29. Alex
29
Alex
Alex wiped sweat from his brow as he finished securing the last piece of crown molding. The heat in the attic bedroom of the Petersons' house was stifling, even with the portable fans they'd set up that morning. They were still waiting on the energy-saver window air conditioner that was supposed to be delivered sometime today.
"Looking good, Frampton," his boss said from the doorway. "Meticulous as always."
Alex stepped back to examine his work, checking for any gaps or imperfections. "Thanks. I should be finished up here by the end of the day."
"The Petersons are thrilled. They have been wanting this space finished for a long time." John moved into the room, running a hand along the chair rail that Alex had put up the day before. "It's a shame we had to push back the Coffee Bar project. I know Juno has been chomping at the bit to get that going, too. I was really looking forward to working on that one."
Alex's hands stilled on his tool belt. "What do you mean?" This was news to him, but then, he and Juno hadn't shared more than a few words in the last several days. He texted her a morning greeting each day and she called in the evenings, but then spent most of the phone calls talking to Lena. Juno had told her that she wasn't able to spend her evenings with them right now because her father was in town, and Lena had accepted the explanation without question. It was the truth, wasn't it?
It also felt like a line she was drawing in the sand for Alex. As long as Leonard was in town, in Juno's life, there wasn't room for Alex unless he could set aside his suspicions and accept the man.
But they weren't just suspicions. Alex had seen what he'd seen. So he'd stepped back a bit to give Juno space, hoping and praying that the truth of who Leonard was would be revealed to Juno on her own terms.
"Juno called yesterday to put her expansion on hold." John shook his head in sympathy. "Someone cleaned out her bank account."
The room seemed to tilt slightly beneath Alex's feet. "What?"
"Yeah, she sounded pretty shaken up." John eyed him, his brow furrowed. "Sorry, ma. Figured you already knew."
Alex's mind raced. Had Leonard—? The question seemed to answer itself even as he formed it. Of course he had. Leonard Thomas had played his daughter's heartstrings like a pro. He'd been scamming her all along, Alex was certain, stealing from the tip jar, maybe even from the register, and Alex was certain he'd been stealing from her customers, too, no matter what slight of hand Leonard had used to get away with it the other day. But then, apparently, he'd hit the mother lode with Juno's expansion fund. Alex didn't know how he'd pulled it off, but he had no doubt, whatsoever, that it was Leonard Thomas who'd emptied Juno's bank account.
Then another even more disturbing thought struck him. Was Leonard still working for Juno?
"I hadn't heard," Alex managed to say, the words tasting bitter. "We've both been pretty busy the last few days and haven't had much of a chance to talk."
John raised an eyebrow but didn't press. "Well, I told her to keep in touch about rescheduling. She's hoping for next fall, but she wasn't ready to commit at this point."
Alex nodded mechanically, his thoughts a whirlwind. How much had Leonard taken? How was Juno managing? And why hadn't she told him last night when she called?
The answer to that last question came to him immediately. Pride. The same pride that had made her defend her father so fiercely, that had made her push Alex away rather than consider he might be right.
He knew Juno, even after all these years. She would be suffering alone rather than letting anyone know she'd trusted the wrong man. She would carry the cost of that decision all on her own shoulders, and no one would know the misery she was enduring behind that friendly smile. She'd been that way from the day he'd first met her, which was why he hadn't suspected how horrific her life had been back then.
But back then, he reminded himself, she'd swallowed her pride and reached out to him, only to have him let her down, even if unintentionally, by abandoning her in her time of need.
Was it any wonder that Juno still had trust issues?
The rest of the workday passed in a blur. Alex's hands moved automatically through familiar tasks while his mind circled around Juno. By the time he clocked out and headed to his truck, he'd made a decision.
Their argument didn't matter. His hurt feelings didn't matter. What mattered was that Juno needed help, whether she would admit it or not.
Instead of heading home, Alex drove to The Cracked Spine. The late afternoon light cast long shadows across the street as he parked and made his way to the bookstore's entrance. Through the window, he could see Claire helping an elderly customer select a book, her animated gestures suggesting an enthusiastic recommendation.
He waited until the customer had paid and left before entering, the bell above the door announcing his arrival.
Claire greeted him with a warm smile. "Alex! Where is that lovely daughter of yours?"
"Hey, Claire." He approached the counter, suddenly uncertain how to begin. "Do you have a minute to talk?"
Claire's expression shifted to one of concern as she glanced around the shop. "Sure, let me find Nick so I can let him know to cover for me." The wholesome young man was being chatted up by a group of teenage girls, looking equally flustered and in his element, and it took a few moments for Claire to get his attention.
Nick hustled to the front counter and the girls followed behind him in a tight pack, making Alex think of an amoeba the way they moved.
Claire held the staff breakroom door opened for him. "I don't have any coffee on right now, but there are some sparkling waters in the fridge," she offered. When Alex declined, she gestured at the table and they both sat. "What's going on?"
Alex got right to the point. "It's about Juno."
Claire nodded slowly, like she'd assumed as much. "She told me you two were 'taking a break.'" She made air quotes around the phrase.
"That's one way to put it," Alex said with a humorless laugh. "Did she tell you about her father?"
"Only that he got another job out of town," Claire said slowly, crossing her arms. "But she was being weird about it. Evasive."
Relieved to at least know the guy was no longer working for Juno, Alex took a deep breath. "I think Leonard stole from her. My boss told me today that she's postponed the project because someone emptied her expansion money account."
Claire's eyes widened. "Oh, no," she exclaimed quietly. "She didn't say anything to me. Are—are you sure it was him?"
