Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy - Diana Palmer Page 0,96
another chance.”
Pax studied him. “Do you think I did it?”
“Nope,” he said, and meant it. “I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, like I should have from the start. If you say you didn’t steal that stuff, then I believe you.”
Pax let out a breath. “Good, cuz I didn’t do it.”
“But you know who did?”
“You asking as a cop or my sister’s boyfriend?”
Noah laughed. “I doubt your sister would take warmly to me being called her boyfriend right now. I’m asking as your friend.”
Pax studied him for a long moment, most likely trying to figure out if Noah’s word was any good. He couldn’t fault the kid. Noah hadn’t acted all that trustworthy.
“Faith’s making me work off my community hours, so I started helping Mr. Wilkins move trees around his lot,” Pax began. “It was supposed to be for free, you know, as part of my punishment, but Mr. Wilkins said, ‘A day’s work means a day’s pay, and as long as it’s between us men, no one will be the wiser.’”
“You weren’t supposed to be getting paid and he wasn’t supposed to be hiring kids too young to get a work permit?” Noah guessed because he’d once been one of those kids working for under the table pay for folks around town.
He nodded. “Faith is always going on about how we have to do things the right way on account of our dads. So I was going to tell him no, but a guy in my class offered to sell me his laser gun set for cheap. It was almost brand-new, but he said he got two sets for Christmas,” he explained. “Even though I knew Faith would freak because she hates guns, I told Mr. Wilkins yes. Yesterday, I gave Decalin the money for the laser guns, but I had to swear not to tell anyone where I got them because his parents didn’t know he’d sold them.”
“Does this Decalin have a last name?”
“Beaumont.”
Interesting. According to Logan, the witness who’d ID’d Pax was a Beaumont.
“If I promise Mr. Wilkins won’t get in trouble, would you mind my going down and having a talk with him?”
“You going to tell Faith about me working for money?”
Noah ruffled the kid’s hair. “No, buddy, you are.”
* * *
Sweet’s Holiday Shindig was in full swing and Ester had yet to show, which left Faith working the booth alone. She was dressed in a red sweater with a green snowcap, doing her best to exude holiday joy, which was difficult when inside she felt like crying.
She’d hoped today would be a game changer for her family, and it had been. Just not in the way she had envisioned. In the season of hope and joy, Faith was short on both.
Seated at the booth to her right was Gina, head of Faith’s legal counsel, who worked for ginger bear cookies, lecturing her on different codes and laws. On her left was Shelby, emotional support friend and advocate for love trumps all.
“Never let a man get the best of you,” Gina said. “Once they know they have you vulnerable, it’s game over. Guys suck that way.”
“Not all guys,” Shelby argued.
“You’re right,” Gina said. “Just the testosterone toting, alpha-egomaniacs. You need a sweet man, who’s also good in bed and isn’t afraid to tap into his emotions for you.”
“Noah was pretty open about his feelings,” Faith said.
“Look, if you want encouraging, ask her.” Gina pointed to Shelby. “I tell it to you straight.”
She was right. Faith didn’t need help remembering all the wonderful things about Noah. She had a mental spreadsheet already exceeding Santa’s Naughty and Nice list. What she needed was someone to remind her why ending things was best for everyone.
Shelby scooched closer to Faith. “Can I ask you something?”
“If I said no, would you still ask?”
“Yes.”
“Then who am I to stop you?”
“I’m not making excuses for Noah’s boneheaded move because, good intentions aside, his execution had Tucker written all over it. Believe me when I say, I get it. I live with the most stubborn of the brothers.” Shelby gentled her voice. “But are you really upset over him barging in like a Ranger instead of your boyfriend? Or was it that you’d started to feel something and it scared you, so you used the situation to push him away?”
“I didn’t push him away.” She sounded a little more defensive than intended. “I told him to go.” Which he had, right out the front door and out of her life.