Come Together by Marie Force

Chapter Thirteen

“If we aren’t capable of being hurt we aren’t capable of feeling joy.”

—Madeleine L’Engle

Cabot watched her drop off, finally able to rest thanks to whatever magic potion the nurse had put into her IV. He’d had to hide his shock from her when he first saw the bruises on her face, the bulky cast on her arm and her fragile state. She’d had a close call, and the thought of how close he’d come to losing her had sparked something fierce and terrifying in him.

She was terrifying. She had been since last June when he met the groom’s cousin at his daughter’s wedding and had been truly interested in a woman for the first time since his long-ago marriage ended in disaster.

Since then, he’d lived almost like a monk, barely dating at all and hardly ever having anything to do with women. It was like that part of his life ended the day his wife left him and took the daughter he loved more than life itself. She’d kept Mia from him for more than twenty-five endless, horrible years during which he’d tried to go on with his life while nursing the gaping wound in his heart that’d never healed.

The wound was still there, even after the miracle of Mia uncovering what her mother had done and coming to see him that same day.

His beautiful daughter had been back in his life for a year now, but she’d left as a little girl and returned a fully grown adult. Thus, the boiling cauldron of bitterness and resentment he’d mentioned to Izzy. He was so angry over what he’d missed with his only child. That anger was a constant, tangible presence in his everyday life, so much a part of who he was, he couldn’t imagine himself without it.

He loved every minute he’d gotten to spend with Mia and her wonderful husband, Wade. He adored Wade’s family and all the new people who’d come into his life along with his sweet daughter. Mia had bent over backward to accommodate him in every way she possibly could. She’d even come to Boston the week before Christmas—her busiest time at the warehouse she helped run for Wade’s family business. He’d wanted her to attend his annual holiday party and meet more of the people who’d kept him going during the rough years.

She did anything he asked of her, and he knew it was because she genuinely cared for him. The bond they’d shared when she was little was still there after the long years of separation. But he knew she also felt guilty over what her mother had put him through and was trying to make amends. Not that she owed him anything. She hadn’t known he existed until Wade’s brother had discovered her Social Security number was a fake.

Thank God for Hunter Abbott and his obsessive attention to detail.

That was a thought Cabot had every day since that miraculous day last winter when his daughter suddenly reappeared in his life.

What if Hunter hadn’t run her SSN? He might never have seen her again, which was another part of the angry cocktail of emotions that constantly swirled in him.

That was why he’d kept his distance from Izzy, even though he thought of her constantly. He’d wondered where her work was taking her and if or when he’d ever see her again. Sure, he was permanently attached to her family, but that didn’t mean their paths would cross with any regularity. Unless they made that happen, and he’d had no intention of making it happen until he’d gotten a call from Lincoln Abbott about the accident as well as a message from Mia to call her as soon as he could.

He’d emerged from day-long meetings and had panicked when he got Linc’s message. He returned Mia’s call immediately, hoping she had more information. She’d told him Izzy was in ICU and that they hadn’t been sure he’d want to know.

Hell yes, he wanted to know.

After getting that call and the details Mia had available—which weren’t nearly enough for him—he’d cut short his business, rented a car and driven to Vermont, breaking every speed limit to get to her as fast as he possibly could. His assistant in Boston had done the math for him and determined driving would get him to her faster than flying. He’d missed the last shuttle to Burlington, which would’ve been two hours from her once he got to Vermont.

Six of the longest hours of his life later, he was by her side and wondering what the hell he was doing there. He couldn’t explain it. He just needed to see for himself that she was all right and offer whatever comfort he could while she recovered.

Since she was asleep, he pulled out his phone and sent a text to his assistant. Clear my schedule for the next little while.

Even though it was nearly eleven p.m., she responded right away. Define next little while.

In deference to Izzy’s significant injuries, he responded with, Two weeks.

She came back with bug-eyed emojis and question marks.

A close friend has been in a bad accident. I need to be with her while she recovers.As he typed those words into his phone, he had no idea if he’d be welcome in Izzy’s recovery or if he had any business making plans that included her. Despite those reservations, he didn’t change his directive to his assistant.

I’ll do what I can. What about the council?

I’ll let them know I’m going to be away for a bit. I might need you to get with my sister to send me some clothes and stuff.

Is it okay to ask if you’ve lost what’s left of your mind?

Cabot laughed. Rachel was fantastic and always spoke her mind to him, which he appreciated. While looking for his missing daughter, he’d kept himself frantically busy and overscheduled to the point of madness. That’d been intentional, to try to keep his mind off the nightmare that was so much a part of him, no matter how busy he was. Having Mia back in his life hadn’t changed the pace at which he lived. It was no wonder Rachel was astounded at his directive to clear his formidable schedule.

It’s okay to ask, as you know. I appreciate your help with this. I’ll be in touch.

Um, you’d better be!

Next, Cabot texted his sister, Emily, who’d been his staunchest supporter during the long search for Mia. Hey, sorry to text so late. I wanted you to know I’m going to be in VT for a couple of weeks. My friend Izzy was in a bad accident, and I want to be here for her. It will be nice to spend some time with Mia and Wade, too. I might need you to send me some stuff from the house.

