Come Together by Marie Force

Chapter Twenty

“A broken heart is just the growing pains necessary so that you can love more completely when the real thing comes along.”

—J.S.B. Morse

As they left the inn, his sister Ally was coming toward them from the parking lot. “Ah, just the duo I was hoping to find.”

“Is Izzy okay?” Noah asked.

“She’s fine. They’re hoping to send her home in a day or two.”

“That’s good news.”

“I came to find you to tell you that Nessa is cooking Mexican for dinner, and you’re both invited.”

“I’m invited to my own house?” Noah asked, smiling.

“After much debate, we decided to invite you. Brianna was at the top of the guest list.”

“I see how things work around here,” Noah said.

Ally grinned at her brother. “We already like her better than you.”

“It was the lasagna, wasn’t it?” Brianna asked.

“That certainly didn’t hurt anything. Dinner is at seven, and Nessa said don’t be late.”

“We’ll be there,” Noah said.

“What can we bring?” Brianna asked.

“Not a thing. Nessa said to tell you that. She said for you to bring beer, Noah.”

“Will do. We’re going for a little hike before the sun disappears. We’ll be there afterward.”

“See you then.”

Brianna and Noah walked to his family’s store across the parking lot from the inn.

“Have I told you before that this is my favorite store in the entire world?” Brianna asked him.

“You might’ve mentioned something about that.”

“It’s magical. I come in here almost every day just to poke around, and every time, I see something I haven’t seen before.”

“It was my favorite place in the world when I was a kid.”

“I can see why. I love how it’s a family business that’s been passed through the generations.

“It is, and like I said, everyone still speaks to each other, which is a big accomplishment in a family business.”

“That’s so true! The brothers I work for are always at each other’s throats about something. It’s so stressful.”

“That has to suck.”

“It’s the worst. That, and the shit with Rem, were the reasons I couldn’t say yes fast enough to the job up here.”

“I’m glad you said yes to the job up here.”

“Are you?”

He put an arm around her waist. “Uh-huh, very glad indeed.”

“Noah?”

His arm fell from her back. “Hey, Charley and Ella. How’s it going?”

“Good,” the darker-haired woman said. “How are you?”

“I’m hanging in there. Busy next door.”

“It’s looking great and going up fast,” the one with lighter hair said, glancing at Brianna with curiosity.

“Brianna, these are my cousins Ella and Charley. Ladies, this is Brianna Esposito, the architect working on the inn.”

“Oh,” Charley said. “The architect. I thought you two did nothing but fight.”

“That was so last week,” Brianna said, making them laugh.

“Brianna needs hiking boots,” Noah said.

“We just got some new ones in,” Charley said. “I can help you find the right size.”

“That’d be great,” Noah said. “How’s the new baby doing?”

“He’s adorable,” Ella said. “We were over there at lunchtime, and he’s settling right in. Even slept for a few hours during the night.”

“Glad to hear it. That was pretty crazy doings at the diner yesterday.”

“We heard you were there when it happened!” Charley said.

“I was. I thought Hunter was going to implode, but he held it together for Megan. How’s she feeling?”

“Sore but thrilled to have her little guy finally here,” Ella said as she followed them through housewares to the shoe department.

“And how’s Sarah doing?” To Brianna, he said, “Ella’s daughter was born right before Christmas.”

“Oh, congratulations. I told Noah I’m going to need a map to understand your family.”

“Don’t feel bad,” Charley said. “My partner, Tyler, has been around for a while now, and I’m still drawing pictures for him.”

“That makes me feel a little better.”

“To answer your question, Noah, my Sarah is lovely and delightful and already has her Mommy and Daddy completely in love with her.”

“Happy for you, cousin,” Noah said.

“Thank you. Stop by to meet your cousin any time.”

“I’ll do that.”

With Charley and Ella’s expert assistance, they had Brianna outfitted in new hiking boots twenty minutes later.

“Do we still have that awesome silk long underwear that keeps people super warm?” Noah asked.

“We do,” Charley said.

“Can I get some for Brianna in what, medium?”

“Medium is good,” Brianna said.

“Coming right up.”

Charley went to get the long underwear and returned with three colors—off-white, light pink and black.

Brianna took a good look at each of them. “I’ll take the black, please.”

“Put them on my tab, please,” Noah said.

“Wait, I was supposed to buy you dinner in exchange for the boots, but now your sister is making dinner,” Brianna said. “And you’re not buying me silk underwear.”

“You can buy dinner tomorrow night,” Noah said. “And it’s long underwear, which doesn’t even count as underwear, so stuff it.”

His cousins watched their exchange with interest.

