by Lara Wynter
Willow’s shoulders drop as she turns and heads around to the driver's side of the car. I watch as they have a silent conversation I’d give anything to hear. The man gets out of the car and hugs her. Who is this guy? My hands clench as I fight the wave of jealousy that washes over me. He hands her a backpack — it looks as if they’re parting ways. Willow waves as the car backs out and drives away. Does she know the young man who brought her here? Is he a friend?
I turn to Hunter. “Can we find out who he is?”
“If you know someone who can trace the license plate.”
“Can you go back so I can write it down? My head of security has connections we can use.”
Hunter hands me a slip of paper. “Already wrote it down.”
I stare at the numbers and letters on the paper, as if my penetrating stare can somehow reveal a clue. I need to talk to Jasper about tracking this guy down, but that’s a conversation that’s going to be less than pleasant. Jasper is going to be peeved that I left Gunner’s cabin.
“You said there was a second video?”
Hunter nods and presses some keys on the computer. Willow comes back onto the screen. Again I watch with bated breath as she pushes the buzzer. “Where were you?” I ask Hunter, with a touch of blame in my voice.
“We had some promotional interviews to do.” Hunter reaches out and puts a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry we weren’t here.”
I breathe in deeply. “Sorry, Hunt. I wasn’t accusing you. You have no idea how grateful I am that she thought to come here.” I blink rapidly. “That she had somewhere to come that she felt was safe.”
Hunter nods. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here for you, mate.”
My eyes follow Willow as she sits down beside the gate near the edge of the screen. She was so close! Where is she now? Why didn’t she come back? Has she given up and gone away, or did something happen to her? Where did she spend the night? She couldn’t have had much money.
“She sits there for the next couple of hours and then walks away again,” Hunter says. “Do you want me to fast forward to her leaving?”
I shake my head. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just watch the whole thing — see if I can pick up anything new.”
“Okay. I’ll be around if you need me,” Hunter replies, not calling me out on the fact that we both know — there’s nothing more to learn from the video — but I can’t bear to look away.
I take a seat and try to gather my thoughts as I sit and watch and wait.
Chapter Seventeen
Willow
I crack my eyes open, my body feels cold and stiff. The bright light hurts my eyes and I close them again. A violent shiver runs through me. Wrapping my arms around myself, I become aware of voices nearby.
I bolt upright, into a sitting position, and scoot back against the garage wall. My eyes squint open.
“Shh, darlin’. It’s okay. We won’t hurt you, none.” A woman with a round face and brown eyes and hair bends down and pats me gently on the shoulder.
“Wh … where am I?”
“You’re in our garden, sweetheart,” her soft voice answers. “Never would have found you if Hector hadn’t made such a carry on. I swear that cat is more Lassie than feline.”
I look around in confusion. “The cat that slept beside me last night? He really must be my guardian angel.”
“Will you come with us into the house?” the woman asks. “I think you have a fever.” A cool hand touches my forehead. “Yep. You’re burning up. Perhaps the hospital might be better.”
I shake my head vigorously, but it makes the whole world spin crazily so I stop. “No! No hospitals.”
“Shh, it’s okay. We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. I know how hard it is to leave an abusive partner in the first place.”
I try to smile, letting her believe the lie. Well, I guess it’s not that far from the truth.
“Here, let me help you up.” The woman's arms wrap around me and she helps me to my feet. The man continues to keep well back, for which I’m grateful. She helps me hobble toward the house. My limbs feel as if they belong to someone else, and I struggle to make them do my bidding. My head starts to spin again. I lean over and heave, expelling the meager contents of my stomach onto the grass. “I’m sorry,” I mumble.
“Don’t you trouble yourself about a thing. Heather is going to take good care of you. What’s your name, dear?”
I lick my dry, cracked lips. “Willow.”
“Nice to meet you, Willow,” Heather says, as if she isn’t half-carrying, half-dragging me across her front lawn.
