Redemption (The Restoration Series Book 1) (16 page)

 “I’m sorry, son.”

 “Yeah.” I kept my eyes trained on my plate, pushing my eggs back and forth across the dish.

 “How did it happen?” He prodded, waiting patiently for me to answer. Flashes of blonde hair and blue eyes flashed across my mind as I absentmindedly rubbed my fist across my chest.

 “She went undercover, and I didn’t save her in time.”

 Mr. Drake set his food down and looked at me sternly. “Davis, you know it wasn’t your fault, right?”

 I shrugged noncommittally.

 “Son, as unfortunate as those circumstances were, you can’t put her death on you. In the little time I’ve known you, I know that you probably did everything you could have humanly done to stop it from happening, but sometimes we can’t become a one person barrier to the evil in this world.”

 “I know that, or at least I tell myself that, but it was my job as her almost husband to protect her. I should have stopped her from going or done something else to guarantee her safety.”

 “Davis, it’s not your fault. She was doing what she loved and dedicated her life to. Even knowing the risks, I can guarantee she wouldn’t have wanted you to feel guilty for how things transpired.”

 “No, she wouldn’t.” My chest eased a little and I glanced up to meet his gaze.

 “All right, then. Work on that, son. It’s going to eat you alive if you let it.”

 “Yes, sir.”

 After that, the conversation turned to more menial topics, and time passed quickly. An hour later, we finished our meal and Mr. Davis paid the check.

 “So, we’ll see you later?” He asked me as we stepped out onto the sidewalk.

 “Yes. I’ll be there at five.”

 He nodded then stepped down the curb and around his truck to the door. I waved as he drove away and slowly crossed the street to my own vehicle and headed for home.

 When I pulled up the driveway, people were running out of the barn and Charlie was yelling at some of the ranch hands. My heart rate sped up, and I threw open the door and bolted from the truck, limping quickly toward him and grabbing his shoulders.

 “What happened?”

 His eyes filled with anger as he glared across the field.

 “Someone broke the fence line between ours and the Davis ranch. We have to stop the rest of the cattle from moving over there. Big Blue is running loose over there and the Davis girl can’t be found. Her mother called, telling us she went for a walk to the back of the property.”

 My face blanched as I turned and jogged as fast I could to my horse, ignoring the protest in my leg. The saddle was already in place, thanks to the guys prepping every horse we had available. I quickly pulled myself up and over Racer, nudging his sides and bracing for takeoff. “Yip! Yip!” We bolted through the open fence of the corral and out across the field toward the west side of the property, where I had found Nova before. It seemed to take forever, but eventually I trotted into the tree line and saw the fence broken, with cattle scattered about on both sides and crowding through the creek to the other side. The wooden planks were splintered as if someone had driven a vehicle through it.

 “Nova!” I screamed, looking all around the area, in between the cows, praying that she wasn’t injured or worse. “Nova!”

 I kept calling until I heard her voice come from above. “I’m here!”

 I looked up into the large oak tree, the same one I had found her sitting under just a few days ago. She had climbed up the tree and straddled a thick knobby branch, wrapping her arms around the trunk. Her eyes were closed and she was trembling. Slowly maneuvering Racer through the cattle, I made it through the opening in the fence and to the base of the tree.

 “It’s all right, Nova. I’ll get you out of here. Can you climb down?”

 Her eyes went wide with horror, realizing that she’d have to touch me, ride with me. I could see the battle raging in her face before she started whispering to herself.

 “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” I questioned, trying to take her mind off of her fear.

 She finally met my gaze, quieting herself. “No. I’m fine.”

 “Good. Now slide off that branch to the one below it.” I moved Racer underneath the branch I pointed to. She nodded her head and slipped her leg over the limb, using her arms as leverage until she felt her toes hit solid wood beneath her. She quickly lowered herself and moved against the trunk of the tree to balance herself.

 “You’re doing great, Nova. Now, just scoot out a bit, and I’ll help you get down on the back of Racer here. He’s real gentle, so you don’t have to worry about that.” I nudged Racer’s sides a little to move closer to the trunk of the tree and turned him around so his rear was facing the trunk. I glanced up at Nova, who looked down to the back of the horse and then at me.

 “You’re safe, Nova. I’m going to take you home.”

