Stay Forever

by Darcy Schroeder

  Back in his truck, Andrew threw the sketchbook down on the passenger seat. He needed some fresh air to help him clear his head and think.

  He drove a short way, then pulled over. He was only a few blocks from Cassie’s house, but he doubted she had any intention of going anywhere. She’d tried to play off that glass she’d been drinking from as water, but he’d smelled the vodka on her breath and seen the glassy look in her eyes. Even though she’d claimed things had changed, obviously some things had not. At this hour in the morning, Cassie was already drunk. He knew Warren was probably also a regular heavy drinker. He’d seen Warren take out pills from a medicine bottle on several occasions.

  Andrew looked over at the book. The front cover was much more worn than he remembered. He wondered how many times Cassie had looked through it. He had sketches of a variety of things: flowers, soccer balls, the river that ran through his parents’ ranch. He remembered drawing all those things, but it was the last few pages that were the ones he was most interested in. Those were the sketches of Jessica. He had one of her in science class. She had been looking down at her notebook when he’d started sketching her features.

  After he’d left town, he’d found himself drawing more, as a way to escape everything that was happening around him. His current sketchbook included glimpses of war zones. They were the faces of those who’d lost loved ones, been injured, or had their pride destroyed. One of his buddies had begged him to put a few of the sketches on display, but he hadn’t thought it was the right time. Maybe one day he would be brave enough to let the rest of the world judge his work, but he didn’t have that confidence right now.

  He looked over at the clock. It was afternoon. Maybe he should swing by his family’s office, to see how things were going. It was the least he could do.

  Montgomery Industries was located on the eastern side of town. The main building had once been some sort of bunker at one point in time, and it still had its large stone walls and smaller windows. There was a row of trucks, similar to the one he was driving, parked in front of the building.

  He found a spot, and then made his way inside. Everything looked new. The furniture had definitely been upgraded since the last time he’d been here. A young girl wearing a silver name tag with LAUREN engraved into it greeted him at the front desk.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Uh, yeah. I’m Andrew Montgomery. Just looking for my father or brother.”

  The girl’s jaw dropped several inches as she stood up, trying to not act so flustered. “Oh. Sorry, Mr. Montgomery. I didn’t recognize you.”

  “Not surprised. I haven’t been around for years.” Andrew shrugged, trying to put the young lady at ease.

  The girl, who didn’t look a day older than eighteen, pointed toward a hallway. “I think they’re in their offices.”

  Andrew rapped his fingers on the front desk as he passed. “Thank you.”

  His father’s office was empty, but his brother’s office was another matter. Andrew peeked through a crack in the door and saw Miles sitting at his desk, talking with two men. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but obviously it was a business meeting.

  Andrew returned to the waiting area. “Can you let Miles know I stopped by? He can give me a call when he has time.”

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Montgomery. I will let Mr. Miles Montgomery know you were here.”

  Andrew pushed open the glass door and walked outside. A blast of hot, humid air greeted him. Summer was now officially in full force, and in Texas it could be brutal. He climbed into the truck and drove toward the middle of town. Before he could stop himself, he realized he was parked outside the clinic.

  He probably shouldn’t bother Isabelle, but he didn’t have anything else to do. His entire family was working, and he was stuck walking around town with a boot on his foot. He looked down at the contraption. It had started to get dirty.

  Before he could talk himself out of it, he walked into the building. The waiting room was empty. He rang the bell at the front desk.

  Seconds later, the older receptionist from the other night poked her head out of a door. “Can I help you?”

  “Is Isabelle, I mean, Dr. Rodriguez here?”

  “She’s with a patient right now.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  “All right. I’ll let her know you’re here,” she said, before disappearing back behind the door.

  There were two rows of light-blue plastic chairs in the waiting room. Off to one side of the room was a small television set playing a rotating infomercial. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes while he waited. It was the same thing he’d done when he’d been sitting near the man who had later attacked Isabelle.

  The thought still made him angry. He’d heard Isabelle say he was a drunk and had a few mental issues, but it had taken a lot for Andrew not to put a hole in his head. No man should ever hold a knife to a woman’s throat.

  He heard the door open again. This time, Isabelle poked her head out. “Hey, Andrew. What’s wrong?”

  Andrew jumped up from his seat. “Nothing. I just wanted to see what time you wanted me to pick you up tonight for dinner.”

  “I forgot, but I don’t get off until seven. Is that too late?”

  “Not for me. How about I pick you up from your house at seven thirty?”

  “Okay. I can probably swing that.” Isabelle slowly nodded, as if unsure about her answer. “Don’t get mad if I’m a little late. Sometimes, I get a patient who comes in at the last minute.”

  “Not a problem. Well, I’ll see you then.” Andrew thrust both hands into the pockets of his khaki shorts.

  “Sounds good. See you later.” Isabelle disappeared back behind the door.

  Now Andrew just needed to figure out where to take her for dinner.

  He strolled down the street toward his mom’s shop. He had loved coming here as a child. All of the plants always seemed so happy and vibrant. Coming into her shop always made him want to draw.

  “Well, hey there, my first born child,” his mother said as he entered.