Heather helps me into the house. It’s a bit darker in here, and I can see more comfortably. We head along a hallway and into a room with a large bed dominating the space. Heather pulls back the blankets and helps me lie down then tucks them back around me in a way that is both comforting and unfamiliar.
“You just rest now, sweetheart. I’ll bring you a nice cup of tea to drink, and later, some soup.”
I close my eyes and let her words drift over me like a warm blanket. I imagine this is what having a mother must be like…
I wake up in an unfamiliar bed. The urge to use the bathroom overcoming all else, I get up and head to the nearest door. Pushing it open, relief fills me as I take in the white porcelain.
I finish quickly and splash some water on my face. Dark circles make my eyes look almost haunted. My hair is hopelessly knotted and sticks to my pale skin. Memories of falling asleep in some stranger’s garden return. If it wasn’t for that kind woman and her … husband? Who knows what might have happened to me? Half-formed memories of Heather feeding me soup and fussing about my fever swirl through my mind.
My mind races. How long have I been here? I need to get back to Hunter and Sophie’s. I need to find Joss and let him know I’m okay. In my haste, I stumble back to the bedroom and out into the hallway. The wood feels cold on my bare feet. Looking down, I take in the fact that I’m dressed in a long, white nightgown of some sort. How did I not notice that before? My head still feels a bit like it’s stuffed with cotton.
My heart beats faster.
“Hello?” I call out.
Heather appears at the end of the hall. Her face lights up. “You’re awake. Praise the Lord!”
“How long was I asleep for?”
“Two days.” She beckons me forward. “Come, come. You must be famished!”
As if on cue, my stomach rumbles loudly. I follow Heather into a bright, glowing kitchen. The aroma of freshly baked bread assails my senses and I start to swoon. Heather guides me to a seat at the kitchen table.
“Just give me a few minutes and I’ll rustle up some food for you.” The sound of her voice sets me at ease again. It’s almost hypnotic.
“Thank you. I wish I could repay you for your kindness.”
Heather bustles around the kitchen. “Never you mind, child. I’ve missed having my own children at home to fuss over.” She chuckles. “Peter knows I’m never as happy as when I have someone to look after and fuss over.” She places a plate of fresh bread and butter, eggs, bacon, and mushrooms in front of me, and a much smaller portion of the same thing in front of herself.
I blink, tears filling my eyes. “This looks amazing, but I’ll never be able to eat all this food.”
Heather pats my hand. “Just eat what you can. You may be surprised.” She takes my hand and says a quick blessing over the food.
We don’t talk as I slowly make my way through about half of everything on my plate. It’s all delicious. When my stomach feels as if it’s about to burst, I push the rest away.
“I’m sorry, but that’s all I can manage.”
Heather smiles. “You did well. Now that we’ve taken care of that, tell me what’s on your heart. A burden shared is a burden halved.”
And somehow, without even meaning to, I tell her. The words pour out like rain. How I was taken from my parents as a child. How I was held captive by Rudy, and how I lost my memor
ies and found Joss.
She smiles and nods through it all, as if nothing I could say would shock her. Maybe she thinks I’m still delirious and making it all up, but I don’t think so. When I finish, she holds me close and lets me cry. I don’t just cry, I sob and clutch her shirt. My whole body shudders and shakes as the tears continue to flow. It’s as if there is some deep well inside of me that will never run dry.
Eventually, my tears slow and then stop. My eyes feel hot and puffy, but inside, in the darkest of places, a sense of peace flows over me like I’ve never felt before. Even the love I hold for Joss in my heart never really conquered all the dark places I’ve kept hidden.
I sit up and see that Heather’s shirt is wet and stained. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t mean to have a breakdown all over you.”
Heather takes my hand in hers. Her brown eyes are like warm pools of kindness and love. “You’ve been carrying a great weight for a long time now.” She squeezes my hand gently. “It’s time to set it down now. You don’t need to carry that burden alone anymore.”
