Haunted (State v. Sefore) (7 page)

Chapter Eight

M
addison slipped the
apple pie in the oven and checked her reflection in the glass door. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and reapplied her lip gloss. She glanced up at the clock. It would have to do. He would be here any minute.

She turned and jumped. Taylor laughed, leaning against the kitchen counter. “Sorry to scare you, but you seemed so involved. I didn’t want to tear you away from your primping.”

Maddison growled and threw a towel at her aunt. “I wasn’t primping.”

“No, of course not. So, to clarify, you aren’t interested in Noah?”

“I’ve known him less than three weeks. How could I be interested in him? We’re friends, and he’s living out of a hotel for heaven’s sake. Can you imagine never getting home-cooked food?”

“I just asked a question.” Taylor smirked, laugh lines framing her blue eyes. In that moment, she looked much younger than thirty-four.

“Well, I’m not interested.” Joining the resistance ruled out any possibility of a relationship with Noah. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

“Not interested in what?” Jakob strolled into the kitchen with his hands covered in chalk. He snagged a piece of bread from the waiting basket on the way to the sink, earning him a smack from Maddison.

“Interested in our guest.” Taylor ducked her head, still smirking, and folded the towel in her hands.

He let out a barking laugh. “Come on, who do you think you’re fooling, Maddie?” She glared at him, but he’d built up an immunity after all these years. He dried his hands on a dishtowel and swallowed the bread whole before responding. “You babbled about him to Olivia and Sophie for like an hour the other night, and you made an apple pie for crying out loud.” He paused, eyes narrowing. “Besides, what’s so wrong with being interested in somebody?”

“I’m being careful. That’s all.”

“I get that.” He cocked his head, and his sandy brown hair fell into his eyes. “But you should trust your gut, sis. Don’t over think it.”

What if her gut said maybe she could have it all? The ability to make a difference and the boy who turned her insides to mush? After all, he hadn’t turned her in for speaking so freely. He’d even said it was safe for her to be herself. It could work, right?

The doorbell rang, and Jakob shot off for the door. “It’ll be more fun if you’re interested anyway. At least it will be for me.”

She rushed after him. “Jakob, don’t you dare—”

He swung the door open wide.

Noah looked incredible. His leather jacket, khaki dress shirt, jeans, and boots made her toes curl. She stared and smoothed a shaky hand over her skirt. His hesitant smile took her breath away.

It could work. It had to.

“Hi,” she managed to choke out.

“Hi to you too.” He faced her brother. “You must be Jakob. I’m Noah.”

Jakob shot her a mischievous look but behaved. “That’s me. Come on in.”

“Thanks. It smells wonderful in here by the way.”

“I made Italian, caprese ravioli and garlic bread. It seemed like a safe bet.” Warmth flooded her cheeks.

“And apple pie.” Jakob chimed in, ever the helpful little brother. She could kill him. “My sister’s a whiz in the kitchen.”

Noah grinned, his eyes lit with a new emotion. “Sounds perfect. Those are some of my favorites.”

“Well, why don’t I go help Aunt Taylor in the kitchen while you give Noah a tour of the house?” Her brother winked at her before disappearing.

Dropping her head into her hands, she let out a small groan.

Noah chuckled. “He’s about as subtle as you are.”

Her head shot up to interpret his words. The tender way he looked at her softened the sarcasm. “Subtlety is not a trademark either the Kings or the Jameses are known for.” She took a step toward him. “How are you?”

For a moment, he didn’t respond. Something had shifted between them somehow. Here in her home, with its soft lighting and comforting smells, something pulled her closer to him. She took a step forward. He searched her face. For what? Then the spell broke, and he stepped back. “The hotel’s getting old, but other than that, I’m good. Work kept me busy today. Jakob said something about a tour?”

She took another step back herself, feeling disappointment rush in to take attraction’s place. What made him keep his distance? Since last Saturday, he hadn’t been as free with her. She’d caught him staring at her a couple of times, and once or twice, he teased her with a wink. But those moments diminished with each day. What made him fight the attraction she was sure he felt?

“Oh, we can tour the house later. Come in to the kitchen and meet my Aunt Taylor. Then we’ll eat.”

