Chapter Fourteen
Peyton made it on time—barely—for Aurora’s morning swim practice. They’d gone through the ruse of switching cars, but thankfully the garage Noah’s office manager found wasn’t too far away. She was surprised to see the girl already in the water swimming warm-up laps. That was a first. Usually Aurora dragged herself to the pool with less than a minute to spare, moving like an arthritic octogenarian. Today’s session went smoothly, with Aurora doing everything Peyton asked of her without complaining once. Another first. Maybe she truly was committed to getting better.
“That guy stopped by to see you again,” Aurora said as she toweled off.
“What guy?”
“Kinda tall, brown hair. I can’t remember his name. Matt, Mike…”
“Mark?”
“That’s it. Mark. He wanted to know how to get in touch with you and he was adamant that I tell him. He said you weren’t returning his messages and he was worried.”
She hadn’t returned messages because she didn’t have her phone anymore. Plus, she’d made it clear that there was nothing between them.
“He made me uneasy, so I told him that you were fine, but I didn’t know how to get in touch with you and I didn’t know when you’d be here since you were leaving soon. I figured the white lie was okay since it’s sort of true.”
“That was good. Thanks, Aurora. I appreciate it. Mark’s harmless,” she hoped, “but he doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.”
Aurora sent her a sly glance. “The other guy’s cuter anyway.”
“What other guy?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.
“Noah, the one who carried me out of the house, according to Julia, who couldn’t stop gushing about his muscles. He’s a total McDreamy.”
Ah, teen-speak. You had to love it. Rico arrived to clean the pool, saving Peyton from blurting out her undying love for Noah Addison. It was becoming harder and harder to keep her feelings leashed.
Grabbing her iPad, she passed Rico as she followed Aurora from the pool. Peyton acknowledged him but didn’t speak, nor did he, but then, he rarely did. He was so meek and shy. He didn’t strike her as the one leaving the messages.
Noah drove this time, refusing to even discuss it. He wound through so many side and back streets even their own shadows wouldn’t be able to stay with them. Once they switched vehicles, they headed back to the house. Noah had some information on the names she’d given him of possible perpetrators. He waited until they were inside and seated at a table before telling her that Earla Yount had passed away from a drug overdose. That made Peyton sad. The woman had talent until she started stealing other designers’ work.
“Did you know Sarah Sanderson coaches at a nearby high school?”
Peyton’s brows lifted. “No. I completely lost track of her years ago.”
“She’s married and has a stepdaughter on her team.”
“It sounds like she’s doing well. Her beef with me was so long ago, I can’t see her being responsible.”
“But proximity keeps her on the list. She could easily drive here to leave the messages.” He scanned his email, his jaw firming. “Curtis Milburn has disappeared.”
“What do you mean?”
“He hasn’t shown up for any of his court-appointed counseling sessions that were required for his release. We’ve tried to track him down but keep running into dead ends.”
“I don’t think he’s the culprit either. He hasn’t contacted me in years. I’m pretty sure he lost interest as I aged.”
“His disappearing act keeps him on the list.” He was quiet for a minute while he read a message. “We ran the backgrounds of the men working for the lawncare crew. Two are red flagged, including Rico Pena. He’s here illegally from El Salvador.”
“What would he gain from harassing me?”
“Maybe medals are the way to a woman’s heart in El Salvador,” Ethan quipped. “He could be looking for a bride to keep him in the States.”
Noah shot Ethan a scathing look. Ethan shrugged. “Could happen.”
“I don’t want to accuse Rico of anything unless we’re completely sure,” Peyton insisted, drawing their attention back to her. “I don’t want him to get shipped home if he’s innocent. He probably needs the job to feed his family back home.”
Noah made a noise that could mean anything from, I agree with you, to I’ve got ICE on standby, ready to round him up and ship him back to Central America.
“The other name that caught our attention is Stanley Pruitt. He was arrested for harassing a woman who lived in his building. Instead of pressing charges, she moved away, so he was never charged with a crime.”
Peyton gasped and Noah’s gaze sharpened. “You know him.”
“Not really. A few days ago, I was running late for a meeting and noticed I had a flat tire. Stanley showed up and offered to fix it for me. I agreed to his help, even though he makes me uncomfortable. Fortunately, Mr. Benton arrived home, so I didn’t have to speak with him for long. Mr. Benton suggested that I stop by an auto shop to have the tire looked at, which I did. I was told there was no reason for the flat, no nail or puncture of any kind. The mechanic said someone purposefully let the air out.”
“You think Stanley did it?” Ethan asked.
