Brenda Novak - Home to Whiskey Creek

“Audrey Calhoun. They were an item back in school, remember? Got together junior year.”

“I remember. So they’re still in Whiskey Creek?”

“Yeah. They live in that new development not too far from the Pullman Mansion—the place where they have weddings and stuff? He’s a P.E. teacher at Eureka High these days. He’s also the football coach.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

“He was always a decent player.”

“Any kids?”

“Three.”

“What about Tom Gibby?”

She seemed to know all his old teammates. “He’s around. He’s a postal clerk. Figures that the nicest guy in school turns out to be the steadiest, most devoted family man. You’re never going to believe this, though. He married Selena.”

“Parley Mechem’s little sister?”

He couldn’t tell if she was surprised. He couldn’t even tell if she liked the people they were talking about. She gave no indication one way or the other. “Yeah. She was about twelve when we were in high school.”

She rested her chin on her knees. “Are Cheyenne Christensen and Eve Harmon still friends?”

“Definitely.”

A faint smile curved her lips. “I’d be shocked if they weren’t. They were always close.”

“Except for Gail, who moved to Los Angeles, that whole clique still hangs out together.”

“You mean your clique?” she said dryly.

Minus the baseball players. He wasn’t quite as close to the guys who used to be on the team with him, but they had a drink every now and then. “Yeah. I see Eve and Cheyenne and the others at the coffee shop on Fridays. But...those people were all in my graduating class. Did you hang out with seniors?” He couldn’t recall seeing her at any of the parties, dances or other get-togethers. That one moment on the ball field was his only memory of the girl she used to be.

“By the end of the year, I had quite a few senior friends because those were the people in my classes.”

“What classes did you have?”

“AP Econ. AP World History. Honors Chem. The usual. I had calculus with Cheyenne and Eve.”

He whistled. “That isn’t usual. You were in calculus as a sophomore? And advanced placement classes? You must’ve been a brainiac. A shy brainiac,” he added, combining the two images he now held of her.

“I was naive,” she stated flatly.

They’d reached Jackson, so he pulled into the first fast-food restaurant he could find. She’d downed two energy bars and finished his water, but she needed a full meal. “What would you like?”

Her eyes widened as if his actions surprised her. “Nothing. I thought maybe you wanted dinner. I can wait.”

“There’s no reason to. We’re already here, and it’s only getting later. Nothing will be open in Whiskey Creek.”

Her eyes were riveted to the clock, which read eleven-thirty. “Gran will have food. I really don’t want to be seen like this.”

“You’re in a dark truck. No one will notice you. Let me buy you a bite to eat.”

She hesitated.

“Come on. It’ll help your headache.”

“How do you know I have a headache?”

He waited for her to finally look at him, and made a face that suggested anyone would have a headache.

“Okay,” she relented. “I’ll have a burger. Thank you.”

“Anything else?”

“No, that’s enough. I’ll mail you a check since I don’t have any money with me.”

Assuming she must be joking, he laughed. “It’ll be all of a couple bucks. And even if I wanted it back, why would you mail it? We live in the same town, remember?”

“True, but our paths won’t cross.”

She didn’t know that. She’d only been back a few days, and one of those had been spent in the mine. Their paths could cross. For whatever reason, she didn’t want them to. “I think I can afford to buy you a burger.”

After ordering two double cheeseburgers, two fries and two shakes, he idled forward to wait for the food. “Have you been in touch with anyone from Whiskey Creek since you left?”

“Besides Gran and Darlene? No.”

That didn’t sound as though she’d been particularly close to the people she’d mentioned. “Do your friends know you’re back?”

“Not yet. I’m not here to socialize. I’m here to help.”

So she’d said, but wouldn’t most people automatically do both?

He slung his arm over the steering wheel. “I could go to my father for you. He’s the mayor these days. Once he retired, he decided, out of the blue, to go into politics. Shocked us all. But the point is, he now has some pull with the police. If I tell him what happened, I know he’d have Chief Stacy look into the situation...discreetly. Would that make a difference?”

She shook her head, a resolute no.

“He’ll see to it,” he pressed. “And no one will be the wiser. Trust me.”

“No! Please. I don’t want your father to know anything about this.”

“Why not?”

“I’d rather go on about my business. Why does it matter to you whether I report what happened?”

“Okay, I get it.” And yet he hated feeling so...out of control when there was something he wanted to control. “It’s just...beyond me to let this go,” he explained. “Whoever did it deserves to be punished.”

“That’s not up to you.”

She had a point there.

The girl working the drive-through pushed open the window to collect his money—and gave him a thousand-watt smile the moment she recognized him. “Hey, Noah!”

He was tempted to roll his eyes at her enthusiasm. She was maybe seventeen. “Hi, Cindy.”

“What are you up to tonight?” A calculated dimple appeared in her cheek. She didn’t live in Whiskey Creek, but he saw her when she came to visit her married sister, who happened to be his closest neighbor.

“Just got back from a ride. How’s school going?” He hoped that would remind her of her age.

“Fine. Can I get you anything else?”

As he’d promised, she hadn’t realized he had company. The way Adelaide hugged her door kept her completely in shadow. He wasn’t sure he’d ever had a woman sit so far away from him in his truck. He could only assume that, after what she’d been through, she was afraid of men. “No, thanks.”

Cindy counted out his change and passed him his receipt with the sack. “Well, if you’d like something later, you know where to find me.”

Embarrassed by the innuendo in her voice, he pretended not to notice. “Thanks.”

He handed the food to Adelaide as he drove off. Had she picked up on the offer he’d just received? He hoped not. He knew it wouldn’t reflect well on him.

Why he cared, he couldn’t say.

Addy stretched her legs as she sat up, and he cranked the heat again so she’d be comfortable.

“If you won’t go to the police, what will you tell Milly?” he asked.

“I haven’t figured that out yet.”

“I really think you should come forward.”

“That changes everything.”

The sarcasm in her response took him by surprise. “Pardon me?”

She lifted her chin, revealing her unwillingness to bend on this issue. “I can’t, okay? If I come forward, whoever did this will hurt Gran. He told me so.”

“Why would anyone want to hurt either of you?”

She didn’t answer.

“Are you not going to respond?”

“It’s just a freak thing that happened. If I put it behind me and forget, it won’t happen again.”

“You hope.”

She didn’t answer.

“What if Milly already filed a missing-person report?”

Obviously not enchanted by that idea, she caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “Would Chief Stacy allow her to? It’s only been one day. Doesn’t it take, like...three days for the police to consider a missing adult as a criminal case?”