“This is all on me, Alex. It isn’t fair that the rest of you pay the price for what I did.”
“But won’t we have to if you disappear?”
“I’m not disappearing.”
Alex’s phone was vibrating on the kitchen counter. When she saw it was Peyton, she turned to pick it up.
“I need to get this, Eli, but I’ll just be a minute.”
When Alex turned back around, her brother was gone. She ran outside, but was too late to catch him before he drove away. Peyton’s call went to voicemail, but Alex called her back without checking to see if she left a message.
“Hey, Peyton. Sorry, I was just talking to Eli—”
“Alex! He’s done it.”
“Who?” Alex could barely understand Peyton, she was talking so fast, and crying at the same time.
“Lang!”
“Okay, okay. Slow down. What has he done?”
“Here. Talk to Brodie.” Alex heard the phone jostle.
“Hey, Alex. Sorry to call so early, but Peyton’s pretty upset.”
She looked over at the clock. She’d been awake so long it felt more like noon than seven-thirty. “What has Lang done now?”
“He’s managed to get the custody hearing moved back up.”
“When is it?”
“Later this week. Listen, is there any chance you could come over? Peyton is—”
“I’ll be right there.”
Alex looked in the bathroom mirror one last time before she walked out the door. She’d changed her clothes, and tightened her ponytail again, but she still looked like crap. What would they expect though, at this hour of the morning?
Her stomach rumbled when she got in the car, reminding her she’d finished almost an entire pot of coffee on her own, and hadn’t eaten anything. She’d need food if she was going to be of any help to Peyton.
Stopping for food. She texted.
Thanks. Peyton answered.
Damn that Lang Becker. What would compel him to file a petition for custody of Peyton’s boys anyway? It didn’t make any sense. He’d left Peyton and the boys seven years ago, saying he’d realized having kids really wasn’t his “thing,” and he was moving in with a woman who didn’t have any.
Lang hadn’t been great about paying child support either, until not long after Peyton started seeing Kade. She couldn’t confirm it, but Peyton told Alex she had a feeling Kade paid Lang a visit and convinced him he should support his sons.
Peyton found out about the petition three weeks ago, and the Wolf’s family attorney got it pushed out six weeks, citing Peyton was on bed rest and wouldn’t be able to attend the hearing. Somehow Lang got it moved up. Maybe he found out Peyton was no longer on bed rest and convinced the judge to act.
Alex stopped on Moonstone Beach Road at the Ollalieberry Diner. Peyton’s favorite, ollalieberry and cream cheese muffins, would still be warm this early in the morning. She picked up several, for the boys and Brodie too, and then added a half-dozen peach and cream that she could take home later. They were her favorite. Not just hers, Mad’s too.
Why did everything in her life have to remind her of Maddox? She still hadn’t figured out how to respond to the weird text he sent in the middle of the night. Had he somehow known she was awake?
Alex pulled into the driveway and saw Jamison sitting on the bench in the front yard. She got out of the car, and walked over to him instead of going inside.
“Can I join you?”
He didn’t answer, but scooted over to give her room on the bench. She held the bag of muffins open.
“Hungry?”
Jamison shrugged, but then reached his hand inside the bag. Warm ollalieberry muffins were hard for anyone to resist.
“How come you’re sittin’ out here?”
“Mom’s upset about something, but she and Brodie are trying to stay real quiet about whatever it is.”
“Why do you think she’s upset?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe something’s wrong with my baby sister. Mom is trying to pretend like she’s not crying, but I know she is.”
“It’s not your baby sister. She’s fine. Your mom is upset, though.”
Jamison nodded.
“I’ve known your mom almost her whole life. We started hanging out together when we were about your age.”
“I know.” Jamison smiled. He’d probably heard stories of Peyton and Alex his entire childhood.
“So, here’s what I know more than anything else. Your mom doesn’t hide things from you. She may not tell you what’s upsetting her right away, because she’s too sad or mad or whatever she’s feeling. But she does tell you. Right, kiddo?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Try to be patient, and know that as soon as she’s ready, she’ll tell you. In the meantime, go get Finn and take him down to the beach. I was there yesterday and there are tons of moonstones.”
“Can I have another muffin first?”
Alex messed up his hair. “Yep. Good thing I bought a bunch of ’em, huh?”
Jamison walked up to the house and Alex followed. “Take one for your brother too.”
“Okay. Thanks, Aunt Alex.”
“Come here.” She put her hand on Jamison’s shoulder and pulled him into a hug. “You’re not getting too big to hug me yet, are ya?”
He smiled and shook his head before going down the hallway to get his brother.
“Thank you.” Peyton stood and hugged Alex too. “For the muffins, and for talking to Jamie.”
“He thought it was something with the baby. I didn’t tell him why you’re upset, but I did tell him his baby sister is fine.” Alex glanced at Peyton’s ever-expanding tummy, and felt the familiar, empty ache in her own.
“Thanks for coming over.” Brodie hugged her like Jamie and Peyton had. “And for the muffins.”
“You’re welcome, but you better eat quick. Jamie’s had two and took another for Finn.”
