43. Noah
Chapter 43
Noah
I t had been more than twenty-four hours since I’d slept, and I was jittery. With Tess in her carrier, I brought the tea that Alice had made me to my lips. I could only tolerate a couple of drops at a time.
She was so kind, the way she whisked us to her house, offering food and showers and anything else we might need. She fussed endlessly, wiping tears from her eyes every time the fire was mentioned.
Thankfully, she didn’t mention the scene at the bar or the whole fake date to the wedding thing. While it seemed like years ago, it had happened only last night.
I smoothed Tess’s hair and studied her beautiful face as she slept, so damn grateful to have her in my arms.
It had taken a few hours to get the fire out, and the building was severely damaged. The first-floor apartment was completely destroyed, and everything Vic owned was gone.
We weren’t sure about my unit. I couldn’t go in yet, and the fire inspectors, building inspectors, and insurance folks were all due in the next couple of days. For now, we’d lie low and wait.
But we were okay and we were together. That was all that mattered.
When we left the apartment, Vic went straight to the police station to answer more questions. I’d wanted to go with her, but she’d convinced me to get Tess and meet her at Alice’s house. I wanted to be by her side to support her, and it was hard not to worry that she was pushing me away.
“We want you to stay at the cabin.” Henri put his arm around Alice and pulled her in close. “It’s fully furnished, so you’ll have everything you need.”
Vic, who had been curled up at the end of the massive couch, sat up and shook her head. “That’s too much—”
“No,” Alice said, using a stern tone I imagined she typically reserved for students who were sent to her office. “You need a place to stay, and it’s empty at the moment.”
“We have cameras,” Henri said. “And loud, noisy dogs.” He cleared his throat. “You’ll be safe here until the police work everything out.”
“I can stay with my mom,” I said, focus fixed on Tess. Her rhythmic breathing helped keep me from crawling out of my skin. “She’s got a crib and everything.”
Vic exhaled. “I can ask my parents—”
“Absolutely not,” Alice said. “You’re not going to compound this trauma by forcing yourself to be anywhere near your parents. The three of you are a family. You need to be together.”
I reached out, resting my hand on the cushion between us, and Vic took it, giving me a squeeze. There was no way I’d let her go to her parents’ place.
“You’re right.” I gripped Vic’s hand tighter. “We are a family. Thank you.”
Alice broke into a wide smile and checked her watch, then looked over at Henri. “Should be about time, yes?”
He gave her a single nod.
“Let’s take a walk.”
With Tess in her carrier and strapped to my chest, Vic’s hand in mine, and their two big dogs on our heels, we headed down the hill from their large timber frame house. With each step we took, Alice’s smile grew and her steps quickened.
The small log cabin was charming. Between the green metal roof, the wraparound porch, and the spectacular mountain backdrop, it looked like it belonged on a postcard of Maine.
My mom’s car was in the driveway. So was Jude’s. And a couple others were pulled along the side of the longer driveway leading to Henri and Alice’s house.
Grinning and practically vibrating with excitement, Alice threw open the door and stepped away.
My heart leaped in my chest. “How?”
The cabin was just as charming inside as outside. But what struck me was the highchair. And the pickler triangle, and the foam playmats.
“Where did you get this stuff?” I stumbled inside, keeping one hand on Tess’s back.
“Look at the spare bedroom,” Jude said, his shoulders pulled back with pride.
With a wave, Henri led us into a small room off the kitchen. “My brother Remy built the bookcases.”
One wall was floor-to-ceiling bookcases and on the other was a beautiful crib. A rocking chair stood in the corner, flanked by baskets overflowing with toys and blankets.
“Mom did some shopping.” Jude pulled the closet door open, revealing rows of brand-new baby clothes.
“You didn’t have to do all this.” My voice was hoarse with emotion. It was incredible how quickly they’d gotten all this set up. We’d only been at Alice’s house for a few hours.
Back in the kitchen, Mom was pulling her famous peanut butter cookies out of the oven. “Lovewell moves fast,” she said, eyes glinting. “I sent a few texts, and people started showing up. The crib was Thor’s. They don’t need it since he’s already learned to jump out of it. The rocking chair came from Pascal and Parker Gagnon.”
