by Lee Rose
The doctor nodded at Alicia with a patient smile. “The knife wound was deep, and we were worried, but she is a strong girl. She will be weak due to the blood loss. We’ll watch her, make sure she doesn’t get an infection. She is sedated and won’t be awake until tomorrow. I suggest you all go home and rest. She should be more aware of her surroundings by tomorrow.”
The doctor turned to Noah. “Hope you get him, Sheriff. We don’t need this guy running loose in town.”
Noah nodded. His legs were weak with relief. He plopped down onto a chair without an ounce of grace. He put his elbows on his knees and took deep breaths. He wanted to sob like a baby. Alana was going to live. She could keep turning her cute little nose up at him whenever he saw her, but at least she was alive to do it.
Drake sat next to him and patted him on the back. He knew Noah still had feelings for Alana. “You okay, Noah?”
Noah nodded but stayed silent. He needed a moment for his muscles to loosen up. He was just now feeling like he could breathe again.
He could hear Ray telling his parents to go home and rest. “Take Alicia with you. Drake and I are taking turns staying awake with her,” Ray told them.
They reluctantly agreed and left with the promise to be here in the morning.
Drake looked at his watch. “I need to go by my place and change out of my uniform. I am not on duty again until tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll take your shift tomorrow, Drake,” Noah volunteered. Noah was off tomorrow. The last thing he wanted to do was sit at home and worry about Alana. “I’m going to get started on finding this guy. Don’t leave Alana alone, especially with her not awake yet.”
Ray looked down at his own clothes and grimaced. He looked reluctantly at Noah as if he hated to even speak to him. “Can you wait here until I go home and change, too? I don’t want her to wake up and see blood.”
“No problem.” Noah wanted to sit and put his emotions under control again. He had never felt so helpless in his life, even when his parents had died in a car accident years ago.
The two men left, and a nurse showed Noah to Alana’s room. He was glad for the chance to see her. He was still worried that she could catch an infection. He slowly opened the door and went in. Hospitals were scary places.
She lay so still on the bed, eyes closed and not moving. Her room was dim with only a small light on. He could see her chest moving up and down. Otherwise, he would wonder if she was even alive. Her body was covered by a thick white blanket. She was hooked up to an IV and other gadgets he recognized. Memories surfaced to the front of his mind, memories of her laughter and sparkling eyes. She drew him like no other, always cheering him up and making him feel crazy with so many emotions. Why had he thought that was so terrible?
He grabbed her hand, and it was so cold it scared him. He was tempted to break down and weep over her. He held it together and did his best to be strong. He had heard somewhere that people in comas could still hear the people around them. He didn’t want her to hear him crying like a baby.
“I am so sorry this happened to you, baby.” The endearment came out of his mouth naturally.
The last six months since their fight had been miserable. They both avoided being in the same place, and if by chance they were in the same place, Alana would glare at him and move on quickly. He felt guilty for what he had done to her and for not sitting down and talking things out with her like a man. His dad would have been so ashamed of Noah. He had taught all three Blake boys that honesty was always the best policy and to always treat people right. Noah had failed on both teachings.
He had made a huge mistake, and he had paid for it. Losing Alana made him realize how deep his feelings for her went, deeper than any fear. Yet even with that knowledge, he convinced himself the gulf between them was too wide, the hurt too deep.
“I’ll find this guy, and I will get him. I am going to make sure no one hurts you again. I am sorry I hurt you. You are so sweet and beautiful, and I should have held on to you tightly and never let go. I promise to do better if you give me one more chance. Our story can’t end like this, Alana. We’ve been blessed with one more chance to rewrite it, and I will do it right this time. I don’t want to be without you any longer. I think of you and dream of you, yet I spend every moment alone without you.”
He pulled the chair close to her bed and kept a hold of her hand. She never moved, but he didn’t care. Machines hummed and beeped, but he kept his eyes on her pale face. He realized how much she meant to him, and he was glad she was still around so he could prove it to her. It would not be an easy road, but when he was determined, he could be stubborn. The Garcias were not going to get in his way.
Chapter 3
The residents of Red Hook, Texas, were very busy preparing for the upcoming summer activities. White lights were being strung in the small trees that grew in the dirt squares lining the sidewalk. Colorful banners were being hung up on the light poles. Excitement lingered in the air.
“Hey, Sheriff.” Walter Logan walked up to him. He owned the hardware store across the street. He had been living here fifty-plus years. “Any luck on finding the thief that robbed the Garcias? People are worried.”
“There is nothing to worry about. We haven’t found him yet, but he has not robbed anyone else. That makes me think he wasn’t from around here and he is long gone,” Noah answered. He seemed to answer this question at least five times a day. He knew people were worried, but he was doing the best he could with little information. Walter nodded okay and walked away.
Noah Blake eyed the red brick building as if eyeing an enemy. A couple of people called out his name, and he waved to them. They probably wondered why he was standing in the middle of the sidewalk and not moving. He wasn’t sure about his decision to go in the restaurant. He could just call the Garcia family on the phone. That would be the smart thing to do. The yellow sign above the doorway read Garcias’ Hacienda. It was a place he was not welcome in, had not been welcome in since his fight with Alana.
