FORGOTTEN VOWS

by Maggie Shayne

  "No, it's perfect," she said. But as she said it, she reached for the saltshaker and handed it to him.

  He took it, shook a little onto his eggs, then stopped. He looked at her and blinked. "I didn't ask for the salt."

  "Didn't you?" She pretended his remark meant nothing, but she seemed to have trouble swallowing the last bite. "I must have seen you looking for it, and guessed."

  "I wasn't looking for it." He shook his head and studied her face. His conversation with Radley came back to him. He thought she was some kind of psychic. "You do that a lot, you know."

  "Do what?"

  "Answer a question before it's asked. Hand me something I want, but haven't mentioned." He recalled that she'd appeared in the bathroom, just as he'd been searching for a razor, to tell him where they were.

  "Maybe it's just that I know you so well, Ash."

  But he knew she barely knew him at all, so again she was lying. She just had a keen instinct, he supposed. It was no more than that. There was no more than that.

  "You know what I was thinking?"

  He swallowed his coffee. "Nope. I'm not the mind reader." He said it just to gauge her reaction. She tensed and shot him a look of alarm. So maybe she'd rather he didn't know about her hocus-pocus leanings. He grinned to ease her mind and was rewarded with a smile that nearly knocked him off his chair.

  "I was thinking we ought to stay a night at your place."

  "Why's that?"

  She bit her lip. "Your memory doesn't seem to be improving at all. It worries me. Maybe if you were around familiar things."

  Even the aromas of the ham and cheese and onion he'd added to the eggs hadn't drowned out the freshly showered scent of her skin, or the whiffs of strawberry her hair was emitting. He thought there just might be another reason behind her suggestion, but he didn't say so. He would only find out by going along with it, and keeping an eye on her. "If you want to. We can go over tonight. I ought to be working, anyway, and most of my projects are on the desktop at my place."

  "How much time off are they giving you?"

  He detected a hint of worry in her voice, and he wondered about that. "Only what I'll take sitting down. I'm itching to get back to that story, especially since there's been another—" He stopped when he saw her go a shade paler and replace her forkful of food on the plate. "What is it, Joey? You don't want me to go back to work?"

  She licked her lips and met his gaze. "What did the police tell you about your car accident?"

  He frowned, trying to keep up with the way she hopped from subject to subject. "Not much. Wasn't much to tell. Brakes failed—"

  "I thought it was a new car?"

  He sipped his coffee, giving himself time to collect his thoughts. Nothing had been mentioned about his car having been tampered with. The cops were playing this one close to the vest. "New cars break down, Joey. Accidents happen."

  "What if it wasn't an accident?"

  He set his cup down and stared at her. Did she know something? And if she did, was it because of her alleged ESP, or because she had an inside track with the Slasher? "What do you mean?"

  She lowered her gaze, shook her head. "You were trying to expose a serial killer. What if... what if you were making the Slasher nervous?"

  He drew a deep breath and released it with utter control. That was exactly what had happened. So how did Joey know about it? He pasted a false smile on his face and chucked her under the chin. "Hey, I'll go along with any theory that makes you worry about me. I kinda like it."

  She faced him, brows raised in apparent anxiety. "This isn't a joke, Ash. I really don't want you going back to the office. Especially to work on the Slasher story. Not until..." Her voice trailed off.

  "Not until the Slasher's caught?" He reached across the table, closed his hand over hers. "You really are worried, aren't you?"

  She nodded, and Ash found himself believing her. It felt kind of warm and fuzzy having someone worry about him. It was a feeling he thought he could get used to. "Let's not worry about it at the moment, okay? I have a full week to go before I get the doctor's okay to go back to work."

  She sighed long and low, but nodded.

  "You haven't been working yourself lately."

  "I'm self-employed. There's nothing pressing right now."

  "Have you been turning down jobs, Joey?"

  She met his gaze and he thought she was going to lie to him again. He was relieved when she didn't. "A few. But I can afford it."

  "Why?"

  "Why?" she repeated.

  "Why haven't you been working?"

  She shrugged, hesitating, and picked up her fork, pushing her omelet around her plate. Finally she met his gaze. "What I do takes a certain amount of...concentration. And instinct" She shook her head slowly. "Lately I just haven't had it."

