Pinpoint (Point #4) (32 page)

I can’t help but giggle. “The big bad hockey player sent this to you?”

Violet shrugs and I toss the phone back in her direction. “Love makes you do all sorts of silly things.” She nudges my foot again with hers. “Feeling a little better?”

I frown as I think of what lies ahead of us tomorrow. “There’s a rough day on the horizon, but I’m glad to face it with you.”

“When we get back, you’ll go get your guy,” she says sternly, though her eyes twinkle.

“And when we get back, I’ll go get my guy,” I agree.

Because now that I’ve admitted to myself that I love him, I don’t know that I can go another day without him.

Oscar

It takes creative thinking and calling on a few connections, but I’m able to land Cam Stone’s phone number within an hour of getting off the phone with Iris. Even though I’m friendly with both Cam and Violet, I only have her phone number. When I call Cam, he answers after a few rings, sounding wary.

“Hello?”

“Stone, this is Oscar Alexander. I wouldn’t call you this late if it weren’t urgent.”

“Is Violet okay?” he asks sharply. “Iris?”

“They’re both fine,” I say quickly. “But there’s something I’m hoping to convince you on related to them.”

“I’m listening,” he says.

“If Violet hasn’t already told you, they’re driving down to Winter tomorrow to check on their parents and support the community. I offered to go, but Iris declined. That’s why I’m going to give them a head start, but I’m planning on going to Winter, too.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Oscar, but why?”

“Because I don’t want her alone down there with their asshole father.”

“Ah. This sounds more like boyfriend duty than friend duty,” the fucker goads me.

“Didn’t ask your opinion on the matter,” I retort. “Are you in or are you out?”

Cam chuckled, again sounding like he knows something I don’t. The arrogance pisses me off, but at the same time, I like the schmuck, so I don’t lose my cool. “In. I won’t get back until painfully early tomorrow morning, so you’ll need to drive.” He rattles off his address.

“I’ll be there by nine.”

It’s not a question in my mind. I will show Iris my support by being a physical presence in Winter. If Cam hadn’t agreed to come with me, although I doubted that was a possibility, I would go without him. Iris says she can’t trust me. I’m going to show her that I’ll be her pillar. And the next opportunity I have to share my demons, I’ll take it. No more of this waiting her out bullshit.

The next morning, Cam jogs out from his house, dark sunglasses covering his eyes and wearing a grim expression.

“Coffee,” I say when he climbs into the car gesturing toward the paper cup in the center console cup holder.

“Thank you,” he grunts. “Didn’t get back home until three this morning. Had to pick up my dog from Violet’s place and get him set up with the walker. I didn’t sleep much.”

“Go ahead and nap. GPS will get us there.”

Cam sips from the cup, relaxing in the seat as I steer away from the sidewalk.

“Or caffeinate.”

“This won’t keep me awake,” he says ruefully. “Caffeine never works on me.”

“There’s an egg sandwich for you in the back.”

Cam shoots me a curious look. “All right, we done bullshitting? Tell me why you’re driving two hours outside the city to check up on Iris. Come clean.”

“You really want me to say it?”

“Yeah, actually I do,” Cam says cheerfully. He bends backward to get the sandwich and begins unwrapping it. “Violet is the love of my life. That means I watch out for her best interests. Making sure Iris doesn’t get her heart stomped on by you falls within those best interests.”

“And who watches out for Iris’ best interests?”

Cam guffaws around a bite of the same breakfast I made for myself before coming to get him this morning. “She isn’t even yours, and you’re falling at her feet.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Cam. She is mine.”

“Does Iris know that?” Cam uses the buttons to adjust the seat to his height, stretching the length of his legs in front of him.

“I’m the first one to admit that I’ve made mistake after mistake when it comes to Iris.” Grimacing, I flick my gaze to the GPS and notice that it’s time to cut across a lane of traffic and merge onto I-290.

“Atta boy.” My passenger claps a hand on my shoulder. “Own up to what you did. She’ll respect that.”

“Didn’t realize that this trip was going to turn into a therapy session,” I mutter.

Cameron smirks as he crumples the empty sandwich wrapper into a ball and drops it at his feet. He removes his sunglasses and places them into the side compartment of the passenger door. “What can I say? I’m a multi-talented guy.”

