Reckless Memories

by Catherine Cowles

  Sirens sounded in the background, and my gaze snapped back to Ford. “They’re here. They’re going to help you.” They had to. I would not lose him, too.

  “He’s going to be fine, Bell.”

  Crosby held tightly to my hand as we sat in a sterile waiting room. I hadn’t seen this room before, but I was all too familiar with the hospital itself. The dime-a-dozen nature pictures on the walls and the smell of antiseptic. It’s going to be okay. He’s going to be fine. This would not have the same ending as my last trip through these hallways.

  “Should I call Hunter? The Hardys?”

  “No.” I flinched at the sharpness in my voice. “Maybe call Hunter, but don’t call Kara and Frank. I don’t want them to worry.” If this news gave Frank another stroke, I’d never forgive myself.

  “Okay.” Crosby gave my hand a squeeze and then released it.

  The muffled sounds of Crosby’s call with Hunter only made me zone out more. My vision blurred on the empty chairs across from me as time faded in and out. I wasn’t going to lose him. I said it over and over to myself.

  A voice cleared, and a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair appeared in my line of sight. “I’m Dr. Park, and I’ve been treating Mr. Hardy.”

  I pushed to my feet, wobbling a little. “How is he?”

  “He’s going to be just fine.”

  My shoulders sagged in relief at the doctor’s words, and Crosby gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Told you, Bell. His head is tougher than you think.”

  Dr. Park glanced down at Ford’s chart. “He has a dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs, a wound that required eight stitches, and a concussion.”

  I reached out blindly to grab onto Crosby’s arm. That was just fine? Crosby scowled at the doctor, who seemed impervious to his stare.

  “He’s regained consciousness, and we’ll be releasing him tonight—”

  I cut the doctor off. “Is that wise? Doesn’t he need someone to monitor him?”

  Dr. Park looked up from the chart. “He’ll need someone to stay with him, yes. To wake him up every few hours and ask him simple questions. But, honestly, we’ve found that patients recover better in their own homes.”

  “I’ll stay with him.” The words were out before I could consider how wise the offer was. I didn’t care anymore. None of it mattered. I’d almost lost Ford, and the last words I’d said to him had been ones of hurt and anger. “Was he able to tell you what happened?”

  “We were able to put most of the pieces together from his injuries. Mr. Hardy filled in the rest. We found bark in his head wound, so we assume he was struck with some sort of stick or branch. The abrasions on his back led us to believe he was dragged towards the water where the assailant then attempted to drown him. This is when Mr. Hardy came to and began to fight back.”

  My stomach pitched, all its contents revolting at the image painted in my mind. “Excuse me.” I ran for the bathroom across the hall, just making it in time to empty my stomach into the toilet. I wretched and heaved until nothing more would come up. My legs wobbled as I exited the stall and made my way to the sink. I rinsed out my mouth and splashed water on my face, patting it dry.

  I studied the reflection staring back at me. Far too pale, with dark circles rimming my eyes, and a feral, panicked quality to my gaze. I needed to see Ford for myself. I needed to touch him. To make sure he was safe and real and not going anywhere.

  The door slowly opened, and a nurse appeared with a gentle smile. She had a grandmotherly air to her and extended a travel-sized bottle of mouthwash. “Your friend thought you might want this.”

  “Thank you.” My hand shook as I took it from her.

  “You just let me know if you need some juice or crackers, and I’ll rustle some up for you.”

  I nodded, and she left. I quickly rinsed out my mouth, relishing the relief the minty mouthwash brought, and headed back into the waiting room. “Can I see him now?”

  The doctor’s expression gentled. “Of course you can. I’ll have the nurse bring in some discharge papers and instructions for home care. Mr. Hardy needs to take it easy for a few weeks.”

  I nodded and headed straight for the ER bay the doctor pointed to. My hand froze for a moment as I gripped the curtain, my heart seeming to trip over itself. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if Ford sent me away. I took a deep, steadying breath and pulled the rough fabric aside.

