Finding Cade (Dream Catcher Series Book 1)

by Bernice Layton

  When he complied, Valerie watched as the sinewy muscles of his forearms strained, his face crumbled, and he half sobbed, half groaned. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause him a setback, and luckily, the doctor stepped forward and encouraged him to sit down. The nurse standing by the bed rushed to pour him a cup of water from the water carafe sitting on his untouched dinner tray.

  “I-I need to use the restroom,” she said, really needing a break because the lying had given her a headache. When the nurse escorted her from the room and directed her down the hall, Valerie’s knees trembled when she passed by the linen closet and spotted the same orderly she’d scared the daylights out before, exiting it.

  Lord, help me keep it together.

  ***

  JD aka Cade

  Back in his room, JD sat on the side of the bed shaking. Valerie’s words both soothed and excited him. Yes, he’d closed his eyes and absorbed the pleasure of hearing her voice. She was calming, believable, and caring. She made him feel cared for and not like a dead man. When he’d opened his eyes as she instructed, they immediately flew to the window out toward the walking trail. The lone wooden bench was suddenly unfolding a picture he saw in his mind. It was real. It was a windy day, and there she was, this woman, Valerie. She’d been grasping at her skirt which had been billowing up with the wind, but that wasn’t the image that caused his heart to beat a little faster. It was the perfect little brown leaf she’d been so fascinated with. It was the same little brown leaf he’d drawn in his notebook several weeks ago.

  “I should probably leave,” Valerie said after returning to his room.

  “No,” JD said after gulping down the cup of water. “Please don’t go. We have lots to talk about, and then maybe I can leave with you.” He looked hopefully at Dr. Porter, but when the doctor said that could not happen then proceeded to count off all the medical reasons why he couldn’t release him, adding his recent second surgery, the IV medication and risk of infection, JD was crushed. Finally, Dr. Porter said he wouldn’t consider releasing him until he was at least fifty percent sure that his memory had returned and that his health had greatly improved.

  Standing in the background, JD watched Valerie’s face fall, and she had listened intently as Dr. Porter spoke about the recent setback, surgery, implants, and continuous medication via an IV monitor.

  “Dr. Porter, I’d like to go outside and spend some time with Valerie and talk. Maybe I’ll get some snippets of memory.”

  The doctor didn’t respond directly. Instead, Dr. Porter suggested they talk there in the room for a few minutes and that Valerie was more than welcome to return tomorrow.

  When the doctor left shortly after making that statement, Valerie crossed the room and stood beside the bed. “I know you’re upset, but your doctor is concerned about your health, and I’m sorry for upsetting you. I’ll leave now if you want me to, but I’d really like to stay for a bit, as I’m sure you have lots of questions.”

  “Yes, please stay, and you’re right. I do have many questions,” JD said, standing and pushing the IV pole with one hand and reaching out to hold her hand with the other. They walked over to the small round table with two chairs. He sat across from her, facing the window.

  “Tell me about us, Valerie.” For several minutes, he sat listening to her. Perhaps it was the way she leaned forward, or perhaps it was the way her eyes lit up when she answered his questions about their relationship; whatever it was, he knew he’d sat like that before with her. She was excited to talk about some renovations she’d made to her house. In his mind, he could see the vision that she was, beautiful, graceful, believable, and yet something about her just didn’t ring true. Her body language wasn’t that of a loving fiancée, someone who’d missed her beloved for several long months.

  “It must have been rough for you worrying about me so much,” he interjected gauging her reaction. “And you’ve probably missed a lot of time from your job looking for me, right?” He watched her closely as she gave a slight but hesitant nod. “It was practically a miracle that you found me at all.” He didn’t understand why he was probing the way he was. He just felt as if something was off, something missing. He sensed there was more to this story than she was telling him.

  Her reply was to give him a tentative smile that didn’t quite disguise her nervousness. Again, he felt more than saw the slight hesitation and discomfort in the way she clasped and unclasped her hands together or kept touching the gold chain around her neck.

  Where were the declarations of love—the touching, the kissing? Where were the displays of affection for her long-lost lover that she’d shown when the others were in the room?

  Not such a convincing exhibition after her audience left, he thought. He also couldn’t explain why he’d questioned if she was really who she said she was.

  He also wondered when the hell he had become such as expert at studying body language and reading people.

  As she talked, his eyes drifted beyond her face and brown shoulder-length hair to the window, and just for an instant, he saw her as if in a dream. As smart as she was, she’d been crazy for standing in the middle of the road like that at night…and then it happened again, the snapping sound of a firecracker going off in the back of his head, and along with it came pain.

  He watched her mouth drop open before jumping up from the chair when he clutched at his chest, all the while his body shaking with tremors.

  ***

  Valerie

  “Oh my God,” Valerie cried out and ran to the bed where she repeatedly pressed the emergency call button. Within seconds, the medical staff rushed into the room. It was another case of déjà vu watching the orderlies and nurses rush to get him onto the bed.

