by T. K. Leigh
Returning her eyes to his, she knew she couldn’t hide the truth from him. “It’s Holly, Greg. They found her body. They’ll be contacting you shortly to ask you to go down to Houston to make the official identification.”
Greg let out a quiet sob. “They’re sure it’s her?”
“They sounded pretty certain. They were able to match dental records, but they just need the next of kin to go make an official identification, and that’s you, according to her will.”
“Do you think that Jolene’s…?”
“Listen to me, Greg. You can’t start thinking that way. Like you said, if they wanted to kill her, why did they go through all the trouble? I think they killed Holly because she served no purpose. We’re not even certain her death is related to her disappearance. But, from your stories, they wanted to use Jolene to make you suffer.”
His mind raced as he considered Laney’s words. “I hope you’re right. I hope…”
“She is. She has to be, Greg.”
They were both quiet while they contemplated what finding Holly’s body could mean.
“There’s something else I should probably tell you,” Laney said several moments later when she was confident that he had calmed his mind a bit.
“Yes?”
“Holly’s body… Well, it was in pretty decent shape. They’re estimating that she’s only been dead for about a month or so. The cause of death was a bit odd. She was drained of blood while she was alive. Her wrists were sliced open and she was left to die a rather slow and painful death before they slit her throat. It appears that her killer wrapped her body in some chemicals to preserve the corpse, then hid it in the wall of an office building. It was found by a bunch of construction workers who had been hired to do a demo of the wall. You can imagine their shock when her body came tumbling out.”
“Shit…”
“Yeah. And there’s something fishy going on. They don’t want to pursue this as it’s a ten-plus year old missing person’s case and they don’t see much need to use valuable resources on it.”
“But they could find out who has Jolene!”
“I know. I see the connection. I’m pretty sure anyone with half a brain would but, for some reason, the chief of police down there wants this case dead and buried.”
“Laney, I…”
“It’s okay. I’ll take a rain check on dinner. Go pack. I want a full report when you get back from Houston.”
A guilty look crossed his face. “Are you sure?”
“You’ve been waiting over a decade for a break in this case. You’ve got one. Go.”
He embraced her, savoring the warmth that he still felt whenever she was near him. Leaning his chin on her head, he ran his fingers through her shoulder-length hair.
“Do you have any idea how thankful I am that you never gave up on me? That you convinced me to come back to Chicago?”
“Do you have any idea how happy I am that you finally listened to me after all these years?” She pulled back and met his eyes once more, the affection there making her heart want to explode. Yes, he had his problems, but who didn’t? She stood on her toes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “I love you, Greg,” she murmured against his mouth.
“And I love you, Laney. Always.” They shared a simple yet affectionate kiss before he stepped back. “I’ll call you later on, okay?”
“You got it. And just remember, if things get tough, don’t…”
“I wouldn’t even dream of touching the stuff. Don’t worry.” He opened the car door and got in the driver’s side, lowering the window of his SUV.
Laney leaned in and gave him one last kiss. “Good. Be safe.”
“Always.”
She retreated to the sidewalk and watched as he drove off, hoping that the memories of being back in Houston wouldn’t cause him to crack all over again.
CHAPTER TEN
CHOOSE ME
“YOU’VE GOT IT BAD, Tomorrow!” a voice called out to Jolene one morning later that week, snapping her out of her daze as she stared at Cam’s athletic physique running into the ocean with his surfboard.
She jumped, her face growing red, and turned her attention to Elsie, who was carrying a large box that, from the looks of it, was rather heavy.
“What’s in the box?” she asked, trying to diminish the fact that she had been checking out Cam. Getting up from her lounge chair, she met Elsie on the steps and helped her bring it up the stairs.
“Some portable speakers, an extra iPod that’s already fully loaded with some great tunes, and books.”
The two girls made their way into the house and dropped the box near the entryway.
“Lots of books.” She brushed the dust off her hands. “I figured that if you were going to spend some time here, you may want something to keep you busy. I always find that a nice smutty romance novel is the perfect time vacuum while listening to music.” She winked. “Feel free to take notes of some of the steamier parts.”
Jolene giggled at her friend, loving the familiarity she was beginning to feel with her, even after a few short days.
“So what’s on your plate today?” Elsie asked, plopping down on the couch.
Jolene shrugged, sitting in a wicker chair across from her. “Hadn’t really thought about it, but since I now have a nice collection of smut to keep me busy, I may dive into that.”
“Well, good. Just wanted to make sure everything’s going okay with you over here. I have to get to the restaurant, but you have the number there if anything comes up, okay?” She gave her a knowing look. “Anything at all, you can call.”
Jolene rolled her eyes. “I’ll be fine, Elsie. Don’t worry about me.”
She got up from the couch and headed to the front door, glancing at Jolene, her expression genuine. “But you’re my friend. It’s my job to worry about you. Call me if you need me.”
