A Bride's Tangled Vows

by Dani Wade

  “Someone calling for help,” Jacob said around his panting breaths. “She’s inside.”

  Looking around, Aiden noticed the porch was pretty well engulfed in the flames. He wouldn’t fit in through the window. But he needed in, quick. Darting around, he faced the steps to the porch.

  “Aiden, don’t,” Jacob called, but Aiden couldn’t listen. If he thought too long, it would be too late, and he couldn’t leave Christina inside. That simply wasn’t an option.

  The fire was heaviest along the wall, less so among the new boards on the porch. Aiden closed his mind off to the sensation of heat, pulled the collar of his shirt up over his nose, and dashed across the porch, praying the boards held under his feet. He’d barely breeched the doorway before he stumbled over Christina on the floor.

  Oh, Lord. Please no. His heart resumed its pounding as her head lifted slightly. “Come on, baby. Let’s get out of here.”

  “Aiden?” she asked in a cracking voice then immediately started coughing. Lifting her up and over his shoulder, he turned back toward the door. It was hard to see for all the smoke, but it looked like someone was spraying water onto the fire. Aiden made straight for the lower flame and raced back outside, welcoming the cool shower in the midst of the blistering heat.

  He cleared the stairs to find the gardener and Nolen manning the hose. Jacob and Luke helped him get Christina laid out on the grass. She continued to cough, rolling over onto her side.

  That’s when Aiden saw the blood.

  “Get that hose over here,” Jacob commanded.

  They sprayed both Aiden and Christina down, making sure no lingering embers were on their clothes, then returned to their attempt to keep the fire from spreading.

  Aiden wiped at the blood covering one side of Christina’s face. “Luke, what does this look like to you?” he asked, knowing that his brother had first-aid training for his racing profession.

  Luke shined his flashlight on Christina’s face. She flinched, letting her eyes squeeze tightly shut. Her teeth started to chatter, interrupted by more coughing.

  “I think it’s just a cut, which isn’t surprising. Head wounds bleed a lot. But there’ll be paramedics with the fire trucks. Definitely want this looked at.”

  Aiden was grateful help was on its way. He didn’t care about the studio, or his work and tools inside. Only this woman. If anything happened to her, he’d be lost for sure.

  Not much later, the back lawn of Blackstone Manor was filled with vehicles and flashing lights. Three volunteer fire trucks had arrived minutes after local police officers. The ambulance, and even some county officers, were now on the scene.

  Christina was being treated. She hadn’t looked at him, hadn’t asked for him. There was only that single time she’d called his name. That might haunt him for another twenty years or so.

  Aiden had allowed the paramedics to treat the larger of his wounds, then he’d dismissed them to check out the other men. Instead of hovering, Aiden searched until he found his brother standing with the fireman in charge, two police officers in uniform and Bateman, who had on a volunteer firefighter jacket. Silence fell as he approached the group.

  “Do we know what the hell happened yet?” he asked, his voice deep, harsh.

  The men glanced at one another, then focused on Jacob, who nodded at one of the policemen. He introduced himself to Aiden. “From what we’ve been able to gather, right as the sun went down, five male individuals took it upon themselves to burn the building down. The burn patterns indicate they spread an accelerant, then lit various spots around the building.”

  “Five males? Do we know any of them?”

  Jacob nodded. “Raul, one of the gardeners.”

  “So you have them in custody already?”

  The policeman shook his head. “Not yet, but we’ve put out APBs for them. They won’t get far.”

  Aiden looked out across the chaos of the back lawn. “If you haven’t caught them, how do you know who it was?”

  “Your wife was able to ID two of them—”

  So much had happened, Aiden was having a hard time comprehending. “So she saw them as they set fire to the building?”

  “She saw two of them clearly, and identified the gardener,” the officer said. “The others she just saw running into the woods. It wasn’t until she approached the door that she realized what had happened.”

  How terrified she must have been to know the building was on fire, yet be afraid to go out the door. Bile rose in the back of Aiden’s throat, forcing him to swallow. “What was she doing in there?”

  Jacob shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

  Guilt shot through Aiden. He should be with her. But would she want him? Another hard swallow helped him regain his equilibrium. But he wasn’t sure how long it would last.

  The lights surrounding them lit up Jacob’s face in flashes of red and blue. Aiden clearly saw the other man’s jaw tighten. “Somehow she hit her head and went down as she opened the door. I guess she thought she had no choice but to jump through the flames off the front porch.”

  Dizziness raced through Aiden. Though he thought he might go down, he managed to stay upright by sheer will and tightening his grasp on his brother. Clenching his jaw kept him from screaming his frustration.

  Intellectually, he knew he would care about anyone who’d gotten hurt, but his emotions were ricocheting all over the place. Though they’d left things on rough footing, his week away had only confirmed his feelings for his wife. He didn’t know what would happen, but in this moment, it didn’t matter.

  He had to be with her. Right. Now.

  Jacob trailed behind as Aiden made a beeline for one of the ambulances, where a paramedic stood talking to Marie. A second paramedic was packing up the equipment. “How is she?” Jacob asked as they approached.

