Forever Hold Your Piece (The Becker Sisters Bridal Series Book 1)

by Elizabeth John

  She sucked in a breath when the young couple turned to walk through the woodsy trail. Crap. There was one way in, but several trails out. She twisted about. No one approached. She tagged along with the couple for her own protection. She’d rather deal with snakes of the reptile kind than of human nature.

  Lily stomped her feet as she went, earning an odd look from the couple when they turned around. The lanky guy pointed out another trail to his girlfriend and they hung a left, trying to avoid company. Crap. Crap. They didn’t want an audience. She could follow anyway, but they could choose another trail and then where would she be? In a maze of pine bushes. At least the poison ivy should be all gone this time of year. Or was it? Crap. Crap. Crap.

  She whipped out her phone. No response from Jake. She put on the flashlight feature and located a detailed map on the trails. If she followed the young couple, she’d be taking the longest route. If she headed right, she’d be feet away from the restrooms. She chose right and ran, using her phone to illuminate the way.

  When she saw lights, she knew she had reached the main way to the lighthouse and visitor center. A man was sitting on a bench under the gazebo, slumped over, holding his head. Lily hesitated to go any further. Was the man a drunk? A homeless person?

  He moaned and she tiptoed closer. Wait. That jacket. Black. Jeans. Jake. She ran up to him.

  “Jake! What happened?”

  He studied her, but with confusion. “Someone clocked me from behind. On that path. I was able to drag myself here.”

  Without thinking, she put her hand on top of his, the one holding his head. Warm stickiness greeted her. She studied her fingers. “Is that blood? You’re bleeding!”

  Instantly, she grew cold and dizziness set in. She sat down, before she passed out and would be of no use to Jake and looked at her phone. She blocked out the image of her red fingers and used her thumb to call the chief. When he picked up she told him what happened, and he told them to stay put. He had men in the area because of the community event. Emergency techs were also still there.

  Minutes later, they arrived.

  “Lucky for you, we were still in the parking lot. Can’t leave until the park officially closes,” one of the EMTs said.

  As they checked Jake out, another of the EMTs said, “You okay? Were you injured too?”

  She shook her head but turned away as they examined Jake. “I faint at the sight of blood.” She held up her hand.

  “We see that a lot. Here let me clean you up.” He washed away the blood.

  The chief showed up shortly after. “What happened here, Jake?”

  “After I climbed down the lighthouse, I came here to meet Lily.”

  “I was in the ladies’ room,” Lily explained.

  The chief frowned. “You went by yourself?” He shot Jake a stern glance.

  They both said, at the same time, “Yeah, that was stupid,” then they looked at each other and let out a nervous chuckle.

  The chief raised his brow. “Good. We’re in agreement on that.”

  “I heard something down the trail and when I looked, I swear I saw you Lily. A woman with long blond hair. When I called out your name, I heard a cry for help. I ran toward you. Or the woman I thought was you. Next thing I know, someone hits me, hard.”

  “Did you lose consciousness?” the EMT guy asked.

  “I don’t think so. I stumbled and it took me a few minutes to comprehend what happened. The woman disappeared. I was disoriented but made it back here.”

  “That wasn’t me, Jake. But I guess you figured that out. Chief?”

  “An obvious ruse to get Jake away from you, but you two seemed to make that easy anyway.”

  Lily gulped. She hated when he scolded her. On the rare occasion her father had, meant she had disappointed him.

  The chief was right, they should have never split up. She had gone on ahead of Jake because she could tell he was embarrassed about taking a long time to climb down, and there were many people around, she assumed she was safe. She should have known the park would clear out quickly.

  Once the bonfire was put out, there was no reason to stay. On a Saturday night, clubs were open, couples might eat a late dinner, and families might go home. Besides, at closing time, the front gate to the park locks. Cars in the lot would be stuck there until morning.

  “That woman. Could it have been Haley?”

