by L. P. Dover
“They do,” Grady said. “That’s where Nathan’s parents come into the picture. They paid a hefty amount of money to keep their son’s medical history a secret. Right now, they’re under further investigation. However, we were able to dig up a juvenile police record for Cramer.”
I rubbed my neck where it was still bruised. “Probably for stalking.”
“Actually, you’re close,” Grady agreed. “When Nathan was in high school, he got in trouble for peeping in his neighbor’s window. She also went to his high school. Her parents let the first incident go, but then he did it again, and that family pressed charges. Eventually, Nathan and his parents moved out of state, so he could attend a different school.”
Glenn passed me the photos of what the police found, including the necklace Adam gave to Cameron. It was absolutely beautiful. There were other things too, like a monogrammed hairbrush, a bra, and some pictures.
“Are you going to keep Cameron’s things for evidence?” Preston asked, his voice low.
Grady nodded. “For now. I’ll give them to you once we’re done. But do any of you have any questions before I go? I don’t want to keep you from your guests.”
Glenn lifted his brows at me and I shook my head. Preston held out his hand to the chief. “We’re good. Thank you for stopping by.”
Grady smiled. “I’ll be in touch soon.”
Once he left, Glenn patted Preston’s shoulder before leaving the room. I started to follow him out, but Preston grabbed my hand. “Not yet, angel. There’s something we need to talk about.”
I didn’t like the way he said it. My stomach clenched and I faced him, not liking the forlorn expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”
Clasping my hands, he looked down at them and sighed. “I’m not going back to Charlotte with you tomorrow.”
“What?” I gasped, feeling an ache in my chest.
He grabbed my face, his gray eyes full of love. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said it like that.” He took a deep breath and let it out slow. “I decided last night to sell my family’s house.”
“Oh,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I can stay and help you move everything out. I’m sure Glenn won’t mind.”
He shook his head. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” His hands slid away from my face and my chest tightened as he leaned against Glenn’s desk.
“So you don’t want me to help?”
He stared at me, his gray eyes searching mine. “I think it’s something I need to do on my own. I haven’t been able to truly face my demons. I need to know I can do it without you.”
Lips trembling, emotions raw, I turned my head. “Are you ending things with me?” I knew I was probably being dramatic, and I didn’t want to cry in front of him.
“No,” he growled, pulling me to him. “That’s never going to happen.” Grabbing my chin, he made me look at him. “I love you, Emma. It’s going to kill me watching you leave tomorrow. This whole time I’ve had you to keep me strong. I need to know I can do it on my own. Please tell me you understand.”
The treacherous tears fell down my cheeks. “I do, but I don’t want to leave you. How long will you be gone?”
He shrugged. “Not sure. Just promise me you’ll be there when I’m done.” His lips closed over mine and he breathed me in. “I’ve waited my whole life for you, angel. I’m not about to lose you now.”
“Then promise you’ll find your way back to me.”
He kissed me again. “Promise.”
Emma
(Two Weeks Later)
“Are you sure you want to go home?” my mother asked, holding out my purse. She gave me those puppy dog eyes that always worked on my dad.
Chuckling, I took my purse and hugged her. “Yes. I’ve stayed here the past two weeks. Don’t get me wrong, being waited on is nice, but I’m ready to get back to my place.” Ever since I’d gotten back, my parents wanted me to stay with them so I wouldn’t be alone. It was nice at first, but I missed having my own space.
“Fine,” she replied, sounding defeated. “Just know you can come back if you don’t feel comfortable being alone.”
I kissed her cheek and opened the front door. It was time for work. “I love you, Mom. I’ll call you when I get off.” Hurrying out the door, I got in my car and headed toward downtown.
Preston and I talked every day, and he sounded better each time. I had to believe he’d be coming home soon. Unfortunately, he hadn’t said anything about it, but I promised myself I wouldn’t push him. I missed him so much.
When I pulled up at work, I parked and headed into the office. About a week ago, Glenn had turned me over to Wade. I was nervous working for him, but I’d been the same way when I started with Glenn. So far, I hadn’t messed anything up.
The elevator doors opened and I stepped into the lobby of Chandler Enterprises. John was there, sitting with the new guy Glenn had hired to help with the music department. His name was Martin Ashby, a guy not much older than me, with whitish-blond hair and bright blue eyes. Just by the way he carried himself, I could tell he was a man who knew what he was doing.
A part of me was upset, maybe even a little jealous that Glenn hadn’t asked me to take the job, since it was mine and Preston’s in the beginning. It made me wonder if Preston had any intention of coming back soon. If he was, why did Glenn hire someone? It wasn’t something I wanted to think about.
John looked over and watched me walk off the elevator. “Good morning, beautiful.”
I put on a smile and waved at them both. “Good morning, guys. Ready for your first professional gig this weekend?” I asked John.
Martin slapped John on the shoulder. “Of course he is.” Then he winked at me. “You and your partner chose an amazing band.”
“Thanks.”
John’s band wasn’t the highlight of the big concert this weekend, but they were the opening act before the main event. They had to start somewhere. Soon, they’d be the main attraction.
