Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

Even though Tex knew Chelsea’s house was clear, he still hesitated before leaving.

She should be okay. However, given everything that had happened, he knew better than to let down his guard.

He stepped through the hedges toward Gilbert’s place. But before going inside, he thought about what Patrick had told him about his other foster brothers.

He didn’t generally have the urge to catch up with them. But right now, he did. He wanted to know how they were doing.

Maybe this was God convicting him to stay in touch, to turn over a new leaf.

He glanced at his phone again.

If he were to contact them, who would he start with?

One face came to mind. Aiden Bennett. Aiden had been a year older than Tex and a member of the football team. In some ways, Aiden had been a mentor to Tex.

He stopped hesitating, found Aiden’s number, and gave him a call.

His friend answered on the second ring.

“Hey, it’s Tex. I know it’s been a long time, but you came to mind today, and I wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Tex? Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. How you doing, man?”

“Doing pretty well, all things considered.” He stared up at Gilbert’s house as he continued to stand outside, a rock forming in his gut. “You’ll never believe where I am. I’m actually back here in Holly Ridge.”

He explained the situation—some of it, at least.

“Wait . . . you said Gilbert invited you?” Aiden let out a chuckle. “Now that’s not something I thought I’d ever hear. I figured once we were gone, he wanted nothing more than to forget about us.”

They chatted a few more minutes. It turned out that Aiden was now a bridge engineer who worked mainly on government projects.

“It sounds like things are going well for you,” Tex said.

“Yeah, I can’t complain.”

Something in his voice made Tex pause. “You sure everything is good?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Just . . . there’s some stuff going on.”

“What kind of stuff?” Tex knew his friend probably wouldn’t answer, but he asked anyway.

“You remember back in high school when I broke into the principal’s office and changed some grades in the computer?”

Tex remembered that well. “I do.”

“You and I were the only ones who knew about it initially—until the principal checked some camera footage and figured it out. Then he got Gilbert involved.”

“But Gilbert had a talk with him, and they decided to keep it quiet in return for community service hours.” Tex recalled the incident.

“That’s what they said at the time. Well, I got this text from some unknown number. The sender said he was going to blast my secret publicly unless I did what he told me.”

Tex’s back tightened. “What?”

“I couldn’t believe it either. I freaked out. I didn’t know if it could affect my security clearance or not, but I didn’t want to take the chance.”

“What did he tell you to do?” Tex remained tense as he waited for his friend to continue.

“I had to leave some cash in a McDonald’s bag in a trashcan in Richmond. Five thousand dollars.”

“Did you do it?”

“I panicked,” Aiden admitted. “I left the money, and I haven’t heard from this extortionist since then. But I know I probably will. I could go to the police, but I really don’t want my past becoming public. I did too many things I wasn’t proud of. Breaking into the principal’s office was just the first. But I’ve turned my life around. People think I’m respectable now.”

Tex’s mind raced.

It sounded like the text he’d received. It couldn’t be a coincidence that both he and Aiden had received these blackmail requests. Had any of their other foster brothers received them?

He remembered what Lindsey said about Pete Lawson possibly dropping out of the senate race. He remembered the strange look he’d seen in Patrick’s eyes as they’d spoken.

Was someone who knew their secrets targeting them?

He stared at the house again.

And was that person Gilbert?

As Tex ended the call, he felt more unsettled than ever.

As Chelsea changed clothes, her hands still shook.

Today had been a lot, to say the least.

And it wasn’t over yet.

She slipped into a burgundy sweaterdress and black boots, adding some gold earrings and a necklace. The look was dressy enough while still being casual. Truthfully, she really wasn’t sure how she was supposed to dress tonight, but this outfit seemed like a good option.

Thinking about going to Gilbert’s made a ripple of nerves sweep through her. Partly it was because of Gilbert and her uncertainty about trusting him. But it was also in part because of Tex.

Being around him left her feeling unnerved. Her feelings for the man were still there as if they’d been tucked away just beneath the surface all these years. But she had to protect herself, to keep up her walls and not give in to her impulse to pick up where they’d left off.

With one last glance in the mirror, Chelsea decided that this was as good as it was going to get. She slipped on her gray wool coat and a deep green scarf. Before leaving, she tucked her cell phone into her pocket along with her keys.

As she stepped outside, a brisk wind greeted her.

Was it tonight they were supposed to get that snow? She thought it might be. But her days were running together right now.

Pushing aside her hesitation, she started across the crisp grass and cut through the hedges. The scent of evergreen filled her nostrils, reminding her of Christmas—which was usually her favorite holiday. This year would definitely be different.

She hadn’t wanted to tell her parents how much she wanted to be with them for the holidays. She feared they might not enjoy their trip if they knew just how sad it made her to be celebrating alone. But she could do this. She was used to being single and independent.

This would be the test of those strengths.

She paused as she passed through the shrubs, the skin on her neck rising.

She glanced around.

Why did she feel as if she were being watched?

Suddenly, all her nerves tightened.

She scanned her surroundings—Gilbert’s house. His shed. The street on one side and the woods on the other.

She didn’t see anyone out of the ordinary.

But the feeling remained. Maybe she should have had Tex walk her over after all.

Moving more quickly, she scrambled up the steps to the front door of Gilbert’s place. She drew in a deep breath then started to knock. Before she could, the door opened, and Tex stood there.

She sucked in a breath at the sight of him. Instead of his well-worn jeans and sweatshirt from earlier, he’d changed into some black slacks and a forest green sweater. His dark hair had been combed, and his face looked fresh, clean.

He flashed a smile. “You’re right on time.”

His deep voice sent a shiver of delight through her.

He ushered her inside and, as he did, the scent of roast beef and potatoes hit her.

Maybe Gilbert wasn’t a one-hit wonder in the kitchen.

“Everything good?” Tex whispered as he stood entirely too close.

Actually, it was just the amount of closeness Chelsea craved, if she were honest with herself. Close enough she could feel the warmth from his body and smell his piney cologne.

“It’s fine.” Her throat burned as she said the words. “You?”

Something passed through his gaze, and she knew he’d learned something new since they’d last spoken. Her curiosity sparked.

“I’ll tell you later,” he whispered. “Nothing that should affect you now, though.”

She hated having to wait, but she understood.

As she stepped into the kitchen, Gilbert called out a jolly hello to her. He wore a Santa Claus apron as he stood by the stove with a big grin on his face.

He was in a good mood today, wasn’t he?

Anna stood beside him.

Now it made sense. Anna was cooking, and Gilbert was assisting her.

“Hey, any updates on Mikey?” Gilbert asked as he pulled some milk from the fridge. “I wanted to make it down to the hospital earlier, but I was stuck in traffic in Roanoke. So much for my last-minute Christmas shopping.”

“The doctor is hoping he’ll be okay,” Chelsea told him. “I’m praying that’s the case also.”

“Me too.” Anna paused from cooking and turned to face them. “I just hate that this happened. Does anyone know why? Why would someone so young have heart problems?”

Chelsea licked her lips, unsure what to say.

Tex put his hand on her elbow. “I think the medical staff are trying to figure that out.”

Good answer. They didn’t want to share too much.

As Tex’s phone buzzed, he excused himself.

Suddenly, waves of unease washed over Chelsea as she was left alone with Gilbert and Anna.