  Jake looked up, a challenge when the tech was inspecting his wound. “You mean, put on a long wig and pretend to be you? Guess it’s possible.”

  The chief cut in. “There’s been no trace of Haley. Could be. Or she could be working with someone else. Maybe that cousin who lied for her, who we haven’t been able to locate either. One scenario is that Haley gets Jake to follow her, her accomplice hits you, thinking she’d knocked you out, and they wait for Lily.”

  “I didn’t show up because I went back to the bonfire and packed up our stuff.” She glanced at Jake. “I thought maybe you went back there.”

  The EMT said, “Okay, we’re going to put you on this gurney and carry you to our vehicle. We’re ready to take you to the hospital.”

  When Jake shook his head. “Not necessary. My car . . .” the chief cut him off.

  “Go to the hospital, Jake. You might have a concussion. One of my guys will bring your car to your apartment.”

  “Needs some stitches at the very least.” The EMT closed up his bag.

  “Lily, go with him in the ambulance,” the chief ordered. “My men and I will check out the area. Maybe the suspect is still hanging around.”

  After a short drive to reach the main county highway, the ambulance soared to the nearest hospital. The emergency room doctor ruled out a concussion, tended to Jake’s wound, and suggested an overnight observation.

  Jake refused.

  The doctor punched his pen closed and stuck the implement back in the pocket of his scrubs. “You shouldn’t be alone tonight.”

  “He can stay with me. I’ll watch over him. Tell me what to do.” She was the cause of his injury. Even though she had decided to put the brakes on their budding relationship, she couldn’t scram when he needed someone to take care of him.

  The doctor filled her in on signs that warranted an immediate trip back to the emergency room. Then she called Denis, told him what happened, and he rushed to the hospital. When Jake was released, Denis drove them home.

  “Are you sure you want Jake to stay the night? Someone tried to hurt him. You might be in danger too. Can’t someone else watch over him? No offense, Jake.” Denis gripped the steering wheel as he glanced in the rearview mirror to speak to Jake in the back seat.

  “None taken. And you’re right. She is in danger.”

  “Jake, you can stay with me tonight. I’ll take the couch.”

  “Thanks for the offer, man, but then Lily would be alone.”

  “I’ll talk to the chief and maybe he could put an officer outside the front of her house.”

  “Um, hello? I’m sitting right here, and you’re talking about me like I’m not. You’re sweet to offer to help, Denis, but with my sisters gone I have plenty of room. Besides, if it weren’t for me, Jake wouldn’t have a huge dent in his head. No more discussions.”

  They drove the rest of the way in silence, and when Denis trailed into her driveway, he offered to help Jake into the house.

  “Put him in Rose’s room.” She touched Jake’s arm. “That’s the room closest to mine. I’m going to Aunt Bee’s to get Leo.”

  Although she wanted to rush in and out of her neighbor’s house, Lily knew that wasn’t an option. She had to give Aunt Bee every gory detail before the elderly woman was satisfied. She thanked her for watching Leo and ten minutes later, located Denis giving Jake a glass of water and an extra blanket.

  “All set, L
ily. If you want, I can stay the night too.”

  “What would I do without you, Denis? But no thanks. You must be exhausted too. We’ve had a long day. Go home. Didn’t you have a date with a bath?”

  He grinned. “Yes, I still do. I was about to tip my toe in the tub when you called.”

  “The water’s cold by now. Sorry.”

  He shrugged her off with a wave. “No worries. The wine’s on ice, and there’s more hot water in the system.” He stopped at the door. “You know I’d do anything for you, Lily.”

  After Denis left, Lily got Jake settled and let Leo out. Since the doctor had told her to check on Jake during the night, she set her alarm for two hours. Chrissy had a concussion once from high school field hockey, and Lily remembered her mom assessing her sister often while she slept.

  Lily went back to Rose’s room and sat on the side of the bed. Jake sat up, his back resting against plumped up pillows. Strange to see someone besides Rose in her bed.

