Never Let Go (Haven, Montana Book 2)

by Jill Sanders

  Addy giggled and covered her mouth then rolled her eyes.

  “Don’t mind her, she’s on some pretty good drugs.” Trent waited until Mike’s face was clear of soot.

  “Well?” he asked finally.

  “Addy, you don’t smoke, do you?” Mike looked down at her in the wheelchair.

  “Nope. Why would I kill the ozone and myself?” She made a face that said she was disgusted at the thought of it. “Never even tried it.”

  Mike sighed. “Found a cigarette butt in what appeared to be a box of papers in her back seat. It looks like the papers caught quickly, then spread to the two tanks, which caused the gas tank on the Jeep to take out the rest.”

  “Boom.” Addy looked up at Trent. “I stopped by your office first. Kristen printed out some stuff for me to look at.”

  He glanced over at Mike. “Anyone see who?” The man shook his head. “Any idea what brand?”

  “Gold Crest, but the fire inspector will want to double-check that it was the official cause of the blaze,” Mike said. Trent thought of a few people he knew who smoked the brand.

  “We’ll narrow the list down,” Mike added. “They would have had to open her door to toss the butt in since she had a hard top on the Jeep. Is she going home with you?”

  Trent nodded.

  “If I find anything, I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks.” Trent started to walk Addy out, but she stopped him.

  “No, I want to see how everyone else is.” She tried to turn the wheelchair around but almost fell out of it instead.

  “I’ll go ask,” Mike said, then moved over to the desk.

  He came back a few minutes later. “Mrs. Anderson had a cut under her left eye that was bandaged up with a few stitches, Mr. Thompson had cuts on his hands—he pulled Addy into the store after the Jeep blew. The store clerks both have minor cuts, no stitches, but other than that, everyone was just shaken up. They were all released and went home almost an hour ago.”

  “Thank you.” Addy sighed. “I owe Mr. Thompson. He taught me how to play cello.” She looked up at Trent. “Did you know that I know how to play the cello?”

  “No, but now I do.” He pushed his drifty angel out to his truck and helped her in. Instead of waiting as she tried to get her feet on the ground, he picked her up and set her on the seat, kissing her forehead before shutting the door.

  She slept during the short trip to his mother’s house and was still asleep when he carried her inside.

  His mother had prepared his room for her. He’d texted her when he heard that Addy’d been hurt and had filled everyone in on her progress.

  Trent’s mother, Kristen, and Trisha had wanted to come to the hospital, but he stopped them since the place was too small. And he needed some time alone with Addy to ensure that she was okay.

  Now everyone waited as he carried her straight to the living room sofa. He sat down, still holding her in his arms. She snuggled up against him and sighed.

  “Well?” his mother whispered.

  “She’s out. You can talk normally.” He shifted slightly, pulling Addy closer.

  “What happened? Someone said the entire grocery store blew up.” His mother sat across from him. He nodded.

  “We just drove by there on the way back. Her Jeep was nothing more than a pile of metal. The whole front of the store is gone, including the sign her Jeep was parked near.”

  “What caused it?” Kristen asked.

  “Someone flicked a cigarette into a box of paperwork she’d gotten from you, then the fire spread to the two full propane tanks she had in the back of her Jeep, which caused the gas tank on the Jeep to blow, taking out most of everything in the front of the store. Three other cars were charred beyond recognition.”

  “Oh my,” his mother said, shaking her head. “Any idea who would have done such a thing?”

  “A few,” he replied, looking at his brothers.

  “Darla smokes,” Tyler said.

  “Not Gold Crests.” Trent shook his head.

  “Still, she could have bummed a cigarette off someone.”

  Trent thought about it and nodded. “It wouldn’t hurt to see if she was working at the time.”

  “I’ll swing by tomorrow.” Tyler leaned forward.

  “Addy’s folks cut her out of their will.”

  “What?” His mother almost gasped the word. “Why would they do such a terrible thing?”

