28 Days: a romantic suspense

by Lexi Buchanan

  Saige gasped. “What?”

  “Forget it,” Alex snapped.

  She stared at him, her stomach and thoughts churning at the implications of what Alex had just said. She glanced at Christina who was extremely pale, her gaze focused on the melon ball sitting on her spoon and not on them. “I can’t.” Saige shook her head and grabbed hold of Alex’s wrist to keep him in the room. “What did you mean?”

  Christina swallowed a few times and, after she threw her napkin on the table, dashed out of the room.

  Alex breathed through his nose and his whole body tensed in anger. “I got angry and spoke out of turn. Leave it, please.” Alex smiled, and took Saige’s fingers from his wrist and gave them a reassuring squeeze. “I’m going to take a walk near the jetty to cool down. Come and find me when you’re ready to head into town.”

  Saige nodded and watched him leave while she pondered what the hell his comment about her stepmom meant. Had Christina come on to Quinten? And Alex?

  Saige felt like she was the last to know with everything, and she found it frustrating that everyone who knew her had her memories.

  “Saige, honey.” Her dad walked into the breakfast room and interrupted her thoughts, but it didn’t remove the frown from her brow.

  “Morning, Dad. You’re up late.” She smiled.

  “Not really.” Her father helped himself to half a plate of food and a small bowl of fruit before he sat opposite her, instead of his usual seat at the head of the table.

  He looked tired as he poured a cup of coffee. His usual dusky blond hair had more than a hint of grey around the temples. He’d been lucky that he hadn’t shown any sign of going grey until he reached fifty. Her father had always been a strong man, and she knew that he still was, but there was now a weariness to him. His square shoulders sagged and the stress around his eyes told her that he worried. Saige had a good guess as to what about, so she decided to get it all out in the open and hoped her father would too.

  After Christina and Alex’s reaction to each other, she no longer wanted to wait for everyone to come together. Christina, especially, could wait until Saige got her alone. No way did she want Alex setting her off again.

  “Spit it out, Saige.” He offered her a wry smile. “I’ve always been able to tell when you had something on your mind, but didn’t know how to get it out.” He took a sip of his coffee. “You know what I used to say, and you always used to agree with me.”

  “You’ll feel better once you’ve had your say, Saige,” she mimicked her father from years gone by.

  “That’s the one.”

  Saige glanced toward the bay window with a view of the water, hoping for courage. “I can’t leave the past alone.”

  “I already knew that when you showed up with Alex, which I have to admit, I’m not too happy about.” Her father continued to eat while his eyes stayed focused on her.

  “I know you aren’t happy about Alex staying here, but there’s nowhere in town to stay and we’re both doing this together, so staying here made sense.”

  “Hmm,” he mumbled and sipped his coffee while watching her over the rim of the steaming brew.

  “Why have you never told me about Quinten? About my relationship with him?”

  Startled, her father dropped his cutlery as his eyes widened. “You got your memory back?” he asked.

  “I wish I did.” Saige dipped her head and then lifted it to look at her father. “Alex is convinced that Quinten didn’t take me, or kill those girls. There is so much that isn’t making sense to me right now. I mean, did I really select him from a lineup of photographs as my abductor? The statement says I did, but that doesn’t seem right to me. When I look at images of Quinten, I don’t feel fear. Shouldn’t it trigger that feeling?”

  “Oh, honey. No one mentioned your relationship with him because it could have harmed your recovery. You loved him. As a father, I wanted you well. So I listened to the doctors and refused to let anyone remind you of anything.” Her father pushed his plate away and cradled his cup of coffee in his hands. “I did question his guilt. I spoke with the sheriff, the detective investigating your case, and the district attorney. They were all convinced they had the right man. The detective hesitated to lay the blame at Quinten’s feet and told me so during a private conversation between the two of us. He wasn’t completely sold on Quinten’s guilt, but in the end, he was convicted.

  “The prosecutor pushed and pushed until Quinten was found guilty of five counts of first degree murder, and your abduction and torture.”

  Her father held his hand up to keep her silent as he continued, “Quinten’s defense attorney explained in court, in front of the jurors, about the gash along Quinten’s arm that had bled all over the shack as to the reason why his DNA would be found. So did the detective. Photographic evidence along with the doctor’s report was produced as evidence.

  “I honestly don’t know what to think, and every now and again when there’s mention of Quinten Peterson on TV, I start thinking again as to whether or not he really was guilty.”

  He took a deep breath and stared into his coffee before he added, “One thing that I’ve never been able to understand is that he loved you, Saige.” Her father stood and walked around the table to sit beside her, his arm going around her shoulders. “I knew he was married, which you and I fought over. I also knew that his marriage had fallen apart a while before he met you.” He smiled. “I’m a guy, honey, and you only had to watch Quinten when you were around. The guy loved you. So why would he do something to cause you harm?”

  “It doesn’t make sense,” Saige mumbled. “I want to remember him, Dad. I want to remember our time together that you and Alex have now confirmed was real. The not knowing is driving me crazy.”

