Redemption (The Restoration Series Book 1) (21 page)

 “When I turned seventeen, my parents were killed in a car accident. I was just entering my senior year in school and it was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through.” I thought about that for a second, then thought
of Amanda. “Well nearly, the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through.”

 She reached her hand across the table and found my strumming fingers, placing her palm
across the top of them and offering comfort to me. I softly smiled at her and turned my palm to hold her hand gently in mine.

 “I can look back now, and remember the good times I had with them, and that’s much better than the anger and pain that I used to associate with their names. After everything happened, Papaw came out and stayed with me in
Trunksville for a month or so, but going back and forth to the ranch just wasn’t working for him. So he moved me out of my parent’s house and into the ranch. The rest is sort of history, I suppose.”

 “Wow. I don’t know what to
say, Davis. I’m so sorry you went through that.”

 “It wasn’t fun, but I’m happy to be with my grandparents. We’re very close, and I couldn’t be more grateful that they stepped in to raise me when I needed it. I was very angry at the beginning, and Papaw just guided me through it all, even after losing his son. He was grieving too, but he spent his time focusing on pushing me to deal with my feelings and grieve.”

 “That sounds like Mr. Matthews, for sure.”

 “
Yeah” was all I could say, before reaching down to lift the final bite of my meal into my mouth. Nova pulled her hand back and finished up her drink, waiting for me to finish. I pushed the plate from in front of me and slid out of the booth.

 “Ready to go?” She nodded and slid out of her bench.

 After I paid the bill, at my
insistence of course, we headed outside. When we passed the bar area a tall, burly man with dark blonde hair moved in front of us, grinning.

 “Nova!” He greeted her excitedly, moving to put his arms around her and pull her into a hug. I reacted before he could touch her, stepping in front of her and shifting her behind me, halting his movements. Nova’s hands pressed against my back, trembling slightly.

 “Dude! Move!” he demanded, scowling.

 “I don’t think so.”

 “Nova?” He asked, glancing
around me. “You okay?”

 “She’s fine, we’re just leaving now.”

 “Let the lady speak for herself.”

 Nova tapped me a little, then stepped to the side. To my surprise, she slid her hand down my arm and linked her fingers with mine, forcing a very fake smile on her face and looking up into the giant’s face.

 “Hey, Blake. How’s it going?”

 “Great.” He huffed and glanced between her and me. “You sure you’re okay?”

 “I’m fine, Blake. This is Davis. Davis, this is Blake. We went to high school together.”

 I nodded, gripping Nova’s hand tightly to offer all the security I could. If she was choosing to face him, then I’d let her.

 “You want to get a drink?” He asked Nova, completely ignoring me.

 “I don’t
drink, Blake. You know that.”

 “Not even one little beer?”

 “I’m here with Davis, and we were actually just leaving. It was nice seeing you,” she said, then turned to walk out the doors, pulling me along with her. When we stepped outside, she curled into my chest and breathed deeply. I didn’t move my arms around her, wanting to make sure she didn’t feel trapped. I just let her have this moment. She eventually calmed and straightened herself, eyes raising to mine.

 “Good?” I lifted my finger to brush a curl out of her face and sweep it gently behind her ear.

 “Better.” She whispered, smiling slightly at my gesture.

 “You want to keep going, or are you ready to go home?”

 “Not ready for home yet, but maybe somewhere a little… less.”

 “Sure.” I moved toward the car, and Nova didn’t detach herself from me. I had a feeling she needed the security as much as I needed to know I was doing something to help. I helped her into the truck and moved around to the driver’s seat.

 “All right, then. Somewhere less. How about the bookstore?”

 “That sounds fun.” She smiled again, resting her head
against the top of the seat.

 I drove the few blocks over to the bookstore, the only one in town. We walked inside and quickly grabbed a few coffees to could sip while browsing their selections.

 It took a while for Nova to feel comfortable leaving my side and venture out on her own. I stayed relatively close, watching her from a small distance and letting her know I was still around, but giving her the space she needed. She ran her fingers across the bindings of the books, taking in each title and pulling a few out to read the back covers. She’d take a few minutes to read before slipping them back onto the shelf in their place.