“I don’t know but he seemed to be watching me. He might’ve been waiting for the opportunity to swoop in and save the day.”
Noah’s jaw tightened. “Stanley Pruitt just shot to the top of the suspect list.”
#
For once, Aurora Benton was anxious to get home to practice. Peyton would only be her coach for a few more days and she wanted to make the most of it. Actually, she wanted to convince Peyton she was serious so she’d stay.
Aurora knew she hadn’t really been applying herself before. But she was in high school now and her friends were all doing stuff together after school and on the weekends. If Aurora kept skipping out to practice, they’d eventually quit inviting her and then she’d have no friends at all. High school would be four long, lonely years.
She’d known who Peyton Durant was when her parents hired her as her coach. Who didn’t? Her face was all over promoting everything, it seemed. But Aurora had never watched her in the Olympics. When her parents brought her home from her super-embarrassing drinking binge for which she’d been grounded until she was thirty, her mother gently encouraged her to watch YouTube videos of Peyton’s events. Aurora had played the videos and wow, she’d been in awe. Peyton was incredible! In some of the races, there wasn’t another swimmer even close. Her entries into the water were quick and efficient, her turns were clean, and her technique was flawless. With each medal Peyton won, Aurora’s own drive to succeed had strengthened to the point where all she wanted to do now was swim. And win. It was a defining moment.
She’d taken the first steps this morning, getting up earlier than usual so she’d beat Peyton to the pool. It’d been hard to drag herself out of bed, but hopefully she’d be able to convince Peyton of her sincerity.
Aurora headed to the parking lot after her high school swim practice. Her mom shared carpool duties with Joni and Becky’s moms and today Joni’s mom was picking them up. Joni was a cheerleader and they practiced after school, too, as did Becky who twirled in the marching band. They all usually finished around the same time, but she hadn’t seen either girl yet.
She’d just pushed through the door when someone called her name. She turned to see Clark Madden shove off from the side of the building and head her way. Her heart fluttered as it did every time she saw him. He went to a different school and she’d been so flattered when he started talking to her at the mall a couple of weeks ago. She’d been shopping with her friend Julia when Clark and his friend Richie approached them. When she learned they were seniors, she thought he’d run the other direction when they discovered she and Julia were mere freshmen. But they didn’t. Then she thought that maybe Peyton had scared them off when she made them leave the other day, but Clark kept calling. Then came the party Saturday night.
Aurora had been so excited to attend her first senior party. She and Julia had spent hours on their hair and makeup. They’d even shopped for new outfits to wear. Though Clark hadn’t tried to kiss her yet, she hoped he would at the party. Her first kiss!
She’d been so nervous walking up the sidewalk to the house. Loud music was already playing and there were several people milling about that she’d never met. Once they got inside, Clark handed her a plastic cup filled with beer. She’d never tasted one before, but she wanted to look sophisticated in front of Clark. She almost choked on her first taste. It was so bitter! Clark guzzled his like it was water. She wanted him to see her as grown up, so she’d gritted her teeth and drank more…and more…and more. So much that she didn’t remember most of the evening. She thought she might’ve thrown up at one point, but her mind was blank. If Julia hadn’t called Peyton, the doctors told Aurora’s parents that she would’ve died. That had been a rude awakening. She never realized you could die just from drinking too much alcohol.
If there was one positive from the evening, it was that she never wanted to drink another beer in her life. Ever.
When her parents found out she’d attended the party with Clark and Richie, they forbid her to see them again. At the time she wanted to argue, but then she’d had her swimming epiphany and she decided they were right. He was a bad influence. Her mind might be on board, but her heart was still hung up on him.
Clark caught up with her. “Hey, can we talk? I’ve tried to contact you, but you haven’t answered my calls or texts.”
She didn’t want to tell him that her parents wouldn’t let her see him. That would make her sound like too much of a baby. Though it pained her to do so, she said, “I almost died because you kept making me drink, Clark. I don’t have anything to say to you.”
“Aurora, wait.” He grabbed her arm before she could walk away and turned her to face him. “I’m so sorry. I take complete responsibility. I was showing off for my friends and you ended up getting hurt.”
“How were you showing off?”
“By arriving with the hottest girl in the city.”
“Oh.” Aurora’s stomach flipped at the words. He thought she was hot? A lowly freshman?
“I don’t deserve it, but will you at least let me buy you an ice cream cone from the place down the street. I hear it’s the best in town.”
“It is,” she said absently, still caught up on the fact that he thought she was hot. She might be making a mistake, but she agreed to going with him. “Let me tell Mrs. Teller that I don’t need a ride home.”
