Saving Our Hearts

by Velvet Reed

  As sweet as the words and sentiment are, I don’t want Cole putting his own health in jeopardy; one of us needs to be fully functioning and ready to take on any situation thrown our way. “Cole, I love you and I love that you want to be here around the clock, but it’s not practical. You haven’t slept a full night or in a bed for a week. Cooper and I both sleep during the night so I really think you should consider going home. You don’t want me constantly worrying about you too, do you?” It’s a sneaky low tactic trying to guilt him into doing it, but I can see how worn out he is. I don’t even think he realizes he has this beard-thing going on and I am not a fan of facial hair one bit. I don’t mind a bit of stubble, but a beard... no thanks.

  He looks at me with a serious expression on his face and I know I’ve got him thinking about it. I may have to rope in Olivia’s help to ensure he starts looking after himself properly again. “How about I think about it? I’m not promising you I’ll do it, but I’ll consider it,” he tells me in a placating tone. I know without doubt I’m going to need extra help getting him out of this place.

  Over the next few hours, I’m inundated with more visitors. Olivia and John come in and manage to drag Cole off to get some lunch while my dad stays with me. He tells me about everything that’s going on with the garage and how incredibly hard Charlie is working running the place mostly by himself. At least now Dad can go back to work and help ease the pressure on Charlie since he doesn’t need to be here as often. It’s funny how my being unconscious for so many days affected the lives of those around me so much.

  We’re still talking about how busy things are at the garage when there’s another knock at the door. Instead of being a familiar face coming to visit, two men in suits stand in the doorway.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Rivers. It’s good to see you finally awake.” The man with black hair, a chiseled and defined face, large broad shoulders that his jacket clings to and a solid chest that tampers down to a trim waist says, “I’m detective Grady Walker and this is detective Daniel Marsh.” I’m still staring at Detective Walker. Oh, my God! I’m checking the guy out. “Mr. Rivers.” He nods to my dad.

  “Detectives,” Dad replies and nods his own greeting to both men.

  “May we come in? We have a few questions we’d like to ask you about the accident.”

  I look at my dad and his mouth forms a grim line. “Of course,” I tell the detectives but a feeling of foreboding settles over me. They make their way into the room pulling chairs closer to my bedside and take a seat. There’s a moment of uneasy silence before Detective Walker begins.

  “So, Ms. Rivers, can you tell us what you remember about the accident and leading up to it.”

  Dad takes hold of my right hand and gives me a reassuring squeeze. “Well, I don’t remember everything, but I know I picked the Jeep up from the garage and was on my way here from my prenatal appointment. At first everything was normal. The Jeep felt great and was driving like it had any other time I’d driven it.”

  “We’ve established that the Jeep isn’t your car while talking to your brother Charlie, is that correct?”

  I frown in confusion over why they would need to talk to Charlie. “No, it’s my boyfriend’s car. He’d taken mine that day because the Jeep was getting serviced. Why did you speak with my brother?”

  “Please continue, Ms. Rivers,” Detective Marsh dismisses my question.

  Still confused and a little pissed off, I continue, “As I said, the Jeep was fine, then about five miles away from the garage I was coming to a stop sign, but when I applied the brakes, the pedal went straight to the floor. I knew something was wrong and tried the handbrake as well, but that didn’t do anything to slow the car down either.”

  Flashes of the others cars, houses and buildings flying past flit through my mind, along with the feeling of terror I experienced before the accident knowing that things weren’t going to end well. I remember praying and asking my mom to watch over me and the baby, praying we would both make it through the other end of the ordeal.

  “Ms. Rivers... Ms. Rivers?”

  Shaking my head to rid the images from my mind, the room and its occupants come back into focus. “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine. When you’re ready, please continue,” Detective Walker says softly with a sympathetic smile softening his features.

  Taking a deep breath, the last seconds before there was nothing but darkness, come back in startling clarity. “I know I kept trying to pump the brakes with my foot. I tried to drive around other cars and the last thing I remember was seeing an intersection coming up full of cars and trucks and the red light. That’s it.”