Emily wrote right back. So sorry to hear about Izzy. Is she going to be okay?

Yes, in time, but she’s pretty banged up.

Glad she’ll be all right, and let me know what you need from the house. Happy to send it. So um, you’re in Vermont with your “friend” Izzy. What’s that about?

I have no idea.

She responded with laughing emojis. You’re funny, Cabot. It’s okay to LIKE Izzy, you know.

Is it?

YES

I like Izzy, but…

No buts. Put the past where it belongs and start looking toward the future. That’s all you can do.

I hear you. Maybe by supporting my friend Izzy as she recovers, I can start to figure out a way forward.

Maybe so. What happened to you was the worst thing that’s ever happened to anyone I know. It was a fucking CRIME. But if you deny yourself the chance to be happy again, she wins. Don’t let that bitch win. Do you hear me?

He smiled at the intensity that came through in her text. Sometimes he thought she hated what Mia’s mother had done more than he did. I hear you.

Enjoy the time in Vermont, Cab. If anyone has earned the right to enjoy himself, you have.

Thank you. You’re the best. I’ll text you tomorrow.

Give Izzy my best and xoxo to you.

Will do. Xo back to you.

He was so thankful to Emily and his brothers, who’d stood by him through every devastating twist and turn of his desperate search for Mia. They’d held him up when the burden became too much to bear and had celebrated with him when Mia had turned up out of the blue and made him the happiest dad who ever lived.

Cabot hoped that in time he could contend with the residual bitterness. Mia had no idea how deeply that bitterness ran through him. He went out of his way to hide that from her. What’d happened between her parents wasn’t her burden to bear, and he was always mindful of that.

He dashed off a text to his beloved daughter, still thrilled to be able to talk to her any time he wanted. She and Wade lived in a farmhouse they were renovating just outside the Butler cell phone blackout zone, so she could receive texts there with and without Wi-Fi. I’m at the hospital with Izzy. I have no idea what I’m doing here, but I’m staying for a bit. Just wanted you to know.

When she didn’t reply, he suspected she was already asleep and would get back to him in the morning. Waiting to hear from her gave him something else to look forward to. He loved every text, call, FaceTime and visit they got to have. She probably thought he was a freak show for the way he hung on her every word, soaking up the joy of her presence like a starving man who’d just stumbled upon an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind that he was a mess where she was concerned.

Law enforcement had given him the choice of whether to have her mother criminally charged for the ordeal she’d put him and his family through. Out of respect for his daughter, he’d declined to press charges. But Jesus Christ alive, he’d wanted to. He’d wanted to ruin her life the same way she’d destroyed his.

Emily had helped him see that revenge wasn’t in his daughter’s best interest. An ugly, protracted legal proceeding that held her mother accountable for what she’d done would devastate Mia, and in the end, he just couldn’t be part of something that would hurt the daughter he loved more than anything. So, he’d let it go, and that’s when the bitterness had set in.

He’d thought about suing her, but had scuttled that idea, too.

A year later, he was still working on living with the outrage of it all, which was why he hadn’t pursued a relationship with the lovely, talented, delightful Isabella Coleman. She deserved a man who could be fully available in the present. Not someone mired so deeply in the past that he had no space for anything new.

But then he’d heard from Lincoln Abbott that Izzy had been badly hurt in a car accident. Getting to her as fast as he possibly could had been his only thought. He had no idea what that meant. All he knew was that he intended to be there for as long as she needed him.

* * *

Noah’sfirst alarm roused him out of a dream that had left him hard and reaching for Brianna, who wasn’t there. Of course she wasn’t there. They’d had a one-night thing, and it wasn’t going to be anything more than that. In the gloomy morning light, he stared up at the ceiling as he tried to settle himself after the arousing dream.

He couldn’t be dreaming about her. That was just ridiculous. A week ago, he’d wished he never had to see her again because she drove him so crazy. He’d wanted her even when they were constantly fighting. No, he hadn’t thought of her that way until their night at the Pig’s Belly.

That’s not true, a random voice from deep inside him shouted. You thought she was hot the first time you ever saw her.

That’s your voice, idiot, and it’s telling you the truth. You’ve thought she was hot from the get-go, and the only reason you were so antagonistic is because you were having trouble remembering why you had to keep your hands to yourself around her.

For once, he was out of bed before the second alarm went off, too agitated to put up the usual morning fight against the clocks. He turned off the other alarm and headed for the shower, hoping some cold water could put out the fire burning inside him for a woman who’d told him just last night that she didn’t want him that way.

How funny was that? For the first time in three years of hell, he’d halfway fallen for a woman who wasn’t available. He’d laugh at the irony if it didn’t make him feel so shitty to have to accept that he and Brianna were going to have only one incredible night together.

With the electricians starting today, he didn’t have time for distractions like this. They were rewiring the entire place to bring it up to the current code. He needed to be on his game to supervise the subcontractors he’d hired, not obsessing about getting the architect and project manager back in a bed with him as soon as possible.

