by Sylvie Kurtz
Because, until Chance, she’d never known that type of enduring friendship. Because she’d been raised never to trust strangers. Because life’s lessons had taught her not to rely on others for her well-being. But what choice did she have? Chance couldn’t survive behind bars—not alone, not without his memories, not with all the guilt he wore like a horsehair shirt. With too much time to think, he would drown in his own despair. And caged, he’d make too easy a target for Sheriff Paxton’s unrequited revenge.
She’d do anything—even bargain with the devil—to save Chance from that miserable fate. With him out of jail, they could try to prove he hadn’t murdered Joely Brahms.
And if she set everything right, she could fill the missing scene behind Chance’s nightmare. Maybe then, the memories would tumble back and she could show him he was a good man, not the monster he thought he was. Nature didn’t change. She was sure, despite all evidence, that he wasn’t Kyle.
And if he wasn’t Kyle, then they would never have to set foot in Ashbrook or Lufkin again. She could have her life back. Their future as husband and wife, as parents, was worth the price of a breath of silence.
“We’re agreed.” She hitched her purse onto her shoulder. He offered her his hand. Reluctantly she shook it. “As soon as he’s released, we’ll head on home.”
“Good.” Garth nodded. “I’ll get the ball rollin’.”
AFTER THE COURTHOUSE’S artificial light, the evening sunlight outside blinded Chance.
His arraignment ordeal in Lufkin was followed by transportation back to Ashbrook to process the release paperwork. The sheriff had taken his sweet time, double crossing every t, triple dotting every i before setting him free.
Chance blinked several times. When his vision came into focus, the first thing he saw was Taryn waiting for him at the bottom of the stone steps. Something in him shifted, warmed, settled.
Taryn. His wife, his lover, his friend.
He loved her so much his heart was heavy with the feeling. He wanted to race down those steps, take her into his arms and hold her forever.
But he couldn’t.
If she thought he’d regained any part of his memory, she’d insist on finding the rest. He couldn’t stay here. He couldn’t risk any harm coming to her. Every minute they spent in Sheriff Paxton’s arena of influence spelled danger. Paxton’s raging reaction to the bail sentencing had echoed in the courtroom like laments of the damned. The roar of outrage had continued when bail was posted for him. The sheriff’s warning as Chance was handed back his belongings still echoed in his ears.
Sheriff Paxton would not give up on revenge. Not by a long shot.
Chance found himself scanning every rooftop, every corner for a sniper with a rifle. He couldn’t ease his vigilance—not until they were home in Gabenburg, where his own circle of influence would help protect Taryn.
Coming up behind him, Angus gently slapped an open palm on his back. “I’m gonna go get the car and meet you at the rental drop-off, then we can go to the campground to pick up Lucille’s car and get on home.”
Chance nodded. “The sooner, the better.”
Angus leaned in close and whispered, “Go on, son. Go kiss that wife of yours.” After another encouraging thump to the shoulder, Angus was gone.
Stepping down to Taryn, an odd nervousness danced inside Chance. His fingers itched to touch her. His mouth watered at the thought of a kiss. A helpless groan of desire formed low in his throat. Swallowing it back was like eating glass. But if he touched her, if he kissed her, if he held her, she would know. He’d never been able to keep anything from her. That had been the hallmark of their relationship from the start. Cards on the table—the good, the bad, the ugly. Keeping this secret from her felt like betrayal.
“Where did you park?” That wasn’t what he wanted to say at all. I remember, Taryn. Our love. Our marriage. Our plans. The past fifteen years are mine again. I love you. That’s what he’d tell her if he could.
She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her shorts. Rocking one foot from side to side, she eyed him with a wariness that made him curse the heat, the humidity, the memories hiding and resurfacing in the folds of his brain.
“Down the road a bit,” she said. “Want me to go get the car?”
“No, let’s walk.” There was no way he was letting her out of his sight until they reached Gabenburg.