  “Witnesses have stated that you made no attempt to stop and that you were traveling quite fast,” Detective Marsh states.

  “I just told you that the brakes wouldn’t work. I did try to stop, but how the hell could I without any brakes!” I snap. Seriously!

  “Calm down, Ms. Rivers,” Detective Marsh admonishes and I take an instant dislike to this guy.

  “I am calm. You just need to listen to what I’m telling you. The. Brakes. Didn’t. Work! Do you really think that I would put my unborn child’s life in danger or anyone else’s for that matter?”

  “We’re not saying that, Ms. Rivers. We’ve spoken to your father and questioned your brother down at the garage. Since the car had just been serviced, we went over the work orders and your brother had the read out for the brake test that showed the brakes to be working perfectly. Our crash investigation unit has done a thorough examination of the Jeep and what disturbs us is they found both brake lines had been cut.” Detective Walker pauses and looks at my dad.

  “Are you saying they were cut deliberately?” Dad asks.

  “Yes, Mr. Rivers, that’s exactly what we’re saying.”

  The next thing I know Cole and April walk through the door and they both stop midstride when they see the two detectives.

  “What’s going on?” Cole asks as comes to stand beside my dad.

  “We’re just discussing the accident with Ms. Rivers,” Detective Walker says. “Perhaps you can wait outside Doctor Tierney.”

  “Excuse me?” Cole snaps taken back at the request. I jump in before Cole loses it.

  “Anything we have to discuss can be said in front of my boyfriend, Detective.”

  “And I’m her lawyer, so I’ll be staying as well,” April announces, giving a fake smile.

  Detective Walker gives April an unamused look. “There’s no need for Ms. Rivers to have a lawyer. We were just informing her and her father that there is evidence of foul play involving the vehicle.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Cole thunders.

  My dad puts a hand on Cole’s arm in what I assume is an attempt to calm him down. “The Jeep has been examined, Cole, and the brake lines had been cut.”

  “What?” Cole bellows. In the time Cole and I have been together, I have never heard him yell so loud. Maybe I should be worried about hospital security tossing him out on his ass.

  “As I was saying, Doctor Tierney, the brakes were indeed cut; however, the work orders that Ms. Rivers’ brother showed us from the garage indicate the brakes were fine. So we need to know if there is anyone who would want to hurt you, Ms. Rivers.”

  I’m completely dumbfounded. It’s like I’m in a parallel universe and the detectives are speaking in some gibberish I don’t understand. I don’t have any enemies that I know of... Well, unless you count Miranda, but I can’t see her stooping to this level to get Cole back. I’m a nice person. I get along with everyone, and I have no idea who could possibly want to hurt me or my baby. I don’t voice my opinion about Miranda but I convey the rest to the detectives.

  “Well, that doesn’t really give us anything to go on,” he says and turns to my dad again. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to interview the other staff members who were working the day of the accident and the day before, Mr. Rivers.”

  Dad sighs heavily and focuses on Detective Walker aga
in. “That’s fine. Brad’s working today but my other mechanic Troy is on leave with some family situation.”

  Confusion again causes my brow to furrow as I process dad’s statement. “Troy doesn’t have any family,” I blurt out and five sets of eyes swing in my direction.

  “Surely he has family, Gracie,” Dad says.

  “No.” I shake my head because I know he doesn’t. “He only had an older brother, who took off when he was nineteen. Troy was sixteen. He doesn’t have anyone else.”

  “How the hell do you know that?” Dad asks, looking thoroughly confused and I know I have to tell him about my history with Troy.

  “Well... we dated for a little while about two years ago,” I confess and hear a growl from Cole’s direction.

  The confusion on my dad’s faced is replaced by disbelief. “You and Troy? How did I not know you dated Troy when you’re my daughter and you both work for me?”

