Sapphire Falls_Going After Indigo

by Rose Silverstone

  “I love you, Daddy. You will always always be my daddy, no matter what.”

  Damn, if that didn’t just cut him to the quick and break down all of those dangum barriers he’d attempted to erect. His cousin’s grip tightens as he feels the first tremor.

  “Hay …” clearing his throat, he tries to speak again. The second attempt is just as strangled with all that he is emotions. “Hay Belle, you are my everything and my continuous reason for being. I … I love you more than you will ever know.”

  “Not even enough stars to show.”

  He smiles through the pain his fear of losing her causes him. Noah doesn’t know just how long they stand there all wrapped up together. He feels he needs to take a moment to wrap his head around everything. Even with his now sleeping daughter’s declaration, his fear hasn’t been put to rest. A good long drive is a must in order to see beyond all of what he is feeling.

  “Thanks for keeping watch over her tonight. I should be back shortly. I just need …” Noah heaves a heavy sigh before pulling his cap down over the curls of his hair.

  “Go. I get it. I understand. Do what you need to do.”

  He watches Lou take his daughter up the stairs before he heads out to his truck.

  * * *

  “Alice, I’ve got the door. Will you check on the pot roast? I don’t want our dinner to burn. The potatoes are just about perfect.”

  Noah hears his mother’s voice as she makes her way to the door. When he’d left his home, he’d had every intention of getting in his truck and driving the few hours it would take for him to get to his ranch. Spending time on his horse after the drive would’ve done him a great deal of good. Why then is he standing on the porch of his parent’s home? He knows the answer even before the thought or question is formed in his mind?

  Noah wants answers. These answers were a long time coming. Six years and counting is too long to go without the truth of it all. Noah’s inner revelry is interrupted by his mother’s warm greeting. Normally, he would offer her a smile and a warm hug. Today isn’t going to be one of those days.

  “Noah? Oh my. What a surprise? I’ll just let Alice …” whatever his mother was going to say died on her lips the instant she takes in his stance. He never would’ve expected the words she spoke next no matter how much he prepared himself. “You know. I told Lizzie this was going to come back and bite us in the ass later. When I saw that gorgeous woman prance her way into the studio that first day, I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up looking for much deserved answers. Come on in. I’ll fix you a plate and pour us both a few drinks. They’ll be needed.”

  Noah spends the next few hours listening to his mother tell the story of how his sister, Elizabeth, stole a child from a young mother in hopes to keep her husband. The husband, Hank, had grown tired of Lizzie’s bouts of “crazy” due to the fact that she refused to take her medications as she was directed. Her schizophrenic behaviors were a weight on his shoulders. As much as Hank loved her, he didn’t have the strength to fight her any longer.

  By the time the adoption was supposed to have happened, Elizabeth was no longer a married woman. She’d blatantly refused to believe anything anyone told her. She fell off the radar. By the time their parents found her, she had a child. It wasn’t until her death that they figured out where the child came from and did everything in their power to keep the truth to themselves. They didn’t see any harm in it since everything seemed to fall into place and the mother was long gone. They felt it was better for the child to be raised with the family Lizzie wanted her to be with.

  Hearing that has Noah screaming before he breaks down crying. It is all true and he has no leg to stand on. He storms out of the house when his mother suggests that they doctor up papers to fight anything that the Warrens would toss at them.

  “They’ve lost enough! I won’t be party to something that causes them even more pain. You didn’t see her face when she held Hayden, protecting her from me. Me, Momma!”

  Noah practically rips the door off the hinges when he flings it open to leave. He knows he’s going to hate his next move, but it’s the right thing to do.

  10

  Revealed

  Sapphire

  I don’t give a crap! This is not how things were supposed to happen and you know it. I’m here in this small town hell, under your instructions to ‘lay low’ and the thing I’m supposed to be avoiding happens anyway!”

  The whirlwind that is her life just didn’t seem to want to let up. She’s been in motion ever since the moment Louisa came to pick Hayden up the day before. It seems she is going to have to head back to New York to take care of things on her own. Roger isn’t handling things as he said he would. It appears he was feeding the frenzy. Having Noah thrust that paper at her as if that were proof enough that she wasn’t worthy was a low blow.

  Any doubt she had about Hayden being her child was immediately dismissed when Hayden and her sister met. Seeing them next to one another made her heart beat double time and shut down any doubts she may have had. The instant love and adoration they had for one another told her she had done something right. Her mother told her a few days ago that she and her father had testing done some years back. They didn’t know if the Burke’s knew the testing was done, but it had proven what they all knew. Hayden was family; one of theirs.

  “I’ll handle it! I don’t give a damn what you think any longer. I’m going to figure out how to salvage what’s left of my life. You’re fired!”

  Ending the call, she growls in frustration before quickly making arrangements for the dance studio, travel, and everything else. Knowing she is going to have to return to New York, has her preparing to do battle with the Burkes. Yes, they’d taken care of her child all of these years. In the end, it comes down to the truth and what is the right thing to do. Hayden is her child, not theirs. She isn’t a cold-hearted bitch despite what bloggers and New York papers said. If they do the right thing, then she plans to allow them to remain in Hayden’s life.

