Storm Shells (The Wishes Series #3) (42 page)

“Are you on your way out?” asked Flynn. “I can come back later.”

I’d been waiting a week for him to get back to me about the theft of my dresses. He wasn’t going anywhere.

“No, stay,” Adam wisely replied, inviting him inside.

Flynn came bearing good news. He’d gone to the boutique and managed to get hold of the surveillance footage. As suspected, the well-to-do lady from Sandy Bay was none other than Nicole Lawson.

I was gutted but not surprised. My usual modus operandi would’ve involved plotting her demise in my head, but this time I wanted to see her receive a more traditional punishment. I was prepared to let Flynn handle it.

“So what happens now?” asked Adam.

“If you press charges, I’ll go and pick her up now,” replied Flynn.

I didn’t want him to arrest her at her mother’s house. There was only so much poor Carol could bear. She was going to have plenty of opportunity to be embarrassed and humiliated in the coming days.

“Can you pick her up here instead?” I asked. “I’ll call and see if she’ll come over tomorrow.”

Adam frowned, clearly unhappy with my plan. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Charlotte.”

“She’s not violent, Adam. She’s just a low-down dirty thief. I want to be there when she gets what’s coming to her.”

It wasn’t my usual game plan. My acts of revenge were usually carried out on the sly, and were so perfectly executed that there was no need to hang around to see the fallout. I’d decided to take a step back this time. Nicole was playing in the big leagues now. She deserved to be punished at the same level.

* * *

For once my lack of sleep had nothing to do with the baby. I lay awake for hours that night, unfairly weighed down by thoughts of Nicole’s epic betrayal.

Adam was fast asleep and perfectly still, which blew my mind. I’d only ever known him to toss and turn all night, no matter how exhausted he was. I spent a long time just staring at him, first to make sure he wasn’t dead, then to admire how freaking perfect he looked.

I’d gone through some huge changes lately but I’d had the benefit of time to get used to them. Boy Wonder’s life had spun in a completely new direction in a matter of weeks. Sometimes it was easy to forget that, mainly because he’d handled it so effortlessly. I no longer worried that his presence was temporary or coerced. Adam was calm, content, and sleeping peacefully for the first time in his life.

* * *

I felt no better by morning. Bridget was having another cranky episode. Perhaps she knew Nicole was on her way over.

I called her early, making up a lie about needing her to drop off some milk on her way to work. “I’d really appreciate it,” I told her. “It’s a mission to get the baby out of the house to go shopping.”

“No worries,” she replied. “I’ll let Alex know I’m going to be a bit late.”

A couple of years late with a bit of luck
, I didn’t reply.

The next half hour dragged. I was in the kitchen making up a bottle while Adam paced the lounge with Bridget in his arms, trying to settle her – or at least to buy time until her bottle was ready. This charming domestic scene was ruined by the arrival of my ex BFF. She let herself in, which I found very ironic.

“Hey,” she greeted, making a beeline for Adam and Bridget. “Can I hold her?”

Adam glanced at me and I nodded stiffly. He reluctantly handed her the baby. Bridget kept crying and Nicole paced the room trying to calm her. It took all I had not to march over and rip her from her arms.

“She’s so cute,” she cooed. She was probably totting up how much she could sell her for. I palmed the baby’s bottle to Adam and slipped down to the bedroom to call Flynn.

“She’s here now,” I whispered.

“Okay. Just keep her there,” he replied. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

It was a long five minutes. I didn’t want the lying rat anywhere near my family. Adam clearly felt the same way. By the time I returned to the room, Bridget was back in his arms sucking on her bottle.

Flynn finally arrived and I rushed to let him in. Nicole looked understandably stunned. As far as she knew, I was terrified of Flynn, and no one had encouraged that more than her.

Flynn walked straight to Nicole. There was no greeting or kind words. “Nicole Lawson, I’m arresting you on suspicion of burglary and handling stolen goods.”

