Chapter 30
Ever since Conrad’s visit, Noah had been trying to get his head around what Maya’s ex-husband had said to him. He hadn’t let him see what was inside the sodding brown file. Conrad had treated it much like a ball in the playground where he was the bully holding it out of reach of anyone smaller than he was.
What Conrad had done was made it be known that he was never going to give Noah the ammunition to get rid of Paul if Noah didn’t agree to stay away from Maya.
Noah had tossed and turned all night. Not seeing Maya again unless it was in a professional capacity wasn’t what he wanted at all, but what choice did he have? He’d been unfriendly, unapproachable at work and it had hurt him to be that way with Maya when all he wanted to do was confide in her, warn her that Conrad was never going to let her go. But how could he? He had to put Eva first. She was his priority now. He owed it to her and to Cassie to do everything in his power to build a life for the little girl who’d already lost so much. And if this went to court then Paul might still win. It was a risk Noah was unwilling to take.
When he woke up, Noah could only focus on one thing – raising the money to pay off that lowlife, Paul. He could do it, just about. And so he drafted an ad for his car. The car he loved. A shiny, black Volkswagen that should sell for around half of what Paul was asking for. He’d add in what he had in his current account and the small amount in his savings and there was the potential for another thousand he could withdraw on his credit card if he said sod the extortionate interest charges.
Panic gripped Noah that this might not be the end of it. What if Paul was to come back for more money after this? Money Noah didn’t have.
A knock at the door sent him into a panic. He peeked out from behind the curtain.
It wasn’t Paul. And it wasn’t Conrad. It was Maya.
He thought about ignoring her, but he knew she’d seen him leave the airbase and his car was parked outside. The car he wouldn’t have for much longer.
He opened the door and forced a smile onto his face. ‘Maya, what can I do for you?’
She got straight to the point. ‘Have I done something to offend you?’
‘No. Whatever makes you think that?’
God, he was a rubbish liar.
And she wasn’t buying it. She was a clever woman, her intelligence all part of one heck of a package.
She delivered her next words with a distance he hated. ‘I’ve had enough games with the men in my life to last for the rest of my days; I don’t need any more. I’ll say what I have to say and then I’ll leave you alone.’
‘Maya—’
‘I’ve asked my dad for some help, legal wise. He’s willing to talk to you about your legal stance, at no charge, as a favour to me.’
‘But you don’t speak to your dad.’
‘That’s all you got from what I just said?’ She huffed and began to walk away, calling over her shoulder, ‘Take it or leave it.’
He checked the street for signs of Conrad or Paul lurking and before he could think too much about it, he ran after her, catching her before she reached the gate at the end of the path. ‘Please, come inside and I promise I’ll explain everything.’
She looked at him as if trying to work out whether he was worth it.
‘Please, Maya.’ He couldn’t leave it like this.
She relented and after they went back into the cottage, Noah closed the door, locked it and ushered Maya into the lounge. He’d figured out the best way to let light in when the curtains were closed was to fling open the door to the hallway, the door to Eva’s room and his and the one to the kitchen so the light could come from that direction. Of course the curtains weren’t closed when Geraldine was here – he’d encouraged Geraldine to spend as much time out of the house with Eva as she liked, for fear that Paul would show up, but so far he hadn’t. Perhaps Paul knew that if the curtains were open, he’d have no luck hassling Noah.
When he noticed Maya looking around, presumably for Eva, he said, ‘We won’t be interrupted for now; Eva is with Geraldine at a soft play centre. They’ll be gone at least another hour by the sounds of things. She texted me to say they were having a great time.’
The smile he loved was back momentarily. ‘Those places are hell.’
‘I can imagine.’ He peeked out of the curtains to check the street for any signs of company again.
‘You’re worried Paul will turn up.’
‘Yes.’ He let the curtain drop back in place. ‘But not just Paul, there’s your ex to think about too.’
‘Conrad? I’m not afraid of him.’
‘Me neither, as it happens, but there’s something you should know.’ He gestured for her to sit down on the armchair and he took the sofa. ‘Conrad came here to see me.’
Maya’s brow furrowed.
He explained their conversation, that Paul was apparently involved in some criminal activity, that Conrad’s first suspicion was that Noah was too. And then he revealed the brown folder, that Conrad said he had information that could end this nightmare for him.
‘How does he know it’s a nightmare for you?’ Maya wanted to know. ‘I promise I never said a word to him.’
‘He’d have his ways given his job.’
‘What was in the file?’
‘I’ve absolutely no idea, but he enjoyed taunting me with it.’
‘Sounds about right.’
‘He also came here about you.’
‘Me?’
‘He knows we’ve seen each other out of work, at least that’s what he hinted at; he didn’t give specifics.’
‘He’s been spying on us?’
