Page 130 of Axe Backwards
Chapter 43
Noah
It had been more than twenty-four hours since I’d slept, and I was jittery. With Tess in her carrier, I brought the tea that Alice had made me to my lips. I could only tolerate a couple of drops at a time.
She was so kind, the way she whisked us to her house, offering food and showers and anything else we might need. She fussed endlessly, wiping tears from her eyes every time the fire was mentioned.
Thankfully, she didn’t mention the scene at the bar or the whole fake date to the wedding thing. While it seemed like years ago, it had happened only last night.
I smoothed Tess’s hair and studied her beautiful face as she slept, so damn grateful to have her in my arms.
It had taken a few hours to get the fire out, and the building was severely damaged. The first-floor apartment was completely destroyed, and everything Vic owned was gone.
We weren’t sure about my unit. I couldn’t go in yet, and the fire inspectors, building inspectors, and insurance folks were all due in the next couple of days. For now, we’d lie low and wait.
But we were okay and we were together. That was all that mattered.
When we left the apartment, Vic went straight to the police station to answer more questions. I’d wanted to go with her, but she’d convinced me to get Tess and meet her at Alice’s house. I wanted to be by her side to support her, and it was hard not to worry that she was pushing me away.
“We want you to stay at the cabin.” Henri put his arm around Alice and pulled her in close. “It’s fully furnished, so you’ll have everything you need.”
Vic, who had been curled up at the end of the massive couch, sat up and shook her head. “That’s too much—”
“No,” Alice said, using a stern tone I imagined she typically reserved for students who were sent to her office. “You need a place to stay, and it’s empty at the moment.”
“We have cameras,” Henri said. “And loud, noisy dogs.” He cleared his throat. “You’ll be safe here until the police work everything out.”
“I can stay with my mom,” I said, focus fixed on Tess. Her rhythmic breathing helped keep me from crawling out of my skin. “She’s got a crib and everything.”
Vic exhaled. “I can ask my parents—”
“Absolutely not,” Alice said. “You’re not going to compound this trauma by forcing yourself to be anywhere near your parents. The three of you are a family. You need to be together.”
I reached out, resting my hand on the cushion between us, and Vic took it, giving me a squeeze. There was no way I’d let her go to her parents’ place.
“You’re right.” I gripped Vic’s hand tighter. “We are a family. Thank you.”
Alice broke into a wide smile and checked her watch, then looked over at Henri. “Should be about time, yes?”
He gave her a single nod.
“Let’s take a walk.”
With Tess in her carrier and strapped to my chest, Vic’s hand in mine, and their two big dogs on our heels, we headed down the hill from their large timber frame house. With each step we took, Alice’s smile grew and her steps quickened.
The small log cabin was charming. Between the green metal roof, the wraparound porch, and the spectacular mountain backdrop, it looked like it belonged on a postcard of Maine.
My mom’s car was in the driveway. So was Jude’s. And a couple others were pulled along the side of the longer driveway leading to Henri and Alice’s house.
Grinning and practically vibrating with excitement, Alice threw open the door and stepped away.
My heart leaped in my chest. “How?”
The cabin was just as charming inside as outside. But what struck me was the highchair. And the pickler triangle, and the foam playmats.
“Where did you get this stuff?” I stumbled inside, keeping one hand on Tess’s back.
“Look at the spare bedroom,” Jude said, his shoulders pulled back with pride.
