21. Noah

It's been one hell of a week away in Canada. While I enjoyed our game and being with the guys, I missed the hell out of Camryn and Brighton. I managed to pick them up gifts, a stuffed toy for Camryn—like she doesn't have enough—and something a little more personal for Brighton.

I glance at Brady, who's driving me home, and he swipes at his tired eyes. He pulls up to my house and my heart pounds a little faster. "Thanks for the lift."

"Yeah, no problem." I reach for the door handle, ready to bolt, but slow myself. It's clear he has something on his mind. I turn back to him and meet his gaze. "What's Melanie's story anyway?" he asks.

I'm so tired my brain isn't working right. "Melanie?"

"The bartender at the rooftop pool." He gestures with a nod to the resort. "Does she hate hockey players or something?"

As understanding dawns, I laugh at that. "You know she's a psych major, right?"

"I think that might have come up."

"I love you, bro, but maybe she's done a full analysis on you and decided she doesn't like guys who are commitment phobic."

He grins at me, but it's forced and pained, and it gives me pause. Is the well-known player, on and off the ice, tired of his bachelor days? "I wasn't asking for a commitment."

Okay, guess not.

Or maybe he is and is trying to hide it.

"Maybe she's just looking for more, Brady," I say seriously. "She's a few years older than you, and maybe she's looking for different thing than you are."

"Never been with an older woman," he teases with a wag of his brows that feels forced.

"Is that what this is all about?" I ask, even though I don't think it is. Something is going on with Brady, and he's my buddy, so if he wants to talk about this all night, I will. I let go of the door handle and settle in my seat.

He notes my actions and shakes his head. "Get on in there with your girls, Noah."

My girls.

My heart soars at the sound of that.

He taps his fingers on the steering wheel, a bit restless despite our long-ass week. "You really love her, don't you?"

With zero hesitation in my voice, I answer, "I do."

He nods, looking genuinely happy for me. "I can tell. It looks good on you, bud."

I run tired fingers through my mess of hair. "Between us, we kind of made the engagement real, but it was really shitty how it went down. She deserves better than that."

He snorts. "Then go give her better."

"I will…unless you want to talk."

He grips the steering wheel and looks straight ahead and the sadness about him is palpable. Christ, I've never seen him like this. "I'm good, bud." He hesitates a moment. "It"s just that Theo is driving me insane. I"m going to need to look for my own place soon."

I'm about to press, but he picks up his phone, putting an end to the conversation. I can read a room, or a car, so I open the door to leave him to his thoughts.

I bend and peek back inside the door as he pops the trunk. "Get some rest." He nods and I close the door, grab my gear from the trunk, and hurry to the front entranceway. The house is dark and quiet when I enter, and I hurry up the steps to my wing. I drop my bag on the floor, head straight to my bedroom, and a wave of disappointment washes over me when I find my bed empty.

I hurry across the hall to Camryn's room and my heart splits open as the two loves of my life snuggle together in a deep sleep. Since I don't have the heart to wake either of them, I tiptoe from the room and leave the door cracked, just in case Brighton wakes and wants to slip into my bed.

I leave the lights out in my room, strip off to my boxers and fall into bed. Sleep hits hard and fast, and the next thing I know, I'm waking up to Camryn jumping on my bed.

"Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Wake up. What did you bring me?"

"Come here, Bean." Protecting my balls, I pull her down and give her a big hug and kiss on the forehead. Lifting a bit, I glance around the room, expecting to see Brighton.

"Daddy, I played with Becky and Olivia yesterday, but we're still going to the park today, right? It's Sunday and we always go to the park and get ice cream."

"Of course, we are." I'm not sure why but I have a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I listen for sound in the house. Maybe Brighton is in the kitchen making pancakes. Yeah, that has to be it. She's giving me quiet time with my daughter. Why then, is my gut tightening in a knot of anxiety—the same kind of anxiety I felt right after Camryn was born and her mother abandoned her—making me sweat?

"Do you know where Ms. Brighton is?" I ask, working to sound casual and easy going.

She nods and a wave of relief washes over me. "She told me she wouldn't be here when I woke up this morning, but that you would be home. She said she had a runs to do."

"A runs." I pause and try to figure that out. For as long as I've known Brighton, she doesn't run in the morning. "Do you mean, errands?"

"That's what I said, Daddy. A runs."

I ruffle her hair. "Okay, Bean. Let's get up and dressed and I need a shower."

