Wickingham Way (A Harbour Falls Mystery #3) (11 page)

Chapter Twelve

S
ince Adam had business to attend to with Stowe the next day—something to do with getting Max back over to Fade Island safely—I was on my own. So I decided to spend some time with my father.

After having come so close to losing him, I wanted to spend whatever time I could with my dad. And though I’d asked him to stay with me at the Victorian rental house for a while longer, the stubborn mayor insisted on returning to his own home.

Really, there was no reason for him not to. The extra security was in place, so Dad would be well protected.

I still hoped he’d reconsider, stay with me for maybe a week or two, but there was no stopping my dad once he made up his mind. So stubborn, that man.

Not that
I
was ever that way…

Ha, who was I kidding? I was my father’s daughter, through and through. So I gave up on arguing with Dad. After we ate breakfast, I drove him to his house.

My dad was chatty on the drive there, but when we stepped into the living room, my father, who’d seemingly been running on adrenaline all morning, deflated a bit.

With a deep breath and subsequent loud exhale, Dad sank down into the cushions on the sofa.

“God, I missed this place,” he said as he glanced around. “I thought I’d never see home again.” His eyes then settled on me, sadness brewing in his hazel gaze. “But my real fear, sweetheart, was that I’d never see
you
again.”

“Oh, Dad.”

Choked up, I went to my father. I sat down next to him on the sofa and hugged him.

“I was so afraid for you,” I murmured. “I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have been dragged into this mess. Adam feels badly, too. He—”

My father leaned back and shushed me. “Madeleine, I want no more apologies, not from you or from Adam. Neither of you did anything wrong. And you can stop hiding things from me too. I know Adam is in more danger than either of you are letting on. I may be getting older, but don’t think I can’t see the fear on everyone’s faces, especially on yours and Adam’s.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell my dad how very right he was, but I also didn’t deny his observations. What I did try to do was distract him from the troubles he needn’t be worrying about.

“Hey, are you hungry for lunch?” I asked, effectively changing the subject. “I can make us something.”

My father admitted he was famished, as he’d not been given much in the way of food while being held captive.

We moved to the kitchen, and while I got to work on boiling some water to toss spaghetti noodles into, my dad loosened the lid on a jar of pasta sauce.

A short while later, Dad and I sat down at the kitchen table and dug into hearty bowls of spaghetti.

We chatted about nothing of consequence, until, at one point, my dad started to reminisce. He loved to do that from time to time. Some of the stuff I tuned out—I’d heard most of his old stories—but when he began rattled off a rather interesting tale, one that involved a much-younger Adam, I perked up considerably.

“I have to admit, Maddy,” Dad mused, “I always suspected Adam Ward had more than a passing interest in you.”

“Oh, really?” I twirled a forkful of pasta on a spoon. “What made you think that?”

“Well,” Dad continued, “years ago, Adam showed his hand, so to speak. He was attending a fundraiser here in Harbour Falls with his dad.” My dad waved his hand. “Some political event in my honor or some such thing.”

I set down my utensils. “Wait…I’ve never heard this story.”

And I had not. Jeez, had everyone known of Adam’s secret high school crush on me but me? How could I have been so clueless?

“So, tell me the story. What happened at the fundraiser? Don’t leave anything out, Dad.”

My father chuckled. “Calm down, Maddy. Let me tell you the story from the beginning.”

I quieted, as Dad had asked, and after a few seconds, he continued, “So, as I said, this was ages ago. The event was in the city hall ballroom. Lots of important townsfolk were in attendance. And that, of course, included Adam’s father, Dr. Ward. You’ll remember he was the dean of our local college back then.”

I nodded. “When was this exactly?” I asked, curious as to the time frame of this fundraiser.

My father seemed to consider. “Hmm, I’d be inclined to say all this occurred at the end of your senior year in high school, probably around April or May of that year.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Anyway, when I had the chance to talk with Dr. Ward for an extended period of time, young Adam was at his side. Dr. Ward had asked Adam to accompany him so he could show him how political business is conducted.” My father took a sip from his glass of water. “At one point, Dr. Ward and I were in the midst of discussing how I planned to renovate some of the older Harbour Falls landmarks. That’s when a call came in for Dr. Ward. He excused himself so he could go to another room to take the call in private.”

“Didn’t Adam leave with him?” I asked.

“No, not right away, Maddy. Dr. Ward motioned for Adam to follow, but he told his dad he’d be along in a minute. There was something he wanted to ask me.”

Ooh, this is getting interesting.
“And what was that?” I asked.

My father smiled knowingly. “After his father left the room, Adam cleared his throat, like he was gathering his courage or something. Then he asked me if you were in attendance that evening.”

