Unchained Memories

by Dena Blake

  Abby was quiet for a few minutes. “Does he know?” She talked into the crevice between her body and legs as her forehead rested on her knees.

  “I told him and Amelia last night.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said he wants to be part of your life. He wants to talk to you about it, but I think you should set the pace for that.”

  “Are we going to stay here?”

  “I don’t know, honey. Amelia is pretty upset with me right now.”

  “Because of me?”

  “No. Because of me.” All she could do now was beg Amelia’s forgiveness and hope she would actually consider granting it. Jillian patted Abby on the leg. “Come on. Let’s go see if they need any help at the auditorium setting up for the fund-raiser.”

  After they got there, Jillian scanned the auditorium for Amelia but didn’t see her, only Blake and the boys, who were working on the stage decorations and lighting.

  “Do you want to talk to Blake now?” Jillian asked.

  “I think I’ll go help the guys,” Abby said, giving Blake a tentative look before she ran ahead to the stage where Logan was working.

  Jillian crossed the floor to Blake. “I told her, but she’s not ready to talk to you about it yet.”

  “That’s fine. I’m not sure what to say to her either,” Blake said, throwing Abby a wave when she looked over her shoulder at him.

  “Is Amelia here?” Jillian asked.

  “I haven’t seen her yet this morning. She probably doesn’t want to see you right now.” He pressed his lips together, just like Amelia usually did.

  “I can’t blame her. I’ve kept some pretty big secrets.” She let out a sigh “I didn’t know how to tell her. I didn’t know how to tell either of you.”

  “You’re done with secrets, right? There’s nothing else you haven’t told us?”

  Jillian shook her head. “No. Nothing.”

  He reached over, squeezed her shoulder. “Just give her some time.”

  “I wish it were that simple.” She didn’t have time. She was due back in New York soon. “I think it’s going to take a lot more than time.”

  “A little groveling never hurts.” Blake smiled as Suzie came across the room and slipped her arm around his waist.

  “I wish it was that easy.”

  “Maybe a little bit of jealousy.” Suzie winked.

  No. Jillian refused to play games with Amelia. They already had enough obstacles in their relationship. She wasn’t going to purposely create them. She just wanted the love of her life back.

  * * *

  Amelia and Julie arrived at the auditorium to make sure all the preparations for the charity event were done correctly. She’d had a restless night but had managed to capture a few hours of sleep this morning. The auditorium looked gorgeous, with stars hanging from the rafters and glittered curtains on the walls. She hadn’t known if she could pull this off, but it seemed to be all coming together.

  Amelia didn’t see Jillian anywhere. Half of her was relieved and the other half disappointed. She spotted Blake across the room, and when he spotted Amelia, he immediately went to her and pulled her into his arms. She squeezed her eyes shut to hold back what was left of her tears. She’d shed enough the night before.

  “It’s gonna be okay, sis.” He kissed the top of her head. “She was here earlier looking for you.”

  Her stomach twisted, and she shrugged out of the embrace. “Maybe I shouldn’t come tonight.”

  “It’s your fund-raiser. You have to be here,” Blake said.

  “Yeah. If you don’t, who’s going to run the silent auction?” Julie said as she yawned absently, which prompted Amelia to do the same.

  “You’re perfectly capable of doing that. I don’t know if I’m up to auctioning off a dance with Jillian tonight.”

  “You could always bid on her yourself. She is your Cinderella.”

  “Jules, you’d be the best friend ever if you’d fill in for me.” Amelia gave Julie a big smile and leaned into her.

  “I’m already the best friend ever.” Julie gave her a shove. “Plus, I’ve got a date for the ball, and I don’t plan to work tonight.”

  Amelia whipped her head around. “Darcy?”

  Julie nodded and then glanced over at Blake. “Is everything set up out front?”

  “Yep. The boys are going to help out with the valet parking. I rented them nice red jackets to look professional. A five-dollar donation is suggested, which will go toward the fund-raiser.”

