Adam sat alone in the darkened living room and spun his wedding ring around in his fingers. That, the gun and five hundred dollars of emergency cash was all that had been in the safe the masked men, who he now knew from police were drug dealers, had tried to force his mother to open for them. It had been half an hour since the police had left. His father had helped him board up his broken bedroom window and sweep up the plaster, door splinters and glass shards. A quick bit of plaster and paint, plus a fresh pane of glass, and it would be like nothing ever happened. Matty was already asleep in his bed.
Everything was back to normal. Except his heart.
He’d deleted Noelle’s number from his cell phone and politely evicted her from his life. Getting her out of his heart and mind though was a whole other story. He turned his old ring one way and then another in between the fingers of his injured hand, noting the places it was smooth from wear and wondering what the shape and contours of it would’ve been if he’d worn it several decades instead of just a few years. Then he set the ring on the table, dropped his head into his hands and prayed. God, please give me wisdom.
The floorboards creaked behind him and he looked up to see his dad standing there, holding his cell phone.
“Hey,” Adam said. “Everything okay?”
“Pretty much,” Fred said and sat down in the chair opposite him. “But what’s up with Noelle?”
Adam almost laughed. Now that was the million-dollar question.
“To be honest,” Adam said. “I asked her to leave because I have a crush on her.”
Fred’s eyebrows rose. His father glanced at the phone he was holding and his mouth opened and closed again like he was debating what to say. Then he set the phone down on the coffee table and looked at Adam. “Well, that’s something. Do you want to talk about it?”
Did he? He didn’t know.
“I know what you’re going to say,” Adam said. “You’re going to ask me what Carissa would want, but I already know exactly what she’d say and that it’s the same thing I’d have told her if I’d died first. I’d tell her I want her to be happy and trust her judgment on finding the right person to marry and bring into Matty’s life. But that doesn’t help me right now.”
His father glanced at his phone again and once again Adam had the feeling this wasn’t the conversation his dad had been expecting to have when he walked into the living room.
“Because you trust your own judgment less than you trust Carissa’s?” his father asked. “Or because you have less of a right to be happy?”
Adam blew out a long breath. He hadn’t even gotten as far as letting himself think about happiness.
“I don’t trust my heart,” Adam admitted. “It’s like an accelerator trying to drive me toward a future with Noelle at a reckless speed. But my brain is trying to jam the brakes on and stop. And while both parts are equally strong it feels safest to let my brain win this one. Do you think I’m making it too complicated?”
His dad crossed his arms and sat back in his chair.
“Honestly, I think you’re making it way too simple,” Fred said. “It’s way more complicated than you’re making it out to be.”
Adam blinked. “What?”
“When you’re a little kid, you think a car has two pedals,” his dad said. “One that goes and one that stops. When you grow up, you learn a vehicle is way more complicated than that, especially the kind you drove overseas. You’ve got a speedometer to figure out your speed. Not to mention a really great steering wheel. You can change gears. You’ve got a windshield to keep the bugs from flying in your face and windshield wipers to clean the glass off so you can see where you want to go. And lights. Don’t forget trucks have lights.”
Adam laughed and leaned forward. If he didn’t stop the metaphor quickly, his dad would probably try to list every vehicle part he could think of. “Yup, trucks have lights. Headlights and brake lights both.”
“And high beams for bad weather,” his dad added. “And turn signal lights to help the other cars around you know what you’re about to do.”
“Okay, okay, I get the analogy.” Adam held both hands up in surrender. The irony didn’t escape him. Maybe if Adam had done a better job at signaling to Noelle what he was thinking, his little speech in the basement wouldn’t have run her off the road—metaphorically speaking. “I get it, I’m complicated and Noelle’s complicated. People are complicated.”
“Life is complicated,” his dad said. “And I’m not telling you what to do. Certainly, your mother and I have a good feeling about Noelle, and Matty likes her. All I’m saying is you’re not driving around in a little kid’s bumper car. You’re smart enough to figure out a way forward once you get all the parts of your internal engine working together. Not to mention you can pray for guidance too, which I guess is like roadside assistance, or maybe a regular oil change and maintenance.”
“Dad, stop!” Adam laughed. “No more comparing me to a car. Not that your metaphor wasn’t helpful. But I think you’re running it into the ground.”
His dad chuckled. “Bottom line, I trust you to figure it out. I hope that helps.”
“It does. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” his dad said. “Now, maybe you can tell me why Noelle and Liberty are at Jolly Charity headquarters? I got an alert on my phone from that security app you installed that the motion sensors had gone off and when I looked at the camera feed it was her.”
