by Nicky Fox
I finally reach my destination and see the old station. It looks like a quintessential fire station. All the garage doors are open and on the ready. I’d love working here every day. Maybe my nights would be better spent putting out fires than reliving my past in the army. Nightmares still plague me and it’s like I can’t get away. So many things happened over there that can’t be unseen. Having Honor has helped a bit to soothe me the past few nights. She grounds me and doesn’t make me feel so alone. I’m comforted by stroking her coat and feeling her lick my face. She slowly brings me back. I couldn’t ask for a better pup.
Maybe, they’ll let me bring Honor to work at the station? She could be our mascot of sorts, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Although, I know I have more training than any trainee who’s ever applied here. I should be a shoo-in, but if I know Benny, he’ll put me through my paces. I welcome it, honestly. I miss a good days work. I’m looking forward to getting to use my muscle and swiftness to benefit others in the community. I’ve always respected Benny and can’t wait to work with him.
“Hey, Benny. Reporting for duty, sir.” I raise my hand in greeting and notice a scowl on his face. He’s hanging out at the front of the station. Waiting for me no doubt. Walking up to him, a strange feeling comes over me. Call it my gut instinct or premonition but I can tell Benny doesn’t have good news for me.
“Hey, Jay. Look, I’m just going to come out with it.” He pauses and sets his hands on his hips. “Word spread that you were trying to get a job here. This is a community position and a lot of people have voiced their concerns with you being a firefighter for the community. With the fight with Blane and now him unconscious in the hospital, it just doesn’t look good. I respect you, son. If it were completely up to me, I’d hire you in a second. Unfortunately, there are too many complaints at this time for me to allow you to proceed further. I’m sorry.” Benny shakes his head and walks back into the station. I’m left on the sidewalk with my mouth hanging open.
I knew this was too good to be true. This town is something else. All I want to do is help people. I just want a chance to prove myself and they won’t even give me that. I’m paying for something that I didn’t do. I may have punched Blane in the face that night, but I held back. And I do regret my actions. I learned from them too. I don’t know who beat him up but I’m sure going to find out. I need to clear my name and maybe change the town’s opinion of me.
With a new mission, I set out for answers. Unfortunately, the first stop I need to make is iffy. I don’t know how it’s going to go down and I could be crucified more for it, but it’s the only way to getting to the facts. So, I set out for the hospital.
“Are you friend or family?” the nurse asks, raking her eyes up and down my body like I’m her own personal buffet. Damn, how do I answer that question? Fuck. They probably won’t let me back if I say I’m a friend. I’ll have to say I’m family and hope she buys it.
“Family, ma’am,” I reply quickly.
“Oh, none of that ma’am business. You can call me Nancy. He’s in room three twelve. At the end of the hall here on the right.” She points behind her shoulder and her eyes don’t leave mine. Well, that went easier than I thought. I stalk down the corridor and find his room number easily. Hopefully, there’s no one else in the room. If his parents are there, I don’t know what I’m going to say. I’m flying by the seat of my pants right now. It’s worked for me in the past, so I just go for it. I push open the heavy door and Blane lies there still in the hospital bed.
He’s hooked up to a heart monitor and his face is swollen beyond recognition. It looks painful. I cringe at the sight of him. Damn, someone busted him up. To me, this looks like revenge. He probably fucked some dude’s wife and the guy found out. The beeping from the machine echoes across the room eerily. I take a seat next to him and wonder if he’s awake yet. Benny mentioned he was still unconscious which means he hasn’t been able to talk to the authorities.
I try talking to him. “Hey, man. You don’t look so good. Are you awake?” I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I still don’t like the guy. I’m not going to say sorry for hitting him a few days ago but I do feel bad for him.
He groans, and his hands go to his face. He must remember himself because he pauses before touching his head. Yeah, that would be pretty painful.
“Can I ask you a few questions? You can moan once for yes and twice for no.” Maybe I can call the nurse in here after I’m done to give him some pain meds or something. He moans. Yes, progress. I wonder if he knows it’s me. Maybe he thinks I’m a police officer? That’ll work.