  The ball would be in their court.

  As she packs up things for her and Jojo, a knock sounds on the front door.

  “Coming,” she calls as she jogs to the door. She’s beginning to apologize for the mess when she notices that it’s Noah with a sobbing Hayden in his arms. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  “Nothing.” Noah speaks but it is forced. She can tell that he is struggling to keep his emotions in check. “She’s yours. I’m here to give her back.”

  Indigo blinks a few times as she takes in what he is saying. She reaches for a still crying Hayden and her daughter reluctantly lets go of Noah. As a tear trickles down his face, she feels a few tumble down her cheeks. He nods his head and moves to step away. Quickly grabbing hold to his hand, Indigo pulls him through the door.

  “I think we need to talk,” she says as she wipes away tears.

  Noah nods once as he physically fights whatever emotions he’s feeling.

  “Hay Belle?” Noah smiles and nods at the nickname. “Do you want to have dinner with daddy, mommy, and your sister tonight?”

  The suggestion makes Hayden squeeze her tighter and sob even more.

  “Come on, Hay Belle. You have to stop crying, honey. You’re killing me.”

  “I’m going to miss you, Daddy. You said Mommy is going to New York. It’s so far away. When will I see you again?”

  Indigo turns away from Noah as he wipes away a tear and places his big hand over Hayden’s curls before kissing her.

  “We’ll figure it out, Hay Belle. We can see each other on the computer.”

  “Not the same, Daddy.”

  Turning, she goes to his arms and Indigo has to step away in order to collect herself.

  “Hay Belle, it’s going to be okay. You have to stop crying, honey. Do you want your sister to see you crying?”

  “N … n … no. Where is Little Sister?”

  “She’s …” Indigo clears her throat so she can speak. “She’s up in her roo
m, sweetie. Go on up and I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

  Hayden gives them both a hug before heading for the staircase. She turns as if unsure of whether she should go or not.

  “I’ll be here. Your Mommy said we’re having dinner together. That’s what we’re going to do.”

  Indigo rushes into the kitchen. The situation is too much. This shouldn’t be this hard. She should be happy. She is getting her daughter without a fight. Watching their prelude to a goodbye is too painful.

  Pulling out the ingredients for the salad, she begins to work her knife through the head of lettuce. Her trembling hand causes her to pause. The blurring of her vision warns her that she is about to break down again. His arms are there and she accepts his embrace.

  “I’m sorry. I know that sounds insane. You’re doing this great thing at the expense of your feelings about it. I feel like the worst person in the world. This isn’t fair. She gets to have me at the cost of possibly losing you.”

  Noah’s chest rising and slowly falling causes her to attempt to step away. His hold tightens around her as he clears his throat a couple times.

  “It’s what I deserve for what I tried to do. I don’t deserve her in my life if I was willing to keep the two of you apart.”

  Leaning away from him, Indigo looks up at him to see him staring off into the distance. She tugs her hand free then taps his chin to get him to look at her.

  “I’m not this … this harlot they’re trying to make me out to be. Yes. At one point in time, I wore a scarlet letter on my chest. I thought I was in love with a man that was all together wrong for me, much older, and not that much wiser than I was.” Clearing her throat, she shakes her head trying to fortify herself to get through the next part. “Russell was this amazingly charming guy that said all of the right things to get a young, impressionable girl’s attention. For one vying for the form of acceptance I desired, he was the perfect treat. What he hadn’t expected was to fall for me as hard as I fell for him. We were these two idiots ‘in love’ who didn’t use protection any of the times we were together. Both of us acted shocked and surprised when I came up pregnant. Our relationship spanned a three-month period. It was enough time for the damage to be done”

  “Want do you mean?” he asks seeming genuinely intrigued.

  “Ah! You don’t know the whole story. Russell was engaged to a woman named Sue Grant. Everyone in town knew this. I did not. I have never been one to follow town gossip. I kept my nose in my books and my feet along with my body in the dance studio. My parents and siblings didn’t believe what people were saying, at first. When they learned the truth, it wasn’t from me.”

  “It wasn’t? Who told them?”

  “My siblings learned about our affair and impending parenthood from friends at school. My mother found out from some women at the local salon and Dad learned of it from some of the males at Dottie’s Diner. Some of the guys were discussing it and he overheard the conversation. In a matter of a few hours, my world shattered into a billion pieces. Russell and I had been at the doctor’s office and the busy body receptionist made calls that set off the chain reaction to end my happiness. It also branded me. I was clueless. Russell knew because Sue called him to end things while he was there with me. When he left me at the clinic, he took off to go after her. I had no forewarning for the dirty looks, scowls, or the wrath of my parents. They couldn’t fathom it a possibility that I had no foreknowledge about the Russell-Sue nuptials. The Grants and Warrens do a lot of business together.”

  “All of this happens and you get branded then saddled with an impossible decision. A moment of clarity and my selfish sister snatches all of that away.”

