The Ring of Fire: The Dragon Dream: Book Two

by Robin Janney

  She rolled her eyes but withdrew from his arms.

  He took his turn in the shower, taking a deep breath in the steamy air and when it wasn’t enough to chase away his anxiety from the morning, he took another. It was hard balancing his desire to make sure she had enough space to be independent and his need to know she was safe. He couldn’t let her see his battle.

  “Y ou’re right, nothing’s broken or sprained. And you’re also right about having a mild concussion,” Dr. Samuel Ryan said at the end of the examination. He was a slight man, with graying hair. “Which, from my understanding, is not your first. Remind me, where else you’ve hit your head?”

  Angela sighed from the exam table she sat on. Dr. Ryan was nice, but not as nice as Dr. Evans had been. She missed the doctor of her youth. Nothing against Dr. Ryan, but her Dr. Evans had kinder eyes. She tried not to sound as though she was listing the old injuries off by rote. “I hit this side on the windshield of the van that kidnapped me just over four years ago.” Her hand gestured to her right temple. “Earlier that winter, I hit the other side when my car went over a steep hill. As a teen, I hit the back two or three times during karate tourneys.”

  Dr. Ryan looked at Craig, who just raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “Have you ever had CT scans, or MRI’s?”

  “A few. After the car accident, they put me through a few different tests. I don’t remember everything they put me through during or after the coma.” Angela shrugged, unconcerned. “Dr. Evans used to joke about making me wear a safety helmet all the time. I suggested bubble wrap.”

  Both men in the room with her chuckled at her attempt at humor.

  “It’s a lot of concussions for one person,” Dr. Ryan said mildly. “I’m sure you know the drill. Rest. Don’t overwork yourself. No riding for a while, and no driving. Take advantage of Nan being there. I’ll give you a prescription for pain but use them sparingly.”

  “Sex?”

  Ryan smiled and kept his amused eyes on hers. “If you’re feeling up to it with all your aches and pains, there’s no reason why you would have to refrain. I expect your husband would be gentle with you.”

  “What about flying?” Craig asked. She could hear her husband’s amusement about her sense of priorities. “We were supposed to fly out tomorrow morning and be gone for a week.”

  “Ah, yes,” replied her doctor, with a nod of his head. “Your brother’s graduation. I suppose you could fly if you wanted to, but it would most likely make Angela’s symptoms worse. And the change in time zones isn’t going to help either. I would recommend another mode of travel if possible.”

  Craig nodded. “I’ll figure something out.”

  “In that case, you two can go. Just take it easy, Angela, and be careful.”

  Angela nodded as she slid off the table, accepting Craig’s steadying hand. “It’s not like I do this stuff on purpose.”

  “I didn’t say that,” the doctor remarked as he rose from his seat. “When you get back, come see me again.”

  “We’ll do that,” answered Craig.

  Leaving the doctor’s office, Craig walked with his wife to the elevator and then out of the building. She was silent, and he was content to let her be. Helping her into the truck, he couldn’t help but notice the tears shimmering in her eyes. Her moods had been fluctuating more than usual since they’d received Jared’s graduation invitation. It wasn’t like it had been a surprise, but the invitation had made it a reality.

  He toyed with the idea of making an appointment for her to see her therapist, but decided against it. He was content with her next appointment, conveniently scheduled for shortly after their return. Behind the wheel, with the truck back on the road, he wrapped an arm around his wife. She leaned against him.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked her. He for one hadn’t had breakfast. She probably hadn’t taken the time either. Trying to beat the grooms so she could avoid the men assigned to shadow her in the woods if he wasn’t with her. He should probably make changes in their schedules just in case she tried doing something like this again. It could wait until they returned from their trip back east.

  “Not really,” replied Angela. “I didn’t have any breakfast this morning. I was going to eat on the trail.”

  Sure you were, he thought without comment. Her appetite fluctuated as often as her moods, the result being a weight just under what would be healthy for her height. It didn’t look bad on her, there were no ribs showing or hollows in her cheeks like she’d had after her bout with pneumonia before their marriage, but it was always enough to concern him.