Tears welled in my eyes and my heart clenched as she talked about all the people who’d gone out of their way to help.
“The food brigade will start tomorrow. This freezer will be full,” Mom joked.
Vic was still marveling at the stocked house as I draped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
“What do you think?”
“I think we’re really lucky.”
Vic and I lay on the king-size bed that night with Tess sleeping between us. I couldn’t stop staring at the two of them. I wasn’t sure I’d ever sleep again. Not when I’d have to watch over my girls and keep them safe.
“Are you okay?” she asked, stroking Tess’s cheek. “The fire must have brought up a lot of difficult emotions for you.”
“Yes and no.” I blew out a breath. “Right now I’m still feeling the adrenaline, and the fear won’t go until Denis is behind bars.”
She worried her lip, her focus fixed on Tess. “I did this,” she whispered. “All of it. I poked the bear. He warned me not to mess with him, not to refuse his money.”
Sighing, I cupped her face. “He’s a violent criminal. You did nothing wrong.”
“But you and Tess could have been hurt,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “He’s done so much damage.”
“He tried, but he failed.” I swiped at the tracks of moisture on her cheeks. “The fire was scary, yes. But we’re okay. That’s all that matters. Our things can be replaced. People can’t.”
She nodded tentatively, her lip trembling.
“I’m proud of you for standing up to him. For being brave enough to collect evidence and help the investigation. You’re fucking spectacular.”
Her body deflated. “I’m not. I’m a pathetic thirty-five-year-old woman with nothing to show for her life—”
“Stop,” I said sharply.
Eyes widening, she snapped her mouth shut.
I admired Vic. Hell, I was in love with her. But I hated how she talked about herself. The way she constantly put herself down. If we were going to move forward, she had to stop.
Words had never been my thing. Expressing myself was practically impossible. Jumping out of a plane was easier than processing and explaining my emotions. But Vic had taught me to be honest with myself and others. She pushed me to be better every day and to keep going even when life felt like too much. Using the strength she and my baby girl gave me, I garnered all my nerve, ready to lay myself bare.
“When I moved back here so I could process my grief and put together a life for Tess, I never imagined I’d find a friend.” I grasped her hip and gave it a squeeze. “But to find you? A best friend and the love of my life all rolled into one person? It’s unfathomable.”
Vic gasped and her eyes went glassy again.
“I’m ready to build forever with you. Slowly. If you’re not there yet, I’ll wait. But you should know that Tess and I are all-in.”
The tears had returned with a vengeance. “I’m a mess,” she hiccupped. “I don’t deserve it.”
“You deserve everything. And I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you that. Our happily ever after might not be traditional, but it will be ours.”
“I love you too.” She smiled, her eyes shining with a mixture of joy and tears. “But I’m scared I’ll mess it up. That I won’t be enough for you or for Tess.”
“You’re already perfect.” I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her fingers. “I love you. Tess loves you. This whole town loves you. You and I have been through so much, but we can rebuild. Together.”
“I want that. To rebuild. But.” She sucked in a harsh, stuttering breath. “You know that I can’t have a baby of my own, right? I’ve seen all the specialists and I’ve been through all the tests. The chances of getting pregnant are virtually nonexistent. If you want more kids, then it’s probably better that you move on before we get any more attached.”
“I don’t care,” I said, my chest pinching tight. “Tess is not my biological child, and I love her more than I thought was possible to love anyone. DNA doesn’t make a family. Love does. If we want more kids, we’ll find a way. If we don’t, then we’ve already got an incredible one.”
My own eyes filled with tears as I lay there, holding her and Tess.
Eventually, we pulled the crib Finn and Adele had brought over into the room. I couldn’t bear for my baby girl to be so far away.
With Vic in my arms, I looked out at the moonlit mountains. Knowing that Jack and Emily were looking over us, I vowed to make them proud and give everything I had to the people I loved.
Our apartment had been destroyed, but it was nothing more than a place to live. A roof over our heads.
It wasn’t my home.
Tess was home.
Vic was home.
And now, despite all odds, Lovewell was my home.