Where There's Faith

by L. A. Remenicky

  Spying Robbie sitting by himself, she watched as people stopped to talk with him, a couple of the men clapping him on the back.

  The smile that spread across his face when he looked up and saw her standing there made her heart beat faster as she looked down at the floor.

  “Faith, you came,” Robbie exclaimed as he pulled her into a hug. “I’m glad.”

  His arms encasing her pushed away the feelings of insecurity; they felt like home. For the first time since she woke up in that hospital bed, she wasn’t worried about her past.

  He pulled her along as he made his way to the other side of the room and stopped in front of a handsome man who was staring at Ragan with a wistful look on his face. “Hey, Mark. I want you to meet Faith McMillan. She’s staying in the Romero’s cottage for the winter.

  “Nice to meet you, Faith.”

  She wondered about the way Mark looked at Ragan. She wished Robbie looked at her like that.

  Robbie left, leaving Faith to talk to Mark alone. “So, Robbie tells me you’re an author. What do you write?”

  Faith smiled and mumbled, “Historical romance. Nothing you would want to read.”

  “You’d be surprised. I started reading romance when I was an intern—I would read any book left behind to stay awake during a slow overnight shift. To be honest, there are a few authors that I buy for my e-reader.”

  She giggled at the thought of this handsome guy, who was definitely book boyfriend material, reading romance novels. “I’m sure I’m not on that list. My first book was published last spring.”

  “Wait… Faith McMillan. I knew your name sounded familiar. You wrote The Highlander’s Lass. I’m impressed. I really enjoyed it. After Cassie raved about it for weeks, I downloaded it. I’ll have to buy a paperback copy so I can get you to sign it.”

  Faith blushed. “I have some promotional copies; I’ll make sure you get one. No reason you should have to buy it twice. I’m just glad you enjoyed it.”

  Mark took his phone out of his pocket. “Do you mind?” At Faith’s nod, he pulled her in close to him and snapped a picture.

  Robbie stared as Mark pulled Faith into him and took a picture, unwanted feelings of jealousy flickering within him. She’s not mine. I have no reason to be jealous. She’s not my girlfriend.

  Turning to get away from the sight of them laughing together, he noticed Adam clapping someone on the back. He looked familiar, and Robbie attempted to figure out why as he walked towards them. Holy crap, that’s Fletch Carmichael. I forget that Adam is Adam Bricklin. To me, he’s Ragan’s husband, not a rock star.

  Meandering across the room for a refill on his soda, he motioned to Mike, who happened to be behind the bar filling a pitcher of beer. “Thanks, man. I’m sorry you have to work tonight.”

  “I’m not. This is a great party. I don’t mind serving the drinks, and I get to have Thanksgiving dinner with my friends. A win-win in my book.”

  “If you need a break let me know.”

  “I don’t think I’ll be counting on you to cover me. Ragan would have my head if I let you behind the bar,” Mike said with a smile.

  “I just meant I would find someone to cover for you, not that I would do it myself. It’s only been six months. I know I’m not ready for that kind of test yet.”

  The slam of the door echoed over the buzz of conversation and brought his attention to the short, buxom brunette hanging up her coat near the front entrance. From the back, he could see her rounded behind and the stiletto heels on her shoes. I know only one person that could be. “Hey, Romero, do you need a stepstool to reach the coatrack?”

  “Funny, Newlin.”

  He picked her up and swung her around as he hugged her. “How are you, Nikki? And how’s Penny? You didn’t bring her with you?”

  “I’m good. Penny is with her dad this weekend. I’ll have her on Christmas Day. Can you believe she’s going to be six next month?”

  She whipped out her phone and started showing him the latest pictures of her daughter. “She’s growing like a weed. How are you, Robbie? We haven’t talked for quite a while.”

  The sadness he’d been trying to keep out of his mind crept into his eyes. “Sorry I quit calling. Something happened, and I checked out for a while.”