I grunt. “Until this moment, I hadn’t second-guessed this decision.”

“In all seriousness, you were right when you asked me who’s looking out for Iris. Yeah, she has her sister and she has me, but at the end of the day, I know she considers herself the third wheel. If this gesture doesn’t show her that she’s front and center in your lineup, I don’t know what will.”

I don’t bother responding, though I internalize his words, allowing them to stoke my confidence. The rhythmic hum of the car cruising along the highway soon puts Cam to sleep. National public radio plays in the car, but I hardly listen until they discuss the vicious tornado that tore through central Illinois. They classify it an EF-4; apparently, that means a vicious storm. Two deaths were reported and a litany of injuries is being documented. The further west the drive, the more rural the land becomes and signs of distress are evident: downed trees and powerlines among a torrent of debris.

Twenty minutes outside Winter, Cam rouses from his nap.

“How far out are we?” He scrubs a hand across his face, wiping away the signs of sleep.

“Twenty or so.” Indicating that I’m taking the next exit with my signal, I glance at Cam. “Pit stop before we get there?”

“That’d be great.” Cam frowns at his phone, reading his messages, and then glances at me. “Hey, I forgot to thank you for bringing me along with you. For the record, my independent girlfriend said the same thing when I told her I wanted to go with her and Iris. I was about to request a driver when you called. I appreciate it, man.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“You’re a good guy, Oscar. Makes me feel guilty for ever steering Iris away from you.”

“Excuse me?” I bark.

Cam waves his hand dismissively. “It was long before you ever hooked up. I told her you weren’t one to settle down. Not exactly off the mark, was I?”

Annoyed at how right his assessment was, I can’t help when my voice comes out clipped. “That’s in the past.” I whip the car into a fast food parking lot and shut off the ignition.

“Clearly.”

A bathroom break and another coffee for each of us and we’re back on the road.

“Any idea where we’ll find them?” Cam asks once we see a sign indicating Winter city limits.

“Not one. Besides, the landmarks are gone. All I see is wreckage.” Slowly, I drive through the remnants of a town decimated by nature. What once were homes, businesses, schools, and buildings now lie in pathetic piles of rubble. A weight forms a ball in the pit of my stomach.

“This is horrific.”

“A disaster,” Cam agrees. “Red Cross trucks over there. Looks like that building was spared. Why don’t we start there?” I guide the vehicle to where he indicates and park near a cluster of other cars. Cam pulls out a plain navy cap I didn’t realize he brought, pulling it low to shield his face. People mill around. There’s no obvious sense of order.

“Hang back. I’ll see if I can get information.” Cam nods and leans against the car as inconspicuously as a broad professional NHL goalie can.

I stride to a woman with a clipboard who looks like she may have an idea of what’s happening. Her face lights with relief when she finds two more volunteers willing to help. She tells me a group is going through businesses on Main Street. They’ve been at it for hours, and she knows that the church was a priority to get the pious community a place to worship after the disaster. At the mention of a church, she catches all my attention. I know Iris’ father is a pastor. The coordinator points me in the direction of the town’s main drag, and I jog back to Cam and tell him where we’re headed.

“I’d like to get a word in with their father,” Cam says as we walk.

“Probably not the best timing, considering the chances he lost his home and place of worship are pretty good,” I say with regret.

“You don’t think he deserves a verbal beat down for what he did to his daughters?”

“No disagreement here. But I’m not sure Violet or Iris would appreciate us taking that battle on for them. At least, not here and now.”

“Yeah,” Cam agrees reluctantly.

On our way to the church, we find a group of men needing our help to move debris. We pause along the way several times to support efforts to carefully move branches and are even given gloves to assist in removing broken glass. Despite the near desperate urge to find Iris and Violet, Cam and I are unable to refuse aid where we can help. Eventually, we break free and make our way to the church.

It’s not hard to find the Harper sisters. Somehow, the structure of the church remains intact. Most of the other volunteers are walking away from the building when we get within fifty yards, except for a familiar set of young women. A man with wire-frame glasses and a stiff blond haircut stands over them. Even in the aftermath of the storm, his clothes are crisp, formal, and unwrinkled. From this far out, I can’t hear what he’s saying, but it’s clear none of the three are happy.