  Ford’s eyes snapped to me. “Trouble.”

  I did the last thing I wanted to. I burst out crying. It was as if all the emotions I’d been holding back for the past twelve hours spilled out of me all at once.

  “Trouble,” he growled. “Get over here. I’m fine. I promise.”

  I hurried over to the bed, trying to get myself under control—and failing miserably. “I’m so sorry.” I hiccupped between words.

  His arm that wasn’t in a sling reached out for my hand. I took it greedily. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  I couldn’t seem to stop my tears. Ford released my hand and cupped my face. “What is all this about?”

  “I-I-I almost lost you, and the last thing I said was that I didn’t trust you.” The sobs started back up in earnest.

  “Bell.” His face softened. “I shouldn’t have walked out. I haven’t earned your trust back, it’s okay. I will one day.”

  I let my head fall to the bed, pressing against Ford’s leg. He ran his hand over my hair, the feel of his fingers tangling in the strands the most comforting thing I’d ever felt. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

  My head snapped up. “Did you see who attacked you?”

  Ford grimaced. “I wish. It was dark, and the salt water messed with my vision.”

  I took his hand in mine, trying not to grip it too tightly. “What the hell is going on around here?”

  “I don’t know. But we’re going to find out.”

  “We are.”

  I startled, turning to see a very pissed-off-looking Sheriff Raines. A nurse gaped behind him. I didn’t blame her. He looked like some dark avenging angel. “Hi.” My greeting came out as a squeak, but the man was seriously intimidating when he was this angry.

  Raines gave me a quick nod and then turned his attention to Ford. “I’m really sorry this happened to you.”

  “You and me both.” Ford chuckled but then winced, holding his ribs.

  I stood. “Do you want me to get a nurse?”

  Ford squeezed my hand. “I’m fine, Trouble. Just a little tender.”

  My eyes narrowed on him. “You forget I know when you’re lying.” I knew all of Ford’s tells, and the shifting of his eyes was a dead giveaway.

  “I’ll take the pain meds when I get home.” I let out some sort of growl, and he grinned. “I promise.”

  Sheriff Raines cleared his throat. “Did you see anything?”

  Ford scowled. “Not much that will help, I’m afraid. A man. About my height and build. But I couldn’t see any discernable features. It was dark. He was wearing a hat. And my eyes were full of salt water.”

  Raines pulled a notepad out of his pocket and began scrawling things down. “We found the branch that was used to strike you, but I’m afraid we won’t have much luck with prints. It was waterlogged, and the bark was peeling off.”

  “So back to square one,” I mumbled.

  “Not square one.” The sheriff met my gaze head-on. “I’ll have as many men as I can afford canvassing the surrounding area tomorrow and asking stores in the vicinity if they have any cameras outside their properties. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

  I wasn’t going to hold my breath. Anchor was a safe place to live most of the time. The crimes we faced were petty theft, underage drinking, and an occasional drug bust. Store owners weren’t big on security of any kind. “I hope you find something.” The doubt in my voice told him how unlikely I thought that was.

  “I’ll give you two a call tomorrow and stop by to update you and take a formal statement.” Raines’ gaze shifted to Ford. “If you think of anythi
ng new, write it down, and we’ll go over it tomorrow. And I’ll have deputies doing drive-bys of your place and The Catch.”

  A chill skittered down my spine. “Do you think this is related to my break-in?” I hadn’t put the two together until that very moment, but what were the chances that two unrelated crimes would take place so close together on an island the size of Anchor?

  The sheriff’s face hardened. “I think it’s likely. I’m just not sure why.”

  “Bell, you’re staying with me tonight.”

  The sharp crack in Ford’s words had me spinning around. “I was already planning on it.” My eyes narrowed. “But you bark an order like that at me again, and I’ll conveniently forget where I put your pain pills.”

  Ford’s lips twitched. “Fair enough.”

  “You two want a ride back to the island? Or should I be worried that Bell is going to throw you overboard?”

