Things with Montana had been going great, but what had he expected? That she’d actually fall in love with him? When she had guys like Lance falling over themselves for her attention? Guys who could give her everything she wanted out of life.
Well, maybe not the love and attention he wanted to give her.
Her parents had made their opinion quite clear about who they wanted to see their daughter with. And Montana might rebel against her parents on a lot of things, but even she had to see it, or she would eventually.
Better to break things off now before he really got hurt.
As though it could get worse than this.
Hell, weeks ago he’d thought he’d been at his absolute lowest. Now, he knew the tragedy of being shot and losing the job he’d fought hard for was nothing compared to losing the one thing in his life that made him happy right now, that gave him purpose, inspired him to be better, try harder.
A knock on the door made him hold his breath. He hadn’t buzzed anyone in, so he assumed it must be Montana. He didn’t want to talk to her. He was desperate to talk to her, actually, but he couldn’t. Not that day. Maybe once the sting of the situation subsided, once the intense longing dulled to a tolerable ache, they could be...friends.
Who was he kidding? How could he ever be around her and not want to touch her, hold her hand, kiss her, tell her everything he felt for her?
There was a second knock, followed by, “Eddie, you in there?”
He shot straight up. “Kaia?”
“Can I come in?” she called through the door.
“Um, sure. Just a second,” he said. Was she alone? Or was this a setup by Montana? Why would Kaia be here alone? Yet, he knew Montana had left an hour ago. “You alone?” he called out, then cringed. If that wasn’t a creepy-sounding question, he didn’t know what was. “I mean is Tank with you?” he asked, reaching for his T-shirt and pulling it on. He picked up the pizza box, closed the lid and put it on the table.
“It’s just me,” she said.
“How’d you get into the building?”
“I have a key.”
Made sense. He climbed into the chair and opened the door a second later. “Come on in.”
She entered, and he closed the door behind her. “I think your mom went to meet your grandparents at the resort,” he said. He’d heard them planning it the night before at dinner, and it hadn’t escaped his notice that no one had invited him.
“I know. I said I was feeling sick this morning so I wouldn’t have to go.”
So, he wasn’t the only one who got nauseous at the thought of the Banks. Which was exactly another reason why he and Montana could never work. He didn’t like the way the couple treated Montana, or their unwillingness to acknowledge Kaia until recently, or the way they looked at him as though, even if he could walk, he still would never be good enough for their daughter.
He hated that they were right.
“Are you sick?” he asked. She didn’t look it. Maybe a little flustered and nervous, but not sick.
“I lied,” she said.
“Okay. So, what’s up?” he asked when she wasn’t immediately forthcoming with the reason for her visit.
“I need to talk to you about something, but you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone I told you.” It came out on a long rush of breath.
Parenting was admittedly something he had zero knowledge about, but even he knew he might not be able to deliver on a promise like that, depending on what she was about to say. “Well, um, I can promise that whatever it is, I’ll help you do the right thing.”
She studied him, seemingly thinking about it. “But I’m afraid that I’m going to get someone in trouble.”
“If someone did something wrong, you’re not getting them in trouble by talking about it. That’s on them. Do the crime...” His voice trailed. His police-officer voice ran deep, and he hadn’t realized how brutal of a hit it had been to have his career on hold until that moment. “Anyway, I want to help if I can, but just like you coming to me, I may have to choose the right thing for me to do.”
She nodded slowly. “Okay, I guess that’s fair.” Still, she bit her lip and didn’t seem in a rush to continue.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
“I’ll get us drinks,” she said, going into the kitchen. He heard his fridge open then close as she returned with two sodas.
He sat back on the sofa and opened the pizza box. “Day-old pizza?”
“I’ll pass,” she said.
“Good call.” He waited. Still, she was quiet. Contemplating. He didn’t want her changing her mind, but he also didn’t want to push. “Do your parents know where you are?”
She shook her head, looking guilty. “I told Dad I was going to see Mom and my grandparents, and I will, so I wasn’t lying, but I needed to see you first. Alone. And you and Mom are pretty much always together when I see you...”
That wouldn’t be the case anymore. His gut twisted. “Okay, well, once we chat, I’ll drive you to the resort if your mom’s not back.”
“Okay.” Kaia took a deep breath. “I know where the drugs are coming from,” she said quickly. “The new ones that everyone is using to be better at sports and stuff.”
Eddie leaned forward but tried not to act too eager for more. He didn’t want to spook her. “Okay... You’ve seen the drugs?”
She nodded. “Yeah. At the summer camp. And now the boys at school are distributing them. I didn’t say anything before, but some of my friends on the hockey team are thinking about using them, and I’m worried about them.”
Maybe even a boy she liked... “Do you have some?”
“I only accepted some at camp so that they wouldn’t make fun of me, but I didn’t use any. I threw them down the toilet.”
“Good. That’s good.” He reserved the Say no to drugs speech. She obviously was smart enough. Tank was raising her right. So was Montana in the time she’d been involved. Yet, he couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t go to them with this info. They were both coolheaded parents—they’d know how to deal with this.