  “That’s awesome. I hadn’t thought of that,” Julie said as she walked toward the stage.

  “David and I have to cut out early tonight to work on his car.”

  Amelia tensed. “Do you have to do that tonight?”

  Blake nodded. “It’s the only time Steve’s available to help him with the carburetor.”

  “You’re getting to be a regular at the school, aren’t you?” Amelia lifted an eyebrow. “I thought you hated to go there.”

  “It’s not my favorite place to be, but working with Steve in the auto shop isn’t bad.”

  Julie walked back from the stage. “Is the lighting all set up?”

  “Yep. Got it covered. Everything’s done here.” Blake put his hand on Amelia’s back and nudged her toward Julie. “Why don’t you two go home and get dressed?”

  “Okay. We’ll see you in a few hours.” Julie took Amelia by the hand and led her to the door. “Now we just have to make you look beautiful for tonight, which may take a little work.” Julie winked, and Amelia bumped her in the shoulder as they left.

  * * *

  Jillian stood out in front of the auditorium visiting with some of the guests while also taking pictures with new arrivals. She’d dyed her hair back to its natural chestnut color and had thrown out the contact lenses. Even with the new nose, people were beginning to recognize her as they arrived. She’d been keeping an eye on the guests who entered and hadn’t seen Amelia or Julie yet. She heard the roar of the Camaro engine as it pulled up to the valet. One of the boys opened the car door for Amelia, and Jillian’s heartbeat quickened as she watched her exit the car. There she was, looking more gorgeous than Jillian had ever seen her. How can I leave her? Blake came around the car and escorted Amelia up the steps to the building. Her stomach lurched when Amelia glanced her way and then quickly looked at the doors.

  “Ready to go inside?” Marcus asked. Jillian nodded and gave one last wave to the photographers before following Amelia and Blake inside.

  “I should try and talk to her.”

  Marcus took Jillian’s elbow and guided her to a table in the opposite direction of where Amelia and Blake had gone. “Not now. You both have an obligation to fulfill here, and you don’t want her leaving early, do you?”

  Jillian hated it when Marcus made sense. “No. This is her night. I don’t want to spoil it more than I already have.”

  The silent auction had been uncomfortable for Jillian. She’d gotten used to being the center of attention over the years but still didn’t like it. Blake had emceed the auction, and the prize had gone for much more than Jillian had anticipated. She had no idea who would pay that kind of money just to spend time with her, although she would gladly have paid ten times the amount to spend time with Amelia tonight. She stared across the room at Amelia, who was mingling with Julie and Darcy. At least she hadn’t brought anyone with her. That was reassuring. Jillian watched her lips curve up into a smile and ached at the thought of never being close to her again.

  “How did I break something so incredible, Marcus?” She blew the words out in a whisper. The rock sitting in her stomach had moved to her throat.

  “You know how you did it.” He raised his eyebrows, took a drink of his wine, and pursed his lips. She knew that look of disappointment all too well. He’d given it to her many times since he’d arrived.

  She nodded. “I do.” She sipped her wine and watched as the three women ventured onto the dance floor, dancing together in a group.<
br />
  “So, what are you going to do to fix it?” Marcus took the wineglass from her hands. “Where’s that girl who never gives up?”

  She caught Amelia looking over momentarily, stealing a glance, and suddenly Jillian had hope. She breathed in and out a couple of times to still her nerves and stood. “I’m going to dance. That’s what I’m going to do.” She reached out and took his hand.

  “There she is.” He smiled broadly as he accompanied her onto the dance floor.

  They danced their way across the floor close to the three women. Jillian had a hard time keeping her eyes off Amelia, and she could see Amelia was having the same problem. The jolt shot through her like lightning when their eyes met, and then Amelia danced away from her and all Jillian could see was her backside moving to the beat in perfect rhythm. The song ended, and the DJ put on a slow tune. The odds were beginning to move in her favor.

  “This is what you came for.” Marcus turned Jillian around and nudged her toward Amelia.