“What?” Adam sat up suddenly. “What do you mean she’s at our headquarters? Is she there with other police? Are they raiding the place? Was there some kind of new lead?”
“It’s just her and Liberty, and she’s still in regular clothes,” Fred said. He handed Adam the phone. “Even though I received a notification, the alarm didn’t go off so I assumed you’d disabled it and figured something out with her?”
“No,” Adam said. He glanced down at the screen. Sure enough, Noelle and Liberty were standing in the snow outside the warehouse door. Then as he watched, she pushed the door open and walked inside. The building was unlocked? How? Why? He leaped to his feet.
“Mom!” he called. “Do you know why Noelle is at our offices?”
“She is?” Irene stepped out of the kitchen, seeming to bring the scent of spices with her. “I have no idea.”
“Do you have her phone number?” he asked. Why had he been so quick to delete all signs of Noelle Orton from his life?
Irene blinked. “In my contacts list. But I lost my phone in all the confusion earlier.”
“Text me her number when you find it,” Adam said. He pressed his phone into his dad’s hands. “And keep watching the security feed from the different channels.” He scooped his keys up off the table, ran for his coat and shoved his hands through the sleeves. “If anything looks wrong, call me and call the police.” He stuffed his feet into his boots. “The police have a valid warrant to search the place and so it’s probably nothing. But I’m heading over there, just to be safe.”
And to figure out why a dozen alarm bells inside him were now ringing, clanging and warning that something was wrong.
“Hello?” Noelle called as she walked into the warehouse. The cavernous space was dimly lit and silent except for the sound of her and Liberty’s footsteps on the concrete floor. “Irene?” Please don’t be here, she prayed. Let her have gotten my text to go home.
Tall metal shelves of toys rose high on either side. Rows of dolls seemed to watch her with plastic eyes. She turned a corner and came face-to-face with a wall of old cardboard displays for the Jolly Family Charity. There were the Jollys over the years, starting with a much younger Fred and Irene holding a tiny baby Adam, all the way up to posters with Adam as a child, teenager and then young man in military fatigues. She turned away and headed to the office, where Irene had said to meet her.
Noelle just hoped Adam’s mother didn’t want to talk to her about her son.
Walking through the dimly lit warehouse, she realized just how vast the space was. A shiver ran down her spine, warning her of something but she couldn’t tell if it was a police thing or something in her heart. She ran her hand over the back of Liberty’s neck. The dog was tense.
Okay, so it wasn’t just her.
Help me, Lord. I don’t want to be that rookie who calls the higher-ups just because I arranged to meet a nice lady who had quite an ordeal earlier tonight.
Then again, better safe than sorry. She texted Raymond.
Hey, do you have a second? Irene Jolly asked me to meet at her office to talk about something personal. I told her not to go there alone and that I’d meet her at home. But she didn’t respond. I’m not sure if she got my text and maybe I’m just being overcautious. But something feels off.
A light flickered on ahead and above her, sending a soft golden glow over the warehouse. Noelle looked up to see the offices. They were a freestanding two-story block of rooms in the middle of the warehouse. The room that was now lit up was on the second floor. A person was silhouetted behind the shades.
Her phone buzzed. It was Irene.
I’m in my office. Can you see me?
The person behind the blinds waved. Noelle waved back and then texted, I can see you!
Noelle turned and walked toward the glowing light ahead. Liberty whimpered slightly. Okay, so Noelle might be relieved, but it seemed her partner was still sure something was wrong. She stopped and turned to Liberty. The dog’s ears were perked up and her snout was practically straining as she sniffed the air.
“You smell something?” Noelle asked. “Okay. Show me. Let’s go.”
Liberty barked, a short, sharp sound like a starting pistol. Then she tugged on the leash, taking off running in between a row of toys to her right, as Noelle jogged after her. Her heartbeat quickened. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Then Liberty stopped short in front of a shelf and Noelle looked up to see row upon row of FlupperPups. Her heart stopped. No, it couldn’t be. The Jollys’ warehouse had been cleared of anything suspicious—including all FlupperPups.
She looked at Liberty. “Are you sure?”
Liberty barked again and pointed her nose to one specific FlupperPup that sat almost at her eye level, as if to say, This one Noelle! Check this one!
It was a black lab with a red bow. Noelle reached for it, picked it up and shook it slightly. It rattled. She prayed.
Help me, Lord. What’s going on? What have I found?