  “I guess I was happy to just let everything take its course. While you had no memory, it was fine…it was easier…for you.” He paused and looked ashamed. “It was wrong of me, but it was easier for me. I’ve tried, since then, to forget. To forget the sight of my daughter all bloodied and cut. To forget that the little girl who used to look up to me, and call me Daddy was forever changed. I wanted you to remember. But you never have. Until now it would seem.”

  “I don’t remember him. I remember the tattoos on his arms and hands. I also remember that the man who held me didn’t have any.”

  “What?” Her father was stunned and sat back in the chair, his arms dropping to his sides.

  “Quinten didn’t take me, Dad. Someone else did,” Saige stated.

  His mouth opened and closed as though he couldn’t form the words he needed to say. Then he finally managed, “Then we need to go to his attorney, and file paperwork to get a stay in his execution.”

  “I already spoke to Detective Robinson, the detective from my case.” Saige sighed. “I only remember hands. That’s it. There is still the DNA evidence that convicted him. I can’t do anything about that. That’s why I wanted to know about the photographs.” Saige grabbed her father’s hand. “I need to know if I had my memory directly after being found. Was I capable of remembering my abductor?”

  Her father squeezed her hand and rubbed his forehead. “At first I thought you did remember. You were on a few different medications at the time for pain and they gave you a sedative to keep you calm and relaxed. The latter was Christina’s idea, and I agreed. I never really questioned your memory at first because you knew your stepmom and me, you recognized one of your close friends at the time when she came to see you. So when I came back into the room after taking an urgent call, your stepmom told me you’d selected the image of Quinten. I was surprised.”

  “Dad, Christina asked me if I recognized anyone and I picked Quinten. No one, including the DA or the detective, asked me if I recognized my abductor. Do you know where I’m going with this? We were in a relationship, so I picked him, or I didn’t remember who he actually was, just that I thought he was familiar. How did I react when selecting that image of him?”

  Her father shook his head and a
dmitted, “That’s what I meant when I said I had an urgent phone call. Just as the detective was setting the video camera up, I got a call from the private hospital that we ended up transferring you to.” Now her father looked uncomfortable.

  He knew she had hated it there, at least, the time that she remembered, but her father had left her under the care of Dr. Erikson. Creepy Erik, as one of the other patients had called him. That much she did remember from the final weeks she’d been in the hospital.

  “They had a reputation of helping victims of trauma,” her father continued. “I wanted the best for you because, at the time, I wasn’t sure you were being truthful about not remembering anything. I’m ashamed of that. It took a few months but then it became apparent that there was more than the attack that you couldn’t remember. You ended up staying at the hospital too damn long for my liking. When I visited you, you’d just stare through me. The first words you spoke were just before I took you home. I had enough of listening to your doctor. I should have done that long before I did. I’ll always be sorry for that.” He looked away.

  Wiping at a tear, Saige tried not to think about the hospital because, every time she did, chills raced down her spine. But that was the first time she heard her father talk about regret.

  Saige let her father hold her while she cried into his shirt. She hated knowing that she chose the man she had loved as her abductor. It wasn’t just a gut feeling, she knew that she chose him for no other reason than he was familiar to her—it had nothing, whatsoever, to do with who took her.

  “What went wrong, Dad? I know the police had no clue about my relationship with Quinten. I just don’t understand why it was kept quiet.” She watched her father, and he winced.

  She waited for him as she held her breath in dread…terrified to know what he’d say but needing to as well.

  After a few minutes of silence, he brushed the hair back from her brow and smiled. “It was a confusing time, and because he was married, Christina and I decided it best to not say anything.” He paused. “Alex told anyone who would listen that his brother was innocent. That he was being set up. No one would listen to him. In a way, I felt bad for him because he was a victim as well. His brother had done him wrong, but now his whole trial will be questioned.”

  “I hope so.” Saige wiped at her tears and blew her nose on the napkin her father passed to her. “I need to remember more and we need to talk to someone who might be able to send us in the right direction.”

  Her father sighed. “Saige, you and Alex aren’t the police. What you’re doing could be dangerous, especially if what you’re saying is true. Because if it is true, then your abductor is still out there.”

  She jerked her head up and stared at her father as chills raced up and down her spine.

  “We’ll be careful, and Alex will be around.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t do this. You know that, right?”

  “I know...I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry”—he kissed her forehead—“for wanting your memories back. I feel sick to my stomach that I might have pushed to have the wrong man convicted.” He tilted her face up to his. “Promise me, Saige. As soon as you have solid evidence that your abductor wasn’t Quinten, you will call me. I’ve played golf with the governor a few times.”

  Saige gasped. “You mean that?”

  “If it turns out that you’re right, and Quinten is innocent, then yes. But you still have to keep in mind that he was also convicted of murdering the five college girls. The girls’ DNA was on the table that you were strapped to. This isn’t just about you. It’s about those girls as well.”

  “I’m not sure how, but I’m certainly going to try to untangle the secrets still buried.”

  “God, it’s no wonder I have grey hair,” her father groaned, and pulled her in for one last hug.

  “Dad?”

  “Leave it, Saige.”

  She wanted to ask more, but her father looked as though he had enough, and not just with her questions and talk of the past.

  “I love you, Dad.”