“Lead the way.”

Taylor set the last dish on the table as they entered. She turned, brushed her palms across her jeans, and held out a hand. “Noah, I presume? I’m Maddison and Jakob’s aunt, Taylor. And please, don’t make me feel any older by calling me anything but Taylor.”

Noah dipped his head, almost bowing. “Yes, ma’am. I mean, Taylor.”

She laughed. “I can see this is going to be a learning experience for you.” She motioned to the table. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving. I downloaded a new biography this morning and ended up reading instead of eating on my lunch break.”

“You sound like this one over here.” Taylor inclined her head to Jakob and moved around the table so they could all take their places.

“You read, Jakob?” Noah sat down as Maddison handed him a plate full of food. “This looks great. Thanks, Maddison.”

“Yeah, but I think Aunt Tay’s referring to the fact that once I sit down with my pad and chalk, I become a zombie.” Jakob shoveled a mound of food in his mouth.

“So you inherited your dad’s love of art?” Noah asked.

Taylor’s eyebrows shot up. Great. Now she’d have even more questions.

“Yep. What about you? Are you creative?”

Noah shook his head “I’m afraid not. The closest I come is some book binding, but it’s just about being precise. Not much creativity required.”

“What made you pick it up?” Taylor leaned forward, resting her fork on her plate. Maddison sat back, letting her family monopolize the conversation with Noah. Wow, that smile of his did not grow less devastating with time.

“I kinda stumbled into it. I prefer holding a paper book to a digital screen, but most of those are in such bad shape that I decided to rescue a few. It seemed like the logical choice.” He glanced over at Maddison. “Guess I’m like Maddison in that way.”

She smiled back at him. “Guess so.”

Conversation continued to flow across the table as Noah asked Taylor about her role as an ER doctor, and Jakob and Taylor continued to pepper him with questions of their own. Every time Noah got the chance, he brought the conversation back around to Maddison. They passed the serving dishes again and heaped extra portions on their plates. Maddison relished the dance of tomato, basil, garlic, and mozzarella in her mouth, and the enthusiastic back-and-forth at the table.

Taylor began to stack the serving plates, but Noah stood. “No, please, let me. In our home, my brother and I cleaned up since my mom cooked. I don’t get to do it much anymore.”

Taylor’s eyes twinkled, darting over to Maddison and back to Noah. “Well, okay then.” She relinquished the stack of dishes to Noah and stepped away from the table.

Jakob jumped up. “I’ll help you.”

Both women laughed, and Maddison relaxed in her chair, crossing one foot over the other. “If you can get Jakob to help with the dishes, you can come to dinner anytime.”

“Sounds fair to me.” He winked and spun toward the sink with his arms full of plates, bowls, and dishes. It didn’t look even a little precarious. Nothing clinked against anything else. The forks and spoons didn’t even slide around. What taught him to move like that?

“Psst.” Taylor nudged her.

Maddison shot her a look. “What?”

“Come to the living room with me.”

She rolled her eyes but complied. Behind her, Jakob let out a “no way, man!” in response to something Noah had said, and she smiled.

She and Taylor sat down on the other end of the living room, out of earshot. Still, Taylor leaned toward her on the couch. “Don’t let him get away.”

“Huh?”

“Noah’s worth hanging onto.” Maddison made a sound of protest, but Taylor waved it away and pointed toward the kitchen. “I know what you said earlier, but you like him and he likes you. It’s clear in the way he looks at you, in the way he talks about you. It’s clear in the way he made such an effort to get to know me and Jakob. He’s a good guy.”

“You’ve spent less than two hours with him.”

An indulgent smile blossomed on Taylor’s face. “As your aunt, give me the benefit of the doubt when I tell you, sometimes you just know.”

Well then, commence Operation Get Noah To Date Me.

*

It had been a long time since Noah felt at home somewhere. Here, in Maddison’s house, the feeling came close. He took another glance around at the bold colors on the walls, the well-loved furniture pieces, and the items strewn about.

He wanted it too much.

Grabbing the final bowls from the table, he turned back to Jakob, who loaded the dishwasher. “So, other than drawing, what do you like to do?”

