Stronger Within (The Silver Lake Series Book 1)

by McCallum, Coral

  “I’ll go back along the beach. I’ll pick the truck up sometime tomorrow.”

  “Fine,” acknowledged Lori sleepily. “Mary won’t be back until first thing on Monday.”

  “I’ll come back for it in the morning. I need to shift some gear for Grey before work.”

  With another gentle kiss delivered to the top of her head, he was gone out of the patio doors and into the night.

  ♪

  Bright sun was streaming into her bedroom and across the bed when Lori finally roused herself from sleep. She had slept soundly and dreamlessly all night, but was still shocked to discover it was after midday. It had been years since she had last slept so late. Gingerly she sat up and swung her legs out of bed, again pulling her nightshirt down sharply to hide her ever present scars. She had expected to feel stiff and sore, but was pleasantly surprised to discover she felt good. The house was completely silent and empty. That too felt good. Slowly she wandered into the en suite bathroom to shower.

  When she finally made her way down the hallway towards the kitchen, she glanced out the front of the house. Jake’s truck was gone. A wave of disappointment swept through her. Secretly she had hoped to see him again today. C’est la vie. Preparing coffee and brunch posed a few challenges as her crutches kept getting in the way. Hesitantly Lori put one of them aside, tested her balance and calculated that she could cope with one. Having a free hand made life easier and she soon had the coffee poured and had taken the chicken salad that Mary had prepared out of the fridge. Deciding to go for the easy option, she ate her meal at the small kitchen table while browsing through the local newspaper. She stumbled across an advert for Silver Lake in the entertainment section. There was a small local charity event coming up at the end of April and they looked to be the headline act. It was an outdoor event to be held at Surfside Park and she silently hoped Jake would invite her along.

  Pouring herself a second coffee, she carefully made her way out onto the sundeck. As she set the mug down on the table, she noticed something on the seat of one of the chairs that was pushed in against the table. Sitting down first, she reached under the table and pulled out a flat pizza box. She opened it to find a folded piece of paper and a Silver Lake T-shirt inside. Laughing, she read the note- “Dinner 7:30 Wednesday. Be ready. J x”

  Smiling, she folded the note and slipped it back in the box.

  Lori was outside on the sun deck with a coffee and her sketchpad when Mary arrived the next day. It didn’t escape Lori’s attention that the housekeeper was quick to notice that there was only one crutch beside her. The glowing smile on the older woman’s face said it all.

  “Morning,” she called brightly. “Good weekend?”

  “Hi,” replied Lori, without looking up. “Yeah.”

  “Are you remembering Jo’s due here in a half hour?”

  “Sure,” said Lori, looking up from her sketch pad. “Sorry, I was just trying to finish this bit before she got here.”

  “Ok,” answered Mary, looking a little hurt. “I can take a hint. I’ll call you when she arrives.”

  “Thanks. Mary,” said Lori, then feeling a bit guilty added. “How was your weekend?”

  “Lovely, thanks. I’ll not lie. It was nice to have some time off,” she admitted.

  “Well,” began Lori. “Maybe we could do the same this weekend?”

  “Let’s see how you behave this week,” joked Mary. “But it would be nice to have some time to catch up with my family.”

  “I’ll behave,” Lori promised. “Make plans for your weekend. From now on, your finish at noon on Saturday. Same pay though. The deal was to care for me as I needed you.”

  “Thank you, but that’s way too generous, Lori,” Mary protested shrilly.

  “Not at all. You earn every cent I pay you.”

  “Thank you.”

  While the housekeeper tided away her coffee cup, Lori continued with her sketch. She had been playing with a design since the day before and it was starting to take shape. It had been a long time, over a year, since she had felt the urge to design anything. Now she could feel the beginnings of a new surge of inspiration emerging. Maybe it was time to return to being Mz Hyde, a professional name she had retired almost three years before. Just maybe.

  “Lori, good morning!” called a cheery voice from the patio doors. “Time to stop doodling.”