She hurried over to where Joni’s mom waited for the girls to arrive. She told her that she didn’t need a ride and Mrs. Teller waved in acknowledgement.
As she headed back to Clark, she realized her breathing had sped up so fast, she was lightheaded. She didn’t want to pass out in front of him again, so she concentrated on inhaling and exhaling slowly.
“I had to park down the street, so I’ll give you a ride home when we’re finished.”
“Okay.”
They ate their treats at a wrought iron table inside the shop. Clark paid for hers, making it feel like a real date. They talked and laughed and before she knew it, an hour had passed. She jumped to her feet, determined to keep her commitment to train. She wanted to get several laps in before Peyton returned in the early evening for her practice session. “I need to get home.”
“No problem. Thanks for letting me apologize.”
She smiled at him. “Thanks for apologizing.”
Once they exited the shop, Clark led her in the opposite direction of the school. They waited until the road was clear before they crossed.
Suddenly tires squealed and Aurora whirled around to see a dark car speeding directly at her. She froze—the proverbial deer in the headlights she’d always heard about—unable to move.
“Aurora, look out!”
Clark grabbed her and jerked her out of the way. They hit the ground just as the car brushed by so close, she felt the heat of the exhaust against her face. Pain shot up her arms where she’d tried to brace herself for the fall. Her hands felt scratched raw. But she was alive.
Clark Madden had saved her life.
#
It was late afternoon before Peyton and the Addison brothers arrived at the hospital to check on Declan. Eric had texted Noah to let them know they’d moved him to a different room in the intensive care unit. Noah drove to a side door and dropped her and Ethan off before parking in a small lot away from the main entrance. When he caught up with them, they headed to the elevator.
“Peyton?”
She turned, surprised to see Mark Hixon standing behind her. “Mark, what are you doing here?” Noah had moved closer to her on one side, Ethan the other. It felt like she was squished between two very tall, very handsome trees.
A muscle above Mark’s right eye twitched. “My sister is a nurse on the sixth floor. Why are you here?” His eyes roved over her looking for any signs of trauma, she assumed. She almost remarked that her boobs were just fine, and he could stop staring at them, but she held her tongue.
“Just visiting.”
“Anyone I know?”
The elevator dinged. “I doubt it. Good to see you. Take care.” She turned to board the lift, but he followed close behind, jostling her as he squeezed between another couple already on board.
“You haven’t returned any of my calls or texts,” he leaned close to whisper.
She could practically feel Noah vibrating with tension. She knew he was itching to say something to Mark, either with his mouth or his fists, she wasn’t sure which one. “I’m sorry, Mark. Truly. But I told you that I’d be very busy this week.”
“Too busy to check in with a friend to let them know you’re okay?” he accused.
Now she felt bad. She never meant to hurt his feelings and didn’t want to do so now, but she’d told him repeatedly that she didn’t have time to date. She didn’t doubt that Noah’s arrival had fostered his hostility.
The elevator bumped to a stop and the doors slid open. Noah and Ethan swept her outside. She barely had a chance to offer a goodbye wave to Mark as the doors swished shut on his hostile face.
“That was too coincidental,” Noah muttered. “I don’t buy the sister angle.”
“Hixon is his last name?” Ethan asked. At her nod of confirmation, he said, “I’ll find out.” Then he spun around and headed in the opposite direction. She had no doubt he’d be able to charm the information from one of the nurses eager to please him.
They reached Declan’s room and Peyton eased the door open with Noah behind her. The room was dim, the only lights coming from the monitors beside Declan’s bed and a floor lamp behind the chair where Eric was reading a book. He closed it and stood when they entered.
Declan looked even paler than yesterday. Yogi was still tucked against his side.
“Any change?” Noah asked.
Eric lifted a shoulder. “His vitals are improving. If he keeps getting better, they’ll slowly bring him out of the medically induced coma in the next few days. Then we’ll find out if there’s any permanent damage.”
“Have you been here the whole time?” Peyton asked.
“Yeah. I’ve caught sleep here and there. I don’t want him to wake up alone.”
“We’ll stay with him if you want to run home and change or if you need to take care of anything,” Noah offered.
“Thanks, but I’m not leaving him.”
“Understood,” Noah said softly. Peyton had the feeling he was thinking he’d do the same if it was Ethan.
A nurse came in to check on Declan, so they stepped in the hall. “If you won’t leave, can we bring you anything?” Peyton asked. “Food, clothes?”
“You guys are very nice. I’m good, but I’ll let you know if I think of anything.”
