Brenda Novak

by Home to Whiskey Creek

  “Anything else?”

  Helen didn’t seem to hear her sarcasm. “No, that should do it. At least you already got a boob job.”

  Addy didn’t bother to continue the argument over whether or not she’d had certain enhancements. “But I was going to the restaurant this morning and then making dinner.” She hadn’t been looking forward to facing Darlene again, but she had been looking forward to preparing tonight’s meal. She hadn’t cooked since she’d come home.

  “Darlene can handle the restaurant. And I’ll take care of dinner.” For once, Gran was siding with Helen. “You go with your mother and have a great time.”

  * * *

  Addy couldn’t complain about being whisked off. She had the wax first, which was painful, but everything got better from there. She’d never been so pampered in her life, or felt more attractive once her spa experience was over. She’d had her hair and nails done, too. And, afterward, her mother—with her husband’s money, no doubt—insisted on buying her a new dress: a clingy number that would’ve been way beyond her own budget. She liked the vibrant color and stretchy fabric; Helen couldn’t get over how “flattering” it was to her figure.

  “You should’ve been a model,” she said.

  Addy smiled as they returned to the house. She’d actually enjoyed her mother and couldn’t wait to see Noah. Although a big lump of guilt sat in her stomach and didn’t seem likely to go away, a rebellious streak had her shaking her fist at all her reservations and telling herself she’d do as she damn well pleased for a change. Except for that one graduation party, when she’d disobeyed Gran to sneak out of the house, she’d always lived her life by carefully observing the rules. That one night had burned her badly. She’d also seen where bad behavior had gotten her mother. But she’d never wanted anything the way she wanted Noah. That forced her to risk a relationship, even though she knew they could only be together for a few months—if his interest lasted that long.

  “Look at you!” Gran made a big fuss over her when she walked in. “You’re gorgeous!”

  “Thanks.” The kitchen smelled of several delectable flavors. “What’s for dinner? Sweet potato casserole?”

  “In addition to steak, salad and asparagus. Apple pie for dessert.”

  “He’ll love it.”

  Gran glanced at the clock. “He should be here any minute.”

  Addy wasn’t too happy that Noah would be meeting her mother. She had no idea what Helen might say. Helen could make some sexual innuendo that would be embarrassing, or simply be too bold in her praise—of his body, for instance. Helen loved being irreverent, loved shocking the opposite sex. Guaranteed, she’d flirt with him shamelessly. But Addy couldn’t ask her mother to leave. What kind of daughter did that?

  Helen made a sound of excitement and Addy turned.

  “Oh, my God! Is that him?” She stood at the window, gazing outside. Noah had just driven up.

  “Yes, but—”

  Her mother cut her off. “Tell me he has an older brother who’s single!”

  “For...for you?” Addy sputtered.

  Her mother used her long nails to fluff her hair. “Doesn’t hurt to assess my options.”

  Addy looked at Gran, who was too busy getting the casserole out of the oven to be paying attention. “You’re married!”

  “Things change. You’ve pointed that out yourself.”

  “And you got mad at me for it. You kept saying you’re happy.”

  “Sometimes I’m happier than at other times. Do the Rackhams have money?”

  The doorbell rang, but Addy made no move to answer it. “Mom, I know you’re joking. At least, I hope you are. But please don’t talk like that in front of Noah. And whatever you do, don’t mention a brother. I guess you don’t remember, or you weren’t in town long enough to learn, but he had a twin and that twin was—” she struggled with the memories and her sense of responsibility “—killed at the mine the night they graduated from high school. I don’t want Noah reminded of it. It’s been...hard on him.”

  “Oh, right. I heard about the cave-in. It really tore you up,” her mother said, but she didn’t seem particularly sensitive to his loss or to Addy’s reaction. There was a shrug in her voice when she added, “So maybe his father’s ready for a change.”