  Valerie remained out of the way as the medical staff administered to him and attached an IV bag filled with liquid to his IV pole. Throughout the crisis, JD’s eyes never left her face, and when she approached his bedside, his eyes widened with fear and apprehension.

  He was frightened…of her.

  Chapter Twenty

  Valerie

  A few days later, Valerie sat in the hotel room she’d checked into the night JD suffered another relapse. She felt horrible that she was responsible for bringing him more pain, but the doctor explained it wasn’t her fault. Some pain was inevitable due to the extent of his injuries, but it was important to keep him as calm as possible. He added that undue stress at this point could be harmful to his recovery.

  She hadn’t decided how long she was going to stay in Maine, but she couldn’t go home until she knew where things stood with JD, especially now that she had found him. Luckily, she had packed enough clothes, and the hotel was very accommodating in providing anything else she needed. Her laptop was her office away from work, so between phone calls and emails to Zoe, she was able to keep her work current. She also spoke to her parents a few times to assure them she was safe and would be back soon. They were used to her traveling for work.

  The rest of her time she remained vigilant and at JD’s bedside. With him restricted to bed rest, she found it easier and less stressful to talk to him while he was on his back. She could feel his distrust and suspicion of her but hoped he was beginning to open up a little. She did everything possible to ease his fears.

  “So,” he began one afternoon when they shared lunch together, “tell me about my family.” Valerie described how worried his parents were and how happy they would be when he returned.

  “You have two brothers, Dante and Theo, a younger sister, Jolene, and a sister-in-law, Elaine. They all miss you too,” she told him. She was honest when she confessed that she had not contacted his family to tell them of his whereabouts yet because she wanted to be sure it was really him first.

  He shifted to a more comfortable position before meeting her eyes. “This will probably sound cruel, because as you said they’re already suffering so much, but please don’t say anything to them yet. The doctors think, and I agree with them, that maybe I need more time to rec
uperate, both physically and mentally. I want to be able to remember them or at the very least recognize them. I can’t imagine how it would stress them out to see me like this, you know?”

  “Yes, I understand,” Valerie said quietly as a wave of guilt swept over her thinking about the severe reaction he’d had to seeing her at their first meeting.

  “What if I don’t recognize my own family?” he asked.

  Valerie was quick to stroke his hand. “Honey, don’t worry, you will be all right. And trust me, JD, I’ve seen the love they have for you.” Again, it wasn’t a lie.

  ***

  Valerie

  As the days stretched on, Valerie was in a dilemma. Nothing had gone according to plan. When her cell phone rang, she recognized her sister’s work number. “Hey, Lynne, what’s up?”

  “Hey, girl. I wanted to double check that Thanksgiving dinner is at your house, right? You said if you finished the house before Thanksgiving then dinner was at your place. I’m bringing the ham and collard greens, by the way.”

  Valerie had completely forgotten she’d agreed to host Thanksgiving dinner. “Great, I’ll cook the turkey and side dishes. Hey, Lynne, what’s going on at work? You have any more interesting, newsworthy interviews?” Valerie listened as Lynne launched into her usual tirades about another reporter or newscaster she’d either had words with or didn’t like. Not wanting to cut her off, Valerie’s attention drifted elsewhere…to JD.

  When Lynne mentioned the Colter family had upped the reward money again, Valerie snapped to attention. “Really?”

  “Yes, they believe he’s been kidnapped and being held for ransom,” Lynne said.

  “Has there been a ransom note or anything?”

  “No, not really, but some information has come to light. The Colter brother found out that his brother, Cade, may have done some undercover work for an unnamed bigwig. He’s positive that Cade may have stumbled upon some information that could be…and I stress this, Val, could be dangerous.”

  “I’m always interested in your job, Lynne, but I was just making conversation because this story is a mystery. It’s interesting, so humor me,” Valerie murmured, hearing Lynne scoff in annoyance. She smiled when Lynne lapsed into her usual complaints about her field assignments, and when Lynne mentioned a visit she’d had with the Colter family, Valerie’s ears perk up again. “So you had another interview with the family? That’s good. When does that segment air on TV so I can catch it?”

  When Lynne had to answer another line, Valerie’s mind was already clicking away. If she could get word to the Colter family by leaving an anonymous tip on Lynne’s office line at the news station, the Colter family could find Cade, and her good deed would be done. But no sooner had that thought entered her mind, another thought came to her mind: she wouldn’t see him again.

  It wasn’t like she’d be able to see him in that other place where she had purposely gone into a trance to seek him out. She doubted she would ever see him again like that, because from what she now knew, JD had been in a coma for months, and she was positive she had connected with him during that time.

  When Lynne ended the call, Valerie took a moment to reflect on her personal feelings for Cade. She knew she had to put them aside to do what needed to be done and what was best for him. She had to forget his incredible sex appeal, his tender touches, and that mischievous heart-stopping grin.

  It wasn’t real anyway.

  Despite her mixed emotions and confused feelings, the most important thing was reconnecting him with his worried family. It was the right thing to do, and yes, she’d never get to see him again.