  With a mock groan, she laid down her pencil. “Morning, Jo. I’d love to say I was glad to see you.”

  “How do you feel about going through your paces out here?” suggested the physiotherapist. “It’s a beautiful morning after all.”

  “Fine by me,” Lori agreed. “It might as well hurt like hell out here.”

  Jo laughed as she glanced down at Lori’s sketch pad, “That’s great! I never knew you were an artist.”

  Closing the pad over, Lori responded, “You never asked. I’ve done some design work before. I just felt like trying to do something to move on.”

  “Moving on is good,” Jo agreed. “And I see you’ve moved onto one crutch.”

  “I couldn’t carry my coffee out here using two.”

  “Fair point. Let’s see how you are and if I think you’re ready to just use one,” stated Jo firmly. “You can’t rush this, missy.”

  The physiotherapist worked with Lori for the next forty five minutes. She put her through resistance and stretching, some strength work and then offered her a massage to finish with. Jo had worked with many patients who had suffered similar injuries but had to admit Lori’s was an extreme case. There was muscle wastage and muscle loss. There was some limited nerve damage and a lot of scar tissue to keep supple. On the plus side, Lori seemed to have turned a corner in her rehabilitation and was showing signs of improvement.

  “What’s his name?” asked Jo, as she finished her massage routine.

  “Pardon?” said Lori, sitting up and staring at her therapist.

  “Mary might not have guessed, but I saw you at the coffee shop. I was inside with my husband and the kids. So who is he?”

  “Jake,” said Lori, blushing, then, before she realised it, she was telling Jo all about her beach walk and fall and rescue and the date with Jake.

  “I thought it was him,” said Jo when Lori finished her confessional tale. “I’ve seen his band play a few times. Have you heard him sing?”

  “Not yet,” replied Lori softly. “It’s very early days.”

  “Relax,” laughed Jo. “I’m not about to tell tales on you. He seems a nice guy and, Lord knows, you deserve to have some fun, girl!”

  “Thanks, Jo,” sighed Lori with a smile. “One step at a time.”

  “Exactly,” agreed the therapist. “I’m out of town at the end of this week, so I’ll be back next Monday. Same time.”

  Lori nodded.

  “Fine. You’re ok to use just the one crutch about the house. If you are out and about, use two. Be careful if you go back onto the beach. You were lucky you never hurt yourself when you fell. Remember, it is still very early days for you,” cautioned the physiotherapist. “When did you last see a doctor?”

  “Before I came down here.”

  “Too long. I want you to make an appointment at the medical centre. It won’t hurt to get checked over.”

  “I’ll call and make an appointment after you leave,” promised Lori, secretly dreading the thought of yet more time spent with doctors.

  “Make sure you do. I’ll be checking up on it. Enjoy the rest of your day,” said Jo warmly. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

  Silver Lake met up on Tuesday to rehearse as usual. As he entered the rehearsal room, on time, Jake was praying that Grey wouldn’t mention Lori. He wasn’t ashamed in any shape or form of his friendship with her, but it was all so new that he wanted to keep it private for a while longer. It wasn’t to be.

  “Hey, Jake!” called Paul. “Who’s Lori?”

  Jake shot a dark look at Grey, who smiled and shrugged. “Becky told him not me.”

  “She’s just
a friend,” muttered Jake.

  “A friend?” echoed Rich coming in at his back. “Not what I heard.”

  “Guys,” said Jake with a frown. “Leave it. Please.”

  Grey came to his defence. “Let’s leave him be. She’s a lovely girl. She’ll see sense soon.”

  The others laughed while Jake’s mood darkened a shade. Soon they were settled into rehearsing a new number to add to their set. It was a frustrating session with more stops than starts. Both Rich and Jake had issues with their amps and tuning. After almost an hour, Jake unplugged his guitar, “I need a break.”

  “Same here,” agreed Rich. “I’m ready to smash that shitty amp.”

  “Fine. Ten minutes, guys,” said Paul. “I’ll go get us a drink from across the street.”

