Bound to the Past (Starville Series Book 1)

by Lauryn Michaels

  Good grief, girl, get it together! She cleared her throat. “Iʼm not sure you remember me. My name is Sara Milano. You helped me with my car before your accident, and I called the ambulance. Everythingʼs fine now,” she rushed on, noticing heʼd instantly tensed at her words. But now there was a dazed look on his face as he studied her in silence. She tried her damndest not to squirm as his magnetic eyes slowly swept over her.

  After what felt like several minutes, he nodded and moved his gaze to the water cup sitting on his bedside table. Sara stood and handed it to him, holding it to his lips as his hands were trembling too much. She waited for him to finish drinking, then helped him lie back down.

  “Thank you, Sara.”

  Just like earlier, the raspy way he spoke her name sent tingles rippling through her. Thankfully, Jack didnʼt seem to notice. In fact, he wasnʼt even looking at her anymore and seemed more interested in the monitor beeping beside his bed. She hoped to sound calm and collected as she sat back down. “How do you feel?”

  Turning his attention back to her, Jack lifted a hand to his head. He touched his wound lightly with his fingertips, as if exploring it, then glanced down to his bandaged chest. “Like a semi just ran me over.”

  “Iʼm sorry. You know, I should probably tell a nurse that you woke up.” Sara turned to his bedside table again to grab the small remote control on top of it.

  “What happened to me?”

  She stopped with her thumb on the call button. “You, uh, had an accident with your motorcycle. You donʼt remember?”

  Jack thought about it for a few seconds and shook his head. “No.”

  “What about your name? Last night you couldnʼt remember it… Do you now?”

  “No, I―” He frowned. Confusion, apprehension, then panic filled his eyes, darkening them as they locked with hers. “I donʼt think I remember anything at all.”

  Saraʼs heart dropped. Crap. Now what? “Doc, the doctor who took care of you last night, said you sustained a pretty serious head trauma, and Iʼm sure a temporary memory loss is completely normal in your state,” she said, trying to sound calm and reassuring in order not to agitate him more. Sheʼd no sooner finished those words than Doc entered.

  “Well, well. I see weʼve made big progress here.”

  “I was just about to call a nurse.”

  The doctor nodded absently at her as he walked to the window. He pulled the curtains open, then turned around with a smile, feigning a lightheartedness that she knew he was far from feeling. “Welcome back, Jack.”

  “Jack?” he murmured in a daze. Doc looked at Sara with just as much puzzlement.

  “He doesnʼt remember anything, Doc. Not even his name,” she explained. “Itʼs normal, though, right?”

  He didnʼt answer, but a wary expression appeared on his face. Pulling a small flashlight from his pocket, he leaned over Jack and shone it into his eyes. “Is it true? You donʼt remember anything?”

  “Nothing.” Blinded by the sudden glare, Jack let out a pained groan and tried to avert his eyes from the light. “Apparently you know my name, though.”

  Sara held her breath, but Doc shot her a warning look before she could say anything. “I need to run some tests on Jack. Why donʼt you go home? You must be tired after everything you went through last night.”

  His dry tone made her frown. “I donʼt have my car, remember? I rode in the ambulance.”

  “Leslieʼs shift is almost up; ask her to give you a ride.”

  She hesitated but forced a nod when, behind Jack, Doc clearly signaled her to leave. “Fine. Iʼll come back later,” she said, scowling at the doctor, then turned back to Jack with an encouraging smile. “Donʼt worry, everything will be all right.” Telling herself to ignore the lost expression on his face, she rushed out of the room before he could reply…and before she changed her mind.

  ***

  Jack had no idea what had just happened as he stared at the door Sara had closed behind her. All he knew was that he didnʼt want her to leave. It was as if all his strength had left with her.

  “Jack, are you listening to me?”

  Docʼs voice sounded far away and remote, and he easily ignored it. Jack. A name that meant absolutely nothing to him. Yet it apparently belonged to him. But what about Sara? Did she belong to him, too? She hadnʼt seemed surprised when Doc had called him by his name. Were they close? They had to be. Why else would she have waited at the hospital all night? Maybe they were friends. Or maybe…something more?

