Twist of Fate

by Witek, Barbara

  “Sam?” She backed away from him hoping for a better view. He kept inching closer. “Kate, I--”

  “Sam!” She put her hands on his chest and then yanked them back. The contact was still too electric. “There’s someone in the house.”

  He paused, transitioning back to reality. His eyes sparkled, and his smile warmed her. “I almost forgot. C’mon.” He slipped out his door and jogged to hers in an instant. “Your surprise is in there.”

  “A surprise?” This man was a surprise. Her heart beat a little faster as he helped her from the truck. “How could you have possibly gotten me a surprise? You spent all your time at the hospital?”

  “Wait and see.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked. “This is my welcome home gift. I know you’ll love it.”

  ***

  The immense doors swung wide when Sam and Kate reached the porch. A mouthwatering aroma made Sam’s stomach growl. When was the last time he’d had a decent meal? He gave Rusty and Jill a wink as he guided Kate across the threshold, thankful they were there.

  “Welcome home, Kate,” they said in unison.

  “What are you two doing here?” Kate’s shocked expression didn’t hide the joy Sam saw in her eyes at the sight of their old friends.

  “They’re your surprise,” he whispered against her ear, unable to keep his distance completely. He’d wanted to give her time to adjust, but it had been so long and she was so damn sweet. It was a good thing she’d seen the shadows when she did, because he’d been close to devouring her mouth. Sweet or not, he knew she wasn’t ready for that yet. Neither was he. In an instant Jill stole her away into a hug.

  “Oh, Jill, it’s so nice to see you,” Kate said and turned toward Rusty. “Somehow I knew you’d be here.”

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else, gorgeous.” Rusty embraced her and spun her off the floor.

  Kate’s squeal of delight was like music to Sam’s ears. Sam and Jill laughed along; Sam slipped a nod of thanks in Rusty’s direction. His best friend had really come through for him.

  “Don’t you know he’s always had a secret crush on you?” Jill chided.

  “Yeah, and if Sam here hadn’t come along when he did,” Rusty placed Kate gingerly on her feet and kissed her cheek, “I’d have married you myself.”

  “Hey, hey...easy there, you know you don’t mess with your best friend’s girl.” Sam stepped between them, giving Rusty a playful shove. It felt like the good old days. Sam let his mind wonder if maybe he and Kate could have a chance by the time all this was over.

  No. He had to keep such crazy notions out of his head. Sure, Kate brought back old feelings, how could she not? But that was then, this was now. And right now she needed his help. Keeping her safe was the top priority. He planned to use this time to his advantage. He’d do the right thing this time around.

  He could tell she’d relaxed a lot in a matter of seconds compared to the tension-filled ride from the hospital. The longer they’d remained in silence, the more he’d felt horrible about what he was doing. He’d been surprised and then glad when she’d thought the reason for his aloofness had been the totaled Jaguar. It may be under false pretenses, but at least she’d be safe here with him.

  Rusty took their coats while Jill ushered Kate into the massive two-story family room. Kate’s eyes grew wide as she took in every detail. Sam also scanned his home, impressed with the small, personal touches made by his friends. The fresh flowers, miscellaneous pictures and antiques strategically placed around the room were as if Kate had always been a part of it.

  “Why don’t you sit and relax? We had a pretty long ride.” He eased Kate onto the buffalo-checked sofa, placing pillows beneath her feet.

  “I’m fine, really. Although my head still aches a little.” She raised a delicate finger to her temple.

  “Let me get you some water,” he said and headed toward the kitchen.

  “Are you in a lot of pain?” Sam heard Jill ask when he disappeared through the saloon-style door of the kitchen. Always the mother hen, he thought.

  “Not really. It comes and goes. I spent most of the ride home trying to remember things.” She gave a pleading look toward Sam when he returned with a glass. “I know, the doctor told me not to. I couldn’t help it.” A giggle bubbled from her rose colored lip. “Would you believe I thought we lived in a penthouse?”

  Sam carefully watched Jill for a reaction. She sat still, intent on listening while Kate continued.

