Redemption (The Restoration Series Book 1) (20 page)

 “Hi,” I answered quietly, so as to not wake my parents.

 “Hey. Did I wake you?” His deep voice vibrated through the speaker.

 “No. I was just getting ready for bed.”

 “Good. I just wanted to ask you how today went.”

 “It was fine. I met another client at the center and I have a new assignment.”

 “Who’d you meet?”

 “A little girl named Ellie. She’s pretty adorable.”

 “Hmm. I don’t think I’ve met her.”

 “I don’t think she’s allowed to speak to any men. She seemed hesitant to even speak to me.”

 “Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “So what’s the assignment?”

 That… I had wondered who I was going to tell about this, and when. Surprisingly the
thought of doing something in public didn’t seem so scary if I knew Davis was nearby.

 “I’m supposed to go out. Do something in public where there are other people.”

 Silence filled the line for a few moments before Davis spoke again.

 “You think you’re ready for that?” His soft questioning tone made my skin prickle.

 “No, but that’s kind of the point, I guess. I have to push myself to get out there again, try to be normal and move on.”

 “Where are you going to go?”

 “Well, I’m supposed to go with someone on my trust list. My parents are always so hovering that I doubt they’d let anyone get remotely close to me if we went anywhere together.”

 “What about Evie or her mom?”

 “Not sure. Evie’s sort of dealing with her own stuff, you know? Her mom needs to be there for her right now.”

 “Oh.”

 “Yeah,” I whispered.

 “So that means…” His words trailed off, knowing that the only person left was him.

 “Yes. I sort of
have to go somewhere public with you. Are you too busy?”

 I heard a soft chuckle. “I’m always busy, but if you need me, I’ll make the time and be there. Always.”

 Relief.
There it was again. His words lifted the weight of my worry away. “Thanks, Davis.”

 “Of course. So…what would you like to do?”

 “Lillian suggested going to a
store, or restaurant. Or somewhere in town like the library.”

 “Right. Well, why don’t we start with lunch, then if you feel up to it, we can work our way down the list? Make an afternoon of it?”

 “Okay.”

 “So when do you want to do this?”

 “Can you take tomorrow afternoon off?”

 “I’m the owner’s grandson. I can take whatever time I want off. I was gone for three years, the ranch will keep running without me.”

 I laughed a little, careful to stay quiet. “All right. I’ll be ready around one.”

 “Sounds good. I better let you get some sleep.”

 “You probably need some, too.”

 “Sweet dreams and peaceful sleep, Nova.”

 “You, too. Goodnight.”

 “Night.”

 With that, the line disconnected and I set my phone back down and pulled the blankets up. I thought about Ellie, and Lillian and Davis, and Evie. Once I had worked my way through the list, I closed my eyes and let the peaceful sleep that Davis called for to find me.  

Chapter 16

DAVIS

 My nerves were frazzled as I drove the few miles to Nova’s house. Today would be interesting. Having lunch would be nice; knowing that she trusted me to keep her safe and help her through this meant the world to me.

 The dust billowed around my truck as I pulled down the driveway and up to the front of the Drake home. I left the large sunflower I had picked for Nova on the dash and slipped out of the cab. A thin layer of dust jumped from the steps as my boots came down on the wooden slats. I knocked on the door and stuffed my hands in my pockets, waiting for it to open.

 Mr. Drake answered, and despite the fact that I knew he trusted me, his face did not look happy with me at the moment.

 “It’s too soon for this.” His voice was stiff with tension as he stepped out on the porch with me.

 “If she thinks it’s too much, I’ll bring her right home. It’s her assignment from her doctor.”

 He leaned against the side of the house, crossing his arms. “No funny business. Understand?”

 “Sir, I’d never do anything to hurt or harm Nova. You know this. I definitely wouldn’t do anything to make her uncomfortable. I’m just a chauffeur today. Nothing more.”

 I held his gaze until he relented and shook his head in agreement. He reached out and patted my shoulder with his hand.

 “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Davis. You know that, right?”

 “I do, sir. I swear I’ll keep her safe.”

 “All right then, let me get her.” He stepped inside, motioning for me to follow him into the living room.

 “Nova!” He hollered up the stairs. “Davis is here!”