  However, after talking to her sister, a plan began formulating in her mind.

  She could send Lynne an anonymous tip via email to the TV station and give her Cade’s location with a picture of him. Nothing would be traced back to her, so she would be in the clear. Lynne would have a feel-good Thanksgiving story, and the Colter family would have their kin back; whether he remembered them or not wasn’t her focus.

  It was a win-win.

  Excited about her new plan of action, Valerie went to a nearby coffee café that offered free Wi-Fi and an excellent coffee—another win as far as she was concerned.

  Eager to get things moving, she had one last thing to do. She had to see JD one last time. He would think it was to say farewell for now, at least until she returned to have breakfast with him, but it would really be goodbye. She would not…could not let him see how heartbroken she would be, but it was for the greater good, she thought.

  “So that’s my plan,” she said, resolved in her decision. “Besides, I do have to get back to DC. I’ve been in Maine for a week, and I’ve got an important meeting.” It was true. The awards ceremony honoring the grant recipients would take place soon, and she needed to be there.

  Later that afternoon she visited with JD, sitting in the solarium as he talked about his drawings, then begrudgingly showed her a drawing of a leaf. If Valerie thought it looked familiar, she didn’t comment. But she had such a leaf tucked in the pages of her day planner.

  She’d returned to her hotel room to shower and pack. After lifting her carry-on suitcase onto the bed and packing her belongings, she then called the car rental office at the airport to say she was returning the car that evening. Lastly, she called the airport and booked a flight to return to DC that night.

  But first, she would visit with JD and have dinner with him, then drive back into town. She’d planned to stop at the coffee shop and send Lynne the anonymous email before heading to the airport to catch her flight.

  She was in a quandary. Cade wouldn’t stop asking questions and seeking answers, which he believed she had. She couldn’t bear the look of desperation and hope in his eyes. It was exhausting keeping up with the charade, and now she was going to leave him.

  Dropping down onto the bed and pulling her feet up, Valerie realized it had all been too much for her to take on. She was exhausted from her seemingly innocent efforts to help him.

  The lack of sleep since arriving in Maine, and the back and forth drive to and from the sanitarium several times a day, finally caught up with her, and no sooner had she pulled the comforter up over her shoulder, she was fast asleep with her arms around her carry-on bag.

  ***

  JD aka Cade

  JD needed a quiet place to think, someplace without interruptions where he could open his mind and see all the things that were swirling around inside. Odd things that were pulling him onto an emotional roller coaster ride that he didn’t like.

  Since Valerie showed up, the word had spread throughout the sanitarium, and he constantly received visits from the staff and patients. Everyone wanted to see him and his fiancée. He didn’t mind, not really. But this evening, he just wanted to give his mind a rest. Now that he was off the IV hookup and the drainage tube was removed from his chest, he was free to move about, not pain-free but without the mechanical device.

  Sitting unseen in the corner of the solarium, he rested his head against the back of the comfortable chair. He began to see in his mind faces of people who were familiar yet strangers to him. But there was no doubt that he was related to them. He could see gatherings with laughter and food and board games, and with that came a feeling of warmth that settled over him. It was both comforting and emotional. He felt an overwhelming sense of connection with those people. He’d asked Valerie about his family, and he sensed her responses were evasive.

  He’d asked how they’d met again and couldn’t help noticing how she had sidestepped the question to ask one of her own. When he’d persisted, she told him they met through a mutual friend, someone named Ben, and she deliberately avoided looking at him and began impatiently tapping her fingers on the table. A habit he discovered she did when she became uncomfortable, or was she was lying?

  “Maybe it was a made-up name, like mine,” he murmured and then opened the notebook resting in his lap. He started to draw, but his mind kept drifting. He and Valerie had engaged in severa
l question-and-answer sessions since she had shown up, but he wasn’t convinced he knew any more now than he did before. Yes, she was easy on the eyes, and he enjoyed her company as she sat with him or shared meals with him, and true, he wasn’t entirely alone anymore, but something about her just didn’t ring true.

  When he’d pressed her for details about things like her job, she couldn’t provide answers without hesitating at first, as if trying to come up with an acceptable response. If she really was his fiancée, shouldn’t she know about his friends? Her response that he didn’t talk much about them to her made him feel that he didn’t have any.

  Damn, was he not a likable guy?

  Travis and the staff seemed to like him.

  So what was Valerie’s end game, and what was she getting out of her act of playing the role of his fiancée if, in fact, she wasn’t? Something else bothered him. Who hated him enough to shoot him? Obviously, whoever it was had every intention of killing him.

  Maybe I’m not a likable guy.

  He got up and headed back to his room. His head was hurting from all the unanswered questions and frustration.

  As he lay back on the bed and began drifting off to sleep, a vivid image of Valerie appeared. She was standing in front of him. Her wide, brown eyes looked at him with concern and fear. Over her shoulder, he saw a tall man coming out of the shadows and bearing down on him with a gun. JD didn’t recognize him, but the man’s intent was clear…

  He’s going to shoot me.