  Adelaide guessed her mother was joking again, but grabbed her arm, anyway. “Mom, I’m serious. Don’t—”

  “What? Tease him?” she interrupted, obviously exasperated. “He can’t take a joke?”

  “I’m just saying that...I care about this one, okay?”

  Her mother sobered. “Whoa! Mom, did you hear that?”

  Gran didn’t say anything, but she turned to stare. A little over a week ago, she’d told Gran she didn’t want Noah over for dinner.

  “Addy’s finally met someone capable of stealing her heart,” Helen was saying. “And so soon. She just got back here. Before you know it, she’ll be settling down next to you, right where she grew up.”

  “I would love that,” Gran said.

  Living next to Gran had once been Addy’s dream. But she knew it was impossible. “I’ll get the door.”

  23

  Noah had spent much of the day calling restaurants in Davis. Although very close to the Sacramento metropolitan area, it was a small town—a college town—and the list of restaurants wasn’t so daunting that he couldn’t get through them in a reasonable amount of time. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t thought of doing the research this way before. He’d been relying on Chief Stacy to do his job while he dealt with his own problems. But after finding that note on Addy’s car, he was determined to get to the bottom of what was happening to her, because it certainly didn’t seem as if anyone else was.

  He’d started with the high-end restaurants, the type that might hire a true “chef,” and began working his way down. It wasn’t long before he found someone who recognized Adelaide’s name. It was at a restaurant called Tsunami, “famous” for its “California cuisine.” The person who answered said that Adelaide Davies no longer worked there. So Noah had asked for the manager of the restaurant—from what he’d heard the night he pulled her from the mine, that should be her ex-husband— and was told that Clyde Kingsdale wasn’t in.

  Noah left his name and number but no message. He figured if he didn’t hear from Clyde he’d try later. Or maybe it would be smarter to go to the restaurant and speak to him in person....

  The more he thought about it, the more Noah believed that was the case. He just needed to find out when the guy would be working, and another call to Tsunami should tell him that.

  “Hey,” he said as Addy opened the door.

  She glanced over her shoulder into the room behind her, seemingly distracted. “Hey.” She stepped aside. “Come on in.”

  From what he could see, her bruises were finally gone, and she’d had her hair layered. Noah felt his heart beat a little faster at the sight of her. She did something to him no one else ever had; he wasn’t sure why. He’d met a lot of pretty girls over the years. “You look great.”

  She gave him a shy smile. “Thanks. I’d like to introduce you to my mother, Helen Simpson.”

  A woman almost as tall as Addy, and attractive in a well-preserved way, reached out to shake his hand. “That’s Helen Kim,” she corrected.

  Addy blushed to have gotten her mother’s name wrong but didn’t apologize. She waved to a chair. “Dinner’s just about ready. Can I get you a glass of wine to start?”

  “That’d be great. Thanks.”

  She went into the kitchen as Helen sat down across from him and made small talk. She asked what he did for a living and how his family was doing. He asked where her home was now and how long she’d be visiting. She told him she lived in Salt Lake City with her husband, adult stepson and two Chihuahuas. The stepson—who, according to her, was a little “off” and had never married—was caring for the dogs while she and her husband were out of town.

  He wondered how Addy had managed to mess up h
er mother’s last name, but from what Eve and Olivia had told him about Helen, he thought he could probably guess.

  “Addy mentioned that you’ve done a lot of traveling over the years,” he said. “And that you once lived in Germany?”

  “When I was married to Frank. That was quite the time.”

  He could hear Addy talking to Gran in the kitchen. “Sounds like it was a great opportunity to see the world.”

  “It was. And I never miss an opportunity.” She winked at him. Then she leaned forward. “How long have you known Addy?”

  “Since high school,” he said. “We didn’t socialize, but...we knew each other.”

  “And then you rescued her from the mine.”

  “I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time,” he said.

  “She’s a great girl, but she doesn’t really know how to go after what she wants.” She said that like, More’s the pity, as she laughed. “You can probably tell she doesn’t take after me. Still...she’s special.”