"Ms. Brighton gave me a fun bubble bath last night." She pouts. "When do I get to call her mommy? Becky was sure now that Ms. Brighton has a ring, I didn't have to call her Ms. Brighton anymore."

My throat is tight, because every instinct I possess is screaming that something isn't right. "For a little while longer, okay?"

"Okay," she pouts.

I jump up, pull her stuffy from the bag and hand it to her, needing her to focus on something else, while I try to calm my nerves enough to figure out why everything feels off this morning. I hand her the toy for her new pup Mabel, and she squeals in delight.

She hugs it and jumps up and down. "Mabel is going to love this."

"Why don't you put this in your room, and you can give it to her when she finally comes home? Get dressed, I'll have a quick shower and then we'll make pancakes."

She darts down the hall and I search the floor for my pants. I rustle my phone out of my pocket and check for messages. Nothing. I hold the phone, debating my next move and decide what the fuck, I'll message her. I shoot a message off and wait. Nothing comes in, so I hurry to the shower and wash quickly.

Camryn's happy voice sounds in her room as I pick my phone up off my bed and check it quickly. Still nothing. I glance around, looking for something, anything that would let me know where Brighton had run off to today and the second my gaze lands on my nightstand, and I see what she's left for me, the world around me fades to black and air leaves my lungs in a rush.

What. The. Fuck.

I walk slowly, sure I'm seeing things, but no. Sitting right there, set out for me to see, is my grandmother's ring. I pick it up, and turn it over in my hand to see the tape. There's no mistaking what I'm holding.

Our breakup.

I sink onto my mattress. I've only been gone a few days. What the hell happened in those days? Camryn comes running back into the room, and she takes one look at me, and goes still.

"Daddy, are you sick?"

I quickly pull myself together and loosen my shoulders as I force a smile. "No, Bean."

She crosses the room and I could fucking sob as she presses her hand to my forehead the way I've done to her in the past. I don't want to hurt her. The last thing I want to do is hurt her, but if I brought a woman into her life, only for her to walk out on us… I fight back a tortured groan.

Camryn angles her head. "You don't feel warm."

I scoop her up, and she squeals as I tickle her. "Just tired. Now how about breakfast?"

"No lumps," she screeches as I carry her to the kitchen.

For the next half hour, I numbly make breakfast, simply going through the motions as I try to puzzle things out and afterward, Camryn washes up and brushes her teeth. We head outside for a walk on the beach and the whole time, I'm searching for Camryn. By the time lunch rolls around, we eat a sandwich quickly and head to the park. I just can't help shake the unease blossoming inside me, especially since I've yet to hear from Brighton. Where could she have gone?

I park and after we cross the street, Camryn takes off to see her friends. I spot Julie and Gemma and when I see them whispering, I just know whatever is going on with Brighton has something to do with them. I take a deep breath to keep my cool and start toward them.

They inch back, silencing their whispers when they see me coming their way. "Hey," I say. They both show off brilliant smiles as my assessing gaze goes back and forth between the two of them. "How did the play date go yesterday?"

Gemma leans forward and blinks innocently. "Brighton didn't say anything?"

"I haven't talked to her. I got in late and she was gone this morning." I really don't want to fuel their gossip, but I need answers so I hold my hand out to show them the ring. "This was on my nightstand."

"It's for your own good, Noah," Julie says gently and she stands and puts her arm in mine.

"What's going on?" I bite out, no longer able to hide my anger.

Gemma rolls her hand over on her lap, offering up her palm, like it's some kind of white flag. "Noah, we all know why you bought the place?—"

My knees weaken because I have a feeling I know where this is going. "What did you tell her?"

"It's more about what she basically told us," Gemma explains.

I run agitated hands through my hair and wish they'd stop being so cryptic. "Tell me what's going on."

"Noah," Julie begins. "The engagement ring. We talked to Brighton. We know where she's coming from."

"And where is that?" I ask, working to tamp down my impatience.

"She's marrying you to get the resort back. It's been her plan all along. She pretty much confirmed it yesterday." She steps closer and pushes against me. She offers me her best sympathetic face. "Everyone but you can see that. She's the same horrible bully she always was. You dodged a bullet if you ask me."

I'm about to tell her I didn't ask for her opinion, when Gemma adds, "Again."

I push back, needing distance between us. "You guys have no idea what you're talking about. Do you have any idea where she is?"

"No idea at all. But she got a call when she was at our place and scooped Camryn up to take her home before we could even have dinner. How rude of her."

