by Deanna Chase
When Faith walked out onto the front porch, she hadn’t been able to ignore Hunter’s truck parked off to the side. He was on the property somewhere, taking care of the orchard while Lin was recuperating. She hadn’t been able to resist. She needed answers.
And she’d gotten them. As she drove the cart away from him, her heart felt as if it had shattered into a million pieces. He’d told her he wanted her, heart, mind, body, and soul. If she hadn’t been so jumbled inside, so messed up by her mother’s choices, she would’ve thrown herself into his arms and never let go. But she couldn’t. It hurt more to be with him than it did to be away from him. So she did the only thing she could do—she made a clean break.
She couldn’t remember parking the cart in her dad’s garage or how she got into her car, but the next thing she knew, she was driving down her father’s mile-long driveway, the twinkle lights on the trees blinding her. She felt empty inside. The emotional overload had drained her, and when she got home, she headed straight for the shower.
When she emerged, she felt like a new woman. Or at least like one who had control of her life again. She’d decided, just like Noel, that she wasn’t ready to visit with her mother, although she knew Abby and Yvette were making an effort. Unlike Noel, she was fine with that. They had a right to ask their questions and decide for themselves if Gabrielle should be in their lives. Faith wanted something simpler, no complications. And that’s why she decided to keep her date with Brian.
He was fun and uncomplicated. The two things she desperately needed in her life at that moment. She took care to dress up for the date. She wore a festive red dress, her black boots, and a super-soft, handmade, black and red scarf.
It was five minutes till the hour when her doorbell rang. Faith felt a grin spread over her face as she started to open the door. Brian stood on her front porch, freshly shaven and holding a box from A Spoonful of Magic.
“What’s this?” she asked, waving him in and taking the gold-wrapped box.
“Just a little something for dessert,” he said, following her inside. “I figure if the date goes well, we can share it later.”
She raised both eyebrows. “You’re counting on getting invited in after dinner?”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t say counting on it, but I like to be prepared.”
“Of course you do.” She set the box on the counter and then opened it, finding a gorgeous chocolate tart inside. “Oh my. You’re vying for date of the year, aren’t you?”
It was his turn to raise his eyebrows. “Is that all it takes? A fancy dessert?”
“Sometimes.” She laughed, already feeling better about her decision. Closing the lid on the box, she said, “Let’s go find out if you’re dessert worthy, shall we?”
“Oh, I am. Trust me on this one.” He pressed his hand to the small of her back, and when they got to the coatrack beside her front door, he chose the black wool coat she’d planned to wear and helped her put it on. “You look gorgeous tonight. I think I forgot to tell you that.”
“So do you,” she said, eyeing his dark blue button-down shirt, wool pants, and matching sports coat. She leaned in slightly and added, “You smell really good too.”
“You like that? I call it soap,” he said with a wink.
She laughed again. “Good to know you like to stay clean. That will help with the after-dinner dessert decision.” Her face heated as soon as the words flew out of her mouth, but there was no taking them back, so she just grinned and said, “I hope you make the cut.”
“Why, Faith, I do believe you’re flirting with me,” he said and guided her out the door toward his sleek, black SUV.
“Good, you noticed,” she said almost shyly. The date was off to a great start, and she berated herself for canceling on Friday night. If she’d known she’d have this much fun, she might have saved herself some heartache and not fallen so hard for Hunter.
“Faith, I notice everything about you, gorgeous.” He opened the passenger door and helped her in.
They talked, laughed, and flirted all the way to Woodlines, the restaurant he’d picked for the evening. Once seated, they ordered wine and the crab cake appetizers. It turned out they both loved shellfish, but not oysters or squid. They also were big fans of Italian, but not Thai. And both of them loved watching basketball, but not baseball.
“I think we might have one or two things in common,” Brian said as he tipped his wine glass to hers.
“I think you might be right.” She brought her wine glass to her lips, and that’s when she spotted Hunter seated across the room with Zoey. The two of them had their heads bent together, and they were laughing with wild abandon. Just hours ago, she’d been sure she’d broken his heart. And now here he was at a nice restaurant, on a father-daughter date, enjoying the hell out of himself. The sight of them nearly broke her heart all over again. Had she really walked away from him? Away from his gorgeous daughter?
“Faith?” Brian asked. “Everything okay?”
“What?” She jerked her attention back to him and nodded. “Sure. Sorry, I got distracted.”
His gaze followed hers as she glanced at them once more. “Oh, Hunter and Zoey. They look like they’re having a good time.”
“They do, don’t they?” she agreed.
“That will be me and Skye one day,” he said.
She forced herself to focus on her date. “That’s right, you thought she was your child for the first nine months of her life, right?”
He nodded, having no reason to hide anything. “Yes, we thought she was mine, but it turns out Jacob is the lucky bastard who gets to pay for her college education instead. I’ll just be the one spoiling her with dinners and fun vacations to Disneyland.”
