One More Time (Red Hook, Texas 1) [Siren Publishing Classic]

by Lee Rose

  He took a business card out of his wallet. “Here is my card with my office and home number on it. If you need anything at all, Alana, give me a call. No matter the time.”

  When she didn’t reach out to take it from him, he placed it on the coffee table with a sigh.

  “Are you okay here alone? I can hang out with you awhile,” he offered.

  Alana didn’t want his pity. Once she would have jumped at the chance to spend any time with him. “I’m sure you are busy, Sheriff, but thanks. I’m not your responsibility.”

  “I want to be your friend, Alana. Is there any chance we can go back to that despite my bad behavior?” He gave her a pleading look, and her soft heart wanted to give in—friendship was better than nothing—until she remembered how hurt she had been every time he took out one of his blonde bimbos.

  “We’re not friends anymore. Friends are people you can trust,” she reminded him bitterly. “I’m sure you have plenty of friends if you feel the need for company. My sister tells me you’re still dating Cora. I’m sure she doesn’t want her boyfriend keeping company with me.”

  Noah frowned and cursed under his breath. “That is not true. Cora spreads those rumors around. I bumped into Cora at the charity ball last month. I also ran into your sister, and she pretended to trip and drop her red wine all over my shirt. Some of it splashed on Cora’s designer dress. Cora tried to make it look like we went together. We weren’t.”

  Alana wanted to smile, but she held it in. Alicia was always her strongest supporter.

  Noah stood up with a sigh when Alana stayed quiet. The last thing she wanted to do was have a conversation with the man who had broken her heart.

  Alana stood up too and winced with pain. She grabbed her stomach. The stab wound had gone deep, and she still had the stitches. Her family told her she had lost a lot of blood by the time the medics had arrived. She had been operated on right away and listed in critical condition for days.

  He grabbed her arms as if to steady her. “Are you okay, Alana?”

  She breathed through the pain and nodded. She would not cry in front of this man. She had done that during their last argument. She would not lower her pride again.

  “Yeah. It takes time to heal, or so I hear.”

  He looked at her T-shirt with a frown. “You have a little blood soaking through.”

  She looked down. She put her hand on her stomach. “I guess I forgot to change the bandage this morning. Every time my mom does it, she cries. I told her I could handle it myself.”

  “I’ve had first aid training. Let me do it.”

  Alana hesitated. She was embarrassed for him to see how ugly the wound looked. It would most likely scar. She wasn’t sure she could do it herself, though. She finally gave in, and he led her to the couch. It didn’t matter what he thought, she told herself. Whatever chance they had was long gone.

  “It’s ugly,” she warned him. Her cheeks felt hot. It was stupid to care if he was repulsed or not, but inside she did care.

  He smiled and caressed her hair softly. “I think I can handle it, sweetheart. Lay down flat on the couch.”

  He went into the bathroom. He had been friends with Ray, her brother, since high school and knew his way around the Garcia household. He came back with a big red box and her bottle of pain pills.

  He told her to lift her shirt. Alana felt a little uncomfortable. They had kissed and messed around but never saw each other naked. Now he was going to see the ugly gash on her stomach.

  He frowned as he slowly peeled the old bandage off. He cleaned the long, raw-looking slash silently, but she could see his eyes gleaming with anger. There was a long, jagged line that went across her stomach toward her belly button.

  “I’d like to get my hands on this guy.”

  He put a clean bandage on. He was so gentle and careful that she wanted to cry. She felt so emotional. He cleaned everything up and got up to put it all away. She heard the water running.

  He came back and gave her a pain pill. She took it with the water. He covered her with the blanket, and she wondered why he was being so nice to her. Was it pity? What else could it be? People were always nicer to you when you were hurt.

  “I can stick around until you fall asleep.”

  She shook her head. She was tempted to say yes. She hated being alone, but her family had a business to run, and she did not want to be a burden.