  “I was having visions of leather and the city. Gosh, I could even hear all the noises in my head. At one point I even thought we were going the wrong way home, imagine that!”

  Sam held his breath, feeling perspiration break on his forehead. Jill said nothing.

  “And then, oh, you guys will love this.” Kate paused as the threesome glanced at each other then back to her. “When I woke up in the hospital, I almost thought Sam wasn’t really my husband. Would you believe I thought he had darker hair and a mustache?”

  That did it. The glare in Jill’s brown eyes was enough to turn Sam to ashes. But he couldn’t do this without her, and she’d promised to help. When Rusty tried to place his hand on her shoulder, she promptly shoved it away. That look had been for Russ as well.

  “Are you all right?” Kate asked Jill.

  Sam’s body tensed. They could blow it right here, right now, if they all didn’t get a grip. He could see Jill had a problem with it, but would she use this opportunity to say something to Kate? Sam dared to glance at Rusty, who shrugged in answer to his silent question.

  “I’m fine. It just got very warm in here.” Again, Jill gave the ice-princess look. Rusty slapped Sam on the shoulder, making him jump.

  “Let’s fetch some snacks. I’ll check on dinner for you, too, babe, while we’re in there,” Rusty said, giving Sam a nudge before making a beeline to the kitchen. Once inside, he hurried to the back door. “Let’s formulate a plan. We can hole up at Jed’s until Jill simmers down.”

  “C’mon, all she has to do is play along.” Sam spread his arms wide, remaining a couple steps behind his buddy. “There’s going to be some awkward moments, but we can work past them if we stand together. Jill can’t be that bent, can she?”

  “Oh, yes I can.” Jill hovered by the refrigerator, her brightly colored nails drumming against her hips.

  “Jilly, honey, you’ve--”

  “Quiet, Rusty. I’ll deal with you later.” She held a hand up to her husband and crossed the room to stand face-to-face with Sam. The gold flecks in her eyes danced like sparks. “What were you thinking by bringing her here? This is wrong, Sam, terribly wrong. I can’t believe I let your little cohort over there talk me into this.”

  “Jill, listen, Rusty told me how you felt from the get-go, and I’m thankful you decided to help anyway.” He rested his hands on her arm. Her eyes still looked like they wanted to send him straight to hell. “Regardless of what happened six years ago, believe it or not, I still care what happens to her. I think she’s in trouble, and I want to help. I want to make things right again.”

  Jill backed away and raised her hands in the air. “By lying to her? Since when has that ever solved anything?”

  “I’m not lying. I’m just...withholding a few details for a while. It’s for her own good, Jill.”

  “She thinks she’s your wife.” Jill crossed her arms over her ample bosom.

  “Hey, I tried, but no one at the hospital would listen.”

  Rusty piped in from over Jill’s shoulder, “So she thinks they’re married. Heck, they probably would be if things had been different. There are worse things she could be remembering.”

  “Russ,” both Sam and Jill said and scowled.

  “What?” Rusty’s hands rose in the air, mocking Jill’s earlier actions. “I could be right.”

  “Anyway,” Jill said on a whoosh of breath and shook her head. “Don’t you remember how your previous mistake pushed her into the arms of someone else? She’s practically remembere
d him. How are you going to manage that one?”

  “I need some time, that’s all. Look how comfortable she is with you guys here. She remembers this, too, Jill. She needs us all.”

  “You’d better know what you’re doing.”

  “I think the Santini family had something to do with her accident. If so, she’s in danger. I need to hide her here until things blow over,” Sam blurted, and Jill’s expression softened. “Thanks for not saying anything out there.” He leaned in and kissed Jill’s cheek.

  “That’s your job, Sam.”

  “Then I can still count on you?”

  “Of course you can.” Rusty interjected as he gave his wife a tight squeeze. “Can’t he?”

  Jill exhaled then put her arms around both men, patting their backs. “Of course you can count on me. I’ll do whatever I can, within reason of course. Promise me you won’t delay in coming clean with her.”