Jolene remained silent as Elsie left and sank into the chair, amazed at how different her life had become in just a few short days. When she fled Chicago on that bus, she had every expectation of being alone for a while, keeping to herself. Never in a million years did she anticipate having one friend. Now here she was, forming an entire circle of close friends…and maybe even something more.
A gentle rapping on the window woke her from her thoughts. She turned her attention to the front door to see her “something more” standing on the deck. Her eyes lit up and she made her way over to the screen door, opening it for Cam to enter.
“I’m wet,” he said breathlessly.
Jolene giggled. “Sounds like a personal problem, if you ask me.”
“Love that smart mouth, Tomorrow.” He gave her a heated look, unable to tear his eyes away from her beautiful lips.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned against the door jam, trying to keep her eyes trained on Cam’s boyish face. The more time she spent with him, the more difficult it was becoming to not gawk at his body. He was the first man she could recall being attracted to, and she felt like a horny teenager whenever he was near.
“So, is there a reason you’re standing on my deck dripping water everywhere?” She attempted to control her breathing.
“Well, first off, technically, it’s my deck. But what’s mine is yours, so that point is kind of moot. Second, the reason I’m here is because I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk.”
“With you?” Jolene asked, her voice rising in pitch from obvious surprise at his invitation.
“Don’t sound so shocked.” He winked at her and the sparkle in his eyes made her feel completely weak.
“Don’t you work?”
“Yes, I do, but I don’t have to be there until this afternoon. So what do you say? Spend some time with me. Get to know me. Let me show you that I’m really not the prick you thought I was when you first met me.”
Cam stared as she nervously pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. It was taking all his resolve to not kiss her. He wanted to taste her lips more than he could remember
wanting anything in his recent memory.
“Come on,” he pleaded, his voice soft and gentle. “It’s just a walk. We don’t even have to talk. I just want your company. That’s all.” He leaned in, his mouth hovering just above her forehead. “Jolene.”
Hearing him say her name in such a delicate manner made her want to melt. That was all he ever had to do and she was done for. Staring into his heartfelt eyes, she had a feeling that he wasn’t going to leave until she agreed.
“Okay, surfer boy. Let’s go for a walk.” She stepped out onto the deck, making sure to lock up behind her. Nervous energy coursed through her body as she followed Cam to the sand, walking by his side.
“Have you been in the water yet?” he asked, trying to strike up some sort of conversation. The silence was making him somewhat flustered. He couldn’t recall ever being so on edge in the presence of a woman.
“Nope,” Jolene responded, looking over at the horizon, children squealing with delight every time a wave unexpectedly covered their feet with salt water. The innocence of the excitement in their eyes made her long for her own childhood and her own innocence. Both of those things had been ripped maliciously from her.
“What’s going through that brain of yours right now?”
She returned her attention to the tall man she was walking with. “Oh, no. I don’t think so, Dr. Surfer Man.”
He chuckled. “Surfer man? So I’ve been upgraded from boy to man? What prompted that change?”
“Well, you finally started acting your age. I figured it was time to promote you.” She raised her eyebrows at him.
Cam’s lips turned up slightly at the corner before he faced forward again, shoving his hands in the pockets of his board shorts. “So, I take it Elsie told you… I mean, from you calling me Doctor Surfer Man.” He glanced at her, gauging her reaction.
“Yup. She did. Why?” She tilted her head at him. He looked nervous. It was one of the most adorable faces Jolene had seen in quite some time and she knew that it was her presence and questions that caused it. “Were you trying to keep that from me?”
“No. Not at all,” he answered quickly, running his hands through his hair. “Well, I guess part of me didn’t want you to know. People act differently around me once they know that I’m a psychiatrist. They think that I’m constantly analyzing everything they do and say, but I’m not and I won’t. I want you to feel comfortable around me. I want you to be yourself.”
Jolene shook her head faintly. “I don’t even know how to be myself. I don’t even know who that is anymore.” Her voice was quiet and thoughtful as the words left her mouth.
“I know who you are.”
Jolene stopped abruptly. Her eyes grew wide and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach, hoping that he was just talking metaphorically and that he hadn’t plastered her photo all over the web.
“You’re a bewitching woman,” he started, facing her. “You have the most crystal blue eyes that I’ve ever seen and it almost seems like they don’t belong on your face, but I’m glad they are.”
She breathed a sigh of relief as she lost herself in his eyes. The fire behind his gaze had an intensity unlike any she had seen or experienced. It was the look every little girl dreams someone will give them. For the first time in her life, she was completely breathless in the presence of a caring and compassionate man, and she didn’t want the moment to end.
“You have a smart mouth and a quick wit that makes me smile just thinking about the things you say, even when I’m not with you.”
She lowered her head, blushing.
“You’re mysterious.” He took a step closer, wanting to feel the heat coming off her body but, at the same time, remaining cognizant of her boundaries. “You have secrets and a past you’re running from. I have a feeling that anyone who has been through what I think you went through would do the same thing, but I’m not so sure they would handle it as well as you are. It’s the easiest thing in the world to give up when you’ve been dealt a shit hand, but to actually hold your head up high and move on with your life regardless of your past? That’s showing immeasurable strength. Jolene, the one thing I am absolutely certain of is that you’re one of the strongest women I’ve met in a long time.”