She set the dog down as her phone buzzed in her pocket with a call. She glanced at the screen. It was Raymond. She answered.
“Just who I need to talk to right now,” she said. “I’ve got a situation on my hands. I’m at Jolly Charity headquarters but Liberty alerted to something. She followed the scent and led me to what I’m pretty sure is another FlupperPup full of MDMA pills. Now, I’m not on duty, I’m actually on leave, but I picked it up, and judging by the weight distribution and rattling, there are definitely pills inside. Plus, Liberty is convinced and her nose is never wrong.”
Raymond took in a sharp breath.
“Rewind a second.” His voice was sharp and urgent. “Irene Jolly contacted you and asked you to meet her at her warehouse?”
“Yes,” she confirmed. “We’ve developed a bit of a friendship. Cookies and an invitation to Christmas dinner, that kind of thing. She said she wanted to talk to me about something personal. I’m sorry if I should’ve cleared it with someone. But I thought the Jollys’ warehouse and offices had been swept by the K-9 team and were found clean.”
“They were,” Raymond said, his voice tight and urgent. “But the Jolly family and staff have not been given clearance to reenter the property until the twenty-sixth.”
“So Irene shouldn’t be here,” Noelle said.
“No one should be there,” Raymond said. “And there definitely shouldn’t be any FlupperPups testing positive for MDMA.”
So, what was it doing here? What had she just walked into?
“What do I do?” Noelle asked.
“Stay there,” Raymond said. She could tell by the jangle of keys and dog tags he was already heading to the door and taking Abby with him. “Secure the package. Wait for me outside. And if you see anyone, call me.”
“Drop the phone. Now!” The voice was loud, male and cold, and seemed to echo in the warehouse around her. She looked up. A heavyset man in a puffy jacket was standing at the end of the row. He was in his late fifties with graying dark hair and it took her a moment to recognize him from the case files.
It was Lou Shmit, the owner of Dotty’s Toys.
There was nowhere to hide. He was too far away to disarm.
“Get down on the ground,” Lou said. He aimed the red dot on the scope of his most certainly illegal semi-automatic right between Liberty’s eyes. “Right now. Or I’ll kill you both before you can even flinch.”
Adam drove as quickly as he safely could through New York’s dark and snowy streets. Something was wrong. He didn’t know what. All he knew was a sense of urgency was beating through his heart too loudly to ignore. Why had Noelle gone to the warehouse alone?
Would she have called him first if he hadn’t pushed her out of his life?
Lord, please make sure she is all right.
His phone rang from a number he didn’t recognize.
He answered using his truck’s hands-free. “Hello. Adam Jolly here.”
“Mr. Jolly. This is Officer Raymond Morrow.”
“Where’s Noelle?” Adam asked. “What’s going on? Is she okay?” Traffic grew thick ahead. “Why is she at my charity’s headquarters?”
“She said your mother texted and asked to meet her there.”
He took a sharp breath. “That wasn’t my mom. Irene is home. She said she lost her phone earlier today, and I’m guessing it was stolen or pickpocketed. I don’t know.”
He heard what sounded like Officer Morrow praying under his breath and typing at the same time.
Adam prayed too. The fear grew deeper as the snow thickened outside his vehicle.
“I’ve already called it in and I’m on the way to your headquarters,” Raymond said.
“I’m on my way there too,” Adam said.
“As a civilian, I have to advise you to let police handle this.”
“Got it,” Adam said. “I’ll be there in two.”
“Again, keep a safe distance. Should be there in eight.”
Adam turned another tight corner, cut through the narrow gap between two buildings and then his own warehouse came into view. He pulled into the parking lot. The warehouse’s loading bay door began to open. Then a white van shot through so quickly the roof bashed hard against the raising door, denting the door and scuffing the van.
“Morrow!” he shouted into the phone. “We have a situation!”
He sped toward the van, locking it in his sights. He was going to ram it. He had to. He couldn’t let it make it out of the parking lot. Not if there was even the smallest possibility Noelle was trapped inside.
The van swerved and as he watched the back door swung open and a mass of blond fur flew out, tumbling and rolling in the snow.
It was Liberty!
Someone had thrown her from the van, and he was about to drive right into her.
“Help me, Lord!” He shouted a prayer, hit the brakes and swerved hard, skidding across the icy ground, just feet away from where the dog had been tossed into the snow. The truck stopped and Adam looked up to see Liberty pulling herself up to her feet. The dog’s legs tensed, as if ready to sprint after the departing van, and dispelled any doubt he had that Noelle was inside. He threw the driver’s side door open.
