The adrenaline that had kept Summer going for the past few days, and especially the last several hours, dissipated once the danger had passed and she was certain Nolan hadn’t sustained serious injuries in his fight with Kain. Exhaustion and body aches crashed on her with a one-two punch as they headed to her office home for a change of clothes before dinner with the Coltons.
While she cherished the thought of celebrating the wrap-up of a case that had dragged so many members of the Colton family into life-and-death situations and brought surprising happy endings to each of the brothers, Summer begged off.
“I think tonight I have a date with that takeout box of comfort food, a couple ibuprofen and an early bedtime,” she told Jonah. “Tell Josephine and Maggie thank you for the dinner—” she patted the warm takeout box in her hands “—and give everyone my best.”
Jonah cast a look to his cousin. “How about you? You coming with me or staying with your lady?”
“She’s not—” Nolan began before pinching the bridge of his nose, clearly as fatigued as she was and choosing not to spend his energy debating the status of their relationship with his cousin. Instead, he deferred to her. “You want company or are you ready to get me outta your hair?”
What she wanted was to lose herself in slow, gentle lovemaking with Nolan, but echoes of his characterization of their last “mistake” quelled that idea. Besides, he looked as tired and sore as she felt, and she knew the best course for both of them when they were this worn-out was a bit of downtime. Alone.
Tomorrow morning was soon enough to begin untangling the knots that had crept up in the ties that bound them. “Let’s call it a night. I’ll see you later.”
With a brief nod, a squeeze to her shoulder and a sleepy half grin, Nolan left her alone with Yossi to sort out a way forward.
* * *
Summer’s first thought upon waking the next morning was of Nolan. With Patrice’s murder solved, they could now focus on their relationship. Assuming there was a relationship left to consider. Her foolish insistence on snooping around Melody had almost gotten Nolan killed. She’d forced his hand more than once, pushed him to do things he’d thought unwise. Her stubborn impulsiveness may have cost her Nolan’s respect. His loyalty.
This was a mistake.
Had her seduction of him ruined the chance for them to be friends going forward? She fumbled for the replacement burner phone she and Nolan had bought after leaving the hospital and swiped her hair back from her face as she began punching in the digits of Nolan’s new temporary phone. Then stopped.
This was a conversation they had to have face-to-face. After rousing Yossi from the end of the bed so that she could swing her feet out from the covers, Summer dressed quickly and set out for the Colton Ranch.
Josephine answered Summer’s knock on the main ranch house door, smiling brightly when she saw Summer on the porch. “Hi, darlin’. Come in. What brings you out here this morning?”
Summer stepped into the cozy ranch house and inhaled the scent of something sweet and spiced with ginger in the oven. “I need to talk with Nolan, but it’s not a conversation I wanted to have over the phone or by texts. Is he here? Maybe out in the pasture with Hays or the guys?”
Josephine’s face fell. “Honey, didn’t he tell you? He left last night.”
Summer’s heart clenched so hard she couldn’t breathe. “Left?” she rasped. Without saying goodbye.
“Yes. He got a call from Chicago and lit outta here within minutes. Didn’t even take his Jeep. Said he was going to catch a flight from Austin. Donovan drove him to the airport.”
“Um,” Summer stammered, wiping her hands on her jeans. “What happened? Why—”
“He said he was needed in person for an important meeting today. No time to delay or drive his car back.”
The case with Charlotte? Likely. But couldn’t he have called from the airport? Texted? Something!
“I see.” Summer’s voice cracked. “But his injury...”
Josephine rushed forward to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “I was worried about that, too. I made him promise to go slow and take his antibiotics on schedule.” The older woman gave her a squeeze. “Don’t fret, Summer dear. He’ll be back. Has to come back to get his car, if nothing else.” Mrs. Colton smiled at her. “Since you’re here, why don’t you join me in tasting the pumpkin bread I just took out of the oven? We better get it now. Once the men get back from the tending to the herd, that loaf will be gone in a blink.”