  “A while? Three years is more than a while. What happened?”

  “I guess I do owe you an explanation. You want a drink?”

  “Sure. A beer would be great.”

  Robbie motioned to Mike for a beer. At Mike’s frown, he grinned and walked up to the bar. “Not for me, for Nikki.”

  “Tell her I said “hi” and to stop and talk with me if she has time.”

  “Sure thing.”

  With Nikki’s beer in hand, he headed to the table. “Here you go, Nik. You told me about Penny, but how are you?”

  “I’m fine. I’m getting tired of the traffic out in L.A., but I love my job at the hospital.” She sipped her beer and frowned at the sadness in Robbie’s eyes when she mentioned his old stomping grounds. “What happened, Robbie?”

  “I met the love of my life and got married. But then she was taken from me.”

  She grabbed his hand and held on tight. “I’m so sorry, Robbie.”

  “When Madison discovered she was pregnant, we had a quickie wedding in Vegas over the weekend. That Monday, we were going to fly out from LAX to come here to have her meet my parents and tell them the good news.”

  He sipped at his soda, wishing it was whiskey to drown out the memories. “I got a call from the office that the deal I was brokering with a company on the east coast was stalled. Workaholic that I was, I sent Madison on without me, intending to catch a later flight and meet her in Indianapolis.”

  Without letting go of his hand, Nikki moved her chair closer to his and reached up to brush the hair out of his eyes. “You want to talk about this later?”

  “No,” he exclaimed, looking around to see if anyone had heard him. He swallowed hard, concentrating on keeping his breathing even. “You remember that accident on the 405 where the gas tanker truck jackknifed and caught that car on fire? That was my car, and the driver was Madison.”

  He took a deep breath to keep his emotions under control and let it out slowly before continuing. “For three years, I drank until I passed out to drown out the memories. That was a dark time in my life, and I’m not proud of the way I handled it. Six months ago, I cut myself up pretty badly while I was out of it, and I almost died. That was my wake-up call.”

  Nikki brushed away the one tear he let escape. “My God, Robbie, I’m so sorry.”

  “Enough about that. It’s Thanksgiving, and we are here with most of the town. Let’s be thankful for what we have. Not that it isn’t great to see you, but what are you doing here? I thought you were celebrating Thanksgiving with your grandmother.”

  “She wasn’t up to cooking a big dinner, so I went over to see her this morning instead.” Sipping her beer, she scanned the pub for familiar faces. “Is Faith here? I made her promise me she would come, but she still has problems being out in public.”

  Robbie motioned across the room. “She’s over there with Mark.”

  Nikki smiled at the look on Robbie’s face. “You’re jealous of Mark. Admit it, you like her.”

  “I’ve only been sober for six months. I shouldn’t even be thinking about a relationship at this point, but there’s just something about her.”

  Robbie looked into his glass of soda as if he could find life’s answers there. “Her eyes remind me of Madison’s. I’m afraid I’m just trying to recapture something that’s gone forever.”

  Nikki swallowed the last of the beer in her glass. “Why don’t you try just being her friend? She needs someone to help her come out of her shell.”

  “Sometimes I get the feeling that she wants to be more outgoing but something holds her back. Do you know what it is?”

  “That’s her story to tell. Please don’t give up on her.” Nikki stopped and held up her hand. “Do you
hear that? They’re playing the song we danced to at prom. Come on, Robbie, dance with me.”

  Glad for something to take his mind off his memories, he followed Nikki out onto the dance floor and pulled her into his arms, swaying to the beat of the song. The music washed over them, transporting him back to a time before jobs and life and sorrow brought him to his knees.

  After dancing to a couple of slow songs, Mark steered Faith back to the table with a hand at her back.

  “Thanks, Mark. That was fun. I wasn’t sure if I was going to know how to dance.”

  “You did great. Why would you think you wouldn’t know how?”

  “I have amnesia. I remember most things but not how or when I learned them. The worst part is not being able to remember who I am.”

