Page 32 of Axe Backwards
Noah
Yes
Within minutes,my brother had texted an address.
Owen
Tell him I sent you. My assistant is sending over a list of things you’ll need for the weekend.
Noah
Thank you. I owe you
Owen
Victoria’s a wonderful person. Don’t fuck up.
My instinct was to respond,to tell him we were friends, that I was doing her a favor, that she helped me with Tess. But I was too damn tired to try to convince yet another person.
I could only push the “just friends” rock up the hill so many times in one day.
I didn’t have time anyway. I had to haul ass to Bangor if I wanted to get what I needed and be back before Mom showed up with Tess.
“Bernice,” I said with a smile. “Can I grab that pie to go?”
Chapter 10
Noah
The inn was beautiful. The historic structure sat on a peninsula overlooking the ocean. I stood at the end of the dock, surveying the vast rocky coastline. I’d missed this.
I was an inland guy. We usually rolled our eyes at anything related to Downeast, as it was called, but the hoity-toity lobster and lighthouse part of Maine was breathtaking.
I hadn’t been here since I was a kid. Mom would rent a beach house in Wells every summer, and we’d run wild for a week, tide pooling and competing to see who could catch the coolest ocean creatures.
Where Jude carefully caught his crabs with a net, I used my hands. Naturally, that involved getting pinched many times. I probably still had a few faint scars from those adventures.
I smiled at the memory, deciding then that I’d carry on the tradition. I’d bring Tess down here in the summer to enjoy the ocean. To feel the sand between her toes and experience the joy of finding a starfish at low tide. Maine was large and diverse and consistently underestimated. The natural beauty was incredible, and the salty ocean air had already helped clear my mind.
Living in survival mode made it difficult to stop and enjoy the small moments. And becoming a parent had taught me that life was full of small moments that needed to be savored.
Currently, I was missing those small moments. I missed my baby girl. Mom had already texted me dozens of photos and videos, but my chest ached with longing to snuggle her, to press a kiss to her head, to sing her to sleep.
I didn’t regret coming, though. Vic hadn’t been herself for the past couple of days. Not that I could blame her. I could only imagine how difficult this weekend would be for her.
As I waited for her to come down from our room so we could head to the rehearsal and cocktail reception, I vowed to give her my all. I’d make sure she had fun and I’d distract her from the pain and bad memories. I’d kidnap her if I had to and take off in search of the best lobster roll in town.
She’d barely spoken on the ride down. Aunt Lou didn’t allow for silence, though. She spent the trip filling us in on all the gossip going around at her assisted living facility. She had always been a live wire, that lady. I could see why Vic loved her so much.
Dressed and ready for the evening in clothing Owen’s guy insisted on, I hung out by the dock for a while, taking in the scenery, and FaceTimed with Mom and Tess. Eventually, Vic joined me.
I’d left the hotel room so she could do her hair and makeup in peace. There were two beds, thank God, but it was still tight quarters and I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
Her simple black dress was short and flowy and showed a lot of leg. The way she’d styled her hair, down and all shiny and wavy, took a moment to get used to. I hadn’t seen her without her hair in a ponytail since I’d come back to Lovewell. The heels she wore were sexy as hell, only accentuating her toned legs.
Staggering a little, I put my hand over my heart. “Damn, I have the hottest date.”
She swatted at me. “Don’t flirt with me.”