Brodie offered the bag to Peyton first, who shook her head. “I can’t eat right now.”
Alex watched as he put the bag on the kitchen counter, and rested his hand on Peyton’s belly. “She needs to eat, sweetheart.”
Alex’s eyes filled with tears, and she turned away. “Be right back,” she murmured, already on her way to the guest bathroom.
Splashing cold water on her face was turning into a habit. This was the third time she’d done it this morning. She looked in the mirror, wishing the water would get rid of the bags under her eyes.
It was hard enough now for her to be around Peyton and Brodie. How would it be once the baby was born? Especially knowing Maddox wasn’t in her life, and wouldn’t be again. Peyton was intuitive, and knew Alex as well as Alex knew her. She had a lot on her mind right now, so she might not be as aware of Alex’s moods or emotions, but soon she would be, and then she’d want to talk about it.
“Bye,” she heard Jamie shout from the other side of the door.
“Bye,” she shouted back. “See you later.”
“Thanks for the muffins, Aunt Alex,” Finn shouted.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
This was silly. She was shouting at her godsons through the bathroom door so they wouldn’t know she was crying too, although for a reason completely different than their mother’s.
She took a deep breath, and walked back into the kitchen. “Okay, tell me about the hearing,” she began.
“It’s on Friday,” said Brodie.
“This Friday?”
Both Brodie and Peyton nodded their heads.
“What did Stan say?” Stan had been the Wolf family attorney for years. He’d also known most of the lawyers and judges in the valley longer than Alex and Peyton had been alive.
“He’s optimistic, although he believes Lang must have a good reason to believe he will prevail. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so anxious for the hearing,” Brodie answered.
“This makes no sense. Why wouldn’t he just ask to see them? Why petition f
or custody?”
“Do you mind if I tell her?” Brodie asked Peyton.
“Of course not.”
“From what Peyton’s father told me, Lang is getting married again. Stan believes the new wife’s family disapproves of Lang’s lack of a relationship with Jamison and Finn.”
“So? That doesn’t sound like a good reason to allow him to file this petition.”
“The judge who signed the petition is Lang’s future wife’s uncle.”
“Shit.”
“Right.”
“How can he do this? Those boys don’t even know him,” cried Peyton. “He expects them to want to live at his house half their life?”
Alex didn’t want to make Peyton feel worse, but the fact that the new wife’s uncle was the judge hearing the petition, filled her with dread. Why hadn’t Stan suggested he recuse himself? There wasn’t any way he could be impartial.
“Maddox and Naughton are on their way here now. Between the five of us, I’m hoping we can figure out what our strategy will be on Friday.”
“Why? I mean what do Mad or Naught know about custody hearings? Shouldn’t you be strategizing with your lawyer, Peyton?”
Dammit, Maddox was on his way here. What could she do? Leave?
“Stan’s on his way, too. So are Jamison and August.”
Maybe with her parents, her lawyer, Brodie, and his brothers there, Peyton wouldn’t mind if she left.
Of course she’d mind. Peyton needed her there as much as anyone else. Alex stood beside Peyton when she married Lang, and then when she divorced him. She also stood by her when Kade died, and then again when they believed Brodie died in a plane crash. Alex couldn’t leave now, just because being around Maddox made her uncomfortable. There’d been plenty of other times they’d been forced to be in the same room when they couldn’t stand the sight of each other. This would be no different.
“Hey, Alex, did you find out why Gabe was looking for Mad and Naught last night?” Brodie asked.
“Uh, no. Not really.” It must’ve had something to do with the bond issues Eli alluded to this morning. But he said they were in trouble because of Kade. Until Alex knew more, she wasn’t about to discuss it in front of Peyton.
Alex walked over to the front window, wishing Maddox wasn’t on his way here. She might as well get used to seeing him, since Peyton was her best friend and Brodie was his brother. She’d probably have to see Maddox at family gatherings for the rest of her life. And what about the wedding? Peyton would definitely ask her to be her maid of honor again, and Brodie would surely ask Maddox to stand up for him. Maybe Alex would be able to talk them into eloping.
“I wonder where they are. They left the ranch over an hour ago,” said Brodie, looking at his phone.
Alex had been wondering the same thing. She’d eaten all but two of the peach muffins, knowing Mad would want more than one. Why she was saving them for him was beyond her, but she was.
Another fifteen minutes passed before they heard Mad’s truck pull into the driveway. Alex had almost worn the carpet through near the front window, pacing back and forth.
Naughton came through the door first, followed by Mad, who looked over at her before anyone else.
“What took you so long?” Brodie asked.
Maddox broke his gaze from hers, and looked at Naughton.
“You tell them,” Naughton said.
“The hearing has been postponed indefinitely, pending dismissal of the request.”
“What did you do?” Alex blurted.
“I took care of it,” Maddox answered.
Alex sat next to Peyton, who still hadn’t gotten any color back in her cheeks.
“He said Naught and I weren’t the first Butlers to visit him, though.”
“Who else had?” Peyton asked.
“We don’t know,” answered Naught.
