Bound to the Past (Starville Series Book 1)

by Lauryn Michaels

  Sara just about died of pain. For herself, of course, but also for Jack, whoʼd turned whiter than a bleached sheet and seemed to be gasping for air.

  “What in the world are you talking about? Sara is my girlfriend.”

  As happy as his words made her, she started feeling paradoxically bad for Carrie, too. She cleared her throat. “Why donʼt we all just sit down and talk about this?”

  Jack hesitated for a second, then nodded. Without tearing his gaze off of Carrie, he walked to Saraʼs chair and sat on one of the armrests.

  “Honey, Carrie flew here all the way from Chicago upon learning about your accident,” she started in a conciliatory tone. “She says you guys have been together for over a year.”

  Jack shot the woman a skeptical look. “Itʼs impossible. Nobody reported me missing in Chicago.”

  “I’m a journalist. Iʼve been traveling around the Middle East for weeks and had no idea about your accident, but I came here as soon as I heard. Here,” she added, fishing out a small photo album from her purse.

  He ignored her outstretched hand, so Sara forced herself to grab the album on his behalf. As she opened it with shaky hands, she was sure that her heart wouldnʼt survive the blow this time. In front of her were dozens of pictures, all of them of Jack and Carrie together. The two of them were always dressed elegantly, though the pictures were taken during several different occasions. Carrie looked stunning in her sophisticated long dresses, and Jack…he was smoking hot in his suit and tie. Yet he was never smiling. In each picture, his beautiful eyes looked detached. Cold.

  A shiver ran down her spine before she could help it. No, this wasnʼt her Jack!

  Jack shot a reluctant glance at the pictures as she skimmed through them, then his gaze flitted back to Carrie. “Fine,” he conceded, “itʼs clear that youʼre telling the truth, and I do appreciate your coming here for me. However, I hope you understand that youʼre nobody to me at the moment.”

  “Jack!” Sara winced at his harsh words, but Carrie forced a nod.

  “No, heʼs right. Jack, I want you to know that I donʼt expect anything from you right now, but Iʼm planning on staying in town for a few days, and…well, I hope we can meet up sometime.” She rose to her feet and handed him her business card. “You never know, I might help you remember something. Weʼve been working so hard on that file, and if youʼll decide to move back to Chicago, we―”

  “What file?” Jack sprang up, all his senses suddenly alerted.

  Carrie stared at him, her mouth opening and closing. “Uh… The file on J.T.ʼs death. The one we―wait, you donʼt remember it, do you?”

  “No.”

  “Oh. Well, at least now I have your attention, huh?” she asked with a rueful smile.

  Jack didnʼt answer, but his eyes glittered with excitement as he took a step closer to her. “Do you know whatʼs in the file? Have you read it?”

  “Not in a while, but I donʼt think thereʼs anything important in it. Although itʼs because of that file that you and I got together.”

  “Please, tell us about it,” Sara interjected timidly. She had tried hard to keep quiet, but now she wanted, she needed to know. Carrie hesitated, her gaze shifting alternately from her to Jack. Then she sat back down with a nod.

  “Jack and I met at one of the many Chicago high-society events we used to attend. I noticed him immediately, because he looked incredibly out of place in that elegant ballroom, surrounded by all those stuck-up, high-class mannequins and sequin-covered dolls,” she remembered with a soft smile that Sara couldnʼt help returning. She could almost see the scene Carrie was describing.

  “He came to me and offered me a drink. He introduced himself as the CEO of Global Electronics―which, I knew, is one of the most prominent IT companies in the United States. We talked for a while, drank a few cocktails, then left the party and went to my apartment to…continue the night.”

  Sara stiffened as the woman dropped her gaze, but she didnʼt comment. What was she expecting, anyway? Carrie was Jackʼs girlfriend; it was obvious that they had had sex. Still, the thought of them in bed together was unbearable.

  “Tell me about the file,” Jack asked, tearing through her thoughts. His tone, determined and unemotional, made her squirm with unease. He didnʼt appear at all affected by Carrieʼs words. That darn file seemed to be the only thing he cared about.