I sniff. “Where did you even come from? I never knew people like you existed in the world. Your children are so blessed to have an amazing mother like you.”
Heather smiles, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “I’m not perfect — far from it in fact. Trust me. I’ve made my share of mistakes. If my kids were home, they’d be sure to fill you in.”
I shake my head. “I find that hard to believe. If you were my mom, I don’t think I would ever have left home.”
“Well, in that case, it’s settled.”
I frown, confused. “What’s settled?”
“You’ll be my daughter.” She adds hastily, “Until you find your own mother, anyway. I’m sure she misses you greatly.”
My eyes fill with yet more tears. I feel like a wet dish towel that’s been wrung out too many times. “I’d like that very much. But you heard my story. You know why I can’t accept your offer.”
“I believe this man that held you hostage is terrible and dangerous, but I’m not going to let that stop me from keeping you safe and giving you even a little of what you missed out on.”
“But what about your husband? You haven’t even talked to him about any of it.”
“He might not know the details yet, but we both agreed to help you. He won’t try to change my mind.”
I don’t know what to say. Why would such lovely, kind people put themselves in danger for me? I don’t understand. I’m no one special. I’m definitely not worth risking what Rudy would do to them if he found me here. But I guess it doesn’t matter. I’ll be leaving soon, anyway.
“Do you have my clothes? As kind as your offer is, I really need to go.”
Heather gets slowly to her feet. “I’ve washed and ironed everything for you. If you want to go and have a shower and get cleaned up, I’ll leave them waiting for you.”
“Thank you, Heather.” I stand and push my chair in. “I can never express how grateful I am for everything you’ve done.”
Heather pulls me in for a tight hug. She smells of cinnamon and vanilla, and it’s going to be so hard to walk out that front door and never come back.
Heather releases me, looking at me with true compassion. “Go and wash up, and when you’re dressed and ready, we can see about finding that nice young man of yours.” She bustles off to go and get my clean things.
My jaw goes slack. I can’t believe it. Even now, after everything I’ve told her, she really is determined to make sure I’m okay.
Chapter Eighteen
Joss
“Joss,” Jasper barks at me, “Sit down. You’re driving everyone to distraction with your endless pacing.”
I take a seat at the table beside Hunter. Jasper is still annoyed that I left the cabin without letting anyone know where I was. But it’s done now, and it all worked out fine. There are still good people in this world who are more than willing to help out a stranger in need.
Sophie reaches across the kitchen table and pats my hand. “It will all work out, Joss. Willow’s resilient and smart. I’m sure she’s fine.”
I rub my hands across my eyes. I can barely stay awake. But how can I sleep when Willow is out there somewhere alone? “Have you found Devlin Archer yet?” I look up at Jasper leaning against the kitchen counter like a predator ready to attack.
Jasper’s brows draw together. “I’ve got someone watching the house, but he still hasn’t returned. Looks like he was working for Gadsden, but he hasn’t reported for work there either. If his family knows where he is, no one’s talking.”
“Do you think he organized to meet up with Willow somewhere else?” I ask.
Jasper shakes his head. “I don't think so. It looks like Gadsden’s guys are looking for both Willow and Devlin. Wherever he is, he’d do well to stay there.” Jasper looks uncharacteristically uncomfortable.
“What is it? What aren’t you telling me?”
Sophie speaks before Jasper can answer. “If it’s private, we can leave you two to discuss it.”
I shake my head. “You can stay. Whatever it is, I think you both have a right to know. I won’t let you risk any involvement in this without knowing everything.” I turn my attention back to my head of security. “Spit it out. What do you know?”
“I don’t have many details, but it looks like Willow skipped out on her own wedding.”
I push myself up with a roar. My chair clatters to the floor behind me. “What the heck? What wedding — to who?”
