“Who said vacations were for resting and relaxing?” Tory’s father gently shook her mother awake.
“Obviously no one who knows the Alexander family,” Brad grumbled, assisting his mother-in-law in standing.
“We’re going to bed. It has been a long day for us.” Her father cradled her mother against him and walked toward the hall.
“That’s our cue to turn in, too.” Judy stood, offering her hand to Brad.
In under two minutes the living room was cleared except for Tory and Slade. Her gaze caught his, then dropped to her lap. The only place for him to sleep was on the living room couch or in her bedroom. Tomorrow morning she didn’t want to explain to her family why Slade had slept on the couch. And yet, could she share a bed with him—her husband?
“I guess we should go to bed, too,” she murmured, twisting her hands together.
Slade covered them. “Tory, nothing will happen you don’t want to happen. That’s a promise.”
She believed him, but there was still a small part of her that would automatically panic. Closing her eyes, she prayed for strength to make it over this hurdle. It was important for their marriage.
She rose and extended her hand to him. He clasped hers and came to his feet. She faced him with only inches between them, so close their breaths merged.
“Why don’t you get ready for bed first? I’ll be along later. I want to check on the kids. Mindy’s never camped out before.”
Another stone in the wall around her heart crumbled. Sometimes she felt as though he could read her mind. The connection was disconcerting. “She’ll be fine. Ashley will look out for her.”
While she made her way to the bathroom, Slade left the house. She prepared for bed in less than fifteen minutes. By the time Slade came into the room, she was under the covers with the sheet pulled up to her chin. Since they had moved his clothing into her bedroom, he gathered his pajamas and headed for the bathroom, switching off the overhead light as he exited. All that lit the room were the slits of moonlight streaming through the slats in the blinds.
Tory clutched the sheet and stared at the dark ceiling. Her heart hammered against her chest while her pulse raced through her. An eternity later Slade reentered the bedroom, obviously feeling his way to the bed. She heard him crash into the nightstand and started to turn on the lamp on the table by her. Before she could, Slade eased down onto the mattress next to her.
“Good night, Tory.” He rolled over onto his side away from her.
“Night,” she managed to say.
Slade was her husband.
Slade was a good man and a wonderful father.
She trusted Slade.
Slowly her heartbeat returned to its normal pace and she released her death grip on the sheet. Slowly her muscles relaxed and her eyelids drooped. Sleep crept over her and she sank into the world of dreams.
* * *
Something hit his arm. A moan pierced his sleep-drenched mind. Slade’s eyes bolted open.
Another moan sounded in the silence of the house. Tory twisted, kicking out at him. Pain shot up his leg. He scrambled away from her and came off the bed, reaching for the lamp.
“Don’t. Please.”
For a few seconds he halted his movements, thinking she was awake and knew he was going to turn on the light. But looking at Tory thrashing on the bed confirmed what he’d originally thought. She was asleep, caught in a nightmare. Flicking on the lamp, he blinked at the sudden brightness while Tory bolted straight up in bed, terror on her face.
CHAPTER TEN
Tory jerked the sheet up, gripping it in her fists. The sound of her heartbeat thundered in her ears. She knew Slade was speaking because his mouth moved, but for a few seconds she couldn’t hear what he was saying. The suffocating compression around her chest threatened her next breaths. Pulling air into her lungs, she scooted back against the headboard.
“Tory? Are you all right?” Slade sat on the mattress, reaching out toward her.
She nodded, evading his touch to stand on the other side of the bed. Snatching up her robe, she stuffed her arms into the terry-cloth sleeves and belted it. The double-size mattress separated them, but it wasn’t far enough away for Tory.
Flashes of her nightmare clung to her mind. The fear. The pain. The humiliation. Her body shook with the memories of four years ago—of the nightmare that plagued her when she allowed her fear to grow.
The concern on Slade’s face tore further at her fragile composure. She wanted to reassure him she was all right, but she couldn’t get words past the constriction in her throat. Again she forced herself to inhale deeply until the crashing of her heart against her rib cage subsided.
When he started to round the end of the bed, she held up her hand and managed to say, “I’m okay.”
Thankfully he stopped and studied her. If he had touched her, she was afraid she would have come unglued. She could still remember her assailant’s hands on her, and the memory left her feeling unclean. She needed to shower.
Glancing at the bedside clock, she sighed when she saw it was nearly five in the morning. “I’m getting up. It’s nearly time and I might as well get started on today’s chores before the carnival committee comes out here to set up for tomorrow.” Without waiting for him to say anything, she went to her closet and withdrew her clothes for the day.
As she crossed the room to the door, he finally said, “Tory, something frightened you. Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” She opened the door and escaped out into the hall.
The click of the door as Tory closed it reverberated through the bedroom, the sound bouncing off the walls and striking him with its finality. Slade stared at the wooden barrier between him and his wife. Until just a few minutes ago he’d thought they had made progress in their relationship. The nightmare was the answer, but she had locked the door and thrown the key away.
