by Amy O'Neill
Playing with Fire
California Dreamin’ Series – Book 2
By: Amy O’Neill
Other novels by Amy:
California Dream’ Series:
Finding Home – Book 1
Small Town Series:
Taking Chances
Edited by Amy Campbell
Cover Art courtesy of iStock.com
Copyright 2012 Amy O’Neill
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
The characters in this novel are purely fictional and any similarities to actual people are not intended.
Dedicated to:
The spirited women of the world who never let anyone keep them away from their dreams!
I would also like to dedicate this book to those women whose voices were silenced and taken too soon. You live on in the hearts of your friends, family, and community.
CHAPTER ONE
Rhythmic beeping broke through the fog that clouded Noelle Dupre’s mind. Slowly she opened her eyes, but the pain was too great. She reached up and touched her face. Sure enough, the skin around her eye was tender and swollen.
She’d spent enough time at her momma’s bedside to know she was lying in Batesville Hospital. The beeping was the warning signal that the IV bag needed to be changed. She listened for other noises around her, but all she heard was the incessant beep and the occasional scuffling of shoes outside her door.
A moment later, she heard footsteps approaching from the left. Noelle dared to open one eye and saw LuAnn Michaels walking toward her bedside. LuAnn had been a good friend of her momma’s, and she was also a registered nurse. The weight of her sixty years put a little waddle in her walk.
“Shut them eyes, child. You need to get you some rest. Everybody done left ya alone.”
“What happened?”
The older woman tsked at her. “What do you think happened?”
Noelle didn’t think – she knew. The answer wasn’t a ‘what’ but rather a ‘whom’. “Lenny.”
“I figured as much. You wanna talk about it?”
Noelle shook her head, but the movement, combined with a throbbing headache, made her nauseous. “No ma’am.”
LuAnn stopped the beeping and took a minute to tuck the covers around Noelle. “Your momma would be fit to be tied if she saw you like this.”
Though the statement was given in a hushed tone, the impact was great. “Yes ma’am, she would.”
Noelle felt the bed sag as LuAnn took a seat. “So what ya gonna do ‘bout it?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “What can I do?”
LuAnn patted her hand reassuringly. “Get the hell outta here.”
Noelle opened her eyes wide in disbelief to look at the other woman. LuAnn nodded emphatically, making her short white curls bounce around her plump face. “You heard me. He may have given ya a concussion this time, but I know damn well your hearing works.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at that. LuAnn was a lot of things, but subtle wasn’t one of them. “And where exactly am I supposed to go? You know I don’t got no other family. And Lenny made sure I ain’t got no friends now either.”
LuAnn shook her head. “That’s not what I hear. Patty Mae told me you been helping watch her little ones a few hours a week and that she’s paying you for it.”
Noelle closed her mouth. If Patty Mae was willing to divulge that to LuAnn, who else had she told?
LuAnn must have read the fear on her face. “Calm down, your secret is safe with me. I’m happy you’re finally gonna take your momma’s advice and leave that boy. He ain’t no good, just like his daddy.”
Noelle snorted. “Don’t get me started. When did Lenny leave?”
LuAnn checked her watch, “’Bout five hours ago. He really didn’t stay all that long once they admitted ya. Just long enough to convince ol’ Doc Monroe that you tripped and smacked your head on the counter.”
Noelle felt the back of her head and found it was swollen like a big goose egg. “Last thing I remember was him shoving me backward and I lost my balance when I stumbled over his work boots in the middle of the floor.”
“Well that may account for one bruise, but what about that eye? Did you roll around and smack that on the counter too?”
Noelle batted LuAnn’s hand away as she tried to inspect it. “No. That’s from him getting ticked off because I didn’t have his beer mug cold enough when he got home.”
LuAnn said a few unladylike curses under her breath before asking, “How long before you got enough money to leave?”
“Between what I have saved and the little bit I got from momma when she died, I can go anytime as long as I find work once I get wherever. I have all her furniture too, Lenny don’t know I got a storage unit with all of it in there.”
“How can I help? Your momma was like a sister to me and you’re like family. I want you to be safe. What can I do?”
Noelle shrugged. “I don’t know. My biggest worry is that Lenny or his daddy tracks me down. I mean you know how much Frank uses being the Sheriff to his advantage.”
LuAnn patted her hand again. “Sugar, his clout only reaches so far. He may wear a badge, but he ain’t that bright. Someday someone is gonna bring him down. But until then, you need to be safe.”
LuAnn was right and Noelle knew it. She needed to get out of town, out of the state of Arkansas, and run as fast and as far as possible.
Noelle shook her head with conviction. “You’re right. I’m done being a punching bag for Lenny or his daddy.”
“That a girl!” LuAnn hugged her tightly and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Oh your momma is looking down so proud at you right now!”
Tears stung the corners of Noelle’s eyes. “I know it. I should have done this a long time ago.”