She received a phone call and took off? From who? If she ran out, stealing Camryn away from her playdate, it must have been a very important call. I have no idea why my brain is going to Allan. Maybe it's because old insecurities are seeping in. I'm good for sex and sex only—a bucking good time—a hockey player from the wrong side of the tracks who falls short of society's physical standards.

None of that is true with Brighton. Right?

I glance around the playground. "Julie, can you watch Camryn for a couple hours?"

"I'd be happy to," Julie assures me and puts a comforting hand on my chest. "I'd do anything for you, Noah. I can have dinner ready for you later too."

"Thanks." I hurry to the swings to let Camryn know she's going to be going with Julie for a few hours. A heartbeat later, I'm running to my car and speeding through town. If I don't get a ticket, it will be a damn miracle. I pull up to my house in record time, and disappointment tightens my gut when I don't see Brighton's vehicle in the driveway, but the sports car parked there instead sets alarm bells off.

I climb from my car, just as the front door opens and out walks a man I've never set eyes on before. He has his own key, which makes my blood boil and lets me know it's none other than Allan, Brighton's ex.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to piece everything together. No way were Julie and Gemma right. Brighton was not in this to get her resort back, right? If she was, why would she have left the ring on my nightstand and made herself scarce. That's contradictory to getting the resort back. And why is Allan here again, and wait, if she changed the locks, how did he get in? Did she give him a new key?

Before I can confront the man standing in my doorway, Brighton's vehicle eases into the driveway beside me. She hurries from her car, her face pale, and the dark smudges under her eyes inform me she hadn't slept well last night. Was she faking it when I found her with my daughter?

"Allan…Noah…" Her voice comes out broken as her gaze darts back and forth between the two of us. "I…you…" She tries again, but it seems like she's having a hard time stringing two sentences together. Is it me or Allan she's surprised to see? She knows I spend Sunday afternoons at the park with Camryn, which makes me believe it's me that's throwing her off. Great, just fucking great.

"Why did you take the ring off?" I blurt out and hold it in my hand to show her. Her gaze drops and she crosses her arms as pain registers in her eyes. Why isn't she offering me up some innocent explanation? The fact that she's not instantly puts me on the defense.

"Because she doesn't need you anymore, asshole." Allan answers for her, but it's not him I want to hear from.

Without looking at him, I yell, "Fuck off."

He laughs and continues anyway. "Looks like the player was getting played. You were doing this for revenge. Brighton knew that, dumbass." His words give me pause. She did say long ago that she thought I was in this for revenge. "But what you didn't know was that she was playing you all along." He chuckles. "Nice touch with the French maid outfit, by the way."

How would he know about the outfit? Did Brighton tell him? Jesus Christ, have they been laughing at me behind my back? Have we not moved past high school?

"Brighton, babe," Allan continues as she stands there staring at me on shaky legs. "I can't believe you were going to go so far as to marry Crater Skater," he adds with a laugh and my entire body stiffens.

I swing my gaze his way. "What did you say?"

"Crater Skater. That's what she calls you." His gaze moves over my scarred face. "If the name fits." I take a step toward him and stop when he continues with, "Hey, come on, dude, you couldn't possibly think a girl like Brighton could love a guy like you. This was a ploy to get the resort back. The only one who didn't know that was you."

As Julie and Gemma's words bounce around inside my brain, I glare at Brighton, but her focus has shifted to Allan and her face is red, scrunched up.

"Allan, stop it!" she shouts, tears pricking her eyes. "I don't want to ever hear you say anything like that again. So help me if you do…I'll sue you or…or…something." He grins and she shakes her head. "I want you to apologize right now."

When he doesn't say a word, I ask Brighton. "How did he know about Crater Skater?"

"When we used to date, I…I…I told him," she begins, her words broken. "Because I hated myself for years for not speaking up. But I'm speaking up now. I won't stand here and let him talk to you like that."

I harden myself and a tortured laugh climbs out of my throat. "I love that you found your voice when it doesn't even matter anymore. When it means nothing to me."

"What are you talking about?"

"You were doing this." I show her the ring in my palm before I squeeze my hand around it. "Because you wanted to get the resort back."

"You…you believe that?"

"I didn't, until Allan just confirmed it. What I still can't quite figure out is why you took the ring off when it was contradictory to your plan."

Once again, Allan speaks for her. "Because her mother and the sheik she's been fucking all these years died in a plane crash and they left everything to Brighton." He snorts out a pleased sound. "Mommy dearest must have had a conscience after all, but whatever, Brighton is back in black, and can buy you out."

