Chapter 13
Eli was largely silent and brooding on the drive to his parents’ house. Noelle didn’t pester him about his disturbing hunch and questions for his father. If he wanted her to know, he’d have told her what he suspected. Besides, she had her own preoccupying thoughts swirling in her brain.
Eli’s parents. She was about to meet Eli’s parents. Not in the way that a couple announced their serious intentions toward each other, of course, but she was nervous just the same. They were Eli’s parents, after all.
Despite him asking many times in college for her to accompany him home, she’d always put him off.
Healthy family dynamics were not her forte, and she’d feared that after meeting her, his family would disapprove of their relationship.
If her own birth mother and adoptive family could all shun her, what other family could ever want her part of their ranks?
Eli parked at the side of his parents’ house, a beautiful home outside town with views of the Chugach Mountains from their front porch and tall trees in the backyard.
Noelle took a deep breath of the pine-scented air as she climbed from the passenger seat. “You grew up here? In this house?”
“After about age six. We moved here from California, and my father and uncle opened the outdoor adventures business the younger Coltons still operate.” Eli hitched his head toward a building behind the main house. “Let’s try back here first. Dad’s probably hanging out with Mom while she works.”
“While she works? Visitors don’t distract her?” Noelle asked. She couldn’t imagine having people around, talking and bothering her while she tried to concentrate.
“On the contrary, she claims people give her more creative energy. She loves having Dad’s company.”
“Creative energy? What does she do?”
“Come see.” Eli took her hand and led her to the door of the building. He paused and stuck his head inside, calling, “Hello? Anybody home?”
Noelle heard joyful voices reply, “Eli! What a treat.”
“Come in!”
Eli tugged her forward, and Noelle shuffled into the brightly lit space that was nothing she’d expected.
Muddy-looking tables and shelves were filled with earthenware in varying states of completion.
The works in progress cramped one end of the large room, while a pottery wheel and large kiln took up most of the far side of the room.
The mingled scents of clay, paint and the herbal scent from an essential oil diffuser perfumed the air, while classic rock played from the speakers mounted on the walls.
A petite woman, with a face much younger than her silver hair would imply, rose from behind the pottery wheel, wiping her hands on a towel as she crossed the room.
Her long hair was twisted into a messy bun, and her blue eyes were so like Eli’s as to identify her as his mother even without context.
She wrapped Eli in a tight embrace and kissed his cheek.
“It’s so good to see you, sweetheart!” The smile on his mother’s face faltered as her eyes dropped to Eli’s hip, where he wore his service weapon.
“Oh, son. You know I don’t like you wearing that thing when you’re here. ”
“Sorry, Mom. But I’m on duty.” With a wave of his hand, he gestured for Noelle to step forward.
“Mom, Dad, this is Noelle Harris. She’s a friend from my college days, and she’s helping me with my current case.
” He motioned from Noelle to his mother, then to a man with salt-and-pepper hair, who moved out from behind a table in the corner of the room.
“Noelle, my parents, Will and Sasha Colton.”
Sasha’s eyes glittered warmly as she drew close, smiling broadly. “Noelle! So nice to finally meet you!” Both of the older woman’s hands stretched toward Noelle, but when Noelle raised her right hand to shake Sasha’s, Eli’s mother drew her into a firm hug instead. “We’ve heard so much about you!”
Noelle blinked. “You have?”
Sasha backed away to arm’s length, still holding Noelle’s shoulders and grinning. “Of course. You were the love of our oldest boy’s life for years. He spoke of little else when he came home on holidays. I’m so glad you two have been able to renew your friendship.”
“We, uh—”
Will tugged his wife’s arm. “No hogging the guest, honey.” He stuck his hand out, and Noelle took it in hers. Will pumped her hand heartily and offered his welcome.
Sasha faced her son then and gasped. “Eli, dear! What on earth happened to you?” His mother reached to touch the bandage on his forehead and scanned the other cuts on his face and hands.
“I was involved in an incident earlier today.”
“An incident?” his father echoed, his tone saying he wasn’t buying Eli’s euphemism.
“I’m fine, but… Asher is in the hospital.” Eli frowned, before continuing, “A house we were visiting as part of our investigation was rigged with a bomb. I saw it in time to warn Asher, and we both got out alive.”
“How badly was Asher hurt?” Sasha asked, her face gone pale with worry.
