by Dawn Brower
Dani studied it and shook her head. “It’s addressed to you.”
Claire frowned. What the hell was it? She took the envelope from Dani and turned it over. Her name was written in a fancy bright red script. It reminded her of—blood. She gulped down the irrational fear and opened it.
My Dearest Claire,
You own my heart, my soul, and all that I am.
Why won’t you come back to me? Would a gift help? Something as soft and beautiful as you are? I’ll send something soon to entice you to return to me of your own volition. Please don’t run away from me again. I’ll make it so good for you to be with me.
Don’t worry, I’ll see you again soon.
Claire shuddered and shoved the letter back into the envelope. So the white negligee was probably her gift. How had this note ended up in that file? Had she shoved it inside on accident. She shook her uneasiness away and turned her attention back to Dani.
“It’s nothing,” she said. “A note from someone I used to know.”
“Not someone you liked very much from the expression on your face,” Dani said. “Ex?”
It could be, but she only had one ex, and he wouldn’t want to send her gifts or have her return to his life. He’d moved on with someone else. It was just pure craziness, and she didn’t want to think about it. Though perhaps at some point she should tell her brother about it—Carter was a detective and might be able to discover who her secret admirer was. Until then, she had a lot of work to do. She wouldn’t let a freak deter her from living her life. She met Dani’s gaze and smiled. “Something like that I suppose. It’s nothing as I said.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll work on the ad tonight and get it posted as soon as possible.” She stared down at the qualifications. “Do you want me to tell Matt anything about this?”
Matt would probably think Dani was trying to replace him since he was being super sensitive about every little thing. She didn’t want to deal with the upcoming temper tantrum he’d throw when he realized what Dani was up to, but she would if she had to. Dani had solid reasons for her decision, and Claire was a little selfish too. She liked the idea of having someone to work with again at the firm, but in all honesty, she was glad to be working period. Money was good and helped pay the bills. She still got a salary, but a lot of her work was paid on an hourly basis. With the office practically closed she’d not banked many billable hours. Without that they’d not had a lot of income building in the firm’s coffers.
It was also nice to have an apartment to call home and relax in—even if she hadn’t spent a lot of time there while helping Matt adjust to his new circumstances. Soon she’d move back into it and leave Matt alone. The occupational therapist believed he could get by without live-in company already, but she wasn’t ready to let go. She wanted to make sure he’d be fine on his own before she fully left him to his own devices.
“No. Like I said, I’ll stop in to see him in a couple days. He’ll take it better coming from me.” Dani leaned back and rubbed her chest grimacing with pain. “I think it’s time for my meds.” She lifted a bottle, opened it, and then shook out two pills into her hand. “I hate taking these but my body reminds me it went through a trauma and needs them to heal. I stupidly thought I could get by without them in the beginning. Boy, I had a rude awakening the first time the meds wore off. I discovered I have no tolerance for pain.” She picked up a glass of water and swallowed the pills. “They make things fuzzy in here.” Dani tapped her head. “So I hate them, yet I love that they make it easier for me to move around and breathe. My lung is still healing from the bullet puncturing it.”
It had to suck to take pain medicine around the clock. Claire sympathized with Dani’s need to remain focused though. She’d not like to work with a fuzzy brain. “All right, I won’t mention any of this to Matt. I’ll discreetly take care of it. Is there anything else you need from me before I leave?”
She still had to pay her brother a visit and check on Matt again. It would do her good to return home for the evening. He needed to start depending on himself for longer period of time, and he would probably sleep the night through. He hadn’t had an episode since the first week he came home.
“How is Matt doing?” Dani sighed. “I feel like a horrible friend. He’s going through this huge thing and I’m not checking on him more.”
“I think you have a very good reason.” Claire raised an eyebrow. “You don’t think he realizes you have your own healing to do?”
He damn well better. Matt had always been kind and caring, at least until his accident. Now that his vision wasn’t up to par, he’d turned into a demanding prick. Dani was his best friend though, and he cared about what happened to her. When he found out she’d been shot he demanded Claire drive him to the hospital to check on her. It’s what friends did for each other. She’d been by his side through his ordeal, and he’d insisted he be able to return the favor. Claire didn’t know what it was like to have friends who supported each other the way Matt and Dani did. Maybe one day she’d find one she could relate to. Dani and Matt were the closest thing she had to friends, and they were actually her bosses.
“Matt is being—Matt.” Claire didn’t have any other way to describe it. “He’s doing better, but still has blurry vision.”
“So ... he’s being a jerk.” Dani did know her friend. This didn’t surprise Claire one bit.
“Pretty much.” She smiled. “But I can handle it. He’s doing well enough to be left alone for longer periods of time. Lana comes to check in on him once a week. The occupational therapist comes by every other day, and he has a check up with Ren soon.”
“Good. He’ll get better.” She glanced up at the ceiling. “I pray he has the patience to let his body heal. It’s never been his strong suit.”
That was an understatement if she’d ever heard one. Claire chuckled. “Don’t I know it.”
