Stay: Changing Tides, Book 1

by Candi Wall

  She glanced at George. “The coffee shop?”

  He nodded without looking up. “That’s what he requested.”

  He?

  Her heart must have started working again at some point, though she wasn’t sure when. She knew because it stopped again. He was here? In Lamplen, Pennsylvania? That wasn’t possible. Was it?

  She walked out of the office with numbed senses and before she knew it, she stood at the door to the coffee shop. Numerous people filled the large room. She stared through the window for several minutes for broad shoulders, blue eyes, or even the dark waves of his unruly hair. She wouldn’t miss him in a crowd the size of New Years Eve in Times Square.

  But she didn’t see him.

  The door opened and several teenagers bustled out onto the street. Their loud laughter and easy chatter bounced just outside her mind. The door began to swing shut and she grabbed it, closing her eyes to take a deep breath. She could do this. See what he wanted, ask how Jonathon was doing, and breathe him in.

  She could do this.

  The strong scent of coffee filled the room. Every stool at the long counter was occupied, and each table seemed to be taken. She scanned the people, squinting into the back corners with greedy eyes, her need to see him so profound she skipped right over a familiar face before jerking back to stare.

  Jonathon waved from across the room, his smile radiant.

  She rushed over, tears pooling in her eyes to blur the obstacles before her. She made it to his table with little more than a sore shin from its contact with several chairs, and met his huge hug. She didn’t even try to hold back her emotion. She didn’t care who saw her. Having him here, in person, able to witness his smile and the happiness in his expression made the rest of the coffee shop patrons disappear.

  He let go and waved to one of the empty seats, his hands immediately set in motion. “How are you?”

  “Good.” All the signs she’d replayed in her mind were still fresh. She’d practiced them often, enjoying the memories of their talks, and in a way, holding onto a piece of Brack and Jonathon in the process. “I’m good. How are you?”

  “Never better.” He met her gaze with a self-assured smile that so resembled Brack’s her throat ached. “What’s going on with your mom? Is she okay?”

  Leave it to the amazing kid he was to think of her troubles. Another teenager would have been ripping into her for leaving.

  A young waitress—damn if she could remember her name—came over then. “Can I get you something, Abby?”

  “Hazelnut decaf, please.” Hating the disruption in their conversation, she turned back to Jonathon. “She’s in a facility right now. I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head. “It’s okay. I’m used to it. I knew it was only a matter of time.”

  “Nobody gets used to watching someone they love walk away.”

  He’d signed with slow deliberation, his eyes intent. She didn’t miss the meaning in his choice of words. “Jonathon, you have to understand. I didn’t want to leave you or your father.”

  “But you did it for us?”

  The animation of his expression spoke volumes. Amazed at his ability to lace his signs with sarcasm, she sighed. “Yes. I thought you’d understand.”

  “I guess I do. In a way. But I still wish you could have stayed. Things were great when you were around.” He took a sip of his coffee and blew out a long breath. “He was a wreck when you left, you know. Not that he showed anyone. I knew of course. But he hid it from everyone else pretty well.”

  A wreck was the last definition she could imagine in any sentence that coincided with Brack Elliot. “But he’s fine now, right?”

  “Yeah. You have no idea.” His smile gave extra meaning to the signs. “I never would have thought.”

  That statement shouldn’t have hurt, but it did. She had no right to feel pain because he’d gone on with his life. That was all she’d given him as a choice. His safety, his well-being, was her reason for leaving. She still had nightmares about her mother nearly running him over. And still, the image of him happy, maybe dating, settled like a heavy boulder in her chest. She forced a smile she just couldn’t make herself feel and fell back on her fake-it-till-you-make-it motto. “That’s great. I’m glad he’s okay. So tell me, what are you doing here?”

  “I’m taking my first flying lesson at Bridgeport airstrip. We just got back from the Hershey factory a little while ago.” Excitement flashed in his eyes. “Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. I think I gained a couple of pounds in the hours we were there.”

  Her mind refused to process his signs with anything other than images. Clear as day, they stood in the factory gift shop, two greedy men picking through the assortments of chocolate. Then his other statement replayed in her mind, and she jerked back to attention.

  “Wait. Did you say flying lessons?” The shock she experienced must have registered on her face because he smiled hugely.

  “Yes.” He turned his napkin several times, then added, “Dad and I are headed to the airport in the morning for our first lesson.”

  She’d waited to hear news of Brack without having to ask. Now that he’d mentioned him, she couldn’t resist asking. “Your dad’s here too?”

  His hands and expression were laden with sarcasm for a second time. “Did you think I was here by myself?”

  “No. I was just hoping you’d supply the information so I wouldn’t have to make an ass out of myself asking.”

  “You owe me a quarter for that swear.” He settled back in his chair, his gaze solid. “But I’ll let it slide this time. Yes, my dad’s here. What else do you want to know?”

  “Why are you guys here and what’s with flying lessons?” There was so much more she wanted to ask. Instead, she settled for, “I never imagined your dad would lighten up that much.”