  Heʼs cold, logical, controlling―and just about as sensitive as those damn computers he loves so much…. That man canʼt love you, Sara…. He canʼt love anybody…. She shook her head to get rid of the extreme confusion she felt inside. No, Jack was not the man Carrie had described, she told herself firmly. Maybe he used to be, but not anymore. Not with her. Never with her.

  As if aware of her troubled thoughts, Jack took her hand and held it in his. Magically, some of the ice that had surrounded her heart since Carrie had walked into her house started to melt away.

  “That same night,” Carrie resumed, interrupting her musings, “I told you about my job as a reporter, and thatʼs when you asked me if I wanted to help you shed light on an old, undisclosed mystery. I admit that at first I had no idea what you were talking about, but I accepted with enthusiasm, thinking that if things worked out, weʼd both get what we wanted: you would find an answer to all of your questions, and I would have the greatest article of my career.”

  “What did I tell you about J.T.’s murder, Carrie? What did I know?” Jack urged.

  She shrugged. “Not much more than what Iʼd already learned from the news. Then right before I left for the Middle East, you told me you needed to go back to Starville in order to find―I quote―the ‘missing pieceʼ of the puzzle. But, Jack, while it’s true that weʼve worked on this file together for almost a year, you are the one who did most of the work. Thereʼs so much stuff in it that doesnʼt make any sense to me, so it might be better if you took a look at it yourself.”

  “Iʼd love to.”

  “Good.” Carrie stood again. “Unfortunately, I didnʼt think about bringing it with me as I flew out of Chicago as soon as I could; however, I can call my secretary and ask her to overnight it to my hotel. Would that be all right?”

  “Sure.” Jack nodded, but his disappointment was unmistakable on his face. Then again, Carrie was only trying to help. He sighed. “Thank you, Carrie. For everything. And Iʼm sorry Iʼve been an ass since you got here.”

  The woman smiled her first warm smile since sheʼd arrived. “Apology accepted.” She turned to Sara. “Thank you for letting me into your house and giving me a chance to talk to Jack despite everything.”

  Sara forced a smile back at her as she walked her to the door. “Thank you for coming. I hope you understand that what happened is hard on all of us, though itʼs nobodyʼs fault.”

  An awkward silence followed Carrieʼs exit. Sara stared at the closed door for a long time before turning to Jack.

  He rubbed a hand over his face. “Iʼm sorry.”

  “Itʼs not your fault. Itʼs just that…” She shook her head. “I donʼt know, it all feels like a bad dream. So many things are happening, and so fast, that my head is spinning.”

  Jack closed the distance between them. “Donʼt let this get to you, babe. It has nothing to do with the two of us.” He tried to pull her into his arms, but Sara backed away with a gasp.

  “Are you kidding me? Jack, Carrie is your girlfriend! She has everything to do with us.”

  “For fuckʼs sake, Sara, I donʼt even remember her!”

  “And whatʼs going to happen when you do? Whatʼs going to happen when you get your memory back and remember everything about your life in Chicago, all the gorgeous women youʼve been with?”

  Jack put his hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. “Listen to me: I have no idea what kind of man I was before my accident, but this is me now, and Iʼm not going to change just because one day my stupid head will start remembering.”

  “I know, but—”

  “No buts. My past sucks. God k
nows I wish I could just let it go and start over fresh, but I canʼt. Not knowing what the hell happened is killing me. I have to get to the bottom of this. I canʼt give up now, Sara. It wouldnʼt be fair to you, myself, J.T., and even Charlene. I canʼt let their deaths be for nothing.”

  For a long moment, Sara lost herself in his eyes, letting the tantalizing words sink in. What would it be like if Jack really decided to let the past go and start over fresh? Away from Starville, away from all this mess… With her? She shook her head with a sigh and chastised herself for the selfish thought. “I donʼt want you to give up, Jack. I would never ask you to stop looking for the truth―not when the murdererʼs still roaming around this town and youʼre the only one who can help find him.”

  Jack gave a rueful smile. “Youʼre entrusting me with a lot of responsibility.”

  “Because I know you can do this. Soon youʼll get your memory back, and when you do, everything will be clearer than you think. In the meantime, letʼs just wait for Carrie to show you that file, and letʼs take one day at a time, okay?”