Ethan returned and after they chatted with Eric for a few more minutes, they headed to the elevator. Once they were inside, Ethan said, “Hixon’s story checks out. He does have a nurse sister and she’s on shift today.”
The door slid open and two doctors deep in conversation stepped aboard. Noah waited until they were walking to the exit before he spoke. “It’s still too coincidental that he showed up at the same time Peyton was here.”
Peyton started to agree when she glanced over to see a man rushing inside with a woman in his arms.
“Oh my God.” She took off running.
“Peyton, wait,” Noah made a swipe for her but missed. “Where are you going?” He hurried to catch up with her.
“Stop!”
The man grinded to a halt and turned around. What the hell was Clark Madden doing with Aurora in his arms?
“You can put me down, Clark,” Aurora said.
“You sure?” His voice was filled with concern.
“I’m okay.”
He eased her to her feet, and she took two steps forward and threw her arms around Peyton, sobs wracking her body.
Panic started to build. Did something happen to Henry or Avery Benton? “Aurora, what’s wrong?”
Aurora stepped back and wiped the tears from her eyes. “S-someone just tried to kill me!”
Peyton gasped and would’ve hit the floor when her knees gave out if Noah hadn’t clamped his hands around her arms to steady her.
“What happened?” Noah demanded.
Aurora sent a shy glance at Clark, who hadn’t moved from her side. “Clark wanted to apologize for the party on Saturday night. He’s sorry, he really is.” Aurora’s pleading glance begged Peyton to absolve him, but she wasn’t so forgiving. When Peyton didn’t respond, Aurora flicked another look at Clark and then continued. “We went for ice cream after school and then he was going to drive me home so I’d be back in time for practice. We started to cross the street when out of nowhere a car came speeding right at me. If Clark hadn’t pushed me out of the way, I would’ve been run over.”
Peyton’s heart pounded like a bongo drum. Had the person out to get her targeted Aurora?
“Someone intentionally tried to run you down?” Noah questioned.
Aurora’s brows dipped and she glanced at Clark again, who shook his head.
“I don’t think it was on purpose. I caught a glimpse of the driver and it was a kid texting. I didn’t get a chance to get the license number because I was too worried about Aurora’s safety.”
Relief that it wasn’t intentional made Peyton relax. It wasn’t the work of her stalker. She studied Clark for any signs of deceit, but he seemed sincere. He looked as if he truly cared about Aurora. He was still too old for her and he’d plied her with enough alcohol to hospitalize her, but Peyton had to admit she might’ve misjudged him a tiny—and she meant tiny—bit.
Aurora’s yellow top sported a smear of red. “Are you bleeding?”
The girl held out her hands. “Just scrapes.”
“You need to get checked out.” She led Aurora to the admissions desk and signed her in. “Have you contacted your parents?”
“My mom’s on her way.”
A nurse called Aurora’s name and took her back to be examined.
“Ms. Durant?” Clark stood in front of her, looking pensive and unsure. “Can I speak with you alone a minute?”
She glanced at Noah and then said, “Okay.”
She crossed the waiting room to a group of chairs against the wall. When they were seated, he said, “Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I really care about Aurora.” He held up a hand to stop her objection. “Not romantically. I know she’s too young, but I still want to be her friend.”
“Listen, Clark, I appreciate what you did for her today, but I can’t help but feel you’re a bad influence.” She almost said too mature for Aurora but that certainly wasn’t the case.
He appeared contrite. “I know the party was a huge mistake on my part. I shouldn’t have taken her or given her anything to drink.”
“You shouldn’t be drinking either,” she scolded. He wasn’t legal for three more years.
He gave her a look that she interpreted to mean yeah, right. Or maybe, mind your business, old lady.
“Aurora’s parents hate me.” When she didn’t contradict him, he stood with a sigh. “I should go before they get here. One last thing, Aurora respects you and I guess I wanted you to respect me.”
She couldn’t say the words because she didn’t. It’d be a lie. Though he was technically an adult at eighteen, he was still young and impulsive, and he made bad decisions. Despite his heroic deed today, his youthful indiscretion on Saturday night almost killed Aurora. When she stayed silent, he nodded with grim acceptance. “Okay then. See you around.”
Peyton watched him leave, his cocky swagger in full effect. She really didn’t like the guy. She walked to where Noah and Ethan were waiting for her.
“What did he want?” Noah asked.
“I’m not really sure. I think he wanted me to put in a good word with her parents.” Her brows dipped. “Do you think someone almost running over Aurora had anything to do with me?”
“Going by what the kid said, I don’t think so,” Ethan said.
“I don’t either,” Noah agreed. “It was close to the school, so a kid texting is a plausible explanation.”
