Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

DUSTY

When I first started getting to know Nova and fantasized about taking her on a date, breaking up a scary domestic situation in the middle of it wasn’t on my radar. Knowing she was waiting safely back in the truck made it possible for me to mount the cement steps to Brody’s front door with less anxiety, though.

Travis knocked on the screen a few times.

Minutes went by while we heard movement on the other side of the door. We exchanged a glance before I reached over him and knocked a second time.

The door swung open. Patty stood there in her maroon scrubs, her white, shoulder length hair tucked behind her ears. “Dusty,” she said loudly. “What can I do for you?”

I noticed she didn’t greet Travis.

“We’ve got the silent auction going on at the school tonight, ma’am, and we’re missing Brody. Any chance he’s home?”

She hesitated.

I didn’t want to say the wrong thing and alert the dad that we were here with backup, so I hoped she could read the expression in my eyes and trust me. “I’ll have him home at a decent time. ”

“Yes, of course,” she said in a rush. “We’ve had a bit of a day around here, but he was planning on being there. I’m sorry he’s late.”

“It’s not a problem.”

“Brody,” she called, not moving from the front door. “Coach Hayes is here to take you to the fundraiser.”

We waited in silence for another minute, the three of us holding our breath. When Brody stepped from the hallway, he had a hoodie pulled low over his face. “I don’t want to go.”

Patty stiffened. “You’ll do as you’re told.”

“But—”

“Brody,” she snapped.

He made a frustrated sound. “Yes, ma’am,” he muttered, but it was easy to see that he didn’t want to step past his grandma.

What could I say to put him at ease? The kid didn’t need to come to the fundraiser, not really, but he needed to be out of this house so we could remove the real threat. “You need to assist this evening if you want to be allotted your portion of the proceeds, same as everyone else.” Even as the words left my mouth, they felt hollow. Brody had put more work into the event than anyone else on the team, and we both knew that.

He glanced up in surprise, and I got a good look at the fresh bruise spreading down his cheekbone.

I saw red.

Travis put a hand on my forearm, sensing my need to charge into the house and lay a fist on that good-for-nothing waste of space parading as a parent. But more violence was never the answer to violence. Never.

“Why don’t you walk Brody to the truck so I can speak to Mrs. McAllister?” Travis asked.

“Sure.” I flicked my head toward the sidewalk. “Come on.”

“Don’t dawdle,” Travis whispered. “Flash your brights when he’s safe.”

I didn’t need clarification to know he wanted me to signal Hank. Travis hadn’t worn a walkie-talkie. Brody’s slow steps were almost painful. By the time we reached my truck, I was ready to throw the kid over my shoulder and bolt. He didn’t know it, but he wasn’t stepping foot back in that house until it was safe to do so. I didn’t care if he and his grandma had to move in with me. If I could help it, his dad would never lay a hand on him again.

“Get in the back,” I said quietly, leaning through the door to flash my lights.

Brody looked at me with confusion, then did as he was told.

“Hey, Brody,” Nova said from the back row. “You want a fruit snack?”

I couldn’t help the smallest of smiles as I climbed into the driver’s seat and watched the house. Or the way my smile grew when I heard the crinkling of the wrapper as Brody took it and popped a few in his mouth.

“Why aren’t we leaving?” he asked.

“Is your dad in there, Brody?”

He went quiet.

“You aren’t in trouble, but I need to know.”

“Yeah,” he said.

“Then he’s breaking an active restraining order right now and Officer Partridge has the authority to take him away.” I glanced at Brody through the rearview mirror and my heart tore in half when I clocked the expression of hope flashing across his face. “But your grandma needs to give them some information first. There’s a proper way to do these things, so we’re going to wait here until the police have done their jobs, then we’re going to get you something to eat.”

“I had dinner,” he muttered.

“So you aren’t hungry?”

He didn’t refute that. The kid could always eat.

A shout and a thud came from the house, making everyone in the truck go still. Hank ran into the house with someone behind him. We waited with various degrees of breathing difficulties—Brody nearly hyperventilating in the backseat.

“Stay here,” Nova said calmly. I didn’t turn around, but I figured Brody wanted to run back in after his grandma and she had stopped him.

Minutes passed that felt eternal before the door opened again, pouring yellow light over the porch and along the walkway. Hank was leading a barefoot man in pajamas and handcuffs from the house. He didn’t look our way, and we all stayed very quiet until Hank had pushed him into the back seat of the cop car.

Brody let out a long breath. “How long will he be away this time?”

“Officer Partridge mentioned that if we can prove assault, this will be a felony. He’ll have questions for you, son,” I said, surprising myself. I sounded like Coach Henry. “It won’t be easy, but it’s best if you’re honest. You and your grandma won’t get in trouble.”

“Okay.”

