Chapter 29
Legend
The energy in the clubhouse is electric. Everyone is celebrating the court win today. Misty, Khloe, and Emmalyn stayed behind to prepare food for everyone, confident in the outcome. It’s as if no one doubted for a second that little Nate would stay here where he belongs.
I can see the immediate relief and change in attitude in April and Apollo, making me realize how muted they’ve been, worrying about today.
That smile I love so much is also back on Faith’s face as she holds Lana’s little girl in her arms and grins at little Nate in April’s. All three women are sitting in a row, cooing at and playing with the happy babies.
I try not to picture her holding her own child—my child, but those images can’t be held back. I’m not a man to sit around and daydream about my future, but that doesn’t stop me from picturing her with a child we created together. Dangerous thoughts indeed.
“Not you, too.”
I don’t bother hiding my smile when I look at Grinch as he shakes his head.
“Me what?”
“Falling in love.”
I shrug because what else can I do? I’m not going to deny it or argue his assumption. If I’m not in love with Faith, then I know it’s only a matter of time that I will be.
“She’s incredibly loveable,” I say instead.
I’ve never personally felt more loyal, more protective, or more enamored toward a woman before.
“I was going to see if you wanted to head to Jake’s later with us, but I know your answer.”
I give him a smile. The man is very astute.
“I guess I should be glad we got new guys just in time,” Grinch mutters, but there’s no real animosity in his voice. “All of you fuckers are dropping like flies.”
“Just wait until it’s your turn.”
“Never in a million fucking years,” he grunts. “Like ever. Being tied down to one woman isn’t in the cards for me. Just the thought of it makes my skin crawl.”
“People who protest too strongly are usually caught in lies,” I tell him with a grin.
“I tell no lies, my friend. I promise you that.”
I chuckle as Grinch walks away, humming “Jingle Bells” under his breath.
I’ve kept my distance from Faith long enough, but before I can cross the room to be closer to her, my phone rings.
The volume in the room is too loud to speak, so I wait until I hit the hallway to answer Colton’s call.
“Hey, man. Did you hear the good news?”
“I did,” he confirms. “But I had no doubt they would win. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about this list. I’ve been working through it, running names, and looking at old case files for anything that pops up, but the guy I liked for the harassment was sentenced to five years in prison eighteen months ago. All of his family and everyone connected to that case have moved out of state.”
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing that makes the list shorter,” I mutter, wishing he was calling with better news.
“The case involving Susan and Thomas Felding, however, is throwing off some red flags.”
“How so?”
I don’t remember those names, so it must be a case file Faith added to the pile herself.
“Thomas is in prison for spousal and child abuse. Susan, because she didn’t report the abuse, lost custody of her kids as well. The children are doing so well in foster care, the foster parents have petitioned the court to adopt them. That adoption is supposed to happen soon.”
“You’re saying it could be a woman doing all of this?”
“Anything’s possible. I was calling to see if you would talk with Faith and see what she remembers.”
“What other red flags are there?”
“I tried to reach out to Susan Felding, but she was fired for absences at work and for suspicions of drug use. She’s been off the grid for months.”
“Which means she could be in another state or dead from an overdose,” I say.
“Possibly, but her social hasn’t popped up in any other state. If it’s her, we have no way to track her, and that leaves us in a holding pattern until she gets a job, she’s stopped on a traffic violation, or gets caught red-handed doing something illegal.”
That is absolute shitty news.
“I’ll speak with her,” I promise before ending the call with him.
Faith is still smiling at the babies, talking with a group of people when I round the wall from the hallway. I spend a few more minutes just enjoying the sight of her.
“She’s come a long way,” Apollo says as he walks up, handing me a fresh beer.
“She’ll be happier when we catch whoever it is trying to hurt her.”
“True,” he says. “But I wasn’t talking about her mood. I mean she’s come a long way from threatening to call the cops on you to sleeping in your bed every night.”