  Jake wandered over to the battered couch that sat at the side of the room. His acoustic guitar was lying beside it.

  “Don’t you let me down,” he muttered under his breath as he settled himself to play. Without giving a thought to the others, he began to play a song he had been writing at home. Within a few bars, he was lost in his own thoughts as he tried to focus on the music from memory. It was a slow rock ballad in the making, but it had the potential to be his best composition to date. He began to sing some lyrics he had been toying with but stopped after the first verse.

  “Hey, don’t stop!” called Rich sharply. “That sounded awesome.”

  Jake looked up and realised they had all stopped what they were doing to focus on him. He felt himself start to redden at the unexpected praise.

  “It’s not finished,” he muttered. “I’m just playing with it.”

  “You got any more like that?” demanded Grey. “This could be a turning point for us.”

  “One or two,” said Jake laying his guitar down. “I wasn’t sure they were right for us.”

  “Sounded right to me,” stated Rich. “Play it again.”

  It proved to be a pivotal point in their rehearsal and when Paul came back with their beers they made Jake play the piece through again. His vocals added a haunting, slightly tortured edge to the gentle melody. After another run through, Grey joined in on bass. Together they worked on the song until after eleven, all of them enjoying a new-found enthusiasm for the rehearsal.

  “I’m done,” yawned Rich. “I’ve got classes tomorrow. How about we meet tomorrow night for a couple of hours?”

  “Sorry, I’ve got plans,” said Jake, as he packed his guitar in its case. “Unless we meet early. I can do four till six.”

  “No can do,” said Grey. “I’ve got Becky till Sandy gets in at seven.”

  “How about Thursday night then?” suggested Rich. “Usual time?”

  They all muttered agreement as they headed out into the dark.

  “Hey Jake,” called Rich, as he got into his car. “Can you finish the lyrics for Thursday?”

  “I can try, but I’ve got work tomorrow and Thursday. Two early shifts.”

  “See what you can do.”

  Slowly Jake walked back to his apartment with chords and lyrics flying round and colliding in his head. When he got in, he dumped his guitars on the couch and fetched himself a beer. Taking a chug from the bottle, he sat down with his guitar to work on the lyrics for a while before bed. All too soon he was immersed in his creative world and by two in the morning the lyrics were done. When he realised the time he lay back on the couch and sighed. He had to be at work for eight and wanted to go for a run before his shift.

  “Well, four hours sleep will have to do,” he said to the empty room as he turned off the light.

  ♪

  Lori was still putting the finishing touches to her makeup when she heard Jake’s truck pull into the driveway. A glance at her watch told her he was dead on time. She smiled and wondered if he had stopped off along the road to time his arrival accurately. As before, he was on the porch by the time she made her way to the front door.

  “Come in for a minute,” said Lori opening the door. “I’m not quite ready. Sorry.”

  “Is it safe to come in? Is Mary here?” asked Jake, faking fear.

  Giggling, Lori said, “She left at five. Go on through to the sunroom or the lounge. Your choice. I’ll just be a moment.”

  “No rush. There’s plenty of time,” said Jake warmly. “I’ll wait in the lounge, if that’s ok.”

  The room was adjacent to the front door and Lori indicated he should take a seat. She promised to be back shortly and headed off back down the hallway.

  With a cream leather suite and dark mahogany furniture, the lounge was far more formal than the sunroom. There were several framed photos on the sideboard, including Lori’s high school and college graduation photos. He was still admiring them when she returned. She looked stunning. Her long blonde hair was loose and she was wearing a black sundress with her short denim jacket.

  “You look fabulous,” complimented Jake warmly.

  “Nonsense,” murmured Lori blushing. She had never been very good at accepting compliments. “I’ve got something to give you before we go.”

  “Oh,” said Jake, looking curiously at her.

  “It’s next door. Follow me.”

  The house’s layout was open plan and the space next to the lounge was Lori’s study and indoor work space. Her drawing board took up one corner and there were two desks – one neat and organised; the other piled high with papers and books. On the drawing board was a sketch and it was this that Lori went to pick up. It was the design she had been working for the last four days.