Noah took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders, and opened the heavy glass door. He was the sheriff of this town. He had official business, and therefore he could go in there, he told himself firmly. The wonderful aroma of Mexican food assaulted him as soon as he stepped inside. Nowadays he had to drive twenty-five miles to the next town if he had a craving for Mexican. His stomach reminded him he had missed his lunch hour breaking up a fight over a fender bender.
Mexican music played over the speakers. Since it was lunchtime, the place was full. He walked up to the hostess standing behind a wooden pulpit. At first she didn’t recognize him. He knew the moment she did. Her brown eyes widened, and her lips thinned into a narrow line. There was so much hate in her eyes he should have wilted on the spot.
“We have no empty seats, Sheriff Blake,” she said coldly. “I’m sure the barbeque place down the street has many openings.”
Noah looked at Alicia Garcia, Alana’s younger sister by a few years. Her dislike for him clearly showed in her brown eyes. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. She was dressed in a black skirt and white buttoned-up shirt, the standard restaurant uniform. He looked around and saw several empty tables. Noah sighed. How long would he have to pay for his mistake?
“I’m not here to eat, Alicia. I know Ray would probably poison my food,” he stated.
She didn’t correct him, so he assumed it was true.
“This is official business. I need to speak with Alana. I know she is not here, but I have been calling the house, and no one answered.”
Lucy Garcia, the girls’ mother, stepped up to them. Her silver and black hair was cut and layered in a short style that suited her thin face. She had a lighter shade of brown eyes than her daughters. She looked tired and a little sad to Noah. He couldn’t blame her.
“I’ll take care of this, Alicia,” she told her daughter softly.
“But, Mama, this is the man that hurt Alana,” Alicia stated with teary eyes. She looked at Noah wit
h anger. “She is having a long road to recovery. She doesn’t need you messing with her head again.”
“I know,” he whispered. Her words were like arrows piercing his heart, but he knew they were true. Didn’t they know he lived with that knowledge every day? That it ate away at his soul? He made a mistake. A huge mistake. He had been so caught up in protecting himself like the selfish bastard he was. Alana was getting under his skin, and it scared him. She was eight years his junior. Alana thought herself in love with him, but she was so young it was hard to trust in what she felt. He had been hurt before and vowed once was enough. So he hurt her instead.
Alicia made another face at him but walked away.
Lucy Garcia pulled him to the side, away from the front area. “I know Alana needs to speak with you about what happened to her. I was planning on making an appointment with you soon. She is still very weak and doesn’t move around well. I’m not sure what else she can remember that Ray hasn’t already told you. She has nightmares and gets very emotional, Sheriff. It has been less than a week since she was released.”
“I can go see her at your house if that will help. She might not feel up to going out.”
Noah felt his chest tighten with overwhelming emotions. Alana had stayed in the hospital for three days, and Drake had told him the Garcias didn’t want Noah talking to Alana. Drake had tried, but he said Alana had cried, and he stopped asking questions.
She got out of the hospital five days ago, but he had not seen her or heard from her. He had hoped to give her good news, but so far her attacker had disappeared into thin air.
Her family had picked her up from the hospital and taken her home. They had announced that she wanted no visitors. The family had been very private about the whole incident. If he hadn’t been the sheriff, he might not know what was going on. They had become his enemies when he hurt Alana, and he had left them alone. He knew he deserved their hate.
Lucy Garcia looked like she wanted to break down and cry. She swallowed a few times before speaking again. “That might be better. I’ll take some time off tomorrow. Is ten a.m. good?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He shook her hand and thanked her.
He left the restaurant and drove around, not ready to go back to the office yet. He had spent months living with his regret and guilt. When he got the news about Alana, he had literally been knocked on his ass. It had been an eye-opener. He had been terrified that she would die. In that moment he knew nothing but Alana mattered to him. His doubts, his fears seemed so silly and unfounded when faced with the possible loss of Alana Garcia.
Making up his mind not to wait to see Alana, he turned his car around and headed over to the Garcia house on Blossom Street. He reached the big white house in no time.
The street was a quiet one, with mostly older couples living there. He parked in the driveway and walked up the porch steps. He knocked on the door and just waited. Would Alana even answer? If she saw his police cruiser, would she just ignore the knock? She had been very angry with him. If they ran into each other in those rare moments, she would give him the evil eye and keep walking.
A few minutes later, the door opened. He had a ready smile pasted on his face. When he looked at her, he felt like someone knocked the breath out of him.
Chapter 4
Alana Garcia gasped when she opened the door and saw Noah Blake standing before her. Mrs. Williams from next door had been checking up on her around this time for the last few days.
She looked up at Noah and was mesmerized by his warm hazel eyes. She had forgotten how good it was to look into them. His sandy-brown hair was neat and short as always. He had a light beard, and she wanted to reach out and caress his face. His tan uniform ran snugly across his muscular chest and wide shoulders. Her pulse started racing wildly, and she had to close her eyes for a second.
He humiliated and hurt you, Alana. Who cares how good he looks in a uniform?