  He wondered if Addy understood how her mother felt about her. “I can tell that.”

  Addy returned with his wine. “Here you go.”

  “You two make such a handsome couple,” Helen said.

  “That’s enough, Mom.”

  “What? I’m just stating a fact. He’s got to know he’s gorgeous.”

  Addy shot Helen another warning glance. “Mom, please. If you can’t refrain, we’ll go out and leave you here with Gran.”

  Noah couldn’t help smiling. Taking Addy’s hand, he pulled her into his lap. “Addy’s pretty gorgeous herself. I like this dress.”

  * * *

  Noah handled her mother like a pro. No matter what she said, he deflected it, softened it with humor or changed the subject. Addy was grateful that he didn’t seem put off. She’d been so uptight at first, angry at herself for not postponing this dinner the second she learned Helen was in town. But as the meal progressed, she slowly relaxed. Her mother was her mother. She couldn’t change or control her. And Noah seemed to understand, despite having grown up in an ideal environment, with parents who were community icons and knew the difference between having people laugh with you and having them laugh at you.

  When dinner was over, Gran started cleaning up. Addy wished her mother would step up and do it. She hated that Gran had so much difficulty getting around. But her mother never troubled herself to help with any of the household chores. Helen was already making excuses, saying she was tired and needed to lie down.

  Addy asked Gran to leave the dishes for her. She said she’d take care of them later, but Gran wouldn’t hear of it.

  “I’ve got this.” She motioned toward the living room and, apparently, the front door beyond. “You two go out on the porch and enjoy the autumn air.”

  Helen followed them outside instead of lying down. When she began talking about some man who’d hit on her at a gas station while she was driving over—Can you believe it? He thought I was only thirty-five!—Addy knew they needed to go farther than the porch.

  She tolerated Helen’s intrusion for a few minutes, but when Noah took her hand, she squeezed his, hoping he’d understand her desperation. Not long after that, he mentioned wanting to show Addy his bike shop. He extricated them from the house so well, so seamlessly, that Addy couldn’t be sure he hadn’t been planning to squire her away from the beginning. Regardless, it felt like another rescue, and she was grateful to him for that, too.

  “I’m sorry about my mother,” she said as they walked. His truck was at her place, but the weather was good and she’d told him she preferred to head over on foot.

  “You have nothing to apologize for.”

  Afraid someone in town might see them together and start gossiping about it, she avoided putting her hand within reach of his. She had no idea how Kevin or the others might react to her seeing Noah; they were already afraid she might tell the authorities. “Stop being polite.” She sent him a knowing look. “My mother can be...a little over the top.”

  “Um...you two are very different. I’ll say that.”

  “Diplomatically stated. But it’s no wonder I’m different. She hasn’t had much influence on my life.”

  He smiled as if he was thinking, Maybe you should be grateful for that, but he didn’t say anything.

  “Do you miss living in Davis?” he asked.

  She suddenly realized she hadn’t missed it at all. She’d scarcely even thought of her former home. She’d been too concerned with navigating the shark-infested waters she had to swim here. “Not too much.”

  Confusion etched two lines between his eyebrows. “So why do you want to go back so badly?”

  She should’ve said yes, she missed Davis. It would’ve been simpler. “I don’t know. It’s...all I’m familiar with besides this town.”

  He gave her an enticing grin as he pulled out a key and unlocked his store. “What’s wrong with this town?”

  Nothing—except what had happened fifteen years ago. That was the tragedy of it. She loved Whiskey Creek. But she shouldn’t be here. If not for Gran, she wouldn’t be. “There’s too much history.”

  “You left when you were eighteen. How much history could there be?”

  She shrugged as he held the door and she went in. “Sometimes it’s best to start over.”

  She could tell her answers hadn’t satisfied him, but now that they were at the store, he was distracted by his eagerness to show her what he’d created with his life so far.