  So her supposed powers were failing her.

  "What's distracting you? Me?"

  She looked up fast and shook her head. "No. I don't know what it is. It doesn't matter, anyway. It'll pass." Now she was lying. He had no doubt. The way her eyes couldn't quite hold his, the quick tightening of her jaw. It was surprising how quickly he'd learned the signs.

  She shoved her plate away, obviously ready to change the subject. And again it was clear to him how much she disliked lying to him. "You know, I'm getting a little bored with this sitting around the house all the time. Are you up for a little recreation?"

  "What did you have in mind?"

  "Something that requires physical exertion."

  He cocked one brow. "You're not thinking of dragging me into a cave somewhere are you?"

  She laughed aloud. "Not until your head is a little better. And we won't bother with the exercise room because I don't want to hang around the house." Her gaze traveled down to his chest and a speculative gleam lit her eyes. "You're in great shape. What do you do to keep from going to pot?"

  "You mean you'd be willing to try a little one-on-one?"

  She leaned forward, hands propping her chin, elbows on the table. "Only if you're talking basketball."

  "You wouldn't stand a chance. Too short."

  "Sounds like a challenge to me."

  An hour later she was standing on a concrete outdoor court, wearing a loose-fitting tank over a pale gray sports bra, a pair of black spandex shorts, white slouch socks and Nike high tops. The court was behind a school, but school was out, so they had it to themselves. The grass had been mowed this morning, and it smelled so potently fresh that the air was almost tinted green. The sun blazed down onto the blacktop, heating it. The ball wasn't old. It still had that new-ball scent

  She dribbled close to the ground, which was an advantage of being short. The rough texture of the ball felt good on her palm. The sun on her back felt even better. Ash towered over her, arms spread, trying to keep her from making any progress. She faked right, then drove left, ducking under his arm and charging to the basket for a lay-up worthy of the WNBA, she thought.

  The ball hit the blacktop, bounced twice and rolled to a stop at Ash's feet. He didn't look at it. He was looking at her with something that might best be labeled amused wonder.

  "I never would have guessed."

  "Don't just stand there, big guy. We're here to sweat, remember?"

  He picked up the ball and began a lazy dribble away from the net as she came nearer to guard him. Then in a burst of speed he spun backward, pivoted to face the basket and executed a perfect jump shot from a foot beyond the line.

  In no time at all they were both damp with sweat beneath the July sun. Joey's neat, high ponytail dripped straggles that stuck to her face, no matter how often she swept them away. Ash swiped a hand across his forehead. His dark hair curled wildly and his face was alive with color. The sleeveless, collarless sweatshirt he wore had dark spots under both arms and in the center of his chest and back.

  "What do you say we take a break?" Joey tossed the ball into Ash's chest. He caught it with a quick, reflexive move.

  "Admitting defeat, are
you?" He smiled as he said it.

  "Not on your life. I just don't want to have to carry you back to the car."

  "Fat chance. You're just afraid I'll end up carrying you to the car."

  "Ha!" She put her hands on her hips in a taunting gesture. "You're so wiped out you couldn't if you had to!"

  "Lady, you just made a tactical error." He dropped the ball and lunged forward, scooping her up so fast she didn't have time to dodge him. She struggled, but she was laughing so hard it weakened her. He held her tight to his chest, one strong arm under her knees, the other just beneath her shoulders.

  "What about the ball?"

  "Oh." He bent over it, letting her pick it up, then straightened and strode off toward the car. He picked up speed, nearly running over the sidewalk.

  "We'll see who's wiped out."

  "Watch out for that cat!"

  He skidded to a halt, frowning at the sidewalk just ahead. "What cat?" No sooner had he spoken, however, than a calico cat scrambled across the sidewalk just ahead of him. He looked down at Joey and shook his head. "How the hell do you do that?"

  "Don't be silly. I saw it coming."

  "Then you must have eyes in the back of your head."

  She waggled her brows up and down. "Well hidden by my hair, aren't they?"