  “I need to hear the lock clicking in place, or I won’t be able to fall asleep,” she whispered. She felt like such a scaredy-cat confessing that to him.

  He moved her hair out of her face. She looked into his warm hazel eyes, and she was tempted to ask for a hug, just a simple gesture of him holding her, but she refrained. There were too many unresolved, bitter memories between them.

  “I’m glad you’re okay, Alana. I just wish you hadn’t gotten hurt.” His voice was velvety soft. She ignored the longing in her heart.

  She didn’t know what to say, so she just looked up at him. So many “if onlys” ran through her mind. If only things could have worked out for them. She loved this stupid, stubborn man, but it was hopeless between them, and she had to accept that. No more wishing upon a star like a silly little girl.

  She watched him walk to the front door. He glanced back with one last smile.

  He doesn’t want you, Alana. Get over it and move on. All he does is feel sorry for you.

  She heard the lock click, and she closed her eyes. She prayed for a solid few hours of sleep with no nightmares.

  Chapter 5

  Noah sat on his porch that night with a beer in his hand. It was a hot and humid night, and he could be inside his air-conditioned home, but he felt too restless to be cooped up indoors. He had been feeling overwhelmed with emotions ever since he saw Alana earlier in the day. He hated seeing her wound. The slash had been raw looking and long. He had felt the tears in his eyes, but he held them in. If she had died, he wasn’t sure if he could have handled it. It affected him deeply, and he hated himself all over again for being such a coward. He thought it had been too late to make amends, but now his eyes were open to the fact that as long as he had breath, it was never too late. He wasn’t foolish enough to think he could gain her trust again easily, but he was determined to give it his all.

  She had lain on the couch so still and stiff, as if she hated his touch. He had been tempted to pull her into his arms and just hold her. Her long brown hair had been tangled and her clothes loose fitting, yet he had found her breathtakingly beautiful.

  He wanted to promise her he would never allow her to be hurt again. How could he say that when he had hurt her emotionally? He flashed back to the night of their argument. He had hated seeing the pain in her eyes. His own guilt had caused him to lash out in anger. When she told him she loved him, he had brushed it off and told her she had no idea what love was. Noah felt the weight of his guilt all over again. He had been so wrong. He should have grabbed her and hung on to her. Alana was sweet, kind, and beautiful. Instead of questioning her, he should have been happy she had her heart set on a grouchy old bachelor like himself.

  The intense attraction between them was still there. Time had not erased it or lessened it. He had not been able to feel it that strongly with anyone else, and he had dated plenty of women over the years. He figured he deserved it, but still, Karma sucked.

  He blamed his past experience with heartache. It had made him scared to put his heart on the line and not trust in the concept of love. Love was too fragile and faded easily. Now he knew true love was as strong as a steel beam. It could take a beating and not break. Despite what he did to Alana, he could see her love when she looked at him. She was still hurt and angry, but what gave him hope was what he saw in her eyes.

  He thought he had been in love once when he was in his early twenties. Kari had broken his heart when he found out about her secret affairs with older men. She was so desperate to be a model or an actress. She slept with men she thought could do something for her career. Finally she
had left town for California. He had vowed to never feel that vulnerable again. Alana made him feel something deeper than what he felt for Kari, and that is what had scared him.

  His younger brother Adam climbed up the steps looking as tired as he felt. He plopped down on the porch chair next to Noah.

  “Man, it’s been a rough night,” Adam told him tiredly. He ran his fingers through his shoulder-length light-brown hair. He usually kept it pulled back away from his face. Tonight it was loose.

  “I heard a house on Houston Street caught fire.” Noah took another drink of his beer. He listened to the police scanner even at home. “I’m glad the family wasn’t home. Drake told me Red Cross was already helping them get situated.”

  Adam nodded. He worked for the Red Hook Fire Department. “And that old warehouse on the edge of town caught on fire. Teens decided it made a good party spot and tried making a small fire that got out of hand.”

  Noah chuckled. “You sound so disapproving. Weren’t you just as wild as a teen?”