  Jonathon set his mug down, tossed a ten-dollar bill on the table then grabbed her hand. He didn’t sign another word until they were outside. The early evening sunset lit up the sky in orange and red, painting the clouds far into the distance. She stared at them for a lingering moment, unsure if she was ready to see what he had to say. When she met his eyes again, he smiled.

  “He went back to his old by-the-book nonsense when you left. Everything in its place and a place for everything. No room for coloring outside the lines. Drove me crazy too.”

  The disgusted turn of his lips made her laugh. “But that changed?”

  “Yeah. I finally decided he needed to be more like he was when you were around. So I did something a bit—crazy.” He guided her toward the corner where a small bench sat outside the shop and plunked down on it.

  She took the spot next to him. “Do I even dare ask what you did?

  Silent laughter lightened his features. “I joined the rally club and started racing.”

  “Stock cars?” Abby choked back a laugh. That couldn’t have gone over well. “What did he do?”

  He shrugged. “Ranted and raved and then shocked the shit—I mean crap—out of me by offering the old Camaro he had at his grandfather’s place, as a fixer-upper.”

  “No shit?” His eyebrows arched at her use of the language, but he just nodded. “Wow. Never would have seen that coming.”

  “Then this will really shock you.”

  That hint had her sitting on the edge of her seat. But he held up a finger for her to wait and reached into his pocket. When he pulled his cell phone free and she heard the low vibration, she glanced away. Was that Brack? Her heartbeat drummed up a notch. It probably was. Wondering where Jonathon was and what he was doing. Or did he know already? Surely he knew, but he’d chosen not to visit as well. She couldn’t blame him. Not after the way she’d left. Still, it would have been nice to see the real face behind the dreams that haunted her sleep.

  And his scent. She still looked around when she smelled the aroma of fresh-cut wood. Thankfully, this town was much bigger than his hometown, far from th
e coast. There weren’t trees and driftwood everywhere, ready for his hands and saws to turn the wood into amazing creations in his shop.

  Jonathon snapped his phone shut after a flurry of text messages and smiled. “Sorry.”

  She returned the smile but clenched her hands to keep from asking about Brack again. “So what’s going to shock me?”

  A wide grin curved his lips. “We’ve been on the road for the last three weeks. We’ve done everything you can imagine. He took all of his vacation time at once and we’ve gone from one state to the next. I’ve bungee-jumped twice, but I could only talk Dad into it one time. He said that was enough for him. But we’ve ridden rollercoasters until we puked and went spelunking in this cool cave. Man, was it awesome. It cost us extra to go as far as we did, but we were allowed to use the axes, and I got this really neat rock with all kinds of different minerals and crystal formations through it. There were even bats!”

  His hands moved without stopping. He was really good at spelling out the words she didn’t know, but his inflection described most words without her having to interrupt. They’d gone horseback riding, driven a racecar around a real racetrack and went moose hunting up near the Canadian border. She tried to wrap her mind around the images, but she just couldn’t.

  She held a hand up to stall his signs. “Jonathon, you can’t blame me for having a hard time believing all this.” She shook her head. “What made him change so drastically?”

  His trim shoulders hunched in a dubious shrug. “You’d have to ask him. He makes all the plans. I just go along. This stop wasn’t in our plans originally. He came back to the hotel the other night where we were staying in Richmond, Virginia, and said we were headed here. I didn’t really care. Every place we’d stopped so far had been a blast.”

  “And here you are.” She sat back against the bench in disbelief. “Going flying in the morning. I’m in shock.”

  Jonathon stood and stretched. “I’m sure you are, but this trip was different. He’s been quiet since we got here. He told me this morning that he’d found out you were here.”

  She tried to ignore the tingle of awareness crawling up her spine. Had he been looking for her during their travels? “I’m glad you found me.”

  “Me too.” He scuffed his foot. “I hate to go, but I really need to get back to the room and make sure I have everything packed. We’re heading home after flying tomorrow.”

  The goodbye moved through her with force. She felt it right down to her soul. Too soon, by far. But she’d rather not belabor the point. The men were on a roll. Doing things together that they should have done for years, and she couldn’t be happier for them.

  Or sadder for herself. She should be with them…

  She hugged him hard then stepped back. “I’m so glad you came to see me. It was great seeing you. I’ve missed you both so much.”

  “You too, Abby.”

  She bit her lip, uncertainty tightening throat. “Would you tell your dad—tell him I said hi?”

  He nodded. “He had some meeting at the fire station, but I’ll tell him I saw you as soon as he gets back.”

  Her heart wasn’t going to take much more today. “Which fire station?”

  Before he even raised a hand she knew where he’d indicate. She grabbed his hand and mouthed the words, “Come on.”

  Brack sat back in the chair with a smile. If he’d learned anything in the last few months, it was that life never threw you a straight pitch. He looped his fingers together and relaxed. Now he just had to wait. If she came to him, she came. And he’d bet everything he owned on her showing up. At this point, the difficult part would be convincing her she’d made a mistake.

  George passed him a cup of coffee, and nodded to the door. “I think you’ve got visitors.”