“Thanks, but...no.” The spicy aroma that had enticed her when she’d first come in now sat uncomfortably on her churning stomach. Nolan was gone. Without a word to her.
She’d known he’d leave Whisperwood to return to Chicago eventually, but she’d thought she’d at least get the chance to say goodbye. Was his silence an indicator of how much damage she’d done to their relationship? Her heart gave a painful throb, and it was all she could do not to crumple on the Coltons’ floor and weep.
“Darlin’, you’re white as a ghost. Are you okay?” Josephine asked.
Summer couldn’t talk. The tears she battled back clogged her throat with a hard knot. She forced a tight grin and nodded as she backed to the door.
“Well, do you want me to give Nolan a message when he comes back for his Jeep?”
Her fingernails bit her palms as she struggled for the composure she wanted to show Josephine. She shook her head and managed a weak, “No. Thanks.”
If she melted down now, showed her heartbreak, she knew the entire Colton clan, including Nolan, would know of her devastation within the hour. And she refused to let Nolan know how deeply his silent departure had hurt her. That was on her. She’d fallen in love. Despite his warnings, despite red flags, despite the knowledge she could irreparably damage their friendship.
Raising a hand in a pathetic goodbye, she spun on her toe and hurried out to her Beetle.
Her vision blurred as she drove away from the main house, and she blinked hard, scolding herself for her situation. He’d given her ample warning that reviving their old friendship was all he was after. He’d tried to be gentlemanly on so many occasions, and she’d bulldozed past his platonic barriers. Because it was what she wanted. What she’d convinced herself was right for both of them.
Well, now you have what you deserve. Nothing. You pushed Nolan when you should have respected his wishes. How are you any better than Charlotte? She might not have thrown him under the bus professionally, but she’d ignored his wishes, put their friendship at risk, hadn’t taken his wants at face value.
She felt like a heel. Worse. She was the bug beneath a boot heel. And she was crushed.
* * *
Nolan sat at a conference table at the FBI’s Chicago field office, staring at Charlotte. She wouldn’t meet his eyes. If she had, she’d have seen the hurt, the disappointment, the anger that he didn’t even try to mask in his expression. He continued glaring unapologetically at his accuser while Stu handled the details of the conversation for him. Nolan’s supervisor and a representative from internal affairs were at the other end of the table, and Charlotte’s husband was beside her, their personal lawyer in tow.
“You realize my client could sue for defamation of character? This whole ordeal has been damaging to Nolan’s reputation and career.”
“He has his job back, and my wife has recanted her accusations. We’re going to pay the man’s legal fees. Isn’t that enough?” Senator Dell asked, his face mottled with red splotches.
“Would it be enough for you, Senator? Special Agent O’Toole?” Stu asked.
Charlotte sighed, her guilty gaze still fixed on the table, and mumbled, “Probably not.”
The senator shot a look of disgust at his wife. “Sh. You’re not helping. Do you want them to bleed us dry?”
The Dells’ lawyer put a hand on the senator’s arm and gave his client a warning look.
“I won’t,” Nolan interjected. “I’m not interested in vengeance.”
“There.” The senator waved a hand toward Nolan. “He doesn’t want monetary reparations. So let’s just sign these papers and put a period on the end of this unfortunate episode so we can move on.”
Beside him, Stu turned his chair. Nolan felt his lawyer’s eyes studying him. “Are you sure, Nolan? You’re satisfied with this agreement?”
Stu motioned to the papers on the table that spelled out Charlotte’s withdrawal of her accusations, the return of his position and pay grade, and the agreement of the Dells to cover all of Nolan’s expenses for his defense.
“I am. I only want one last thing.” Well, two, really.
But neither Special Agent O’Toole nor the honorable senator from Nebraska could get him what he wanted most—to undo the things he’d done that hurt Summer.
“What’s that?” Senator Dell asked, his tone suspicious.
He flattened his hands on the table. “I want to hear from Charlotte.”