  “Okay.” He nodded and bent his head to kiss her. Sara closed her eyes.

  One day at a time. Maybe if she kept saying it, sheʼd actually convince herself.

  ***

  Jack and Sara decided to take Carrie out to dinner to Chez Marie that night, but they also invited Brent and Nicky, hoping their company would make the experience a little less awkward.

  “Are you sure youʼre not bothered by Jackʼs girlfriendʼs presence?” Nicky asked Sara, pulling her to the side as soon as they arrived at the restaurant.

  “Jackʼs ex-girlfriend,” she specified with a groan. “And yes, I am a little bothered by her being here. But sheʼs here for Jack, and if she can do anything to help him remember something or shed some light on what happened, then sheʼs more than welcome.”

  “Wow. You have all my admiration. I would never be able to take this so maturely.”

  Sara shook her head. “Trust me, thereʼs not much to admire. To be honest, when she first introduced herself, I would’ve gladly ripped every single piece of hair from her head. But then, I donʼt know, itʼs hard to explain…but I no longer feel threatened by her being around Jack. I know in my heart that they never had the kind of relationship he and I have.”

  Nicky gave her a doubtful look as they joined the others at the table. She didnʼt fully understand what her friend meant until the night went by; even before Jack and Sara had become involved, she had always noticed the special electricity between them. It had always been obvious that they were crazy about each other, it was almost as if the two of them shared a particular, intimate bond that excluded everyone else. Which made the plain indifference between Jack and Carrie all the more noticeable. And while it was understandable that Jack didnʼt feel anything for her anymore, Carrie didnʼt look like a woman with a broken heart, either. She didnʼt seem to care that he was now in another womanʼs arms. She laughed and joked around all night and even had the nerve to flirt with Brent! Not that he had objected, Nicky mused with a sarcastic grimace.

  “Howʼs the investigation into Charleneʼs murder proceeding?” Jack asked Brent, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Not so well, Iʼm afraid. Not that I would be allowed to tell you, anyway.”

  They all turned to Carrie at her shocked gasp. “Charlene? Charlene Whiters? Sheʼs…dead?”

  “She was killed a few weeks ago,” Brent confirmed with a frown, staring at her as if sheʼd suddenly turned into an alien. “Why? Did you know her?”

  “Yes. I mean, no, not personally. But Jack told me so much about her, and I know she used to be his girlfriend. There’s so much about her in our file and―” Her mouth snapped closed as Jack shot her a pulverizing look. It was too late, though, because Brent didnʼt miss her slip-up and leaned forward over the table.

  “What file?”

  Jack hesitated, then blew out a resigned sigh. “A file Carrie and I have been working on. Apparently, it contains information on J.T.ʼs death―or rather, whatever information Iʼd gathered in the last ten years before I lost my memory. I havenʼt seen the file yet,” he added, feeling Brentʼs glare upon him. “Carrie just told me about it earlier.”

  “The file is in Chicago, but I already asked my secretary to overnight it to my hotel.” Her anxious gaze darted between the two men. “I figured Jack and I could meet up tomorrow night and go over it together.”

  Brent shook his head. “Sorry, but I need to see it first. It might contain something relevant to Charleneʼs murder.”

  Jack slid another dark look at Carrie, but she raised her palms in a helpless gesture, then turned back to Brent. “How ʼbout I show it to Jack tomorrow night and bring it to your office first thing the following morning? I promise we wonʼt touch it.”

  Brentʼs eyes shifted from her to Jack, as if trying to decide whether he should trust them or not. “All right. Make sure neither of you changes a dot, though.”

  “What time tomorrow?” Jack urged impatiently. “And where?”

  “My hotel room. As I said before, I donʼt feel comfortable taking the file around. Oh, and letʼs meet around midnight. I have a videoconference with my colleagues in Lebanon until then.”

  Jack turned a questioning gaze to Sara, who had sat quietly in her chair that whole time. She took his hand and nodded, although she hated the thought of him alone with Carrie in her hotel room…at midnight! Still, she knew that taking a look at that file was vital to Jack, and this was not the time to behave like a jealous nag. She needed to trust him.

  “Where are you staying?” he asked Carrie.

