The Forget Me Not Pact (The Secret Author Series, #1.4)

by M. J. Padgett

  I reached for her face and cupped it gently. “This was not your fault. We’ll move. I’ll hire a private investigator to help find him. I swear he won’t hurt my family again.”

  She sniffled. “I know, baby. I’ve been here all day with Paul. He does this kind of thing for the women at the shelter all the time. He’s going to help us.”

  “Paul? Help us... I’m confused.”

  “We’re going to disappear, Jordan. You, me, Nathan—we’ll move and take on new identities. There’s no guarantee they will find Kyle, and since he tried to murder you, we can’t take any chances. Please, Jordan, please let Paul help us.”

  I glanced at Paul. He returned to the corner, but he was still protective. He’d been there for Dana when I couldn’t be. He arrested Kyle when he almost killed her. He helped her get back on her feet when she was released from the hospital. If she trusted him, then so would I.

  I nodded, then Paul gave me one nod and left the room, presumably to plan our new lives for us.

  “I know this sucks, but with Nathan... I just can’t take any chances, Jordan.”

  “Dana, baby, I know that. I’m not mad at you. I’m... Well, right now I’m in a lot of pain after trying to get out of bed, but I’m not mad at you. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a little scared myself. Kyle is obviously more dangerous than we originally thought.”

  “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry I let this happen to you,” she said, fresh tears coming on.

  I took both her hands in mine as I always did and made a vow. “I will never forget you, Dana Franklin, do you remember that?”

  She chuckled. “Of course, I remember our pact.”

  “I never will. I’ll never forget that you are the most important person in my life. You and our son, and you should never forget that I will do absolutely anything to keep you safe, even changing my name and moving across the country. We are a family, and with that comes a new pact.”

  She smiled finally. “What’s that?”

  I stammered. “Uh... Well, I haven’t exactly come up with a name for it, but you’ll be the first to know when I do.” I laughed, earning a bright smile from her.

  “Only Jordan Clark could get shot in the gut and laugh about it later,” she said. “Have I told you lately how lucky I am to be Dana Clark now?”

  “Not recently. Why not tell me again? Or better, give your poor husband a kiss to make it better.”

  Sitting in the hospital bed with a hole through my gut, I fell in love with her for the thousandth time.

  Day 7630

  Dana

  “JORDAN!” I SCREAMED, sitting straight up in bed. I was sweating profusely and had tangled myself in the covers. He sat up beside me, immediately taking me into his arms.

  “Shh... It’s okay, baby. I’m here.” He rocked me gently until I was able to calm my breathing enough to speak again.

  “I did it again. I called you Jordan,” I said, letting the remnants of the nightmare slip away.

  “It’s okay. It was a dream. You haven’t said anything in your waking hours in years,” he said, pulling our legs out of the tangled mess of covers

  “I know. It’s just still strange to call ourselves Dean and Nina. It was much easier to convince our kid to change his name.”

  Jordan chuckled, then I reminded myself to call him Dean even in my thoughts. “Well, he thought it was cool, so there wasn’t much convincing necessary. At least we got to pick names that meant something to us. Some people have their names chosen for them, so Paul was great with that.”

  “That’s true,” I said. “I’m gonna get a glass of water. Want anything?” He shook his head but stood anyway.

  He followed me down the hall while I thought about the day we chose our names. Dean was Mr. Jacoby’s first name, and it was Jordan’s way of honoring a man who had shown him the right way to be a father. I chose my great-grandmother’s name. I remembered her supporting my dream of becoming a doctor. That dream never panned out, but I felt she was in heaven, supporting me all the same.

  Our son was already awake and rummaging through the pantry. I checked the clock and realized we’d slept later than usual, even for a Saturday.

  “What are you doing, young man?”

  “I’m starving to death!” he cried, then dramatically threw himself onto the floor with a box of cereal in his hands.