  His gaze changed just a little. He looked down into her face, into her eyes, and something stirred in his. Her arms around his neck held on tighter as he lowered his head. His lips found hers, nuzzled, then parted and possessed. She let her head fall backward as his tongue delved into her mouth. She clung to him for dear life as her pulse rate skyrocketed.

  This wasn't fair. She wasn't supposed to feel this way toward him. It was an act...an act that was necessary to save his life, and Caroline's. And yet she had no defenses. As his wife, how could she refuse even to kiss him? She was lucky he hadn't yet insisted on a lot more. She didn't need ESP to know he wanted her. And if she kept refusing, he was going to guess the truth, or at least wonder about it. Kissing him was another part of her cover.

  Right Get honest, she told herself. She was kissing him because she wanted to kiss him. The feel of his mouth covering hers, his demanding tongue, the warm, sticky sweat at the back of his neck where she clung, all combined in an ardent assault on her senses. He was storming the gates she'd erected, and she had the insane urge to help him tear them down. Deep down inside, she knew she wanted more than his kiss. Much, much more.

  They stopped at a convenience store for deli meat and sub rolls on the way back. When they arrived at Joey's place, clothes still damp and hair in tangles, Caroline's car was in the driveway. Ash was craving a shower, and he figured he'd probably get first crack at one. Joey would want to speak in private with her sister.

  He sent her a reassuring glance as she shut off the motor and then they both got out and walked around the house. Brittany and Bethany were chasing each other around the back lawn, near the house. It looked like a spirited game of tag. Caroline sat in a lawn chair, watching them. Her hair, as always, was up in a ponytail. She wore sweats again. Ash took a moment to note how alike the two women were. If Caro would get some spunk, go to a gym and hold her head up a little higher, she'd be a knockout

  What was that? Was he just thinking she ought to be more like Joey? That the dedicated house mother should be more like her hellcat sister?

  Then he recalled the way Joey had let him kiss her on the sidewalk, the way she'd kissed him back, and he knew he hadn't yet succeeded in convincing himself she was all wrong for him. His mind knew it. But, God, he was having trouble proving that to the rest of him.

  Caroline rose and met Joey halfway. Her eyes were red and her cheeks showed tear tracks. She hugged her sister and a sob ripped through her. I’m...l-leaving him."

  Joey met Ash's eyes over Caroline's shaking shoulder. "It's all right. It's going to be all right, I promise you. You're tough. You can get through this." She sent him an apologetic glance. "You and the girls can stay right here with Ash and me."

  He made a grimace, then remembered that they were planning to spend some time at his apartment anyway to help restore his memory. For someone who would be "found out" as a result Joey certainly seemed eager for him to regain his memory.

  Joey released her sister and turned to unlock the back door as Bethany and Brittany came running toward her. Caroline averted her tearstained face while her daughters crowded inside.

  "You should have gone inside, Caro. You didn't need to wait for me."

  "I didn't want to intrude."

  "If I minded, I wouldn't have given you a key, silly."

  Ash stopped in the doorway, sensing the turmoil in Caro, the pain seeing it caused Joey. "I'll get the groceries," he said. "Leave you two alone."

  "No need." Caroline sniffed and seemed to stiffen her spine. "You're family now, Ashville. And please don't worry that we're going to move in on you. I'm taking the girls to Miami to visit Dad and Rhonda for a couple of weeks."

  Joey frowned as she and her sister stepped outside. "I'd rather have you here."

  "You're newlyweds—"

  "So are they." Joey's voice was tinged with bitterness. She shook herself, though, and put an arm around her sister as they followed Ash along the path around the house. "We'll talk. Look, stay for lunch. Ash is making subs."

  "I don't want to impose..."

  Ash turned, letting them catch up. "Hey, you haven't lived until you've had an Ash Coye special. Make you into a new woman." He sent Caroline a smile and felt Joey's gratitude bathing him as he walked with them out front to get the groceries from the car.

  Ash took the key from the switch and moved around to open the trunk. He reached in for a bag, vaguely aware of the slamming of the screen door coming from the back. Joey bent to grab the second bag, her worried eyes scanning her sister's face. Caroline bit her lip as tears filled her eyes once more.

  "I don't think I can stand this. God, Joey, what am I going to do?"