It was funny how history kept repeating itself. Jacob and Brian, who were best friends, had been involved with the same woman a few years back, and for a while, Skye’s mother had lied to everyone. She’d known all along who Skye’s father was, but she’d been having ongoing mental health issues after the birth of her daughter. Eventually everything had worked out, and Jacob now had custody of his daughter. Not long after everything was settled, Brian had moved to Keating Hollow to be close to both of them.
Their situation wasn’t exactly the same as Craig and Hunter’s, but it was close. Considering how well things were going for them, even though Skye’s mother was barely in the picture, it made Faith wonder if she’d been too hasty rejecting Hunter. Did he really need to be with Zoey’s mother to be a great father? Faith’s own father had raised his girls as a single dad and had been amazing. Why was she so stuck on the thought he should give Vivian a chance? A little voice in her head said, You aren’t. You’re just scared.
“Faith?” Brian said again. “Where’d you go?”
“Huh?” She turned so fast, she knocked her water over. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”
The waiter came over and quickly cleaned up the mess, but by the time he was done, she was watching Hunter and Zoey again.
Brian let out an audible sigh. “I should’ve known better.”
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“Just tell me one thing,” he said, leaning in closer to her.
“What’s that?”
“Why did you go out with me if you have feelings for Hunter?”
She blinked at him. Had he really just said that? He had. She opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it. How could she deny it? Her feelings were probably written all over her face. Instead, she hung her head and said, “I’m sorry, Brian. You’re right. I don’t want to have feelings for Hunter, but there they are. It’s not fair to you.”
He smiled at her. “But you do like me.”
“I do,” she agreed with a nod. “You’re fun and easy to be with.”
“That’s a great combination, but I guess you were never really considering inviting me in for that dessert, were you?”
“Is that all you were interested in, dessert?” she asked with her eyes narrowed.
He flashed her
a sexy little half smile. “No, not at all. But when I’m on a date, I sure would like to know it’s at least a possibility. If not, then all we’re ever going to be is friends. Which is fine of course, but I might not use the fancy soap.”
“You’re being too kind,” Faith said, feeling bad that she’d used him to make her feel better about Hunter.
“Nah. I’m having a good time. I just need to readjust my expectations.” He grabbed a forkful of crab cake and shoved it in his mouth.
“Friends it is then,” she said and lifted her glass to his. “Do you want the tart back when you drop me off?”
He laughed. “No, Faith. You keep it. I need to watch my manly figure if I’m going to be on the prowl again.”
She eyed him and nodded. “You’re right. A few more pounds and you’ll be laughed right out of the gym. Better leave the tart-eating to the pros.”
They joked their way through the rest of the dinner, all while Faith kept an eye on Hunter and Zoey. By the time they left, Faith was certain Brian was on deck to be her new bestie, right behind Hanna. She couldn’t believe how easy he was to talk to and how much they made each other laugh. And when he dropped her off, she once again decided it was a shame that the chemistry needed for a romantic relationship just wasn’t there.
“Goodnight, Brian. Thanks for dinner. It was wonderful,” she said.
“So were you,” he said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Do you mind if I give you a piece of advice?”
She stiffened, not sure she wanted to hear what he had to say, but she nodded anyway.
“If you love him, don’t let him get away.”
“It’s… complicated,” she said.
He gave her a knowing smile. “Relationships always are, beautiful.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She opened the door of the SUV and slid out. “Goodnight, Brian. Drive safely.”
“Goodnight, Faith. Think about what I said.” Then he backed out of her driveway as she watched him go.
Was he right? Should she run back to Hunter and tell him everything she’d said didn’t matter? That she loved him, too? The temptation was strong, but she refrained. She still needed to work some feelings out, and she couldn’t do that with Hunter clouding her brain.
She was so busy thinking about the chocolate tart, she didn’t even notice the shivering woman standing off to the side of her porch until she heard something that sounded like teeth chattering. She glanced over and nearly jumped out of her skin when she found Gabrielle Townsend shivering in the cold night air.
“Mom?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”
“Faith,” her mother slurred and grabbed onto Faith’s jacket to keep from falling over. “I missed you, baby. Why don’t you let your mommy in and we can talk?”
Faith glared at her. “You’re high.”
Gabrielle giggled. “Maybe just a bit. It’s been a rough few days. I had to do what I had to do.”
Disgust rolled through Faith, making her stomach turn. “You need to go. You can’t be here.”
“But I need a place to sleep,” her mother threw one arm in the air. “And your sister Noel won’t rent me a room at her inn.”
Of course she wouldn’t. Noel wasn’t going to put up with anyone who was hopped up on elicit potions. Especially since she had Daisy and a new baby on board. She wasn’t exactly sure what she should do. If she didn’t let her mother in, there was no telling what kind of trouble she’d get into. Not to mention the temperature was supposed to get below freezing that night. She really had no choice. She’d never be able to live with herself if she shut her out and something happened to her.
Faith let out a frustrated sigh, unlocked her door, and invited her mother in.
Gabrielle grinned and planted a wet kiss right on Faith’s mouth. “I always knew you were a good girl, Faithie.”
Her mother stumbled through the door and promptly vomited all over the tiled entry.