 I pulled a war novel from the shelf and took a seat in a comfortable overstuffed chair at the end of the aisle and flipped open the pages, but keeping an eye on her as she browsed.

 Nova eventually found her way to the seat beside me and rested her feet on the bar that braced the bottom of the coffee table.

 “Find something?” I asked, glancing at the book in her hands.

 “Yeah. Seems good.”

 “Do you want to stay and read, or head on out?”

 “I think we can go.”

 “Sure.” I nodded, moving to stand up. Nova’s watched the shelves around her as we walked toward the front, but she halted her movement as the section labeled ‘Science’ caught her eye. It took her a minute of browsing to find what she was looking for, but when she did she smiled and pulled the thin hard-covered book out and tucked it into her arms.

 “Science?” I questioned.

 “It’s for a friend.”

 I nodded and moved toward the registers, grabbing the books from her hand.

 “You don’t have to do that, Davis. I can buy my books.”

 “I know you can, but so can I.” I shrugged and set them on the counter. I handed the bag to Nova before we walked out, and I watched her smile again, causing my heart do that fluttering action that had started to become a well-acquainted friend of mine.

 “Thanks.” She whispered, once again slipping her soft palm against mine.

 “You’re welcome.”

 “Do you think we could stop by the center? I’d like to give this book to someone.”

 “Sure,” I agreed as I held the truck door open for her, waiting for her to situate herself before closing it. I walked slowly around the truck, taking a few moments to remind myself why this wasn’t a date and why I had to relax.

 I slipped into the truck and drove us out to the secluded plantation. There were people milling about and I saw a few people that I knew. Knowing I had to be very guarded in my steps here due to the nature of this safe house, I parked the truck in the first available spot.

 “Should I stay here?” I questioned her.

 “Um…” She glanced around. “I’m not sure. I think it’ll be okay for you to walk around as long as you’re with me.”

 She reached for my hand again once we were out of the truck, like a magnet. It was like she absentmindedly knew this was her place, her hand to hold, her place to be, and the feel of her small hand in mine made my skin tingle. Her skin was soft and gentle, and she smelled like vanilla and mint. It was overwhelming. I held tight, giving her whatever strength she needed, reminding myself that this is what she was seeking from me. Strength.

 We walked along the gravel pathway and up the porch steps. I opened the door for her and waited for her to enter first before following. I had been here before, years ago, but things had changed a bit since then. We only had to wait a few moments before Mable walked into the lobby to greet us. She smiled at Nova, but then her smile broadened when she noticed me. She abruptly pulled me into her arms. I chuckled as I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. I had met Mable during my first orientation with Corinth. She has worked here at the rehabilitation house for nearly fifteen years.

 “Oh, Davis. You sure have changed.” She giggled softly, hugging me tightly to herself.

 “It’s good to see you, Mable.” My voice was gruff and tears fought to fall from my eyes. Mable knew everything about my past, my pain - Amanda. She had been Amanda’s mentor, and I didn’t have to hide anything from her.

 “You, too.” She released me, keeping her palms on my shoulder as she held my gaze. She nodded. “We’ve missed you.”

 “I’ve missed you, too.”

 Her eyes flung to Nova and she smiled sweetly, moving closer.

 “Glad to see you back, dear. How can we help you?”

 “Oh. Yeah. I..” she reached into the bag and pulled out the book. “I bought something for Ellie. Is she around?”

 “She is.” Mable glanced between the two of us, wondering what was happening, I’m sure.

 “Mable, do you think Davis could…?” Nova left the question open-ended. Mable nodded.

 “Ellie has been in recovery for almost two years. As long as you keep your distance, she’ll be fine. If she approaches you, great. If not, then just stay on the other side of the room or within a respectable distance. She’ll be just fine.”

 Mable called up the steps as she ushered us into the living room.

 A few seconds later, Ellie flew down the stairs, pigtails flying behind her as her flowing blue princess gown swished around her feet. She saw Nova and smiled widely, running toward her and wrapping her arms around Nova’s middle.

 I watched as Nova accepted this little girl’s love so freely. She wrapped her arms around Ellie, hugging her tightly and running her fingers through the girl’s copper hair.