 At this point, the other guys were milling around on their horses, attempting to steer the cattle back through the opening. The dogs were running wildly around the pack, nipping at their heels, forcing them to turn and move back onto our property.

 I turned my torso and reached my hand up to Nova. “You got this. Just step down, then slide onto the back here.”

 She nodded and slowly reached for my hand. I gripped her palm steadily, letting her use my strength to balance herself. She slid down into position, gently wrapping her arms around my middle, to keep herself steady.

 “All right, let’s get you home.” I started off slowly trotting up the field, keeping an eye out for Big Blue. He stood grazing, separated from the rest of the herd. The sounds of my horse trotting closer made him look up.

 “Nova?”

 “Hmm,” she said, with her face buried between my shoulders.

 “Hold on, okay? We’re going to have to go faster.”

 I felt her slightly nod against my spine and I kicked Racer in the side as he took off. Big Blue snorted and scraped his hooves against the rocky ground. Moments later, the thousand-pound animal was running toward us, but we were moving faster. I maneuvered Racer around the huge bull, digging my heels again to command him to kick it up another notch.

 We just barely made it to the gate as Mr. Drake held it open, and as soon as we were through, he slammed it behind us and latched it in place. We skidded to a halt, dust billowing around us. Nova’s grip on my middle was tight. Her breath settled across the back of my neck, causing chills to run down my arms.

 “Nova!” Mr. Drake shouted as Mrs. Drake ran out of the barn. He ran up to us but held back a few feet as Mrs. Drake stepped up to offer Nova her hand. Nova’s arms squeezed me a little tighter, fear clutching her to me. I’m sure she didn’t know what she was doing
in that moment, but I reassured her anyway.

 “Nova, you’re safe. Big Blue is behind the gate, we’re safe. You’re home. Your parents are right here and your mom is going to help you down, okay?” I kept my hands on the reigns, denying the urge to rub the arms wrapped tightly around my waist. She took a few more deep breaths and then loosened her grip a little more, straightening up and pulling her head away from my back.

 “Thanks,” she whispered as she reached out for her mom, lifted her leg over the back of Racer, and slid to the ground.

 I nodded as her mother wrapped her arms around Nova, and then I turned to look at Mr. Drake. His eyes were stoic, but he reached out to me. “Thank you, son. For saving her, again.”

 “No problem, sir. Anyone would have done it.”

 He studied me carefully, then nodded. “I suppose so, but thank you nonetheless.”

 “You’re welcome, sir.”

 “Why don’t you come inside? I’m sure Charlie and the men will take care of Big Blue out there.”

 I glanced the house, then let my eyes fall on Mr. Drake.

 “Are you sure, sir? I don’t want to cause any more problems.”

 “Davis, you’re the first man she’s been able to be around other than me. Plus you’re on the trust list, so hop on down and come inside.”

 I nodded and slid off Racer, tying his reigns off on a wooden post by the barn. Glancing up at Mr. Drake, I questioned him.

 “Trust list?”

 “Right. Well, I guess I should have let her tell you that, but Nova has a list of people that she feels safe with. You, my boy, are on that list.”

 My feet halted in their movement at his words. “Me? But what about…?”

 He nodded, gripping his hand on my shoulder and pushing me forward. “Yes. You.”

 Mr. Drake pushed open the door and motioned for me to walk inside. The house was comfortable and warm. I glanced briefly around the room, taking in the small kitchen to the right and the large open living room to the left. Nova sat with her mother on the couch, sipping a glass of iced tea.

 Mrs. Drake was comforting her, fussing over Nova like a mother of a newborn. As much as I knew Nova needed comfort, I doubted she was enjoying the overbearing gestures. Trying to relieve her just a little, I stepped forward.

 “Mr. and Mrs. Drake, do you think I could talk to Nova? If that’s all right with her, of course.” I met her eyes as they lifted to mine. Beautiful dark blue eyes, the color of the ocean, held my gaze. She nodded slightly before Mr. Drake spoke.

 “I suppose that’s fine. We’ll just be outside, baby girl. Holler if you need us.” He took his wife’s hand and pulled her out the front door, shutting just the screen door between us.