  “Never,” Adam lied. “I was an angel. You and Liam were the troublemakers.”

  Adam bent down and took one of Noah’s beers from his six-pack.

  “So what has you out here all melancholy and shit?” Adam asked, opening the beer and taking a long sip. At thirty, Adam was closer to Noah in age, and the two had always been close.

  “I went to see Alana today,” Noah stated simply. His brothers knew what had happened between him and Alana. Hell, the whole town had heard about what he had stupidly done. He had been so ashamed of himself he had broken off his date with Cora. She had not taken the news well. In her eyes, she had saved him the headache of breaking things off with Alana.

  Most of the older ladies still stared down their noses at him. Alana was sweet and kind, and they all loved her. The men shook their heads as if asking him why he would give her up. Noah hated all the looks but did his best to ignore them. He spent a lot of time working and keeping to himself.

  He had often talked with his brothers about how much he missed Alana. They encouraged him to go and talk to her, but he hadn’t worked up the nerve. Noah didn’t like the idea of being rejected once again, so he had stayed away from Alana.

  Noah’s chest tightened with emotions just picturing her being violently attacked. A few inches deeper and she might not have made it. It made him anxious to hunt this guy down. There were no clues whatsoever, and that made it hard to find him.

  “I’m guessing it didn’t go well.”

  Noah sighed loudly. “She looked fragile and on the edge. Plus she still hates me.”

  “I know you’re sorry for what you did, Noah. I even understand all your issues with heartbreak, but you crushed her, man,” Adam reminded him. Noah didn’t hear any judgment in his brother’s voice, but the words still wounded him. “Can you blame her for being bitter?”

  Noah bit back an angry reply. He didn’t need to be reminded what an ass he had been. It played in Technicolor in his mind over and over. He could blame Cora, and he had plenty of times, but it was his fault for not showing Alana the respect she deserved. He should have sat down and talked over his fears with her. Noah had been fighting his feelings for Alana for what seemed like forever before breaking down and asking her out. Even then he figured after a few dates he’d lose interest like he always did. Only it hadn’t worked that way. Each kiss and touch deepened his addiction for the dark-haired beauty.

  “I know I was an asshole, Adam. It sits on my shoulder every damn day. She didn’t deserve to be treated that way. Why is it we know how important someone is to us when it is too late? She could have died thinking she meant nothing to me. She could have died hating me. I feel gutted every time that enters my head. I want to pour out my feelings, but it’s too soon. She is weak and fragile right now.”

  “I guess we don’t appreciate what we have until it is gone. Sounds cliché but true. Alana is nothing like that bitch Kari. She messed with your head really bad, and she wasn’t worth it, man,” Adam said firmly. “Liam and I didn’t like Kari. Neither did Mom and Dad. We like Alana. Alana is sweet, smart, and she worshiped the ground you walk on. If it wasn’t for that, I would have made a move on her long ago, dude.”

  “Over my dead body,” Noah growled. He had seen that love shining in her eyes even though she never said the words to him. It had frightened him. Now he craved it.

  Noah realized Kari had done him a favor by leaving town. If she had stuck around, who knows how long she would have led him around on a string for nothing. He could have wasted a lot of years following her around like a puppy dog.

  “Maybe you can start slow if you’re serious this time, but only if you’re serious. Be her friend. I know she loves you. She did long before you ever noticed. Don’t give up. I was lucky enough to find that kind of love once, and I lost it. It’s no fun living an empty life, Bro.” Adam had been engaged five years ago, but his fiancée died in the same car accident that took their parents’ life. They had gone Christmas shopping in Dallas, and the car had slipped off the road. The accident had killed his parents instantly. Josie, Adam’s fiancée, had lived for two days before passing away. He had been quiet and sad ever since. He dated but with no intention of settling down. It was as if he had given up on love.

  Noah felt his brother’s pain. He understood it better now. “It’s possible to find love again, Adam. You’re still young. Josie wouldn’t want you to be alone. She was as sweet as Alana is.”