 “Hey, Ellie,” Nova spoke kindly, grinning at the embrace of the little arms around her.

 “Hi, Nova. What are you doing here?”

 “I brought you something.”

 “Really?! What is it?” Ellie bounced around Nova like a kid at Christmas.

 “Let me introduce you to someone, first. Okay?”

 Ellie’s eyes fell on me then and she quieted a little. I stayed where I was, unmoving as the little girl studied me. Her eyes roamed, studying me up and down before she tugged on Nova’s hand, pulling Nova down to her position so she could whisper in her ear. I watched as she cupped her hand and spoke softly. Nova’s eyes fell on me and a gentle smile crossed her face.

 “He’s a good one,” Nova whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. I melted just a little at her compliment. Nova stepped toward me and took my hand, then turned to face Ellie.

 “Ellie, this is Davis. He saved me.”

 We waited with baited breath as Ellie made her decision. Then she smiled and took a few steps forward. She held her
hand out, offering me a handshake. I gently took her tiny palm in mine.

 “It’s nice to meet you, Ellie.” I smiled, crouching down to her level.

 “You, too. You’re kind of big.”

 I chuckled, releasing her hand. “I guess you could say that.”

 “I bet you beat lots of bad guys, just like Superman.”

 “Do you like Superman?”

 She nodded enthusiastically. “He’s my favorite. He can fly, and he’s tall and strong, and he always taking care of people even when they don’t know it.”

 “Hm. Well, I hope I can be like him someday.” I grinned.

 Ellie glanced
between Nova and me for a second. “I think you already are. I mean, Nova said you saved her, you’re tall and strong, and it looks like you’re helping to take care of her, too. So you must be him.”

 “Well, the thing about Superman is no one knows who he is in real life, so you can’t tell anyone. Okay?” I chuckled conspiratorially.

 Ellie nodded then bolted around me to the couch.

 “Can I see my gift now, Super-Nova?”

 Nova chuckled and took the seat beside her, handing the book about stars and galaxies to Ellie.

 “Whoa! Cool!” Ellie exclaimed, flipping open the pages and reading each chapter heading to us.

 “This is awesome Super-Nova! Thanks!” She flung her arms around Nova’s neck and Nova held her still.

 “You’re welcome, but Davis is the one who paid for it. You should thank him, too.”

 She pushed herself off the couch and ran over to me, grasping her small arms around my waist. “Thanks, Superman.” My heart melted a little at the affection of this little girl. I patted her head and smiled.

 “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

 Nova stood then and walked toward me.

 “Well, we better get going. It’s time for us to get home.”

 “Okay,” Ellie answered and bounced away, book in hand.

 “I think she likes you,” Nova said nudging me with her shoulder.

 I chuckled. “I guess so, Super-Nova.”

 Nova grinned and turned to head out the door, with me following closely behind.  

Chapter 17

NOVA

 The next few weeks went in much the same manner for Davis and me. He’d work all week on his father’s ranch, then on Saturday mornings he’d pick me up and we’d spend the day doing things in town. I was getting more comfortable with people, and I could finally fully enjoy the company of Davis and my parents without any moments of fear.

 My parents and I were sitting on the couch discussing my upcoming plans with Davis for the weekend when the phone rang. My father reached over and lifted the cordless phone to his ear.

 “Hello?” His deep warm voice answered into the receiver.

 I watched as his eyes widened and landed on me.

 “Is that necessary?” His voice was tense now as he stood and moved to the kitchen. I heard his low murmuring from the living room but couldn’t make out his conversation. A few minutes later he walked into the living room, fear etched across his sun-worn skin.

 “Dad, what’s wrong?”

 Mom reached over and grabbed my hand as dad moved closer to me, sitting on the edge of the coffee table in front of me. Worry prickled my skin as I pulled my knees up closer to my chest, effectively bracing myself for whatever news he was about to tell me.

 “That was the arresting officer from Syndey.”

 My face blanched, waiting for whatever news could be coming.

 “They want you to testify at the trial. I tried arguing with them, telling them you weren’t ready for that, but they said it would be important for you to be there. The more witnesses they have, the better the trial will go, and…” He didn’t finish the sentence, leaving me to conclude the rest.