Inherited Light_A Small-Town, California Romance Filled with Dogs, Deception, and Finding True Love Despite Our Imperfections

by Katie Mettner

  Chapter Thirteen

  I brushed a piece of hair off her face, grimacing at the spreading bruise. No doubt someone would think she got in the way of a fist. It had to be sore, the skin swollen and mottled. I woke her every two-hours for the concussion test, but I hated doing it. Since I got fresh ice for her leg an hour ago, I’ve been lying here, watching her sleep. She exudes beauty even in sleep. Her long, thin fingers rested on her belly and her head lay to the right, facing me. I know every laugh line on her face now. I know how her lips pucker in her sleep. I know how soft her skin is. I memorized every feature and facial expression, just by watching her sleep.

  I didn’t know everything about her. I had to come up with an easy way for her to tell me what the doctor didn’t, but it could wait. She had more immediate concerns to deal with.

  I laid my hand on her cheek. “Cat, honey, you have to wake up,” I said cheerily. “It’s two-thirty, sweetheart.”

  Her eyes opened slowly, her lashes fluttering slightly as she left dreamland. “Hi,” she whispered. “I need a drink.”

  I took the water bottle off the dresser and handed it over. “How are you feeling?” I asked, stroking her arm as she screwed the lid back on the bottle after drinking. She leaned her head back to the pillow and grimaced as though it hurt.

  “I have a headache,” she said.

  I brushed the hair away from her face and nodded, kissing her lips. “I know honey, I’m sorry I can’t do more for you. Does your face hurt?”

  “I would nod, but it would hurt,” she answered.

  “I figured you might feel worse when you woke up. Would you like an icepack for it?”

  “I don’t have any,” she said, “but it would be nice.”

  I hoisted myself up on my hand and took hers. “Can you stay here alone for a few minutes if I run to the store down the street? You’re out of ice, and I need to get more for your leg. The hospital gave us the disposable ice bags, remember they put ice in them at the hospital?”

  Her eyes closed for a minute and then opened again. “No, I don’t remember, sorry.”

  I smiled. “It’s okay. What I’m saying is, if I go get some ice, I can fix both your leg and your face. Can you feel your ankle?” I lifted the ice bag off the leg and was pleased to see the swelling had gone down. Since she was lying down I left the boot on, but opened the straps and laid the ice inside it, stabilizing the ankle, but treating it at the same time.

  “The boot feels loose now. I can tell the swelling has gone down because the skin doesn’t feel as tight. I think it’s just a sprain.”

  I laid the icepack back on it and kissed her forehead. “I opened the straps on the boot, Cat, which is why it feels loose. But, I’ve been icing it and the swelling is going down. I sure hope it’s only a sprain. You don’t need to deal with a broken leg on top of everything else.”

  She peered up at me, her face sad. “I don’t want to be here alone. I’m scared in my own house now, how screwed up is that?”

  A lone tear dripped down her cheek and I swiped it from her face with my finger before I kissed her lips. “It’s understandable, Cat. You’re vulnerable right now. I’ve locked all the windows and doors, and no one will hurt you when I’m here.”

  She held my face near hers and stared into my eyes. “What about when you’re not here?”

  I gathered her up in my arms and held her carefully, so I didn’t hurt her. “I’ll stay with you as long as you need me to. My guess is once you see the light of day again, you’ll feel better about being here alone, but if you don’t, I’ll stay.”

  “You said you were leaving to get ice.”

  I chuckled softly, smoothing the hair from her face. “I’m going two blocks down to the convenience store. I’ve programmed my number into your phone, all you need to do is hit the call button and I’ll come running. I’ll also check the perimeter of the house before I leave, just in case. Whoever did this is long gone, but I’ll make sure the security system is set.”

  She tucked her head under my chin. “You’re right, I know. My face hurts.”

  I stared up at the ceiling and worked at putting a smile on my face. Her disjointed thoughts and sentences told me the attack left a lasting effect on her brain function. I could sense her unease and confusion within myself. I laid her back against the pillows and climbed off the bed. “Let me get you some medicine. If you take another pain pill now, hopefully you can sleep until I have to wake you up again.”