“If he starts to be too difficult, call me. I’ll come by and set him straight.” Her mouth twitched. “I’ll remind him who’s boss.”
Claire didn’t doubt Dani would do it. A knock sounded at the door. “I’ll see who it is.” She hopped up and headed to the front door. When she opened it, she smiled. “Hello, Mr. Brady. Did you call and make an appointment before you dropped in? Ms. Brosen is rather busy today.”
“Shove off.” Sullivan said teasingly as he pushed past her. “I’m here to check on my sister. Although this is a new approach for her. Hasn’t she learned yet nothing will deter me?”
A laugh rolled out of her. Sullivan Brady wasn’t easily discouraged from doing something he wanted.
“Go away, Sully. I’m not in the mood for company,” Dani called out. “Kick him to the curb, Claire. He’s a bully and doesn’t deserve civility.”
Sullivan wasn’t going anywhere and they all knew it. Claire had errands to run, an ad to post, and more files to go through. It was best she leave Dani and her brother to their visit together. Her boss might protest, but she wanted to spend time with Sullivan. It was a game with them at this point.
“I’m going to go.” Claire picked up her purse and nodded to Dani. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“Thanks,” Dani said. “Tell Matt I said hello.”
“Go away,” Sullivan said, winking at her playfully. “You’re interrupting my quality time with Dani.” The corners of his mouth quirked up, and then he leaned down and whispered huskily, “Stop by and see me later though. Perhaps we can have dinner sometime.”
The muscle around her jaw twitched at his words. There wouldn’t be anything good to come from that. It was best to ignore the statement, and she did so as she exited without acknowledging his flirtation. Sullivan Brady was too handsome for his own good. She’d joked about having one night with him once, but she didn’t think she could handle him. He was a beautiful dark angel with the brightest green eyes she’d ever seen. If she were to become involved with him, she’d lose her heart and have nothing to show for it. It was easy enough to spot empty promises when yo
u’d heard them all before.
CHAPTER FOUR
The morning sun streamed through the window in blinding rays. Matt reached up and pulled the visor down to block it from obscuring his view. His mind wandered over one of his cases and momentarily distracted him. It was an almost fatal mistake. A horn blew in the distance diverting his attention to behind him to a black truck coming up behind him rather fast. He swerved his car, trying to avoid the impending impact—he wasn’t fast enough.
In those moments, his life flashed before his eyes. Everything went into slow motion. The kind of thing you see in movies when they want to emphasize the impact of the events around the main character. Little details came into focus and he couldn’t stop himself from noticing them. His coffee tilted to the side and spilled onto the floor. The briefcase open on the seat next to him slid forward, knocking his phone out of reach. A little red sports car directly in front of him slammed on their brakes.
Matt was cornered.
He couldn’t avoid the vehicle in front of him, and the one behind him was about to hit his car. Never in his life had he considered praying, but now everything was crystal clear and he wished he believed in a higher being. Something, anything, to help save him. This was a nightmare and he had no way of waking himself up from it.
The screech of brakes grew loud as the pounding of his ears made the sounds around him a dull throb. He jerked forward, hitting his head hard against the steering wheel. His safety belt prevented him from launching from his seat. Jarring pain sliced through his shoulder, seizing the breath in his lungs. He tried to lift his hands to his throat as he gasped for air. Glass flew around him as the car crunched. His eyes were stabbed with the tiny shards, momentarily blinding him. Matt tried to blink away the irritation growing behind his eyelids, but the more he closed his eyes the greater the discomfort grew. Agony burned through him. His whole body was one big ache of unending misery. It was hard to tell where and when he began. He wasn’t Matt anymore; he was someone else living through this moment of misery.
Claire’s face floated through his mind. He had so many regrets. So much he’d wanted to make up for. Now he’d never get the opportunity. His failure to grab a chance with her was a loss he’d never recover from. This was the epiphany he’d needed—even if it had come to him too late to change anything. Everything happened in a flash of moments, yet it all crashed into him at the same time. It was a blur of a life he might never return to. As his car scrunched into a box of metal and glass, Matt realized he couldn’t do a damn thing to help himself. It was too late, too much, and ending before it had a chance to start. Why hadn’t he done something sooner? Because he’d been a fool...
Screaming echoed throughout the chaos. His throat was raw and his vision—God, he couldn’t see anything. Something wet dripped down his face. Matt tried to lift his hand but couldn’t move. At that moment, he realized the screaming came from him, and he was almost certain he wouldn’t live long enough to tell Claire he loved her...
“Matt, wake up,” Claire demanded.
He didn’t move. His body rocked back and forth as he could vaguely hear her calling to him. He wanted to go to her, but it was difficult. His body was frozen inside the nightmare of the accident. The struggle to wrench free and break through to reality took every ounce of his will. The nightmare world was one he tried to avoid, but haunted him nonetheless. It was the torment he lived with every day. He thought he would die that day, yet he’d lived. The regrets he’d been filled with at that moment still remained.