“Look.” I nudge Cam with my elbow. His face hardens.

“What the fuck. He’s dressing them down.” Possessiveness roars through me at Cam’s evaluation of the situation. We break into a jog, getting close enough to overhear the conversation.

“To think you’d show your faces here after the way you disgraced this family. It’s disgusting. You are not wanted in Winter. That was made clear when I disowned you both.”

Some of the other townspeople notice the scene and don’t pretend to look away. A few steps from the commotion, a woman with graying red hair wrings her hands nervously. Somehow, I know this woman is Pastor Harper’s wife.

“Do you think the people of this town would accept your lives of sin? You’ve brought nothing but shame on this family and our parish. Leave.”

Ferocity heats my veins, and I want nothing more to rip this guy off his high horse, metaphorically, when a palm on my chest halts me in place.

“What?” I snarl.

Cam cocks his head toward the group. “Your girl.”

From this angle, I am only able to see her back. Iris stands ramrod straight, head held proudly. When she speaks, her voice is loud, clear, and does not waver. “You can disown us all you want, but do not begin to presume to know who we are. You never knew us. All you ever wanted was for the women in your home to obey you. Well, thank goodness Violet had the courage to leave Winter. If you had even the slightest idea of the women we are today, you’d be bragging about us, not spitting on our memory. We care for each other. We care for our community. We believe in making the world a better place than it was when we came into it. Do you know why we came here today? Because no matter what, you and mother are our family, and we couldn’t bear to think of you or this town struggling. With no selfish motives, we came to help.”

Their father leans closer, not bothering to hide a look of pure disgust. His words are directed at Iris. “You were to marry John Tyler and keep the church in my family. Instead, you ran off to sell your soul to the lowest bidder.” Then his gaze shifts to Violet. “I have nothing further to discuss with either of you. Do as I say and go. You are not welcome here.”

As if she wakes from a slumber, Violet stands straighter. “Father, we’re not here to cause trouble. Why can’t you see that?” She puffs up her chest with a breath. “Listen to us, please.”

But the man refuses to budge. His face flushes with unrestrained anger, lips drawing into a thin, tight line.

At my sides, my hands ball into fists. It’s one thing to hear how awful Iris’ father was, but it’s another to see firsthand how big of an asshole he is. As much as I want to step in and take both these women away from him, I hold back. This isn’t my battle.

From this vantage point, I can see that Iris trembles—with anxiety or rage, I’m not sure, but she maintains her composure. “If we leave now, we won’t be back.” He doesn’t flinch.

Iris weaves an arm over her sister’s shoulders and guides her away. They walk with a similar stiffness, as though the exchange drained them of the energy to move faster. A mixture of admiration and remorse battles inside me. Watching Iris stand up to her father was awe-inspiring, but seeing the heart-wrenching sadness written on her face makes me want to sweep her into my arms and not let her go until she smiles.

When Iris spots me, she falters, stumbling a step. Violet glances up from where she had been staring at the ground dejectedly and sees Cam. A look of pure, unmistakable love transforms her expression, and she runs the few steps between them to throw herself against his chest. I hear him murmuring in her ear, and I fight back a curl of jealousy, wishing that Iris would greet me in the same way.

She walks to me, blinking as if I’m a mirage that will vanish.

“You’re here.” Awe skirts around the edge of her tone.

“I had to show you my support and the phone wouldn’t do.” I’m not ashamed of following her down here. In fact, by the way her eyes soften, I know now more than ever that I made the right choice. She reaches out a hand toward me, and that’s all the encouragement I need.

I tangle our fingers together then draw her against my body. Releasing her hand, I slide my arms around her waist and fit our bodies together. With a slight bend, I press my nose into her silky lose hair, inhaling her omnipresent freshness. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than your bravery. Iris, you’re magnificent. I’ll tell you that every day for the rest of your life if that’s what it takes to make you believe it.” In my arms, she shudders. Her grip on my t-shirt tightens and then releases. She takes a breath that fans across my chest and I fight the urge to press deeper into her embrace. This is a hug in the middle of a disaster zone, not the privacy of my bedroom. Iris steps out of my arms, but I don’t allow her to move far away. With an arm still anchoring her to my side, we shift toward Violet and Cam, who stand in a similar way.