calling the police. Adam, did you see what they were driving? We need to report this before they kill someone.”
“I want to file charges against them.” Cara lifted her chin a notch. “If they had gotten me into the car…” She shuddered, closing her eyes for a few seconds.
“I’ll take care of everything, Cara.”
As the teen gave Noah the description of the white car, Adam shot a concerned look at Cara. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Noah was glad Adam had been at the right place at the right time, but he felt as though he had let down one of his workers. No one hurts his employees, not if he could do anything about it. He would push for those three to face the stiffest charges.
“You two can sit in my office while we wait.” Noah walked to the wall phone and punched in the police department. After making his report, he said to Kalvin, “Let the officer in when he comes.”
“Can we do anything to help?”
“Yeah, please finish closing up for me. I need to drive Cara home after she reports the incident.”
“Okay, boss.” Kalvin began to turn away, stopped and peered back at Noah. “I know Jake, Jeremy and Brent from school. They go to the University of Cimarron. They’re the star players on the baseball team. Without them I doubt we’ll win the conference.” Kalvin headed to the kitchen.
Great! Another added bonus. Noah thought of the publicity this would trigger when the press discovered the charges the three star players would face. He didn’t see any way this could be kept quiet.
He walked through the kitchen and found Cara and Adam seated in his office. While Adam peered at his hands in his lap, she stared off into space. An urge to eliminate that lost look in her eyes overwhelmed Noah. He settled in the last chair in front of his desk and faced Cara.
“The police should be here shortly. Can I get you anything until then?”
“No—yes, some water.”
Adam bolted to his feet. “I’ll get it.”
When the teen left, Noah took Cara’s trembling hands.
“I’m sorry this happened. This is usually a safe place to work. I—”
“You didn’t do anything. You can’t control what drunks will do.”
Her words plunged him back into the past. A picture of his father striding toward him with his fist raised struck him. Those were memories he made a point of never reliving. Shoving them away, he said, “That doesn’t mean I can’t try.”
Adam reentered the room with a law officer trailing. The teen gave Cara a glass of water and sat again in the chair next to her.
Noah stood. “Have y’all found them?”
“Right before I came in here, I got a report the three young men were pulled over not far from here. They’re being taken down to headquarters to be charged with public intoxication. They’ll be spending the night in jail.”
Noah sighed. “Good.”
“I want to file charges against them.” Cara clasped the arms of her chair.
The officer removed a pad and pen. “What happened, ma’am?”
After Cara told him what had happened in the parking lot, Noah recounted the incident in the restaurant.
The police officer peered up from writing. “I’ll need you all to come down and file these charges.”
The exhaustion carved into Cara’s face prompted Noah to ask, “Can I bring her tomorrow morning? This has been a long day for her.”
“Sure, Mr. Maxwell. They won’t be going anywhere.” The policeman looked at Adam. “I’ll need your statement, too.”
“I’ll bring him also,” Noah said.
“You did a good thing this evening, young man.” The officer said as he left.
“Since you missed your bus,” Noah asked Adam, “do you need a ride home?”
Adam shook his head. “I’ll get Kalvin to drive me.”
“Okay. How about tomorrow to the police station?”
“No, I can take the bus. What time should I be there?”
“Nine.”
Adam rose. “I’ll go help Kalvin close up.”
“Thanks again,” Cara said as the teen hurried from the office.
“Are you ready to leave?” Noah asked.
She pushed herself to her feet, tension in every line of her body. “I have my car here.”
“Since we need to go to the police station in the morning to give a statement, I’ll pick you up and then bring you here so you can get your car. I’ll find someone to take your shift tomorrow.”
“I can come in to work tomorrow. I need the money.” Anger slashed across her face. “I’m not gonna let those guys do any more to me than they already have.”
Noah sensed the fear beneath the declaration. Any moment he expected her to fall apart. “I don’t think you should drive yourself home. Your hands are shaking.”
The urge to draw her against him and hold her until her fear subsided set off alarms in Noah’s mind. He would take her home and to the police tomorrow because he was her employer. Even a temporary employee deserved his support. But after that, he would go his way and she hers. He made it a practice never to get involved with a single mother, and he intended to keep his life uncomplicated.
“Let’s go. It’s been a long day.” Noah withdrew his car keys from his pocket. When she started to protest, he cut her off. “Humor me. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I sent you to Laura’s by yourself.”
Cara took a deep breath, then released it slowly. “Fine, but I’m coming into work tomorrow.” Her shoulders sagged as though suddenly she couldn’t keep the exhaustion at bay.
“If that’s the way you want it.” Maybe nothing would come of charging the star baseball players. Although he hadn’t known what the three guys looked like, he’d heard their names. For the first time in years, the team had a chance to win big because of these players. Who was he kidding? It was going to be a mess. This town was sports crazy when it came to supporting the University of Cimarron City Tigers. And Cara would be in the middle of it. He needed to warn her.
They settled in his Corvette, and for ten minutes, Noah negotiated the streets in silence. He didn’t know how to tell her who the young men were and just how popular they were in town.
Hesitant to make matters worse, he settled on something he remembered Laura saying about Cara. “Why does Laura call you a free spirit?”
Her laughter was forced. “She was being sarcastic. I’m anything but that.”
“But you left St. Louis on the spur of the moment?”
“Yeah, that was out of character. I normally plan everything down to the tiniest detail.”
“We all do things out of character from time to time.” Like what I’m doing now. I don’t get involved with women like Cara, women who want commitment. Ever .
“I guess it really wasn’t on the spur of the moment. Laura had been working on getting me here for the last eighteen months. So when Timothy said he missed Matthew and Joshua and playing with them, I decided it was time to move.” She leaned her head back on the soft leather cushion and closed her eyes. “I don’t want to return to St. Louis.”
Her comment out of the blue took him by surprise. “Why not?” he asked, before his internal censor could stop him from delving into her