CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Nova
SUPERNOVA, CAN WE EAT OUTSIDE TOGETHER, JUST YOU and me?”
Skylar asked the question the second my foot hit the bottom stair. I froze. Was I in trouble? She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. She seemed … excited. So that had to mean no trouble, right?
“I’d love to eat with you.” I glanced into the kitchen, where Kol was pouring a cup of coffee. “But don’t you think we should ask your dad, too? He might feel left out.”
Sky shook her head. “We need girl time. He gets it.”
I struggled not to laugh. Wise beyond her years. “Well, I think we’ll also need blankets. It’s cold outside.”
It had been a week since Heidi Ingram had been found, and the temperature had dropped significantly since then. It had also been a week since I’d had my breakthrough. And I hadn’t fallen back on my promise.
I’d seen my new therapist almost every single day. Marly Cooper wasn’t anything like I’d expected. She always came to our sessions in jeans, work boots, and a barn jacket. And she never pushed. While she had a take-no-shit attitude, she was as gentle as could be with the horses and with me.
It wasn’t a magic bullet, but more was coming back to me. I wouldn’t lie, the remembering hurt. Even the patchwork of tiny flickers was agonizing. But I knew it was the path through. It didn’t matter that each session zapped every last ounce of energy I had. It was worth it.
“I got those, too. Come oooooon, Supernova. We’ve got granola sundaes, too,” she urged.
“Well, I can never say no to you and sundaes.”
That had her beaming and rushing for the back door. I followed but paused by Kol as he handed me a cup of coffee and brushed a kiss to my temple.
“Tell me the truth, Boss. Am I about to get grounded?” I asked.
He chuckled. “I think she just wants some time for the two of you. I’ve been cramping her style lately.”
I gave him a quick kiss and grinned. “I like being the favorite.”
“Hey,” he protested.
But I just grabbed the two blankets and hurried outside with my coffee. Skylar was already settling in on the back steps. I wrapped a blanket around her and then sat down next to her, our display of breakfast sundaes between us.
“These look delicious,” I said, picking mine up.
“Don’t worry. I gave you extra chocolate chips.”
“I knew I liked you.”
She giggled and then went quiet, staring out at the rolling fields. I gave her time, sensing there was something she wanted to broach. While I waited, I took in the scene in front of us. Everything about it was stunning: the golden, rolling hills of fall, the alpacas and horses in the distance …
I could imagine watching all four seasons from this exact spot. Each one would have its own unique beauty.
“You love me for real, right?” Sky asked softly.
My gaze cut to her in an instant. “For the realest. You and Owen are the two coolest kids I know. Sky, you’re kind and funny. You make every single day an adventure. You see the people around you and make them feel special. There’s not one thing about you that I don’t love.”
Breath left her in a whoosh. “That’s what I thought.”
Everything inside me warmed. But still, something niggled. “Is there a reason you wanted to make sure?”
Skylar worried her bottom lip. “My mom didn’t love me. And I just wanted to make sure, in case you and Daddy ever get married, that you’ll love me. I was sure you did, and then I just … I …”
“A little voice made you wonder?” I asked gently.
She nodded. “It’s silly. You show me all the time.”
God, I wanted to get this right. It was one of those moments that mattered. And I wanted to show up for Skylar in exactly the right way. In the way that my mom never had.
“Sky, can I tell you something?”
“Anything.”
I took a deep breath, hoping Kol would understand why I shared, hoping that it was the right thing to do.
“My mom didn’t love me. At least, I didn’t feel it.
She didn’t take care of me or show up how I needed her to or any of that.
And sometimes, it makes it hard for me to say those words. Because I get scared.”
Skylar’s eyes, so similar to Kol’s, went wide. “You get scared? But you’re so brave.”
“Just because you’re brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared.”
She thought about that for a moment. “I guess that’s true.” Her gaze met mine. “I’m sorry your mom wasn’t the best, too.”
“You know what I realized?”
“What?”
“She gave me what she could. And I bet your mom did, too. In fact, she did the best thing ever. She gave you to your dad, who loves you so much, I can see it every time he looks at you.”
Sky’s lower lip trembled just a little. “You see it?”
My heart cracked. “I do.”
“What does it look like?”
“It looks like a million sparkles all around the two of you.”
“I like sparkles,” Skylar said quietly.
“Me, too.”
She was quiet again for a moment, seeming to puzzle through something else. “You know, I think I’m glad she left.”
“How come?” I asked, trying not to show any judgment about how Sky was feeling.
“Because she left room for you.”
It took everything in me not to let my tears flow. But I battled them back. “Sky?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I hug you now?”
She didn’t wait to answer. She didn’t even answer with words. She just threw herself at me. And that hug was everything.
“You know,” I began, leaning forward and resting my elbows on the SUV’s console as I looked between Brae and Dex. “I could really get used to this chauffeur service. Door to door. No money wasted on gas. Yeti snuggles.”
The massive dog yipped as if to agree with me.
Dex chuckled as he pulled to a stop outside the Boot. “Happy to be of service.”
“I think I’m going to get you a chauffeur’s cap and have Sky help me bedazzle it,” I went on, sending Brae into a fit of giggles.
A surly glare hit me in the rearview mirror, all amusement vanishing. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Come on. It’s gonna be a vibe,” I argued.
“Yeah, Buttercup,” Brae cajoled. “I think you’re gonna look real cute in pink sparkles.”
“You two together are dangerous,” Dex muttered.
I grinned at my bestie. Things had been really good between us. We’d even had a girls’ night, where we’d had a few glasses of wine and tipsily drawn plans for a she shed between Kol’s property and Dex’s. But more than that, we were finding our rhythm again.
