. No.”
Rage filled him. How dare Xavier come to Keating Hollow after deliberately distracting Drew so that he could terrorize his little girl. He wouldn’t be doing that ever again. Not on Drew’s watch. “Xavier Anderson, let Daisy go, now!”
Xavier put Daisy down and turned around to face Drew.
“Daisy, come here, baby,” Noel said and grabbed her daughter’s hand, yanking her into her arms just as soon as she had a hold on her.
“Take Daisy inside, Noel. I’ll handle this from here,” Drew said.
“Drew, I—”
“Please, Noel. Go now,” he pleaded, glancing at her child. If things went south with Xavier, he did not want it to happen in front of Daisy.
“Right. But please, try to be reasonable,” she said and then disappeared around the side of the inn.
“You made a mistake coming back here, Anderson,” Drew said, palming his stun gun.
“Why’s that, Baker?” he asked with a sneer. “Is it because you finally found the balls to move in on my family?”
“Big talk from a man who deserted them.”
“You know nothing about me,” Xavier said, glaring at him.
“I know enough. Now put your hands up. I’m taking you in.”
“The hell you are. I was just here to say goodbye. Now I’m out of here.”
“Move one inch, and I swear to god I’ll drop you in two seconds flat. Understand?”
“What’s the matter, Baker? Are you smarting because you spent all day driving around Eureka with nothing to show for it?”
Drew glared at Xavier, unwilling to take his bait. “I’m going to count to three. If you don’t comply, I’m going to drop you on your ass, got it?”
Xavier snorted out a laugh. “Go ahead and try it and see where that gets you with my wife.”
“Ex-wife,” Drew corrected.
Xavier shrugged, then turned and started to walk away.
“This is your last warning, Anderson. Stop now, or I’m pulling this trigger.”
“Do what you have to do, Baker,” he said.
“You asked for it,” Drew said.
“Drew, don’t,” Noel said from behind him.
But it was too late. Drew had already pulled the trigger on his stun gun. Xavier fell to his knees then flat on his face.
“Drew! What have you done?” Noel asked in a harsh whisper.
He glanced back at her, somewhat surprised by the anger he saw shining back at him.
“Just my job, Noel. What did you expect me to do?”
“Do you feel better now?”
He glanced up at her. “Honestly, yes.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head, looking disappointed and tired. “There are things you don’t know.”
“I’m certain that’s true.” Drew moved to Xavier’s side, and stared down at him dispassionately. “You’ll never hurt them again, got it?”
Xavier blinked once, as if to acknowledge Drew’s statement. Then Drew got to work. Twenty minutes later, he had Xavier Anderson locked up in the town’s single cell and had alerted Sheriff Barnes.
“You don’t understand,” Noel said. She was standing in Drew’s office, hands on her hips, glaring at him.
“I think I do,” he said, trying to sound as reasonable as possible. “You’re telling me he was part of a crime family for years, and yet you think I should’ve just let him go.”
“That is not what I’m saying,” she insisted. “I’m saying that you didn’t need to hit him with that stun gun.”
“He was leaving, Noel. It was the safest course of action for everyone.”
“I’m not sure I share your opinion,” she said, her tone heated. “He was only here to say goodbye to Daisy. You didn’t need to zap him.”
“You don’t know that.” Drew stood up and pressed his hands against his desk. “In fact, you barely know anything about him. Everything he said could be a lie.”
“I know him, Drew. He wasn’t lying to me. He loved us and was trying to do what was best for us. That has to count for something.”
Drew just stared at her, wondering where this person had come from. Had it really only taken one conversation with the man who’d ripped her heart out and stomped on it for her to forgive him for all she’d been through? “What’s this really about?”
“What?” Her brow creased in confusion. “I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”
“Do you still love him? Are you thinking now that he’s apologized maybe there’s something to salvage there? Because I really don’t understand.”
She gaped at him, and he suppressed a wince. Clearly that was the wrong thing to say. “You can’t be serious,” she said.
He ground his teeth together. “What am I supposed to think? He’s a self-professed criminal, and you’re pissed-off because I wouldn’t just let him walk. I don’t understand what you wanted me to do. I can’t not do my job.”
She stared at him, disappointment in her pretty blue eyes. Then she moved toward his closed door. She paused, glanced back, and said, “All I wanted you to do was listen.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but she walked out and quietly closed the door behind her.
Chapter 25
Three days had passed since Drew had hauled Xavier off to jail. And it’d been three days since Noel had talked to him. He’d texted to ask when they could get together, and she’d told him she needed some time. She’d wanted to focus on Daisy.
