by Amy O'Neill
Noelle grinned bigger. “Oh, I know she is. I just wish she was still here to see it. I miss her so much. And I miss her friend LuAnn. She helped me get away and I wish I could call just to say I’m okay.”
Delphine set out the little bottles of shampoo and conditioner and shrugged. “Why can’t you call her?”
Noelle shook her head. “I’m scared Lenny or his daddy would find out and track me down. I don’t want LuAnn to be in the middle of this any more than she has been.”
“Well what if I called her for you?”
Noelle paused. “Really? “
Delphine nodded. “Sure, it’s no trouble at all. You know we could get you a cheap pre-paid phone and then you wouldn’t have to worry about anyone tracking you down from the phone number.”
Noelle laughed. “Geez Delphine, you sound like you’ve done this before.”
Delphine waved her off. “Nope, just watch a lot of cop dramas on television. And it was just a plot line on my favorite soap.”
They both laughed. Noelle was the first to recover. “My life has been a soap opera. I bet I could be a writer on one of them shows.”
Delphine tied up the garbage bag in her hands and dropped it into the large waste basket on the front of the cart. “What did you dream about being when you were younger?”
Noelle pushed the cart out of the room and onto the sidewalk. “I didn’t really dream it. My thoughts were just on helping my momma around the house. I started working when I was twelve cleaning shelves at the little grocery store on the corner.”
Delphine stared at her, but Noelle ignored it and kept moving to the next room.
“You didn’t pretend to be a doctor or a dancer or a singer or anything?”
Noelle shrugged. “Me and Momma used to sing to the radio all the time and dance round the living room, but we weren’t thinking of being famous or nuthin’.”
Delphine unlocked the next door and pirouetted into the room. “I was a dancer when I was younger. Then I married my first ex-husband and got pregnant with my daughter and my body’s shape went from dancer to Great Aunt Francis. Loved the woman to death, but she had hips wide as the Grand Canyon.”
They laughed until they were nearly in tears.
Still chuckling, Noelle finally went to tackle the bathroom while Delphine stripped the two queen beds. As she cleaned the sink, Noelle tried to think about what Delphine had asked.
A few minutes later, as she returned to the main room, Noelle dropped the towels in the laundry bag and grabbed a fresh set from the cart.
“A mom. All I ever wanted to be was a mom, just as wonderful as mine.”
Delphine looked at her and smiled. “You’re gonna be a great mom someday Noelle. I can tell. You have a good heart.”
Noelle smiled. “Thank you.”
They took a break for lunch and Delphine drove Noelle to the local shopping center to buy a pre-paid phone.
“When we get back to the motel, take the rest of the afternoon off. There are only a few rooms left to clean, I can do those myself. You should call your friend and let her know you’re alright.”
Noelle gave Delphine a hug. “You are so nice to me Delphine. Thank you for all you’ve done.”
Delphine waved her off. “Oh, stop. The last thing I need is to get all misty eyed and make my mascara run.”
Noelle kissed her soundly on the cheek and returned to her room. After fighting to open the clear plastic package for several minutes, she finally got it out and followed the instructions to get it working. Once it was charged, she dialed in LuAnn’s number.
After several rings, LuAnn finally picked up. “Hello?”
“Hi, it’s…”
“Oh, sorry. You must have the wrong number.”
The line went dead. Noelle stared at the cell phone and hit redial. Something in LuAnn’s voice wasn’t right.
Noelle realized what was wrong soon enough because this time when the phone was answered it wasn’t LuAnn – it was Lenny.
“Noelle, is that you?”
She bit her lip and stayed quiet. Her heart pounded in her ears at the sound of his menacing voice. Noelle prayed that LuAnn was safe.
“I know that’s you, Noelle. I swear to God in Heaven when I find ya you’re gonna regret the day you left.”