Damn, I remembered that fundraiser now. I’d blown it off, thinking it’d be boring as hell. I recalled that I had hung out with J.T. and Ami that night. We’d gone to a completely forgettable movie. What a shame!

“Did you ever find out why Adam was asking if I was there?” I ventured.

My father paused, continued to smile knowingly, and said quietly, “I sure did. Adam told me he wanted to ask you to save a dance for him.”

Oh my.

Even all these years later, my pulse raced. Adam Ward at eighteen had been almost as good as present-day, twenty-eight-year-old Adam Ward. He was more lean back then but just as athletic. Maybe even more so, seeing as, at the time, he was the star receiver on our high school football team.

I sighed wistfully, imagining how gorgeous Adam must have looked that night, all dressed to the nines in a black tux and tie. But then I remembered a less-than-pleasant fact from long ago. Adam had been wrapped up with Chelsea Hannigan throughout his high school years.
Ugh.

I made a face and asked my dad, “But wasn’t Chelsea with Adam that night?”

My dad shook his head. “No, no. Not that I recall. Adam was there alone with his father. And”—Dad’s eyes met mine—“I must say, he appeared quite upset when he learned you weren’t at the party.”

“So, no Chelsea,” I mused out loud, “interesting.”

I tried to remember all the gossip from back then. I did recall a short window of time where Adam and Chelsea had broken up. I mentally kicked myself again for not having attended that stupid fundraiser. Perhaps my relationship with Adam would have kindled from a flicker to a flame that very night. If he’d been upset that I wasn’t there, as my father had just said, then maybe that fundraiser event would have marked the beginning of our story.

Alas…
It saddened me to think ten years that Adam and I could have been together were forever lost.

My father seemed to sense what I was thinking. He reached across the table and placed his hand over mine. “Madeleine, I didn’t tell you that story to make you sad. I told you so you’d know Adam had feelings for you, even back then.” My dad sighed. “These past few months, Maddy, I have to admit there were times, especially in the beginning, when I found it difficult to accept your relationship with Adam. I didn’t always trust his intentions. Men that powerful…” Dad trailed off.

“Dad, Adam’s intentions are true. I promise.”

“Oh, Maddy, I know that now. I don’t doubt that Adam loves you tremendously.”

“Adam does love me,” I agreed. “It’s just all this other stuff that worries me now.”

“Like the Wickingham Way fallout?” my dad asked, a clear reference to Ruslan.

I nodded, and my father said in his most serious tone, “Listen, Maddy, whatever’s happening with Ruslan, don’t let it tear you and Adam apart.”

“I won’t, Dad,” I promised. “This crap will all come to an end, and then Adam and I can finally focus on just our relationship. We’re in this for the long run. Forever.”

My dad smiled. Contented—I imagined—that his daughter had found her true love.

Forever, I whispered once more, feeling pretty darn contented myself.

Chapter Thirteen

A
curious thing happened in the weeks following my father’s rescue; Ruslan dropped off the radar.

It appeared as if the crime boss had disappeared, gone missing…maybe even been taken out for good. I had no idea, nor did Adam, although we hoped for the last option to be the one to hold true.

Stowe, who’d been a wealth of knowledge for a very long time, was unfortunately no longer much of a resource, especially when it came to figuring out where his old boss had slunk off to. Ruslan had cut off all contact with Stowe after realizing the man who’d once pledged his allegiance to the ruthless crime boss was now on the side of good.

Like Stowe, Erin—as well as the government entity she worked for—knew next to nothing. Things were at a standstill, at least in regard to Ruslan. His men, however, had begun to pop up, either through capture or by turning themselves in. One by one, the government thoroughly questioned each former member of the crime syndicate. The hope was to uncover some scrap of information regarding what had happened to the missing Ruslan.

But no one had any definitive answers.

There was, however, plenty of speculation that one of his own men had killed him, as he was not particularly liked or well-regarded. I sure as hell hoped the man who wanted Adam dead was no longer with us. But since nothing could be confirmed one way or the other, Adam and I remained merely cautiously optimistic.

Everyone involved with the Wickingham Way project—either directly or indirectly—felt pretty much the same way. All agreed Ruslan could have been taken out. As a result, Nate and Helena considered a return to Harbour Falls. Adam talked them out of it, though. He convinced our friends to remain at the safe house until confirmation could be made that Ruslan was indeed deceased.

Good call,
I thought,
better safe than sorry.

Adam and I discussed a move of our own, a return to Fade Island. But we elected to stay on at the Victorian rental house in Harbour Falls awhile longer. True, we were well into March, and spring had certainly sprung, early this year, incidentally. But we felt it prudent to push our timeline to return to the island back a bit. As with Helena and Nate, we, too, needed to know Ruslan was out of our lives forever before making our next move.