“Sugar, now is as good a time to start as any. So you got any ideas?”
They put their heads together and within an hour Noelle’s exit strategy was in motion.
Lenny Dunlap walked into the room with a bouquet of pink roses. It took everything in Noelle not to roll her eyes at his failed attempt to show he cared. These weren’t the first roses he’d bought to apologize for his tempter, but they damn sure were the last she’d ever get.
That thought brought out the smile she needed. He bent down, kissed her cheek, and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
The chill that ran down her spine made it difficult not to shutter. She nodded in answer and laid the roses on the bedside table.
Doc Monroe walked in a moment later with LuAnn following close behind. “And how is our patient doing today?”
Noelle dared a glance at LuAnn, who nodded in their prearranged signal that everything was in order. “I’m feeling much better, Doc. Can I go home now?”
Doc Monroe looked over her chart for a moment then checked her pupils. “Well it seems you’re doing better. I want you to take it easy for a few days though. Lenny, you make sure this young lady gets some pampering. That was a pretty good wallop she took on the back of her head.”
Lenny nodded and smiled down at her. “Yes sir, Doc. She’s in good hands with me.”
The saccharin sweet tone in his voice was hard to swallow, making Noelle feel like she would be sick with disgust. Lenny really should have been an actor with the performances he’d pulled off over the last few y
ears.
Noelle swore she heard LuAnn snort, but she quickly masked it with a fake sneeze. “Oh, excuse me. These damn allergies irritate the hell out of me.”
Noelle puckered her lips to stifle her own laughter and looked back at the doctor. “Thanks so much for letting me go home, Doc.”
Doc Monroe patted her hand and then moved on to the next room. Lenny grabbed the flowers off the tray and dropped them in the trash. “I’m gonna go get the car, get your stuff together.”
And just like that the charmer was gone. Noelle found it hard to bite her tongue, but one look from LuAnn and she resisted the temptation to tell him where he could go.
LuAnn blocked his path. “Lenny, you know I bet you’re real busy with work and all. I can drop Noelle off at the house if you like.”
Noelle knew Lenny didn’t like LuAnn, hell, he didn’t like most people. But he was just lazy enough to let other people do everything for him. She knew he’d accept the offer.
“Yeah, whatever.”
He turned menacingly to Noelle and pointed a finger at her, “I’ll be home by six. That should give you plenty of time to frost my mug this time.”
Noelle lowered her eyes and nodded obediently. Once the sound of his retreating footsteps faded she looked up at a beaming LuAnn.
“Sugar, you did good.” LuAnn said. “Had that been me I woulda told him where to stick that mug. Come on, grab your stuff and let’s go.”
A little while later, Noelle gave LuAnn a hug goodbye at the storage unit. “Thank you for all you’ve done.”
LuAnn waved off her comment and wiped at her eyes. “Your momma is doing a happy dance right now. I know she is so proud of you. I am so proud of you too.”
Noelle felt raw emotion clog her throat. “I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again. I’m gonna miss you.”
“I’m gonna miss you too, Sugar. But you go on and have a good life now. Find you a good man that loves you like you deserve. That is what I want for ya and what your momma wanted.”
Noelle scoffed. “The last thing on my mind is another man. All I care about right now is freedom.”
LuAnn hugged her once more and took a wad of cash out of her pocket. “Here, I want you to have this.”
“I can’t take this. You’ve already done so much with getting me this U-Haul and helping me clean out the storage unit.”
Noelle tried to refuse it, pushing it away. But LuAnn put it in her hands and held it there.
She arched her white brow at Noelle. “You can and you will take it. I don’t want it back anyway. It’s a few hundred bucks, it should help you get a little farther down the road. Now you best be going to get a good head start before Lenny realizes you’re gone.”
Noelle jumped into the driver’s seat and couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks again.”
She watched LuAnn wave as she drove off toward the expressway. For some reason, she found herself driving to Interstate 40 and heading west. California was the opposite end of the spectrum from Batesville, which sounded like a perfect place for a new start.
After two days of driving west, Noelle parked the U-Haul behind an abandoned hotel in a tiny town a hundred miles east of Yuma. She locked the door and reclined in driver’s seat to try and get a few hours of shut eye. Sleep wouldn’t be easy, but she still had to try and rest.
The October air howled through the canyon around her and she snuggled further into the old, worn blanket from her momma. Even though she was alone and in the middle of nowhere it was better than what she left behind.
She wondered, not for the first time, how Lenny must have reacted to finding her gone. Hopefully he didn’t give LuAnn trouble with a barrage of questions. Then again, she knew LuAnn wouldn’t spill the beans on her.
Noelle’s momma, God rest her soul, had tried to talk her into leaving Lenny so many times, but Noelle never wanted to listen. Unfortunately his violence got worse as time went on, and it wasn’t just him that treated her like dirt. He’d learned to be heavy handed from his daddy, who also seemed to find it necessary to ‘keep her in her place’.