  I shook one out of the bottle and handed her the water bottle again, waiting as she swallowed the pill. She grasped my hand as soon as I set the bottle down and held it to her chest. “Don’t leave me, Ren,” she murmured, her eyes already closing again.

  I ran my thumb across her hand to soothe her until her grip loosened in mine and her hand fell to the bed. I tucked it under the blanket and stood. Now would be a good time to go to the store. I just had to pray I got there and back before she woke up again. I left her cell phone on the stand by her head with a note I’d written earlier on top. It said, ‘Ren is at the store for ice. He will be right back.’ At the last second before I left I added, ‘Call him if you’re scared’.

  I left her snoozing and double-checked to make sure the alarm was set. The house was eerily quiet and I would be much happier if a dog like Brutus was in the room with her. I closed the door behind me, hearing the soft click of the lock as it engaged. The outdoor light was as bright as ever and I quickly surveyed the rest of the yard using the flashlight on my phone. Whoever was here earlier would be stupid to come back, but you can never underestimate the power of stupidity. When I had checked all the nooks and crannies of the yard, and found no one waiting to do Cat harm; I jumped in my truck and put it in reverse, letting it roll down the driveway into the street before I started it. I didn’t want to wake her up, even though it was unlikely with all the meds in her system. This early in the morning the streets were deserted. It looked like a ghost town as I drove, houses dark and only the occasional dog barking to break the silence. The trip to the store indeed took two minutes and I parked by the door, since the store had no other patrons. I grabbed two bags of ice from the cooler and carried them inside. A table sat in the center of the store holding various baked items the local bakery dropped off every morning. I decided we would need breakfast, so I grabbed cinnamon rolls and orange juice for later.

  I hauled it all to the cashier and he started to scan it. “Late night?” he asked and I looked up from my wallet.

  “More like an early morning,” I said, my hand going to my neck.

  He nodded along as he scanned. “I remember closing down the bar and getting to work a few hours later to open the store. I’m too old for those kinds of nights now.”

  I shook my head, grimacing when it hurt my neck. “I wish I had closed down the bar last night. Someone attacked my friend and me when we got home. I’m getting her ice for her sprained ankle. The bastard who did this is going to pay.”

  He paused as he put the items in a bag. “Did they catch the guy?”

  I threw some bills on the counter, a frown on my face. “No, at least not to my knowledge, but I think I know who it was.”

  He picked up the bills from the counter, took his time straightening them and punched a few buttons on the register until it opened. “Let me guess, an ex?”

  I accepted my change and closed my wallet, grabbing the bag of food and ice. “You’re good,” I said, chuckling. “I suppose you hear all kinds of stories working here.”

  “Oh, there are days,” he agreed, laughing with me.

  I waved and hit the door running. I didn’t want to leave Cat there alone longer than need be. As I drove back to the house, I wondered if the attacker had left any footprints. I made sure to stand on the deck to fix the light bulb and avoid the area around the ramp when I checked the house earlier. The police arrived at the hospital and Cat and I spoke to them about what happened. We didn’t have much to give them at the time, but they said someone would be o
ut tomorrow to check for any evidence to help them find the attacker. Cat insisted it was Xavier, but it doesn’t make sense. There’s no way he would have hurt Cat. He would take me out without the slightest hesitation, but not her. I could see him taking her and running after he knocked me out, but no way would he hurt her.

  I rubbed the spot on the back of my neck. The lump was smaller, so the ice I had put on it earlier had helped the swelling some. I had a little bit of relief from the pain and planned to lay down with another round of ice and pray by morning it felt even better.

