* * *
The fire at Norris Farms was the lead story with all the local media outlets. When Naomi and Patrick landed, Noah picked them up at the airport and rushed them to the property. The local Fox TV affiliate, WSTU, was parked at the entrance gate. Many others had left messages hoping for exclusive interviews. The police had cordoned off the property and were still investigating. No one had any answers for them.
“I’m ruined,” Naomi muttered beneath her breath.
“You are not ruined,” Noah responded.
She fought back the tears that threatened to fall past her dark lashes. Patrick reached out a warm hand and trailed it gently against her back. Naomi lifted her eyes to his, staring intently into them. Everything about the look he was giving her was meant to calm her nerves and give her strength to forge ahead. In that moment, he didn’t know that although she was saddened, she was also angry.
Together, the trio walked the expansive property, assessing the damage. Patrick made mental notes to call the insurance company, her vendors, the bank, and to arrange for additional staff to help clear away the ash, revitalize the soil with nitrogen and replant the land as soon as they were able. Neither he nor Naomi was a stranger to hard work and he knew they had much hard work ahead of them.
Marcella cried when they stopped by the homestead to check in, grateful the old farmhouse had not been touched. The woman was beside herself, racked with guilt that she couldn’t have done something to stop the vandals who had done the damage.
“It’s not your fault,” Naomi assured her.
“There’s nothing you could have done,” Patrick added.
“No one was injured and that’s what’s most important,” Noah interjected.
Days later, as the work of tilling the soil and replanting began, Naomi was still questioning who could have done such a thing. Why had she been targeted? And who could possibly have been that evil to wish to do her harm? She had wanted to believe the blaze had been an accident, but when the local fire department confirmed that arson had been the cause of the flames, she’d been devastated. Now the frustration of not knowing haunted her.
“Let it go,” Patrick intoned.
“I can’t. I can’t let it go until we find out who did it.”
“And what if we don’t find out?”
“Someone knows something.”
Patrick nodded. He knew she was right, but he also knew she was starting to obsess over it, and that was quickly becoming an issue for them.
Days later, when his phone rang, Garrison Perry greeted him from the other end. “You don’t call your friends back anymore?”
“What do you want, Garrison?”
“I was wondering how much longer you’re going to let this go on. When are you coming back to the fold?”
Patrick hesitated, having no words to respond. He did miss his old friend. He missed the young man he had often joked with, who had moments of compassion for others. The one he had shared secrets with and once called his best friend. He missed that man.
Garrison continued, “So, are you still dating that Stallion woman? You get her out of your system yet?”
The Garrison Patrick didn’t miss was suddenly back in full form. A heavy sigh hissed past his lips.
“This really isn’t a good time.”
“It’s never a good time for you these days. I hated to hear about that fire. I’m sure it was a huge loss for your friend.”
“Naomi is just fine. But I’m sure she’ll appreciate your concern.”
“Well, my offer still stands if she’s interested in selling. Of course, I’ll have to reduce that offer, considering the damage that was done. I’m sure that gasoline couldn’t have been good for the soil.”
“Who said anything about gasoline?”
There was no hesitation before Garrison responded. “I think my father said something. He read it in the paper somewhere. Or maybe he heard it on the news. I don’t remember. But does it matter?”
Patrick paused, listening as the other man ran on, yammering about his latest antics on the dating scene. For a split second, Patrick had found himself smiling, the moment feeling like old times, and then Garrison fell back into his old habits.
“She has a friend. A real hottie with tits and ass for days. I’ll introduce you and we can double date. What do you say?”
With nothing left to say, Patrick cut the call short. After disconnecting, he thought back on the conversation. He didn’t want to believe it, but there was a nagging thought in the back of his mind that maybe Garrison or Giselle or both had made good on their threats to sabotage Naomi.
Naomi entering the room interrupted his thoughts. She eyed him curiously. “Are you okay? You look like you just lost your best friend.”
Patrick shrugged, then shook his head. “My best friend is right here and she’s just fine.” He leaned over to give her a quick kiss. “So, I’m good. How about you?”
“To be honest, honey, I don’t know if I’m coming or going. I know I have a meeting this afternoon with a grain supplier. I hope to plant wheat on that acreage in the back, if we can get a good price for the seed. The rest is just a blur.”
“You need to get away. We should think about taking a vacation and maybe head down to Miami.”
Naomi’s eyes shifted from side to side as she pondered his comment. “I’d like that, but I’m not sure it’s a good time for me to get away. Maybe in a few months.”
“Give it some more thought and let’s decide later. I think it’ll be good for both of us.”
After promising to not shoot the idea down completely, Naomi kissed his cheek. With plans set to meet at his apartment later that evening for dinner, she raced off to her next appointment.