  “How long has it been? What caused it?”

  Faith twisted her napkin in her hands. “It’s been a little over three years now. I had a traumatic head injury.”

  She gulped her wine. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone. Not many people know.”

  “Sure, Faith. Why don’t you want people to know?”

  “When they find out, they treat me differently, like I’m made of glass. They usually stammer that they’re sorry and get away as quickly as they can.” She dabbed her eyes. “I’ve learned to keep it to myself.”

  Mark moved his chair closer and wrapped his arms around her. “Shhh, don’t worry. The people in this town aren’t like that. You really don’t have to be concerned about it.”

  “Thanks, Mark. I’m just not ready to start broadcasting my condition yet.”

  Robbie stared across the room at Faith and Mark, his hand gripping his glass of soda so hard that his knuckles were white. Berating himself for obsessing over someone who obviously had no interest in him, he swung his gaze around the pub, trying to find something else to catch his attention.

  He watched as Adam and Ragan laughed with Fletch Carmichael, noticing the looks Fletch was sending at Nikki. Finally, something to take his mind off of Faith.

  Sitting at the bar chatting with Mike, Nikki looked like she belonged, even in her designer clothes and shoes. He could see how someone would be attracted to Nikki.

  She was gorgeous and curvy in all the right places, and she had a fantastic sense of humor. Too bad he wasn’t attracted to her in that way. They had spent so much time together growing up, it would be like dating his sister. He smiled at the look she shot at Fletch, her “quit staring at me you perv” look that she had been using to rebuff advances since they were in high school and all the jocks thought that she would be easy because of her looks.

  When Fletch stood and stalked towards her, she pulled Robbie out onto the dance floor and started dancing.

  “You afraid of that guy, Nikki?” he asked with a smirk.

  “Nope, I can handle him. I just wanted to dance with you again.”

  “You seriously think I believe that? I saw the looks you two have been trading ever since he laid eyes on you.” Robbie turned so he was facing Fletch instead of the wall. At the tap on his shoulder, he set Nikki away from him and whispered, “Behave Romero.”

  She laughed and kissed him on the cheek. “Yeah, right. You know that’s not going to happen, Newlin.” Stepping into Fletch Carmichael’s arms as if she belonged there, she danced off.

  Whistling, he turned and found Faith watching him, her eyes widening when he returned her stare. He crooked his finger at her, wanting an excuse to hold her in his arms again.

  “Who, me?” she asked as she pointed at herself.

  “Yeah, you,” he replied. Geez, now I sound like a cheesy eighties movie. He pulled her into his arms as the song changed to a romantic ballad. His heart sped up when she sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.

  “Mark seemed to like you,” Robbie remarked, trying to gauge her interest.

  “He’s nice enough, but he’s hung up on your sister. There’s no way I can compete with the looks he was giving her tonight.”

  “He’ll get over her once he finds the right woman.”

  “Obviously that’s not me.” She laughed. “Like I’m ready for any kind of commitment anyway.”

  He smiled and kept dancing. When the song ended, Adam announced that dinner was ready and for everyone to find their seats.

  Ragan whistled to get everyone’s attention.

  “Thanks, babe,” Adam commented with a smile at his wife. “Let’s take a moment and remember what we have to be thankful for this year. My family has had an exciting year with much to be thankful for. My life returned to Fairfield Corners when Ragan came home, and I discovered I had a son. I’m now a married man with a beautiful wife and three wonderful kids. My brother-in-law has rediscovered the joy of living and is six-months sober. What else could a man ask for?

  Ragan’s voice rang out. “How about your record company signing their first group? Ground Zero is now a part of Sky’s The Limit Records.”

  The room erupted with hoots and whistles, everyone happy that Adam’s venture was picking up steam. Robbie watched as Faith slipped out the door, sadness marring her features.

  He followed her, the need to kiss her warring with the memory of Madison’s face. How can I be attracted to her, my heart died that day? His head warned him to turn around, but his feet kept walking.