  He smiled at her confession. “It always makes my heart feel lighter hearing those words. I love you, too.” He kissed her forehead again, and let her go.

  Her dad stood on shaky legs and gave her one more glance before he slowly walked out of the dining room. Saige was left to get herself under control. Not only did she have things to tell Alex, she also wanted answers about the comment he made toward her stepmother.

  He made it in anger, but why, if it wasn’t true?

  Day 9

  2:00pm

  * * *

  The sun beat down on Alex and Saige as they walked along Main Street. The wooden buildings had been looked after over the years, and despite how much he hated the town, he had to admit it had a southern charm to it. Sidewalks bloomed with color from all the flowers that ran along the wooden porches; even the steps down to the street from each store had flower planters.

  Of course, the town kept quiet about the Peterson family because who would want to visit Port Jude when a convicted murderer had lived there?

  Alex had hated it then and he still did. His family was ostracized and snubbed. Ridiculed. Even now as he put one foot in front of the other, he felt the stares following him.

  Glancing across the street, Alex paused and frowned, his hand going to Saige to keep her close. Outside of the barbershop, the same four wooden rockers sat in front of the window. The same four old men still rocked in them.

  “You know what I’m thinking,” he whispered. “If anyone knows anything, it’s going to be those four guys over there.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe they’re still going.”

  “Um,” Saige gave a noncommittal murmur. “Let’s go and talk to Agnes in the pharmacy first.”

  Alex frowned when Saige gave the old men one last glance before walking off, leaving him standing on the street.

  “If it isn’t Alexander Peterson,” a female drawled in front of him.

  Alex glanced at the woman and smirked. “Tracy Adams.”

  She grinned. “You remember me, huh?”

  His gaze swept over her long legs, and he remembered the bare and silky feel of them as they caressed his body and wrapped around his waist...but then he met Christina, and everything changed.

  Christina bothered him in more ways than one, and after the other night, he had questions. What happened shouldn’t have because she was still married and they had a whole lot of lies and hurt between them. The woman had always driven him crazy, and he hated that she still had the power to bring him to his knees.

  Looking Tracy over, Alex realized she could be a needed distraction, help keep Christina away from him. Because no matter what he told himself, he knew that one signal from Christina and they’d both be naked.

  “You remembering us?” Tracy asked, moving in closer.

  “How could I forget you?” He offered her a sexy grin that he knew made the ladies weak in the knees. “We need to catch up...for old times’ sake.”

  “I have somewhere to be now,” she whispered, and looked hesitant to walk away. Grinning up at him, she said, “I moved back into my old house after my parents died a few years ago, so come by and see me.” Tracy trailed a finger down his chest and dipped into the waist of his jeans.

  “Soon,” he agreed, and licked his lips as he watched her saunter away in her tight little shorts.

  She’d been the only girl in Port Jude to be a regular port of call when he’d been in his late teens and early twenties…until he’d met Christina.

  Sighing, Alex took one more look around him, and realized that Agnes’s son, Paul, had caught the whole exchange before he’d darted back inside the pharmacy. The barbershop quartet also focused on him. That reminded him that he needed to convince Saige to go and talk to them.

  He entered the pharmacy and caught up with her. “What did they do?”

  She didn’t hesitate and knew exactly who he was asking about. “It was a long time ago.”


  “Saige, we’re on the same side.” He grabbed her wrist and gave her a slight tug.

  “When I eventually came home, they weren’t very pleasant to me. Taunted me really. It got to the point that I wouldn’t come into town.” She shrugged. “I’d drive to Tampa once a month for things I wanted because it was big enough that no one would know who I was. If it was something small, then I’d drive to the next town over.” She gave him a weary smile. “After a few attempts, I avoided town and haven’t really been in it since before I was taken.”

  That had been the last thing he expected. The Lockwood name was one of the names around town. The fact that they had treated Saige poorly was a huge surprise.

  Whatever questions he had would have to wait because she disappeared deeper into the pharmacy, which was just as he remembered. Old shelves held the items for sale, and the wooden floor creaked in the same place since he was a child. Nothing had changed. The wooden and glass display case housing the old, round glasses and medical journal of the first town doctor was still in one corner of the store.

  The town liked tradition, and there was nothing wrong with that. He just wished that the current residents wouldn’t pass on their prejudices to their children. It hadn’t been warranted all those years ago and it wasn’t warranted now. But everyone was set in their ways and he couldn’t see change happening anytime soon.

  “Alex,” Saige called, “you remember Agnes?”

  He groaned inwardly because he’d hoped Saige would run with the questions that they’d planned and leave him in the background to listen in.

  Agnes would remember him, and it wouldn’t be with fondness.

  “Yes”—he stepped forward—“I remember Agnes.”

  Saige raised a brow at his tone, but turned back to the smirking woman.

  “I’m surprised it wasn’t you who ended up in jail. I was so shocked when Quinten was arrested and convicted. That boy wouldn’t have hurt a hair on anyone’s head.” She looked down her nose at Alex. “You, on the other hand...You’re the one that I thought would end up incarcerated.” Agnes shook her head while Alex clenched his jaw closed so that he wouldn’t ruin this for Saige.