* * *
Naomi hated for any of her friends or family to see her in a bad mood. But she was emotionally numb, finding the loss of her crop and damage to her fields devastating. Fruit trees that had been blossoming on that land for years were gone. Sustainable land that had been nutrient rich was now lacking and the soil’s water repellency had completely changed. She was grateful that no one had been harmed and the house was still standing. But having to rearrange payment to her investors, figure out where payroll would come from and work to move forward was proving to be more than she wanted to handle.
Later that night, when she finally made it to bed, she welcomed Patrick’s presence, feeling immensely blessed to have him to lean on. He made love to her slowly, his body moving against hers like a well-tuned instrument. His touch was healing, his words in her ear loving and his embrace protective. She knew beyond any doubt that Patrick loved her as much as she loved him. They were good together and good for each other. And because they were so good together she knew when something wasn’t quite right. Her very best friend was off his regular game.
After making love, they lay sprawled against each other, their limbs entangled. Sleep was elusive, both of them consumed with thought. She asked again what might be bothering him.
“I’m worried about you,” he answered.
Naomi rolled over, throwing her bare leg atop his. “There’s something else. Something you’re not telling me. I can feel it.”
Silence billowed between them, Patrick not bothering to respond.
“I have to ask you something,” Naomi suddenly said, then paused.
“You can ask me anything. You know that.”
“Do you think Garrison or Gisele could have had anything to do with the fire? Or maybe even Nolan?”
“Why would you ask me that?” He shifted upright, leaning on his elbow as he stared down at her.
“So, you’ve thought it possible, too?”
There was a moment of hesitation as Patrick pondered her comment. He had wondered if his old friends were capable of stooping so low. And suspecting tha
t either could have done such a thing weighed heavily on his heart. He just didn’t have the energy to say so to Naomi.
“Let the police continue their investigation. Let’s not jump to any assumptions. We need to keep our focus on rebuilding.”
“Why do I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me, Patrick?” Naomi asked.
There was another long pause, the mood between them becoming tense. Patrick took a deep inhalation and held it. When he finally let it go, Naomi was still studying him keenly.
“Garrison called me. It was Garrison being Garrison. He asked me about the fire and mentioned his father had told him that gasoline was involved. So yes, I have wondered. It just kills me that I would even have to question any of them.”
“But you think he may have been responsible?”
“That’s not what I said, Naomi. I said I’ve wondered. That’s all.”
She was still staring at him, the look she gave him suddenly feeling like a wall building between them. He was anxious to change the subject. “Baby, I know Garrison is capable of many things but in all honesty, I don’t see him doing this. Garrison has always been more hot air than anything else, and Giselle, well, she’s like a sheep. She just follows the crowd.”
“But Nolan has no filters. And you’ve said he can be ruthless. So, he is quite capable, right?”
“I don’t know, Naomi. I really don’t think so.”
“I get it. They were your family. Your friends. You miss them. It’s perfectly understandable.”
“It’s more than that, baby. I’ve worked side by side with Nolan. I have always respected his integrity. He’s not the sensitive type, but I’ve always found him to be aboveboard in business. Ruthless, in that he doesn’t play games and will go after what he wants, but still aboveboard. I would hate to think that he could stoop that low.”
“I get it. I do.” She reached up to kiss Patrick’s lips, ending the conversation.
Naomi fell into her own thoughts and rolled away from him, turning her back. Patrick eased against her, spooning himself snugly against her. Neither said anything else.
Jimmy Kimmel was in the middle of his monologue, the late-night talk show playing on the television in the corner of the room. An infomercial for men’s hair plugs eventually lulled them both to sleep. When Patrick woke the next morning, Naomi was gone and a note was left on her pillow.
He jumped from the bed, and grabbed a quick shower and a fresh change of clothes. Reading the quickly scribbled lines a second time, he searched for his keys and then raced out the door. He would call her brother on his way across town, hoping that Noah would be able to join him.
Patrick instinctively knew that the day had already gone straight to hell and there was nothing he would could do to change that. Naomi was intent on justice and there would be no stopping her.
Chapter 14
Standing in the lobby of the Perry Group’s executive offices, Naomi was second-guessing her decision to be there. It had all made perfect sense an hour earlier, but now she wasn’t quite sure what she planned to do.
The glass-and-steel facility was one of the city’s pride and joys. It was a stunning twenty-six-story office tower with a rooftop heliport and observation deck. The building’s facade was covered in white granite and the interior boasted English all-wool carpets and exquisite Venetian chandeliers. It housed the family business and the church that Nolan had pastored since forever, plus a residential tower and a series of small businesses on the lower level.
Naomi could feel the security guard eyeing her, and she prayed that it was her good looks drawing his attention and not that she’d been fidgeting like a fish out of water since she’d arrived. She moved past the uniformed man toward the high-end jewelry store and pretended to window-shop.