  “Hi, Mom. What are you doing?” He saw his mom sitting at her computer.

  “It was a little slow, so I decided to take care of some paperwork. What are you doing today?”

  “I went to visit Miles and Dad.”

  “How’d that go?”

  “Dad wasn’t there, and Miles was in a meeting.”

  “Welcome to my world. Those two are always busy. I can’t ever seem to get them to just take a break.”

  “I heard Montgomery Industries has grown quite a bit over the years. What’s that all about?”

  “I guess you could say your father got lucky on some deals. It’s been a really good few years. Yes, the company has grown quite a bit, but I’m not sure I’m really happy about how big it’s gotten.”

  “Sounds like it,” Andrew said, leaning against one of the pillars near the back room. He stood there silently while his mom typed away on her computer.

  “Son, can I help you with something?” She turned to face him. Her glasses had slid down her noise.

  “I asked Isabelle out to dinner again tonight.”

  “Oh, that’s good to hear. She’s a lovely young lady.” His mom peered back at him. It was almost as if she wanted to ask him a question.

  “I was thinking about taking her some flowers—”

  “Well then, you came to the perfect place. I’ve got a whole bunch of pretty wild flowers at the front of the store. Pick out some of those. I have a feeling she’ll love them.” She smiled. “I’ve taught you well, Andrew.”

  Andrew leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom. It’s good to be back in here.”

  “You’re very welcome. How about tomorrow we have dinner? I’ll invite Miles as well. It would be nice to have some time with both of my boys.”

  “I think my schedule is open.” Andrew pretended to look down at his phone. He agreed that it would be nice to have dinner with just his mom and broth
er. He knew they all still had a lot of catching up to do. The past few days had been good for him, but there still seemed to be something hanging between them.

  “Good.” His mom swatted at him. “I’ll text Miles and let him know. See you then.”

  His mom returned to her work. She wasn’t someone who liked to have longwinded conversations. She had always taken care of her family, but she also worked long hours. It was the Montgomery way of doing things.

  At the front of the shop, Andrew grabbed a bundle of fresh flowers. “I took a bundle of the purple and yellow ones,” he yelled back at his mom as he walked out the front door. “Thanks, Mom!”

  “Love you, son!”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Isabelle was sitting on her front porch, wearing a red sundress and tan sandals, with a glass of wine in her hand.

  Andrew turned off the engine and watched her for a second before exiting the cab. His heart began to beat a little faster at the sight of her. She looked so serious, yet still vulnerable.

  “I see we’re having wine again tonight,” he said, with a mock look of disapproval. He suddenly felt nervous, like a high school boy going on his first date.

  A slight breeze blew through the air, pushing wisps of hair away from her face. Isabelle let out a soft laugh. “It’s been a long day. Come join me, Andrew, and then we can go and eat. I just needed to have some time to decompress.”

  Andrew spotted another wine glass on the table near a dark bottle. He didn’t really care for the taste, but for her, he would gladly drink the beverage. Isabelle looked so at ease right now. This was their time. No one could mess with it, not even her brother. The thought of Pete made Andrew glance around to make sure no one was watching them, but he didn’t see anything. They were alone. Together.

  “Why was your day so long?” Andrew asked. There was so much he wanted to learn about this woman, even though there were many times when he was also completely frustrated by her.

  “It was just a long day. We didn’t have many patients, so I had no excuse but to do paperwork, and I hate paperwork.” She pursed her lips.

  Andrew grabbed the thin stem of the wine glass and took a sip. The liquid was smooth, and felt good against the back of his throat. “Well, I guess my day of doing nothing was better than your day.” He pulled the flowers from behind his back and handed them to her.

  “Thank you, and, yes, it sounds like your day was better than mine.” She leaned back on the bench and lifted the flowers to her nose. “These smell good.”

  “I picked them from a large meadow earlier today.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Possibly.” Andrew took another sip of his wine. “They’re from my mom’s shop. She was also doing paperwork today. I guess that’s what all of you women do when business is slow.”

  Isabelle smelled them again. “I always love going in there. Your mom has great flowers. It always makes me smile.”

  “I’ll let her know that.”

  “How’s your foot doing?” Her eyes wandered down his leg.

  Andrew looked at the black boot. “I’ve gotten used to this thing. It’s not great, but it’s also not that bad. It’s become a part of me.”

  “That’s good. Hopefully, we’ll be able to take it off soon.”

  “I’d like that.”

  She giggled. “I didn’t say we were going to take it off tomorrow, soldier. Don’t get too excited. You’ve got a few more weeks, but I know those weeks will go by pretty quickly.”

  “I hope so.”

  The conversation between them grew quiet. He looked out past the porch at the other houses along the street. They were all older homes, with large front porches and wooden exteriors. Isabelle’s house was pale yellow, with dark blue, almost black, shutters. It suited her perfectly.

  Finally, she looked over at him, her dark brown eyes searching his. “Why did you want to have dinner with me tonight?”

  “I wanted to see you again. I didn’t like the way we ended things last night.”

  “I didn’t either,” she said, staring out into the darkness.