He’d leave the parenting to them. He would just collect the necessary info to bring to the station. “And the drugs at camp are the same kind authorities confiscated at the high school in Anchorage?” The sport enhancer laced with other narcotics was becoming an epidemic among young athletes. It was dangerous and illegal, and too many promising high-school athletes had blown their scholarship opportunities by using the year before. Eddie hoped they could get these drugs off the street and out of the schools in time to prevent more kids from ruining their lives over a desire to fit in or desperation to be the best.
“Yes, I think so. They look the same as the ones I saw on the news. Mystic Rush? Bright-colored pills that look like candy?” she said, toying with the rim of her soda can.
“Do you have any left?”
She shook her head. “Mom and Dad would kill me if they found drugs.”
“I think they’d believe you were smart enough not to take any. And you’re brave being here, now,” he said reassuringly. “How much are the boys at school selling them for?”
“Five dollars a pill for first-time buyers, then the price goes up to twenty dollars a pill once people are hooked.”
That’s how it worked. “Have you heard the boys talking about where they got the drug? Who’s supplying them with it?” The boys were in trouble for trafficking, but the department was more interested in the person supplying the kids, bringing the new drug to Alaska and Wild River.
Kaia shook her head, but she refused to meet his gaze.
“Kaia, this is important. Your friends are in over their heads, and they may not think this drug is a big deal, but it’s dangerous. It already killed several kids in Anchorage last year, and a lot of lives are being destroyed. If you know anything that could help, it’s important fo
r you to tell me.”
She sighed. “I didn’t hear the boys talk about it. They are pretty secretive about the whole thing. They don’t want to lose their territory to other sellers.”
Their territory. Shit. These kids were treating it like a business already. Eddie hated to see smart, talented kids corrupted like this.
“But,” she continued, “I think I saw the man at camp.” She hesitated. “We took the kayaks out after curfew one night. I know we shouldn’t have done it, and I would never do it again.”
He believed her. She looked kinda shaken by what might have happened that night. “You okay, Kaia? Did anything happen? Other than the drugs?” His chest tightened, and he was ready to kick some junior-high-boy ass.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and he was instantly ready to drive to the home of any boy who might have touched one hair on the girl’s head...
“It was nothing, really. Tommy, this boy I sorta like, the one who gave me the pills, he tried to kiss me when we were alone in a kayak, but I stopped him.”
Eddie nodded. “Did he hurt you? Or pressure you?”
Tears appeared in her eyes, before she stubbornly wiped them away. “He laughed and said I was just a child.”
Obviously that hurt. “He’s wrong, Kaia. You are more mature than any of them. Mature and strong. I’m proud of you.”
Even she looked slightly weirded out by that, and he cleared his throat. “Sorry, that was weird.”
But she smiled. “It was actually kinda cool. For a second, you almost sounded like stepdad material.”
His stomach dropped. He and Montana had never gotten that far into discussions of their relationship. They hadn’t put a label on it. But Eddie had hoped things were headed in that direction. In those hopes, he’d given thought to what it meant to date a single mom: being with Montana meant being a big part of Kaia’s life. It hadn’t scared him, and the more he’d thought about it, the more he’d liked the idea. How would Kaia feel when she found out he and Montana had cooled things—frosted things, actually?
Right now, they had to focus on the drugs. “So, out in the kayaks, that’s where Tommy met up with the dealer?”
“Yes, on the other side of the lake. We weren’t supposed to go that far, but he wouldn’t listen to me. He docked the kayak and got out. I waited in the boat, but I could see the older man he was talking to.”
“You could see clearly in the dark?”
“Yes. They had flashlights.”
“Did you know him? Recognize him?”
“Not really, but he did look familiar. He was tall, about six four—not quite as tall as my dad.”
“No one’s as tall as your dad,” Eddie said in an attempt to break the tension, but his body remained tight, his spine tingling with the realization that he might be close to helping catch this lowlife the department had been looking for.
“That’s true, but this man was close. He wasn’t big like Dad, though. He was skinny, like really unhealthy skinny.”
“Drug use, most likely.”
“He had longish white hair and no facial hair.”
Eddie nodded. So far nothing extremely telling. “Do you remember what he was wearing?”
“Looked like a tracksuit...”
“Did you see any logos or anything on it?” A company brand would at least give him a starting point.
But she shook her head. “No, sorry. It was too dark.”
“Okay, well, thank you, Kaia. I really appreciate you trusting me with this.”
She looked worried again. “If Tommy gets in trouble, he’ll know it was me who ratted him out. I was the only one there that night.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not after Tommy. My hope is that if we can catch the dealer, the inflow of drugs will stop. Tommy might not get off without some sort of punishment, but I’ll make sure before we approach him there’s no reason for him to think it was you. Deal?”
“Deal,” she said, looking relieved. “Thanks, Eddie.”
“Anytime, Kaia. Now, let’s get you to your mom.” He climbed into his chair, and two minutes later they were in the van.
As soon as Kaia was delivered safely to Montana, Eddie needed to get to the station.