Confronting Nolan Perry and his demon spawn had seemed completely logical when the idea came to her. She’d been deliberating over it since her conversation with Patrick the previous night. If any of the Perrys had been responsible for the fire on her property, she wanted to know. She needed to lay blame where it was due, and if that meant finding the answers on her own she was willing to do that. Now she was thinking that running up on her sperm donor and his other offspring might not be the way to go. She tossed a look over her shoulder, eyeing the security guy as he chatted up a tall blonde in skinny jeans and a white peasant blouse.
Naomi reached for the cell phone in her purse. There was a lengthy list of missed calls. Most were from Patrick and a few from her brother. She ignored them as she pushed the speed dial button for Natalie instead. Natalie would be less inclined to talk her out of doing something foolish. Natalie would fuel her desire to at least do something.
She stood with the cell phone pressed to her ear, staring into the jewelry store window as the phone rang on the other end.
Natalie answered on the fourth ring. “You are up bright and early, big sister. What’s wrong?”
With her emotions already running high, Naomi bit down on her bottom lip, fighting not to cry. Hearing her sister’s voice suddenly had her on emotional overload.
“Naomi? You’re scaring me. Are you okay?”
“I think our father burned my property.” Her voice was a hushed whisper as she shot a quick glance left and then right, to insure no one was eavesdropping on her conversation.
There was a swift inhalation of air on the other end. Naomi could hear the questions her sister was thinking but hadn’t yet spoken aloud. She answered them before Natalie had a chance to ask. “I don’t have any proof, but I can feel it in my gut. I know I’m right. I’m here at his office now and I was planning to confront him, but I’m getting cold feet. What if I’m wrong? What if I just want him to be guilty because I’m angry with him for deserting us?”
“Have you talked to Noah?”
“No.”
“What does Patrick think?”
“Patrick, well, he...” Naomi paused, suddenly thinking about Patrick. She knew he was feeling conflicted, and after the sacrifice he’d already made on her behalf, she hated that he was still caught in the middle of drama that had nothing to do with him. He’d been forced to make a choice and he had chosen her. She couldn’t ask for any more.
“You really need to talk this over with Patrick, Naomi.”
“It’s not that cut-and-dried, Natalie. He has a relationship with the Perry family. It was good between them until I came along.”
“It wasn’t that good or he would still be friends with them. He loves you far more than he ever loved them and he’s been proving it every day since you two met.”
“So, what should I do? Should I go on up and confront Nolan?”
“Do you really think he’s going to be honest with you, Naomi? I mean, think about it. He’s been lying about us, and to us, our entire lives. Why would he start being truthful now just because you want him to be? You saw how that turned out for Norris Jean. She died still waiting for him to be truthful about something.”
“You’re right. I should go home.”
“At least wait until Noah or Patrick can be there with you. You don’t need to go through this alone, Naomi. Not when you have so much love wanting to be there for you.”
Movement out of the corner of her eye drew Naomi’s attention. She turned just in time to see Nolan Perry and his wife standing in front of the bank of elevators. The woman was chattering away about something as her husband stood focused on his iPhone.
Naomi turned abruptly as Nolan suddenly lifted his gaze, staring toward her. With her back to him she eased down the corridor to the gift shop, stepping through the entrance and out of sight.
“Naomi? You still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” she said, refocusing on her conversation.
“Well, call me tomorrow. Tinjin and I are going back home to Paris in the morn
ing so we’ll be able to talk more tomorrow night. Okay?”
“Thanks, Natalie.”
“Hey, we can always depend on each other. Isn’t that what you used to tell me?”
Naomi chuckled softly. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Disconnecting the call, Naomi turned to exit the small shop. Peeking first to see if the Perry family was still standing there, she was surprised to find Patrick sauntering in her direction. Her eyes widened as he moved swiftly to her side, reaching to wrap his arms around her.
“Good morning,” he said, as he brushed a kiss against her cheek.
“What are you doing here?”
“I missed my woman this morning. I woke up in an empty bed and you weren’t there.”
“I left you a note. I told you where I would be.”
“You did.”
“So, you came to try and stop me.”
Patrick shook his head. “Not at all. I came to be with you. Noah’s on his way, too.”
“You called my brother?”
“Someone once told me you Stallions are a formidable family because you always stick together.”
Naomi smiled as he continued.
“Which is why I don’t understand why you would think you needed to do this without them? And without me? Because, like it or not, I’m your family, too, Naomi.”
She met the look he was giving her, his stern expression scolding, and shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t matter. I was just about to head home. I shouldn’t have come. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Patrick lifted her chin and kissed her mouth. “That’s not true. You wanted answers and we’re going to get them for you. And we’re going to get them today.”
He clasped her hand, lacing their fingers together, then gestured with his head toward the elevators. Naomi hesitated, taking in deep breaths, air needed to fortify the strength she knew she required to confront her father. Then she squeezed Patrick’s fingers.
Sweet Stallion Page 14