Stiffly, they walked side by side. The sheen of sweat dewed her face in the nearly unbreathable air. She looked exhausted and pale. When they got home, he’d make her soak in a tub. He’d cook her a meal. He’d rub her back. He’d let her sleep for a day. And when she was all nice and rested, he’d make love to her until she fell asleep in his arms, sated and relaxed.
She unlocked the door, slipped into the passenger’s side and handed him the keys. Her gaze, wide and open, scanned him like an X ray. Could she sense the change in him?
“We’re going to meet Angus at the rental drop-off,” he said, “then head-on home after we pick up Lucille’s car.”
“I know.” She fiddled with the strap of her purse, her frowning gaze riveted to her lap. “We’ve got to stop by the cabin for my things.”
“Okay.”
“I think we ought to make a detour by the river while we’re there.”
“No.” He overcranked the starter, making it whine.
“This might be your last chance to remember. The sun, the heat—”
“No.”
“Be reasonable.”
The engine started with a roar. Chance switched the air-conditioning to maximum. A hot draft blasted his face. Sweat dripped down his back. The seat belt stuck to his T-shirt. “Reasonable is leaving this hellhole as soon as possible.”
“I’ve got to get my things.”
Her voice was close to a whine, and that only made Chance worry more. Taryn never whined. The closest she’d come was two winters ago when she had the stuffy-head-itchy-eyes-drippy-nose-sneezing kind of flu and the stomach flu at the same time.
“Are you all right?” He maneuvered his way out of town, checking every shadow for a phantom enemy.
“I’m fine. I just need some ginger ale.”
“We’ll get you some once we’re on the road.”
“I’ve got a bottle left at the cabin. I need to get my stuff. Why don’t you just drop me off, meet Angus and come back to get me.”
“No.”
“It’ll save time. I want to get back home as soon as possible, too.”
“Where did you get the bail money?” he asked to derail her from that hard-and-narrow track he didn’t want to visit.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
She wouldn’t look at him. Gaze narrowed, she stared out at the passing scenery of pines. “I borrowed it.”
“From who?”
She rounded on him. Her face was flushed too red. Her eyes were too close to tears. “I got you out, that’s all that matters.”
His jaw stiffened. He stared at the road. Taryn had a secret, too. He didn’t like that. Not one bit. After enduring ten years of openness envied by all who knew them, the doors between them were slamming shut faster than a farmer closing his barn before a tornado.
“Stop the car!” She leaned forward, one hand over her mouth, the other cradling her stomach.
Before the car was stopped all the way, she shouldered open the door and emptied the contents of her stomach on the side of the road. He stood by her helplessly, wishing he could take her place. When she was done, he handed her the bottle of water that had been sitting in the car all day. She took a swig of the hot water and rinsed out her mouth.
“Take me to the cabin, please.” She heaved herself to her feet, then collapsed into the car. “I need to sit for a bit.”
As much as he wanted to, as much as every instinct in him screamed, he couldn’t refuse her. Not when she was sick. “Okay.”
Once at the cabin, he made her lie down on the couch, wet a cloth and laid it on her forehead, then
held her up as she sipped a few swallows of warm ginger ale.
She looked too pale and drawn. “You ought to see a doctor as soon as we get back.”
Eyes closed, she nodded. “Go drop off the rental and meet Angus.”
“What if you get worse?”
She shook her head. “I’ll be okay. I just need to sit for a few minutes while the nausea passes.”
He couldn’t get Sheriff Paxton’s warning out of his head. I’ll get you or I’ll get yours. Either way, Makepeace, Ellen will be avenged. But he couldn’t ask Taryn to get into a hot car and ride on bumpy roads in her condition. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I’m perfectly healthy.”
“Not from where I’m looking.”
Her half smile eased a slice off his worry. “Geez, Chance, with lines like that you’ll never get very far.”
If she could crack a joke, she’d be okay. He fingered a lock of her hair. “I’m only interested in the lines that’ll make you melt in my arms.”