* * *
“HEY, HONEY, I thought you weren’t feeling up to brunch?” Montana asked as Kaia joined them in the restaurant. It didn’t escape her notice the way her mother assessed Kaia’s choice of clothing. Jeans and hoodie, baseball cap covering her long, dark hair; she looked perfect to Montana. Her mother’s opinion didn’t matter, and she hoped Kaia didn’t notice the disapproving frown.
Or Lance’s obvious annoyance at the sight of her daughter. How on earth had she dated a guy who liked to pretend Kaia didn’t exist? She was more and more annoyed with herself over the casual fling with Lance the more she compared him to Eddie.
“I was feeling better,” she said, but Montana could tell something was up.
“Did your dad drop you off?” She looked around but didn’t see him.
Kaia shook her head. “Eddie did,” she said, nodding toward the restaurant entrance where Eddie was leaving.
Montana’s heart thundered in her chest. Eddie was there? Shit. He’d obviously seen Lance having brunch with them. She sighed. This kept getting worse. She frowned as she turned back to Kaia. “What were you doing with Eddie? Is everything okay?”
“Can we talk about it later?” Kaia asked, glancing nervously at her grandparents.
“Sure...okay.” Probably best not to have a serious conversation in front of an audience, anyway.
“Are you hungry?” her father asked.
“Not really,” Kaia said, but she did reach for a piece of toast from the basket.
Montana studied her daughter. There was definitely something wrong. Had Eddie told her about their argument? About things being...over? No, she refused to believe that they were really over, and he’d never tell Kaia. He’d leave that discussion for her.
“Lance and I were just talking about a ski day during the holidays,” her father said to Kaia. “I hear you’re a natural on a snowboard.”
The fact that her father was interested in developing a better relationship with Kaia filled Montana with hope that their family was starting to reconnect and come together after all the years of little contact. Her parents making an effort was great—if only their plans didn’t include Lance.
Montana’s future plans sure didn’t and she’d need to talk to her parents soon.
Kaia looked slightly confused by the idea as well. “We are all spending the holidays together?” she asked Montana.
“We’ll talk about that later, too,” Montana told her.
Lance shot her an odd look, but then his attention was caught elsewhere. “Oh, excuse me. I have to get going,” he said, standing rather abruptly. “Mr. and Mrs. Banks, it was a pleasure. I hope to see more of you both. Montana, I’ll call you later.”
Shit, so much for talking to him.
He bent to kiss her cheek, and she pretended to cough and pulled away, aware of Kaia’s What the hell is happening? look.
Montana had a lot of awkward conversations ahead of her.
“Okay, yeah. We should meet for a drink or something later.” No matter what happened with Eddie, Lance was definitely not the one for her. If her father liked him so much, her father could date him.
Lance left the table, and Montana turned her attention back to Kaia. “Sorry, I know that was awkward. I’ll definitely explain later,” she whispered.
Kaia nodded, but her attention was still on Lance, who was now...talking to his father? She recognized him from the media. Odd. Montana didn’t think the two men spoke.
In fairness, it looked more like an argument. The older man was up close in Lance’s face. Toe to toe. Their similar height putting them nose to nose. His father’s long white hair was
pulled back into a low ponytail, giving them a view of the angry scowl on his face. He said something, but Montana couldn’t hear what it was from that distance, just the raised voices.
Lance grabbed the man’s arm roughly and said something before walking away. Wow, she’d never seen this side of him before. He was usually so relaxed and under control, even under stressful situations like his competitions or North Mountain Sports Company events. Whatever his father had said had clearly gotten to him.
“Who was Lance arguing with?” Kaia whispered, a note of fear in her voice.
“Oh, don’t worry, that’s just his dad. Their relationship is complicated, I think,” Montana reassured her, but even she felt uneasy, an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach as the older man turned to look in their direction. His intense stare seemed to narrow in on Kaia, and the little girl moved closer, as Montana instinctively put a protective arm around her.
What the hell?
He turned and left before Montana could go over to him and demand an explanation for the way he was staring at her daughter.
“You okay?” she asked Kaia.
Kaia nodded quickly. “He was just odd—the way he was staring at us. That’s all.”
Odd indeed. So odd that Montana wasn’t waiting to find out what it was about. She stood. “I’ll be right back.”
Kaia grabbed her hand. “Where are you going?”
“I just need to talk to Lance for a minute. I’m going to see if I can catch him outside. Stay here with Grandma and Grandpa, okay?” she said, with her best reassuring smile.
“Okay. Be careful.”
Montana frowned. Be careful? Something had definitely unnerved Kaia about the older man.
She left the restaurant and headed toward the lobby, scanning for Lance or his father. To find one and avoid the other. She caught sight of Lance outside and picked up her pace to catch him before he got onto a shuttle bus headed back toward town. “Hey, Lance,” she called, pushing through the revolving doors.
A blast of cold air hit her as she’d left her jacket inside. She wrapped her arms around her body as she jogged toward him.
A Sweet Alaskan Fall Page 24