She exhaled. “Good.” That lifted a huge weight off her shoulders.
The entry doors swished open and Aurora’s mom came rushing inside. She did a double take when she spotted Peyton and hurried over. “Did you bring Aurora here again?”
“No, I was visiting a friend when she arrived.”
“Who brought her?”
“Her friend Clark Madden.”
Avery Benton’s jaw clenched. “I forbade her to ever see him again.” She shook her head. “Do you know what happened?”
“Apparently Clark wanted to apologize for getting her drunk Saturday. He took her for ice cream and when they were crossing the street to his car, a distracted driver headed towards her. Clark saved her from getting hit.”
“Oh my God.” Avery slapped a hand against her chest and dropped into a chair. “I’m going to have to keep her home twenty-four seven. She’ll never leave the house again.” She blinked up at Peyton. “Was she hurt?”
“Just scrapes.”
Avery jumped to her feet. “I need to see her.”
“They took her back about five minutes ago.”
“Thank you.” She rushed for the admissions desk and the nurse took her back.
A few minutes later, Peyton’s phone chimed a text. She knew it was from Aurora before she checked since she was the only one with the number. “Aurora says she’s fine and they’re letting her go. She plans on practicing tonight.” She dropped the phone in her purse. “I guess we can go since we need to make the car switch.”
“And get some chow,” Ethan added, rubbing his flat stomach. “Growing boys need to eat.”
#
Though Aurora was sore from her earlier encounter with the pavement, she practiced hard and her times were good. She’d need to do well on Friday evening in order to advance directly to the finals on Sunday. If she faltered, she’d still have a chance to make it to the finals, but it was a longer road with more competition on Saturday.
Peyton ended practice so Aurora could do her homework, but the girl didn’t want to leave the water. Maybe she truly had developed the determination and fortitude to succeed. Peyton hoped so, because she had unlimited potential.
With Aurora swimming laps, Peyton walked to where Noah was lounging in a chair, keeping an eye out for any trouble. Ethan was doing the same at the front gate.
“Rico finally left,” he said as he came to his feet as gracefully as a jungle cat.
When they arrived, Rico was cleaning the pool and the surrounding deck. He hastily gathered his equipment and scurried away. She was sure Noah’s presence had something to do with his abrupt departure.
“We’re not going to get him in trouble, remember?”
“Until he’s cleared, he’s a person of interest and I make no promises.”
She sighed but silently appreciated his vigilance. He would keep her safe.
Each Tuesday, the landscaping crew worked late into the afternoon. Rico’s coworkers had been busy tending to the yard when they arrived, including Stanley, who winked when she inadvertently made eye contact. There was something about him that made her nervous. They were gone now, so the area around the house was quiet as they made their way to the vehicle where Ethan waited for them.
Peyton buckled her belt and picked up her purse to slide her iPad inside. She froze when her hand connected with something foreign. She knew what it was without looking.
“Ethan, did you see anyone around the SUV?”
Alerted to the tone in her voice, he twisted in the seat to face her. “No, but I was focused on traffic. Why?”
She withdrew the envelope and shoved it through the opening between the front seats. Noah cursed and took it from her hand. Digging through the center console, he found a latex glove and snapped it on.
“There won’t be any fingerprints,” Peyton assured him. “There haven’t been on the others.”
“Perps get careless. All it takes is one stray print. It might be the break we needed to solve the case.” He ripped the flap and tipped the medal into his hand.
Peyton craned her neck to see over his shoulder. “What does it say?”
He turned the gold disk over. “Someone.”
“For every medal you won someone,” Ethan said, reciting the words from the other notes.
“Someone will what,” she growled in frustration. She was so tired of the ridiculous cryptic messages. “What are they trying to say, dammit? Just come out with it.”
Noah ignored her angry outburst. “When was the last time you looked inside your purse?”
She ran through the events of the day. “I think it was when we left the house for the hospital. I needed my sunglasses, so I’m positive it wasn’t in there this morning. I kept my phone in my pocket.”
“So sometime between the hospital and right now, it was slipped in your bag.”
“Could’ve been any member of the landscaping crew,” Ethan mused. “I checked on them periodically, but I couldn’t see the SUV from where I was sitting.”
Noah slapped a hand against his leg. “Son of a bitch.”
“What?”
“Remember who we ran into at the hospital?”
Realization dawned and Peyton fell back against the seat. Mark Hixon. He’d even jostled her, using the excuse that the elevator was crowded. It could’ve been a ploy to drop the envelope in her bag. Was it possible that Mark was her stalker?