Her chin quivered and she bit her lip, trying to hide her emotions. She had spent maybe a total of an hour with Cam but, yet, he was able to see her for who she was. He still wanted to spend time with her, regardless of her baggage, and the thought thrilled her and made her hopeful that she could move on from her past.
“I didn’t mean to make you upset. I just wanted you to see that I am a nice guy, that I do care for you. Would a complete prick have noticed all that about you?” He winked, hoping to get a laugh out of her.
“Probably not,” she replied.
Cam had to restrain himself as she wiped the tears from her eyes. He desperately wanted to be the one to comfort her when she was sad or upset, but he knew it would have to wait. She needed time to learn how to trust him.
They continued along the shoreline, heading south. Jolene picked up rocks, throwing them into the ocean. After a few silent minutes, she turned to Cam.
“What’s the deal with the beach house? Benny mentioned that you hadn’t stepped foot in it. Is there a reason for that?”
“You know what?” he responded, lifting his head back and staring at a flock of seagulls flying overhead in the humid summer air. “At first, I hated the thought of being in that house. I bought it in a rash move, worried that someone would buy it and demolish it to rebuild. It happens a lot on this island, especially on the northern end. A beachfront house goes up for sale and it gets snatched up by someone wanting to turn the property into condos. I hated the idea of someone ruining this end of the island with high-rise condos. And…I guess I wanted to hold on to the memories I had of the woman that lived there for a few months.”
“What happened?”
“Not much to tell.” He gazed thoughtfully across the shore toward the pier down in the distance. “She appeared out of nowhere one day and caught my eye. I finally worked up the nerve to talk to her and noticed that she was sad about something. After getting her to open up about her past, I realized that she was in love with someone else back home, but was too scared to admit it. I knew that she would never carry the same feelings for me that I did for her and encouraged her to leave and confront her fears. There’s a lot more to the story, but that’s the abridged version.”
“You loved her, didn’t you?” She cocked her head and looked at Cam.
“I thought I did, or maybe I just loved the idea of her. I’m starting to think that it was the latter.” His eyes met hers and he gave her a boyish smile.
“So why didn’t you want to go in the house?” A confused look spread across her face.
“It was always a rather difficult reminder of everything I had been through with this girl. Of everything that I had thought I lost.”
Jolene bowed her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up any painful memories.”
“You see, that’s the thing,” he said urgently, facing her once more. “I thought they were painful. But here I am, talking to you about it all, and it doesn’t bother me. It’s actually rather liberating. You should try it. Talking about it, I mean.”
She turned her head to the shore, forcefully throwing a rock into the ocean, surprising Cam.
“What? What is it, Jolene?”
“Nothing. But you can be certain that I can’t talk about any of it.”
Her reaction caught him off-guard. With each conversation, he learned another piece of the puzzle that made up the enigma that was Jolene. He was anxious to fill in all the missing pieces, but knew that she was frightened to share her past. Still, he wanted to know more.
“Why don’t you like being touched?” he asked quietly in a bold move.
Jolene stopped dead in her tracks, glaring at him. “I just don’t, alright?” she hissed, her voice raised. “And it’s none of your fucking
business why I act the way I do. I see what you’re trying to do, Doctor.” She spun around and stormed back toward the house, wanting to get far away from his prying, yet consoling, eyes.
“What, Jolene? What am I doing? I just want to get to know you. I want to spend time with you, and I need to know why certain things set you off so that I don’t do them!” He ran along the shore, catching up to her, stopping short when he almost reached out and grabbed her arm to force her to talk to him.
Feeling him approach behind her, she reeled around. The expression on her face was fierce. “You’ve been a therapist for far too long. You need to get it out of your head that you can help me.” The ocean wind whipped her hair in front of her face and her voice rose in anger. “You can’t! No one can! So just stop! Stop taking an interest in me! Stop with the whole nice guy act because, based on my experience, that’s all it is!” she cried through her tears, her voice becoming barely audible. “A fucking act.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before opening them, the pain of what she had experienced the past decade of her life visible in the look of unease on her face. She took a step closer, her eyes remaining glued to Cam’s.
“You show up on my doorstep acting like my savior when the world has gone to shit. You tell me how you’ll look after me and protect me. And you know what those are?” She could see the hurt that her words were causing him, but she didn’t care.
“Lies, Cam,” she said quietly. “Just lies. You say you’ll help me and watch over me, but you’ll turn. I can’t… I can’t go through that again. Please. I beg you. Just stay away from me.” She spun around and began walking briskly away from him.
“You don’t have to do this, Jolene!” he shouted, running to catch up with her. “You don’t have to choose fear.”
“Yes, I do,” she insisted, turning to face him once more. “It’s the only way that he won’t…”
“You can choose me instead,” he interrupted.
Her breath caught at his unexpected reply. “Cam, I…” She trailed off, hiding her tear-filled eyes.