Home to Whiskey Creek (Whiskey Creek #4)(84)
Author: Brenda Novak

She didn’t answer.

“Shania?”

“I’m with you,” she said, suddenly more glum than angry. “But only because I don’t want Addy to tell the world that what she put in that letter to Cody’s parents is true. It would hurt them so much.”

“There you go,” he said, and hurried to his car. He had to get home before his wife finished making dinner. But as he was pulling away, he saw a flash of movement.

Had someone been close by, possibly in the alley, while they were talking? And, if so, had they heard what was said?

Heart thumping, he slammed on his brakes and got out to check. He’d seen something—a woman’s coat? But he couldn’t find anyone.

“Who’s there?” he called, just to be safe.

Satisfied when he received no answer, he got back in his car. He must’ve been imagining things. He was getting paranoid these days.

28

Addy was at Just Like Mom’s, tallying the receipts for the day when someone banged on the door. Because the restaurant was closed and all the employees had left, she’d locked up. She hadn’t wanted to risk having someone who frightened her walk in and catch her unawares, like Kevin had on Thursday.

Hoping it was her mother—that Helen had returned even though she’d said she was heading home to bed—Addy peered around the corner and found Noah standing there. She would’ve been excited to see him. She was always excited to see him. But he looked upset.

He banged again before he realized he’d caught her attention.

“I’m coming,” she called.

He waited, hands on his hips, as she brought out the keys and turned the lock.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as he brushed past her.

“I need you to be honest with me,” he said.

She swallowed hard. She couldn’t make any promises about honesty, not with everything she was hiding. “About what?”

“Did you ever sleep with my brother?”

Addy could tell he didn’t believe she had. He was expecting her to confirm it. He’d asked as if the very thought was outlandish.

Only…she had “slept” with Cody. Maybe not in the way Noah meant, but that night at the mine had changed everything and would forever stand between them.

She wanted to tell him. She was tired of the self-recrimination, the resentment, the regret. She didn’t feel she could hold back the truth any longer, no matter what the fallout might be. Ever since she’d returned to Whiskey Creek, one thing after another had shoved her back into that damn mine—literally and figuratively—until the rape and Cody’s death felt as if they’d happened yesterday.

But she had more than herself to consider. At this point, she was afraid that what she had to say would hurt Noah more than it would hurt her. So she tried to keep carrying the cross she’d picked up at that graduation party fifteen years ago.

Except the words to convince him wouldn’t come. Tears streamed down her face instead.

He stepped closer. “Addy, what’s wrong?”

Before she could decide how to deflect his concern, Darlene walked in, eyes shining, face flushed. She looked excited, which confused Addy.

“I thought that was your truck, Noah,” she said.

Noah didn’t want to be distracted. “Addy and I are having a conversation,” he said, not taking his eyes off her. “Would you mind giving us some privacy?”

“Not at all. But I think you’re going to have a lot more to talk about after you hear what I have to say.”

Adelaide couldn’t imagine where Darlene was going with this, but there was a coldness about her that told Addy something terrible was about to happen.

“You’ve been looking for me?” Noah said.

She smiled. “I have.”

He shifted his attention to her, but Adelaide could hear the impatience in his voice when he said, “What is it?”

“I just heard Kevin Colbert and Shania Carpenter talking behind the liquor store.”

The mention of Kevin Colbert sent ice through Addy’s veins. She lifted her hand in a futile attempt to stop what was coming next, but Darlene merely glared at her.

“So?” Noah said.

“Darlene, no,” Addy murmured, but it didn’t do any good. Gran’s ex-manager didn’t even hesitate.

“They said Addy screwed half the baseball team on grad night and that she’s the reason your brother didn’t make it out of the mine alive.”

Noah scowled at her. “What are you talking about? Cody was caught in a cave-in when he went back to get his coat. That could’ve happened to anyone, anytime. The mine wasn’t safe.”

“He wasn’t getting his coat, Noah. He was cheating with your new girlfriend. But she was the only one who survived. Maybe he tried to tell her he was already in a relationship.”

A bewildered expression brought Noah’s eyebrows together as he turned to her. “Is that true?”

Addy’s mind urged her to say no, to insist that she hadn’t been there that late. Who’d refute it? Kevin, Tom and the others were as eager as she was to keep the door closed on the past. But something else had already caused Noah to ask her if she’d been with Cody. That lent Darlene’s words enough credibility to make him wonder. And Addy had reached a point where she could no longer bring herself to deny it.

“I was with him.”

Darlene looked as stunned as Noah did, but Noah ignored her. “What are you saying?” he asked Addy.

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

* * *

Noah sat up alone the rest of the night. He wanted to shut out the thoughts swirling through his head, but sleep was too far away. He hadn’t even bothered to undress or go into his bedroom. After making Darlene leave the restaurant, he’d heard what Addy had to say. He’d heard what his parents had to say when he went back there after. And he’d heard what Kevin, Tom, Derek and Stephen had to say, following that. He’d hauled them out of bed, one after the other, so he could compare stories.

But what Addy told him was so different from what everyone else had said. She claimed she was gang-raped by Cody and his friends on graduation night. She said that when Cody came back, she panicked, thinking he might hurt her again. He was so wasted he could hardly stand, and yet he tried to drag her out of the mine. He claimed he was going to take her home, but she couldn’t trust him, couldn’t be sure. They fought until she managed to shove him into a support beam that gave way. The next thing she knew, the ground was rumbling and she couldn’t breathe for the dust, but she ran and kept running and never looked back. Kevin found Cody the next morning.