The difference was now he didn’t think he deserved Claire. He wasn’t worthy of her, and had no right to tell her how much he’d grown to love her over the years. She deserved better than him. Matt opened his eyes at the sound of her voice. He blinked several times, but she was still a fuzzy blur in front of him. The honey gold color of her hair blended with her face. If he’d not been familiar with her voice, he’d have no clue it was indeed Claire before him.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he lifted his hand to wipe moisture from his brow. “Why are you shaking me?”
“You were screaming.” She ran her cool fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. “It sounded as if...” She paused and remained silent a few moments. “What were you dreaming about?”
Her voice was tinged with concern. He hated that all she seemed to do was worry over him. Matt didn’t want to tell her about the nightmare. The dream visited him more than he liked to admit, but this was the first time it had sneaked in with her around. It was his torment, and he’d not have her tainted by the ugliness of it, and was something that couldn’t be changed. The outcome was his new reality. He’d slammed into that car and the truck behind him smashed into him. The result was a resounding chain reaction of screeching tires, bent metal, and broken glass. He shook the image away and focused his attention back on her. “It’s nothing to concern yourself with.”
“Too late.” She huffed. “I am. You can’t make me stop caring because it makes you uncomfortable.”
He wished he could pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless. It was a bad idea. The worst thing he could possibly do in that moment. How many times did he have to remind himself that she could do so much better than him. He’d had his chance and passed it by. How could he ever have known life would throw a wrench of such epic proportions in his life? There was no way he could have. She needed to move on and find someone else because Matt would not be anything more than a burden. He couldn’t expect her to take care of him for the rest of his life. If he had any chance of picking himself up and finding out who he was now, he had to do it on his own. It was time to stop sitting in a well of pity and start living again. That meant Claire had to go, and he had to learn how to live without her. He loved her—perhaps always would, but he couldn’t be dependent on her any longer. He’d been taking care of himself for years, and he damn well needed to remember who he was.
“You’re right.” Of course she was. That didn’t mean he had to subject himself to the daily reminders of it. “Didn’t I tell you to leave? What are you doing here?”
She sighed. “I believe I said you could win the battle, but I’d win the war.”
Right. She’d said something along those lines. Well, he could let her think they were engrossed in a heated match with one victor to remain at the end, but in truth it wouldn’t be worth the effort. She had to understand what he already did. “There is no war.”
“Of course there is. You drew the battle lines earlier. I took up the mantle after you threw the first volley.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I meant what I said. Perhaps it came out wrong.”
She snorted. “That’s one way of putting it.”
“Nevertheless...” A muscle in his jaw twitched as an ache filled his gut. This was harder then he thought it would be. “I need you to go home. I can’t have you here every day.”
Claire remained silent at his words. What was she thinking? He wished more than ever he could see her face. Her lovely heart-shaped face haunted him. At least he had his memories to fall back on, but it wasn’t the same as the real thing. She lit up his world more than anything possibly could. Unfortunately, he darkened hers in return. He couldn’t allow his problems to fall back on her any longer. Matt had to move forward with his life. There was no way for him to know what was in store for him. He may or may not get his sight back. It was only something time would tell. In the meantime, he had to plan for any possibility.
“Aren’t you going to ask about my day?”
What was this? A diversion? Avoidance? He couldn’t let her change the subject and ignore his wishes. “Don’t ignore what I said just because you don’t like it.”
She pushed herself off the bed, causing him to dip backward from her missing weight on the bed. When she finally spoke, it sounded as if she was on the far side of the room. He turned his head toward the lull of her voice. A flash of pink and black, and a bright light engulfed her in a halo of gold. The sunlight pouring
through the window gave the colors a more vibrant hue. The various shades almost burned across his muted vision making him want to reach out and touch her.
“I saw Dani today.”
He bit his lip. Maybe he’d let her talk a little while longer. Dani had been shot and almost died. His best friend, and the one person he’d been able to count on for the past few years. “How is she?”
“She’s home, still in pain, and planning her wedding.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “I never thought I’d see the day she’d willing tie herself to one man for the rest of her life.”
The smile on his face fell at his words. He wouldn’t see it if his sight continued to elude him. He wanted to watch her walk down that aisle. Matt longed to see the happiness glowing on her face. The whole time he’d been in the hospital he’d wished he’d open his eyes and finally be able to see it all. Dani and Ren found each other in the midst of chaos and discovered something far more beautiful in the process. As much as Matt was happy for her, he was equally as miserable for himself. Self-pity never did anyone any good, so he pushed the negative thoughts away.
“They haven’t set a firm date yet as far as I know. Dani still has a lot of healing to do.”
“Yeah.” Matt hated the idea his best friend was hurting, and he was helpless to do anything for her. At least he could take comfort knowing the man responsible was locked away and unable to harm her further.
She cleared her throat and then said, “Anyway, I stopped by to see her and drop off files from the office.”
Matt frowned. He hadn’t considered how things were going at the office. With both of them injured, the place had to be falling apart at the seams. Dani just got released from the hospital. “She shouldn’t be working in her condition.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. She isn’t going into court.” Claire sighed. “She is still capable of thinking and reviewing files. Give her some credit for still maintaining her intellect and ability to use the brain she was born with.”