Charlotte squeezed her eyes closed, and her head remained down.
“She hasn’t said anything to me since we began these proceedings,” Nolan continued. When she still didn’t respond, he said sharply, “Charlotte!”
Her chin jerked up, and her tearful, startled eyes found his.
“Don’t you have anything to say?” he asked, incredulous. “Don’t you care what you’ve done to me?”
She swallowed hard, and her throat convulsed. “I—”
The senator drummed his fingers impatiently. “Damn it, Charlotte. Give him what he wants, or so help me...”
“For the record,” Nolan said, cutting a quick, hard look to the senator, “I’m not happy with you bullying her, either.”
The senator’s expression of shock and affront was almost comical. Almost. But Nolan couldn’t find humor in any of what was happening. He shifted his gaze back to Charlotte. “Well?”
Her shoulders drooped, and her face crumpled with compunction. “I screwed up. I should never have drawn you into my personal problems.”
He arched an eyebrow. When she fell silent, he tipped his head. “Two words, Charlotte. I still haven’t heard two simple words.”
She wet her lips. Swallowed again and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Nolan turned to Stu with a nod. “We’re done.”
Picking up a pen, Nolan scribbled his name at the bottom of the document on the table and rose from his chair. Relief should have felt sweeter. He should be overjoyed to have his job back, his name cleared and his life back on track.
But since leaving Whisperwood, nothing about his life had felt right. He missed Summer. He missed her smile and positive energy. He missed seeing her nose wrinkle in thought as she puzzled out the details of her case. Heck, he even missed Yossi.
How could he have ever wanted someone as morally warped, as selfish and cowardly as Charlotte? Having seen Summer in action this past week, her courage and optimism, her determination and grit, he found Charlotte all the more lacking.
Summer had taken on the challenge of starting her own business, had pursued what she wanted in life, not by destroying someone else but by hard work and sacrifice. And Summer had faced each setback with grace and humor, sharing her joy for life with everyone around her. Summer was...inspiring. She buoyed him when he needed hope to cling to. She was, quite simply, a treasure. And she deserved better than the mess he’d left in his wake.
He pulled out his phone as he marched to the elevator and opened a new text to her.
Summer—Charlotte recanted and I’m officially back on the job with the FBI. I thought you’d want to know.
I miss you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me and—
Nolan stopped. Sighed. Backspaced to erase the last lines. Hit Send. He wouldn’t make the mistake of giving her false hope again. He had his job back, his career was once again on track and Summer had made it clear that traveling the country, having a husband that would leave her to go undercover for months at a time, was not the life she dreamed of.
A front porch with rocking chairs, a yard with a big flower bed and a kitchen that smelled like fresh-baked bread. That was her dream. As he stepped onto the elevator and rode it down to the main lobby, he had to admit her vision sounded pretty good to him, too.
He swiped a hand over his face. What are you thinking, Colton? You just got your job back. A job you worked hard for. A job you love.
When the doors parted, he strolled out of the elevator, across the lobby and out into the brisk October chill. When he’d left Texas, the temperature had been seventy degrees. Chicago was thirty-nine before adding the effect of a stiff wind. He huddled deeper into his coat and turned to look up at the glass-and-steel edifice of the FBI offices. The large windows reflected the gray sky and looked as cold as the air felt. The severe building held none of the charm that the old brick and river-stone buildings along Whisperwood’s Main Street had. Another pang assailed his heart.
Whisperwood. Summer.
You’re not thinking of leaving the FBI and going back to Texas, are you? Leaving undercover work for a second chance with Summer?
And yet the idea didn’t seem so off-the-wall. Being near his cousins, working with Summer, making love to Summer all felt so right in hindsight.
Despite the windchill, a warmth flowed through him. Was he ditching the FBI to start a new life with Summer? “Damn right, I am!”
Smiling to himself, he hurried to flag down a cab. He had plans to make.