“Okay, Mr. Hughes. Do you know who attacked you?” He moans once for yes. “Good. Good. Is it someone in town?” He moans once again. Great that means the person will be easy to find. “Is it someone you went to high school with?” I figure he must know the person from somewhere. It’s a small town after all. He moans again once. Maybe he’s just saying yes to everything. I’ll ask him a question that should be a no.
“Are you still married to Lea Sing?” He moans twice. Good. He’s coherent. Okay, so someone from high school. A thought occurs to me suddenly and I think I know exactly who did this and I’m afraid to ask. My gut is usually never wrong, but this time I’m hoping it is. I swallow and take my time with the next question. “Is the person who attacked you Ryan Sarles?” He moans once.
I hang my head. Damn. My friend Ryan is the one who fucked him up. Somehow, I just knew it. The way he acted the other night, he was too eager to get Blane. I thought we were really talking about doing a prank on him. Getting him caught with his pants down or something, which should’ve been really easy. I know Ryan has harbored ill feelings toward Blane since high school because of Heather Shaw but he acted the other night like he wasn’t into her. I guess I knew better.
“Thank you, Mr. Hughes.” I press the nurse button so he’ll get his pain meds. He did cooperate with me. Now, I need to slip out of here quickly and track down Ryan.
Chapter Nine
Lea
“Are you sure he didn’t beat up Blane? I mean you saw Jay punch him the other night.” Amanda sits across from me at the local fish fry fast food joint.
“Mandy, he told me he didn’t do it and I believe him,” I whisper over the table. This town overhears everything, and I don’t want to add any more gossip.
“This isn’t high school anymore, Lea. He could go to jail. You might want to distance yourself from him for a while. You know how this town can shun people. Your business could go under just because you’re associated with him.” Heat blazes up my neck and reaches my face. Is she serious right now? She sounds like my mother. They must be hanging out too much. I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
“Amanda, he’s innocent. What kind of person would I be if I didn’t stand beside him? I mean what if it was my brother, would you leave him?” I cross my arms and lean back in my chair.
“No, of course not. I’m sorry. I’m just trying to protect you. You’re my sister and I don’t want to see your hard work go for nothing. Your business just started to pick up to where you can make a real living off of it. I worry about you is all and I don’t know Jay very well.” She reaches for my hand and I give it to her.
“Thanks, Mandy. I know you don’t know him. You’ll just have to trust my judgment. I’m not going to allow people to bully me into submission. I don’t care what those old crows think. He makes me happy. For the first time ever, I’m really happy with a guy. He has his faults, sure, but I wouldn’t change anything about him. He’s a good guy, you’ll see.” Amanda seems placated. We continue our lunch without incident and I head back to my work studio where I do family portraits and high school pictures.
My phone rings at work and the caller ID states that it’s my mom. I’m not looking forward to this conversation. “Hello?” I answer.
“Hi, Lea. Benny called me this morning. I thought you would want to know that he turned Jay away for the firefighter job.” Benny and my mom have been skirting ar
ound the idea that they could be a couple. They both became widows around the same time and have been very close in grief. It doesn’t surprise me that he’d call her to let her know, especially since he saw Jay and me together the other night.
“Damn,” I whisper. Things were looking up for him, but I don’t fault Benny. He can’t hire someone that is under investigation. I just hope Jay hasn’t just thrown in the towel and skipped town. Jefferson is a quaint, picturesque place with a hometown feel. It’s a double-edged sword though. Everyone knows your business. They may forgive you eventually, but they never forget. I loved growing up here, it’s just tough when the rumor mill is going. Eventually, things die down and the town redeems itself but when you’re in the thick of it, it’s hell.
There were days during the divorce I didn’t even get out of bed. I was so embarrassed that my husband cheated on me with a prostitute. I mean what does it say about me that my husband will actually pay someone else to have sex with him? Eventually, I came to my senses and figured it had nothing to do with me but was more his issue.