  Indigo drops her head then turns to wash her hands and continue completing the salad she’d started. The chicken and spaghetti was done. The bread was cooling and the iced tea was chilling in the fridge. The salad is the last thing that needs to be completed.

  Noah washes his hands and begins working on the carrots. They stand, working in silence for a little while until Noah breaks the silence.

  “Where is this Russell guy now? If I’m overstepping, please let me know.”

  “It’s fine. I may as well tell it all since I’m spilling my guts here. About six years ago, Russell came to New York. He got up the courage to come see me. He wanted to know about his child. He caught me on a bad day, which turned out to be a great day for him. Nine months later our second child was born. Russell was killed while on the road. He’d been on a run that same year. It was a robbery gone bad. His mother checks in and sends money or gifts every so often, but can’t spend a great deal of time with her grandbaby because it’s too hard to see the features of her son in Jodie. Photos, video chats, that’s all she can do. We’ve come to accept it. It doesn’t make things any easier. I used to sit in my bedroom and wonder how things would have been if my first child had lived. Finding out, how I did and when I did … there are no words to describe what I felt.”

  Noah continues to silently chop up all of the vegetables that Indigo had out. They work together to put the finishing touches on dinner. They call the girls down and share the meal they worked together to complete. It feels weird yet right to have the four of them sitting together at the table. After dinner, they watch a movie and the girls fall asleep. They each carry a child to bed. The girls share a room at her house because there were only two set up when she moved in.

  Noah strokes Hayden’s hair then tucks a lock of Jojo’s hair behind her ear. The gesture causes Indigo’s heart to squeeze in her chest. She moves away from the door just as he stands to exit. They walk down the stairs and he helps her clean up.

  “Um, I have to go to New York for a little while. I need to clear some things up. I don’t know what the next step is. I just know I hate knowing my … our little girl is going to be hurting because she doesn’t have you.”

  “I have a practice here and a ranch up state. New York isn’t a place for me. We’ll all adjust.”

  “Right. Okay. I just thought I’d extend the offer. Thank you for everything tonight and for taking such good care of Hayden all of this time.”

  “Yeah, she made it easy. I’m … um … I’m going to leave. Early day and all.”

  “Yes. We have a flight to catch. Early drive to the airport.”

  “Well, drive safe. Precious cargo and all.”

  “Yes. I know. The most precious.” Indigo follows Noah to the door and opens it.

  “Goodnight Noah.”

  “Goodbye Indigo.”

  Indigo blinks then nods before watching him exit down the steps and out of her life. Onward to New York tomorrow to fix the mess that she left behind. She never thought she would feel sad about leaving Sapphire Falls behind. It may have everything to do with the man that simply walked away from the possible future they could have.

  * * *

  “Dang tequila! It gets me in trouble every single damn time. Who did I land this time?”

  Indigo stands and quickly but silently moves around the bed. In all of his country boy glory, lying in the bed is Noah.

  Some of the night comes back to her. He’d surprised her and shown up in New York, a week after her exit from Sapphire Falls, wanting to talk about an arrangement. She coerced him into sitting down for a drink at the bar where they met. The longer they sat, the more they drank. She called for a car and they drunkenly ended up back at her place.

  “I’m going to take a much needed shower. Maybe a bath.”

  She recalls stripping right then and there. She doesn’t have a clue how she made it up the steps and didn’t face plant. The shower time became bath time. Noah had stayed and checked on her. She didn’t know how long it had been. He ended up in the bath. Invitations were made and he ended up naked with her. She didn’t remember them leaving the bath. The waking up next to him—exactly how it happened—is a bit fuzzy.

  Eyes glaring, she begins to scan the room for condoms.

  “Tequila and sex are never a good combination. I kn
ow this. I have two children to prove this point. I cannot be pregnant by another one of them,” her mutterings and movements cause him to stir.

  All of him stirs. When she peeks over at him, his hand moves over his morning wood and a heated sensation moves through her. Noah clears his throat and her eyes flick to his.

  “Con … Co … Condoms?” she asks and his brown eyes blaze with a passion she knows well. Opening a drawer, he produces one and she breathes a sigh of relief.

  When he rolls one on as she stands, she realizes the mistake she made. Noah and all of his maleness moves to where she is and begins working her into a frenzy. His actions take away the urgent need flowing deep within the depths of her and triggers an all new situation that presses her to a peak. He drives into her and she careens off the cliff. All tension and anxiety are immediately a distant memory as he reaches his own peak.

  The pitter-patter of little feet and tiny voices have them postponing any further coital bliss. Noah goes to take care of the girls as she tries to wrap her head around everything that has happened.

  “The girls?”

  She remembers their path to the room and the clothes strewn everywhere. Before a full-blown panic happens, she notes a hamper by the door along with a suitcase. Quickly grabbing a robe and tossing it over her body, Indigo follows behind a pajama pants clad Noah.

  Lacey notices the state of undress on both of their parts.

  “Playing house, are we?”

  Indigo rolls her eyes. “Aren’t you late for something? Don’t you have a plane or train to catch?”

  “I’m going but I want major league details the moment I land.”