  “I’m going to call my sisters in a few minutes. Wait till I tell them what’s happened now.”

  He reached out and took her hand. “We shouldn’t have separated tonight. Until the chief makes an arrest, I’m not leaving your side.”

  She swallowed her response. How could she tell him, in order to slow down what was stirring between them, she was going to recommend that they shouldn’t be together all the time? How could she sort out her feelings if he was always with her? Tomorrow. She’d tell him then. She slipped her hands from his. “Rest now. I’ll check on you soon.”

  Chapter 18

  Lily twisted in the bed covers trying not to stir from her restless dreams. Someone kept shouting at her in the distance. “No! Leave me alone,” she yelled back. The yelling got louder and closer to her ear. She pulled the blankets over her head and in her groggy stupor willed the noise to stop. She needed to sleep.

  Something pounced on her, and she realized the shouting was barking. Leo was yelping and sitting on top of her. She peeled the blankets off and forced an eye open.

  “What is it, boy? Do you have to go out?” She still had a few minutes before she had to check on Jake for the second time that night. Even though he didn’t have a concussion, she wasn’t about to let Jake slip into a coma or worse, not on her watch.

  Leo pounced on her again, grabbing hold of the covers in his teeth and yanking.

  “Knock it off, Leo. You’re going to wake Jake.” But his sudden high-pitched bark signaled to her that something was wrong. His behavior alarmed her.

  She propelled upright and listened for anything out of the ordinary. Did Leo notice something wrong with Jake? With all that had happened, maybe someone was trying to break in. She grabbed her cell phone from her nightstand and swung her legs across the bed. Her bare feet touched the cold hardwood floor. She listened again.

  Nothing. Then all her senses became alert. An acrid scent hit her nose. Fire. Lily placed her fingertips on her closed bedroom door. Cool to the touch. Relief washed over her. Twisting the handle, she leaned into the hall. Nothing out of the ordinary. She peeked in on Jake, and heard his light breathing. Then she went on to the two other bedrooms and bathrooms on that floor. As she crept downstairs, the scent grew stronger. She raced down the stairs with Leo right behind her.

  She checked the kitchen first. The wall clock ticked. The refrigerator hummed. The microwave light illuminated the stove underneath. No flames or smoke. From there she went room to room, and everything appeared normal.

  “Must be someone’s fireplace, Leo. Let’s go back to bed.”

  Leo barked and hopped up and down on his hind legs.

  “Maybe you do want to go out. Okay, boy, let me slip on my sneakers and grab a jacket from the coat closet. Then I’ll come out with you. Maybe I can figure out who’s burning wood in their fireplace in the middle of the night.”

  After getting her shoes and coat on, she swung open the back door. Leo raced out to the yard, and she followed. That’s when she saw the source of the fire.

  Flames soared out the back of Aunt Bee’s house. The kitchen was engulfed in a dancing inferno.

  “Aunt Bee, oh my God! Oh no!” Lily ran to her gate, charged out, but locked Leo in, and sprinted next door. She carried her cell phone in her hand as she took the stairs two at a time up to the front porch. She tried the front door. Locked.

  Lily hit the emergency call button on her phone.

  A dispatcher picked up. “What’s your emergency?”

  “My next-door neighbor’s house is on fire! She’s elderly,” Lily shouted into the phone. “Please. Send help quickly.”

  “Can you tell me your name please and the name of your neighbor? Ma’am, what’s the address?”

  Lily stated the address and all the information. “She must be asleep or unconscious. Maybe she’s hurt.”

  “Ma’am, I’ve dispatched the fire department, police, and EMS. They’re on their way.”

  “Please hurry.” All Lily could imagine was that Aunt Bee was trapped inside, calling for help. “I need to do something.”

  “Lily, you did do something. You called for help. Now I need you to stay away from the house. Stay on the phone and keep talking to me.”