  “I’m considering going into business with Brandon Lucero and expanding the shop to include snowboards, skis, that type of thing,” he said as he flipped on the lights. “If I retire soon, that’s what I’ll do.”

  Brandon had carved out a name for himself in extreme skiing. Addy had been impressed by some of the video footage she’d seen of him—especially when he was dropped off on a mountaintop via helicopter and then raced down the steepest of slopes, none of them groomed. “He’s officially retired, then?”

  “He never went back to it after that nasty fall where he broke his leg so badly.”

  Addy had seen the footage of that, too. “The Fall” had been on all the news channels, and the Gold Country Gazette had chronicled Brandon’s injury and his recovery.

  “The paper said he was going back to skiing after he healed.”

  “He was keeping his cards pretty close to his chest.”

  “So that injury forced him out of the sport?” She was beginning to understand why Noah considered giving up racing. He was getting older; why wait for a tragic accident to convince him it was time?

  “He might’ve been able to keep going for a few more years. But then he met Olivia, and that changed his focus.”

  “Right. Women weaken legs. I’ve seen Rocky, you misogynist.”

  “I’m wounded,” he said when she shoved him. “I was merely saying it takes a lot to make a man leave a woman he loves.” He pulled a pink tunic off the rack. “Do you bike?”

  “I’ve ridden before. But...I’m more of a runner.”

  “Because you haven’t experienced all the possibilities. You should go out with me sometime.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’d be going maybe ten miles an hour, especially if we went off-road. And if I came to a pothole or a rock, I’d get off and walk my bike around it. You’d be bored stiff.”

  “I doubt that.” He lowered his eyes to her new dress. “You’d look great in spandex.”

  “But I can’t say the helmet would do much for me,” she said with a laugh.

  “We’ll get you a cool one.” He started gathering up items. “You’ll also need some shoes and padded shorts. I wouldn’t want you to get a sore ass. Then you might not let me touch it.”

  She slugged his arm halfheartedly. “Stop.”

  “What about this?” He showed her a tight-fitting windbreaker with pockets for various necessities in back. “This will come in handy when it’s cold.”

  “Noah, I don’t even have a bike!”

&
nbsp; “We’re getting to that.”

  She glanced at the rows of expensive bikes lining the showroom. “No, we’re not.”

  “Sure we are. I want to take you biking tomorrow.”

  She caught a glimpse of the price tag on the helmet he’d selected. Biking stuff was expensive. “But I can’t afford all this. Not right now.”

  “You have plenty you could trade.” He slung what he’d been collecting over a rack and pressed her up against the register. “Want to pay now?” He nipped at her mouth. “Or later?”

  She couldn’t resist his lascivious smile, especially since he intended it to be lascivious. He tempted her to be so carefree, so happy. She felt satisfied when she was with him in a way she’d never felt satisfied before, and that scared her. Because she knew their...connection, or whatever it was, couldn’t last.

  Purposely avoiding any thought of the ending to come, she batted her eyelashes at him. “That depends on what payment includes.”

  He kissed her, slow and soft. “It’ll definitely include the removal of your panties.”

  She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss, only hers wasn’t sweet and coaxing like the one he’d just given her. It was sexy and raw. Demanding. She put everything she had into it because she couldn’t share her feelings any other way—and she was desperate to enjoy him while she could. “What if I’m not wearing panties?” she whispered.

  All playfulness disappeared from his expression as he slipped one hand up her dress. “Good thing I have a condom in my wallet.”

  * * *

  By the time they were ready to leave the store, Noah felt dazed. He had carpet burns on the backs of his hands where he’d shielded Addy’s backside as he drove into her in the break room, but he wouldn’t have done anything to change the experience. He’d never felt more possessive of someone, more hesitant to let go. Always before, he could walk away after sex. He’d preferred being able to go on with his life without any obligations, which was probably why he’d felt so defensive whenever his friends teased him. What they had to say was, to a large extent, true.