Best Friend Next Door (Love Next Door Book 2) *Rough Draft*

Chapter 32

Isaac was awoken out of a deep peaceful sleep by a knock. He slid out of bed like a zombie. His muscles still ached from working out all night and grumbled curses on his way to the front door.

"Do you answer the phone?" Jake's hair was disheveled, and there was no sign that he had even been to sleep, and it was the middle of the night. "Dude you sleep like the dead, everybody has been calling you."

Isaac slapped his hand through his hair. He'd hardly opened his eyes as he leaned against the door. "What are you doing here so late?" He tried to speak clearly but his words sounded like Ozzy Ozborne.

Jake stepped past him into his house. "Get dressed we have to go." Jake tugged him.

"Go where?" The only place he wanted to go was bed. He had to go to work in the morning, He had already come home late from the gym, he had gave in and decided to shower and then he drug himself to bed. He was ready to just give Jake his keys and let him take care of whatever mess his little brother got himself into.

"Come on dude, hurry up." He nudged, "I left Cam next door with the kids."

Suddenly, he was up as he looked at his brother. What the hell was he doing next door with Cam. Jake gave him another hard push, "Come on, you have to pick up everybody."

"Pick up everyone from where?"

He gave a hard huff.

It was like the punch line of a terrible joke he'd heard at the bar. The Davisons and the Goodwins were in a jail cell. What would it be for? Flashing came back to Christian and the sweet bless of his fist connecting with Brody's jawline. Most of it he had black out, but came back now in small flashes. His dad holding him back taking another heavy swing at him, Melanie stabbing her foot into his rib cage along with Dee, Val and Ken were in there somewhere. Somehow they all ended up in a small cell, and Brody, who needed to be in prison and have grown men do what he did to Dee.

His blood still boiled and adrenaline still pushed through his veins as his fist still throbbed. He looked up at Heath, the young deputy. He was pretty cool, he'd come into the bar during his patrols and shoot the shit with him, but there was only so much he could do when he spotted a crowd beating the living daylights out of the town doctor.

He loaded us all in the back seat, he didn't even bother with the handcuffs and took us to the small precinct.

He looked around the room. This crazy disheveled bunch was his family.

"I think I should take the blame for this." Abe finally spoke after a long silence.

All heads looked in Abe's direction. Valerie's hand rested in his thigh.

He looked toward Melanie, "Mel, I know you were thinking Brody was going to tell you what's been going on with me." He looked back at Val and let out a sigh, "I would have told you if you'd asked." His head fell as a collective sigh went around the room. "I wasn't keeping a secret, I just wanted to surprise everyone. I few weeks ago, my lawyer let me know that some of my investments had some pretty hefty pay outs."

"What do you mean?" Val asked.

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Well, turns out I'm worth over a million dollars and well..." He shrugged, "I'm a millionaire."

There was another depleted sigh that went through the cell and Val pulled away facing the deputy's desk away from Abe.

He cleared his throat. "I consider this a family business and I wanted to make sure that all of you kids were taken care of." He continued nervously, "I also wanted to make sure that Val got the wedding she wanted. No matter what the cost sweetie."

"So you're not poor?" Melanie's eyes narrowed as she shook her head, "I mean how?"

"I do a lot of investments, some of them very lucrative."

"Is that all, Abe."

Abe's head lowered like a scared puppy and his eyes widened.

Valerie huffed and shook her head, "I can't believe you."

"I wasn't intentionally trying to hide it, Valarie." He said, "Even this, I thought would be a surprise for our wedding day, but," he sighed, "Seeing all of your reaction, I'd better get this out in the open now, before." His eyes darted to each side. "Valarie," He knelt in front of her gently sliding his fingers over hers. Christian wondered if it was for comfort or to keep her from slapping him. Maybe both. "Baby you know I love you more than anything."

"What did you do, Abe?" Valerie's nostrils flared as she gave him a death glare.

He blew out a breath, "A few weeks ago, I um..." He scratched the back of his neck and took in another breath, "I invited Allan..."

Valerie shot up as a collective groan filled the cell. "You did what? What the hell did you do get pointers. Were you having second thoughts about marrying me." Her eyes glassed.

"We talked about this Val. I told you I wanted to adopt the kids." He argued, "We talked about it Val. We did."

"And I thought you could consult with me, before you invited my ex husband." She shook her head, "How long was he hear."

"He was in and out Val. We both went to see Kayla at preschool."

Her eyes widened again. "You did what?" she growled.

"He is her father, Val." He said, "I thought I was doing the right thing. I know he hurt you and you wouldn't want to see him."

"I'm her mother Abe!" She shouted.

"And I'm almost her father." He said.

As if on cue for the worst timing ever Isaac walked in.

"Let me out!" Valerie screamed her cheeks streaming with angry tears.

Isaac drove everyone back to their cars getting bits of the story of what happened. All he thought was, that it was the last time he'd miss a family dinner. He didn't like Dee but she was family. Christian apologized to the girls for even entertaining Brody's "bet" but it made him feel better that the reason Christian never tried Mel was because of him. He had never felt closer to Christian. Though he did wish he had gotten a few hits on Brody.

Melanie rode shotgun with him, and his father looking depressed in the back seat. He drove there with Valerie. Isaac slipped his and over Melanie's. He had noted a few bumps and cuts. That made him want to find Brody even more.

He'd dropped Abe off at his house and then straight to the drive way of his own house. Before Melanie could protest he captured her cheeks and rubbed his nose to hers.

"Mel, baby, I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine."

Without a word he stepped out of the car, went around his car and took her hand. He didn't want to ask, and give her the opportunity to say 'no'. If she did, she did. But tonight he had been a selfish idiot, and he felt like she needed him, and he wasn't there.

He closed the door behind her and pulled her into his arms in the house. He claimed her lips again carefully. Lifting her up she wrapped her arms around his waist. He knew. He lead her to his bedroom, lowered her on his bed and slowly made love to her. He smiled as she dozed off in his arms. She was safe, happy, content, just the way she needed to be.