  Trent shook his head and looked down at Addy. “Apparently she’s a big disappointment to them.”

  “Well, I never did like those two. Especially her mother. Victoria always acted like she was better than everyone else in town.”

  The room was silent for a while. “Do you think she will be hungry when she wakes up?” Trisha finally asked.

  Trent sighed. “I know I am.”

  “What about a change of clothes?” Kristen added. “She can’t go around in the hospital gown.”

  Trent looked down at the material she was wrapped in.

  “Yeah, I have her keys to her place.” He shook the purse he’d carried in with her, knowing the sound meant they were inside the bag.

  “I’ll swing by.” Trey stood.

  “We’ll go.” Kristen tugged Tyler up. “She may want some other things. We can pick up some burgers in town too, so no one has to cook, and I’ll pack her a bag.”

  “Thanks. I’m going to get her to bed.” Trent started to stand.

  “Son.” His mother stopped him. “I know you know my rules, but I have no objection to you staying in your room with her tonight.”

  He chuckled. “You couldn’t have stopped me if you tried.” His mother joined in his laughter as he stood up with Addy and carried her down the hallway.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Addy woke when Trent laid her down on a soft bed. Her eyelids felt like they were being held shut with glue. When she moved to reach up and wipe them, pain shot through her hands.

  “Easy.” Trent’s voice sounded so close to her ear. “I’ll get you a warm washcloth. Give me a minute.”

  She heard his footsteps retreat, then return less than a minute later. She’d tried several times to open her eyes but was having no luck. They felt too heavy.

  “What?” she blurted after the washcloth touched her face. He had started with her scalp, and the warmth felt wonderful. “What happened?” she asked when she finally could open her eyes.

  He frowned down at her. “Your Jeep blew up.” He stopped washing her face and looked at her. “Do you remember?”

  Memories flooded her foggy brain. “Yes,” she almost moaned. “Where am I?”

  “My room.” He went back to wiping her face. “Your hair’s still got grit in it.” He touched a strand. “Hopefully we can figure out a way to wash it without getting your bandages wet.”

  She groaned and shut her eyes. She must look horrid.

  “Do you think you can eat? You’re supposed to take some more of these.” She heard a bottle of pills being rattled.

  “What are they?”

  He glanced down. “Codeine.”

  She shook her head. “All I need is some Tylenol.” She shifted and tried to sit up, but when she put her hands flat on the bed and pushed, she cried out.

  “Easy,” he said, dropping the pill bottle. “Here.” He helped her shift until she was sitting up.

  She held up her hands. “Have you seen them?”

  “Your hands?” he asked. “Thirty-two stitches overall, mostly in your hands and knees. No nerve damage and no concussion. They gave us some of this stuff to put on your cuts when we change the bandages.” He held up a tube. “Antiseptic ointment.” He wiggled it. “Fun.”

  She felt like a mummy when she looked down at her arms and legs. The pain was minimal at this point, but she knew that once all the codeine she’d been given at the hospital wore off, the stinging would increase.

  “Can I shower?” She looked up at him.

  “No, but you can do sponge baths.” He grinned. “I’
m looking forward to giving you your first one.” Then he glanced at the closed bedroom door. “But don’t tell my mom.”

  She couldn’t help it; she laughed, causing more pain to shoot from her chin.

  “Ouch!” She reached up.

  “Sorry.” He held her still. “Let me look at that one. The tape keeps coming off.”

  She sat still as he gently removed the bandage from her chin. She watched his eyes to see how bad it was, but so far, she didn’t see upset behind the dark hazel.

  “Well?” she finally asked.

  “Not bad.” His gaze ran over her slowly. “I’ll go get a mirror.” He stood up and disappeared into what she assumed was a bathroom.

  She looked around at his room. Dark, rich browns and blues. She would have guessed instantly that this was his. A massive bookcase occupied one wall, and she couldn’t hide a smile when she noticed that it was full.

  He came back with a small mirror and held it out for her.