  Now it’s my turn to sigh heavily because really my dad’s making a big deal out of nothing. “It was for less than six months. I caught him cheating and kicked his ass to the curb.”

  It’s almost comical watching my dad’s emotions change his features in rapid succession. Now his face is pinched red and his eyes darken like storm clouds. “He cheated on you and you let the bastard continue to work for our family business for two years? Are you crazy, Grace? I would have fired his ass the moment I found out and then handed it to him on a platter after I beat the hell out of him.”

  I roll my eyes at his theatrics. I know he loves me and wants to protect me, but Troy cheating had nothing to do with his work at the garage and we would have lost a good mechanic. “I never had another problem with him after it, Dad. Relax.”

  “Apart from the constant staring,” Cole mumbles.

  Detective Walker clears his throat. “This Troy character, are you sure there were no other issues?”

  I shake my head ignoring Cole’s remark. Sure Troy’s constant staring was annoying, but he’s harmless. “No, we were nothing more than work colleagues after that.”

  “This may just be the lawyer in me but the brakes were cut on the Jeep, right?” April interjects. We all turn our attention to her as she stands to the side of the room.

  “That’s correct,” Detective Walker affirms.

  “Cole owns the Jeep. Doesn’t it make more sense that if anyone was a target it would be Cole? Gracie has her own car. No one would be expecting her to pick up Cole’s from the garage,” April continues and I’m rendered speechless by her words. She’s looking at Detective Walker with a smug smile of satisfaction on her face like she just outwitted a cop.

  “Thank you for your powers of deduction, Ms....” he pauses. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” he smirks while casting probing eyes at April that wander over every inch of her body. Hmmm, did it just get hot in here?

  “April. April Tierney. I’m Cole’s sister,” she says as she reaches out her hand in greeting. It’s hard not to notice the way her eyes make an assessing journey over Detective Walker as well.

  “Well, Ms. Tierney that was actually the line of questioning I was going with next.” He turns to Cole. “Considering the Jeep is yours, I would say it’s more than likely that the cut brakes were intended for you. Is there anyone you can think of who has a grudge against you?”

  Cole’s quiet for a moment. I can practically hear the wheels turning in his head. His hand is up at his mouth covering the grim expression that’s formed there. Why isn’t he answering the question? “Cole?” I can hear the worry in my own voice. He looks down at me, his face tight with tension and then he glances at the other faces in the room before settling on the detectives.

  “Maybe we can take this outside?” he suggests and my anxiety level skyrockets.

  “Take what outside, Cole? What can’t you discuss in front of me? Is this about Miranda?” My heart starts pounding hard, the vibrations echoing in my head and a headache builds. Oh, God! What if he’s hiding something about Miranda again?

  “I think you better just tell us all now, Cole.” My dad’s stern tone interjects as his body goes ridged like he’s bracing himself for the unknown.

  I watch the man I love shuffle uncomfortably. He holds the back of his neck and rubs. Then he focuses all his attention on me. “It’s not about Miranda, Gracie. But there is something. Something Sam knows about and the police know about because I reported it, but we didn’t tell anyone else.”

  He’s scaring me.

  “You made a police report, Dr. Tierney?” Detective Walker asks.

  Cole turns away from me. “On New Year’s day, I went to the station and spoke to an officer there. I had just found a photograph with a message written on it. It was left on the windshield of the Jeep while it was parked in the staff parking area here at the hospital.”

  “What was the photograph of?” the detective enquires.

  Cole turns away and then looks back at me again. “It was of Gracie and me.”

  I’m confused. Why would there be a photo of me and Cole on his car?

  “Okay, so you found a photo of yourself and Ms. Rivers. Why would you go to the police about that?”

  “We went to station because of the nature of the picture and what it said.”

  Nausea instantly curls its way through my body. I know this isn’t leading to something good and Cole’s reluctance to just say outright what the picture was only furthers my anxiety and now anger is building. “For God’s sake, Cole, just say it. You’ve obviously kept something from me, but now isn’t the time to pussy foot around,” I snap.