  A grin curved his lips at the thought, but it faded the instant he remembered her specifying sheʼd merely rescued him after heʼd helped her with her car. Besides, there was no chance in hell he could ever forget a pretty girl like Sara. Her eyes had to be the warmest, most expressive brown shade heʼd ever seen. Her calm, reassuring voice had been resounding in his head over and over like a comforting mantra.

  “Talk to me, Jack.”

  Docʼs gentle but firm words tore through his thoughts again, and this time Jack dragged his eyes from the door to force his attention to him.

  “Whatʼs the last thing you remember?”

  “I donʼt know, I… The road. I remember the road. It was so dark. And Sara, saying that everything would be all right.”

  “Nothing else? Nothing before your accident?”

  He pondered the questions carefully, then shook his head. “No. But you do. How do you know my name?”

  The doctor gasped at the abrupt question. It was the one heʼd dreaded the most, the one he’d hoped wouldnʼt come for a while. For a moment, he debated telling him that heʼd simply read it on the ID found in his wallet, but that would be a downright lie. “This is Starville, Jack, a small town where we all know each other,” he said finally, trying to answer him as honestly as he could without revealing too much. “Although you left many years ago, we havenʼt forgotten you.”

  “Youʼre saying Iʼve been away for years?” Jack frowned. “Then why did I come back now?”

  Doc blew out a sigh. “Hell if I know.”

  Chapter 4

  Sara got out of the shower feeling wonderfully alive. After all those hours at the hospital, sheʼd started to feel as dull as the walls in the waiting room. Doc was right, she’d needed to go back home and feel human again. Nothing, however, seemed to get Jack out of her mind. The tragic story of his past kept haunting her.

  On impulse, she walked to the den and sat at her desk. When the computer screen came on, she opened the Internet and forced her shaky hands to type Jack Turner in the search engine. It only took a few seconds for the page to fill with multiple links, and she clicked on the first one. Her breath caught as a picture of Jack appeared on the screen.

  Whoa.

  He looked a lot younger, but that wasnʼt what struck her the most. It was his eyes. A shiver ran down her spine as she stared at them. They were as piercing as ever, but there was something else in them, too. Rage. No―fury. So violent and barely restrained that Sara felt the urge to scroll down the page to hide them. When the picture disappeared, she took a calming breath and started reading the article about J.T.ʼs death, Jackʼs arrest, and the trial that followed, which had ended with Jackʼs release after nearly three years. She was surprised to learn that, despite the fact that the judge had declared a mistrial and all the charges were dropped, the authorities had decided to keep the ranch and J.T.ʼs entire patrimony confiscated until further notice, leaving Jack with virtually nothing. Could they even do that?

  The article ended with a statement Jack had made to the press after his release from prison, in which he’d announced that his only immediate plan was to leave Starville and try to forget the entire matter.

  Sara jumped at the sound of the doorbell but hesitated before closing the Internet page, her gaze glued to the article. Only when Lance started barking furiously did she blow a resigned sigh and walk to the front door. She wasnʼt at all surprised to see two police officers—a man and a woman—standing on the porch.

  “About time
,” the man grunted, storming inside the house.

  Sara gave a sarcastic smile. “Good afternoon to you, too, officers! But, please, donʼt stand at the door, come in.”

  “Itʼs not funny, Sara. Iʼve been worried sick about you since I heard about Turner.” His slate-gray gaze filled with impatience. “What the hell happened? Why didnʼt you call me?”

  She rolled her eyes. She had forgotten how fast news traveled in a small town like Starville, where gossip seemed to be everybodyʼs favorite hobby. “Gee, Brent, I donʼt know! Everything happened so fast I didnʼt really have much time to stop and think.”

  The young woman standing beside him shook her head, a worried look on her face. “Are you all right? Weʼve been trying to call you for hours.”

  “Sorry, Nicky, I was at the hospital all night. But Iʼm fine, thank you. Tired, of course, but fine.”

  “If youʼd called, I couldʼve come and helped and—”

  “Oh, stop it! Both of you!” Sara burst out, exasperated. “Iʼm not a child, for Godʼs sake, and Iʼm not the one who just had a horrible accident, so stop worrying! Yes, I rescued Jack Turner. So what? What was I supposed to do, leave him there to die?”

