Lyon's Heart

by Jordan Silver

  “Did you call the doctor?”

  “Colt we can’t call the doctor for every little thing she’s supposed to teethe you crazy person. I have everything we need mom already got me hip to what was coming. Plus one of your million and one books covers this stuff so no worries.”

  “You need me to pick up anything on my way in?”

  “No we’re fine you coming home now? You just left like two hours ago.”

  “Your point?” I hadn’t wanted to leave in the first place and now with Caitie having a fever there’s no way I was staying here.

  I hung up the phone so I could get home to them faster. I don’t know how the fuck people deal with this shit; the last time my little girl got sick I was a wreck. I stayed up all night pacing the floor in the nursery. What if she stopped breathing while I was in the next room fucking sleeping? I think there ought to be a law against babies getting sick that shit was just off.

  I got home to a living room covered in gift wrap paper and unwrapped boxes and shit all over the place, a very frazzled wife and a screaming baby girl. I threw my keys on the table and went to do what I do best.

  “Give her here.” I took my little princess from her mother and held her close the way she likes, she was burning up and miserable. I’m so not down with that fuckery. She was trying to bite into my shirt but at least she was down to whimpers instead of wails. Her little head was bobbing which meant she was tired. My baby was sick, fuck.

  “Call the doctor Katarina.”

  “I just gave her her medicine just give it time to work she’s fine I promise.” I sat on the couch and laid her on my chest where she fussed and gnawed on my shirt until she finally calmed down and sniffled herself to sleep, guess she just needed her daddy to come hold her.

  “She was fine when I left what happened?”

  “She’s teething Colt it’s no big deal please don’t go crazy on me. The medicine is supposed to make her sleep and take down the fever and I put her teething ring in the freezer, that’s all we can do.”

  “I don’t know about this fuckery, when I have a toothache that shit hurts like a bastard how’s she supposed to deal with that shit at her age?”

  “It’s not the same thing Colton, babies teethe it’s normal her little teeth are just bursting through her gums that’s all.”

  “That shit sounds painful there has to be something that quack can do to make this easier on her.”

  She rolled her eyes and went back to her gift wrapping. I guess it’s different for moms they have like an extra something that us men are lacking because the shit that makes me freak she just takes in stride. Either that or like as with her mom I can’t stand to see my little girl in pain or miserable.

  I sat there watching Kat do her thing and holding my princess close checking her temperature with a cool hand to her forehead every so often. I guess she was right because within a half an hour or so she was considerably cooler.

  “I should probably go put her down her fever broke.”

  “See I told you so, you want me to take her up?”

  “Nah just let me hold her a little longer then I’ll do it.” I smelled my little girl’s neck and held her closer. I hope she never loses that little baby smell and innocence. Danger zone come back. There are some places I refuse to let my mind wander and Caitlin growing up is one of them.

  The phone rang and jumped the shit out of me; Kat jumped up and grabbed it and from her end of the conversation I gathered it was the hospital.

  “Yes this is Mrs. Lyon.” I love that shit.

  “Uh huh. What?” She started biting her nails, which was a sure sign of distress for her. I started to get up and take the phone from her but she shooed me away.

  “Other than that she’s okay, nothing’s broken?”

  “Well…okay I understand you can’t really tell me more I just want to make sure that she’s okay. Thank you for calling ma’am.”

  She hung up with a strange look on her face.

  “What is it baby?”

  “She has amnesia.”

  “Who does?”

  “The lady that I hit, she has amnesia I didn’t think I hit her that hard.” Her eyes were wide with distress and I could sense the panic setting in.

  “My ass, I don’t like anything about this shit, let the cops handle it. Why are they calling you anyway we’re not her family and shit?”

  “Apparently there’s no one else, she didn’t have any ID on her and now she doesn’t know who she is.” Of course she started crying so now I have a hot miserable sleeping baby on my chest and a wife who was about to fall apart. She was obviously wracked with guilt, which I was going to have to deal with. First thing I had to do was get dad on the ball I didn’t want the hospital calling here again fucking with her head, don’t know why they called us in the first place.

  “I’ll deal with it Kat stop crying, I can’t deal with your shit and the baby’s shit at the same time. Settle your little ass down she’s not dead.” Probably some fucking nut job come to fuck with my life. I didn’t say that shit out loud because Kat would probably light into me if I did.

  “Here put Caitie bear down and let me call the hospital back.”

  “You have to go down there…”

  “No I don’t.”

  “Well then I’ll go.”

  “You’ve lost your damn mind, now go put the baby down and let me deal with this shit.”

  She tried giving me shit but she knew better unless she wanted me to go upside her damn head days before Xmas. I glared at the phone before picking it up. Everything inside me screamed that there was something fucked about this whole situation. What are the odds that some total stranger comes to my town and ends up under my woman’s car on my driveway? I decided not to call after all, she wanted my attention she’s got it but it might not be what she expects. If it turns out she’s some bitch here to make trouble I’ll bury her ass, fuck this. I told my annoying ass wife she’d won and that I’d go to the hospital and check shit out. Of course she was all smiles now so I played along and pretended like I’d caught the Xmas spirit too; yeah I give a fuck.