“So are you guys… like…”

“Hush, Charley,” Ella said. “It’s none of our business what they’re doing.”

“Yes, it is our business,” Charley said. “Everything in this family is our business, just like it was when you started seeing Gavin and I started seeing Tyler, and everyone was up in our crap.”

“That’s true,” Ella said. “So, what gives?”

“We’re hanging out,” Noah said. “Having fun and going hiking before we lose the daylight. So as nice as it’s been to see you ladies, I’m afraid we have to go.” With his hand on Brianna’s back, he moved her toward the exit.

“Thank you for your help,” Brianna said to his cousins.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Ella called after them.

“Phew, we escaped their clutches,” Noah said.

“They were very nice.”

“They’re great, but they would’ve stayed there all day trying to get the scoop on us.”

“It’s so cool how you run into family everywhere you go in this town.”

“I love my family, but I like my privacy, too, and that’s hard to come by with a relative on every street corner.”

Brianna laughed at how he said that as if he had family members planted on every corner. “I think it’s an awesome way to live, surrounded by people who love you and want the best for you.”

“It’s pretty awesome. Between siblings and cousins, we always had lots of friends to play with—and fight with—as kids.”

“Your moms must’ve had the patience of saints with eighteen kids between them.”

“They were pretty chill. Charley says there was vodka in their coffee cups when we were all young and used to spend time together.”

“Who could blame them for drinking with that many kids to oversee?”

“Not me.”

“Do you want kids?”

The question took him by surprise as he held the door to his truck and gave her a hand up. “I used to.”

“Not anymore?”

He shrugged and closed the door.

Brianna hoped she hadn’t struck a painful nerve with the question. When he got in the driver’s side, she said, “Sorry if I shouldn’t have asked that.”

“It’s fine. You can ask me anything. You know that.” He started the truck and headed for Elm Street, taking a right turn out of the lot. “I figured I’d have a few by now. I didn’t want eight, but three or four, maybe. But we all know why that didn’t happen.”

“It hasn’t happened yet.”

“I’m getting old.”

“You are not.”

“Yes, I am. I’m going to be thirty-six. I never wanted to be sixty and sending kids off to college, but that’s where I’m at if I have kids now.”

“Sixty is the new forty.”

“Maybe so, but I’d like to be able to retire at some point, and college is expensive. Even with a scholarship, I had to take loans to live. I just finished paying them off two years ago.”

“Congratulations. That’s a huge accomplishment. At this rate, I’ll never pay off mine, especially when I have to deal with lawsuits.”

“That lawsuit doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of going anywhere.”

She appreciated his certainty. “I still have to pay to defend and countersue, and I’m paying for the divorce, too, for all the good that’s done me. My cousin’s husband has done what he can, but I’m still married almost a year after I filed.”

“I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but someday after it’s all resolved, it’ll be nothing but a distant bad memory. It won’t always loom as large as it does right now.”

“I hope you’re right, but something tells me that he plans to make my life as miserable as he can for as long as he can.”

“You ought to let Gray look at the divorce situation, too. He’s good at what he does. He might be able to get both those things resolved for you.”

“I’ll ask him about the divorce. It’s all ridiculous.”

“It’s beyond ridiculous, but try not to worry. You’ve got the truth on your side.”

“For all the good that’s done me.”

“I have to believe that still matters, Bri. You can prove he stole and lied and gaslighted you. That’s going to mean something in the end. I know it will.”

“Thanks. It helps to hear that. You know more about what Rem did than anyone else in my life, even my cousin, who knows most of it. I was so embarrassed by it all that I only told people enough so they’d understand why I wasn’t with him anymore.”

“I’m glad you told me, and I’m here any time you need to talk about it.”

“I’m sick of talking about it. How can you not be sick of listening?”

“I like talking to you. I don’t care what we’re talking about.”

“Even my psycho ex?”

“Even him. I have one, too, don’t forget.”

“I haven’t forgotten, and I need to ask you how you feel about asking Gray to find her and start divorce proceedings.”

“I don’t feel anything about it. I feel nothing for her, except a sudden, burning desire to be free of her.”

“Any particular reason?”

“There’s this other woman.”

“Anyone I know?”

“Nah, you haven’t met her.”

She gave him a playful shove that had him laughing as the truck swerved and nearly connected with the moose standing in the middle of the road.

Noah slammed on the brakes, and the truck fishtailed wildly but came to a stop three feet from where Fred stood, staring at them like they were the problem.

“Holy. Shit.”

“Brianna, meet Fred, the Butler town moose.”

“Stop it right now. That is Fred, the town moose?”

“That’s him, in the flesh.”