Something in Noelle flipped - a hidden switch that only time and distance seemed to bring out. “Lenny, the only thing I regret is ever being with you. I swear if you hurt LuAnn I will make sure your ass fries. You’re a mean, hateful man and the best thing I ever did was get away from your sorry ass.”
“You fuc …”
Noelle hung up, knowing full well the long string of profanity he was spewing on the other end. It had been his term of endearment to her for so long.
She called LuAnn’s son, Mason, and told him to check on his momma. Mason hated Lenny and would have no problem breaking open a can of whoop-ass on him if he so much as touched a hair on LuAnn’s head.
As Noelle walked to into the bathroom, she paused at the mirror and winked at herself, feeling freer than ever for finally telling Lenny what she thought of him. Well, it wasn’t everything she could say, but it was enough to last the rest of her life. He could guess what other words she’d use for all she cared, since there was no way she was ever going back.
Trent tossed his hat on his desk and sat down with a sigh. It was a long day, with two car accidents and a domestic dispute. For some reason, when he looked at the woman in that case, he thought of Noelle. For years he had pictured his mother and the kid in him pretended he was chasing away the bad guy.
But adulthood had taught him there were plenty of real-life bad guys to chase and real-life danger to protect people from. Being part of the process of bringing justice to an unjust situation gave him a sense of purpose. He loved being a cop.
He turned on the computer monitor and paused. The screen was his main desktop, not the bulletin about Noelle he’d been looking at the night before.
“Hey, Fitzer, did you get on my computer.”
His partner was staring at the paperwork in front of him. “Yeah, mine was acting up so I logged-in quick on yours. I just closed out whatever you had up.”
Trent eyed him and knew Fitzer had read the bulletin – he was averting his eyes and fidgeting with his paperwork. Fitzer looked as guilty as a teenage boy hiding his first Playboy from his mother.
Trent wasn’t about to be sly, he wanted answers and he wanted them now. “Did you call in on the bulletin?”
It took everything in him to not jump across the desk when Fitzer gave him a dumb look.
“What bulletin?”
Trent clinched his teeth and tried to cool his temper. He was at an impasse. If he straight out accused him of lying and was wrong, would Fitzer go and look up the bulletin on his own? Or did he just leave it alone and hope Fitzer got distracted by something else and didn’t have time to look it up?
Trent had told Noelle he would let the final decision be hers, but if Fitzer took that control out of her hands, Trent didn’t know what he’d do. Whatever it was, the one thing he was sure of is it wouldn’t be pleasant for Fitzer.
“Let’s get this paperwork finished. Noelle and I have plans tonight.”
“What kind of plans?”
Trent paused from filling out the report in front of him and glared at his partner. “The kind that’s none of your business.”
Fitzer shrugged. “Chill out, Torres. I don’t know what you see in her.”
Trent couldn’t see anything but red at the statement. “It’s none of your damn business, Fitzer. Now if you want to live through your second month on the job, I suggest you shut up and get back to work.”
Fitzer saluted him and muttered under his breath. Man, Trent hated rookies. The only good thing was that since he’d drawn the short stick this time, he wouldn’t have to draw again until next year. Thank God for that little blessing.
Noelle looked out the window as a steady rain fell outside. Trent’s h
eadlights swept the parking lot when he pulled in and came to a stop near the steps. She grabbed her jacket and made a run for the car.
Trent flung the door open as she got there and she dove in with a laugh. “Holy Hell, that rain is cold!”
Trent winked at her and she followed his gaze to her chest, or more specifically – her perky nipples pressing against the white cotton of her shirt. She playfully batted at his arm and leaned over to kiss him.
“You are terrible.”
He shrugged, “Yeah, but you like me so I must not be that bad.”
“Eh, you’re alright.”
He drew her in for another kiss and Noelle was surprised the windows weren’t steamed up when they pulled away. Her voice was throaty and low when she finally spoke, “Okay, you’re better than alright.”
Trent laughed and those dimples appeared again. “That’s what I thought. Are you ready to go meet my friends?”