  Jordan—Dean—stepped over him and opened the refrigerator. He stuck his head in and found the milk, then grabbed a few bowls from the cabinet. Even after all these years, my husband still made my heart flutter. He smiled at me, the same cheeky grin he gave me when we were sixteen. I rolled my eyes and opened the curtains.

  People were already up and moving around the historic district, but I loved it. The history and the sights, it was beautiful, and I was happy I let Dean pick our new home—with Paul’s advice, of course.

  “Here, baby.” Dean handed me a bowl and dug into his own while our son sat chomping loudly at the table. He sucked down his cereal like a little piggy, but no matter how often I warned him he would choke, he still inhaled it.

  “Can I ask you a question?” my son asked, which was no surprise. He always asked questions, but I still tensed because I knew one day he would ask the million-dollar question. Why did we change names, and why couldn’t he ever tell anyone?

  Kyle was suspected of murdering another woman a year after we left Colorado, but he was good at hiding. There were still no viable leads, and while I thought he’d moved on from wanting to kill my family, I wasn’t taking any chances. Besides, Savannah had grown on me.

  “You mean other than asking if you can ask a question?” Dean asked, picking at him.

  “You’re kind of a pain, Dad,” he replied, then dove into his question. “Did you guys fall in love at first sight?”

  Dean laughed loudly, then asked, “Where on earth did you hear of such a thing? Love at first sight?” Our son’s face turned bright red, and I nudged Dean. “I’m kidding, son. Yes, I think your mother and I fell in love at first sight. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason. I was just wondering.” With that, our child finished his cereal and dropped the bowl in the sink before darting out the back door.

  Dean looked at me. “Wonder what that was about?”

  I shook my head. “No idea, but I’m willing to bet it has to do with a girl. Want more cereal?”

  “Now that is a silly question,” he said, then pushed his bowl closer to me. As I poured the cereal, the phone rang.

  I had learned over the years that the phone ringing was usually a bad thing. Not necessarily an earth-shattering thing, but not usually good either. Dean stood and wandered to the counter where our phones were charging. He took one look at the screen and jerked it from the wall.

  “Hello?” he said apprehensively, then a moment later, he relaxed. His whole body seemed to ease as he leaned against the counter. “Thanks, Paul. Honestly, this is great news. Be sure to visit soon.” After another exchange of pleasantries, he hung up the phone and turned to me.

  I held my breath, then he said, “They got him. He’s dead.”

  Day 7630

  Jordan

  “DID YOU SAY HE’S DEAD?”

  I nodded, still a little taken by surprise. My wife was beyond surprised and well into shock when our son ran back inside with a little girl. I wanted to ask where she had come from and what on earth they were doing running through the house, but Dana—Nina—was my first concern.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I am. I guess I was expecting them to find him and put him in jail. I never expected him to—what happened?” She was coming around, and the color had returned to her face.

  “Paul said they raided a house somewhere in Kentucky and found him. It happened yesterday, but he just got word from Lexington today, this morning actually. He called us right after.”

  “Wow. It’s really over. I’m not sure how to feel since I was sure this day would never come. What do we do now?” she asked an op
en-ended question but I knew exactly what she meant.

  “I like it here. The names are still strange, but our family has done really well here. Still, if you’d rather go back to Colorado, I’d understand.” I was silently rooting for us to stay put. Our son was doing great and had friends, loved his school, and Nina was finally getting into the groove of things without constantly looking over her shoulder.

  “Angela is thinking of turning over the shelter and moving here. I think I’d like to work with my best friend again, maybe open a shelter here? I’m not sure about our names, though. It’s strange either way, but I guess we should keep Dean and Nina since that’s who we are now. What do you think?”

  “I think that sounds like a good idea. Should we tell him—”

  “Moooom!” Our son interrupted me as usual. Nina rolled her eyes and went to the foot of the stairs.

  “What?”

  “Can we have cookies?”