  She carefully took it with her bandaged hand and held it up.

  There was a good-sized cut running from one side of her chin to the other. No stitches. However, the area was dark red and appeared to be bruised underneath.

  “They used glue instead of stitches here.” He sat next to her, pointing as he talked. “Since the cut wasn’t too deep, the doctor said it would leave less of a scar too.”

  “Okay, will it hold?”

  He smiled. “The doc said it will hold longer than the stitches. He only stitched up the deep cuts.” Trent took the mirror and held her hand up. “These ones were too deep to use glue.” He gestured to several spots on her arms and the palms of her hands, then to her left knee.

  “I fell on my hands and knees, I think—it’s all fuzzy.” She closed her eyes as what she could remember played over in her mind.

  “You bumped your head pretty good, and the medicine they gave you will mess with your mind.”

  She nodded just as a knock sounded at the door.

  “Come in,” Trent called out.

  Kristen walked in, holding a large duffle bag. “We went and got you a few of your things. Oh—” She set the bag down and moved closer. “That doesn’t look so bad.”

  “I think we can leave that bandage off your chin for a while.” Trent tossed the wadded-up bandage he’d been holding into a trash can across the room.

  “Do you want some help cleaning up?” Kristen asked, looking at Trent.

  “My mother sent you, didn’t she?” He crossed his arms.

  “I do what I’m told.” Kristen smiled. “I’m not about to mess with either my mother or yours.” She winked at Addy.

  “I’d like to see if I could do something with this.” Addy waved her bandaged hand over her face and hair.

  Trent stood up and rummaged through his drawers, pulling out a neatly folded pair of sweats and then a crisp white T-shirt.

  “These might be bigger and looser than anything you have. It will be easier to get in and out of, plus give us room to check on your knees later.” He set them on the bed. “Feel free to use anything else. I’ll go check on . . .” He looked toward his bedroom door. “Things.” He rolled his eyes. “Let me know if you need anything,” he said before stepping out.

  “We’re fine.” Kristen smiled at him until he shut the door. “Now.” She turned to Addy. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  It took a lot longer than Addy expected. Almost an hour alone to wash her hair. They decided on using the bathtub instead of the bathroom sink since Trent had one of those removable showerheads everyone dreams of. She sat at the edge of the tub and leaned back as Kristen gently shampooed her hair.

  Kristen chatted with her as she took her time trying to get all the tangles out. Sitting there with Kristen working on her hair, Addy closed her eyes and thought that this would be how it felt to have a sister. Someone to help her through a rough spot. Someone else who would care about her, who had been there during the hard times. Her mind flashed to her mother and how she used to cut Addy’s bangs. There hadn’t been gentleness or kindness like Kristen was showing her. Her eyes started to sting, so she focused on what Kristen was talking about instead.

  When Addy’s long hair was wrapped up in a towel on the top of her head, Kristen used a washcloth and soap to clean where she could since Addy’s hands were out of commission. She even had black soot on the back of her neck. It felt a little awkward, but wonderful to be clean.

  “Okay, after that, there should never be any awkwardness between us.” Kristen chuckled.

  “Right?” Addy laughed. “I could use some food now, and I guess one of those pills.”

  “Are you hurting?”

  “Yup. Every muscle feels like it went through a blender.”

  “I’m curious.” Kristen bit her bottom lip.

  “About?” Addy asked as Kristen helped her into Trent’s sweats.

  “Was it like it is in the movies? The explosion?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I don’t remember much, other than being thrown around.” She lifted her arms as Kristen pulled the large T-shirt down over her head. “Was being kidnapped like it is in the movies?”

  Kristen shifted, then a slow smile formed. “Guess we’ve both been through some crazy stuff. I don’t think either of us will be signing up as stunt doubles anytime soon.” Addy laughed in agreement. “Sit, I’ll get your brush.” She tugged the towel off Addy’s head and pointed to a chair near the bookcase, then disappeared back into the bathroom where she’d left a smaller bag of Addy’s toiletries.