“Do you think he’s dead?” I asked Adam one morning.

Adam had been outside, messing around in the front yard, readying Mrs. Heider’s flower beds for spring. Apparently, Adam was very bored.

But also very sweet, I thought, as I observed the modest bouquet of tulips and crocuses he was carrying.

“Maddy…” Adam sighed as he handed me the bright magenta tulip and purple crocus bouquet. “I bring you flowers and my thoughtful gesture turns your thoughts to death.” He held his hand to his heart, wounded. “Really, you’re giving me a complex here.”

I knew what Adam was doing—changing the subject to something other than Ruslan.

Still, I pressed on. “So, do you think he’s dead?”

Adam shrugged his wide shoulders. “I don’t know, Maddy…” His voice grew serious. “…perhaps.”

I held tightly to my bouquet and wished for a more definitive answer than “perhaps.”

Thankfully, not every day was spent ruminating over what may have happened to the head of the criminal organization Adam (and the government) had so unmercifully brought to its knees.

For instance, on a happier note, there was more than just spring in the air. Love was in the air as well. In fact, love was flourishing.

In my relationship with Adam, with all the secrets and mysteries finally behind us, I felt closer to him than I had at any time during our first six months together, except for maybe the days spent at the cabin. Those days had been amazing. And like those times, I still craved Adam’s presence like crazy, basking in our every moment together.

Bottom line, things were awesome.

Another interesting development was that Adam and I weren’t the only two ridiculously-in-love Harbour Falls residents.

Nope, not at all.

Seems Stowe and Erin’s relationship had turned into something serious. So serious, in fact, that Erin had moved in with Stowe next door.

“Moving in?” I’d asked Erin when I caught her lugging boxes into Stowe’s house one afternoon.

“Yeah,” she’d said, balancing a cardboard carton on her hip. “I know this seems fast, but with the life Stowe and I lead, you learn to seize the moment.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that comment, so I’d just nodded and watched Erin proceed into the Victorian next to mine.

I’d thought with Ruslan seemingly out of the picture, Stowe would leave Harbour Falls. But no, Stowe decided to stay in town awhile longer. Apparently he—and Erin, since she wasn’t returning to Boston any too soon—also wanted to be sure Ruslan was no longer a threat.

I wasn’t sure what it would be like living next door to Stowe and Erin, but it turned out to be a good thing. With them so close, Adam and I had an opportunity to get to know the two of them better as a couple. Before that happened though, Adam and Stowe had needed to reach a longer-than-twenty-four-hour truce. Thankfully, they did, and that made life easier for everyone.

I had once believed I’d never see true peace between the two hard-headed men, but I guessed Stowe gunning down the man who’d taken a shot at Adam at the warehouse went a long way in convincing Adam that Stowe was firmly entrenched on our side.

And thus began our friendship with Stowe and Erin.

To my surprise, as Adam and I began to spend more and more time with the couple—going out to dinner, catching a few movie, visiting each other’s homes—I discovered I genuinely liked Agent Lenehan. Erin was funny and sweet, and she became a true friend over time. I learned early on that while she could indeed be a tough-as-nails federal agent, Erin was also a fun-loving person who was easy to hang out with.

And that is how one sunny March afternoon I found myself walking with Erin in the quaint and tidy downtown area of Harbour Falls. We’d just had lunch at an awesome Mexican restaurant in town and were heading back to my car.

Suddenly, Erin slowed.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, slowing up on the sidewalk next to her.

She waved her hand. “Oh, yeah, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just remembered there’s something I need to pick up at the jewelry store. Do you mind if we stop in there for a minute? It won’t take long.”

“No, no, that’s fine,” I replied. “I don’t mind at all.”

It was a nice afternoon and there was no reason to rush home, so we turned and headed in the direction of the jewelers.

As we walked, Erin explained why she needed to stop in the jewelry store.

“I dropped a necklace off last week. I broke the damn clasp somehow. Anyway, I can’t believe I almost forgot it’s supposed to be ready today. Stowe and I are going out tonight, and I’d really love to wear it with the outfit I have planned. Sorry I didn’t think of it sooner, Maddy.”

I assured her, again, that the detour was no problem.

The jeweler was right next to city hall, and I knew my dad was working today. Dad was fully recovered from his kidnapping ordeal, but I hadn’t been able to truly rest easy knowing Ruslan could still be out there somewhere. That concern led me to check in on my father quite often. And since we were right here at city hall, I asked Erin, “Would it be all right if we stopped in to say hi to my dad before we hit the jewelry store?”

“Sure, Maddy,” Erin replied with a smile. “Your dad is such a sweetheart. I always enjoy seeing him.”

I chuckled, since my dad loved to see the people who had saved his life just as much. He never failed to thank the Wickingham Way participants profusely every time he ran into one of them.