She slit one eye open. “You are?”
He kissed her temple. “Of course.”
With both thumbs he caressed her cheeks. She’d be okay here. No one had followed them. If anything, Sheriff Paxton would have Lucille’s car under surveillance. What better place for an old-fashioned ambush than in the thick of the woods where it was easy enough to make a body disappear? Taryn would be better off here where no one expected her to be. “I want you to wait for me. I’m going to lock the door. Don’t answer to anyone but me. Got that?”
She nodded.
Gently, he shook her shoulders. “Taryn, it’s important.”
She opened her eyes and the deep blue took his breath away. “I’ll wait for you.”
He could almost hear the echo of forever in her voice. Swallowing hard, he rose. “I’ll be back in no time.”
“I’ll wait for you.”
With that, he left, heart in his throat.
TARYN COULD NOT BELIEVE she’d puked her guts out on the side of the road. Embarrassing, to say the least. And when Chance had looked at her so worried, she’d been afraid he’d guess about the baby. She didn’t want to blurt out this kind of news with her mouth tasting sour, on her hands and knees on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere. She wanted to be home where their love had created that child. She wanted the moment to be special.
Dragging herself from sofa to chair to stool, she made her way to the kitchen and nibbled on saltines. In all the commotion at the courthouse in Lufkin, then with the long wait at the courthouse in Ashbrook, she’d forgotten to eat lunch. Now it was dinnertime. She was paying the price for her neglect. When she most needed her strength, it was deserting her.
She sipped ginger ale. Something about the way Chance had looked at her before he left had given her a surge of renewed hope. She’d seen the old Chance again. That crooked smile, the teasing voice, the gentle touch. He was in there somewhere.
Swiping her wet hair from her forehead, she realized she had one last opportunity to set the scene and make him remember the facts as well as the feelings of that day fifteen years ago. She couldn’t pass it up.
She riffled through her purse and found paper and a pen.
Quickly, she scribbled a note, then hiked her purse over her shoulder.
With the bottle of ginger ale in hand, she unlocked the door and strode through it. Looking at the sun setting over the trees, she said, “I’ll be waiting for you, Chance.”
Chance—
The heat was too much. I decided to cool down by the river. I’ll be waiting for you.
Love,
Taryn
Garth carefully placed the note back on the kitchen counter and strode out to his car, leaving the cabin’s front door open.
He’d sent a boy to do a man’s job. Not once, but three times. That was two more mistakes than he usually allowed. Carter was too volatile to be trusted. His hired gun couldn’t seem to hit more than one target. He’d take care of the problem himself.
Makepeace was going to go in the river, and this time, he wasn’t going to come out.
Chapter Fourteen
Taryn walked along the river until she found an open spot where the sun hit the water. She applied her last ribbon of paper to a low-hanging hickory branch. With the trail she’d marked, Chance could easily find her.
She wiped away a strand of damp hair from her forehead, plucked at the T-shirt sticking to her chest and took a look around.
A cocoon of trees surrounded the clearing, creating an enchanting oasis. The sound of a squirrel chewing on a nut carried over the still air above the din of running water. Sun touched the treetops, shone golden-red through the leaves then shimmered crimson on the ripples of the Red Thunder River. The chirr of cicadas added a jingly counterpoint to the early-evening concert. The whine of mosquitoes provided the only sour note.
Using the cardboard backing from her pad of paper, she fanned herself and sat on the riverbank. She took off her canvas shoes and cooled her feet in the rushing water.
She’d barely caught her breath, when the crack of a branch made her whirl her head around. “Chance?”
A head of hair gleaming reddish-gold in the setting sun appeared from between two pines. “Sorry, darlin’. It’s me.”
“Garth, what are you doing here?”
Garth brushed pine needles from the sleeves of his lightweight jacket. “Well, you see, I’ve got myself a little problem that needs takin’ care of.”
“What kind of problem?”
“Chance.”