  Before he realized what he was doing, Andrew leaned in toward Isabelle. He could feel her warm breath on his skin as his lips caressed hers. She pulled back slightly, before moving closer. The kiss deepened. Andrew hadn’t wanted anyone so badly in a long time. His heart raced as he drew her in. He wanted to feel every inch of her smooth body. She cupped his face as she responded hungrily to his kiss. Andrew knew there would be no stopping now.

  “Let’s go inside,” she said through heavy breaths.

  “Gladly.” Andrew got up and pulled her to follow. His fingers interlaced with hers as he walked through her house, hoping he was heading in the right direction for her bed.

  “Turn.” She giggled as Andrew paused and then turned into what must have been the master bedroom.

  The bed stood in front of them. Andrew looked over at her, and Isabelle put up her hand.

  “Andrew, please don’t tell me you’re going to leave, because right now, I want nothing more than to take off every shred of clothing on your body.”

  Andrew tugged on her arm again. She fell against him, and they both laughed. Finally, taking deep breaths, he slid her dress over her shoulders. She let out a soft gasp when the fabric was completely off her, exposing her bra and panties.

  “Do you want me to stop?” he asked. “Because if so, now is the time to mention it.”

  Her lips brushed his cheek before finding his mouth. She pushed him toward the bed. “You’re not going anywhere, Mr. Montgomery.”

  “Good.” He kissed her back, and then began to take off his jeans. There was no denying he wanted to feel her body against his. They fell onto the bed, and he rolled on top of her.

  “You are amazing.” He looked deep into her eyes.

  “Thank you,” she said, before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his lips closer to hers as their bodies began to move together.

  ***

  Andrew carefully climbed out of the bed, trying not to disturb Isabelle, who was sleeping soundly. She hadn’t made his escape easy. One of her long legs had been draped over his body. He wanted to stay, but he knew it wouldn’t look good if any of her family, or his, spotted a Montgomery Industries truck outside her house when the sun came up.

  He quietly worked his way around her room, collecting his belongings in the dark. It had been an amazing night. Too good. Every inch of his body felt alive right now. This would be a memory that would stay with him for a very long time. Fifteen years ago, he’d had feelings for her sister, but for the first time, that seemed like ancient history. Andrew smiled as he thought back to Miles’s wedding. Isabelle had been a complete bitch to him, but tonight he’d gotten to know her on a whole new level and he really liked being with her. They’d held each other for a long while.

  Andrew crept through the house and out the front door, trying to softly turn the lock without her hearing him. The humid night air greeted him as he walked down her front porch, toward the white truck that gleamed in the moonlight. They had completely skipped dinner, and his stomach growled from the emptiness.

  He pulled open the door to the truck and almost fell backward. A knife had been thrust into the seat, leaving long, gaping strips where it had cut through the leather. Andrew stared at it for several seconds before taking off his shirt and pulling out the knife. It was the same type of blade as before. He stood there for several seconds, looking around the dark street. Someone had been here watching him and Isabelle. That same person had also decided to leave him a little gift.

  The old Andrew might be able to look past this error in judgment, but he had no intentions of letting this slide. The person who left this present would pay dearly.

  Chapter Twenty

  He drove down his parents’ driveway, past the main house, and back toward the large four-car garage, where he knew his dad stored several shotguns and pistols. It wasn’t an accident that he had found two knives in his
vehicles. Someone was after him and he wanted to make sure he had some sort of protection.

  When he was a child, his dad had shown him the gun safe. At one point, the code had been his and Miles’s birthday. It had been fifteen years since he’d set foot in the garage, but it still looked the same. His father had always been very organized, and everything had its place.

  Andrew strode over to the large wall safe. The old one was no longer there, but a new one that seemed twice the size of its predecessor now stood in its place. It had to be at least eight feet tall.

  He raised his hand and typed in the code, unsure if it would do anything, but after a brief pause, he heard the soft click of the lock opening. His dad may have changed the safe, but he hadn’t changed the code. Go figure. That seemed like something his dad would do, simply because he couldn’t remember all of the codes.

  Andrew pulled back the heavy steel door and stared at several large stacks of money. “Shit,” he mumbled, running his fingers down the edges of the cash. There were no guns inside.

  He closed the door and found a stool upon which to sit while he thought about what was happening. It wasn’t like his parents to keep large stacks of money around the house. Why not put it in the bank? He needed to talk with his brother and find out what in the hell was going on with Montgomery Industries. He also needed to talk with Pete.

  Andrew knew it was probably Isabelle’s brother behind the knife attacks. No one else really cared that he was back in town. He had seen a few friends, and that was it.

  As Andrew sat in the dark garage, he heard the sound of another truck pulling down the driveway. The vehicle slowed as it came around the house. The driver must have seen his truck sitting out in front of the garage. The vehicle turned and drove back down the driveway. Andrew tried to get a look at the driver’s face or the license plate, but it was too dark. The one thing he did notice was that the white truck looked very similar to the one he was driving. He knew work trucks were pretty common, but in this town, there was only one place with nice trucks like the one he was driving: Montgomery Industries.