  “Are you crazy kid? It’s barely seven in the morning!” she shouted back, and I heard giggling. Whoever the kid was he had dragged into our house at seven in the morning, was probably going to be around a lot. I had a good feeling his questions about love at first sight, had more than a little to do with her.

  When Nina returned to the kitchen, she poured a cup of coffee and sat at the bay window. She sipped it slowly as she watched the people traveling outside. We didn’t have a front yard at all. It simply butted up to the sidewalk between the front of our house and the road, but we had something small in the back. Our smaller house was nestled comfortably between two much larger homes which gave Nina a sense of seclusion and safety.

  I loved our old house, and I was happy she decided to stay. Now that Kyle was permanently out of the way, there was something I wanted to do.

  “Baby?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I was wondering how you felt about opening a shop again? I’ve been looking into it, and the franchise has grown a lot since we sold the last one. I’d get priority since I’ve already started two successful franchises, and I think—”

  She chuckled and patted the seat beside her. I went and snuggled up, staring out the window with her.

  “You don’t have to sell me on it, baby. I loved those little shops. I’m in. First thing Monday, we’ll go to the bank and see what we can do,” she said, then laid her head on me.

  There was a loud thunk upstairs, and Nina sighed. She handed me her cup of coffee and stood, grumbling about unruly kids and breakable items. I watched her climb the stairs but before she reached the top, our son was already apologizing. She didn’t scold him. Instead, she asked him to get his guest a glass of water.

  He bounded down the stairs, but his friend stayed upstairs. I heard her conversing with Nina, such a grown-up little girl, but I knew what Nina was doing. Our son was only nine-years-old, but she was checking the new girl out anyway. Any girl who dated our son would go through a proper Mom screening, but I doubted a little girl would have too much difficulty passing the test.

  “Dad, why is Mom so weird sometimes?” he asked as he pulled a cup from the cupboard.

  “Son, let me tell you something about women. Listen closely, because it’s the most important piece of information I will ever tell you.” He put the cup down and leaned toward me as if I were about to do just that, offer him the key to everything. “Women are an enigma men will never understand. Just love them, son. Just love them and appreciate the ones in your life. Your mom, Auntie Angela, and whoever this little girl is that seems to have caught your eye.”

  “Aw, Dad. She’s just my friend.” He picked up the glass and headed back upstairs, but the thoughtful look on his face made it quite clear that this little girl was more than a friend. I chuckled to myself and poured my own coffee, wondering if she’d show up on our doorstep every morning. We’d have to figure out who she belonged to just in case.

  Nina was laughing when she came back downstairs, so I assumed the child passed her test. “Oh, my gosh. You just missed the funniest thing.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “This kid, she’s great. She gives him so much sass it’s insane. Reminds me of someone I know,” she replied.

  I grabbed her pajama shirt and pulled her closer so I could kiss her. No matter how many times I kissed her, I never got bored with it. She was my happy place. She was my home, no matter where we were in the world. She broke the kiss before the kids saw us as they ran out the back door.

  “Hmm... I think she sounds a lot like you, Miss Sassy Britches,” I said.

  “You hush and kiss me, Mr. Rebel Without a Cause.”

  Day 13,705

  Dana

  I WATCHED MY SON’S fiancé getting ready and thought about the road they had taken to get where they were. Their story was sweet, meeting as kids and growing up together, and it was a constant reminder that love, at first sight, did exist. Dean and I were proof of that, but my son and his soon-to-be wife were proof positive.

  She smiled at me, the same sweet smile I’d watched grow from a childlike grin to that of a beautiful woman. She was like a daughter to me, and I marveled at how lucky I had been since changing our identities and moving. I was so glad we didn’t pack up and move back to Colorado, especially after Angela moved a few blocks from us, and we opened the shelter.

  Dean opened another coffee shop franchise, which was oddly popular with the teen and twenty-something crowd. All was well with the world—finally. And now, well, I was excited by the idea of becoming a grandmother, but all in good time.