  “You wouldnʼt leave a damn possum, Sara.” Brent gave a faint, rueful smile, but she ignored him.

  “Sure, I didnʼt know anything about the Turners―and by the way, thank you both so much for informing me about the townʼs happenings. I canʼt begin to tell you how wonderful it felt hearing about Jackʼs story on a night like last night, after living here for over four years!”

  Nicky dropped onto the couch. “If itʼs any consolation, that makes two of us. I didnʼt know anything about the Turners, either,” she said, petting the white cat that had immediately curled up on her lap.

  Both women shot accusatory looks at Brent, who put up his palms in a helpless gesture. “Hey, donʼt take it out on me! Yes, obviously I knew Jack and J.T. back then, but nobodyʼs talked about them for years. Itʼs not a subject that comes up in casual conversations, you know?”

  Sara sighed. “Iʼm not mad at you, Brent. Itʼs just that this whole situation is so surreal. I moved to Starville because I fell in love with its honest, friendly atmosphere…and now itʼs like I suddenly donʼt know anything or anybody anymore. I feel so estranged.”

  “Donʼt let this get to you, hon.” He shook his head and plopped onto the couch beside Nicky. “Starville is Starville. What happened ten years ago turned everybodyʼs lives upside down, and we all tried to move on as best we could. I was young, but I remember very clearly how the atmosphere in town changed after what happened to J.T.; nothing has been the same since that night.”

  “Just stay away from Turner,” Nicky interjected. “Iʼve heard enough about him in the past few hours, and I donʼt like any of it.”

  Sara huffed. “You guys are being ridiculous. All I did was call an ambulance after the guy had an accident and wait at the hospital until he regained his consciousness.”

  “I just want you to be safe.”

  “I know, Brent, and I do appreciate it.” When he didnʼt reply, she decided to change the subject. “Would you like something to drink?”

  A sigh of relief escaped from her as Nicky stood up. “An ice-cold Coke sounds heavenly, thanks―but Iʼll get it myself. Cyanide, Hayden?”

  He shrugged. “Cyanide wouldnʼt even affect me; Iʼm too used to the venom your mouth spits all the time.”

  “Hemlock it is, then. Letʼs go, Lance.”

  Sara shook her head with a smile as her friend left the room followed by the dog. Since the very first time sheʼd met Brent Hayden and Nicky Sinclair, the two of them had been constantly bickering and picking on each other. Sometimes she wondered how they managed to work side by side for the Starville Police Department―especially considering that she was pretty sure Nicky had a huge crush on her partner. Not that Sara could blame her.

  Her gaze instinctively moved to Brent. With his blond hair and athletic build, he was a very attractive man. Not as intense-looking as Jack Turner, of course, but…

  “Either I just grew two noses and three eyes, or damned if I know whatʼs going on in that pretty little head of yours for staring at me like that.”

  Brentʼs amused words jolted her back to reality. “Sorry, I was still brooding about Jack,” Sara half lied, squirming uncomfortably against the pillow.

  “What about him?”

  “Well, Doc said he hasnʼt set foot in Starville since he was released from jail.”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “So why do you think he returned now, after all these years?”

  Brent shrugged. “Have no idea, but Iʼm sure weʼll find out soon enough. And no, Sara, absolutely not.”

  She gave him a confused look. “No, what?”

  “No, by we, I donʼt mean you,” he said firmly, raising a hand to stop her protest. “I know how much you love mysteries, but this is not one of your novels, and Jack Turner is not one of your characters. So get any crazy ideas out of your head right now. Yes, you saved his life and all, and thatʼs awesome. But your involvement with him stops here.”

  “Brent is right, hon.” Nicky walked back into the room and handed a bottle of soda to everyone. “For once.”

  Sara snorted. “I really wish you guys would stop worrying about me. Iʼm just curious about Jack, thatʼs all. He was so enigmatic when he helped me with my car, and―”

  Her friendsʼ mouths shot open simultaneously. “He what?”

  Ooops. “Uh… Jack and I met briefly before his accident. I was going to Mrs. Primsʼs when one of my tires burst on Carriage Road, and he was nice enough to stop and change it for me.”