  Cole’s jaw tics as he looks at me. The steely resolve his features display are something I’ve never seen. “Gracie, I love you more than you’ll ever understand. Sam and I kept this information to ourselves because number one, the cops weren’t going to do anything about it. Number two, you were pregnant and I didn’t want to cause you any stress or worry. You have always been and always will be my number one concern. I was protecting you.” His gaze doesn’t waver from mine as his words sink in. “The photo was taken from the trees behind my house. It showed Gracie and I having sex beside the pool.”

  Gasps of surprise fill the room along with a shout of ‘What!’ and a strangled noise I’m sure came from me. My dad shoots to his feet in outrage, his fury palpable and his face tinged bright red. I can’t have heard right. Why would someone want to take a picture of Cole and I having sex. Everyone starts talking at once. My mind swirls with the inconceivable thought that some perverted asshole had a photo of me having sex.

  Quite calmly, which is at complete odds with what anyone else in the room is feeling right now, Detective Walker interrupts, “What exactly did the message say?”

  Cole lets out a loud sigh. “It said, ‘She won’t be yours for much longer’.”

  “Oh, my God,” April whispers. At least she can get words out because I’m completely speechless.

  “How the hell could you not tell us something like that?” dad thunders as he turns to Cole.

  “I didn’t want to worry anyone. The cops said that unless something else happened, there was nothing they could do over two notes. I made sure that someone was always with Gracie after that,” Cole defends.

  “You said two notes, Cole. What was the other note?” April asks.

  “That one was left on the Jeep at the hospital parking lot as well. It was just a note. I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time and threw it on the floor. I found it after the second note. It was basically warning me to stay away from Gracie.”

  “Honestly, after what we’ve found out today, I think we need to pay your other employee Troy a visit, Mr. Rivers. You did say he was working the day before the accident. Was he working the day the accident happened?” Detective Walker says.

  My dad confirms that he was straight away, but I’m struggling to believe that Troy would do anything like this. After we broke up, he never really spoke to me much and we certainly didn’t hang out. The others continue their
conversation but I zone out and repeatedly go over everything. I’m not angry at Cole for not telling me about the notes and picture. I understand he didn’t want me to worry because I would have and I would have been looking over my shoulder all the time. That’s no way to live, especially when you’re pregnant. Plus, if everyone else knew, they would have wrapped me in cotton wool and driven me crazy. Looking back now, I can see Cole encouraging Olivia, April and Ashley to help with setting up the nursery was his subtle way of ensuring I was never alone. God, I love him so much!

  The detectives bidding their farewells and telling the others they will keep us informed if they find out anything more, breaks through my thoughts. When they’re gone everyone remains quiet for a few minutes until my dad breaks the silence. “I really can’t believe you would keep those notes to yourself, Cole. Anything could have happened and the rest of us were none the wiser. My daughter and grandson could have been killed...” Dad doesn’t get to finish his admonishing because Cole completely loses it.

  “I was trying to protect her, Bryan. I didn’t want her to worry and stress about it. I’ve worried about it constantly since New Year’s Day but I made damn sure that someone was always with her.”

  “Until the day of the accident,” Dad taunts.

  “Yes! Until the day of the accident, Bryan. Those notes were for me! Don’t you get that? If you think I don’t feel guilty about the accident, think again. You weren’t here when they brought her into the ER. You didn’t see her broken and bloody and clinging to life. You didn’t see her heart stop beating and want to die right there beside her. I have to live with those images for the rest of my life, just like I have to live with the fact that my son was born ten weeks early and fights for his little life every day. I’m the one who has to live with the guilt and knowledge that the car accident was meant for ME! It was MY FUCKING CAR! I was the one some asshole wanted to hurt, not Gracie or Cooper. So you can sit there and chastise me for not telling anyone about the notes all you like. Nothing you will ever say can possibly make me feel any worse about this whole Goddamn mess than I already do.”