It Started with a Crack by Piper James

Chapter Thirty-Two

Noah

“What the fuck?” I mumbled as I read the text message again.

Dakota: I’m fine. We’ll talk soon. Have fun.

Have fun? What in the hell was that supposed to mean? And why didn’t she come home after working at the office?

I tried to call her several times, but each call went unanswered. I’d left a few voicemails, each one getting more and more frantic and demanding. She needed to call me back and tell me what the fuck was going on.

Because I’d never been so scared in my life. Knowing she was alive and not lying dead somewhere beside the road only exacerbated my panic. Because that meant she was avoiding me by choice.

And I needed to know why.

Gritting out another curse, I grabbed my keys and wallet and left the ranch. I couldn’t sit around and wait anymore. I needed to find her.

I headed out to Ryder and Belle’s place first. My speeding heart fell as I pulled into the drive. Dakota’s car wasn’t there. I almost turned around and left without stopping, but changed my mind at the last second. Dakota might not have been here, but I was betting Belle knew where she was and what in the hell was going on.

I parked my truck, hopped out, and jogged up the porch steps to pound my fist on the door. It swung open a few moments later. A very pissed-off-looking Belle stood in the opening, her arms crossed over her pregnant belly and her toe tapping against the floor.

“What do you want?” she said as a greeting, and I flinched.

“I’m looking for Dakota,” I answered. “I’m guessing you’ve talked to her?”

“I have,” she growled, “and she doesn’t want to see you. Leave it alone, Noah.”

“What the fuck is happening?” I shouted before I could stop myself, then grimaced. “Sorry. Sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”

“What in the hell is going on?” Ryder asked, appearing next to Belle and placing a protective arm around her shoulder. “Why are you yelling at my wife?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, raking a hand through my hair. “Dakota didn’t come home, and she’s avoiding my calls. The one text she sent me made zero fucking sense, and I’m losing my damn mind. And seeing how Belle is obviously pissed at me for some reason, I’m guessing she knows what is wrong with Dakota.”

“I do,” she said simply, then narrowed her eyes. “And I’m sure if you think real hard, you’ll figure it out.”

Ryder gave Belle a strange look before using his free hand to grip her chin and turn her face to his, speaking in gentle tones. “Belle? What’s going on?”

She grunted something unintelligible and pulled out of his grasp. Spinning on a heel, she stalked away, leaving us standing there in confusion. Heaving a sigh, Ryder waved me inside before hurrying after her.

By the time I closed the door and greeted Thanos, who’d trotted up the minute I stepped inside, Belle was seated on the couch with Ryder close beside her, holding her hand. I walked toward them slowly, feeling like I was headed toward the fucking gallows. Belle was scary as hell when she was mad, especially now that she was pregnant.

“Dakota knows you fucked that realtor bitch.”

Her words hit me like a freight train, and I actually stumbled back a few steps. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, and my knees went weak. I forced my feet forward, sitting in one of the chairs before my knees totally gave out, and I fell to the floor.

“Belle,” I said, waiting until she met my gaze so she could see the truth there. “I didn’t sleep with that woman. I would never. Why would Dakota think that?”

My mind was racing, trying to come up with a plausible explanation. Did Chantelle Newsome tell Dakota we slept together? That was the only thing that made sense. I’d rejected her, threw her out of my house, and…what? Was this some kind of revenge? A woman scorned and all that?

“She saw you,” Belle said, and my mind stalled.

“What?” was the only word I could get my lips to form.

“She went home to meet the realtor and make sure the house was clean for the showing. She saw you half-naked with Chantelle Newsome touching your bare chest. She saw that woman’s lipstick all over your mouth.”

My heart stopped and my vision blurred as I remembered the scene Dakota must’ve witnessed. Chantelle was coming onto me…after I kissed her.

God damn it.

“It was an accident,” I blurted when I finally regained control of my body.

“Oh, what, you tripped, and your dick fell into her skank pussy?”

Ryder and I both reacted—I fell backward as if she’d punched me, and my brother barked out a laugh before covering it with a cough and quietly apologizing. Then he pulled Belle’s hand into his lap and dipped his head to catch her eye.

“Maybe you should let Noah explain what happened before you jump to conclusions,” he said softly.

“By all means,” she grunted. “This should be good.”

I scrubbed a hand across the back of my neck and sighed. I knew this was going to be an uphill battle, trying to convince Belle of my innocence. But I had no choice. If she was going to tell me where Dakota was, I needed to make her believe I didn’t betray her friend. That I never would.

“I was waiting for Dakota to get home from the office,” I said slowly, my words picking up speed as I went. “I decided to work out while I waited, and I had my earbuds in, playing music. That’s why I didn’t hear my phone when Dakota texted me about the showing. That’s why I didn’t hear the front door open when that woman came inside.”

Belle was still frowning, but she didn’t make any snide comments, so I barged ahead.

“I felt a hand on my back, and—because I was in my home and had not answered the door—I assumed it was Dakota. I spun around and kissed her hello. It only took me a second to realize my mistake. That was not Dakota’s body I was holding, not her mouth I was kissing. I jerked away and apologized immediately.”

“Oh, shit,” Ryder mumbled, looking from me to Belle. “Dakota saw that?”

She shook her head. “She must’ve came in after. She saw the lipstick on his mouth. She saw Chantelle touching him, and he wasn’t pulling away.”

“Bullshit,” I said, shaking my head. “I jerked that woman’s hand off of me and kicked her ass out of my house. Her and her fucking clients, who showed up less than a minute later. I told them the place wasn’t for sale, and to never come back.”

“What do you mean, it’s not for sale?” Belle asked, her voice free of anger for the first time since I got here.

“Oh,” Ryder cut in, “I was waiting for Noah to talk to Dakota before I told you, but we’re taking the ranch off the market. Noah’s keeping it, and he’s planning on asking Dakota to live there with him. Permanently.”

“What?” Belle asked, her face paling as she looked from Ryder to me and back again.

“He’s in love with her, Belle.”

“Hey, I never said that,” I argued. “You did. Multiple times.”

Ryder rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. He like-likes her.” He turned his gaze on me. “Is that better?”

“But…oh, shit. Fuck! Mother fucker.”

Belle ranted like that for a few seconds, then took a deep breath. Her face softened when she looked at me, her eyes glassing over.

“I’m sorry, Noah.”

I waved off her apology. “Not necessary. You were standing up for your friend, and I’d have done the same thing.”

“She told me about the text message you sent her. When you said ‘we need to talk,’ she assumed you were going to tell her it was over because you’d found someone more your type.”

“More my…” I breathed, the words trailing off as I sucked in a sharp breath. “Why would she think that woman—any woman, for that matter—would be more my type than her?”

Her response to my text message flashed behind my eyes, suddenly making sense.

Have fun. Shit.

Belle shook her head. “You should go talk to Dakota. She’s at Ember’s place.”

She recited the address while I typed it into the maps app on my phone. I stood up, and Belle motioned for Ryder to help her to her feet. She moved into my embrace, hugging me tightly as she mumbled into my chest.

“I’m really sorry, Noah. I judged and convicted you without hearing your side, and that was wrong.” She released me and took a step back, giving me a pained grimace. “Just watch out for Ember, okay? She’s on the warpath, and that woman is ten times scarier than me.”

“Noted,” I said, giving Ryder a one-armed hug as he stepped close and knocked his fist against my back.

“Good luck, man,” he said, stepping back to throw his arm over Belle’s shoulders.

“Thanks,” I said. “I think I’m going to need it.”