* * *
What faint hope Summer had of hearing from Nolan, working out the issues that had marred their last moments together, repairing the damage and moving forward with their relationship dimmed further with each passing hour she didn’t get even a text of explanation. Not even delivering the details to Atticus and Ian Eccleston of Kain’s arraignment, that Kain had confessed to killing Patrice and would remain in custody until trial, was enough to alleviate the weight of loss in her chest. She’d wanted Nolan at her side when she gave her clients the good news. He’d helped her, guided her, buoyed and supported her on her first big case. He should have been there to share the rewarding moment.
Instead, sitting alone on the Ecclestons’ couch, she’d watched father and son embrace, crying tears of joy and relief—and renewed grief—when she told them what had transpired the night they’d been kidnapped and in the courtroom that morning.
Summer glanced at her phone when it beeped an incoming text. And her heart jolted. Nolan. Finally! As quickly as she could without appearing rude, Summer bade the Ecclestons goodbye and hurried to her car. Only once she was ensconced in the semiprivacy of her front seat did she read the text. It was short and to the point—Nolan was vindicated and had his job back. As happy as she was at his news, the terse message, the lack of any further explanations or greetings hurt. If she’d had any doubt before, the text answered her questions. Nolan was back in Chicago for good, and she needed to move on with her life.
* * *
Several days later, Summer sat at her desk, scratching Yossi behind the ears as he lounged on the file she’d been trying to review, when she heard a knock at her door.
Hadn’t she unlocked the office and flipped the sign to say Open that morning? Why was the person knocking? She glanced out the window to the sidewalk, and her breath caught. Nolan?
She hurried to answer the door, remembering Josephine had said he had to come back to retrieve his Jeep. Maybe he just wanted to say goodbye, find some closure.
She swallowed the lump that swelled in her throat and opened the door, offering him a friendly, but subdued, smile. “Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. The conquering hero.”
His mouth slid up in a lopsided grin. “Hi, Summer. You busy at the moment?”
She considered telling him she was. She wasn’t sure sh
e could stand a long, emotional goodbye. Instead she shrugged. “I guess Yossi can handle the file I was reading by himself. What’s up?”
He rubbed a hand over his mouth and squared his shoulders. “I have something to show you.”
She arched an eyebrow, and a bittersweet pang twisted inside her. “Oh?”
He hitched his head and reached for her elbow to lead her to the street. To a large, shiny blue pickup truck. “I traded my Jeep for a pickup. What do you think?”
Summer knitted her brow, confused. “It’s nice. And...big.”
“All the better for hauling stuff.” His face glowed with the expectancy and joy of a kid on Christmas morning.
After a moment’s awkward silence, she asked, “Is this all you came to do? Show me the truck?”
“No, there’s more.” He pulled a folded section of newspaper from his back pocket. “I saw this listing for a house on Bonita Street. The price is right, and I thought you might be interested in looking at it. What do you say? Are you ready to move out of your office?”
She looked at the listing he pointed to and shook her head. “It’s lovely, Nolan, but that area is too expensive for me. I need a smaller starter house that—”
“Hold that thought!” He seized her hand and led her closer to the new truck. “I also have an early Christmas present for you. Three, really.”
“Nolan, I don’t—”
He quieted her with a finger to her lips. “Just wait.”
She stumbled along behind him as he ushered her to the cargo bed, where a tarp covered a large lump. “What in the world?”
He slid his mouth into a lopsided grin and whipped the tarpaulin off to reveal two finely crafted wooden rocking chairs. “For the front porch.”
Her chest squeezed, and tears stung her eyes. “Nolan, they’re beautiful!”
“I saw them at a roadside woodcraft shop as Dallas drove me in from the airport at Austin, and I immediately thought of you.”
She pressed a hand to her mouth and swallowed hard. She didn’t want to cry, or she might not stop. And crying in front of Nolan was the last thing she wanted to do. He couldn’t know how much she ached for missing him, wanting him, losing him. “Thank you. They’re...perfect.”
Colton 911--Deadly Texas Reunion Page 22