Losing Faith (21 page)

“Although I don’t always understand her methods, there’s usually a stroke of genius somewhere inside.”

Trista looked over at Seth and Deana. Seth was smiling as he talked to Deana, leaving Trista curious as to what they were talking about. He looked…different. Happiness suited him well, and she was glad to have a chance to see this side of him.

“Are you guys leaving tomorrow?”

Trista nodded. “Yes, we need to be on our way. It’s too bad though. I really like this place.”

“You and your daughter are welcome here anytime.” Harvey gave her another spin, letting go this time. “It was nice dancin’ with you, Trista.”

Startled, she watched as he walked over to his wife, who had stepped away from Seth. Deana gave him a shove toward Trista. Their bodies collided, and she found her hands on his strong shoulders. Her heart racing, she looked up into his eyes, and he smiled down at her. “I have a feeling this may have been their plan all along.”

Trista flushed. “I think you’re right. But…I don’t really mind.” Red-faced, all she could focus on were the two buttons on his shirt he had neglected to fasten, revealing just enough of his firm chest and smooth skin to keep her wanting more.

They moved together then, and Trista tried to think of something to talk about that would keep her mind off these new feelings she had for him, feelings she didn’t quite yet understand. “What were you and Deana talking about?

A commotion near the entrance doors drew their attention. An older-looking man in a white T-shirt and jeans with a large pair of pink wings strapped to his back ran around the restaurant holding a large bow with a pack of foam arrows. “What is that?” Seth asked.

The man ran and hopped, sending the foam arrows toward couples, who then kissed. “Oh my gosh,” Trista could hardly believe it. “Only Deana would have dreamed up something like this.”

“What is it?”

“I think it’s Cupid.”

Seth laughed. “I bet you’re right. It would make sense since we’re at Cupid’s Corner. But why is he shooting people with foam arrows?”

“Because that’s what Cupid does. He makes people fall in love.”

Seth continued dancing, taking Trista deeper into the dance floor. “This has been one crazy trip.”

Trista nodded. “I bet you’re looking forward to getting it over with.” Trista noticed how many couples had joined them out on the dance floor. One couple in particular caught her attention. An elderly man wearing a blue suit stared into his wife’s eyes as they moved across the dance floor. It was as if they’d been dancing together for the past fifty years.

“I do need to get to Fort Wayne,” he agreed. “But this part of the trip has been my favorite so far.”

Butterflies danced in her stomach. “I just hope that Savannah isn’t too traumatized by everything that has happened.”

“You’re a good mom, and she’s lucky to have you. Besides, she looks pretty happy to me.”

Trista followed Seth’s line of sight and saw her little girl dancing with Frank, a smile as big as Texas on her face. “I don’t know about that.”

“Trust me. I know a thing or two about bad parenting. I’m somewhat of an expert on it, actually. But I’m hoping to change that.”

“I’ve seen how you are with Savannah. The way you talked her back into the car when she took off, and the way she acts around you, so comfortable, so happy. I wish she was half as happy to see me as she is to see you.”

“You put out a record, and I’m sure she will be.”

“Is that all, Mr. Storm? I’ll get right on that.” She chuckled. Seth’s hands moved further around her waist, pulling her closer. Trista went with it, placing her head on his shoulder and taking in the masculine smell of his cologne. She thought for sure he could feel her heart pounding in her chest. This had been the first time in a very long time that she felt this close to a man. This safe. She watched as Cupid made his way in their direction. She couldn’t breathe. She lifted her head as he drew back his arrow, and before she could say anything, they had been hit.

“What the…?” Seth bent over and picked up a pink arrow with heart-shaped fins. He turned to Trista, and their eyes locked.

“If you ignore Cupid’s arrow, your love life is doomed for another seven years.” Deana and Harvey had come up beside them. Deana gave them a knowing smile before the older couple twirled away.

Seth and Trista stared at each other. The other dancers seemed to fade away, along with the music. Trista had never wanted to kiss someone so much in her life, and this desire both excited and frightened her. Seth bent his head, and she closed her eyes, her heart beating faster with every second that passed. She felt his lips touch hers, and she melted. Electricity flowed into her body. His strong hand held her face, and she knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Chapter 28

Seth

Seth woke up to the sound of his cell phone ringing. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his vision. He checked the clock on the nightstand. 5:02 AM. Who the heck was calling this early, he thought. He picked up the phone. Caller ID answered his question. “Hello, Simon,” he said.