  Faith stood, leaning against the wall next to the door, her arms hugging herself. She stared off across the parking lot, eyes shining with unshed tears.

  “Hey, you okay?” Robbie asked.

  Her head snapped around. “What? Are you following me now?”

  “You seemed upset. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” He stood in front of her and brushed away a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing that you can help with. Why don’t you just go away?”

  His thumb stroked her cheek, and he tried to put how he was feeling into words. “I… Oh, hell.” Lips brushing hers, he tilted her head to the side and stepped closer to get a better angle. His lips smashed against hers, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth, needing more. The feel of her mouth against his awakened his body in a way that he hadn’t felt since he lost his wife.

  Closing her eyes, she gave in to the kiss, allowing his tongue access as her hands splayed against his chest.

  He blinked at her when she pulled away, her breathing erratic. “What the hell was that?”

  “Just a kiss. No reason to get all bent out of shape,” he replied.

  “I’ll thank you to keep your tongue to yourself next time. Oh wait, there won’t be a next time,” she emphasized.

  “You didn’t seem to be protesting too much when your tongue was wrapped around mine.”

  Exasperated, she stomped back into the pub hoping she could avoid him for the rest of the evening.

  Chapter 7

  Robbie rubbed his thigh, the muscles protesting the many trips up and down the steps with armloads of wood. It only took a couple more rounds to finish stacking the cord of firewood Dan had delivered that morning.

  According to the news, there was a storm headed for the area with total snow accumulations of ten inches or more and high winds to blow the precipitation all around.

  It was hard to believe that the few snowflakes floating through the air now would turn into a blizzard by the end of the day. At least, he had the memory of that kiss on Thanksgiving to keep him warm. Too bad she was an addict. He would have liked to explore their connection in more depth.

  After he had placed the last pieces of timber on top of the pile, he turned to take the wheelbarrow back to the shed. His gaze wandered to the house next door, and he wondered if Faith knew what to do to prepare for the storm. Shaking his head to remove the memory of her eyes from his mind, they were so like Madison’s that the image made his heart beat harder and increased the craving for a bottle of Jack Daniels to drown it.

  He checked his supplies, glad to see plenty of bottled water. If the storm knocked down the power lines, the well
pump wouldn’t work.

  The next morning, Robbie awoke to a chill in the air. He reached out and clicked on the lamp, frowning when it failed to come on. “Damn, I was hoping we wouldn’t lose power.” Pulling on some sweats and a long-sleeved tee-shirt, he headed for the living room to get a fire started in the fireplace.

  The flames crackled as he stared out the window at the house next door, wondering why there was no light visible. He knew the Romero’s kept plenty of lanterns in the basement.

  Wind caused the flames to leap and dance, throwing shadows throughout the room. The weather radio beeped and began to broadcast the blizzard warning with updated snow accumulations of eighteen inches over the next twelve hours with blowing and drifting likely. I better go check on her before it gets too bad. She’s from California and probably doesn’t know what to do during a snowstorm.

  He estimated there was already about ten inches of snow on the ground, almost up to the tops of his boots. He trudged through the snow, exertion making the already strained muscles in his leg burn. Her car was still recognizable, but it would soon be just another lump under the blanket of snow. Pounding on the door, he called out her name and then listened for any response. Two more sets of pounding and yelling brought no indication there was someone in the house. He was prepared for this and pulled the spare keys out of his pocket.

  Expecting to see the glow of a lantern and feel the heat from a kerosene heater, he frowned at the darkness and the chill. Playing the flashlight beam around the room, he stomped his way to the bedroom yelling Faith’s name.

  He found her curled up under the covers, shivering as she slept, passed out from alcohol or hypothermia; he didn’t know which. She groaned when he picked her up. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she looked right through him.

  “Faith, wake up. Where are your coat and boots?”

  Her eyes focused. “What?”