Maddox stared at Alex again. He was trying to tell her something with his eyes.
“I stopped at the diner and got muffins. They’re probably cold now, but here they are.” Alex walked over to Naughton first, and held the plate out to him. He started to take a peach muffin, and then smirked at Mad before taking the last ollalieberry.
She walked over to Maddox and handed the plate to him. “What’s going on?” she whispered.
“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you,” he answered, just as quietly.
“Walk?”
“Definitely.”
Alex was going to think he’d lost his mind, but he had to tell someone what Lang told him and Naughton, and he wasn’t about to tell Brodie or Peyton.
“What happened, Mad?” Alex asked, catching up to him. He was halfway down the street, headed toward Moonstone Beach.
“Walk with me, Alex.”
“Walk? How about run? Can you slow down please?”
“Sorry.” He doubted he could slow down. Nervous energy was eating him up. More than anything, he was close to believing he was losing his mind.
“Maddox?” Alex stopped in the middle of the street. He turned around and saw she had her hands on her hips, and she was breathing harder than she should be.
“Shit, Alex. I’m sorry. Your surgery.” He walked back to where she was, and took her hand. “I’ll go slower.”
“What’s got you all fired up?”
Her. But that wasn’t all. He wanted to get to the beach before he told her what Lang said, and what had happened yesterday after he left her house. “I’ll tell you in a minute.” He needed to sit and take a few deep breaths of ocean air.
“Okay, mister mysterious.” She squeezed his hand.
It was crowded at the beach, at least up on the boardwalk. Maddox forgot today was Sunday and tourists would be milling about.
It was almost fifty steps down to the sand from where they stood. “You okay walking down?”
She nodded, and walked ahead of him. When they got near the water, Alex sat on the sand.
“We’re here. Start talking.”
“You sure you’re okay, Al? Your breathing…”
“I’m fine, for now.” She turned around and looked at the steps that led back up to the boardwalk. “You may have to carry me back up, though.”
“Not a problem,” he murmured. “Come here.” He had to feel her body next to his. With the rest of the shit swirling around in his head, he needed the constant in his life that was Alex. She let him pull her close, and rested her head on his shoulder. When he fell back on the sand, she came with him, and put her head on his chest.
“Remember when Peyton thought she saw Kade? After my ma’s heart attack?”
“Yeah.”
“The same thing happened when I left your house yesterday morning. Except Kade didn’t talk to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought I saw him. I mean I could’ve sworn I saw him.”
Maddox told her how he stopped in Harmony to get some breakfast, and about the man he saw walking across the street.
“It was probably just someone who looked like him.”
“That’s what I thought too. But then when we stopped to talk to Lang this morning…”
“What?”
“He said our brother had been to see him.” Maddox sat back up, gently bringing Alex with him. “It didn’t make sense to Naught and me, since Brodie had just called and asked us to come over. Why would he if he’d already talked to Lang?”
“Why did he?”
“He didn’t. That’s the thing. Naughton asked him when he’d talked to Brodie. Shit, I can’t even say this out loud.”
“What? Jesus. Tell me.”
“He said Kade came to see him.”
Alex looked as pale as he’d expected her to.
“Did he say anything else?”
“No, but it was obvious that whoever else paid him a visit left him shaken.”
“You think someone told Lang he was Kade.”
“What other explanation could there be?”
“But?”
“After we left Lang’s, Naught told me Kade had talked to Peyton’s ex-husband once before.”
“We thought he had. About child support?”
“Yep.”
“You think Lang would’ve recognized him.”
“You got it.”
“No offense to Kade, Maddox, but those guys do all look kind of alike, especially with their shaved heads, and muscle-bound bodies.”
He’d thought of that, too. It was the only explanation. Kade had enlisted one of the guys he used to work with to keep an eye on Peyton, and maybe their whole family.
“You’re right.”
“Whoever it is, would want to stay under the radar.”
“Right about that, too.” Telling Alex was the best thing he could’ve done. She helped him see there was a logical explanation when he couldn’t come up with one on his own. “Thanks, Al.”
“Anytime, Mad.”
“So tell me what you did to Lang.”
“I’ll let your imagination run wild instead.”
“Yeah? Did you beat him up, Mad? Did you break his nose? What about his fingers?”
Maddox laughed. “None of the above.”
“How’d you get him to back off then?”
“You aren’t the only one who knows what happens in this valley, Alex.”
“You have something on him.”
Maddox shrugged, but smiled.
They stayed silent for maybe ten or fifteen minutes, long enough that Maddox couldn’t keep quiet any longer.
“You didn’t answer my text.”
Alex brought her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. “Did it need an answer?”
What the hell? If she sent him a text saying she needed him, he damn well would’ve answered her.
“I guess you didn’t think so.”
“We’re friends. We’ll be friends until we’re old and I’m gray.” She grinned. “How come you don’t have gray hair? Or do you color it like Kade did?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Kade colored his goatee.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw him at one of those warehouse beauty supply places in San Luis Obispo. I walked up and asked if he thought Peyton would look better as a brunette.”
The Truce (Butler Ranch Book 2) Page 10