‘He was so cocky, he didn’t even bother to deny it, claimed it was the way he thinks as a detective.’ He took a deep breath. ‘You should also know that he is willing to show me the folder… on one condition.’ He hated saying this out loud, the reason he’d been aloof when Maya tried to talk to him, why he’d backed off all of a sudden. ‘He wants me to stay away from you. He told me that you’re his wife regardless of a dumb piece of paper, and that I need to back off. Then he’ll give me what I need as long as he has my word.’
‘Son of a?—’
‘Pretty low, eh. And Maya, I hated agreeing to it. But this is Eva’s future I’m in charge of. I’m barely able to scrape together the cash Paul’s demanding, which means less money set aside for Eva and whatever comes our way. I want her to have every opportunity. This information Conrad has a hold of could stop me having to pay out a huge sum of cash, wiping out my savings, maxing out my credit card because I’ve got no other money left anywhere.’
Wide brown eyes looked at him, sensing his turmoil and his pain. ‘Then you need to know what’s in it.’
‘But that’s only possible if I stay away from you. I’m not sure what he’ll do if I agree and then go back on my word after I know what’s in the folder.’
‘He’s a man who likes to play games. He’s done it with me long enough.’ She came and sat down beside him on the sofa, the in-control and take-no-shit Maya he’d begun to fall for. ‘We can’t let him do this to you. To us.’
‘Us?’ It was something he thought he wanted when he first met her but the wanting back then didn’t have the depth it had now. Now he knew her, she was so much more than a beautiful woman. She was kind, intelligent, good with people and when you were in her company, she saw you exactly as you were. He felt at ease by her side.
He took out his phone. ‘I thought it was Paul at the door when Conrad showed up so I’d already set my phone to record, hoping he dropped himself in it…’ He didn’t ask whether she wanted to hear the conversation; he set it to play. He’d wanted to explain everything in his own words first but this clarified any doubts of the threatening tones that had come his way.
She was sitting so close, it was all he could do to stop reaching out and putting a hand around the back of her neck to gently pull her closer, take comfort with this woman if only for a moment, let her take comfort in him for the way her ex-husband thought he could behave towards her and anyone she wanted to bring into her life.
The recording came to its conclusion at the same time as Geraldine came bustling through the door with Eva. It was time for him to switch from Noah, a single entity, to Noah the father figure, something he’d never seen coming but something he very much wanted now. He wanted all of it, all the good times and the tougher challenges as a parent. He’d take the sleepless nights, the temper tantrums, the soft play centres that he suspected would be bedlam. He’d do it all if he could keep Eva.
Eva reached out to him and he took her into his arms. ‘You had a good time?’ He was looking at Eva but his question was really for Geraldine, who deserved a medal for braving a soft play centre.
‘We most certainly did,’ Geraldine told him. ‘But I think my ears will be ringing for a few days. The noise in that place.’ She spotted he had company.
Noah introduced Maya and he didn’t miss the twinkle in Geraldine’s eye.
‘I’ve got it from here, Geraldine,’ he assured the most loyal and brilliant nanny, in his opinion, anyone could ask for.
‘Don’t I even get a cuppa before I leave?’
‘I apologise, of course you do. But I’m aware that sometimes I might take advantage; you never leave on time, you’re always doing long hours and extra jobs around here.’
‘And you know me, Noah. If I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t.’ She gave Eva a kiss. ‘I’m teasing you, anyway; I have to get going, I don’t need a cuppa. I’ve got ballroom-dancing class tonight.’
‘Where do you get your energy?’ Noah saw her to the door.
‘At my age, you’ve got to get your fun where you can.’ She gave Eva another smile and touched her cheek. ‘This one should sleep for a good couple of hours; she’s been in the ball pit, squealing and enjoying herself. I fed her before we left and I’ve changed her nappy. You should get a bit of time to yourselves.’
‘You’re too good to us, Geraldine. But thank you.’ He didn’t miss the sneaky nod towards the house either, which meant she was referring to Noah and Maya having some alone time rather than Noah and Eva. He’d love nothing more, just a shame they had to talk about his life threatening to implode before his very eyes.
Back inside, Maya was happy to give Eva a cuddle when Eva reached for her. ‘Noah, I think I have an idea of how I might be able to help.’
‘I’m all ears but I think I should get this one down before she passes the point of no return.’
‘Good idea.’
He led the way through to Eva’s bedroom and drew the curtains, made sure everything was ready to settle her down for a nap. ‘I might have to cuddle her in the rocking chair for a bit,’ he said.
‘Can I do it?’
He hated Paul being anywhere near Eva but when it came to Maya, he would love nothing more. ‘Go for it. I’ll be in the lounge.’
She came through less than twenty minutes later. ‘She’s out for the count.’ She sat down on the sofa. ‘So we have time for me to tell you my idea.’
‘You’ve already done so much; getting your dad’s offer of help is more than I could’ve ever hoped for.’
‘Good. But I can do more.’
She settled back to tell him exactly what she had in mind.