  Addy sat and reached for a book, but it fell out of her bandaged hands. She bent to try and pick it up.

  “Here,” Trent said from just inside the doorway. “Let me.” He set a tray of food down on the nightstand.

  Kristen walked in with a brush.

  “I can handle it from here.” Trent took the brush from her. “Thanks.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Kristen’s forehead. “Go home and get some sleep.”

  Kristen nodded, then turned back to her. “If you need anything . . .”

  “Thank you,” Addy said.

  “Think you can eat while I do this?” Trent held up the brush.

  “Yeah, if you open the book and lay it on my lap and flip pages for me.”

  “To Kill a Mockingbird,” he said as he retrieved it. “One of the first books I read in high school.”

  “Me too.” She smiled.

  It took a few minutes to organize everything. The plate of food sat on the wide arm of the chair, the book sat in her lap, and Trent stood behind her, slowly brushing out the tangles that remained in her hair.

  He even helped her eat the fries since they were too small for her fingers to pinch.

  “When can the bandages come off?”

  “In a few days. Depends on how the cuts look. We can wrap your fingers individually so you don’t have mittens.”

  As he continued to brush her hair and the food filled her stomach, Addy began to get drowsy. Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift through a list of things she had been toiling over. How to get to the bottom of the McGowan plans, for example? But then, suddenly, her thoughts took a different turn. She was floating across a bright-green field; the grass was high and swaying in the light summer breeze. Slowly she drifted toward a small log cabin. On the wide front porch sat two wooden rocking chairs, and in her mind, she knew who she wanted to fill the comfortable seats.

  “Here.” Trent’s voice broke in, and she shook the images from her mind.

  He handed her a pill and a glass of water.

  “I know you said you wanted Tylenol, but for tonight, maybe take one of these.”

  She complied with a nod.

  “Almost done here,” he said. There’s just one knot left.” He moved back around her. She’d set the book down since her eyes refused to focus anymore.

  She leaned her head back as he worked the knot out of her hair. Once he was finished, he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

 
“Thanks.” She nestled down into the covers. “I feel so much better.”

  “I’ve been given permission to stay in here tonight.” He smiled down. “If you think I won’t bother you.”

  She scooted over slightly and nodded her head to the empty side of the bed. “There’s plenty of room.”

  He pulled off his clothes and crawled in next to her, reaching over to flip off the light before pulling her closer.

  “Trent?” she said once her face was settled on his shoulder.

  “Hmm?” The sound vibrated against her skin.

  “Thanks for being there for me.” She sighed as his arms settled around her.

  Trent had a hard time sleeping. It wasn’t the softness of Addy pushed up against him but the images of her destroyed Jeep and the storefront that kept him awake.

  Things could have ended much worse than they had. So many different scenarios ran through his mind. What if Addy had been standing directly next to the Jeep?

  When the sunlight started streaming in his window, he edged out of the bed and showered. His brothers had told him last night that they would fill in for him today at the office, but there was some detective work he wanted to do on his own while Addy was still sleeping.

  When he came back into the bedroom to gather his clothes, he heard her moan.

  “Wow, what a nice view to wake up to.” She stretched her arms over her head. He noticed a slight wince, but otherwise she was looking much better than last night.

  He glanced down at the towel he’d wrapped around his hips and smiled. “I was thinking you’d sleep in.”

  “If the sun is up, so am I.” She shifted and sat up without using her hands.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Better. I’d like to see what’s under this mess today.” She looked down at her hands. “Maybe see if we can just rebandage the fingers?”

  “Sure. How about after breakfast? I’m sure my mom or Trisha have something cooking by now.” He smiled. “I smell bacon.”

  “So do I.” Her stomach rumbled audibly. “I haven’t had bacon . . .” She shook her head. “In too long.”

  He walked over and took out a pair of boxers, then quickly tugged them up his legs and shimmied out of the towel. He heard her groan and then whistle.