Noelle made a nervous face. “I think so.”
He picked up her hand and kissed it. “Don’t worry, you’ll do great. Besides, this is the woman you met on the beach. She already likes you.”
“How do you know that?”
Trent grinned, “She said you were a kindred spirit. She moved out here from Michigan only a few months ago. When she got here she stopped at the same spot you did.”
“Did she come here to be with her husband?”
Trent reversed the car and head north. “Nope, they met a few weeks before and it didn’t go so well, but she decided to relocate and they ran into each other and that time it worked. They were married within two months of getting together.”
“Wow, that’s fast!”
He shrugged. “Sometimes when you know, you know. My buddy, Damien, had a rough couple of years, but things really clicked more for him when Avery came along. They are great together.”
Noelle was surprised by the thought that she and Trent seemed pretty great together too. She looked out the window and smiled to her faint reflection in the wet glass.
“What are you grinning about over there?”
She looked over and winked at him. “Oh, nuthin’. Nuthin’ at all.”
She turned back to the window and couldn’t keep the smile from her face. Her eyes, her mouth, she knew it was all beaming. Because it wasn’t just nothing, that smile was for was something. It was for everything. It was the potential of finding real love, having a best friend and lover all in one, and being able to trust in herself and her heart for the first time.
CHAPTER TEN
Noelle felt at ease moments after meeting Avery and Damien Focelli. Damien was tall, dark, and handsome, but not nearly as much as Trent. Avery was friendly and welcoming. Something about her really did feel like a kindred spirit.
When Avery spoke about their honeymoon, she made sure to include Noelle in the conversation. “Have you ever been to Hawaii, Noelle?”
Noelle shook her head. “No. Two weeks ago I had never been out of the state of Arkansas. I hear it’s really pretty though.”
Avery nodded. “Oh it is! Even the long flight wasn’t so bad. Then again we slept most of the time since it was the day after the wedding and having all that family around wiped us out.”
Noelle smiled sadly, knowing if she ever got married there wouldn’t be any family to see her, no dad to give her away, or momma to shed tears. Suddenly she felt even more alone. Avery must have seen the expression on her face and changed topics.
“I think I want some iced tea, would you like a glass, Noelle?”
Noelle nodded. “That sounds good.”
They left the men in the living room and Noelle took a seat on one of the barstools at the kitchen counter. “You have a lovely home.”
Avery smiled and looked around. “I’m still getting used to it. I moved in a few days before our wedding. We had to remodel some things, but Damien has lived here for a long time.”
“Did you live close by before?”
Avery shook her head. “I lived in San Diego near Balboa Park. Have you been there yet?”
“No, I don’t have a car so I haven’t been to many places that ain’t within walkin’ distance.”
Avery spoke up so Trent and Damien could hear from the other room. “Wow, Noelle, I bet it would be so nice if someone took you to see Balboa Park sometime.”
Trent piped up from the couch, “Hey, Noelle, how about this weekend we go down to Balboa Park for the day?”
Avery winked at Noelle and they both started laughing.
“Oh, Trent, that’s a great idea.” Noelle took the glass Avery offered and saluted her. “You are good.”
Avery motioned her head toward the guys. “I learned really fast that when it comes to Damien and his friends, they are push-overs. All you have to do is bat your brown eyes and I bet you could talk Trent into just about anything.”
Noelle took a drink of her tea and was surprised to see it was sweetened. “Wow, this is real good, Avery! Almost as good as my momma used to make.”
Avery laughed, “I may be from Michigan, but my family was from the south too, I was raised on sweet tea myself. I’m willing to give up a lot of stuff – pop, potatoes, even cut back on the ice cream; but sweet tea was one thing I refused to let go of.”
Noelle lowered her voice, “Damien made you stop eating all that?”
Avery looked taken aback and arched her brows in confusion. Finally she shook her head. “No, no. Not Damien. My first ex tried, but things with us didn’t work. Now I have Damien and he loves me just as I am. I’m a lucky woman.”