“He’s massive.” She turned to look behind them. “Back up before he comes at us.”

“He won’t. Fred’s a pussycat.”

He was out of his mind. “What? Seriously, Noah, let’s get out of here.”

But instead of getting out of there, Noah lowered the window and stuck his head out. “Hey, Fred. How’s it hanging?”

“Moo.”

Brianna nearly levitated out of the car at the loudest moo in recorded history. “Noah…”

“You’re freaking out my friend, Freddie boy. She’s new around here and isn’t used to friends like you.”

“This is the craziest place I’ve ever been. Are you talking to a moose?”

“I’m talking to Fred. I’ve known him most of my life. We go way back.”

“I can’t with this. I just cannot.”

Laughing, Noah said to Fred, “Can you maybe move your ass so we can go by before my friend has a stroke?”

“I think I might’ve already had one.”

Fred let out another loud moo that made Brianna startle before he strode off into the woods to continue on his way.

“So that was Fred.”

“I can’t talk. I’m still hyperventilating.”

“You could come face-to-face with him in town, and he’d never hurt you. He’s super gentle. My cousin Hannah is raising a baby moose named Dexter at her house. Fred comes by for playdates with him every day. I can take you to meet Dex if you’d like.”

“Is this place for real? Your cousin is raising a baby moose. At her house.”

“Yep, and she even convinced her husband, Nolan, to let him into the house. We’re not sure how she pulled that off, but Dex has a bed by the fire now.”

“When I go back to Boston and tell people about what goes on up here, they aren’t going to believe me. They’re going to say I’m making up the fact that my friend Noah’s cousin has a baby moose sleeping in her house.”

“Hannah is a moose whisperer.”

“Come on.”

“No, really. You should see the way she gets Fred to do whatever she tells him to. It’s kind of amazing. The best part, though, is watching Nolan have a complete meltdown about his pregnant wife talking to a full-grown bull moose like he’s the next-door neighbor.”

“It’s comforting to hear that someone in this town has a lick of sense.”

“Aw, come on, don’t tell me this place isn’t growing on you.”

“What’s not to like? No cell service, gigantic moose roaming the streets, baby moose sleeping inside houses, cold that makes your lungs ache from breathing, cars that fall off mountain roads. Have I forgotten anything?”

Grinning at her litany, he said, “Breathtaking scenery, interesting people who make sure you’re never bored, so much snow that you have no choice but to snuggle by the fire for months on end. It doesn’t all suck.”

“I hope you don’t think I’m saying that it does. Vermont is beautiful, even with the gigantic moose that stands in the middle of the road.”

“That moose led my cousin to his wife.”

“I can’t believe she stayed in town after hitting the moose. I would’ve run for the hills.”

“Well, she couldn’t really because she stepped out of the car into shin-deep mud. Did I mention Vermont has a mud season?”

“It just gets more charming by the minute.”

“I know, right? But our incredible foliage season makes up for the mud.”

“I’ll have to take your word on that.”

“You should stick around up here so you get the full picture before you make any final judgments. You’ve only seen the worst part, although some of us think winter is the best season because of the skiing and other winter sports.”

“You would think that because you’re all certifiable up here. I think the cold has gotten to you and pickled your brains or something. You think talking to a moose is normal.”

“It is normal.”

“It’s not.”

“Is.”

“Isn’t.” She had more fun with him than she’d had with any man—ever. Even the one she’d married and thought she’d love forever.

Noah turned onto her street so she could change before their hike and slowed the truck when he saw a Vermont State Police SUV parked outside her house. “What the hell?”

Brianna’s stomach dropped. She wanted to tell Noah to keep driving so she wouldn’t have to deal with whatever fresh hell had come to find her.

He pulled into the driveway, turned off the truck and looked over at her. “Whatever this is, I’m here, and it’s going to be fine.”

Brianna had begun to believe that nothing would ever be “fine” again for her. She had to force herself to get out of the truck to meet Noah and the state police officer in the driveway.

“I’m Officer Brinkman with the Vermont State Police. Are you Brianna Denning?”

“That was my married name. I’ve gone back to Esposito since my marriage ended. What’s this about?”

“I didn’t realize you were no longer married. You are listed as next of kin for Remington Denning.”

“We’re not technically divorced yet, but we haven’t been together in more than a year. I’m not sure why I’m his next of kin.”

“What do you need with her, Officer?”

“And you are?”

“Noah Coleman. A friend.”

“I’m sorry to have to tell you that your ex-husband has been murdered.”

The words landed like a roar in her ears as her knees gave way. Only Noah’s arm around her waist kept her from falling.

Rem was dead.