“I got your message. What happened? I thought you’d be here by now.”

Simon was an old friend of the family, and his father’s attorney before he had passed away. The man was a great lawyer but as high strung as a mouse in a stampede of elephants.

“Good morning to you, too. Sorry, I’ve had a few problems due to the storm and…other things.”

“I had to pull some strings to get your trial bumped up. You already missed your first hearing. It’s not going to look good if you miss this one.”

“Calm down. I’ll be there. We’re leaving this morning. I should be there by this afternoon.”

“Where are you now?” Simon asked.

Seth knew if he told him the truth, the man would likely have a heart attack, but lying wasn’t an option either. “Cupid, Tennessee.”

“Cupid? Where the hell is Cupid?”

“Just short of Lousiville.” He braced himself for a meltdown, but Simon didn’t say a word. “Simon? Are you there?” He heard a loud sigh on the other end of the phone.

“Seth, I took this case because of your father. If you’re not serious about—”

“Hey, Simon. I already told you. The storm shut us down. Then we had some other issues come up, but it’s all good now. We’ll be there soon.”

“We?”

“It’s a long story.”

“All right. But I can’t stress enough how important it is that you make it.”

Seth ran a hand through his hair. “I know. And I really appreciate you helping me out. My father always said that you were the best.”

“Let’s hope so, Seth. Because the best is what you’re going to need for this one.”

Seth’s heart dropped to his stomach. He knew this was going to be a fight, but the tone in Simon’s voice brought it to a level of reality he hadn’t felt until now.

*****

Seth met Frank, Savannah, and Trista for breakfast around six thirty. Only the remnants of a celebration and wedding at Cupid’s Corner remained. The flowers and balloons looked a bit tired and deflated. The tables were filled with early risers who all looked as tired as the decorations. “There you are,” Trista said. “We saved you a seat.”

He noticed people staring at him, and he remembered singing on the stage the night before, revealing to everyone what he had been holding inside for so long. He wished for another chance at anonymity. “You guys about ready?”

Frank motioned to the empty seat between him and Trista. “Have some breakfast.”

“I’m not hungry. We should really hit the road. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”

Trista’s smile faded. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” Seth insisted. “You promised that if I stayed for the wedding and we gave the roads another day to clear up, we’d be leavin’ first thing this morning.”

“We’re going to leave. Just as soon as we’ve had some breakfast and can thank Deana and Harvey for their hospitality and say good bye. Now why don’t you have some breakfast? It’ll do wonders for that mood of yours.”

Seth had a feeling Frank wasn’t going to let it go, so he took a seat and scanned the menu. Nothing sounded appealing. He wanted one thing, to get his daughter back, and he wasn’t going to do that sitting in some bed and breakfast in the middle of nowhere. He shoved the menu back in between the condiments. “Where’s our waitress?”

Trista placed her hand on his arm. “She’ll be here soon.”

He looked down at her hand and felt the same comfort and electricity he had felt when they were dancing the night before. He looked into her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” He looked at Frank and Savannah, who were staring at him. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I need to get out of here.” He stood up and walked out into the lobby. The warm fire in the hearth drew him closer, and he took a seat on the couch.

Trista had followed him. She took a seat next to him. “You wanna tell me what’s on your mind?” Seth didn’t respond. He just stared at the flames dancing across the wood. “Does this have to do with last night?”

Seth shook his head.

“Whatever it is, Seth, you can tell me.

He turned to Trista. The sincerity in her voice felt as real as the kiss they had shared the night before. He knew he wasn’t good enough for her. Someone as beautiful, as funny, and as intelligent as Trista deserved someone better.

She sat down next to Seth and turned toward him, placing her arm behind him on the back of the couch. “I’m not going anywhere, Seth. So you might as well tell me.”