John motioned me over, and since I had a few minutes to spare, I joined him and Martin. “You should come out to lunch with us today,” he suggested. “I’m working on a new song and I thought you could give me your opinion?”
Just thinking about music made everything better. “Of course. Let me see what’s on Mr. Chandler’s schedule and I’ll get back to you.”
“Sounds good.”
“Emma?”
I looked over to see Mrs. Marshall, receptionist for Chandler Enterprises, waving me over to her desk. She was in her early sixties and had worked for Glenn since he started the company.
By the time I got to her desk, she’d just hung up the phone. “Good morning, Mrs. Marshall.”
She always wore bright colors, and she didn’t disappoint today in her yellow blouse and white skirt. It went perfect with her bubbly personality. “Good morning, honey. I just got off the phone with Mr. Chandler. He wants to see you in his office.”
Glenn was out of town, so it was Wade who needed me. “Thanks. I’ll head there now.” Now that I didn’t work for Glenn, my office had been switched to the opposite side of the building to put me closer to Wade. I couldn’t complain, it had one of the best views of downtown Charlotte.
Wade’s door was closed, so I knocked.
“Come in,” he called out. I opened the door and smiled as he looked up from the stack of paperwork and nodded at the seat across from him. “Have a seat, Emma.”
I sat down and he leaned back in his chair, his expression serious. He had a tendency to lean to the serious side of things, always dressed in his crisp suits. And unfortunately, it didn’t look like he had good news.
Palms sweaty, I bit my lip, waiting for him to speak. I was afraid it was going to be about Preston. “Is something wrong?” I asked, breaking the silence.
His brows furrowed. “Why would something be wrong?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. You look like you’re about to tell me something I don’t want to hear.”
Sighing, he leaned forward and clasped his hands on the desk. “I’m sorry, Emma. I brought you in here because I’m letting you go.”
My breath hitched and I froze. Had I heard him right? “Excuse me? What do you mean?”
He looked right into my eyes. “You’re fired, Emma. You’re no longer my assistant.”
The blood rushed from my face and I’d probably turned all shades of white. I felt like I was going to throw up. “Fired? I don’t understand. Did I do something wrong?”
“Yes, you did,” a voice said from behind.
Gasping, I jumped out of the seat and turned around. Could it really be him?
There, standing in the doorway, was Preston, dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a T-shirt, with the biggest grin on his face. He held out his arms and I ran into them. As soon as I felt his arms wrap around me, I burst into tears.
“You’re back,” I cried, breathing him in, thankful it wasn’t just a dream.
He chuckled. “That I am, angel. And I’m not going anywhere this time.”
I let him go and wiped my eyes, while Wade stood with a smirk on his face and came over to shake Preston’s hand. “It’s good to have you back, brother.”
“Happy to be here,” Preston replied, releasing his hand.
“What’s going on?” I asked, clearly confused.
Preston grinned. “Do you want to know why Wade fired you?” When I shook my head, he pulled me into his arms again. “You were working for the wrong man.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, glancing at them both.
Wade patted Preston’s shoulder and walked back over to his desk. “I’m letting you go, so you can work with Preston. You’re being transferred over to the music department, effective today.”
“What about my office? Do I need to move everything out?” I’d just moved everything in there.
He shook his head. “It’s all yours. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting. I’m sure you two want to catch up. Just, keep it PG-13 . . . and nowhere near my desk.”
As soon as he left, I jumped and wrapped my arms around Preston’s neck. “I can’t believe you’re back. I wanted to ask you so many times when I was going to see you again.”
He kissed me and I never wanted it to end. “You have no idea how much I missed you. There was a lot to take care of with my father’s passing. I didn’t want you having to deal with all of the paperwork bullshit.”
I pressed a finger to his lips. “You don’t have to explain. You’re back. That’s all that matters.”
His arms tightened around my waist. “And now that I’m here, does the offer still stand on staying at your place? Or do I need to go house hunting?”
“Definitely not. You’re staying with me. We have to make up for lost time, and that could take weeks, maybe even months.”
His hands slid lower down my back. “I can live with that. However, there is something we need to discuss.”
“Go on,” I told him.
“There might be nights I don’t come home right away.” The dark look in his gray gaze told me everything I needed to know. “I want you to understand . . .”
I shook my head and silenced him with a kiss. “I understand. You don’t have to explain. I’m not going to stop you from righting wrongs.”
He caressed my cheek. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
I winked. “Probably not as much as I love you.”
Lips pursed, his gaze narrowed at me. “Doubtful. Although, we do have a problem.”
“What?”
“Did I hear you’re going to lunch with John and the other guys? I leave for two weeks and you’re already making dates with other men?”
Giggling, I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like that. He wants me to look over the song he’s writing.”
“Good. I’m joining you.”
“I don’t think you were invited,” I teased.
“As one of his managers, I am. It’s part of what we’ll be doing. John and his band are going to be our first clients. You and I will be working one on one with them.”
“Really?” I shrieked excitedly. It was going to feel amazing to be around music again.
Preston nodded. “Glenn’s been setting this up all week.”