  I parked in the driveway and grabbed the ice and bag from the seat of the truck. I had taken her keys with me and unlocked the door, holding my breath when the door opened, but no sounds reached my ears as I punched in the code to the alarm. Once I had the door closed and reset the alarm I carried the items to the kitchen. I stashed the juice in the fridge and divided the ice into several smaller bags, including one for myself. I took the bags back to the bedroom with me and fixed a new one over her ankle. The ice bag from the hospital was soft and I laid it by her face, lifting her hand up to hold it there. I kicked my shoes off, slipped out of my jeans and lay down. The alarm on my phone had been set for four a.m. and with any luck, by four a.m. we’d both feel better. The way my head hurt I knew there was one thing I wouldn’t be doing tomorrow, and that one thing was pounding nails.

  I put the plates in the dishwasher and wiped down the counter. When we woke for the fourth time it was nearly eleven, but since I texted everyone and told them what happened before we left the hospital, no one disturbed us. Only they didn’t know I was here, instead thinking I had gone back to my own apartment last night. Now that the sun was up, and the pain had mostly passed, all that was left was to sort out her van. She had to stay home with her leg up, which meant I couldn’t take her with me. Chances were good a tow truck would be involved, or a truck from a tire store would have to come with a spare to fix the flat one. She can’t have her leg down for the hours it would require. I slipped my phone out and opened a group text to Cinn and Foster. “Hi, it’s Lorenzo. I need a favor. Are you busy? Would you come stay with Cat while I get her van fixed at the gallery? She doesn’t want to be alone.”

  The text bubble popped up instantly and I waited in the kitchen until they finished. “We’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” was Cinn’s reply. She didn’t ask questions, which meant more to me than she would ever know.

  “Thank you, I owe you one,” I typed back.

  “You owe me more than one, I’ll just add this to the pile,” she typed, adding a winky face. I laughed and shut the phone off, putting it back in my pocket as I jogged to the living room.

  She sat on the couch, her leg propped up on a pillow, and a book in her hand. We shared breakfast together on the couch and while I cleaned up, she stared at the paperback as though she was reading it, but she wasn’t. Her eyes kept drooping and coming open again, drooping and coming open again, like a little kid trying to fight sleep. I sat and she leaned into my chest.

  “I’m tired,” she said as though I couldn’t see her drooping eyelids.

  “I know, honey. I’ll help you back to bed and while you’re napping, I’ll go deal with your van.”

  Her hand tightened into a fist around my shirt. “I don’t want to stay here alone. I’ll come with you.”

  I kissed the top of her head and held her loosely around her back. “I have someone coming to stay with you while I’m gone. You can rest while they watch for any trouble.”

  She leaned back to address me through slit-like lids. “Who’s coming?”

  “Cinn and Foster. Foster will go with me in the truck back into Little Ivywood and drop me off. Then he’ll drive the truck back here and wait with you until I get back. You can sleep and not have to worry about anyone disturbing you.”

  “Cinn isn’t well either. Maybe I should just go with you.”

  I patted her face a couple times. “Cinn is going crazy sitting at home. She’s happy to have something to do. Brutus will be along to guard you, too. He knows his job and he won’t let anyone get near Cinn or you.”

  “You think I’m being a child because I don’t want to stay alone, don’t you?” she asked suddenly. Her mood swings were giving me whiplash, but the doctor warned me about it.

  I kept the smile steady on my face. “No, I don’t think you’re being a child. You’re injured and tired from the medication. There’s an excellent chance you might not hear someone who’s trying to break in if you were sleeping. Until we know who did this, and why, you won’t be alone.”

  “Are you going to come back here with my van?” She asked the question as though she was confused, even though she didn’t know why, and even though I had already told her.

  “Yes, I’ll stop at my apartment and get some clothes then I’ll drive your van back here. Once I’m back, Cinn and Foster will go home. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she said. Her eyes closed and I thought she had drifted off, until they popped open and she sat up quickly. “I never tried out the new ramp!”

  I kissed her forehead, being careful of the scrapes and bruises. “It’s not going anywhere.”

  She lifted her booted leg down off the pillow. “I want to see it right now. You worked all day on it yesterday. Please show it to me.”