After a long silence, Seth began, “After Lexi died, I lost control and pretty much drank myself into oblivion. I ended up in a rehab facility, and Faith went to stay with Lexi’s parents. When I went into rehab, I lost more than just ninety days of life in the real world. I lost my little girl. Saying goodbye to her was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” Seth looked down at his hands. “I have to get her back.”

“And I’m sure you will.” Trista reassured him.

He shook his head. “I’m so afraid that I won’t.”

“Why are you going to Fort Wayne for this? Shouldn’t you be seeing a judge in Nashville?”

“Well, it started out in Nashville. But about a month after I got out of rehab, Lexi’s parents thought that it would be best if the custody situation were handled in Fort Wayne since they live there. They didn’t want Faith to have to miss school, and Faith is too scared to fly after what happened to her mom. I haven’t always agreed with them in the past, but I did in this case. But what if I can’t get her? What if I stand in front of that judge, and he sees how horrible I’ve been and decides once and for all that I’m not good enough?” Seth let it all out in a rush.

Trista scooted closer and rubbed his arm. “Seth, I have a feelin’ that it’s been a long time since someone’s told you how wonderful you are.”

“I’m being serious, Trista. I don’t know if I can…” He shook his head and gave up.

“I’m serious, too, Seth. You’re ready. I see it. And the judge will see it, too. Now come on. Let’s get some breakfast and get you back to your daughter.” She stood up and held out her hand.

He smiled and nodded, taking her hand. “Thanks.”

He followed her back into the restaurant and ordered bacon and eggs. Besides some chatter between Savannah and Trista as they talked about a few of the memorable moments from the night before, breakfast was pretty quiet.

When it came time to check out, Deana was standing behind the counter, looking as fresh as someone who’d had a full night’s rest, although Seth figured she couldn’t have gotten more than a few hours. “I’m going to miss you guys,” she said, giving him a hug. “Please, don’t be strangers. You’re welcome here at Cupid’s Corner anytime, and it’s on us.” She wrapped an arm around Harvey, who extended a hand to Frank. “And we’d love to have you and your wife here some time. We have a honeymooner’s suite with a gorgeous view from a balcony overlooking the hillside.”

“Sounds good,” Frank said. “I’m sure she’d enjoy that.”

Harvey shook Seth’s hand. “Good luck to you. I hope everything works out for you. You’ve got friends here. Remember that.”

Friends. Something he hadn’t had in a long time. “Thanks, Harvey. I’m sure I’ll be back again.”

“You better,” Deana teased.

After saying their goodbyes, Seth and Frank loaded up Trista’s new car, a 2010 convertible. “You like it?” Trista asked.

“I helped Mom pick it out,” Savannah chimed in.

Seth looked at Frank, and they both laughed.

“What?” Trista insisted.

“Let’s just say that it fits. And I bet you got a pretty good deal since they probably don’t sell too many soft tops in the winter.”

Trista nodded. “Not to mention that I’m Trista Tilman. The woman who helped the famous Seth Storm bring down that crazy man with a gun.”

Frank laughed. “In the short time I’ve known you, I can tell you’re a shrewd negotiator.”

Trista winked and climbed into the driver’s seat. Frank took the seat in the back with Savannah, leaving Seth to sit up front to navigate. “Well, cowboy? You ready to go home?”

It had been a long time since Seth had considered Fort Wayne his home, but he had to admit that it sounded pretty good right now. Faith was there waiting for him, and she would always be the only home he’d ever need. “Let’s see what this thing’s made of.”

Chapter 29

Seth

The sunshine and plows had done a good job of clearing the roads, and aside from slushy piles of snow and sleet, it had been easy driving all the way to the Indiana state line. Trista’s car had performed well, and the three had taken turns driving. With Frank behind the wheel. Seth found himself in the back seat with Trista, who was napping on his shoulder. He didn’t know where things were going between them, but he was interested in seeing what the future held. With all the good that had taken place overnight, he still couldn’t help but think about what Simon had said, forcing the pit back to his stomach. He had no idea what he was going to say to the judge and to Lexi’s parents, but whatever it was, it had to be enough to get Faith back. Without her, his life would never be complete. He turned to the endless fields of white against the deep blue backdrop of the sky and knew without a doubt that he was back in Indiana.