  Marie turned to them with worry clearly stamped in her furrowed brow and the tightness around her mouth. “Better, I think.”

  Aiden pushed forward for a glimpse into the interior of the vehicle. Christina lay on a gurney. The dim lighting allowed him to see her body tucked underneath a white sheet, the paleness of her skin against the tangle of her dark hair, and the oxygen mask against her mouth. Blood was still smeared in haphazard streaks along the right side of her face.

  Aiden turned to the paramedic near him. “How is she, really?”

  The man met his gaze head-on, reassuring Aiden somewhat. “She has lung irritation from extended smoke inhalation. We’re going to take her to the hospital so they can watch her lungs for a little while. There are a couple of small burns we’ve treated where her clothes caught on fire. The cut on her forehead will need stitches.”

  Aiden’s jaw tightened at the picture the other man’s words sent to his brain.

  “But all in all, she’s very lucky.”

  Aiden glanced back at the woman who was his wife, whom he’d refused to contact over the last week as he’d vacillated between irritation and need. Regret pushed to the forefront of the emotions swirling through him.

  “Sir, we really need to get you checked out, too.”

  Aiden nodded in acknowledgment, not trusting himself to speak. Another medic let them know he was ready to drive Christina to the hospital.

  Aiden’s first instinct was to insist on riding in the ambulance so he could be there with Christina. But she had yet to open her eyes. He wasn’t sure if she was asleep or just avoiding him.

  Unsure of his welcome, Aiden turned to Marie. “Could you and Nolen possibly follow them? She’ll want someone with her, and I need to finish up a few things here.” Not anything that he couldn’t delegate to his brothers. But then again, hadn’t he spent his entire life off-loading his responsibilities onto them?

  Marie nodded. “I’ll keep you boys up-to-date on what’s happening. Until you can get there, that is
.”

  Quite frankly, he might be the last person Christina wanted to see. No harm in letting them run the preliminary tests, so he’d have some information by the time he got down there. “Let me know the minute they tell you anything. I’ll be there as soon as I’ve sorted out some of this mess.”

  The ambulance closed up. Nolen led Marie to his truck. Within minutes, they were both on the move, the ambulance siren blaring a warning to anyone who got in the way.

  Aiden turned back toward the chaos of cars, people, and trampled plants that now constituted the back formal lawn. He took in the rubble that was now his studio, once the roof had caved. He couldn’t imagine Christina, resourceful as she was, fighting her way out of that building. The very thought terrified him.

  As Aiden stared at the activity before him—the firemen spraying the collapsed building, Luke and Nicole handing out cups of coffee and snacks, the policeman standing with his notepad, jotting down his thoughts from the interviews—a familiar sense of guilt wavered through him.

  But for once, he would not let it keep him away from those he loved. Not this time. Not ever again.

  Seventeen

  Drawn to the woman he loved like a puppet on a string, Aiden approached her hospital bed with caution. Sitting in the chair beside her wouldn’t do it. He needed to be near, to touch her and assure himself that she was okay. The doctor said they only wanted to monitor her oxygen, but the need remained.

  Her body was so still. Was she sunk deep in the healing sleep she so desperately needed? Or was she pretending to sleep so she didn’t have to deal with him at all?

  Taking a chance, he settled on the space beside her in the bed. There was just enough room for him to sit, his thigh resting along the curve of her back as she faced the opposite wall. Testing his welcome, he lay his hand on top of her hip. Sure enough, her body jerked, though there was nowhere for her to go.

  “Christina,” he said, the soulful sound tinged with pain and regret.

  She didn’t respond, but her muscles tightened under his touch. Though he regretted the rejection, at least she knew he was here, was aware, even if she didn’t like it.

  “Are you all right? Is there anything I can get you?” Aiden made a sucky nursemaid, as evidenced by his inability to even set foot in his mother’s room, but he had a lot to make up for here.

  Christina didn’t respond, but he heard a slight catch in her breath. His eyes drifted shut, letting his senses focus solely on her, instead of the shadows from the light of the television in the far corner of the room.

  “Christina, I know I screwed up, honey, and I’m sorry.” He paused to see if any response came. But she seemed to curl in on herself even more than before. His hand rubbed absently along the curve of her spine. Up. Down. Savoring the feel of her delicate bones beneath his palm.

  “Christina, I know I blew up the other day.” He paused, searching for the right words, even though he knew he was going to screw this up big-time. “I got angry. You know more than anyone how easily I fly off the handle when I feel like I’m being manipulated, even if it’s from the grave.”

  He thought he felt a catch in her breath. Was she crying? He didn’t hear anything. The thought of her lying there, silent tears tracking down her face, stole his breath.

  “I’m sorry for leaving like that.”

  This time her quavering breath was more distinguishable, but he plowed on while he could hold himself together enough to talk.

  “I know I didn’t call you this week, but I was trying to figure out how to apologize, and how to undo all the...crap...everything. In case you haven’t noticed, I act before I think sometimes. When something means a lot to me, it takes a while for my head to catch up.”

  Aiden took comfort from the warmth of Christina next to him, and the darkness that hid his shame. So many times in his life his mistakes had hurt those he loved. Was he forever doomed to be defined by his mistakes?