“Don’t mess with double trouble,” Brae said, grinning at her fiancé.
A smile tugged at my lips in answer. “He’s just lucky he didn’t get the Brady Silverton treatment.”
“I’m scared to ask,” Dex muttered.
“We let the air out of his tires the same day we broke into the boys’ gym after football practice and stole all his clothes,” Brae explained.
Dex gaped at his soon-to-be wife.
A laugh bubbled out of me. “We left him a princess shirt and a Speedo to change into. We aren’t monsters.”
Brae couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. “But we did take photos and videos while he was waiting for Triple A.”
I wiped a finger under my eye to clear the tears spilling over. “The mechanic who showed up was so confused.”
“Honestly, he’s the one I felt bad for,” Brae said.
I nodded. “But you know what? That douche canoe never messed with us again.”
Dex just shook his head. “You two truly scare me.”
“Good,” I said, opening the back door as I saw Wylder step out.
We’d landed on a system of sorts. Kol dropped me off with Dex and Brae after we took Skylar to school. They took me to and from therapy and then to work, where Wylder always met us outside. I did not step outside once during my shift, and then Kol would come pick me up and take me home with Sky.
I wasn’t alone for a single second. I wouldn’t lie; it was suffocating. But I also wasn’t an idiot. It was needed until they found this monster.
A shiver raced through me, even though the sun was out. Because I couldn’t help but wonder if it really was Travis. Was he still playing his torturous games?
Rolling back my shoulders, I smiled as I crossed to Wylder. Travis, or whoever this was, didn’t get to win. They didn’t get to steal my life when so much had already been taken from me.
“Morning,” I greeted.
Wylder studied me for a moment. “You seem good.”
As I looked back at the eldest Archer, I couldn’t say the same about him. His eyes housed dark circles beneath them, and they were bloodshot. I frowned. “Are you okay?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Haven’t been sleeping all that much.”
I knew why. All the Archer brothers had been working on this case, trying to pull together the pieces to figure out who the hell this was and where they might be hiding.
Kol had finally shared what they did in the shadows, helping missing persons get the justice they deserved.
And I was so damn proud of him—of all the Archers.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “It means more than I can say.”
Wylder’s expression gentled. “I want to help. I just wish I were contributing more.”
His gaze traveled back inside, and I saw it land on Cora, who was already at work refilling saltshakers. It wasn’t just me that Wylder wanted to help. It was her.
“We’re going to get him,” I vowed.
Wylder turned back to me. “We are.”
“Morning, boss man,” Brae greeted as she walked up to our mini-huddle.
“Morning. You two want to tackle the condiment refills?” he asked.
“We’ve got it,” I said.
“Just make sure you don’t cross them,” Dex called through the open window. “I just learned how vicious they can be.”
Wylder looked confused, but Brae and I just laughed as we made our way into the bar. We waved at Cora, who answered in kind, but she, too, looked like she hadn’t been getting a whole lot of sleep. I needed to get her alone so I could really check on her.
I followed Brae toward the stockroom so we could get the jumbo tubs of ketchup and mustard. She held the door open for me, and I slipped inside, flipping on the overhead lights.
“How was Marly today?” Brae asked.
She was careful not to inquire when Dex was around, because she knew it was usually a bit of a tender topic for me. But when I started sharing a little more, she’d gotten more comfortable asking.
“Good, hard, exhausting, hopeful,” I told her honestly.
One corner of Brae’s mouth tugged up. “Sounds like you’ve covered all your bases.”
I stilled, my hand resting on one of the many shelves packed with bar-and-grill supplies. A wave of nerves took flight in my stomach, but I reminded myself that their presence only meant this mattered. And my conversation with Sky that morning reminded me to be brave.
“I love you.” The words were barely audible yet like the boom of an explosion all at once.
Brae’s jaw dropped. “You don’t say the L-word.”
I let out a shaky laugh. “I’m trying to get better at it. And I’ve always felt it. You have to know that. You’re my sister in every way that matters.”
Tears gathered in Brae’s eyes. “I love you so much, Supernova. I’m so in awe of who you are, and I’m so sorry you’ve gone through what you have.”
“I’m not.” It was a simple but powerful truth.
Brae studied me, confusion swirling. “You’re not …”
“Don’t get me wrong. That pain will always live in me.
But the beauty that came afterward? This life I get to live now?
You, Owen, and the Archers—Kol?” My tears crested over, tracking down my cheeks.
“It’s everything. And it’s a gift that I can feel all the more deeply because of what I went through. ”
“Nova,” Brae croaked.
I moved then, pulling her into a hug and holding on tight.
She only cried harder. “You’re hugging me.”
“It’s been too long.”
“It has.”
The door opened. “Hey, do you guys—oh shit. I’m sorry, I—”
We turned, still hugging, to see Cora, frozen in the doorway.
I just beamed a watery smile at her. “We’re hugging out the bad. You want in?”
“I, uh …”
“Come on,” Brae encouraged.
We opened our arms to Cora, who looked comically unsure as she slowly walked toward us. The moment she was within reach, we pulled her in and began a sort of rocking dance, which only made us all laugh.
A throat clearing startled us apart. Wylder stood there, and I expected a smile or at least an amused look on his face. There wasn’t one. Instead, his expression was completely blank. “Have any of you talked to Piper since yesterday?”
Dread bloomed in my gut. “No.” My voice sounded removed from my body as Cora and Brae shook their heads.
Wylder’s skin paled even further. “She’s an hour late, and she’s not picking up her phone.”