Then she remembered her appearance. She was wearing one of her brother’s old, baggy T-shirts and some sweatpants. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and probably hadn’t been brushed in days.
Her cheeks felt hot from embarrassment. She knew how awful she looked: dark circles under her eyes, bandages underneath her shirt.
“Um, Noah, I mean, Sheriff,” she said, pushing her bangs out of her face. She tried to sound polite but not interested. “I wasn’t expecting you. Ray said you interviewed him at the station. I haven’t felt well enough to go out yet.”
“Can I come in?” he asked.
Alana hesitated, but maybe it was better to get this interview out of the way. Then she would never have to speak to him again. She opened the door wider, and he stepped inside. The TV was on, but the volume was low. The room looked neat and clean. There was a pillow and blanket on the couch. A bottle of water sat on the coffee table. Alana sat down nervously.
She hadn’t talked to Noah in months, not since the night of their huge fight. She had been a fool to trust him. Many people tried to warn her, but she had stubbornly refused to believe Noah wasn’t an honorable man. When Cora had showed up at the restaurant and smugly told her in front of half the town that Noah had asked her out, she could not believe the pain that went through her. She could see the truth shining in the blonde woman’s eyes. Noah had made a date to cheat on Alana.
“He is tired of dating an uptight little girl like you. I am a real woman,” Cora had said with a superior look. “I can give him what he wants.”
“You mean an easy slut who sleeps with whoever asks!” Alana had yelled back. The pain of Cora’s words had been too much bear.
“Whatever, I won.” Cora had marched out with her nose up in the air.
Her brother had wanted to go after Noah, but she begged him to let it go. Noah hated commitments, and even though they had just started dating, she knew he would look for any excuse to prove he was right. Women were not to be trusted.
They argued bitterly, throwing insults at each other. When she had cried out in anguish that she loved him, he had brushed it off with a careless wave of his hand.
“You’re just a kid, Alana. You know nothing of love. We were having fun. I’m sorry you thought it was more than that,” he had calmly told her. It had shattered her heart and her self-esteem.
The next day she heard all over town he was dating Cora again. She had been devastated. She knew then it was hopeless between them. She hadn’t gotten over him, but she hid that fact from her family—and especially him.
“Would you like something to drink?” she asked politely, pushing away past memories. None of it mattered anymore. She would never trust this man again.
Noah shook his head no and sat down next to her on the couch. Their thighs touched, and she scooted over. She could feel the heat between them when their legs touched. It hadn’t faded. Her body still wanted this man. She had already humiliated herself once over the oldest Blake brother. Never again.
“I’m sorry about what happened to you, Alana. This has never happened in Red Hook before.” His voice sounded so businesslike, nothing like the teasing, gentle tone he always used when he was around her.
She had been dreaming about Noah for years before finally catching his attention. She had been thrilled when he asked her out on a date. All her dreams were finally coming true. Or so she had thought. Ray had been a little miffed because of their eight-year age difference, but he stayed out of it when she confessed she was in love with Noah Blake.
She swept her lashes down so he wouldn’t see the pain in her eyes. She swallowed her unshed tears. She folded her hands in her lap. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say. Her brain was a little fuzzy. She was exhausted from not sleeping. Every time she closed her eyes, she relived the attack. Her family was worried about her, but she felt stuck in a nightmare. She was afraid of every shadow and dark corner. She felt hollow and empty inside. She moved at a snail’s pace, and it was annoying.
He reached out to grab her hand, and she jumped in fright.
She hadn’t been expecting it. She didn’t want him touching her, not when she was so weak.
“Sorry,” he muttered awkwardly, putting his hands back in his lap.
“I’m sorry, Sheriff. I don’t know much. We were getting ready to close when a man walked in. He had dark clothes and a black ski mask. I know his eyes were blue because that is all I could see, no other features. It happened so fast. Ray got out the money and was going to hand it over, when he said, ‘Let the girl do it.’” She did her best to keep her voice businesslike. Noah was no longer part of her life.
Alana stopped for a minute and took a drink of water. She set the bottle back down with shaky hands.
“I was terrified, but I took a step toward him. He reached out and grabbed my wrist. He took the money. I never saw the knife coming. I was looking at his face. After that I don’t remember anything. I woke up in the hospital.”
“Sometimes after the shock has passed, you might remember more details. Your mind blocks any painful traumatic memory, but later little pieces might come to you,” he explained softly.
“I just wanted to help you feel safe again. I know you hate me, Alana. I don’t blame you, but it’s my job to make sure you stay safe,” he continued when she stayed silent.
“I don’t hate you,” she stated in a low tone, and she didn’t. She had been hurt, disappointed, and angry. She spent a lot of time thinking about Noah. Now she realized Noah just wasn’t capable of feeling anything deep for one woman. He would always flit from woman to woman looking for a perfection that didn’t exist.
“Honestly I think it was someone passing through our town. They seem to be long gone,” he stated calmly. “I won’t give up looking, but I just wanted you to know. If you have any concerns, you can come to me with them. If you remember anything, even a small detail, call me.” He continued talking without touching her again. His voice was soft and gentle like he was talking to a child, and she supposed that was how he saw her, a naïve little girl who knew nothing about life.