Not until this moment had Taryn realized how isolated this spot was. Suddenly, she felt as vulnerable as a turtle without its shell. The leer in Garth’s eyes didn’t help dispel her uneasiness, not when he seemed to undress her and taste her with just a crooked look. Barefoot, she couldn’t outrun him. She had no weapon but her purse, and unless she got close enough to clobber him with it, that would do her no good.
Keep ’em moving, keep ’em talking. That had been Grandy’s advice to her on dating. They can’t get you in trouble if they’re moving and talking. She drew her feet out of the water and spun around on her bottom to face Garth. He was leaning against a tree, looking relaxed and nonthreatening.
Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe the reason he was here was sentimental and not sinister. Maybe he just wanted to know why she hadn’t kept up her part of their agreement.
“We’re leaving,” she said, scrambling to her feet. “Chance just went to pick up the car at the campground. As soon as he’s back, we’ll be on our way to Gabenburg and you won’t have to worry about Carter or about Ellen.” God, she was babbling. This wasn’t going to do her any good.
“I know. And we’ll wait right here until he comes to fetch you.”
Okay, so he just wanted to be sure they really left. Nothing wrong with that. But she couldn’t seem to stop shaking inside. Her anxiety spilled outward in a spew of words. “You won’t lose your bail money. Chance’ll show up for the trial. He’s in law enforcement. He knows how these things work.”
“I’m not worried.” He waved a hand at her. “Why don’t you have a seat. Might take a while.”
“Oh, no. He should be back any minute now. He was dropping off the rental, then he and Angus were going to pick up the car, and Angus was going to go home and Chance was going to come pick me up.” Shut up, Taryn. Just shut up. She hugged her purse in front of her like a shield.
“Sit.”
Like a docile child, she obeyed. The keys in her pocket dug into her thigh when she sat down. “He won’t be long. We’ll be on our way. You don’t have to worry about him being around.”
“I need to have a private conversation with your Chance.” He looked around. “You found it.”
“Found what?”
“This is where Kyle and Kent fought and ended up in the river.”
“I’LL MAKE SURE you’re both on your way,” Angus said from the rolled-down window of his car, “then I’ll follow you out.”
/> Chance nodded and trotted over to the cabin. He came to a sudden halt. The door was wide open. “Something’s wrong.”
Cautiously, Chance made his way to the cabin. There was no activity, no sound. His pulse jumped. His heart sped. “Taryn?”
A quick glance at the living room showed him the sofa was empty.
Angus joined him. “You’re worrying too much. Last we saw the sheriff, he was still trying to untangle the red tape.”
“No. The sheriff’s car followed us from the rental place. Taryn? Where are you?”
No answer. The stillness inside the house raced goose bumps down Chance’s back. The rusty red light of evening filtered through the dirty windows, making the interior look bathed in blood.
“She’s not here,” Chance said.
“Let’s check to make sure. Maybe she fell asleep.”
“Then why was the front door wide open?”
“She’s fine, son.” Angus disappeared into one of the bedrooms.
Chance circled the open space and ended in the kitchen. On the kitchen counter, he found Taryn’s note.
Angus came up behind him. “See, I told you. She’s all right. She just went by the river. I’ll go with you.”
Swearing, Chance crumpled the note. “I told her to wait for me.”
Somehow, he must have given himself away. He’d known this would happen, that she would try to force his memory to return.
“She is waiting for you, son,” Angus said.
Chance turned and faced Angus. “You don’t seem worried at all.”
“There’s no reason. The sheriff can’t afford to hurt you before he gets you into court.”
But the drooping of the corner of his eyes, his mouth, said otherwise. As Angus tried to walk away, Chance detained him. “Angus?”
“She just wanted to give you this one last gift. Won’t take but a few more minutes to go check it out. If it doesn’t jog your memory, we’ll be on our way.”
“You knew.” The ticking inside Chance’s chest was like a flock of birds pecking at his flesh. “You knew.”