  Chapter 4

  At the hospital I had to jump through hoops to get into her room. The fact that they’d been the ones to call my house with this shit didn’t seem to matter. I had to use the pothead’s name to get pass the dragon at the desk, she was going on my shit list too. In the room I don’t know what I was expecting to find. I had built this person up in my head as some sort of monster, but in the bed all I saw was a young woman who looked harmless enough. She didn’t look like she was out to harm anyone and the empty look she turned my way didn’t give me anything. Too bad for her whoever she was that my gut was sending off warning bells like a son of a bitch. I put on my ‘I give a fuck face’ and went farther into the room. Please don’t let me strangle this woman in this bed. That’s my natural reaction to any danger I sense where my wife is concerned.

  “Hello there I’m Colt, they tell me that you don’t remember anything?”

  “Are you my husband?”

  “Fu…um no. No, my wife supposedly ran you over on my driveway yesterday.”

  She furrowed her brow and pulled at the sheet but I saw something there. What? I can’t be sure but something about what I’d said didn’t sit too well with her and it flashed in her eyes a split second before she lowered her head again.

  “Supposedly?”

  “Yeah well she said she didn’t see you there and no one can figure out what the fu…what you were doing on my driveway. You don’t seem to be from around here and you weren’t carrying any ID on you so we’re kind of stuck.” I kept my eyes trained on her face for any sign that she was fucking with me but she didn’t give anything away, huh. I didn’t trust her for shit. Whoever she is I know she’s up to some fuck, but I don’t know her angle yet, had to find out some shit first.

  “So you don’t remember anything at all?” I folded my arms and stood in the middle of the room. I wasn’t exactly trying
to intimidate her but I wanted her to know she wasn’t dealing with some jerk she could get one over on.

  She shook her head slightly and then clutched it as if in pain. Too bad she remembered to do that shit too late. This chick was sending up more red flags than a matador in the ring. I’m sure if Kat were here she’d tell me I’m being cynical or some fuck but my gut never lies. I took a deep breath because I didn’t know where to start to piece this shit together, she wasn’t giving me anything here. Not verbally anyway, and the amnesia stunt meant she couldn’t really answer any questions, slick.

  “I’m not quite sure what to say to you since I don’t know you. I’m not sure how I can be of any help to you. You don’t remember anything at all from your past?”

  “No it’s all a blank. I just remember waking up here and when I try to remember anything else I get these blinding headaches, so I don’t try too hard to I’m sorry.”

  “Huh, well they said you weren’t hurt in the accident. There’re no bruises or anything, nothing internal. I wonder if you had amnesia before you ended up on my driveway.” If I hadn’t been watching her so closely, I would’ve missed the way she pinched her mouth at my statement. That shit had my gut doing cartwheels.

  “So there’s no point in me asking you if you know anyone in this town because you have no memory.” I kept repeating myself to see if I could trip her up but she was good.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  I bet. “Listen, they’re probably going to cut you loose from here soon because there’s nothing physically wrong with you. I guess they can’t keep you much longer.”

  “Am I going home with you?”

  What the fuck?

  “Uh, not exactly. I might have a place for you to stay though.”

  “But the nurses said that it’s Xmas and it’s supposed to be important. I’m not sure I want to be alone.”

  Bitch, if you can’t remember what the fuck difference does it make?

  “Look, I’ll be straight with you. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. I’m not the type of guy to invite a total stranger into my house no matter who she is. So you either take the offer or you can make other arrangements, but that’s the best I can do. I’ll give you some cash to get by…”

  “What does your wife think about this?”

  What the fuck?

  “She thinks what I think.” I really don’t like this girl. “So what’s it gonna be?”

  “I guess whatever you think is best.” She didn’t look too happy about that but there was no give in me on this. I wonder what she meant by that crack about what my wife thinks? If I find out Kat’s been talking to this chick behind my back there’s going to be hell to pay. I don’t want her involved until I get to the bottom of this shit so she better not be or I’ll blow my fucking top. I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do but I have to do something. I had a plan when I left the house to come here, but I have to be as slick as I was coming to believe she is if I wanted to pull it off.

  “Would you like something to drink or something? I don’t know how they feed people around here.”

  “Oh I would love a soda please.” She smiled wide at me as I turned on the charm, huh.

  “Sure.” I turned to go to the machine I’d passed down the hall to get her a can of soda. Back in the room I popped the top and passed her the can. I could’ve poured it into the cup for her but that would’ve defeated the purpose so I just passed it to her. She took it and just put it to her lips and sipped. Shit, I didn’t want to be here that long. At this rate she would be sipping into the New Year.

  “Here, maybe you should pour it in here.” I passed her the little plastic cup they kept there and when she was done I took the can with the rest back from her.