  “I thought you’d like this,” she said, handing it to Jake. “It’s my way of saying thank you for your help last week.”

  “You didn’t need to,” said Jake admiring the design. “It’s awesome.”

  “It was good therapy for me,” admitted Lori with a smile.

  The design was a detailed circular Celtic knot design. Around the outer edge Lori had completed a different smaller, more intricate pattern that included the band’s name. She had tried to keep to the lines of the band’s current logo as far as she could.

  “Will you sign it?” asked Jake, immediately embarrassed for asking.

  With a smile Lori autographed the piece with her distinctive Mz Hyde signature and passed it back to him. “If the band wants to use it, I’m ok with that. If you want to use it as a beer mat, I could get upset,” she joked lightly. “Now, did you not mention dinner?”

  “Thank you,” said Jake softly, blown away by the gift. He flashed her a grateful smile. “I mean it. Thank you and yes, I did mention dinner.”

  It was a beautiful spring evening and dusk was settling over the town as they drove out towards the Coastal Highway. From the passenger seat, Lori drank in the scenery, noting all the places on the outskirts of town that she intended to revisit as soon as she was back on her feet and independent again. She took special note of the outlets as they passed, trying not to listen to the “Sale” and “70% off” signs that were screaming out to her. Once they were about five miles from the centre of town, Jake turned off the highway and into the parking lot beside a steakhouse. He parked the truck next to the entrance, then jumped out to come round to help Lori down from her seat. With some reluctance, she allowed him to lift her down like a small child. He passed her crutches to her then, once she was steady on her feet, escorted her inside.

  A small older woman stood at the desk just inside the door, “Good evening folks. Do you have a reservation?”

  “Yes. Power,” said Jake. “Table for two.”

  He felt Lori suppressing a teenage giggle beside him and tried to ignore it.

  “This way,” said the waitress, lifting two menus and a wine list.

  Soon they were seated by the window at a corner table. The waitress lit the candle in the centre of the table, then rhymed off a list of the evening’s specials. Having taken their drinks order, she finally left them alone. They smiled at each other and then Lori burst out laughing, “Is Power your real name?”

  “Yup,�
� said Jake. “Blame my dad.”

  “It’s a cool rock name,” she giggled. ”What a pair we make. Jake Power and Mz Hyde!”

  Her amusement and laughter was infectious and Jake soon found himself laughing along with her.

  “I still can’t thank you enough for the design,” he said, reaching over to touch her hand. “No one’s ever done anything like for me.”

  “It was my pleasure,” answered Lori, taking his hand. “This last week has been good for my soul and it’s down to you. No pun intended, but that fall was just the jolt I needed.”

  “Were you struggling that badly?”

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. There were tears in her eyes as she finally answered, “I can’t talk about it all just yet, but yes, I was in a bad way. Not just my leg and physically, but in my head too. You made me laugh. I guess that was what I needed. You’ve shown an interest in me without prying. I appreciate that.”

  Before Jake could respond, the waitress returned with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order.

  “Can we have a few minutes, please?” asked Lori politely.

  “Of course. I’ll be back shortly.”

  Picking up the menu, Jake asked what she fancied to eat. Together they debated the choices. Neither of them felt like an appetizer so focussed on the entrees. The steakhouse was not the cheapest restaurant in town and Lori guessed Jake would insist on paying the check. She opted for a mid-priced small fillet mignon while Jake chose a 16oz prime rib. Before she could argue, Jake ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir.

  “My dad always says you need a nice red to wash down a good steak,” Jake commented, sensing her unspoken protest.

  “I’d have to agree with him,” Lori said with a smile. “First wine since last December.”

  The tea light candle on the table guttered and went out. It was growing late and they were the only diners left in the restaurant. The waitress put their check on the table and offered to re-cork the wine so they could take the remainder of the bottle with them.

  “I think we’d better take the hint,” said Jake.