* * *
Exhaustion cleaved to every part of her. Tory took a moment to sit and regroup before the next set of children arrived to ride the horses. Perspiration plastered strands of her hair to her face and neck. She ran a towel across her forehead and around her neck but that did little to relieve the heat of a summer’s day.
“Another hour and the carnival will be over,” Judy said as she sat down beside her on the bale of hay in the shade of the barn. “This has been a roaring success. Everyone says so. They particularly like the horse rides for the children and young at heart.”
The words her sister spoke barely registered on her numb mind. Tory closed her eyes and wished she could keep them closed for the next twenty-four hours. Sleep. She needed it badly. The night before she had lain next to Slade, listening to his even breathing and trying desperately not to fall asleep, not to dream again. She’d managed to stay awake most of the night and gotten up early again to do her chores before everyone else got up. Now, however, the lack of sleep the past forty-eight hours had caught up with her. She couldn’t even lift her arms to brush a horsefly away.
“Tory? Are you with me?” Her sister waved her hand in front of Tory’s eyes.
She blinked and offered her sister a smile. “Yes, barely. This has been a really long day.”
“And it’s not even three o’clock yet.” Judy angled around to face her. “Mom and Dad have decided to leave this evening, too. Dad wants to get Mom back home.”
“Yeah, he’s worried about her. I’m worried about her.”
“He’s going to take her to the doctor as soon as he can.”
“Good.”
“And we’ll leave right after them. We can get to Grand Lake before dark and set up camp. The kids want to go fishing first thing tomorrow morning. You two newlyweds will finally have the house all to yourself. You’ll have peace and quiet for three days. Consider this one of my wedding presents to you, sister dear.”
“Peace and quiet. I won’t know what to do with myself.”
“Do I need to give you a lecture on the birds and the bees?”
&nbs
p; Tory hadn’t thought beyond the fact she would have her bedroom to herself again and would be able to get a good night’s sleep. But without Mindy in the house, she and Slade would be alone as husband and wife for the first time. He hadn’t said anything to her about the nightmare, but he had kept his distance as though he weren’t quite sure what to make of the situation.
That makes two of us, she thought, and shoved to her feet. “I think I hear the next group of kids. Ready?”
For the next hour Tory, with Judy’s help, assisted children onto the saddle and led them around the riding ring. Some of them had been on horses before and rode without assistance. The laughs and smiles on the children’s faces made the work worth it for Tory. When the last one left and the cleanup crew went about dismantling the carnival booths and picking up the trash, Tory eased down on her front porch steps for a break.
Slade came out of the house and sat next to her. “Okay?”
“I’m not sure my feet are attached to my legs. But other than that, I’m fine.”
“Mindy is almost packed and ready to go on her adventure, as she calls it.”
“Has she ever been camping?”
“No, so I guess it is an adventure for her. She hasn’t been fishing, either.”
“She’ll have a good time with Ashley and Jamie.”
“You don’t know how much it means to me that those two have taken a liking to my daughter.”
“I think my niece and nephew are pretty lucky to have a friend and cousin like Mindy.”
“The cleanup crew have promised me two more hours and no one will know we had a carnival here with a hundred visitors.”
“It was a success. I think I’ll offer again next year.”
“Reverend Nelson was hoping you would.”
Tory slanted a look at Slade, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. “You talked with Reverend Nelson?”
He nodded. “I told him I would be on the budget committee.”
Tory’s mouth fell open. “You did?”
“Yes. I’ve decided to start going with you and Mindy to church.”
“When?”
“After our talk the other evening at the barn, I’ve been thinking. I was wrong to turn away from God just because something didn’t happen the way I thought it should. I want to give Him another chance and hope He hasn’t abandoned me.”
Tory took his hand. “He hasn’t. He doesn’t work that way.”
“I hope you’re right because I can’t do it alone. I realize my guilt has been getting in my way and I need to learn to deal with it. I hope He will help.”
“He will.” She squeezed his hand, then released it and rose. “I’d better go see if Dad and Mom need any help.”
As she climbed the steps to the porch, his news lightened her heart and gave her hope. After the emotional turmoil of the past few days, she was glad for some good news.
Inside the air-conditioned house she relished the cool air while she made her way to the bedroom her parents had used. Her father slammed the suitcase closed as she entered the room. Her mother sat in the chair by the window, staring out at the workers cleaning up the grounds.
“Can I help with anything?”
“No, honey. I’ve got everything packed and ready to go.” Her father placed the suitcase on the floor by the bed.
“I’m sorry, Tory, I haven’t been feeling very well.” Her mother turned her attention toward her.
She went to her mother and knelt in front of her. “You never have to apologize for anything, Mom. I’m so glad you came to visit.”
Her mother brushed back Tory’s stray strands from her ponytail. “I know how much you hate coming home. This is the least I can do for you. The carnival was lovely again this year.”
Her father came over to help her mother to her feet. She leaned heavily into him as he started for the door. Tory picked up the suitcase and followed them out to the car. Her throat tightened at the frail picture of her mother as her father helped her into the front seat.