 Her faint voice floated down the stairs. “I’ll be down in a second!”

 Mr. Drake moved to sit on the couch and flipped on the television, thumbing through a few channels until he settled on an old war documentary. I remained standing by the door, shuffling from one foot to the other, watching the stairs and waiting. Although I told myself and Mr. Davis that this was nothing more than a chauffeur assignment, I couldn’t help but feel like I was about to go on a first date. It was like I was sixteen again, standing in Lorraine
Shoran’s living room, being scrutinized by her father. I chuckled to myself at the memory and huffed out a deep breath, fixing my thoughts on this moment. Get your head on straight, Davis. Now.

 Moments later Nova emerged, and I had to hide the fact that all breath left my lungs at the sight of her. My eyes couldn’t move away from where she stood. She wore a simple dark green cotton knee-length dress with a slim brown belt around the waist. It was modest, yet beautiful. Her beautiful blonde hair was curled and resting
around her face and shoulders. I couldn’t stop my grin when I looked down at her old worn boots.

 “You look great.” I stammered, then cleared my throat.

 Her soft chuckle brought me back up to her eyes, which sparkled with a glimmer of light. One I hadn’t seen in a long time, the one she had when I first introduced myself to her on the beach.

 “Thanks. You ready?” She moved to grab her purse and situate it across her body.

 “Yes,” I confirmed, opening the screen door and holding it for her as she walked by me, slightly brushing my chest with her shoulder.

 I hurried ahead of her to open the passenger side door of the truck. She stepped up into the cab and situated herself, her gaze catching the sunflower on the dash.

 “That’s for you.” I nodded in its direction as I closed the door.

 I went around and slid into the driver’s seat, letting out a deep breath, and then looked over at her. She held the sunflower to her face, eyes closed and breathing in the sweet scent of its petals. That’s when I saw it. It was just like the first time we met on the beach. Her smile was wide and uninhibited, joyous. She was happy
and in that moment, the weight of the past wasn’t darkening her. She was shining brightly and it was infectious.

 “Thank you, Davis.”

 “You’re welcome.” I caught her eyes and grinned at her before turning the key and reversing the truck. As we drove
by the fenced farmland and into town, I glanced at Nova every so often. She had her head back, eyes focused out the window, with a gentle smile on her lips. I didn’t want to disturb her peaceful daydream, but I had to let her know the rules for the day.

 “Nova, just be honest with me today. If you feel like you’ve had enough, let me know. I will take you home. If you feel uncomfortable with me or anyone else, tell me. We’ll work on it. Don’t force yourself to do something that you’re not ready to do. Okay?”

 She nodded in agreement, her face falling a bit and the smile gone. My heart ached at the pain she was no doubt feeling and the fear that was rushing through her. I reached over and gently slid my hand over hers, stilling the slight trembles in her fingers.

 “Good. Now, let’s get some food.”

 I pulled into The Buffalo Grille parking lot. This would be the first test to assimilating Nova back into public. The place was popular, and the lot was full.

 “Ready?” I asked, stopping myself from moving out of the cab until she gave me an answer.

 “I think so, but…” She picked at her fingers nervously. “What if we see someone I know? How do I explain…?”

 “You don’t have to explain anything. I’ll steer the conversation away from anything of the sort if that happens. And we need some sort of signal so I know that you’re uncomfortable and you want to leave.”

 “I feel like we’re spies or something.” She giggled a little, and the air around us lightened.

 “You should touch your nose or something, and I’ll know.”

 This caused her to laugh heartily, and I couldn’t help but grin.

 “What’s wrong with that?” I asked, moving to slip out of the cab. I walk around the truck to her side and opened her door.

 “I’m not doing that. I don’t know what it’ll be, but you’ll figure it out if I do anything.” Her dress flounced as she jumped to the ground. It was almost childish, in a cute sort of way.

 “Of course. Ready?” I asked, securing the door behind her and reaching for her hand once again. She squeezed it tightly before relaxing her shoulders.

 “Not really, but let’s go.”

 As we walked toward the large stone building, Nova whispered quietly to herself. I imagine she was going through her of phrases, and it was working. Her shoulders visibly relaxed and I was grateful. I pulled open the thick wooden door and led her inside.