Jasper steps around the table. Clasping both my shoulders, he looks me in the eye. “You need to calm down. You going all angry beast on me isn’t going to help anything.”
I take a deep breath in. “Who was she supposed to marry?”
“His name is Vance Pagett. He’s a business associate of Gadsden. Dirty as hell, of course.”
I shake jasper off. “And you think what? That Willow was being forced into some kind of arranged marriage?”
Sophie snorts. “Well, she’d hardly have agreed to it when she’s madly in love with you.”
“Shh, Soph,” Hunter says quietly.
“What?” I turn on Hunter. “You think Willow wanted to marry this Vance guy?”
Hunter gets to his feet. “Chill, Joss. I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that because I know this whole situation is impossible, and you’ve only slept for a couple of hours in the past few days, but you need to remember who your friends are.”
I hang my head. “I’m sorry. Of course, I didn’t mean that. I’m just going out of my mind here.”
Hunter slings an arm around my shoulder. “You need to sleep. As your friend, I’m going to have to insist.” He forces my feet to move toward the bedrooms. “We’ll wake you if there’s any news.”
I run a hand through my messy hair. “You’re right. Just promise me you’ll wake me up if there’s anything new. Anything at all.”
“You know it.”
I collapse on the bed, the pain in my head subsiding as I allow my eyes to close.
Willow
Heather walks beside me. A comforting presence as I once again walk up to the imposing metal gate. Only this time I don’t even get to the intercom before the metal bars are sliding open.
I gasp and dart through the ever-widening gap. I can’t believe I’m finally here. I can finally get word to Joss that I’m here — that I’m safe. I don’t stop to think. I just run. Straight up to the front door and into the arms of Sophie. We collide with a thud and then we’re falling. What if I hurt Sophie in my rush to find answers? The thought runs through my head as our downward descent is abruptly halted.
I look up from where I’m tangled with Sophie into the smiling eyes of her husband, Hunter.
“That’s quite the entrance,” he says in his Australian drawl. “It’s good to see you again, Willow.”
Sophie dissolves into laughter as we disentangle our limbs and stand back up. Sophie immediately pulls me into a tight hug. �
�It’s good to see you again, Willow. Who have you brought with you?”
I turn. “This is Heather. She saved me from hypothermia when I was sleeping in her front yard.”
Heather’s smile is warm and motherly. “I like to take in strays, but this little one is something special. It warms my heart to see that she has people who care about her so much.”
“We do.” Sophie nods. “Thank you for bringing her back to us.”
Heather hands me a slip of paper. “Here are all my details. You call me, you hear? I want to hear all about everything.”
“You’re more than welcome to stay,” Sophie says to Heather.
“No, no. Now that I know she’s safe, I’ll get back home. Willow knows she’s welcome back anytime. Right?”
I nod my head and blink back tears as we exchange a final hug. “Thank you, Heather. I’ll never forget you.”
“Of course you won’t, sweetheart. I’ll talk to you again soon.”
I wipe my eyes as I watch the sweetest woman I’ve ever met walk back out. Hunter closes the front door. “Come on in, Willow. I’m sure you have an amazing story to tell.”
“Now isn’t the time for talking, babe,” Sophie says to Hunter. “Joss is going to murder us if we don’t go and wake him up right this instant, and even then…”
My eyes go wide. “Joss? Joss is here?” My heart races. Is it really true?
Sophie and Hunter both grin at me with cheshire-cat smiles.
“On second thought,” Sophie says, clapping her hands excitedly. “Why don’t you go and wake him? You remember which room he was in last time, don’t you?”
I gulp and my head spins. “Yes… yes. I remember.” How could I forget our visit here? It’s where we had our first almost-kiss. It’s where we finally began to admit our feelings for each other.
I place one foot in front of the other as I walk slowly up the stairs. I can’t believe this is real — that it’s actually happening. After so long apart, can it really be so simple? I approach the bedroom door, sitting slightly ajar. Is Joss really behind that door?