  The smell was stronger now, and Lily could hear Leo barking and the crackling of fire. The dispatcher was saying something to her, but she slid the phone into her pocket and started banging on the door calling Aunt Bee’s name. She gazed around and screamed for help.

  She put her ear close to the door and heard Aunt Bee call out her name. Lily touched the metal door knob. The steel was cold. Good. The fire hadn’t reached the front of the house yet. A spare key to Aunt Bee’s house hung in her own kitchen, but she didn’t dare take the time to run back. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to her friend and there was a chance that she could have saved her.

  She squinted into the living room window and panicked. In minutes, or worse, seconds, the fire contained in the kitchen would move into that room, and the piles of newspapers would incinerate in a flash. If she broke the window, she feared a backdraft, a fact she had learned from an old movie she had seen.

  No sirens came to the rescue yet. None of the year-round neighbors heard her cries for help. A wail came from inside the house. She scanned the window again. Aunt Bee folded over and remained glued to the wall in the hallway.

  Lily searched the porch and picked up a cast iron welcome cat. With as much force as she could, she banged the statue against the glass, praying the fire didn’t blast at her or Aunt Bee. The window shattered, and pieces of glass flew everywhere. No backdraft.

  “I’m coming, Aunt Bee.” Lily took the cat and hammered out the leftover stubborn shards. She whipped off her coat, throwing the denim material over the ledge, dragged the porch chair to the window, stepped with a thud, and jumped through, hoping to land on her feet.

  Her hands braced her fall, but she thumped her knee on a hard object on the floor. When she tried to stand up, a corner of a console table stabbed her back.

  “Ouch!” She rubbed at the spot. “Aunt Bee, are you okay? We’ve got to get you out of here.”

  Sirens screeched outside and sounded far away. Lily held out her hand and started to limp toward her. “Come on, I’ll help you.” She moved around the clutter.

  “I can’t find Miss Kitty and Fester.”

  Sirens grew louder as they grew closer. “They’re hiding. The firefighters will find them. Hurry! The smoke is building in here. The fire must be spreading down the other hallway.”

  Lily started to cough, the smoke burning her nostrils when she breathed. Her eyes stung with tears building from the billowing poisoned air. She reached Aunt Bee and grabbed hold of her soft, pudgy arm. “I’ve got you. Follow me toward the door.”

  Aunt Bee resisted Lily’s tug and didn’t bud
ge. Although she was elderly and frail, she was heavier than she looked. Lily almost cried from the burning sensation in her lungs. She could hear the flames and feel the heat moving through the house.

  “Aunt Bee, we have to leave. Now!”

  The older woman remained secure in her stance. “I can’t leave them. They’re my babies.”

  “Lily! Mrs. Bailey! Are you in there?”

  Lily whipped her head around at the familiar voice and tightened her arm around her friend’s. “Jake? Is that you?”

  He climbed through the window the same way she had, letting a curse slip from his tongue as he banged and knocked into things on the way to reach them. “Come on, ladies, this way.”

  He tugged at their sleeves, but once again Aunt Bee stayed fixed. Black smoke enveloped them. The front door disappeared in an angry dark cloud.

  “She won’t leave without Fester and Miss Kitty.” When Jake didn’t respond, Lily added, “Her cats. They must be hiding under something.”

  Fire engines and ambulances sirens blasted down the street.

  “I’ll find them, Mrs. Bailey. I promise. Let’s go now.”

  He grabbed Lily’s hand and she clamped hers on Aunt Bee’s. Blinded by the smoke, Jake led them toward the front door through the maze of clutter.

  Someone shouted through the window, “Anyone in there?”

  Lily screamed, “We’re in here. Help us!”

  “Stand back!” came an order.

  A crash resonated through the house, and Lily prayed the roof wasn’t caving in on them. She couldn’t see past a few inches at this point and knew she was breathing in too much smoke. Her lungs screamed in agony. She coughed uncontrollably in proof. Strong arms grabbed hold of her and yanked. Firefighters must have knocked down the door and were pulling them out.