 There were a large amount of people milling about, I would guess for some sort of party. The very western-style dining room was packed to nearly overflowing, chairs tucked at ends of tables that weren’t meant to be there, kids running around the room away from their parents, and a large group of men shouting a television above the bar. Nova shifted beside me, moving herself a little closer as if to use me as protection. Her eyes went wide as they shifted from one end of the room to the other.

 “You okay?” I whispered.

 “Mmhmm.” She slipped her small hand around my arm and held it tightly.

 “We can leave, Nova. Go somewhere smaller.” I started to turn around, but she held me in place.

 “No. I have to do this.” Resolution filled her tone as she refused to escape.

 I nodded then turned to the hostess. “Two, please.”

 “Of course. Right this way.” The young dark-haired teenager smiled and grabbed two menus before leading us down a long aisle toward the back of the dining room. We came upon a small two-person booth.

 “Is this okay?” she asked.

 “Sure. Thanks.” I nodded and waited for Nova to take a seat before sliding into the
leathery seat opposite her. She chose to sit with her back against the wall, giving her a plain view of the entire dining room. Her eyes darted from one side of the room to the other, assessing any potential threats that may bring something horrible, finding all the different points to escape if needed.

 
“Nova.” I spoke firmly, attempting to get her attention.

 “Hmm?” She said, eyes still shifting.

 “Nova, look at me.”

 Her fearful eyes turned to me and held my gaze.

 “You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.” My promise floated across the table and she held my gaze for a few more moments before nodding her head.

 “Okay.” She whispered, looking down to her lap, folding her linen napkin. “Sorry.”

 “Don’t apologize. I get it. I just want you to know and trust that I’m here to protect you. Try to push out all the other noise and activity around us.”

 She gave a slight nod and picked up her menu, flipping through the thick plastic pages.

 After a few minutes, an older woman dressed in black with a white apron around her waist stepped up to our table, pen and pad ready
in her hand. “Good afternoon, folks. Glad you could join us today. What can I get you to drink?”

 I nodded for Nova to go first. She glanced up at the lady and her eyes softened. “I’ll have water, please.”

 “Same for me,” I spoke, watching the way Nova took in the older lady as she smiled again and set her menu down.

 “Great,” said the waitress. “My name is Sandy, and I’ll be your waitress today. I’ll be back in just a few moments with your drinks.”

 She stepped away and Nova watched as she ran her fingers absentmindedly through her hair, curling the ends slightly around her fingertip.

 “What are you thinking?” I interrupted her thoughts once again.

 “She reminds me of my mom.”

 “I can see that.” I could also see that as much as Nova was trying to be strong, there was still a lot of tension in her body and she was afraid. I pushed my foot slightly forward to touch hers. She jumped a little at the sudden contact but then relaxed as her eyes focused on me. Her beautiful dark blue eyes, the color of an evening sky, looked directly into mine and I felt my heart pick up slightly, knowing I wouldn’t be able to hide anything from her piercing gaze. I knew my emotions were plainly written on my face, but I kept silent.

 Our exchange was
broken in that moment as Sandy stepped up with our glasses of water and set them gently in front of us, setting two wrapped straws on the table beside them. She grinned knowingly as she pulled her pad from her apron and held it in her palms, ready to take our order. We told her what we wanted and she tapped her pen
to the pad and stepped away.

 I glanced back at Nova and tried to move on with some sort of conversation. I couldn’t just keep staring at her all afternoon. Well, I’d love to do that, but I needed to make her comfortable. So that’s what I’d do.

 “So, how are you doing?” I probed. She gave a relieved sigh.

 “Surprisingly, I’m okay. At first it was overwhelming, but the more I’m here, the more comfortable it is.”

 We sat there talking about everything we could think to bring up for the next hour over our meals. We told each other about growing up, school, friends, the ranches.

 “So why did you move in with your grandparents?” Her lips found the straw in her glass and she
pursed them, sipping the water.

 It had been a long time since I had thought of my parents. Those first few years, I couldn’t talk about them at all without feeling angry and hurt over the circumstances that took them from me. As I got older, I was able to look back and remember them fondly. The memories stayed vivid in my mind and heart.