“Liberty!” Adam shouted and patted the side of his seat. “Come on! Get in! We’ll chase Noelle together!”
Liberty turned and ran for him. Her coat was dirty from the snow and she seemed to be limping slightly. But as he bent down to pick her up, Liberty leaped, bouncing off his legs and landing in the passenger seat. Okay, then. He slammed the door. Liberty’s snout brushed his jaw as if thanking him, and then she barked as if ordering him to drive.
“Yeah, I got it.” He looked up to where the van was merging into traffic ahead. “That van’s got Noelle and we’re going to get her back.”
He put the truck in Drive and sped after the van, shouting details to Officer Morrow about the vehicle’s make and model, damage from the door, license plate, the direction it was heading, that Adam now had Liberty—and the fact he was certain Noelle was inside the van.
The van had merged into traffic and seemed to be heading toward the docks. Adam kept it in his sights, cutting through parking lots and driving over curbs to keep from losing it. The van’s driver grew more reckless, surging over barriers, running red lights and darting down one-way streets the wrong way. He could hear Liberty barking encouragement in his ear and Officer Morrow telling him law enforcement would intercept the van ahead. Adam clenched his jaw and prayed as he inched closer and closer.
He wouldn’t let it out of his sight. He would not let it get away.
Then the van swerved into an industrial parking lot, vast and empty, dotted with piles of snow left from a snowplow.
It was time. Adam shifted gear, hit the accelerator and sped toward the van, forcing the speedometer higher and higher, as he waited for the exact right moment. Then he struck, smashing into the corner of the van’s bumper and sending it spinning to the right, flying across the ice and into a snowbank in a perfectly controlled crash, with the precision of a hockey player smacking the puck into the net. The sound of smashing metal filled the air. A plume of snow and dirt rose above the van.
Adam fumbled for his seat belt, leaped from his vehicle and ran across the lot with Liberty by his side.
A gunshot rang out inside the van.
Adam stopped short, his hand instinctively grabbing Liberty’s collar and pulling her to his side. Panicked prayers filled his heart, choking his ability to breathe.
Noelle! Please, Lord, I need her to be okay.
The van’s back door fell open and Noelle leaped out into the snow, landing on the balls of her feet. Her hair fell in a tangled mess around her face. Her clothes were battered and torn. A smoking semi-automatic was clutched in her hand. But as her eyes locked on his, the strength and determination in their green depths took his breath away. His own name moved silently on her lips.
“Adam, it’s Lou,” Noelle said, as she found her voice. “Lou Shmit. He’s injured in the van and handcuffed. It’s over.”
Questions tumbled through his mind as he ran for her, hearing Liberty’s urgent woof as the dog outpaced him. Police sirens filled the air. Liberty reached Noelle first, barely giving her time to set the weapon down before Liberty leaped into her arms, the dog’s paws landing on her shoulders.
Noelle hugged her partner. Adam reached Noelle and to his surprise Noelle threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. And for one long moment, he let himself hold her, feeling her heart beating against his as he breathed her in.
“It was Lou Shmit this whole time,” Noelle said. “He’s the mysterious new drug lord. He kidnapped me in the warehouse, hoping he could force me to tell him how to get around the K-9 dogs’ capabilities. I managed to kick one of the back doors open and told Liberty to jump but then the door swung shut and I was stuck. When you forced us to crash, I got free, wrestled him for the gun and shot him in the leg. He’ll be okay.”
“But are you okay?” he asked.
“I am.” She nodded and he felt her hair brush his face, before she pulled back and looked him in the eyes. “Thank you for saving my life.”
“It was a team effort—”
“Your mom—”
“She’s home safe. Someone took her phone. We’re not even sure when. Likely pickpocketed or stolen by one of the dealers at the event earlier tonight—”
Police vehicles and ambulances surged around them. The cavalry had arrived. Her hand brushed the side of his face and he felt hundreds of words he wanted to speak fill his mind. He wanted to tell her he was sorry and how scared he’d been at the thought of losing her. Instead, he pushed his cell phone into her hands.
“It’s Officer Morrow,” he said. “We’ve been on the phone.”
“Thank you,” she said and took the phone.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“Tell me later,” she said. “When we have the time to just sit and talk, away from all this.” Then she leaned forward and her lips brushed his cheek in a kiss. “And tell your mother I’m coming for Christmas lunch.”
Then she pressed the phone to her ear and he turned toward the emergency vehicles.