 I watched them move down the side of the porch to a small porch swing and take a seat. Nova leaned back into the sofa and rest her head on the back, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. I stepped quietly a little closer and took a seat on the opposite end of the couch.

 “Thank you,” she whispered, eyes still closed as she pulled her feet up
beneath her.

 “No problem. I bet it gets exhausting to let them hover like that sometimes.”

 “It does, but they need it. Sometimes I need it too, but there are moments when it gets a bit overwhelming. Especially when I need to just shut down for a bit and let myself not feel what’s going on around me.”

 “Makes sense.” I pulled my foot up and rested it on my knee. She opened her eyes at the rustling and I cleared my throat.

 “So, I know it’s a bit cliché to ask, but are you okay?”

 She chuckled. “I’m far from okay, but I’m getting there.”

 “I’m glad you called the center.”

 Silence passed between us, as we held each other’s gaze. I waited patiently for her to continue, knowing she had something to say.

 “You were right, you know. About them.”

 “They’re good people. Some of the best that I’ve
met, and they truly have helped a lot of women and children work through everything.”

 She nodded and brushed her blonde hair away from her face. I watched in fascination as the curls fluidly slipped through her delicate fingers. I felt my heart speed up a little and shifted myself up straighter, glancing away from her.

 “I’m assuming my dad told you about tonight?” She asked, studying me.

 “He did. Can I ask why you wanted me here?”

 She smiled a little and cast her eyes across the room. “Because I trust you.”

 Knowing that I would never begin to fully understand what Nova had gone through, and yet she placed trust in me, filled me with a sense of accountability. Trust doesn’t come easy to women who go through the kind of abuse I have witnessed. It meant a lot to me to be held in such regard, and I was determined not to fail her or ever let her down.  

Chapter 13

NOVA

 I watched as his nervous demeanor changed to one of joy and pride. Not the bad kind of selfish pride, but a good pride in himself for knowing that he was a good man, a good protector, and someone worth believing in. His resolve was etched
in his face as he sat up straighter.

 “Evie should be here in a while.” I smiled, glancing at the silver framed photo of us from graduation, taken just a few short weeks ago. Memories of that day flashed across my mind, and it felt good to fill my thoughts with moments of happiness.

 “What are you thinking about?” Davis asked, grinning slightly at me, studying my face.

 “Our graduation day. Evie was so funny that day, running around our apartment frazzled to no end, and she walked right out the door without shoes on. But the day was awesome and both of our families were in town celebrating with us.”

 “Sounds amazing.”

 “It was. My parents hosted this huge party for us when we got back here. All our old friends, classmates, and family. That’s when they told us they would be paying for us to go on vacation together. We were so excited that we screamed and jumped up and down, nearly knocking our parents to the ground. I miss that.”

 “Is that why you were in Sydney?” He asked softly, waiting to see my reaction.

 I nodded, feeling overwhelming sadness come over me like a cloud.

 “Hey.” He reached out his hand slowly toward me, resting his fingers on my foot that was on the cushion beside him. I jumped a little at the contact, eyes growing wide, but didn’t pull away. I took a few deep breaths, repeating my calming phrases and then glanced up at him.

 “Sorry,” I murmured.

 “Don’t be sorry, Nova. If you don’t want me to do this, just tell me. I just saw you get sad again and wanted to fix it. I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

 A few beats of silence rested between us before I spoke.

 “I’m not afraid of you.” My voice was
firm, as if I was trying to convince myself of the words. In all honestly, I didn’t fear Davis, but I had to force myself to be calm around him, just like with my father.

 Sensing my struggle, Davis pulled his hand back and tucked it under his knee. “All right, then.”

 There was a quick knock on the door before it flew open and Evie rushed in, looking in the kitchen first, then in the living room to find me. Her eyes flew open the sight of Davis sitting on the couch with me. She smiled and briefly waved at Davis before stepping past him and reaching down to pull me into her arms. Evie smelled of lavender and her familiar scent brought calm to my surroundings.

 “Hey, you.” She whispered in my ear, holding me tightly to her.

 “Hey.”

 I heard Davis stand and move to the other side of the room, so Evie could sit down beside me and not be stuck
between us. He stopped at the door and waved to me as he stepped outside. I nodded and looked back at Evie, who had a serious look on her face.