  “The Lonestar Inn―itʼs right outside of Starville. My room number is 327. The reception will likely be closed that late at night, but thereʼs a guest entrance on the side of the building. Just buzz my room and Iʼll let you in.”

  “Got it.”

  “What a happy coincidence!” a high-pitched voice called out, making them all turn their heads toward it.

  “Layla.” Brent stood to meet the woman as she walked to their table. “Crap, you almost gave me a heart attack. I didnʼt see you coming in.”

  “Iʼm not surprised you didnʼt notice me. Yʼall seemed absorbed in your conversation.” Layla chuckled, raising a hand in a greeting before placing it casually on Brentʼs shoulder.

  Nicky rolled her eyes. In an attempt to distract herself from the sight of the womanʼs hand wrapped around Brentʼs arm like an ivy vine, she moved her gaze to the array of tropical fish swimming around in the huge wall aquarium beside the table. Such pretty fish they were, so colorful and graceful, so carefree. Just looking at them was relaxing her. Almost.

  “What brings you here?” she asked Layla, trying not to sound too annoyed.

  She flung her red curls away from her shoulder with a sensual toss of her head. “Iʼm on a date, although Iʼm starting to think my prince charming must have gotten lost in the parking lot. He dropped me off at the entrance to go find a parking spot and still hasnʼt showed up.”

  “And who would this phenomenon be?” Sara interjected, an amused smile on her face.

  “Bob Landon.”

  “Bob?” Brent nearly choked on the sip of beer heʼd just taken. “Come on, Lay, you canʼt be that desperate!”

  Jack and Carrie exchanged a puzzled look as Layla shook her head with a smile. “I know, I know. But hey, I have to give the guy a fair shot, right?”

  “Not to mention, I heard he inherited a huge amount of money from his old aunt Edith,” Brent added with a wink. Layla jabbed him in the arm.

  “What about you guys, whatʼre yʼall doing here?”

  “Weʼre having dinner with a friend of mine, Carrie Ward,” Jack answered flatly. “She just arrived from Chicago.”

  “Chicago, huh? Well, welcome to this godforsaken hole, hon. Hope you like it here.”

  Carrie nodded with a smile. “Thank you.”

  Layla flitted her eyes to a spot behind Jackʼs shoulder and blew out a resigned sigh as a tall, lank
y man walked into the restaurant and looked around uncomfortably, trying to focus his gaze through the thick lenses of his glasses. “Looks like my prince charming has finally found his way here. It was a pleasure to meet you, Carrie.”

  “You, too.”

  The waiter arrived with their orders with perfect timing, and the rest of the night seemed to fly by. It was almost ten p.m. by the time they left the restaurant.

  “Thank you so much for the exquisite dinner and the even more delightful company. I truly enjoyed everything,” Carrie exclaimed as they walked out to the parking lot.

  “It was our pleasure. In fact, we need to do this again before you leave town.” At Brentʼs words, she turned around and gave him a big smile.

  “Absolutely. And don’t forget Iʼll see you at the police department in a couple of days, Deputy.” She extended her hand to him. Brent took it, but instead of shaking it, he raised it to his lips and kissed it softly, making her giggle with pleasure.

  “Maybe we can have breakfast together afterward?”

  “Sounds great.” With a reluctant sigh, Carrie withdrew her hand and turned to Jack. “Could I talk to you for a sec?”

  “Sure. I’ll walk you to your car.”

  Sara frowned as she watched them walk away. She was startled when Nicky put a hand on her arm. “Do you want to come over for pizza tomorrow night?”

  “Thank you, Nic, Iʼd love to.” Maybe that would help her get the thought of Jack and Carrie together out of her head.

  Carrie stopped in front of a silver sedan. “This is me.”

  Jack nodded and thrust his hands into his pockets. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  “It’s a little awkward, actually. It’s about Brent.”

  “What about him?”

  “He’s Richard Haydenʼs son, isnʼt he?”

  He frowned. “Yeah. Why, do you know Richard?”

  “No, but he’s in your file, too, Jack. I donʼt recall what it was about exactly―I havenʼt gone through the file in a while now—but you can read all the details about it tomorrow. I just thought you needed to know about it, since you and Brent… Well, you guys seem to be close.”