  She caught Amelia by the shoulders from behind before she’d moved too far away and whispered in her ear, “Dance with me…Please?” She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping for a positive answer. Amelia stopped, didn’t move, and just when Jillian thought she was going to leave her standing there all alone, she turned around and did the exact opposite. She slid her arm around Jillian’s waist and pulled her close.

  “What about your date?”

  “Not a date. My friend, Marcus.”

  They danced in silence for a few minutes, just staring into each other’s eyes.

  “I am sorry,” Jillian said as she enjoyed the warmth she’d missed so much.

  “I know.” Amelia broke eye contact, glancing around the room at everyone except Jillian. Her heart thudded as she wondered what Amelia was thinking. “Everyone’s watching us. You sure you want to go public with this?”

  “Do we still have a ‘this’?”

  Amelia took in a deep breath. “I think so.”

  Relief washed over Jillian, and she pulled Amelia closer. She didn’t care if everyone was watching. Amelia was looking at her, talking to her, telling her they still had a chance. They danced through two slow tunes just holding each other before she heard a voice behind her.

  “May I cut in?” An arctic shiver rushed Jillian as Kelly took Jillian’s hand and pulled her into her arms without waiting for an answer. “I believe I paid for this dance.”

  The voice echoed in Jillian’s ears, and her vision tunneled. All her peripheral vision faded as she focused on the figure in front of her, one she’d hoped she’d never see again. “Kelly, what are you doing here?”

  “Surprise, surprise. Aren’t you glad to see me, baby?” Her tone was light and cheerful, so unlike Kelly.

  “Of course I’m glad to see you. I just wish you’d told me you were coming.” Sweat began to form on the back of Jillian’s neck. She tried to stay calm, but everything around her seemed to be moving painfully slow. The sounds of people laughing and glasses clinking were muffled, while Kelly’s voice was magnified a thousand times louder. She glanced at Amelia, whose face was blank as she turned and walked slowly back to her table.

  “I would have, but you didn’t tell me where you were going.” Kelly moved closer and squeezed Jillian so tight she gasped for breath. “I had a hard time finding you,” she whispered in her ear, and Jillian felt nauseous.

  Amelia went back to the table, cursing the bad timing of the auction winner. She couldn’t suppress the reaction she’d had to Jillian or the thoughts exploding in her brain. No matter what she tried to tell herself, Amelia was in love with Jillian.

  “Why’d you let that chick cut in?” Darcy asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Had to. Silent bidder.” Amelia picked up a glass of water and took a gulp to cool herself.

  “Well, that was certainly bad timing.”

  “There always seems to be something.”

  “She certainly is stunning tonight.”

  “She certainly is,” Amelia said with more vulnerability than she intended.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her.” Darcy sipped her wine. “I’m glad you’re going to give her another shot.”

  “It was just a dance, Darcy. It doesn’t mean everything’s gonna be peachy.” Amelia knew they still had many things to iron out.

  “You still love her.” Darcy picked up her wineglass and took a drink. “Everyone can see that.”

  “I do.” She shook her head and turned away from the dance floor. God help me, I do.

  Julie arrived back from the ladies’ room, dropped her clutch on the table, and straightened her dress. “Why are there always a gazillion women in the bathroom?” She looked over at Amelia. “What the fuck are you doing back here? I thought you were dancing with Jillian?”

  She nodded toward the dance floor. “The silent bidder is collecting her dance.”

  “Her dance? Funny. I thought it was going to be a guy.” Julie turned around and zoomed in on the dance floor. “That’s her ex-girlfriend.”

  “The psycho cop?” Darcy asked. “Why is Jillian smiling?”

  A wave of fear shuddered through Amelia, and she headed for Jillian. “She’s probably too fucking scared not to smile.” Julie grabbed Amelia’s arm, pulled her back. “What? We have to get Jillian away from her.”

  “We do, but we need to be smart about it.” Julie held her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. “The woman’s got a temper, and we don’t want to set her off, do we?”