  I let out a little laugh. My voice sounded rusty, as if I hadn’t used it in a while. “I think there’s a fifty-fifty shot. But we’d love a ride if you can fit Crosby on the boat, too.”

  Raines grinned. “No problem. I’ll get everything squared away and be ready to go when you’re discharged.”

  “Thank you.” I held the sheriff’s gaze for a beat, wanting him to know just how much I meant those two words. He gave me a swift nod and headed down the hall.

  I turned back to Ford, his face was serious again as he spoke. “I was so damn scared, Bell. Terrified that the guy was going to go after you next, or that he’d already hurt you.”

  My throat seemed to catch as I swallowed. “I’m fine. Totally and completely safe.”

  “I know. Can you do me a favor?”

  I stared into blue eyes that I could get lost in forever. I’d promise him whatever he wanted to clear the fear that clouded those beautiful eyes. I nodded.

  Ford reached out, grabbing my hand and tugging me towards the bed. “I need you to stick close for a while.”

  “I can do that.” But I knew I’d be letting my heart go in the process.

  30

  Ford

  I groaned as I stretched, my ribs twinging. I blinked against the light that was way too bright. Everything hurt. I swore my eyelashes somehow even held pain. I glanced around the room, everything coming back to me in flashes. The strike on the head. The fight. My fear for Bell. Her waking me up throughout the night to ask me my birthday and who the president was.

  “Shit.” I scrubbed a hand, the arm uninhibited by a sling, over my stubbled jaw then slowly swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat up, letting out a litany of curses. The ribs were going to be the death of me.

  I’d agreed to half a pain pill last night, but hadn’t wanted to take any more. Even with the high-quality locks and top-of-the-line alarm system, I’d wanted my wits about me. If the asshole came back, I wasn’t going to be drugged out of my mind and leave Bell to fight him off alone. Just the thought had my chest seizing with the sudden need to lay eyes on her.

  I strode barefoot down the hall, peeking into bedrooms as I went. Each time I came up empty, my heart beat a little harder in my chest. By the time I reached the living room, it felt as if the organ might fly right out of my rib cage. Right up until I caught sight of Bell curled into a tiny ball on the couch.

  I scowled. “What are you doing?”

  Bell startled, flying to a sitting position. “What? Oh, hi. Are you okay?”

  “Of course I’m okay. Why are you contorting yourself into the world’s most uncomfortable position on my couch instead of taking one of the four other bedrooms?”

  It was Bell’s turn to scowl now. “Because I didn’t want to let myself sleep too deeply. I was afraid I wouldn’t hear my alarm and would sleep through it when I was supposed to wake you up.”

  I sighed. “You need your rest. You’ve been through a lot.”

  “I’m fine.”

  God, I hated that word. It never meant what it was supposed to. “No, you’re exhausted. Why don’t I make you some breakfast, and then you can go sleep on a real bed?” I wanted to curl up beside her and hold her and never let her go, but that wasn’t what she needed from me right now.

  “How about I make you some breakfast, and then you can take a nap?” I bit back a growl, and Bell laughed at my expression. She held up both hands. “Okay, okay. Why don’t we make breakfast together, and then we can both take a nap?”

  “You’re getting warmer.”

  Before Bell could respond, there was a knock on the door. She pushed off the couch as if going to answer it, but I pinned her with a stare. “Don’t even think about it.” I turned for the door. While the back of the house was comprised of windows that looked out over the bluff and ocean below, the front was designed for privacy and security. There was no way to see into or out of the home other than through the small windowpanes on the front door.

  I glanced through the small opening to see Sheriff Raines. I quickly opened the door. “Sheriff.”

  “Morning, Ford. How are you feeling?”

  I ushered him inside. “Like I took a particularly hard tackle in a game I hadn’t been training for.”

  Raines chuckled. “That’s not a fun feeling.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Morning, Sheriff,” Bell greeted.

  “Please, call me Parker, both of you.”

  Bell nodded. “Okay, Parker, can I get you some coffee? Ford and I were just about to rustle up some breakfast.”