  “I promise. Hell, I would’ve told her immediately if the doctor hadn’t said it was important for her to stay away from stress for awhile. When I feel she can handle it, I’ll tell her.”

  Chapter Three

  Kate watched the taillights disappear down the driveway. The nervousness of being alone with Sam returned. With everyone at the house, there was no tension, no headaches, no flashes of memory. She’d had a wonderful time. What now? What should have been routine for her was a jumble of mixed emotions. No sooner had Sam taken the trash outside, than the phone rang. She didn’t think twice to answer it.

  “Hello?”

  Silence.

  “Hello? This is the Hackett residence.”

  There was a ‘click’ then a dial tone.

  “Well that’s strange, must be a wrong number.” Kate stared at the receiver in her hand as a familiar feeling crept over her. She couldn’t place the exact memory but knew there was something about late night calls which frightened her. Frightened? That alone was odd. She’d never been scared with Sam. Placing the phone back in its cradle, she dismissed her muddled thoughts. Everything would fall into place, she needed to be patient with herself.

  Kate wandered restlessly from room to room. There were items that didn’t make sense, from china stacked neatly in a hutch that she couldn’t remember choosing the patter for to heavy window treatments which weren’t her style. Then she’d come upon a picture of her and Sam and remember the exact location where it was taken. There were pieces of antique pottery and gas lanterns set about the house. She had no problem remembering those either.

  Her exploring brought her to the foot of the stairs. Stairs which lead to the bedroom. Their bedroom. Thinking of sharing a bed with Sam made her tingle inside and out. The thought of his messy brown hair and five o’clock shadow had her wishing she could tangle her fingers in it. An uneasy feeling spread from the pit of her stomach to every nerve ending in her body. She knew he wasn’t a stranger, but a nagging seed of doubt emerged once more like it had on the ride home. Something was off. She placed shaking fingers on the end of the oak banister. Why was she so hesitant? In an instant, a detail from a memory appeared in her mind.

  A flash of stairs, but they weren’t these steep wooden ones, they were spiral and metal. Someone called to her from far away. She tried to concentrate. Was it Sam? She didn’t know. Whoever it was needed her, and she wasn’t sure why.

  “Ready for bed?” a deep voice asked, catapulting her back to the present.

  “No.” She spun around to face him, one hand on her pounding heart. A confused look passed over Sam’s handsome features. She leaned against the railing for support and to calm her rattled nerves. “You scared the daylights out of me.”

  “So yes, you’re ready for bed, or no?” A playful gleam lit his eyes.

  Truth be told, she wasn’t sure if she could sleep in the same bed with this man. She wasn’t sure if she even belonged in the same house.

  He’s your husband. Of course you belong with him, she tried to reassure herself.

  Then why did everything feel so wrong?

  “I should probably head upstairs and rest.” She took a step, noticing the bare ring-finger of her left hand, and turned to face him. “Do you have my wedding ring?” She watched his gaze fall to her hand.

  “Uh, no.” He paused, looking thoughtful. “You know, it must have gotten left behind at the hospital. I’ll swing by tomorrow and pick it up.”

  “Oh, okay. I can’t wait to get it back.” She absently rubbed her finger while glancing up the stairs. Turning to face Sam, she asked in a soft voice, “Are you coming?”

  “I’ll be up in a minute.” He seemed to sense her hesitation, and he appeared to be as nervous as she felt. “I want to watch the news for a few minutes. Do you need any help?”

  “No,” she said abruptly, then added, “I mean, no, I’m fine. Take your time.” She watched him walk away and relief washed over her. She’d have a little time, anyway, to get used to their room and the fact that he would be joining her in their bed.

  When she reached the top of the stairs, she wasn’t quite sure which room was hers. There were three doors down the paneled hallway, two of which were open. Bypassing the closed door, she went to the end of the hall. Peeking through the threshold like a child, she felt for a switch. With a click, a bedside light came on, and a warm glow flooded the room.