  “We’ll stop at Denny’s then,” he decided. “If you don’t want anything, I’ll get something quick for myself.”

  “I might be able to stomach something.”

  Craig smiled, and he’d be willing to bet she’d order the Belgian waffles like he’d ordered for them during the honeymoon she didn’t remember. “Good. Now, how do you feel about a road trip?”

  “Seriously?” His wife looked up at him.

  “Yeah. We could drive it. You know I’ve done it before.”

  “I remember. Just so long as you don’t try making the trip all in one shot like you did that Thanksgiving.”

  “That sounds like a yes.” He glanced at her in time to see her nodding her head.

  “It is,” confirmed Angela.

  “Good. I’ll make some phone calls to let your family and Kevin know about the change in plans and we’ll start out this afternoon.” Craig turned off into the parking lot of the restaurant.

  “Okay.”

  “Trust me, Angel. We’ll take our time.” I will take care of you, went unsaid. Could she hear his unspoken promise?

  “I trust you, Craig.” She smiled at him as he parked.

  “Good.” And he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

  3

  I t was late Monday afternoon when the Moore’s pulled into the driveway of the old Victorian house that had been Craig’s home in Tyler’s Grove. They’d only shared it for a brief time, a fact which continued to bother Angela. Sometimes she felt haunted by the mistakes she had made early in their marriage. Nothing about that time seemed to bother her husband though, not even her missing memories. Even though Toni had made the comment about how he’d like to see Angela return to being the woman she’d been before, he never said a word to her about it.

  “They must not be home from work yet,” she commented as she took in the lack of other vehicles in the driveway. Angela tried not to look across the country street to where Flo Jamenson and her comrade Lucy stood pretending to trim their shared hedgerow of evergreens, but it was hard. The sight of them made her skin itch. She had a memory of them snickering at her as she walked across the Pancake House the day she had met with her biological father to ask him why he’d given her up, even if she hadn’t been sure of who they were at the time.

  “Kevin said they’d try to get out early, but he didn’t sound promising,” answered Craig. “Come on, let’s get inside. I forgot how much warmer it is here than home, even in June.”

  Angela laughed, and his smile warmed her heart.

  Inside the house, little seemed to have changed. Craig had left most of the furnishings when they’d moved away to Montana, as he had always intended to rent the house out to his friends. Some of the decorating was different, a dark feminine hand that made her wonder about Sherry’s taste. She and the other woman had never become the friends their husbands were, though she doubted it concerned either man. She herself would have included more pinks and blues, and less red in the decorating, but that was just her.

  Following her husband upstairs, Angela helped him settle their things in the bedroom they were staying in. “Why are we in the master bedroom?” she asked as she stretched across the bed on her stomach. God, she was ready for another nap already. This was the first time they’d been back together in this house since they’d left.

  Craig shrugged. “They use the one down the hall for theirs. Don’t ask me why. I’ve never
asked, and they’ve never shared.”

  “Isn’t that the room you put them in when they visited before we were married?” That was asked around a yawn. She thought she almost remembered it. Kevin hadn’t been able to beat her at poker and he’d been upset about it.

  “It is.” Craig sighed as he turned the air conditioner in the window on. “I can’t believe they have temps in the eighties already. It’s only the second week of June. How are you feeling?”

  But there was no answer. Angela had fallen asleep.

  “I guess that answers that,” Craig said. Crossing to the bed, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her warm forehead. His wife stirred beneath his touch but didn’t waken. Leaving her to rest, he returned downstairs and began flipping the other air conditioners in the house on. It reduced the effectiveness of the security system, but his friends never used it. It was especially irritating to him because the house was equipped with central air. He couldn’t wait for this trip to be over.

  He was about ready to risk a quick trip across to his store when Kevin came in the side entrance through the kitchen. Relief filled him. It meant he wouldn’t have to leave his wife in this house alone.