  He held a hand out to indicate that Bell should lead the way. “We can do this in the kitchen. And I will never say no to coffee.”

  Bell immediately set to work on breakfast while I started on the drinks. Pulling a few mugs down from the cabinet, I glanced at Parker. “So, you find anything?”

  The sheriff scrubbed a hand over his face, drawing attention to eyes that clearly hadn’t seen enough sleep. “Nothing that helps in any significant way. The bank caught a brief glimpse of someone on their security feeds, but it’s from the back, and doesn’t give us much more than we already had to go on.”

  I knew Bell had expected as much, but I’d been holding out hope that they’d get something usable. Parker cleared his throat. “I need to talk to you both about something, and it’s not going to be pleasant.”

  I stiffened, moving closer to Bell, who’d stopped whisking eggs. “What is it?”

  “I did some research last night and saw that Ford was driving the night your sister was killed, Bell.”

  Her muscles visibly tensed as she set down the utensil. “What are you trying to say?”

  “I’m wondering if there’s anyone who was especially angry after the accident. Not just upset, but truly angry.”

  Bell’s mouth opened and closed as she tried to wrap her head around what Parker was asking. I cleared my throat. “I’m not sure I’ll be much help on that front. I left for college right after the accident and haven’t been back here until now.” Saying it outright like that made me realize just how cowardly it had been. I’d tucked tail and run.

  A small, smooth hand slipped into mine, our fingers interlocking. The peace and comfort it brought nearly sent me to my knees, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at her. “There were lots of folks who were sad, and there were more than a few who were angry.”

  My gaze flicked up to Bell. She swallowed hard. “At the top of that list would be my parents. They threatened to sue Ford if he had any contact with me or them.”

  Parker straightened on his barstool. “Do your folks know Ford is back in town?”

  Bell nodded. “We ran into them a few days ago at Rocco’s.”

  “And how did that run-in go?”

  Bell’s body gave a small shudder, and I released her hand, pulling her against me. I needed more contact. Felt like if I had that, I could protect her in some way. My ribs screamed in protest, but I ignored them. “It wasn’t great.”

  Parker nodded. “I’m going to have to talk to them. Is there anyone else that you can thin
k of? Someone who expressed thoughts or feelings that seemed odd or out of place?”

  A faraway look overtook Bell’s face, one that included flashes of pain every few seconds. She was back in the past, the time that had hurt her so badly. I had the sudden urge to deck the sheriff for forcing her to go back there, even though I knew he was only trying to help. “I know there were people who thought Ford should’ve been at the funeral, shown his support, but it’s honestly all a bit of a blur.”

  Those people weren’t wrong. I should’ve been there, no matter what Bell’s parents had threatened. A toxic mix of anger and guilt swirled in my gut. “I’m so sorry, Trouble.” I whispered the words in her ear, but I was sure Parker heard it.

  Bell turned in my arms. “No. You will not let judgmental assholes make you feel guilty. You were hurting. You were eighteen and scared. We both made mistakes, but we’re not going to let people who have no place in our lives make us feel bad for something they know nothing about.”

  The corners of my lips tipped up. “Sometimes, I forget how fiery you can get.” It was a dangerous thing to forget because when fire was pointed at you, the burns could be lethal. But it was so damn beautiful to watch.

  Bell scowled at me, and both Parker and I burst out laughing. She threw up her hands. “No one takes me seriously.”

  I pulled her back against me with my good arm, pressing my lips to the top of her head. The scents of jasmine and that thing that I’d always associated with Bell but had never been able to identify filled my senses. I breathed her in, letting the fragrance soothe my frayed nerves. “We take you seriously, Trouble. Trust me.”

  Parker cleared his throat. “I’m going to keep looking into who might have a grudge against Ford. Bell, have you noticed anything odd either before Ford returned or after? Anyone paying you attention that felt off? Anything at all?”

  Bell gave a small jerk in my arms. “The gifts.”