“What’s this about?” she whimpered. “Charli?”

I couldn’t find my voice, but Adam had no problem bringing her up to speed. “You’ve been stealing from us, Nicole,” he said flatly. “Did you really think we wouldn’t find out?”

Her expression changed from bewilderment to fury in a flash. “You’ve got it all wrong,” she shouted.

Flynn spun her and snapped cuffs on her. I was amazed at how quickly he did it. So was Nicole. By the time she’d started resisting his hold, it was too late. She was trussed up like a true crook.

She turned back to face me. “Tell him it’s a mistake,” she begged.

A small part of me wished I could. It was the part of me that remembered us as eight-year-old girls lying in the sand dunes planning our travel adventures. Those girls were long gone.

“I found my dresses at a boutique in Hobart, Nic,” I muttered. “How could you do that?”

“I would never do something like that,” she protested. She sounded believable but her expression gave her away. So did the video evidence.

“I’m not just going to forget about it this time.”

She dropped the innocent act dizzyingly quickly. Perhaps she knew it was hopeless. “It was a handful of dresses,” she spat. “You didn’t even miss them.”

“What did you do with the money?” I asked out of curiosity. She hadn’t been flashing cash around.

“I didn’t do anything!” she screamed.

“Get out of my house, Nicole,” said Adam, perfectly calmly. He sounded more bored than outraged. “You’re pathetic.”

“I’m pathetic? You think I’m pathetic?” She spoke with pure contempt. “Your whole life is pathetic, Adam. You’ll realise it sooner or later. A year or two in this town will destroy you. You should take your kid and make a run for it while you can. That’s what you do best, right?”

“Why are you so bitter and twisted?” asked Adam.

I was sure his calm voice was riling Nicole even more. Her next words were spat out with pure hatred. “Go to hell!”

“What did I ever do to you, Nic?” I asked quietly.

Nicole smirked at me. “I’ve told you before, Charli. Not everything is about you.” She shifted her venomous glare to Adam. “You’ll realise that when you’re left holding the baby he never wanted.”

“Give up, Nicole,” murmured Adam. “You don’t even sound convincing.”

Flynn picked that moment to lead her out of the house. Our tiny cottage fell silent. All I could hear was Bridget making tiny little mewls as she drained her bottle.

“Charlotte, I will never leave you or Bridget again,” Adam promised.

“I know,” I whispered.

He leaned across and kissed the top of my head. “
Ad infinitum
.”

“We’re good, Adam,” I assured. “For infinity.”

Nicole’s rant should’ve reduced me to tears but it didn’t. Jealousy and spite had been driving her for a long time – probably years. I had no idea that she’d been so resentful toward me, but I could understand it. I was the lucky one. I’d stumbled into a life I didn’t even know I wanted. I had more than I could ever have hoped for – and she hadn’t damaged it at all, despite her best efforts.

* * *

Nicole Lawson didn’t make bail. She was remanded in custody awaiting her court appearance because, unbeknown to everyone, she was on probation at the time of her stealing spree. It turned out that she’d been busted in Queensland the year before for passing bad cheques that she’d stolen from some other sucker. I no longer believed any of the sob story she’d fed me. I had no idea if she’d really made it to Fiji or just stayed on the mainland wreaking havoc. It made me wonder if I’d ever truly known her at all.

Alex was horrified when he heard what had happened, especially when I came clean about the fate of the boat money she’d skipped town with three years earlier.

I summoned him to the cottage to break the news.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, sounding more hurt than angry.

My answer came easily. “You wouldn’t have let me go with Mitchell if you’d known I was broke.”

He blinked at me – too many times. “You’re right,” he said finally. “I wouldn’t have.”

I pointed at the tiny baby in his arms. “And if I hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t have gone to Adam and you wouldn’t be holding that little girl. No lying, thieving Nicole, no Bridget.”