  Joey shifted the bag she held to her hip, freeing one arm. Her big green eyes moistened as she reached for her sister. Then she went rigid, her arm stilling in midair. Her eyes dilated and her face went white. "Brittany," she choked. The bag slid from her grasp, splitting and spilling its contents on the blacktop. "Brittany!" It was a scream the second time, delivered as Joey whirled and began running full tilt around the house.

  Ash didn't take time to wonder what the hell her problem was. He followed her, dropping the brown paper bag back into the trunk. Caroline ran after her, too.

  Joey flew over the back lawn, heading for the river. Ash's stomach knotted when he caught sight of one golden blond head, only one, dangerously close to the sloping riverbank. Bethany stood near the red wooden dock, her small body convulsing with sobs. Ash ran faster. His feet hit the dock just as Joey sprang into the air over the side, knifing into the murky, fast-running water.

  In the space of a heartbeat, he glanced out over the water. He saw nothing. Then he was following Joey's path, into the cold. If she thought Brittany was in the river, then he wouldn't waste time questioning it.

  He submerged, but was unable to see in the greenish water. When he broke the surface again, he caught sight of Joey. She was out farther, in the force of the current, moving away from him rapidly. As he watched, she bounced up and dived under. He stroked toward her, his heart hammering forcefully enough to break his ribs, his eyes straining, his arms putting forth superhuman effort.

  He almost jumped when Joey broke surface a few feet ahead of him. Her face was pale, haggard, her eyes a dull green, a color that seemed to scream with pain. Her arms tugged a limp, blond-headed form from beneath the water, and she struggled to hold the child's face above the waves. She saw him.

  "Ash..."

  Then he had her. But there was no way in hell he could fight the current and hold on to both of them.

  She pushed Brittany into his arms. Joey looked horrible, and he had a sickening feeling there was a lot more wrong with her than the cold, dirty w
ater or exhaustion. He held the little girl firmly with one arm as she began to whine and struggle and choke. He reached for Joey with the other.

  "You'll sink. I'm okay, just get Brit out of the water."

  He shook his head; "You're hurt Joey, what is it?"

  "She needs to get out of the water. Go now. I'll be right behind you, but don't wait for me. I'm a slow swimmer."

  Her pupils told another story. With one arm he pulled her arms back around the child, speaking softly to calm Brittany as he did. Then he hooked his own arms around them both. "Hold her tight, Joey. Don't let her go." He sidestroked toward shore. They would end up yards from the dock, since the current was pulling them downstream. His head was under more than it was above, but he managed to keep both Brittany's and Joey's faces out of the water.

  Then he was in the shallows and Caroline was there, up to her waist, reaching for her daughter, sobbing hysterically. Bethany came running along the shore, eyes wide.

  As soon as Caroline had Brittany in her arms and was carrying her onto the bank, Ash wrapped his arms around Joey and picked her up. Her head fell backward. Her eyes were glazed. He swore and trudged onto the shore.

  A jagged tear through both black spandex and tanned thigh gushed blood at a rate that made him dizzy. He laid her on her back on the ground, tugged the baggy tank top over her head and wrapped it around the wound, tying a knot and tugging it fiercely tight. Her eyes fell closed.

  "Joey?" He caught her face in his hands.

  "Dizzy," she whispered. "Brit?"

  He looked up to see Brittany sobbing and choking, white-faced, in her mother's arms. "Caroline, you have to call an ambulance."

  "I did." The small voice came from behind Caroline, and it shook with fear. "I r-ran to the house and called 911. The lady said they would be here soon." Her lower lip trembled. "Is my sister gonna die?"

  Caroline opened her arm to encircle Bethany's shoulders. "No, honey. She'll be fine." Caroline looked toward Ash for the first time. "Joey... Oh, God, Joey..."

  "Easy, Caro. She cut her leg on something, lost some blood, I think, but the bleeding's stopped now. She'll be okay." Ash's hold on Joey tightened and he searched her pale face. "You'll be okay." It was almost a prayer. Something inside him moved, twisted, ached. How had she come to matter so much to him in such a short time? What the hell would he do if she wasn't okay?