Now he’s paying for it. I know whoever did this to him had something to do with a woman. I just hope Jay isn’t the scapegoat. He’s served his time in the military. Jay has come back with demons and things I know he won’t be able to forget. He deserves a simpler life, a woman who loves him. I think about that for a moment. I’d do anything for Jay. Anything he asked. I think about him when I go to bed at night and when I wake in the morning. Blane was more of an infatuation. This feels real. I think I’m in love with him.
“Honey, are you there?” My mom’s voice booms over the phone.
“Yes. I’m here, Mom. I’m sure this will all be sorted out. I just hope when the time is right Benny gives him an honest chance. I know Jay didn’t do this.” We talk for a few more minutes and then we hang up. I know my mom is on the fence about Jay, but she’ll see what a wonderful man he’s grown in to. A man I’ve come to love.
I hop into my car and head over to Jay’s house. No doubt, he’s there, probably upset about the job. He needs someone by his side right now. I want him to know he has my support, that I’ll be there for him whenever he needs me. I put my car in park and head up to his house. It looks dark inside, like no one is home. I knock on the door and hear Honor bark on the other side.
“Jay, it’s me, Lea,” I call out. Honor sniffs around the door. I try the handle just in case. It’s unlocked and I’m able to go inside. Honor greets me excitedly. I call out for Jay again and search a few of the rooms but he’s not here. I sit there for a minute wondering what I should do when I have a great idea. I’ll do a grand gesture and make him some dinner. When he gets home he’ll have a hot meal waiting for him. Hopefully, that’ll cheer him up.
I bounce into the kitchen to check his cupboards. He has enough here to make fajitas. That’ll be perfect. My stomach growls in approval. Mexican food it is. I take the chicken breasts out of his fridge and turn on the stove. There’s a worn skillet in one of the lower cabinets perfect for grilling. This’ll be a breeze. I’ll have this done in no time. I smile and sing in Jay’s kitchen with Honor following me around the whole time. I feel right at home.
Chapter Ten
Jay
I’ve hit up Ryan’s house and there was no answer at his door. I’m on my way to the mechanic shop where he works. I’m pretty sure he’ll be there. Can’t think of any other spots besides the bar that he’d be. I pull up through one of the open garage doors and wait to be greeted. Sure enough, Ryan stalks out wiping his busted hands on a greasy rag. Damn. That’s not a good sign.
His face changes when he sees me. Ryan’s smile will be fading soon. I don’t know what I should do about this. I need to clear my name but turning in my friend isn’t honorable either. I’m hoping he has an idea about how to handle this situation. I wonder if he’s even heard about how serious Blane’s condition is. Ryan knocked him out for almost two days. What if Blane has brain damage? Ryan could be locked up for a long time.
“Hey, Jay. It’s good to see you. I’m glad you finally came to the shop. What can I do for you?” He’s so chipper. What the fuck? He must not know about Blane’s condition or the rumors spreading that I fucked him up.
“Hey, man. Have you heard what happened to Blane?” Ryan stops in his tracks and looks down at the rag in his hands.
“What happened to him?” He sounds cautious.
“Someone fucked him up. Knocked him out for two damn days. Blane’s in the hospital in critical condition, man.” Pushing the door to my truck open, I get out and face him. Ryan’s hands go to his hips. I wait to see what he has to say about it. From his expression, I can tell he had something to do with it. I know Blane said that Ryan did it, but I didn’t want to believe it. Plus, Blane’s head was bashed pretty good, he could’ve identified the wrong person. Although, I knew in my gut he was probably right. Ryan has always had it out for Blane. Maybe he eventually cracked.
“Yeah. I beat him up pretty good.” Fuck. I seriously feel like punching my friend right now. Was he taking stupid pills? Does he want to throw his life away?
“What the hell is wrong with you, man? You could go to fucking jail!” I yell at him.