Alex looked down at granddaughter he wasn’t even old enough to have. “Your logic is skewed, Charlotte.”

“And you’re only just realising this?” I asked, trying to raise a smile out of him.

He glanced up at me, still looking deadly serious. “You’re a good girl. I’m very proud of you.”

It wasn’t like Alex to be so sappy, but I let him have his moment. I understood his mindset. Nicole and I had been joined at the hip since kindergarten. I hadn’t always known she was shady, but knew I sometimes was. Staying on the good side hadn’t always been easy for me. Mercifully, Alex had reined me in and Adam had held me there.

“You did good, Dad,” I praised, albeit jokingly.

His expression didn’t waver. “Thank you,” he whispered.

* * *

The whole town was buzzing at the news of Nicole’s arrest. My father never usually surrendered to gossip but surprisingly, he had no qualms about setting people straight where Nicole was concerned. If anyone asked him, he told them everything he knew.

I tried to put the whole sorry saga behind me. I’d already wasted too much time thinking about it. Laying low meant I didn’t have to deal with anyone. Spending time at home with Bridget wasn’t a chore, especially now she was back to her sunny self.

Having a baby was an adventure far different from the one I thought I wanted. Nothing dulled the thrill of seeing her do something new or unexpected, which seemed to happen daily. Life was good. The only thing I wished for was more hours in the day. If I’d had them, I would’ve spent them washing my hair.

I’d taken Adam’s advice and held off getting it cut for a few days, and was now more determined than ever to do the deed. Fearing he’d try talking me out of it, I didn’t mention my plans. His mind was elsewhere, anyway. His windows were in, meaning he’d moved on to phase two of the restoration. He’d left the cottage that morning babbling something about crown moulding.

I called on Gabrielle for moral support.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the city and get it done?” she asked as we walked down the main street. “We’ll find a nice salon.”

“We have two here,” I reminded. “One of them should be able to get it right.”

The Parisienne halted the pram and put on the brake. I didn’t even know the thing had a brake.

“So which will it be, Charli?” she asked, staring in the direction of the salons further down the road. I could hear the smile in her voice.

My choices were limited to say the least but I had no trouble deciding. I wasn’t prepared to face Carol Lawson.

According to Alex, she hadn’t handled Nicole’s shenanigans well. She’d had the nerve to front up to him at the café, screaming about
his
daughter’s lack of compassion. Alex gently reminded her that her daughter was a no-good, sneaky thief who deserved no compassion. I suspect he got the last word in.

“I’m going to let Jasmine cut it,” I told her.

“Are you mad?” gasped Gabi.

I grabbed the handle of the pram, kicked off the brake as if I knew it was there all along, and steered it toward The Best Salon In The Cove. “It’s only hair, Gabs. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“I suspect we are about to find out,” she replied.

The only person more shocked by my choice of stylists than Gabrielle was Jasmine. “Are you sure you want me to do it?” she asked, furiously fluttering her caterpillar lashes at me.

I wasn’t brimming with confidence but I forged ahead. “Of course.”

I couldn’t look in the mirror as she cut. I just focused on the long blonde hair piling up on the floor beneath me. After what seemed an eternity, Jasmine spun my chair around to face Gabrielle.

“Ta-daa!” she crooned.

Gabrielle’s hold on Bridget seemed to falter.

“Please don’t drop her,” I whispered. “Adam would kill me.”

“What do you think?” asked Jasmine. She didn’t give Gabrielle time to respond. She pinched at wisps of my new fringe and continued her nervous babble. “I think it’s pretty. All she has to do now is drop a few kilos and she’ll be gorgeous again.”

I ignored her almost-compliment and focused on Gabrielle’s expression, which finally shifted into a warm smile that reassured me just enough to keep me from bolting out of the salon.

“A yummy mummy,” she praised, making it sound weird purely because of her accent.

I put my hand on my head, feeling the strange sensation of having shoulder-length hair for the first time in my life.