Home to Whiskey Creek. Brenda Novak
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as much, hadn’t she?
“That he might get to her before the police can get to him?”
“Absolutely.”
“If she wasn’t raped, what could her abductor have wanted? Was it a robbery?”
“No.” Noah felt certain she would’ve said so if that were the case.
His cell phone vibrated on the counter, but when he saw the incoming number, he ignored it. It was a woman—a tourist he’d met when he’d stopped for a drink at Sexy Sadie’s during the summer. She’d come through town with her sister, they’d spent one night together and she’d been calling him ever since.
The noise caught Baxter’s attention. “You’re not going to get that? Why not? Don’t tell me Shania’s been calling you again.”
Noah wrung out the dishrag so he could wipe down the counters. “No, I think she’s finally accepted that I’m not going to take Cody’s place in her life. It’s Lisa. Again.”
“I thought you liked her.”
“As a friend.”
“She wants more?”
“She hasn’t asked for a commitment, but she sure wants to see me a lot.”
“She’s the one who took off your clothes in the car.”
Noah could easily remember that night. Few women had come on as strongly as Lisa. And yet she’d seemed almost straitlaced when they were talking in the bar. “That’s the one. She’s been hounding me ever since.”
Baxter’s smile shifted to one side. “I guess you’re just that good in bed.”
Was there an undercurrent to that statement, too? It felt as if maybe there was, but Noah couldn’t figure out why there would be. What was Baxter feeling? Jealousy? Envy? Or was there some criticism in those words? “Very funny.”
The buzzing of his phone stopped but started up again a second later.
“You’re right,” Baxter said. “She is persistent. Maybe you should answer it and tell her you’re not interested.”
“I don’t want to hurt her feelings. I don’t mind seeing her now and then.” As long as they were in the company of others. He was growing bored with the kind of sexual encounters that didn’t mean anything, and had begun to think he was missing out on a whole other dimension. Actually, after seeing how happy and in love Gail and Cheyenne and Callie were, he knew he was missing something.
“Of course not. You’re always up for a good time.”
Noah studied his friend, searching for clues as to the correct interpretation of that line. But Baxter’s benign expression suggested he should take it at face value and Noah felt it was in the best interest of their friendship to let it go. “You like a good time, too, don’t you?”
“Sure,” he said.
Noah grabbed a bowl from him. “Good. I’ll tell her to come this weekend, and bring a friend.”
Baxter met his gaze. They were only a few inches apart and Noah got that odd feeling again, but he refused to step away. He shouldn’t have to. This was his best friend, damn it.
“Why would you have her bring someone?” he asked. “Now you’re into threesomes?”
“No. The friend is for you.” Noah clapped him on the back and smiled, waiting for him to beg off. These days, that was what he normally did. He’d say he had to work, he was in the middle of a project at home or he’d be out of town. Noah had started hanging out more with Riley and Ted, especially if there were going to be women present.
But Bax didn’t offer up the typical excuse. Although he didn’t seem as pleased as Noah thought he should be, he accepted. “Why not?”
“So, if she can do it, we’re on?” he asked in surprise.
“As long as it’s not tomorrow night. Tomorrow’s the big game, remember?”
It was Homecoming at the high school, but that didn’t mean what it used to. They didn’t attend the Friday-night games anymore; they were too old to hang with the high school crowd. But he had to go to this game. He, Cody and a lot of the friends they’d grown up with, including Baxter, had been part of the football team that won state during their senior year. Those who lived in the area had been asked to return and help present a memorial plaque to Coach Nobis, who was retiring and would be moving to Arizona in a few months. They were also going to retire Cody’s number. Noah’s father would be on hand to speak, in his capacity as mayor and as Cody’s father and, because he was his brother’s best receiver, Noah was expected to say a few words, too. But he wasn’t looking forward to it. Cody was too emotional a subject for him. He hated speaking about the loss of his brother, especially in public.
“Right. The big game. Trust me, I’m not likely to forget.”
Obviously picking up on his sarcasm, Baxter studied him. “You’re spending too much time dreading it. It won’t be that bad.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You never do.”
Noah rounded on him. “Why should I have to? Why does everyone want to hear about Cody?”
“It’s been fifteen years, Noah. How much longer can you put off dealing with it?”
“Dealing with it? You’re kidding, right? I have to deal with it every day of my life! I just don’t want to dwell on it.”
“So you’d rather talk about people who mean nothing to you. Lisa, for instance.”
“Sure, why not?” Lisa was an uncomplicated subject. He’d been honest with her about his level of interest and owed her nothing. But Cody. That was a different story. With Cody he had to ask himself too many what-ifs. What if he’d attended that party? Would he have been able to keep Cody safe? What if he’d gone to his parents and told them Cody was using drugs? Would they have been able to change the situation before it was too late? Would they have restricted him? Kept him home that night? And what if he hadn’t pointed out the Jepson mine to Cody in the first place?
“Should we ask Gail if she’ll let us use the cabin Saturday night?” he asked.
Baxter hesitated but allowed Noah to return to their former subject without complaint. “You mean the mansion?”
One of their best friends, Gail DeMarco, had married box-office-hit Simon O’Neal, who’d recently had a cabin built back in the hills. It must’ve cost eight million dollars, but that was mere pocket change to them, and the O’Neals often let friends or family use it.
“We could grill steaks, watch a movie, lounge on the deck,” Noah suggested.
“Drink a few bottles of wine?”
“If you want,” he replied, but this suggestion surprised him. From what he could tell, Baxter had quit drinking. At least, he never drank around Noah. He’d started taking life more seriously, had become all about making money, for himself and his clients, and renovating his house. And then there was that scare, when they thought they’d lose Callie, another friend, to liver disease. Baxter had been singularly devoted to her for most of the summer, even after the transplant that saved her life. He’d probably be at her farm this weekend, helping improve the place, if Callie wasn’t on her honeymoon. “But...you don’t drink anymore.”
“I haven’t quit entirely,” Baxter responded. “I might as well enjoy myself. It’s not like I have anything to lose.”
As far as Noah was concerned, that was as strange as any of his other comments, because there was an element of anger, maybe even hurt, to it. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Baxter smiled. “It means I’m looking forward to it.”
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