  “Craig! Hi! I tried getting home earlier, but there was a last-minute change in the schedule,” the dark-haired man exclaimed.

  “It’s no big deal.” The two men shared a brief handshake and one-armed hug in greeting. “No Sherry?”

  “No, not until after six. Percy changed her schedule a few months ago.” Kevin shrugged. “Have you been here long?”

  “Just long enough to unload our bags and turn on the A/C.” Craig sighed as he watched his friend settle his work jacket on the back of a chair.

  “You want any iced tea?” Kevin asked him, opening the refrigerator door.

  “No, I’m good.” Had his friend gained weight since last year’s Fourth of July celebration at the ranch? Had it really been that long since they’d seen each other in person?

  Kevin helped himself to a drink. “How’s Angela feeling?”

  “I’m going to guess tired, as she’s out like a light.” Craig decided not to comment on the weight gain until another time. When they’d been in college, his friend’s weight gain had been a sign of depression.

  The other man nodded. “It’s a tiring road trip even without a concussion.”

  “I figured it would be better than flying.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “Since you’re here now, I’m going to run across to the store for a few minutes. You mind?”

  “No,” answered Kevin. “Go ahead. I’m just going to start dinner.”

  “Great,” said Craig. “I won’t be long.”

  B ut an hour later Craig was still across to the store when Kevin heard the other man’s wife moving about upstairs. He was flipping chicken breasts in a large cast iron pan when he heard a groggy voice from the upper level ask, “Craig?”

  A little alarmed at the almost panicky sound of her voice, Kevin hurried from the kitchen, through the dining room where it met the living room and looked up the stairs. Standing at the top of the stairs, Angela looked mildly disheveled and confused. Modulating his voice, he tried to project calm and said, “Well hello, sleepyhead. Craig’s across to the store. Did you need something?”

  “No, I was just wondering where he was.” Something in her remained tense as she walked slowly down the stairs. Her hand gripped the railing as if she were afraid of falling.

  “You alright?” he asked once she had reached bottom.

  “Enough.” She stepped away from him. “Sherry?”

  “Not home yet.” Kevin sniffed the air. “I have to get back to the stove.”

  He noticed it took her longer to follow him into the kitchen than it should have. Did he address her intimidation? Even if he hadn’t been a doctor, it would be as clear as day. If this had been their first meeting, he’d have understood. But then, even knowing he’d been present at the accident which had claimed her brother’s life, the young woman had seemed genuinely pleased to meet her then boyfriend’s best friend.

  “What’s bothering you, Angela?” he asked, turning the chicken again.

  “Gossip.”

  That explained everything, and Kevin relaxed. Her intimidation had nothing to do with being alone with him but what the gossips across the street were making of it. Silently he sent a prayer heavenward asking for Craig’s swift return, if for no other reason than to ease Angela’s anxiety.

  Sitting at the island in the kitchen, she watched him cook. The poor girl looked exhausted. “What are you making?”

  “Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and snow peas in a white sauce. There’s also tossed salad.”

  “Sounds as good as it smells,” she declared, taking a breath. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as a man who cooked though.”

  “I am a man of many talents,” said Kevin with a smile. He put a mug of water in the microwave and pressed buttons. When they had discussed Craig and his wife staying here instead of the farm, Craig had asked him to make sure there was a box of mixed berry tea on hand. Apparently, it was the flavor Angela preferred. He hoped the tea would help her relax. “When Sherry and I were in med school, we had weird schedules for a while. It was either learn how to cook or starve.”

  “I like cooking,” said Angela idly. She propped her head on her hand, her other hand tapping the island’s countertop with a tempo betraying her nerves. “I don’t get to do it as much as I used to, but Nan doesn’t mind if I invade the kitchen once in a while.”

  What the heck? Had she picked up Craig’s habit of talking in riddles when something was bothering her, and she wanted to ask for help? It was the same cadence his friend used to use. Kevin looked at her as he waited for the water to finish warming. “That’s good.”