“No broken bones, just a concussion. Mostly he’s cut up and had a few bits of shrapnel removed from his legs and torso. He’ll be fine with a few days of rest.”
“Gracious!” Sasha put her hand to her chest and sank down on a nearby stool. “Days like this do not help me sleep at night, Eli. I worry enough about you taking on criminals without knowing you’re nearly blown up by bombs!”
Eli stepped over to hug his mother again. “I know you worry, and I’m sorry. But I swear I’m as careful as I can be.”
Noelle shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Sasha’s maternal concern was touching but also foreign to Noelle. And it left her off-balance. She faltered, feeling both hollow for what she’d been deprived of as a child and a tad jealous of Eli’s good fortune and strong bond with his mother.
Sasha shook her head and pasted on another smile. “Where are my manners? Noelle, can I get you something warm to drink? Coffee or hot tea?”
“No, thank you.”
“Whiskey or gin?” Will asked with a wink. “It’s five o’clock somewhere.”
Noelle gave a polite chuckle. “I’m fine.”
“How about you, son?” Will asked.
Eli refused a drink, as well. “On duty. I came because I need to talk to you about something important, Dad.”
Will’s gray-flecked eyebrows lifted. “Oh my. Well, sure. We can go in the house if you want privacy.”
Eli nodded. “Noelle, do you mind chatting with Mom until I get back?”
Noelle’s stomach flip-flopped. What if his mother drilled her about her past relationship with Eli? Or their current status? Or her family? Or—
Sasha hooked her arm with Noelle’s and led her toward one of the cleaner tables and chairs. “You boys go on. Noelle and I will be getting to know each other.”
Once the men exited, Sasha gave Noelle a warm but serious look. “Well, I feel like I already know you, thanks to everything Eli said about you when you were dating.”
“That’s what others have told me,” Noelle said and flashed an awkward smile.
“What I don’t know is what changed. Eli went from top of the world to a living hell.
And forgive me for being blunt, dear, but I surely don’t want to see him hurt again.
If we can figure out what went wrong before, maybe we can put things right now.
” Sasha tipped her head as she invited Noelle to reply with a bob of her head.
“It’s a long story. A complicated one for me to explain.” Noelle chewed her bottom lip. How on earth did she give Eli’s mother any kind of understanding or resolution when she was struggling for the strength and courage to give Eli the whole picture?
Sasha remained silent, patiently waiting for Noelle to say more, to find some words. Finally, Noelle swallowed hard and offered, “I guess it boils down to…fear. I loved him, but—”
“Stop.” Sasha’s blue eyes flashed hot as she pinned a hard gaze on Noelle and raised a hand.
“My dear, do not ever use I love you and but in the same sentence. Nor should you use trust and but together. Love and trust have to be unconditional. If you could not commit to Eli fully and unconditionally, then perhaps what you felt wasn’t love at all. ”
Noelle flinched, the harsh assessment like a slap to her. Yet at the same time, Sasha’s words seeped into the cracks and pits that had riddled Noelle since she broke up with Eli. She had let fear win. If she could do that, put fear over Eli, maybe she hadn’t loved him enough.
She curled her fingers into fists and drew a restorative breath. “So how do I fix it? How do I get past the things that scare me so that I can love and trust Eli unconditionally?”
Sasha smiled broadly and pulled her into a firm hug. “Oh, Noelle, darling girl, you’ve just taken the first step. Wanting to change things is the first step.”
“What’s up?” Will asked as he took a seat in his favorite recliner. “And what are you leaving out about the bombed house you visited this morning?”
Eli settled on the couch across from his father and sighed. “I’ve said all I can for now. It’s related to the serial murder case I’m working.”
Will scowled, then bobbed a nod. “Then what is it you want to discuss?”
Eli drew a deep breath. “Caroline.”
His father’s chin jerked up. “What?”
“I know you don’t like to talk about your sister, but I need to know a few details about her murder.”
Will shook his head, a dark scowl drawing down the corners of his mouth. “Son, that case has been closed for decades. Our family has gone to great lengths to put that evil behind us.”
Eli scooted to the edge of the cushion, leaning toward his father as he pressed on.
“I know that. But I need to look at it again, and I only remember fragments of that day, the crime scene we stumbled upon. I need clarification. Confirmation. Details filled in that my child’s mind may have warped or blocked. ”