  He bent closer to her. “I’m so sorry, Christina. More than I can ever say. I know you can’t forgive me right now and I can’t prove to you how very sorry I am. But someday I will, Christina. I’ll make it up to you. Someday.”

  Aching to feel her, he twisted around, lying down on the bed with his front curved against her back. They lay there in silence for long minutes before her body gradually relaxed into his.

  Aiden couldn’t sleep. He thought of the fragile woman in his arms, and how—just this once—he wanted to slay all her dragons. Never let anyone make her feel unwanted again. He only hoped she gave him the opportunity before it was too late.

  * * *

  Three days later, one very weary Aiden made his way into the local police station to meet with the deputies handling the arson case. He received some good news and some bad.

  “We think we’ve rounded up everyone now, five in all, just like Christina said. The gardener was the last one, because he ran as soon as the others started getting picked up. Officers from the next county brought him in today. Would you mind confirming that this man was your employee?”

  Aiden nodded.

  As he stood in the viewing room, staring at the man who’d worked at the manor for a year at Nolen’s last count, he wondered how someone could make such a grievous mistake.

  “According to the other perpetrators,” the officer said, “the basic plan was to burn the building down. They had no idea anyone was inside. They checked, since a single lamp was on, but didn’t see anyone. This one—” he gestured to the gardener with a nod of his head “—was the ringleader. He riled them up, saying you didn’t deserve to take over, and they would all eventually end up without a job. Trying to run you off, they claim.”

  Aiden was far from convinced. “Why? There was no proof of that. He had to be working for someone else.” The question was, who? The man who wanted Aiden’s company? A local upset over new management? Or some other unknown threat?

  “We’re hoping to get this guy to crack, but it doesn’t look good. He’s been tight, whereas the others opened up like the proverbial can of worms. But with our other boys ratting him out, it might give us some leverage to bargain for a name. It all depends.”

  Aiden inclined his head, watching the man through the one-way glass. Something about his eyes, cold and hard, told Aiden they would have to wield any leverage they had very carefully. This wasn’t some punk running the streets or a teen led astray. According to the cop, he suspected the guy had done time in juvie, though he couldn’t prove it. And he carried a look like he didn’t care what happened to him. Balcher could have promised him a lot of things, including paying more if he kept his mouth shut. If the price was right, this one just might hold out.

  “Did you find anything to link him to Balcher?” Aiden asked. He’d mentioned his conversation with the rival businessman the first time he’d talked with the officer.

  “No. He was at a convention and received an award in front of five hundred people the night of the fire. And the gardener’s phone records show no link to Balcher.”

  As the detective went on, Aiden felt his frustration grow. He wanted Balcher responsible because it made the most sense, and he wanted this over for Christina. She’d been shut down ever since the fire. Not just with him, but with everybody. He didn’t want her worried about her safety. But Aiden had a feeling that, until they could find out who was truly behind this, none of them would be safe.

  “Let me know if you find out anything.”

  The detective nodded. “We will. And I’d just like to say, for the record, that we do appreciate all you’re doing to keep the mill going. It can’t be easy uprooting your life, but it means a lot to the people of this town.”

  Aiden shrugged away the thanks, uncomfortable in his role as savior. “You can thank Jacob when you see him next. Having someone who’s better versed in this stuff has made all the difference.”
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br />   “But you will be staying, right?”

  Aiden nodded slowly. “I will.” If Christina still wants me to.

  The other man nodded, and they exchanged a few pleasantries before Aiden made his way out to the car. He paused beside it, staring up into the bright sunshine under a cloudless sky. Honestly, the last thing he wanted was to go home. Back to Blackstone Manor, though the mere fact that he’d begun to think of it as home had come as a huge surprise to him.

  Maybe he was growing up after all, he thought with a smirk. The place was crowded with his family now, though Luke didn’t make it back as often. Still, having his brothers around both eased his own burdens and was a whole lot of fun. The camaraderie they’d shared on those visits as adults continued, even though they saw each other more now. Aiden had even been talking to a contractor about having a new studio built, along with a warehouse to move his base of operations here instead of New York.

  The only fly in the ointment was Christina. Seeing her looking so calm was upsetting. That made no sense, except Aiden knew the facade was fake. And he had a feeling she was restless because she wasn’t working, too. They’d hired a temporary caregiver for a couple of weeks to take over Lily’s care, because Christina had been told to take it easy while her lungs and wounds healed. Aiden insisted on sleeping with Christina, using the excuse that he could listen out for Lily at night, but she kept herself stiffly on her side of the bed.

  Except every morning they woke up in the same position: Aiden curled around her with their legs tangled together. She never mentioned it. Neither did he. But that was about to change.

  Aiden feared if he wasn’t able to break through the wall Christina had erected to protect herself, he’d lose her for good. She’d been neglected too often in the past to forget, so he’d been trying to give her time. Instead, she seemed to be slipping farther from his grasp with each passing day.

  If she’d just give him a chance, they would have a future together. Right now, that’s what Aiden wanted more than anything else in the world. More than his business. More than tearing up James’s will.