  “I guess.” The young woman rubbed at her eyes tiredly. “Sometimes she bakes with me, but if I want to be on my own, she lets me. She doesn’t give me too hard of a time when I tear the kitchen apart overnight.”

  The microwave beeped. Kevin set the mug of hot water in front of his guest, along with a tea bag. To his surprise, she didn’t comment, just peeled the paper wrapper away from the tea bag and plunked it in the water. “Is Nan a hard woman to get along with?”

  “No. It’s just, we had my family out last Christmas, and Mom made some comments. I’m used to Nan being there now, but Mom’s comments hurt.” Angela dunked the tea bag repeatedly as she spoke. Excessively. “It’s Nan’s job to clean up and stuff like that, and she expressly told me not to help that day. Mom didn’t approve.”

  Kevin flipped the chicken as he considered his response. In the time he had known Angela, she’d never really opened up to either him or Sherry. And Sherry had tried several times. Angela’s continued cadence as she spoke made him wonder if she was trying to ask him for help. It would explain why she seemed to be sharing something of herself now. But, it could be as simple as her being concussed. Perhaps he’d be able to win at poker tonight if they played.

  “Angela, it’s perfectly normal for a couple as well off financially as you and Craig are to have hired help, especially with the house you have. And it doesn’t surprise me that you have a good working relationship with that help. You’re a friendly person, and anyone who works for you would respond well to that.”

  “It’s not how I was raised.”

  “No, I imagine not. Does your mother…” Kevin cut off as his cellphone began to sound the jazzy ringtone he’d assigned his wife’s number. He sighed as he picked it up off the island and flipped it open. “Hi hon. What’s up?”

  He saw Angela glance over her shoulder while he listened to his wife’s plans to stop and pick up dessert. He wouldn’t be surprised if Sherry was just going to stop at the store across the yard and put it on the account Craig had approved for them years ago. It was a generosity he tried not to abuse, especially since the other man let them live here rent free.

  “No, that’s fine Sherry,” he told his wife. “
That’s a great choice.”

  “See you soon,” she said. “Love you Kev.”

  “Love you too.” Kevin tossed the cellphone back to the counter, mildly disgruntled with his wife. They had both agreed to move here and work at a local mental health clinic, both hoping the country would help heal their marriage, but it hadn’t happened yet. He decided to continue avoiding his marital problems. “Sherry’s on her way home. She’s going to stop and get some brownies and ice cream for dessert.”

  “That sounds good.” Angela smiled.

  “Anyway, I was going to ask…”

  Once again Kevin was interrupted, this time as Craig walked through the door.

  “Hey,” the other man said in greeting. He crossed to his wife and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Have a good nap?”

  “I still feel like crap,” admitted Angela.

  “Sorry. We’ll make it an early night.” He looked at Kevin’s preparations and fell into an easy rhythm with him and Kevin let him. Though he was mildly amused when the other man found the sugar bowl and placed it in front of his wife, as well as bring the milk to her. Had she sat there the entire time dunking the tea bag?

  “Oh my God, Kevin,” muttered Angela, as she watched the two work. She ran a tired hand over her face, even as the other hand spooned sugar into her tea. “And I just sat here watching you.”

  Kevin laughed in genuine amusement. “I’ve cooked on my own plenty of times, Angela. I’m a decent multi-tasker. Besides, you look like you don’t feel good, so I was content to let you sit and relax.”

  “He’s right, Angel. Dr. Ryan told you not to overwork yourself.” Craig drained the kettle of potatoes in the sink.

  Angela sighed. “I’d argue with you, but I’m out numbered two to one. I’d lose.”

  “You’re right,” Craig agreed with her, his voice easy as he smiled at his wife.

  “If that’s the case, who wants to go in my place Wednesday and help my mom with party preparations?” she asked, pouring a dollop of milk into her tea. Her husband took the jug from her before she could stand. She looked a little surprised at his attentiveness to her.