Chapter 22
“Sit here. Don’t move,” Faith ordered, while her puppy Xena whined from her crate.
“You have the cutest dog,” her mother squealed as she started to sink down onto the wooden kitchen chair, but then she thought better of it and moved toward Xena’s crate. “You should let her out. Caging animals is cruel, Faith.”
“It’s not cruel, Gabrielle,” Faith said testily, grabbing her by the shoulders just before she released the dog. “It’s her safe space. Leave her alone.”
“Her safe space,” Gabrielle laughed hysterically and draped her entire upper body across her kitchen table. “Nowhere is safe.” Then she lifted her head and said, “Your kitchen is so niccccce. How about you let me move in? I’ll cook every day.” She snorted. “Or at least every week.”
“Goddess above,” Faith muttered as she reached down for Xena, scooped her out of her crate and carried her to the back yard to let her do her business. When they returned, Faith grabbed her cleaning bucket, gloves, and supplies from her pantry. “Don’t touch anything. I’m going to clean up your mess and then we’re going to pour some coffee down your throat.”
Gabrielle reached out and poked Faith in the arm. “Oops. No touching.”
Faith glared at her but knew her wrath was lost on the doped-out woman. What had she done to deserve this crazy in her life? Nothing, she reminded herself. Her mother’s actions had nothing to do with her.
Muttering under her breath, she went to work on the mess in her entry. Twenty minutes later, she discarded the gloves, towels, and the mop head into a trash bag and hauled it out to the garbage bin. When she returned, she found Xena sitting under the table, cowering, and her mother passed out on the living room floor, snoring. Faith couldn’t help wondering how the heck she’d stumbled into the other room by herself.
“Come here, baby,” she said to the dog, picking her up and carrying her back to her crate. “Why don’t you just stay in here for now. Seems safer for both of us.”
Xena shot back into her crate, making Faith wonder what her mother had done to her to make her so skittish. If she’d hurt Faith’s dog, there was going to be hell to pay. “It’s okay, girl.” Faith tucked a couple of treats into her bowl and scratched behind her ear. “She’ll be gone in the morning, and you won’t have to deal with her again.”
Once the dog was settled, Faith moved back into the living room and eyed her motionless mother. At least Faith wasn’t going to have to deal with any more of her crazy for the evening. Concerned the woman would vomit again, she grabbed her by her shoulders and, with considerable effort, managed to haul her onto the couch. After positioning her on her side, Faith draped a blanket over her mother and retreated to her kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. The idea of going to bed while Gabrielle was in the house was out of the question. If she woke up, Faith had no idea what kind of trouble she’d get into.
When the coffee was done, Faith poured herself a cup, grabbed a copy of the latest Angie Fox paranormal mystery, and settled in her oversize arm chair, prepared for an all-nighter.
Faith dreamed she was sunbathing on a tropical island. A breeze wafted through the air, and she lay there basking in the sun, enjoying the warmth that seemed to seep into her bones. This is so much nicer than the chilly air of the northern California coast in the middle of December, she thought to herself. She felt like she could say there forever and be perfectly happy.
But then the heat turned intense and she found herself coated in sweat. Her eyes were watering, and she suddenly couldn’t breathe.
“Faith! Wake up now, sweetheart. I need you to wake up.” The urgency in Hunter’s voice pulled her out of her dream. Her eyes flew open, and her dream turned to horror. Fire surrounded her, climbing the walls and licking at her dining room set. The couch across from her was ablaze, and thick dark smoke obscured the rest of her house.
“There you are,” he said, his arms held out as he concentrated on the nearest flames, his magic holding them back. “Come on. I need you to get up and follow me.”
“Mom?” He frowned. “Gia was here?”
“Yes!” She jumped up and started to move closer to the couch, but the heat was too intense, and Hunter jerked her back, saving her from a flying ember.
“Faith, no. She’s not there. No one’s there. We have to get out of here while I can still—” He coughed, and his eyes were red and watering from the smoke.
“Dammit!” she cried and let him pull her from the burning wreckage. Just as he parted the flames consuming the back door, he executed a series of roundhouse kicks to force the metal door to open. The cool air rushed in, causing the flames to burn hotter.
“Go!” he pushed her out the door, his entire body straining with the effort to stave off the flames.
But before she could move, she heard Xena’s pathetic bark, and she turned to Hunter with horror in her eyes. “Xena,” she cried. “She’s in her crate and can’t get out.”
“I’ll get her!” He shoved her back out the door again, making her fall to her knees on the wet grass. When she glanced back, the opening was once again consumed by the flames.
She scrambled away from the house and ran smack into her sister Yvette.
“Thank the gods,” Yvette breathed, clutching her sister with one hand while wielding her magic with the other one to keep the flames from moving from her house to the one on the right. “Where’s Hunter?”
“He went after Xena. She’s in her crate.” she choked out, her eyes watering at the thought of losing her little devil dog. Then her fears shifted to Hunter, and she willed him to burst out of the house.
“Anyone else in the house?” Yvette asked as Drew and Noel ran up to them.
“Mom’s in there!” Faith cried, just as Noel crushed her in a hug.