"No," Alex admitted, but he could tell by Claire's expression that she wasn't surprised by his accusation. "But it adds up. A few days ago, I caught Leonard stealing from a customer's bag at the coffee shop. I confronted Leonard and Juno walked in on it. Juno and I argued about it. She didn't believe me, and since I didn't have proof, other than what I saw, she basically asked me to leave." He ran a hand through his hair. "It wasn't the first time I saw him do something shady, either. I caught him pocketing tips left on the tables, too."
"I knew it. I knew there was something crooked about that guy," Claire muttered, shaking her head.
Alex nodded. "I know. And now you say he's gone, right?"
"Took a construction job out of town," Claire said in a scathing tone. "Like that man has ever lifted a hammer a day in his life."
"Well, apparently, he took Juno's savings with him when he left."
"Why did that man come back here?" Claire smacked her hand on the table. "Hasn't he done enough to her already?"
After a few moments of silence while they both processed the magnitude of the situation, Alex said, "I think she needs help."
"But she's not going to ask for it." Claire finished his thought for him. "You know how she is—stubborn, independent. She'd rather suffer alone than admit what happened."
"Right. But that doesn't change the fact that she needs help," he reiterated. "But I doubt she'd be very happy if I just showed up over there and openly accused her father of stealing from her, since she's not admitting that's what happened, as far as I can tell."
Claire eyed him thoughtfully. "So I take it you have some kind of work-around? A way to help her without her knowing you're doing it?"
"Not me," Alex said. "Or at least, not just me. All of us. Her friends. The people who care about her."
Claire's brows went up, but she waited to hear what he had to say.
"Your Garden Variety Lovers Club ladies," Alex began. "I was thinking... maybe we—you ladies—could organize something. A fundraiser of some kind. I think she'd accept it easier if it came from her friends."
Claire tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the table top. "A community event. Something that shows her she's not alone, that Autumn Lake has her back." She frowned. "It's going to have to be a surprise. She'd never agree to it otherwise."
"That's kind of what I was thinking, too," Alex agreed, although a tiny spark of hope was igniting inside of him. Claire was getting on board, and if she commandeered her group of friends into putting on an impromptu event, it might just work.
"You know," Claire said, suddenly sitting up straight in her chair. "Our whole GVLC hasn't gotten together out at the B we can pull that off, no problem." Claire nodded decisively, then cocked her head and studied him for a long moment. "Are you upset at her for siding with her father over you?"
Alex shook his head. "Not even for an instant. She wanted to believe in him, to trust him. She was giving him another chance to be a better man." Alex held her gaze. "I'm glad folks who care about me have given me more than my fair share of second chances."
"And you're proving us right, Alex. I'm proud of you. You've come a long way, Daddy," she said with a teasing smile. Then she reached for her phone. "I'll call an emergency GVLC meeting and get the ball rolling as quickly as possible."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." Claire's expression was serious. "Juno's going to be furious when she finds out what we're doing."
"I know." And he did. Juno would see it as interference, as a public acknowledgment of her failure. "But she'll know we have her back, even if it kills her to admit it."
"She'll get over it, Alex," Claire said, pushing to her feet. "I have faith in our girl. Besides, it's the right thing to do."
Alex nodded and stood, too, pushing his chair back in place. "I'm glad you agree. Anyway, I need to get going." He couldn't bite back his grin as he added, "I have a daughter to get home to."
"Look at you," Claire said, circling the table to give him a quick hug. "Local town hero. Knight in shining armor. Proud father. What a guy." She stepped back and patted his chest. "I'm glad I know you, Alex Frampton. You're my kind of people."
As Alex walked back to his truck, he felt the weight on his shoulders lighten fractionally. He couldn't fix the damage Leonard had done to Juno's heart, nor could he force Juno to trust him before she was ready. But he could rally the people who loved Juno, who would stand by her, no matter what.
It might cost him any chance of reconciliation with her. Juno might see his involvement as the final betrayal, the ultimate proof that he didn't respect her independence.
He prayed that wouldn't be the case.
He slid behind the wheel of The Beast and sat for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Tomorrow he had a custody meeting with Howard. For whatever reason, Melissa still hadn't demanded that he return Lena to her, for which he was thrilled. He was getting accustomed to thinking about someone besides himself around the clock, and he found it made him want to be a better man all the way around. Not just at home, but with his friends, his work, and even when he was alone. He shaved more often, took better care of his living space, got better sleep, and ate healthier. He wasn't ready to give up his milkshakes yet, but the last few days of skipping the afternoon treat had proved that he could do without just fine.
In fact, it wasn't the chocolate shakes he was missing so badly, but the person who made them for him.
It had been four days since he'd been inside Juno's Coffee Bar, but it felt like an eternity. He eyed her place across the street from The Cracked Spine, and more than anything, he wanted to go in and check on her. But he held back. She needed to come to him on her own terms, he reminded himself. If he pushed, she'd pull away.
His phone beeped and he glanced at the screen to see who had texted. Melissa.
I'm coming to pick Lena up next Friday. Have her things packed and ready when I get there.
A wave of dread washed over him at the sight of those words. What did she have planned? Did he have to just hand Lena over to her mother in ten days without explanation? She wouldn't dare take Lena out of the country, would she? Not with the court order in place. But what if they left the state? What if she disappeared without telling him where they were going? What could he do to prevent her from doing anything she wanted?
In a borderline panic, Alex put his truck in gear and headed for his parents' house. It was too late to call his own attorney, but maybe his dad would have some answers. He couldn't lose Lena again. He wouldn't.
As he passed the coffee shop, a new sense of determination reared up inside of him. He wouldn't lose Juno, either. Come hell or high water, he was going to fight for his girls, his precious ladies. He was going to protect and defend them, be a soft place for them to land, and a strong place for them to hold onto.
He had his work cut out for him, but he was ready to fight this battle, to be the kind of man that both Lena and Juno could count on.