  I could see she wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I held her chair while she transferred into it. “Okay, but let me push you down it. I’ll keep the chair on the back wheels so we don’t bump your ankle.”

  She agreed and I pushed her out into the June sunshine. The return of the sun reminded me the cops would come and she would be disappointed to find out this type of thing happened all the time. She would also learn they wouldn’t find the attacker, because they didn’t want to spend the time or resources searching for him. I could tell her, but I would rather the police broke the news, leaving me to comfort her.

  When we got to the bottom of the ramp, I maneuvered her into the grass along the side of it and left her there while I traipsed back to the ramp, intent to show her how I had fixed it. Instead, her gaze roamed the full length of the ramp, house, and yard. Her hand shook near her mouth as she saw the house again as though it were the first time.

  “Ren,” she said as her face crumbled, “what did you do?”

  I knelt and held her hand wondering if the head injury was making her weepy. “I fixed the ramp while a few friends of mine mowed the lawn and fixed the shutters. It was no big deal.”

  She shook her head a little bit and I swiped at a tear. “Someone painted the house, too. This is a big deal.”

  “I hang out with a lot of guys who work in the trades. I called a few of them and asked them to help me out for the day. My buddy at the lumberyard put the supplies together, and once I offered a case of beer and a radio for the baseball game, everyone had a grand time. Except for the snake part.”

  She turned her head quickly to face me. “Snake part?”

  I pointed at the ramp. “I figured there might be one or two hiding in the long grass. There weren’t, but Law had fun pretending he’d been bit while weed whacking the long grass down.”

  “His name is Law?” she asked, her voice still thick with tears.

  “His last name is Lawton and he has always gone by Law. His first name is George, which he thinks is a ridiculous name for a twenty-four-year-old guy.”

  She laughed softly. “It is sort of a ridiculous name. He does great work. If you’d give me his name and number, I would like to hire him to take care of my lawn. I don’t worry about it more than a few times a year, but maybe if I take better care of the lawn I could enjoy the front yard. Maybe I could pay him to put some patio blocks down in a path so I could roll across the grass, or something.”

  I chuckled and kissed her cheek. “I love how with a little paint, and a good mowing, you can see the potential. People look down on tradesmen because we’re blue-collar workers and all the stereotypes that go with it. But when someone needs help, we’re the firs
t people they call. Anyway, I just mean sometimes we like to do work that makes us feel good. Helping you made us feel good. The house and yard are beautiful now and we take pride in it.”

  “The house is beautiful. It feels like it’s been kept up and the owner has pride in it.” She fisted her hands in her lap. “I understand the part about people looking down on you.”

  “Because you’re an artist?” I asked, moving her forward so I could sit on the ramp.

  “No, because I’m disabled. Well, both probably, but people see me more as a businesswoman because of the gallery. I’m not sure they even realize most of the art is mine.”

  “People look down on you because you’re disabled?” I asked. “What does it matter if you’re in a wheelchair?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know, though I suspect it’s because they see I’m physically disabled, therefore I’m also mentally disabled.”

  I shook my head a few times. “Why can’t people educate themselves instead of making snap judgments about others?”

  “Because educating themselves would require them to care, and nowadays no one does.”

  I stood and took hold of the armrests on her chair, kissing her cheek. “I care, which is why I’m taking you back inside so you can put your foot up.”

  I pushed her up the ramp and when I passed the overhead light, I paused. “Do you have a pair of gloves I could borrow?” I asked as we trucked back inside and I settled her on the couch.

  “Why? Are you cold?” she asked, mockingly.

  “No, trust me, I’m anything but cold,” I answered, my gaze focused intently on her face. She didn’t look away, which told me she caught my drift. “I had an idea. If someone unscrewed the light bulb their fingerprints might be on the bulb.”

  She frowned. “But you already screwed it back in.”

  “I know, but at least I can tell them my fingerprints will be on it. Who put the bulb in it, do you remember?”

  “My friend, Frances, but he’s dead,” she answered and I snapped my head around to face her.