His voice was so small. I could see Nova was moving through the same emotions I was. Pain, heartache, the desire to take away this kid’s troubles and give him a safe life.

“Are you willing to go in and talk to them now?” I asked.

“Sure.”

“I’ll run and get you some food if you’re hungry. Has your grandma eaten?” Nova asked while we all got out of the truck.

“No,” Brody said. “She hasn’t.”

“Okay. I’ll be back in a minute.” Nova looked at me. “Can I take your truck?”

“Definitely.” Tenderness swelled within me, and it took a lot of restraint to keep from pulling her in for a kiss right there. The easy way she handled everything. How unflinching she was. The willingness to jump into action in a way she knew how to help. Those were all testaments to her character .

Nova walked around the truck and met me at the front. “I’ll call ahead at Gigi’s. Dal can whip something up for us real quick.”

“Thanks.” I squeezed her hand. “Sorry our date took a detour.”

“This isn’t something you need to apologize for.” Nova fisted my shirt and pulled me down, then laid a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”

She left me standing there, stunned for a hot second.

“Come on, Coach,” Brody said, a hint of amusement in his tone. His hood was down and his posture already more relaxed. If only I’d thought to question him more a month ago—but I couldn’t think like that. We were here now, and he wouldn’t have to deal with his dad anymore after tonight. “Stop drooling. My grandma is waiting.”

I shot him a sheepish smile. “You didn’t see that.”

“See what? That was nothing.”

Oh, how very, very wrong he was.

I threw my arm around his shoulder and messed up his hair. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

NOVA

My phone had been ringing nonstop, but I hadn’t been notified since I’d put my phone on do not disturb . Missed calls from Mom, Blair, and Carter filled my screen. It had been days since I’d talked to Carter, and he clearly didn’t like being put on the back burner, but he would have to wait. My mom needed to be informed no one was in great danger anymore. I probably shouldn’t have texted her for help because she was apt to worry, but she was religious and I’d been scared.

I clicked her name and put the phone on speaker while I maneuvered through the dark streets toward the diner.

“We’re coming home,” Mom said firmly the moment she answered the phone. “I’ve already started talking to the pastor here, and he can arrange?—”

“Mom, listen.”

“It’s not a trial, honey. Your dad and I have considered it more than once in the last few months. We’ll rent a place big enough for all of us until the lease is up for the renters in my house, then we can move home.”

A spark of hope flared within me before dying swiftly under a bucket of cold water. “Listen, I’m safe. The kids are fine. We were just…” How did I explain this? Why did I ever send that stupid text? I pulled in front of Gigi’s Diner and put the truck in park, letting out a breath. “I’ve been kind of seeing this guy.”

“I know,” Mom said. “Gigi does talk to me, honey.”

“Right.” What had my aunt said? It’s not gossip when it’s family. I should’ve known she’d report on me to my parents. “Well, he’s a high school football coach, and one of the kids on his team had a terrible situation at home.” I filled her in on Brody’s last few months, culminating tonight.

“It was smart to get the law involved,” Dad said, cutting into the conversation. “You did the right thing.”

“Maybe, but it was scary for a minute there. I’m relieved it’s over.”

They were quiet for a minute. “Nova, listen. I don’t want you to decide right now. I take it you care a lot for this man, and after everything that happened with Carter, you deserve someone who puts you first. But Dad and I are serious about coming home. It looks like Dad will need hip surgery soon, and it would be better for us to cut our time here short and take care of it in the States. Take some time to think about it, okay? I’d love to have you three come stay with us. You know it won’t be a burden.”

I did know that. My mother adored my kids, and we could manage to share a place for a while. But it meant leaving Arcadia Creek, which left a bitter taste in my mouth. “I don’t know?—”

“Think about it,” Mom repeated. “Call me later. I don’t want you making decisions while you’re fresh out of this situation. You need time to let your emotions settle again.”

“Okay,” I agreed. “I’ll think about it.”

Mom promised to fill Blair in for me, since she’d gone so far as to call my sister-in-law and ask if she knew what was going on, and we hung up the phone. I sat in the truck, immersed in silence. Dal would need a few more minutes to get the food bagged up anyway, and my parents had given me a lot to think about. My gut reaction was to brush them off because the thought of moving again so soon made me feel hives threatening to break out.

But we could move home, live with family. Even if I chose a school in Brooklyn, the kids would be close enough to see their old friends, and we would be near their cousins again. It wasn’t an option without merit.

I didn’t necessarily want to live that close to Carter, but the kids would be able to see more of him. They could maintain a relationship with their dad.

I shook my head and jumped out of the truck. Mom was right. It wasn’t smart to make life decisions while I was riding the wave of adrenaline and coming down from high emotions. Sleep would level me out, and I would talk to my kids, and then I would know what the right thing was for us.