Noelle closed her eyes, but images of the last six years haunted her. She’d hoped they would subside with distance, but they were still nipping at her heels. She tried to shake the images from her mind and wiped at the tears falling from her eyes.
That was the past. The day when they vanished couldn’t come soon enough, but she took comfort in knowing that never again would she have to go through the fear on a daily basis. Never again would she have to deal with Lenny or his daddy.
She’d be damned if she left a trail for either of them to follow. By time Lenny got home that first night, she’d already been west of Oklahoma City. Her hometown of Sulphur Rock, fifteen minutes east of Batesville, wasn’t even a blip in her mirror and she never planned on going back.
Noelle looked up at the Arizona sky. Without any street lights around, the heavens loomed black as coal overhead, but the stars seemed close enough to touch.
She remembered lying in the yard with her momma as a little girl, watching the stars move along the sky. They’d spent many nights under the stars. Her momma was the smartest woman she had ever known, even if she only had a tenth-grade education.
An image of her mother came to her: Ellen Dupre stood in her favorite orange shorts and a sleeveless white shirt with a silk scarf holding her long, amber hair out of her face. She always said that Noelle was a spitting image of her, down to the freckles across her nose and down her arms.
Noelle smiled, knowing her momma would be so proud of her for finally getting away from the violence. From this night forward, life would be very different. Once she reached California in the morning, she knew things would fall into place for her life again.
Noelle fell asleep thinking of all the good things that awaited her.
Fourteen hours later, after a solid sleep, a refreshing shower at a truck stop, and another six hours of driving, Noelle finally pulled to a stop at the side of a road overlooking the beach in La Jolla.
She got out of the U-Haul and stared across the hood of the truck at the large expanse of water before her. It was the first time she’d ever seen the ocean and its sheer size made her feel like a tiny speck.
She looked to the left and watched a bride and groom walk up the beach stairs happily. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever get to a place where she could trust a man again, let alone love him, but she couldn’t help shout out “Congratulations!” to the couple.
To her surprise, the bride walked toward her and smiled. “Just moving in?” She asked as she motioned to the packed truck.
Noelle nodded. “Yeah. California sounded as good a place as any to start over.”
The bride gave an almost knowing smile. “Yes it is. Where are you from?”
Noelle waved her hand, dismissing her response. “Some place nobody’s ever heard of in Arkansas.”
“Well then let me be the first to welcome you to your new home.”
Noelle could tell the bride meant it wholeheartedly. “Thank you.”
The beautiful brunette excused herself and headed back toward her groom. Noelle started to get back in the truck until the woman yelled back at her. ‘Hey.’
Noelle paused near the open truck door and turned to face her with a questioning look. The bride tossed the bouquet to her and Noelle caught it before it could hit the ground. She smiled and smelled the white roses. “Thanks again.”
“Good Luck!” The bride turned and ran the rest of the distance to her new husband.
“You too.” Noelle said, almost to herself. She got back into the truck and set the flowers on the dash. If everyone here was as nice that bride, Noelle would like her new home just fine.
She put the truck in drive and pulled away from the curb. The next thing she needed to do was find work and get a storage unit for her things in until she could afford a place of her own.
Either way, it was a new day and a new beginning for Noelle Dupre.
Trent Torres le
aned on the railing of his best friend’s front porch and watched as the gorgeous redhead drove away. He took a swig of his beer and walked to the steps near the sidewalk. The bride and groom continued across the street toward the house, where their wedding guests awaited them with an intimate reception in the backyard.
He motioned toward the retreating taillights as the U-Haul disappeared around the curve down the street. “Who’s your friend there, Avery?”
Avery Focelli shrugged and her already bright smile widened. “No clue, I think she’s just a kindred spirit like me.”
Trent couldn’t help but smile. Besides the fact that Avery was his best friend’s new wife, she was the most beautiful bride he’d ever seen.
Avery winked at him and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Come on, stop your goggly eyes and let’s get this shindig going!”
Damien Focelli patted him on the back, “Well, you heard the lady. Besides, I’m pretty sure I saw you checking out a certain Miss Molly Malone earlier. I know she’s single.”
Trent laughed and rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure she isn’t interested in me.”
Damien arched a brow and gave a sarcastic grin. “Oh, really? How do you know that?”
Trent shrugged and followed them toward the back yard where the wedding reception was taking place. “Her telling me to get lost was pretty clear, but just in case, she sealed the deal when she slapped me across the face.”
Avery tried to cover her smile with a cough. Trent didn’t mind, after all, Molly was her best friend and she probably already knew why he got slapped. “I’m sure you must have given her good reason to slap you.”
Trent chuckled and rubbed his cheek. “I might have suggested an impromptu body search.”
Damien slapped him upside the head. “When are you gonna learn that those cheesy lines don’t work anymore? You think just because you carry a badge and handcuffs that every woman is gonna swoon for you.”
