Home to Whiskey Creek by Brenda Novak

wanted to know more about how he’d found Milly’s granddaughter and his theories about why she’d been kidnapped, which kept his own curiosity front and center. He’d heard that Chief Stacy had discovered a knife in the bushes by her bedroom door and was looking for its owner. A weapon showed serious intent. Surely, now she’d stop protecting whoever had hurt her.
    Noah wanted to talk to her, make certain. But after locking up for the night, he hesitated about going over to Milly’s. He wasn’t confident Adelaide would be glad to see him. She hadn’t acted as if she liked him very much—until he’d carried her to bed. Then she’d given him that sleepy, “I’ve got to have something you want.”
    That could’ve been interpreted as flirting, couldn’t it?
    Even if it wasn’t, he chose to take it as evidence that he could, with effort, win her over. After all, she’d found him attractive in high school, and he hadn’t changed that much.
    Actually, that he hadn’t changed more sort of bothered him. He knew part of it was his profession. Riding bikes was almost too much fun to take seriously. But it wasn’t just that. So many of his friends seemed to be growing up ahead of him. In the past couple of years, Cheyenne, Gail and Callie had all married and settled down. Gail had a stepson and a baby, with another baby on the way. Sometimes he felt his friends were leaving him in the dust. Baxter wasn’t married, but he seemed older now, more like the others.
    Isn’t that what you usually want to talk about? How hot your latest conquest was?
    God, was he really that immature?
    He didn’t want to answer that question, not honestly. He hadn’t shared what he’d shared with Baxter just to brag. He’d been trying to fend off the sneaking suspicion that his best friend had a thing for him. That justified his behavior, didn’t it? It wasn’t as if he talked about the women he dated with anyone else.
    Just in case it would make a difference, he drove over to Nature’s Way, the closest grocery store, and bought Addy several magazines, along with some candy, crossword puzzles and a couple of five-dollar movies. She probably had all the sweets she could eat. She was living with Milly, after all, who made those decadent desserts for Just Like Mom’s. But if he showed up bearing gifts he might be able to convince Addy that he hadn’t meant to disappoint her fifteen years ago when he failed to notice she was even alive.
    He’d certainly noticed her last night, in more ways than one. Maybe she’d been unremarkable in high school—shy and awkward—but he could tell, despite her injuries, that she’d improved a great deal since.
    Fortunately, her grandmother answered his knock, so he knew he’d at least get inside the door. Milly loved him.
    “Noah! How nice of you to come by!”
    He cast a surreptitious glance over her gray head but couldn’t see Adelaide. “How is she?”
    “Holding up. Slept most of the day. But her poor eye.” She adjusted her walker to allow the door to open wider. “The swelling’s going down but it’s all black-and-blue.”
    “She in bed now?” The thought of being unable to see her disappointed him but Milly shook her head.
    “No, she’s in my office, on the phone with Ed.”
    “Ed?” he repeated.
    “Hamilton. Over at the paper.”
    “Of course.”
    “He’s going to print her story. Maybe it’ll prompt anyone who saw anything to come forward.”
    “I hope it does.”
    “Me, too.” She stepped back even farther. “Come in. She’ll be off in a minute.”
    “I wouldn’t want to bother her if she’s too tired....”
    She scowled at his words. “Don’t be silly. You’re her knight in shining armor. I’m sure she’d love to say hello.”
    He doubted he could take Milly’s word for it, but he’d come this far....
    “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
    “No, that’s okay.”
    “Why not? It won’t take me long to whip up a fresh pot.”
    “Well, if you don’t