Home to Whiskey Creek (Whiskey Creek #4)(69)
Author: Brenda Novak

He’d started with the high-end restaurants, the type that might hire a true “chef,” and began working his way down. It wasn’t long before he found someone who recognized Adelaide’s name. It was at a restaurant called Tsunami, “famous” for its “California cuisine.” The person who answered said that Adelaide Davies no longer worked there. So Noah had asked for the manager of the restaurant—from what he’d heard the night he pulled her from the mine, that should be her ex-husband— and was told that Clyde Kingsdale wasn’t in.

Noah left his name and number but no message. He figured if he didn’t hear from Clyde he’d try later. Or maybe it would be smarter to go to the restaurant and speak to him in person….

The more he thought about it, the more Noah believed that was the case. He just needed to find out when the guy would be working, and another call to Tsunami should tell him that.

“Hey,” he said as Addy opened the door.

She glanced over her shoulder into the room behind her, seemingly distracted. “Hey.” She stepped aside. “Come on in.”

From what he could see, her bruises were finally gone, and she’d had her hair layered. Noah felt his heart beat a little faster at the sight of her. She did something to him no one else ever had; he wasn’t sure why. He’d met a lot of pretty girls over the years. “You look great.”

She gave him a shy smile. “Thanks. I’d like to introduce you to my mother, Helen Simpson.”

A woman almost as tall as Addy, and attractive in a well-preserved way, reached out to shake his hand. “That’s Helen Kim,” she corrected.

Addy blushed to have gotten her mother’s name wrong but didn’t apologize. She waved to a chair. “Dinner’s just about ready. Can I get you a glass of wine to start?”

“That’d be great. Thanks.”

She went into the kitchen as Helen sat down across from him and made small talk. She asked what he did for a living and how his family was doing. He asked where her home was now and how long she’d be visiting. She told him she lived in Salt Lake City with her husband, adult stepson and two Chihuahuas. The stepson—who, according to her, was a little “off” and had never married—was caring for the dogs while she and her husband were out of town.

He wondered how Addy had managed to mess up her mother’s last name, but from what Eve and Olivia had told him about Helen, he thought he could probably guess.

“Addy mentioned that you’ve done a lot of traveling over the years,” he said. “And that you once lived in Germany?”

“When I was married to Frank. That was quite the time.”

He could hear Addy talking to Gran in the kitchen. “Sounds like it was a great opportunity to see the world.”

“It was. And I never miss an opportunity.” She winked at him. Then she leaned forward. “How long have you known Addy?”

“Since high school,” he said. “We didn’t socialize, but…we knew each other.”

“And then you rescued her from the mine.”

“I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time,” he said.

“She’s a great girl, but she doesn’t really know how to go after what she wants.” She said that like, More’s the pity, as she laughed. “You can probably tell she doesn’t take after me. Still…she’s special.”

He wondered if Addy understood how her mother felt about her. “I can tell that.”

Addy returned with his wine. “Here you go.”

“You two make such a handsome couple,” Helen said.

“That’s enough, Mom.”

“What? I’m just stating a fact. He’s got to know he’s gorgeous.”

Addy shot Helen another warning glance. “Mom, please. If you can’t refrain, we’ll go out and leave you here with Gran.”

Noah couldn’t help smiling. Taking Addy’s hand, he pulled her into his lap. “Addy’s pretty gorgeous herself. I like this dress.”

* * *

Noah handled her mother like a pro. No matter what she said, he deflected it, softened it with humor or changed the subject. Addy was grateful that he didn’t seem put off. She’d been so uptight at first, angry at herself for not postponing this dinner the second she learned Helen was in town. But as the meal progressed, she slowly relaxed. Her mother was her mother. She couldn’t change or control her. And Noah seemed to understand, despite having grown up in an ideal environment, with parents who were community icons and knew the difference between having people laugh with you and having them laugh at you.

When dinner was over, Gran started cleaning up. Addy wished her mother would step up and do it. She hated that Gran had so much difficulty getting around. But her mother never troubled herself to help with any of the household chores. Helen was already making excuses, saying she was tired and needed to lie down.

Addy asked Gran to leave the dishes for her. She said she’d take care of them later, but Gran wouldn’t hear of it.

“I’ve got this.” She motioned toward the living room and, apparently, the front door beyond. “You two go out on the porch and enjoy the autumn air.”

Helen followed them outside instead of lying down. When she began talking about some man who’d hit on her at a gas station while she was driving over—Can you believe it? He thought I was only thirty-five!—Addy knew they needed to go farther than the porch.

She tolerated Helen’s intrusion for a few minutes, but when Noah took her hand, she squeezed his, hoping he’d understand her desperation. Not long after that, he mentioned wanting to show Addy his bike shop. He extricated them from the house so well, so seamlessly, that Addy couldn’t be sure he hadn’t been planning to squire her away from the beginning. Regardless, it felt like another rescue, and she was grateful to him for that, too.

“I’m sorry about my mother,” she said as they walked. His truck was at her place, but the weather was good and she’d told him she preferred to head over on foot.

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

Afraid someone in town might see them together and start gossiping about it, she avoided putting her hand within reach of his. She had no idea how Kevin or the others might react to her seeing Noah; they were already afraid she might tell the authorities. “Stop being polite.” She sent him a knowing look. “My mother can be…a little over the top.”