“Look, man. He was trying to force himself on Heather. I saw it. We were all at the bar that night and I noticed her leave. He followed her out. I had to make sure she made it to her car okay. He’s fucking shady, you know that.” Ryan huffs and shakes his head at me. “Blane put his hands on her. She said no. Heather was wearing a skirt and he pinned her against her car and ripped her panties off before I could get there. I was fucking livid. I wailed on him. Next thing I know, he’s lying in a pool of his own blood but still very much alive.”
Damn. That changes everything. Still, Ryan shouldn’t have beat him like that. He should have subdued him and called the authorities on his ass. I think about Lea being in Heather’s place and I’m not sure Blane would still be alive. Honestly, I can’t imagine me doing any different. Any man that places a hand on a woman like that and tries to force himself . . . The muscles in my neck and shoulders tense with anger.
“Fuck, man. You need to go to the authorities. Did you take Heather home? Is she okay?” He turns to walk into his office and I follow.
“I escorted her home and then she packed some bags since she didn’t feel safe being in town. I drove her to her aunt’s house an hour outside of town. I stayed with her until this morning. I just arrived back in town.” Ryan sits down at his desk and pulls open a drawer and brings out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. “You want some?” He pours himself a glass and I shake my head. I don’t need anything clouding my judgment right now. “Honestly, I planned on going into the police station. I just stopped by here real quick to open the shop and wait for Randy to clock in. He should be here in thirty minutes.”
My head falls back against the chair. This is a big fucking mess, all of it. Fucking Blane. I sigh and look back at Ryan. He’s pouring his second glass. “I don’t know if I’d do that, dude. You’re about to go to the police station. Do you want to be drunk while you give your account?” I’m sure he’s stressed out and been put through the ringer the past few days, but he needs to have his head on straight. One false move could land him in some serious hot water.
“It’s like mother’s milk. This is my last one.” Ryan is eerily calm. It’s kind of freaking me out. I guess he’s had a few days to be in this reality.
“Will Heather come in and give her account to the police?”
“I don’t know. She’s pretty shaken up. I’m sure she will but it’ll be in her own time. It’ll be difficult for her to step forward, the town practically worships Blane Lock.” Ryan says his name with disdain. I tell him I’ll be there for him if he needs anything. “I appreciate it, man. Thanks for coming down here.” He knows I wouldn’t turn him in until speaking to him first. “I’m sorry for the trouble this has caused you. I thought Blane would be able to tell the police my name. I didn’t know he was in critical
condition. Heather wanted to get out of there pretty quick, so we just left.” I nod and get up when we hear Randy calling out for Ryan.
“Well, I guess it’s time.” I decide to drive Ryan to the police station since he has alcohol in his system. It’s a depressing sight. He tells me he’ll call me if he needs a ride back to the shop and then he strolls into the station. I hit my head against the steering wheel. I was looking forward to a simpler time back in the states. Now, I’m dealing with real shit here.
Chapter Eleven
Lea
I have the table set and the chicken covered so it doesn’t get too cold and now I just wait. I tried to call Jay on his cell a moment ago, but he didn’t answer. I hope he’s okay. I worry about him. I know he has nightmares and doesn’t sleep very well. He really needs to go to a doctor for that. PTSD can become quite serious. If you’re not getting enough sleep it can make you depressed and lead to other problems as well. I hope Jay knows he can talk to me about his struggles.
I pace the floor and the pup just watches me as her entertainment. Finally, I stop and lean over the kitchen counter to drum my nails. There’s a faint sound of a car door. I perk up and fluff my hair. I hope I’m not imposing on him. I simply just want to cheer him up. The door opens, and I rush to the living room to greet Jay.
Only, it isn’t Jay. It’s my mangled ex-husband, Blane. What the hell is he doing here? I stop abruptly. Blane’s face is swollen and almost beyond recognition. I gasp at the sight of him. Honor goes over to sniff him. She’s curious and a friendly dog. She doesn’t know what a douche Blane is. He closes the door behind him and ignores Honor.
“Expecting someone else?” he mumbles through his split lip. Drool seeps out of one side. I cringe.