“And you knew?” His smile grew wider. “You’re such an ass,” I growled, smacking his arm. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
“Glenn and I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Then why did he hire Martin?”
Preston bit his lip and his face brightened. “Martin’s going to start working with another group, toward the end of the year. That is, if they can get all of their bandmates on board. In the meantime, he’s going to scout for other talent.”
“What group?” I asked. But when all he did was smile and raise his eyebrows, my heart stopped. Could it really be happening? I squeezed his arms and felt my whole body shake. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am, angel. We owe it to ourselves to try. If we fail, then so be it.”
Squealing with delight, I jumped on him and kissed his face. “We won’t fail. I can promise you that.”
Emma
(Four Months Later)
“I can’t believe there’s so much snow.” We were almost to the end of our road trip to Cliff and Andrea’s house, and everywhere you looked was covered in white. There were piles of snow on the sides of the road.
Preston chuckled. “It’s December in Maine, Emma.”
“It’s a good thing I bought some winter clothes.” Living in North Carolina, there was never much snow. I barely even wore a coat in the winter. It was going to be nice having a white Christmas for once.
“Did you text Andrea and tell her we’re almost there?”
“I did. They’re so excited to see you. I can’t wait to tell Cliff the news.” We wanted to tell them face to face about the possibility of our band reuniting. With them about to have a baby, we didn’t know if it’d be possible. Either way, I was excited to see my friends.
Pulling into their driveway, I squealed when I saw their house. They had Christmas lights up and red ribbons draped on their porch. Add in the snow and it was absolutely breathtaking.
“I’m so glad we decided to spend Christmas here,” I gushed.
Preston parked the car and smiled. “And you’re sure your parents aren’t mad we’re spending Christmas here and not with them?”
I shook my head. “I told them we’ll see them when we get back. They know we’ve been dying to take this trip.” The door to the house opened and Andrea appeared, her belly so big, she looked like she was about to pop. She was still as beautiful as ever, with her dark chocolate hair and creamy skin. “There she is,” I squealed, jumping out of the car.
Andrea flung open the screen door and waved. “You’re here!”
Cliff bounced out of the house and scooped me up before I could get to her. “Don’t tell me you were going to hug her first? Come on, I’ve known you longer.”
Giggling, I hugged him tight. “Of course not. Let me take a look at you.”
He set me down and held out his arms. His dirty blond hair was shaggy under his hat, and instead of a clean-shaven face, he had a beard. “I still look the same, Em.”
I rolled my eyes. “Just a little harrier now.”
Chuckling, he pushed me toward the door so he could get to Preston. “What’s up, man?” he said, hugging Preston tight. Judging by the wide grin on Preston’s face, they were going to be just fine.
Andrea waddled down the steps and had tears in her eyes. “It’s so good to see you.” We hugged and I didn’t want to let her go. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too,” I cried.
She pulled back and wiped away her tears. “You have no idea how bad I wanted to visit you after that whole ordeal with that psycho.”
I shook my head. “It’s okay. The doctor forbade it. And by the looks of you, he was right.” I giggled. “I’m sorry it took so lo
ng to get up here. Preston and I have been super busy with work.”
“I heard. Cliff tells me everything about it. I can’t imagine how exciting it is to be in the music industry. Your boss is amazing.”
“That he is.” And she was about to find out how awesome he really was.
Andrea grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door. “It’s cold. Let’s go inside. I made you some hot chocolate.”
I sighed. “Oh, how much I love you right now.” We walked inside to the kitchen and the guys followed behind us. The house smelled wonderful. There were pies on the counter and a ham in the oven. Andrea handed me a cup full of hot chocolate and whipped cream. I took a sip and moaned; it tasted so good. “Thank you. This is absolute heaven.”
Cliff took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “I hope you guys are hungry. Andrea’s been baking for the past three days.”
My stomach growled. “Can’t wait. But shouldn’t you be resting?” I glared at Andrea.
She rolled her eyes. “Just because I’m overdue, it isn’t going to keep me from Christmas baking. It’s my favorite time of year.” The doctors were planning on inducing her in the next couple of days. I wanted to spend time with her before the baby arrived.
“Hopefully, it’ll be one of your most memorable ones as well . . . and I’m not just talking about the baby.”
Her eyes widened and she gasped. “Oh my God, are you pregnant too?”
I burst out laughing. “No.” Then I looked up at Preston and nodded. “Why don’t you tell them?”
Preston put his arm around my shoulders. “As you know, our boss put us in charge of the music department at Chandler Enterprises. With that being said, he’s opened a lot of doors. Not just with our clients, but with . . . us.”
Cliff’s mouth dropped open, but he didn’t speak.
Andrea slapped a hand to her mouth. “What are you saying?” she asked, her voice quivering.
Preston walked over to Cliff. “We’re saying that Silent Break might make a comeback. That is, if you’re interested.”
Cliff stood frozen in shock, while Andrea squealed so loud I had to cover my ears. “Oh my God, this is insane.” She grabbed my arm and shook me. “When you told me Preston was back, I knew you should all play again. I can’t believe this is happening!”