While he stowed the suitcase in the trunk, Tory said, “Let me know what the doctor says.”
“Of course, honey.” He hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. “You have a good husband, Tory. I can rest easier now.”
Slade approached her and stood at her side while her father started the engine, waved, then drove from the ranch. Tears misted her eyes. One fell and rolled down her cheek.
“Are you okay?” Slade wiped away the tear with his finger.
“Yes, but I just realized my parents are getting old.”
“It’s hard to watch the people we love becoming ill.”
And he would know better than most, Tory thought as her father’s car turned onto the highway and disappeared from view.
The sounds of children’s voices followed by her sister’s filled the air. The rest of her houseguests came down the steps, lugging their duffel bags. Brad carried Mindy’s for her.
“Well, we’re heading out now,” Judy said as she tossed her bag into the back of the camper. “You have my cell number?”
“Yes.”
“We’re only two and a half hours away.”
“I know.”
“I’m not telling you but Slade.”
The paleness beneath his dark features emphasized how hard this would be for him to let Mindy go. Tory clasped his hand to convey her support as he watched his daughter climb into the camper.
He leaned toward her and whispered, “Except for spending the night occasionally with you, I haven’t been away from her since the accident. Three days is a long time.”
“You can always stop her from going.”
“Oh, yeah. That would be great. I’d never hear the end of that. Nope, I can do this.”
“Letting go is hard.”
“More than I thought. But she keeps telling me she’s growing up.”
As the camper headed for the highway, Mindy waved, a huge grin on her face.
“This will be good for her.”
“I’ll keep telling myself that over the next few days.” Slade scanned the area where the carnival had been. “They’re almost done cleaning up. The place will be back to normal in no time.”
Normal? What was normal? A couple of months ago sharing a house with a man would have been so far from normal for her. She knew more than most how quickly life could change.
“I’ll give the crew a hand. You need to rest, Tory. Take a nap. I know you haven’t slept well the past few nights. Things will be back to normal in the house this evening, too. I’ll take care of everything. I’ll have my things moved back to my old bedroom.”
It was hard for her to turn over the care of her ranch and animals to anyone, but she was too tired to argue. Besides, she had gotten good practice with Gus. “I think I’ll lie down for a while or I won’t make it to dinner.”
“You didn’t get enough junk food at the carnival?”
“Actually, except for the hamburger you brought me, I haven’t had anything else to eat. Too busy with the horse rides.”
“I should have helped you.”
“If I’m not mistaken, Reverend Nelson had you supervising the races. When were you gonna help me? In between the sack race or the three-legged one?”
He turned her toward the house and nudged her forward. “Go. Take a nap. I’ll fix something for dinner.”
“I know I should be worried about that comment, but I don’t have the energy to.”
As she climbed the steps, she heard him say, “I can open a can of soup and fix a sandwich. I’m not that inept in the kitchen.”
“I won’t comment on that statement.” She entered the coolness of her house and made her way toward her bedroom.
In the room her gaze fell on Slade’s pajama bottoms folded on the chair, an instant reminder of the past few nights sleeping in the same double bed as he. She’d known every time he had turned over or even moved a little. She’d listened to his soft breathing, surrounded by his scent that she’d come to know s
o well, and had yearned for things to be different.
She walked to the bed, its softness beckoning. As she sat, she caught a glimpse of Slade’s Palm Pilot on the nightstand. Another sign of how much he’d become a part of her life in a short time. Easing back onto the pillow, she rolled onto her side and the second she closed her eyes, sleep descended…
The suffocating pressure of his weight squeezed the breath from her. Her ears rang from the blow to her head. Pain tore through her, wave after wave. Nausea rose to clog her throat.
In the dim light, his hideous face loomed over hers. “You know you want it.” His maniacal laughter rang out, underscoring how trapped she was.
“Please. Don’t!” she whispered through swollen lips, tasting the blood that pooled in her mouth.
A scream ripped from the depth of her soul…
Tory shot up. Darkness greeted her. Where was she? She could still hear the laughing taunt echoing in her mind. Arms came about her, drawing her against a hard body. Another scream welled up in her as she shoved away from the hard body.
“Tory!”
“Get away from me!” She scrambled off the bed and across the room, gasping for oxygen.
Lamplight flooded the room, revealing Slade on the other side of the bed, his expression a mixture of shock and concern. “You had another nightmare.”
Inhale. Exhale. One breath at a time. She rubbed her temples as if that could rid her mind of the terror she’d lived with for four years, revisited each time she had her nightmare.
“Is it the same one?”
She looked up at Slade who thankfully kept his distance. Inhale. Exhale. She wasn’t being raped. She was in her house, in her bedroom.
“Tory, I want to help you.”
The soft plea in his voice unraveled the little control she was gaining over her composure. “You can’t help.” She crossed her arms over her chest, her hands sliding up and down her arms. But nothing she did warded off the chill burrowing into the marrow of her bones. She was so cold.
“What happened to you? What’s behind these nightmares?”
A Family for Tory Page 14