He got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist while he shaved.

“That’s not going to happen.” Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he ran a razor over his face. “Just keep it cool and do the damned job. She’ll be headed home to Boston soon enough, and you can get back to normal.”

“Uh, are you talking to yourself?” Nessa asked as she appeared in the open bathroom door.

Embarrassed to have been caught, he said, “Maybe a little.”

She thrust a mug at him. “I heard your alarm go off and thought you might want some coffee.”

“Thanks.” He took a sip of the coffee. “And I talk to myself because I’m usually here by myself.”

“All you need is a couple of cats, and you’ll officially be a crazy cat lady who talks to herself and her cats.”

“Very funny. You’re up early.”

“Couldn’t sleep. Worried about Izzy and my job situation and a million other things.”

“Like what?”

“Such as who’s keeping an eye on the polar bears and penguins as the ice cap melts, and what we’re going to do about all the trash in the ocean.”

Noah went to her, put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. “I thought the anxiety had been better lately.”

“It had been until I had to quit my job and my sister nearly died in a car crash.”

“You still taking the meds?” he asked gently.

“Every day. Most days, they do the trick. Other days…” She shrugged. “You know how it goes.”

His father’s departure had affected them all in different ways. Nessa struggled with debilitating anxiety.

“I called the nurse’s station,” Vanessa said. “Izzy had a good night. Her ‘friend’ Cabot was with her all night.”

“Well, that’s an interesting development.”

“I knew something was going on there, even if she wouldn’t admit it.”

Noah was more worried about Vanessa after hearing the anxiety was bad again. “What can I do for you?”

“Being here with you guys helps.”

“Stay as long as you want, indefinitely if you want. My home is your home.”

“That’s very sweet of you, but I know how you like your space. I can stay at Mom’s after everyone else leaves.”

“Stay here. It’s fine.” He kissed her forehead. “I promise.”

“Can I say something else?”

“Can I stop you?”

She smiled. “It was nice to see you with Brianna last night. I can tell you like her.”

“I do, but she tells me it’s not happening.”

Nessa tilted her head to the side. “Why is that?”

“She went through some rough shit with her ex.”

“So did you. At least I assume you did.”

“I did.”

“That should make you two perfect for each other because you get it.”

“You’d think, but she says she’s not ready. She doesn’t trust herself or her judgment.” Even as he said the words, Noah acknowledged that talking to one of his siblings about his personal life was unprecedented. However, he needed someone else’s insight, and Nessa had always been good about keeping his secrets.

“He must’ve done a number on her.”

“It was pretty bad.” He wanted to tell her more, but he couldn’t betray Brianna’s confidences, even with his sister. “Brutal, in fact.”

Nessa shook her head and grimaced. “Why do people do that stuff to the people they supposedly love?”

The question was the story of their lives. “I wish I knew.”

“You’re going to have to prove yourself to her. That you’re exactly what you appear to be—a nice, decent, if often grumpy, guy who she can count on.”

He play-punched her chin, making her laugh. “Had to add the grumpy part, huh?”

“Am I wrong?”

“Nah, you’re not wrong.”

“Show up for her, Noah. Be there for her as a friend and colleague. That’ll matter to her, and maybe it’ll lead to what you want, too.”

“I’m not sure what I want. She lives in Boston. That’s a long way from here, and she hates how cold it is in Vermont. She’s not about to move here, and I can’t live anywhere else with my business and everything.”

When he finally stopped talking long enough to look at his sister, he found her giving him an odd look. “What?”

“You like this woman, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” he said on a deep exhale. “More than I should.”

“You want to know what the good news is?”

“There’s good news?”

Nessa nodded. “You like someone new. For a while, after you broke up with what’s-her-name, we worried you might never try again with anyone else, because you were so upset about whatever she did.”

“She slept with my best friend and foreman.”

Nessa’s eyes bugged. “She slept with Miguel? Is that why he doesn’t work for you anymore? Fuck, Noah.”

“Yes and yes.”

“God, I’m so sorry. What a bitch. I never liked her.”

“Really? I thought you did.”

“Nope. I never thought she was good enough for you. I usually like to be right, but in this case, I’m sorry I was right about her.”

He shrugged it off as if they weren’t talking about one of the most painful things to ever happen to him. “It was a long time ago. I’m over it.”

“No, you’re not. That’s something you never really get over. You just find a way to live with it.”

He gazed at his younger sister with all-new appreciation. “When did you get so wise?”

“I’ve always been wise. You’re just noticing it.”

Smiling, he hugged her. “Thanks for listening, and do me a favor and keep the details about what’s-her-name between us, okay?”

“No problem. Remember what I said about how to handle Brianna. Be her friend, her champion, her supporter. That’ll matter to her.”

“I’ll give it a whirl.”

“She’d be crazy not to give you a whirl.”

Noah laughed. “I’ll let her know you think so.”

She started to walk away, but looked over her shoulder and said, “You might want to keep that part to yourself for a while.”