  Brentʼs jaw just about hit the floor then. “Turner…changed your flat tire?”

  “I was in trouble, Jack helped. I donʼt see what the problem is. In fact, he was a perfect gentleman.” Sara smiled. “A little gruff, maybe, but nice.”

  “I donʼt believe this!”

  “What the heck?” Nicky shook her head, still gaping. “Sara, Turnerʼs a suspected murderer! Last night could have been a disaster!”

  “Yeah, well, it wasnʼt.” Sara closed her eyes. Counted to five. Reminded herself that her friends were only trying to protect her. Reopened her eyes. “Look, guys, I appreciate your concern, but Iʼm fine. Poor Jack is the one in the hospital right now, so thereʼs no need to worry about what could have happened to me last night.” She blew out a breath when neither of them commented. “Donʼt you need to go back to work before the sheriff comes here looking for you, anyway?”

  “Crap!” Brent took a big gulp from his bottle and jumped to his feet so fast that one of the cats sleeping on the couch meowed in protest. “Sara, please call if you need anything.”

  “I will, thanks―although Iʼm so exhausted Iʼm sure Iʼll be sleeping the entire day.”

  Nicky set her soda on the coffee table. “But youʼre going back to the hospital later, arenʼt you?”

  “Yes.” She raised her chin defiantly. “I know you guys donʼt like it, but I canʼt leave Jack alone right now. Heʼs disoriented, doesnʼt remember anything about his past, and certainly doesnʼt need the hostility everybodyʼs already showing him. In fact, Iʼm starting to think that mine is the only friendly face heʼll ever see around here. But trust me, Iʼll keep my eyes open.”

  Her friends exchanged an unconvinced look. Finally, Brent leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Just promise youʼll be careful.”

  All Sara could do was give him an uncertain smile. “Iʼll do my best.”

  Chapter 5

  Later that afternoon, Sara managed to go back to the hospital and headed straight to Jackʼs room, but hesitated outside as she noticed that the door was cracked open.

  Unsure of what to do, she gave a light knock, waited, then slowly pushed it open. To her surprise, she saw Jack propped up lazily against the pillows, looking in much better condition. A young nurse was bustling about the small room and, judging by the dirty looks she kept slanting him, she obviously k
new about his past. Jack―bless his heart―appeared completely absorbed by the remote control in his hands and didnʼt seem at all affected by her open hostility.

  “Tampering with hospital equipment already?” Sara said cheerfully, entering the room.

  His head snapped up at her voice. The slow, lazy smile that quirked one corner of his mouth made her pulse kick up a notch. “Sara. Youʼre back.”

  She nodded, slightly embarrassed, and sidled to his bedside. “Sorry, I didnʼt mean to walk in like that. I knocked, but nobody answered.” Pretending not to notice the nurse staring at her as if she were a three-headed alien, Sara waited patiently for her to finish what she was doing. Once the woman turned around and walked out of the room, she stuck her tongue out at her back.

  As she turned to Jack, the amused grin on his face made her inexplicably happy. “Lovely gal, isnʼt she?”

  “Sweetness personified.”

  “Anyhow, yes, Iʼm back, and I brought you something to read. I figured this hospital might be boring―and apparently I was right, considering the attention you were paying to that remote,” she joked, pulling out a few magazines from her bag. Sheʼd actually meant to bring him the local newspaper, too, as she figured he might like reading about the current happenings since he didnʼt remember anything; however, sheʼd noticed that Jackʼs picture was on the front page that morning, along with the whole story of what had happened ten years ago, and she certainly wasnʼt going to let him learn about his past that way.

  Jack gave a disgusted look at the remote before tossing it to the side. “You are an angel.” He grabbed one of the magazines and opened it on his lap.

  Taking advantage of his temporary distraction, Sara studied him for a few moments. The night before, she had been mesmerized by his eyes, but things had been so frantic that everything else had been kind of a blur. Today, however, she was more than aware of the big, muscular frame lying in that bed. She had to admit that he was definitely the most handsome man sheʼd ever laid eyes on. Not that he was her type, of course. She dreamed of Prince Charming, not the Dark Knight. She had always preferred the boy-next-doorish type―safe, reliable, trustworthy. Like Brent.