  A frisson of trepidation hit him solidly in the chest. He’d taken chances over the last weeks he’d never imagined he would. Vaulting off the side of a dam strapped to nothing more than a huge rubber band had to top the list of scary experiences, but seeing Abby again had it beat hands-down.

  With a deep breath, he set the mug on the captain’s desk and walked to the office door. A small grin lightened her features as she spoke with Jonathon. They walked through the bay doors, her steps faltering the moment her gaze met his. God, she looked good. Better than the memories that had kept her fresh in his mind.

  He’d wondered at her response to his sudden appearance. She had no way of knowing he’d been searching for her from the moment he’d come to his senses. Which he could seamlessly thank his son for. It had taken a single comment from the tenacious teen for him to realize he’d rolled over and let life and all its intricacies walk all over him.

  “Dad, I love you, but if anyone should be soured on life, it’s me. And I’m not, so you can’t be either.”

  She came closer, her gaze searching his, and every greeting he’d practiced disappeared from his mind. He pulled her into his arms, breathing deep to take her in. He whispered against her ear, “I’ve missed you.”

  Her slight nod and the soft shudders of her thin frame answered any doubt he’d had about coming. He shifted back, cupping her face. “We’ve been looking for you. I just didn’t realize we’ve been looking for you forever.”

  A tear rippled over her lashes to travel down her cheek. “You shouldn’t have. From what Jonathon tells me, you two are doing great. You need to keep having fun.”

  He held her when she would have pulled back. All the rehearsed lines in the world wouldn’t work on her. She deserved the truth. This would be his only chance. He understood why she’d left, and it was up to him to make her realize that she’d made a mistake.

  “Abby, stop. Yes, we’ve had fun. But not as much fun as we would have had if you were with us. Come home. There’s nothing in your life we can’t handle together. I don’t care what happens in the future as long as we’re together. We both need you more than you could ever know. Jonathon loves you. He respects you and talks about you all the time. He’s worried since the moment he found out you were gone. Hell, you should have seen his face when I told him you were here.”

  “I love him too.” She stood there silent for a moment, her eyes sad when she finally added, “But my mother, Brack. God, the problems she could cause. And what about me? What if I get sick?”

  He shook his head, refusing the what-ifs. “None of that matters. I’ll be there for you. We can work through anything together. But not if you’re not with us. And that’s what it means to love someone. No matter what happens, we can handle anything as long as we’re together. I’m not scared anymore. I want you—us. I love you, Abby.”

  There, he’d said it. And just in time it seemed, since five men in Lamplen County Fire Station T-shirts came in through the bay doors with duffle bags. Ten eyes latched onto Abby’s back with mild curiosity and fierce protectiveness. It didn’t surprise him in the least that she’d won over the members of yet another department in a short span of time. But she had a team at home. One that missed her.

  The men’s laughter and chatter died when Abby turned quickly to see who had arrived. The largest of the men headed in their direction, his eyes riveted to her face. “What’s going on, Burke?”

  She brushed her tears away and quickly shook her head. “Nothing, Mason. Just some old friends I haven’t seen—” She broke off and swung back around, her eyes wide. “Did you just say you loved me?”

  Brack laughed. “Yes. Very much. Come home with us. Where you belong. You started all of this. You opened the doors for Jonathon and I to heal. You asked me to open up, to let go of some of my control and to learn to enjoy life again. To stop being afraid of everything falling apart around me. I did that, but it’s not complete without you. We want to share all of this with you. I want to share this with you.”

  Abby’s mind reeled. Every reason for leaving vaporized under his intent gaze. “I’m scared.”

  He pressed a finger to her lips. “You are not your mother. As much as you told me to let go
of my fears and my guilt, you have to do the same. Let go, and we’ll see where life takes us. But at least we’ll do it together.”

  Sincerity and hope burned bright in his eyes. He’d changed everything about who he was. He’d let go, he’d found the life he’d left behind when Ellen and Jeremy had died. “I don’t fear life, though, Brack. I’m scared of hurting you.”

  “Apples and oranges, babe.” He held his hands up like she’d done to him so long ago. “As far as I’m concerned, the only question here is, do you love me?”

  She launched into his arms, pressing her lips to his neck. “Yes, Brack. Oh, God, yes. So much it hurts.”

  He swung her around, his lips finding hers with firm pressure. She clung to him, not caring who watched. If he could take the chance and change, then why couldn’t she? It still scared the hell out of her, but she couldn’t deny what she wanted, and knowing he wanted it just as much could be enough.

  A warm hand gripped her shoulder and she turned to look at Jonathon through her tears. His hands moved slowly, his own gaze soft, questioning. “Please come home with us.”

  She nodded. There was no way she could say no to them. She’d never been able to before. Why start now? She may have left, but her heart had remained with them. It was time to stop running. She’d found her life, and going back was just the beginning. She was going home for the first time in her life, and she was going home to stay.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “So tell me again why you agreed to marry the moper?”

  Abby smiled into the mirror, meeting Lawson Elliot’s handsome grin. She still couldn’t believe Brack had four brothers. She’d yet to meet Gage, but she was sure to love him just as much as the rest, every one of them as dear to her in a short time as the man himself.