What she hadn’t expected was that Daisy seemed to be doing perfectly fine. It was as if seeing Xavier and hearing him tell her how much he loved her and hadn’t wanted to leave had somehow soothed her fears. Sure, she’d been upset that he’d left, but Noel could see that some sort of switch had flipped in her daughter. Her dad had come back for her, and that was what she’d needed.
It didn’t hurt that they’d been able to go into Eureka and visit him. Noel hadn’t made the decision lightly. She didn’t want to do anything that would hurt Daisy further, but Daisy’s therapist had said it would probably do her good to know that he hadn’t just disappeared again. So she steeled herself and made the trip. Daisy had been subdued on the ride into town but was happy enough on the way back home. As hurt as Noel had been that Xavier hadn’t trusted her and had lied by omission, she didn’t feel right about keeping Daisy from him completely. She had a right to know her father.
The truth was she felt sorry for Xavier. It wasn’t his fault he’d grown up in a terrible family si
tuation. And he had tried to leave. The entire time she’d known him, he’d never given any indication that he was anything other than a law-abiding citizen.
“What are you going to do if Xavier finds a way out of this mess, Noel?” Her younger sister Faith asked her as she deftly arranged her blond hair into a French braid.
The four sisters were sitting at Yvette’s kitchen table, going over the plans for Abby’s upcoming wedding.
Noel shrugged. “That largely depends on him, I guess. I want Daisy to be able to spend time with him. No matter his faults, he was a good dad.”
Abby glanced up from her wedding planning books. “She means, what are you going to do about Drew?”
Noel frowned. “What does Drew have to do with Xavier?”
“Aren’t you two dating?” Faith asked.
Were they? Noel wasn’t sure where they stood at the moment. They certainly hadn’t broken up, but then they hadn’t had a chance to speak yet either. “I guess so. We had a little bit of a falling out, so we’ll have to see what happens.”
Abby scooted over and covered Noel’s hand with hers. “We’re just worried you might be tempted to get back together with Xavier.”
Noel blinked. “What gave you that idea?”
“Because he was your first love,” Abby said matter-of-factly.
“And he’s the father of your child,” Yvette added.
“We’re just worried about you,” Faith said.
“First love?” Noel let out a small huff of laughter. “Is that what you guys think?”
“Isn’t he?” Faith said.
Noel shook her head. “No. Actually, the first man I fell in love with was Drew.”
All three of her sisters sat back with stunned expressions on their faces. Finally, Abby cleared her throat. “Are you saying you never loved Xavier or that you and Drew had a thing at some point that no one knew about?”
Noel smiled patiently. “Remember that summer I was a camp counselor?”
Yvette and Faith nodded.
“Was I already in New Orleans?” Abby asked.
“Yes. Drew was there too, and we didn’t date, but we came close. And we were best friends. I fell completely and utterly head over heels for him that summer. I think it’s fair to say he had feelings for me, too, but he was still in so much pain from Charlotte’s death that the timing was all wrong. When the summer was over, we went our separate ways. We were still friendly, but Drew always kept his distance. It took him a long time to put her death behind him. I don’t think having feelings for a Townsend helped.”
“Noel,” Abby said on a whisper. “I’m so sorry. That must’ve been really hard.”
“Mostly because you weren’t here,” Noel said quietly as she stared at her mug.
Abby’s fingers tightened on her sister’s. When Noel finally looked at her, Abby’s eyes were brimming with tears. “I’m sorry,” she said. “You know I missed you, too. More than I think you realize. I just… I was very much like Drew. Caught up in my own pain. You have no idea how glad I am to be back here with you three. I missed so much of your lives.”
“It’s water under the bridge now. I’m sorry I didn’t come to see you,” Noel said, meaning it. If she’d just reached out to Abby, not let her walls cement in place, maybe things would’ve been different. “We have a lot to catch up on.”
Abby’s smile wobbled as she nodded. All of the pain and frustration of the past years had finally fallen away after the pact they’d made in Abby’s bedroom. Now they just needed to find their footing again.
“Okay, enough about Noel’s drama.” Yvette gave her a gentle smile. “I spoke to Isaac yesterday.”
All three of her sisters turned and gave her their undivided attention.
“And?” Noel asked.
“I’m still angry, but at least I don’t hate him anymore,” she said. “He came over and apologized and asked if we could talk, so I let him in. The long and short of it is he fell in love with Jake. He said that he kind of always knew that he was attracted to men, but that he loved me so much he thought he could just ignore it. Then Jake came along. He said he truly didn’t want it to happen, but it just did. Guys, he told me he’s ashamed of himself.”
“Because he cheated on you?” Abby asked. “He should be. That’s not at all okay.”