  “You don’t mind if I finish this do you? Should’ve got myself one but I wasn’t thinking.” I made sure not to touch where her hands had been. If she noticed the awkward way I held the can she didn’t let on. I pretended to lift the can to my lips; like fuck. I bullshitted with her for a while to dispel any suspicion. She played up the feeble invalid angle to the hilt but I wasn’t biting so I left an hour later with that can in hand. What? I’ve seen C.S.I. I know this shit works and I knew just who to take this can to. I need to work fast on this one. My little girl’s first Xmas is coming up in a few days and nothing was going to get in the way of that or somebody was gonna get hurt.

  I called Drake as soon as I got back in my truck after placing the can in the Ziploc bag I had hidden in my pocket; I came prepared.

  “Drake I’ve got that chick’s fingerprints on a can. Can you do something with it so we can find out who the hell she is?”

  “How the hell did you do that? Never mind I don’t want to know. I’m at your parents, come on over.”

  “What are you doing there, don’t you work?”

  “Off-day and Tina is over here doing something or the other with your mom. We didn’t tell them about last night though so don’t say anything.”

  Shit, I really didn’t want to deal with Daniel and his shit.

  When I got to the house, the three men were in their usual spot, gambling as usual. Dad had his pipe going, as was to be expected, and the place smelt like nothing but weed.

  “Can’t you arrest him or something?”

  “It’s out of my hands now son, they made it legal.”

  “Dad put that shit out, how can you concentrate on anything when you’re always high?”

  “Weed doesn’t make you high boy, it makes you nice.”

  “Whatever.” Why do I even bother?

  “So Drake, you think we can lift the prints off this thing?” I passed him the can in the bag. Daniel had a coughing fit for some damn reason and I knew he was going to have some shit to say as soon as he was done choking. Dumbass.

  “You do know these things take a while right? It’s not like I can just run it down to the station and get results in an hour. We don’t have those type of resources here where I can just put it in a national database, and that’s what you’re going to need. I have to send it to the state lab and since it’s not priority, they might not even do it, not to mention it’s the holidays.”

  “Figure it out.”

  “What makes you think this person is up to something boy? Maybe she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  “Oh yeah? You willing to risk your daughter in law and granddaughter’s lives on it?”

  “Boy, why do you always expect the worse? It’s Xmas, relax. Here have a hit, it might mellow you out.”

  Mellow fucker, I ought to chuck him out the chair.

  “Dad stay out of it, listen I have a bad feeling about this. Nothing about it makes any sense. What was she doing on my driveway? Now she has fucking amnesia, uh uh I don’t trust this shit.” I turned my attention back to the man with the badge, the only one who could be of any help as far as I could see.

  “I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not making any promises. My guys are on it and of course I’m staying on top of it.” Drake studied the cards in his hands like we were discussing the weather.

  “Boy, you’ve lost your damn mind, why don’t you relax? Ever since the baby, you’ve been a loose-canon, seeing danger around every corner.”

  “Dad, you’re full of shit, I don’t see mom running the streets at night in her car alone either. And don’t forget when we were kids and you wanted to leash us.”

  “You kids were terrors, I had to find some way to keep your asses where I could keep an eye on you.”

  “Daniel you had your kids on a leash?” Cy laughed and shook his head.

  “Their mother won’t let me but I thought it was a pretty good idea. It’s not like it was going to scar them or anything, plus it was a pretty good way to keep the three of them together in one place when we went out anywhere together as a family.”

  “Thank heavens he wasn’t smoking back then or who knows what he would’ve come up with then.” I had to think. If Drake couldn’t hel
p me I was going to have to figure something else out. My gut told me I didn’t have weeks to wait around to find out who this woman was or what the fuck she was doing here. Damn, I hope I don’t have to off anyone before Xmas, fuck.

  I heard footsteps coming down the hallway and knew we were about to be invaded by the women at last. Mom was first in the room looking chic in her cashmere sweater and slacks, not a hair out of place and full makeup on. Women are nuts; her two henchmen soon followed looking pretty much the same and I could tell by the looks on their faces that they’d been up to something. Then again when aren’t they up to something? I should probably cut dad some slack because if I had to deal with Elena and her shit I’d probably over medicate too.

  “Colton what are you doing here in the middle of a work day everything okay?” She and her entourage came into the room all smiles. I glanced at Char but she didn’t have her crazy look on so nothing there I guess.

  “We’re working on something.”

  “Is this about the girl that Kat ran over last night?”

  Fuck, Kat and her big ass mouth must’ve told them. How could I have overlooked that shit? I’d decided not to tell mom last night after all because the last thing I needed was her in the middle of this shit. She’d just get her gang involved and it would become a three ring circus. Plus like Kat she seems to have drank the happy juice and I could just imagine the two of them ganging up on me about it being the holidays and how we had to take care of this person, the fuck I will. There was no way around it now that the cat was out of the bag so all I could do was sigh.

  “Yeah, we’re trying to figure out who she is.”

  “We’re on it.” The three women nodded in unison.

  “What? What does that mean?” I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that look she gave me did not bode well. That was her ‘I’m about to meddle in your shit’ look.

  “All of you need to hit the pipe and calm down you’re making a mountain out of a mole hill. What do you wanna bet this turns out to be nothing?”

  I ignored Daniel and his shit and focused on the three women. “What do you mean you’ve got it?”