I stare at Brighton. "Is this true?"

"About my mom, yes. I found out last night," she murmurs quietly, her face lacking any kind of color. "I had to go see my lawyer today."

I cock my head, my heart pounding so hard, I'm sure my ribs are going to break. "And you told Allan and not me?"

"It's not…no…it's not like that." She glances down, confused for a second, but confused about what? Hell if I know. What I do know is that I found a ring on my nightstand, she now has money in her pocket, her ex is inside my house, and how he got there without a key is anyone's guess—or is it?—and people I've known forever are all telling me this was all a ploy. Fuck, I wasn't going to believe any of that shit, until her ex—is he even her ex?—corroborated the story. Apparently, everyone but me knew about her ulterior motives.

"How could you do this to me…to Camryn?"

She stares at me for a second and takes a step back, like I physically hit her, which she knows I'd never do. But Allan is right there to catch her when she stumbles. "What about you, Noah? You…" she sniffs and glances around. "You bought all this." She waves her hand toward the house, resort and ocean. "Just to get back at me."

"You heard that from Julie and Gemma?" She nods. "And you believe it because they said it?"

"I…they said something about a French maid outfit and how you all concocted this scheme that day you saw me outside the realtor's office. How would they know about the outfit?"

"The outfit that you bought." I don't even bother asking how Allan knew about it. She frowns and glances down again. "Seriously, Brighton. This is what you think I'm capable of?" is all I can manage to say as my heart grows cold, and I mentally erect walls around the chambers.

"I…I didn't tell Allan about my mother," she pushes out feebly, like her brain is rattled and she's struggling to find her words, but it's all a little too late.

"How did he know?"

"The family lawyers called me," he says smugly, continually answering for her. "They couldn't get hold of her, here at the resort, so they thought they'd try her boyfriend. I gave them her cell number."

While I can't wrap my brain around any of this, one thing I do know is she might not have had a relationship with her mother, and I might be as mad as hell at her, but there's a part of me that hurts for the girl who was abandoned. And, let's face it. I fucking love her. "I'm sorry about your mother."

Brighton takes a step toward me. "Noah…"

Allan reaches for her. "Let him go, Brighton."

"Noah." She blinks at me, like she's desperate to say more but I don't give her the chance. I shake my head, angry that she could think I'm so cruel, and spit out, "We never knew each other at all, did we?"

Hurt fills her eyes and her shoulders sag as the fight drains out of her. "I'll still be a part of Camryn's life and her nanny until you can find her a new one. I'll also get my things and move out as soon as I can."

"You do that." I'm about to walk away and stop. "Actually, Camryn and I are leaving."

"Noah, don't," she pleads loudly, as she grabs my arm and I turn around. "I don't want you moving Camryn. She needs the stability and she's starting to make good friends at school, and she loves it here."

Yeah, I loved it here too, but now…

Is this really going on? I didn't believe it at first. How could I ever think the woman I loved was only going to marry me to get her resort back, and then to find out she believes I'm some kind of monster, who only ever wanted to exact revenge? Why would she ever believe that about me? There must be more going on here. Every instinct I possess tells me to whisk her away to where we can be alone and get behind matters, but if I am wrong, if it was never a ploy on her part, and I blatantly accused her of it, why would she ever speak to me?

Dude, she accused you of going to great lengths to get revenge.

But then here she is begging me not to move, for Camryn's sake.

"Sunshine," I begin, and Allan moves in beside her, sneering at me the way Brighton's clique used to in high school.

He shakes his head, as if to say quit trying. "Once a loser, always a loser."

Before I can help myself, I grab Allan's shirt, pull my other arm back and swing with all the hate I have for this man—hate for hurting Brighton, hate for trespassing when she asked him to leave, hate that he's here now getting in Brighton's head. My fist connects with his jaw, hard enough to send him flying backward. He lands on the ground with an undignified thud.

"Jesus," he mumbles as Brighton backs away from me, frightened by my violence. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer."

I turn my focus to a horrified Brighton, and I'm about to reach for her, until she drops to her knees beside Allan. With my heart lodged somewhere in my throat, I back up, and stumble, trying to find the path through the blur in my eyes. Before I can go get my daughter, I need to get my head screwed on right. I walk blindly until I find myself at the rooftop pool. Melanie takes one look at me as I plunk down on the stool.

She slides a stiff drink across the table and asks, "Want to talk?"