  At least she’d chosen the right room. The king-sized bed loomed before her, its blankets still ruffled from the night before, from Sam. But this wasn’t only Sam’s bed, it was hers as well. She took a deep breath. This was silly. Sam had slept here, and now she would, too.

  With him.

  She crept forward and sank onto the bed’s edge. It didn’t mean they had to do anything, regardless of the hormones that shot into overdrive whenever he looked at or touched her. She could do this. Again, she assured herself that everything would work out in due time.

  Two dressers stood side-by-side against the wall. She crossed the room and ran her fingers over the deep, rich, wood. No flashes of memory to help her. She felt like a thief as she carefully opened each drawer to inspect its contents.

  “Oh my!” She pulled out a pair of silky bikini panties that she couldn’t imagine wearing judging by the size, anyway. Upon further inspection, she found some other questionable items.

  What could she have been thinking?

  Maybe it had been a phase she’d gone through. On the other hand, maybe ‘trashy’ lingerie was a phase Sam had gone through. Either way, the phase must have long since passed. There was no way they would fit her now. Thank God.

  She fumbled her way through a few more drawers before giving up in frustration. Everything would look better in the morning. For now she would borrow one of Sam’s T-shirts. He wouldn’t mind.

  The wood and spice smell of Sam filled her senses as she slipped the worn material over her head. She hugged herself as if his shirt alone would ease her anxiousness. Burrowing deep within the downy covers, she pulled them under her chin. Her eyes scanned the enormous room. The wood plank walls, the post and beam ceiling, nothing rang a bell. She felt so alone.

  Burying her head in the pillow to stifle her sobs, she rolled over to the edge of the bed and faced the window. If Sam came upstairs, she didn’t want him to know she’d been crying. He seemed so pre-occupied earlier. The last thing he needed was to know how insecure she felt.

  Kate yawned as the day finally took its toll. There was so much to try to understand, so much that should be natural, yet wasn’t. She started a list of questions.

  “How could we afford a Jag?” She rolled to the left.

  “When was I ever a size two?” She rolled to the right.

  “Why did you shave your mustache?” She yanked the covers tight while another big yawn escaped.

  “What’s behind door number three?” The warmth of the bed along with the smell of Sam’s shirt lulled her to sleep, though her mind was far from resting.

  ***

  Kate’s eyes darted about the dimly lit room. Her heart beat so fas
t she thought for sure it would rip through her chest. When the covers stirred beside her, she scrambled out of bed putting a trembling hand over her mouth to suppress a scream.

  Sam’s sleeping face peeked out from under the blanket.

  “What in the world?” She dropped into a nearby chair, trying to rub the grogginess from her mind. “Could I have been dreaming?” Another glance around the foreign room did nothing to calm her nerves.

  Her dream had seemed so real. A man, who was definitely not Sam, seemed like he was reaching out to her. From where, she had no clue, but his intensity still stuck with her even as she became more alert. A shiver worked its way through her body as she scanned the room once more.

  See? No one is there. You always did have an overactive imagination.

  Standing on wobbly legs, she knew her body was too wired to go back to bed. Although Sam’s tousled mop of brown hair made for a very tempting invitation. Should she slip undetected back under the blankets and snuggle up to him? What was wrong with her? She’d been scared out of her sleep by a dream, yet had this overwhelming urge to touch the skin of the man nestled under the covers. As if of their own will, her legs propelled her forward. The moment she reached the side of the bed, she received the most spectacular view of a long, muscled leg and very firm, very bare, backside.

  Kate flew back to the safety of the chair. “I am so not ready for this.”

  Guilt swept over her as she sat and stared at her husband’s form. Any normal woman would be back between the sheets, waking her man up with a little foreplay. So she wasn’t normal, nothing new there. For now, she preferred to stare and fantasize about what else was under those covers. In spite of the fact that she couldn’t recall the most recent details of their life together, she couldn’t deny she wanted him. Early morning light crept through the window, casting shadows on a robe draped over the poster of the bed. Sam must have put it there. Kate chewed her lower lip, glanced toward the bed, and contemplated one last time...