Noelle was almost jealous of the obvious glow Avery gave off. “My ex wasn’t a nice man at all.”
Avery took a seat next to her and sipped her tea. “Trent kind of mentioned something like that.”
Noelle froze for a moment, wonder exactly what Trent had divulged. “Oh.”
Avery put a soothing hand on Noelle’s arm. “Don’t worry, he didn’t say much and I would never repeat anything he or you said. I know we just met, but you can trust me.”
Noelle smiled. “Thank you. I haven’t had a friend to gossip with in a long time. I mean, I have my boss, Delphine, but it’s always nice to have more than one friend.”
Avery nodded. “Yeah, I know. When I moved out here the only person I knew was my friend Molly, and even then we had only known each other a few weeks. She’s from Minnesota so she can understand some of my culture shock.”
Noelle laughed. “Yeah, I’m definitely experiencing that.”
Avery reassured her by saying, “Don’t you worry. Between Me and Molly, we can help you settle right in, if you want to go shopping or to the beach or even just out to lunch, call us and we are always down for some girl time.”
Noelle smiled again. That sounded so normal and wonderful. “Thank you. Time with friends sounds really nice. And I could definitely use a shopping spree. I’ve never done that.”
Avery winked at her. “You are in luck because Damien calls me the thrift store queen.”
Noelle looked around at all the fine things in the house and then back at Avery. “You got all this from a thrift store?”
Avery laughed. “Not all of it, but you’d be amazed at the things you can buy. Compared to the stores back in Michigan, there are a lot more designer labels out here - not that I’m into labels. I’m into buying as much as I can for as little as possible!”
They both laughed.
Avery changed the topic back to Trent. “If I can give my two cents, I think you’re a good fit for him. Trent’s a nice guy once you get to know him and get past that Latin Lothario act he had going for him.”
Noelle nodded. “He tried to schmooze me the first time we met with that act. But yeah, he is pretty nice once you get past it.”
Avery nudged her and smiled. “I see the way he looks at you, I think he’s smitten.”
Noelle laughed at that. “I think I have his attention for now.”
Avery shook her head and her dark brown hair swayed around her fa
ce. “I think you have his attention for more than just now. I may not have known him long, but I can tell you he has never looked at anyone the way he does you. I think he may finally be listening to me.”
Noelle arched a brow. “What did you tell him?”
Avery looked over to where the guys were staring at the ball game on the television. “I told him he needed to find a good woman and settle down.”
Noelle nearly choked on her drink. “We just started dating. I’d hardly say he’s thinking of settling down!”
Avery shrugged. “When I met Damien the last thing I wanted was to jump into another relationship, but he made it hard to resist. I have no doubt he learned that skill from Trent.”
Noelle nodded. “Yeah, Trent’s really good at making it easy to like him.”
Avery laughed. “You must make him happy; I’ve never seen him so relaxed.”
They looked over to the guys again. Their feet were kicked up on the coffee table and they were munching on a big bowl of popcorn that sat on the couch between them. Trent caught the women watching and winked at Noelle. She smiled in reply.
She looked back at Avery and admitted, “I’m not used to this.”
“Used to what?”
Noelle motioned to the guys and back to where they sat. “All this, I’m not used to socializing with friends as part of a couple. When my ex wanted to socialize we visited his parents. He didn’t have no friends.”
Avery made a face that said it all, which made Noelle laugh out loud. “Yeah, and it wasn’t any fun, either!”
Avery refilled their glasses. “Well then it’s a good thing you got away and showed up here.”
Noelle raised her glass and saluted Avery, “I’ll drink to that.”
An hour later the couples said goodbye, after Avery and Noelle made plans for brunch and shopping over the weekend while the guys went surfing.
On the ride back to the motel, Noelle closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of Trent running his fingers slowly up and down her thigh. “Tonight was fun,” she murmured.