“Play baseball. Or read. Things by Brody McAllen, James Stevens, Mark Brestin.”

The names sounded familiar to Noah, and he wracked his brain for the connection. “They write historical fiction, right?”

“Yeah. It’s no fun to read about life now. I’m living it. I don’t want to read it too.”

“That I understand. Do you have a favorite period?” Noah rinsed off the last plate and handed it to Jakob.

“McAllen writes a lot of World War II stuff. But I like the Old West stories too.” He air quoted ‘Old West’ as he said it. “Sometimes I wish I lived back then. Everything seemed so black and white. Identifying the good guys, or the bad ones, was easy. And men were men.”

“How do you mean?” Noah folded the drying towel and set it by the sink before leaning a hip against the counter.

“Men built their own houses, shot their own food, protected their loved ones. They lived by codes. They put the needs of the group or their family ahead of their own. Surviving put things into perspective for them, I guess.”

Hmm, the puzzle that was Jakob became a little clearer. Throughout dinner, Jakob had been easy going, quick to tease Maddison, yet hard to ruffle. Not at all like someone who’d lost their parents, but the mature perspective peeking through now—that’s what Noah had expected. He sensed a fierce protector lay beneath Jakob’s teasing little brother persona. “Maybe manhood meant something different then. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t strive for those things now.”

Jakob stared him down, maybe looking for a hint of patronization, but the teen was right. Becoming a man used to mean something, something good.

After a moment, Jakob seemed satisfied Noah was being honest with him, but he didn’t break his gaze. “I like you, Noah. I think my sister likes you too. Don’t mess it up, okay?”

“I’m doing everything I can not to.” He couldn’t offer more.

For the last three days, he’d been at war with himself. He was drawn to her, but showing her attention made her look more suspicious to the Elite—and Callista. So he had to keep his distance, even though he wanted her, even if it hurt her. First and foremost, he had to keep her safe. It was why her name now rested beneath Madame Director’s on the
Innocent and Uninvolved Parties
list.

Maddison stuck her head in. “Hey, sounds like you guys are done?”

Noah looked to Jakob for confirmation. The young man gave a satisfied nod, and he returned it before facing Maddison again. “What’s next on the agenda?”

*

The tour of the house ended with Maddison’s room. A white comforter covered the four-poster maple bed in the center. Dozens of white and lavender pillows rested on it. Pictures of her family and friends dotted the walls and her dresser. Travel books lay on the nightstand by the bed. If someone had asked him to identify her room in a line up, without a doubt, he would’ve chosen this one.

She sat down on her bed, and he opted for the window seat. Jakob’s words echoed in his head. He had to warn her. Before she shared anything else. Leaving his vidcom in the car had definitely been the right decision.
Tell her, now, before you get distracted again.
He sucked in a deep breath.

“Hey, um, I want to apologize for what I said the other day at the coffee shop. About the Elite, I mean. It’s not safe to … criticize them, and I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me. So, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She grimaced. “It’s not like I haven’t done the same.”

“But we’ll be more careful now, right?”

She gazed over his shoulder. “Right.”

Seconds ticked by. The silence grew uncomfortable.
It had to be done.
He surveyed her room again. To his right sat a small bookshelf. Digital frames and a couple of candles filled the top shelves, but a small stack of paperbound books claimed space on the bottom shelf. “Your parents’?”

“A couple of their favorites. They liked to own those in both digital and ink form.” She walked over, sank down in front of the shelf, and pulled a book out. Her hand traced the title before holding it out to him. “This was my mom’s favorite.”

“Rowing Against the Current.
” He cradled the book and used the pad of his thumb to turn the pages. Blue ink bled under passages throughout. Slanted scribbling danced in the margins. He smiled at Maddison. “She dialogued with it.”

Maddison nodded. “She’d read her favorite passages to me before bed when I was little. I think she hoped I would be a little more like Amelia Moss.”

“Not quite the rebel growing up, huh?”

“My parents didn’t know what to do with a little rule follower like me.” A smile and small headshake accompanied her answer, but the way her eyes darted to the ground and around the room told him the words hurt. “Add to that the fact that my world’s pretty black and white, and you can see how I drove my very creative and free-thinking parents crazy.”