  Amelia shook her head. “No. I don’t want Jillian hurt.”

  “Okay.” Julie released her. “So you and I will dance over there. I’ll cut in and take the crazy cop for a spin around the dance floor while Darcy blocks her view. You dance Jillian to the steps and then rush her through the dressing rooms and out of here.” Julie grabbed her keys out of her clutch and put them in Amelia’s hand. “My car’s out back.” She stared into Amelia’s eyes. “Okay?”

  “Okay,” Amelia said, and Julie led her to the dance floor. They hung back, watching the stilted interaction between Jillian and Kelly.

  “Ready?”

  Amelia nodded.

  “Here we go.” Julie sidled up next to the couple and smiled widely at Kelly. “A fresh face. I don’t think we’ve had the opportunity to meet,” she said in her best Oklahoma drawl. She glanced at Jillian. “Do you mind if I take your lovely dance partner for a spin?” Julie didn’t wait for an answer. She slipped in between the two, focusing her attention on Jillian’s obsessed admirer as Kelly craned her neck to look around her.

  Jillian clung to Amelia. “Oh, my God. I don’t know how she found me. I hoped she was going to leave me alone this time.”

  “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. Let’s go.” She danced her out of Kelly’s view before she pulled her through the dressing rooms and out the backstage door. She pushed the unlock button on the key fob, and the car chirped. “We need to get out of town. We can go by my house and pick up some clothes.”

  Jillian stopped as her heart tugged. “I can’t leave without Abby.”

  “Okay. We’ll go to the house and get her, but we can’t stay. Jules won’t be able to keep Kelly busy for long, and I’m sure she knows where you live by now.”

  Understanding the urgency, Jillian nodded and got in the car. “I don’t know how to get rid of her.”

  Amelia reached over and covered Jillian’s hand with hers. “We’ll have to file legal action. It may get worse before it gets better. Has she done anything illegal to you?”

  Jillian thought for a moment. “Not anything recent.”

  “Do you think she could be the one who bugged my office?”

  “I wouldn’t put it past her. She always seemed to know where I was and what I was doing, even when I didn’t tell her. Do you still have the bugs we found?”

  “Actually, I do. I put them in the safe at the office just in case any privileged information surfaced.”

  “We put th
em in water. Can we still get fingerprints from them?”

  Amelia looked at her curiously. “You mean you haven’t done an investigative report on that?”

  “No. Not yet.” She smiled, and the mood lightened momentarily.

  “Well, that’s something I have experience with, and the answer is yes. As long as the item wasn’t in the water too long.”

  “You took them out right away?”

  “I did, and let them air-dry before I sealed them in a bag and put them in the safe.”

  Jillian turned her hand and laced her fingers with Amelia’s as she drove. She felt safe with Amelia, safer than she’d felt in years.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  They unlocked the door and disarmed the alarm. Jillian was relieved to see that everything looked calm. She’d sent Abby a text. She was still at the movies and should be home any minute. She hadn’t told her what was going on, just that she needed to come straight home after the movie was over. Getting Abby on board with leaving so quickly would be difficult without telling her the whole story, but she didn’t want to scare her.

  When they went upstairs, Amelia was quiet. She seemed to be formulating her thoughts. She sat on the bed and took in a deep breath. “I’ve done a lot of thinking in the past few days.”

  “About us?”

  Amelia nodded as she fidgeted with the bedspread. “We could raise Abby together…here in Oklahoma.”

  Jillian was speechless. Everything she’d ever wanted was sitting right in front of her.

  “Oh. You hadn’t planned on staying.”

  Jillian could see the change in her eyes. “That’s not it at all, Ames.” She dropped to her knees in front of her. “There was a time when I never thought anything between you and me was possible.”

  “And now?”

  “I want it to be, Ames. I honestly do. I just don’t know if it can work. We have so much to consider, but I’m willing to give it a try.”

  “How about we take it one step at a time.” Amelia took her face in her hands and kissed her gently.