  “She was, but I don’t have it in me. Josie was it for me. This session with Dr. Adam was free. Next time I am charging you,” he joked, standing up.

  Noah knew Adam refused to talk about his fiancée. Instead he buried is hurt deep inside. He worried about Adam, but he knew when Adam was ready to open up, he would.

  Noah threw a bottle cap at his brother. “Have you heard from Liam tonight? Is he okay?”

  At twenty-five Liam was the youngest Blake. He was an EMT and was working the night shift. Noah always worried until his brothers were home. Red Hook was not dangerous like a big city would be, but as the oldest brother, Noah liked knowing they were safe.

  “I saw him at the house fire. He gets off at five in the morning,” Adam answered. He looked at his brother seriously. “If you have feelings for Alana, do something about it now. Quit worrying about the age difference. Age is just a number. I know thirty-year-olds who act like teens and twenty-year-olds who act mature. Think about that, Bro.”

  Noah mumbled good night and stared out at the starry clear sky. He wondered if Alana was asleep or sitting on the couch, scared to close her eyes. He wished he could be holding her in his arms. If he had just faced his fears, none of this would have happened. That thought stayed with him long into the night. Regret weighed heavily on his soul tonight. He hoped another beer might ease the ache in his chest.

  Chapter 6

  Noah sat at his desk listening to the rain hit the windowpanes. A light drizzle had been coming down all day. Now that the sun was setting, the rain was getting harder, and the wind howled loudly. He twirled a pencil around with his fingers. He had a list a mile long of things he should be doing. Instead he sat here staring off into space, thinking of a pair of doe-brown eyes filled with sorrow and pain. He would never forget the way she had looked at him that night. Anger, yes, but worse was the disappointment in her eyes. It had made him feel two inches tall.

  The day after his argument with Alana, he had confronted Cora. There was no need for her to go to the restaurant and announce in front of everyone that he had made a date with her. He could imagine Alana’s embarrassment.

  He had made it clear to Cora he was sorry he ever touched her and he would never touch her again, even if she was the last woman on earth. She still attempted to change his mind, but he treated her coldly. He hadn’t dated anyone since.

  His phone rang, and he picked it up quickly, happy for the distraction. Reliving the past did no good. He could not go back and change what he did. He would if he could. He had
to focus on the now.

  “Sheriff Blake,” he answered.

  “This is Alana.”

  The soft, feminine voice affected his body physically and emotionally in two seconds flat. She didn’t need to announce her name. His pulse let him know who it was.

  “Hey, sweetheart. You okay?” Noah asked, sitting up. He would love to be able to go and see her and give her some good news. He hadn’t been able to think of any good excuses to visit with her.

  “Yes. Nothing is wrong. I just woke up, but I did remember something,” she replied, sounding very emotional and a little sleepy. He wanted to hold her so bad it was a physical ache.

  “Sit tight. I will be right there,” Noah told her before she could tell him over the phone. He didn’t want her to be frightened when she talked about the robbery.

  The skies were dark gray, making it feel much later than it really was. The sound of the rain was loud. He grabbed his raincoat and keys. He glanced at the big clock on the wall. It was four in the afternoon.

  “Helen, I’m going out for a bit. You can go home before the rain gets any worse,” he told her. “Greg will be here any minute.”

  Greg Daniels and Sam Gardner were his two night deputies.

  Helen looked up from her computer screen. Her blonde hair was up in a bun. Glasses hung on her nose. “Okay, Sheriff. Thanks. I hate driving in this messy weather.”

  Noah resisted the urge to speed to Alana’s house. She could hate him all she wanted, but he was going to do his job. He wanted to find this guy and make sure he was taken off the streets. He had to have been high on drugs to do what he did. What reason did he have to harm her when she was giving over the money without a fight?

  The lights were on when he parked his car in the street. He knew she was home. He ran up the stairs and knocked on the front door.