“No. I mean, yes, he’s ashamed of his behavior and for not being honest with me, but he meant he was ashamed that he had feelings for another man.”
“What did you say?” Noel asked.
She sighed. “I told him that he needed to be true to himself. And then I told him that I’d love him no matter what and that he shouldn’t be ashamed.” Tears glistened in her dark eyes. “It breaks my heart that he feels that way.”
“You’re a good person, Vette,” Abby said.
“She’s right,” Faith added. “It must’ve been difficult to support him considering how much he hurt you.”
“He didn’t want to. I believe him. I’m just heartbroken. But I don’t want him to live a lie either,” Yvette said.
Noel pushed a plate of cookies toward her sister. “Today we can eat our feelings. Tomorrow, maybe we can find a way to be friends with our exes.”
Yvette nodded. “I don’t want to lose him in my life. But I do need some time.”
“Does that mean you forgive, Xavier?” Faith asked Noel.
“Yes,” she said, meaning it. “But we’re never going to be a couple again. As it turns out, I’m in love with someone else.”
Abby pressed her hand to her heart. “You are? In love?”
“Yeah.” Noel fiddled with one of the cookies. “But who knows where we go from here.”
“You just need to talk to him,” Faith said. “I’m sure you can work it out.”
“Definitely,” Abby added. “Clay and I saw him last night. He looked miserable. Put the man out of his misery, Noel. He was just trying to protect you and Daisy. He loves her, too, you know.”
Noel nodded. She did know. She hadn’t forgotten that he’d driven like a bat out of hell back to town, left her half a dozen messages she hadn’t gotten until later, and called Clay for help when he’d thought Xavier was snatching her child. He’d have moved heaven and earth to keep her safe. “I’ll talk to him later… after we get this wedding stuff done.”
Abby cheered, and they all laughed. Then she asked, “What do you think about the bride and groom arriving to the reception in a tricked-out golf cart?”
Chapter 26
Drew paced his office. He’d just gotten off the phone with the sheriff over in Eureka and learned that everything Xavier had told Noel had been true. After they’d checked out his story, they’d found a hidden compound up north near Crescent City where Xavier’s family had been running illegal drugs for the last five years, and that they’d used Lilies and More and the Moon River Inn to launder their drug money. Prior to that, they’d had a home base down in Fresno before law enforcement had turned up the heat, forcing them to relocate.
And more importantly, it turned out that Victor Franks—the man who’d stolen Xavier’s identity—had been murdered by a rival drug pusher. Xavier hadn’t had anything to do with it. For the last three years, Xavier had been a victim, and he wouldn’t be held accountable for any crimes he’d committed as long as he turned state’s evidence. It was a big deal and a huge win for the state.
He strode out of his office. “I’m going out for a while, Clarissa.”
“Deputy Baker—” she said.
“Not now. I have something important to take care of.” He reached for the front door but froze when he heard her voice.
“Drew?”
“Noel?” He turned around and blinked to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. Had she been standing there the entire time?
“I don’t want to keep you, but if you have time later—” she started.
“I have time now.” He strode over, placed his hand on the small of her back, and led her into his office without saying a word to Cl
arissa.
“It’s really okay if you have somewhere to be,” she said the moment he closed the door.
He shook his head and guided her to the couch against the far wall. “I was headed to see you. I have news.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “What kind of news?”
“I just got off the phone with the sheriff over in Eureka. Xavier has been cleared of the murder of the John Doe.”
She nodded but didn’t look surprised. “That’s good.”
“And he’s turning state’s evidence. He won’t serve any time for his past deeds and will even be assigned protection, if that’s deemed necessary. Though I doubt it will be. They think they got everyone in his family’s crime ring.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” she said, giving nothing away.
He gazed at her, trying to judge where she was at with all of this. Where she was at with him. There was only one way to find out. “Listen, Noel. I think I owe you an apology.”
She frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, he cut her off.
“That day when your ex sent me on a wild goose chase, I was certain he was going to harm Daisy. I understand now that he was just trying to keep me occupied so that he could talk to you two without my interference, but I didn’t know that at the time. And when I saw that vision of him and Daisy, I lost it. I’m sure that played into my reaction when I saw him with you guys.”
“I imagine it did,” she said, watching him intently.
“I just…” He sucked in a deep breath and sat on the couch beside her, taking her hands in his. “I owe you an apology. I was on edge that day, but you were right, I should’ve taken the time to listen to you. I’m sorry if I made it seem like your opinion wasn’t important. Because it is very important. And I guess I have to admit that some of my insecurity was showing. We’ve just found our way back together. I don’t want to lose you or Daisy.”