  I helped her with her hair while her bridesmaids milled around like little chickens with their heads cut off. I wondered how my son was doing on his big day. That wonder grew, and when I was done with her hair, I kissed her cheek and headed out to check on him.

  I was caught at the door, my son’s fiancé wearing a look of fear.

  “Honey, what’s wrong?” I asked, hoping I could soothe her worries, whatever they might be.

  “I just... I wanted to thank you for always being like a mother to me. Honestly, I had the best childhood any kid could ask for even though my parents died when I was so young. You and Dean, you are amazing parents. I hope you know that,” she said, but she couldn’t have known just how much her words truly meant to me.

  For years I worried about the kind of parent I was. My son seemed happy enough, but when you grow up like Dean and I did, you always worry that some of your parents’ bad habits will trickle down and appear without you even knowing it. Her words gave me something special. I felt whole and complete knowing I’d made my son happy.

  “Oh, sweetie, it’s been a pleasure for me to watch you grow. I love you so much.” I engulfed her in a hug that basically ruined her hair, but she didn’t seem to care. I realized then that she and I had been perfect for each other. I needed a daughter to share things with I simply couldn’t share with my husband and son, and she needed a mother to look to for advice.

  “I’m so nervous. I hope I’m a good wife,” she said, smoothing her hair back into place.

  “You know what? You’re going to be a perfect wife. Dean and I have had our fair share of bumps in the road, but we always found a way back to each other. You work hard, and you never give up, even when it feels like the entire universe is against you. Just know, no matter what, you have each other.”

  She took a deep breath and smiled again. “You’re so sweet. I know that’s all true, but sometimes it’s difficult to remember.”

  I knew then it was time, to tell the truth. Dean and I had kept the secret long enough, and while our son had a vague idea of why we changed our names, we never gave him the details. I felt it was time to share the truth of our lives with our son and future daughter. At first, doing so at their wedding didn’t seem right, but the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced it was the best place. They were just starting in life, and my gift to them would be passing on what I’d learned about that stinking thing—life and how sometimes it didn’t seem fair, but with the right person
, it was all worth it.

  “Sit down, honey. Let me tell you how Jordan and I first met.”

  “Jordan?” she asked.

  “Mmm, yes, dear. That is Dean’s real name, but I’ll get to that. Settle in, and I’ll tell you about the greatest love story I’ve ever known.”

  Day 13,705

  Jordan

  “YOU’RE NOT EVEN FREAKING out a little bit? Not the least bit nervous?” I asked my son, who was sitting cool as a cucumber in a chair, kicked back looking out the window.

  “Nope. I’ve known since I was nine, Dad. When you know, you know. I love her, and that’s all there is to it.” He meant it, and I couldn’t help but see myself where he sat.

  “You remind me a lot of myself. I knew when I met your mother, I’d eventually marry her. We were—”

  “Yeah, yeah, sixteen, ice cream in the freezer, crazy kisses—I remember, Dad,” he teased, but he truly didn’t. He didn’t know I’d almost died for his mother, though there was a time he almost died as well. I’d never forget that day. He’d been stabbed in the gut trying to protect his girlfriend from a mugger. It was the most terrifying day of my life, but he survived, and so did we.

  “Dad, I was kidding. You don’t have to look so sad.” He chuckled and stood, then crossed the room with a purposeful look on his face. “Listen, there’s something I wanted you to know. It’s going to sound super sappy and ridiculous, but you should know. You and mom are the best parents ever. I’ve had the best life, and I know how to be a great father because of you. When I have kids, I want to be just like you.”

  All my life, I was afraid I would mess up, that I would do something to hurt my child. When Dana—Nina—first told me she was pregnant, I nearly freaked out. I was happy but scared all rolled into one. I guess that’s how every parent feels at some point, but I had no father to speak of and my mother’s choices in boyfriends always left a lot to be desired. My old boss was the only person who ever took the time to show me how to be a good person and father.