Today turned out to be no exception.

In my father’s office, Dad grabbed up Erin’s hand and shook it vigorously. “Thank you again, young lady,” he said. “I don’t mean to keep repeating myself, but I just can’t thank you enough for all you did to rescue me.”

Erin
pshaw-
ed, “Aw, Mayor Fitch, that’s so nice of you to say. But—like I told you before—you give me entirely too much credit. Really, your rescue was all Stowe and Adam’s doing. And Nate and Max helped, of course. But me, I wasn’t even at the warehouse.”

“I know, I know,” my father replied. “But you were close by the whole time, ready to help. And I know you were instrumental in setting up the whole rescue. For all those things, I thank you.”

Erin accepted my father’s gratitude graciously. Dad, who had somehow gotten wind that Max had been shot during the rescue attempt, turned to me. “That reminds me, Maddy, how is Max faring?”

“Recovering well,” I said, echoing what I’d recently been told by Adam.

Erin nodded in agreement. “That’s what I’ve heard, as well, Mayor Fitch. Max is doing great.”

“Excellent, excellent, that makes me happy to hear.”

We sat and talked for a while longer, but then my dad’s secretary called and reminded him he had a town council meeting to attend to down the hall.

“I almost forgot,” he said into the receiver, before hanging up with his secretary.

Dad got up and hugged us both. And then we said our farewells.

Erin and I made our way to our next stop, the jewelry store.

As we stepped into the store, the little bell above the door to alert the staff to someone’s presence jingled. Erin, who was telling me more of her and Stowe’s plans tonight, continued chattering away, even as my attention was drawn to a good-looking man at the counter, signing what looked like a receipt.

But wait, I knew the guy.

“Adam?” I exclaimed.

Why is Adam at a jewelry store?

Adam glanced my way, raising an eyebrow. “What are you doing here, Maddy?”

I could tell I’d caught him completely off guard, but I gave him points for trying to play it cool.

“Why are you here?” I blurted out, not bothering to answer the same question he’d just posed to me.

Adam’s silence spoke volumes, as did the withering look he gave me. He was up to something, but he wasn’t about to divulge a thing.

My suspicions were confirmed when the lady behind the counter, who’d not paid us any heed up to this point, attempted to hand Adam what looked like a black velvet ring box.

Adam quickly turned away from the woman, effectively blocking my view.

“Madeleine,” he purred, still so cool, collected, and smooth as he leaned back against the counter. “I knew you were coming into town today for lunch, but I don’t recall you making any mention of a stop to the jewelers.”

“Uh—”

“We’re here for me,” Erin piped in. “I’m here to pick up a necklace.”

Adam’s gaze moved to Erin. He eyed her meaningfully for several seconds, and then Erin turned to me and amended, “Actually, um, I think I was mistaken, Maddy. The necklace won’t be ready until tomorrow.”

Yeah, right.

Clearly, Adam wanted me out of the store, and Erin was going to make sure that happened. All of this was fine with me because I’d seen the ring box. And if it meant what I thought it meant, then the incredibly handsome Adam Ward was planning to propose. To me. And probably not too far off in the future.

Oh. My. God.
Could I have been any happier? Abso-freaking-lutely not.

I resisted the urge to squeal in joy, and instead I waved a light and airy farewell to Adam, all while allowing Erin to usher me back out the door.

“Holy crap!” I exclaimed once we were outside the store and standing at the curb.

Erin must have seen the box as well, as she glanced away and said nothing. But I caught her sly smile.

Had Adam confided in her? Had she known his plans for today? Maybe, but I doubted it. She never would have suggested stopping in at the jewelry store had she thought Adam would be there.

Still, curious as I was, I longed to ask Erin if she knew anything—anything at all—of Adam’s plans.

Of course, I did no such thing. Adam’s intention was for whatever he had planned to remain a secret. And I’d learned to respect those types of secrets. So I quelled my curiosity and moved the conversation to things unrelated to jewelry stores, things unrelated to rings, things unrelated to possibilities of proposal.

Erin relaxed, noticeably so, when she realized I wasn’t going to beg her for answers or try to find out what she knew of Adam’s intentions. She and I walked back to the car, chatting amiably of other things. But I didn’t pay too much attention to the mundane subjects we discussed.

How could I? I was too elated, too full of joy.

Adam had apparently not been joking around back at the cabin last month. It appeared as if the gorgeous Mr. Ward truly wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.

I sighed, contented. Erin didn’t notice; she kept right on talking.

It didn’t matter, as all I could think of was Adam and the impending proposal. I wanted the same things as Adam—to get married, to spend the rest of our lives together. And I couldn’t wait to get started on this future of ours.

Too bad the past always has a way of catching up to you.