Tangled Hearts (Passion in Paradise)

by Sarah O'Rourke

  “I’ll walk you to the edge, Melody. I’d just feel better if you see your car before I go get in mine,” Austin grunted as he followed her to the edge of the road.

  Melody nodded, hurrying toward the mostly darkened street in front of the diner. Spotting Cal leaning against his truck, she waved at him. “There’s Cal,” she informed Austin, shivering as a chilly wind blew over them. “I’ll call you tomorrow and set up a time to meet and discuss our training schedule. Have a good night, Austin.”

  “You, too,” he returned, taking a step back as she stepped out into the road.

  She made it halfway across the deserted street when the bright headlights blinded her. Freezing as she turned her head to see a vehicle barreling down the road toward her, she distantly heard Austin’s deep voice yelling at her to run as Cal’s agonized shout tore through the night. The body was a strange thing, though, and in those moments, Melody understood perfectly the phrase ‘paralyzed by fear’. She quite literally couldn’t force her legs to move as the sound of the vehicle coming toward her grew nearer and nearer.

  Seconds later, she was distantly aware of something hitting her with the force of a cannon.

  And after that, as her head connected with pavement, there was only darkness.

  Chapter Nineteen: Your Honor, Is It Really Murder If She Had it Coming?

  When she woke up, he was pretty sure he was going to kill her.

  And at his murder trial, when the judged asked him why he’d done it, he was going to turn his head, look the fuckin’ jury of his peers in the eyes and tell them all with unequivocal certainty his defense was simple. She’d had it coming.

  He’d decided that it would be an open and shut case; no court in the land would convict him.

  Shifting in the uncomfortable plastic chair he’d dragged to her bedside, his eyes skated over her face. Scratched and bruised, it hurt him to see it now.

  Reaching out a hand to gently stroke the strip of uninjured skin above the gash in her forehead, he reminded himself that the doctor had said she was going to be okay. Sore from her fall and blow to the head and groggy from the drugs she’d been administered, but okay in the long run.

  At first, he’d been doubtful. Melody’s head wound had left her covered in her own blood, and at first glance, it had looked like she was dying, but the doc on call tonight had quickly assured him that the wound was mostly superficial. Yeah, she had a concussion, but compared to what could have happened, she was lucky. He’d questioned the guy running the ER tonight within an inch of his life because while the man might have been Paradise’s reigning star obstetrician, he was a far cry from the trauma doctor Cal had hoped would look after the woman he loved. He’d found out quickly, however, that Dr. Mack Daniels knew his shit. The doc might choose practice in obstetrics, but he ran a damn tight ship in the small emergency room. Nurses had rushed to do his bidding as he’d barked commands and ordered tests for an unconscious Melody.

  In the end, she’d roused for a few moments, answering a few questions to insure there was no brain damage while Cal had held her hand tightly in his, refusing to let her go. After Dr. Daniels was sure she’d suffer no lasting damage, he’d given her something for the pain that had knocked her back out.

  And that brought him to now…sitting here, reliving the memory of watching that car rocket toward her, knowing he’d never be able to make it to her in time. It had nearly killed him to watch that happen. And if that guy she’d hired hadn’t pushed Melody out of the way, Cal knew he would have lost her.

  And THAT would have ended him.

  Which was why he wanted to wrap his hands around her neck and strangle her… just as soon as she opened those gorgeous chocolate eyes and looked at him. He still wasn’t sure how he could love her so fucking much while being this furious with her.

  Furious because she’d been keeping secrets from him… secrets that very well might have nearly gotten her killed.

  A-fucking-gain!

  He’d learned about those not-so-little secrets when he’d been going through her purse searching for her insurance card and found not one, but two threatening notes inside her handbag, one of them neatly wrapped in a plastic baggy as though she’d been preserving it for the police.

  As soon as she opened those pretty eyes of hers, he’d be demanding some answers.

  Well, right after he kissed her. And damn, he had to admit, he badly needed that kiss, he thought, staring at her scraped face. She’d had other bruises, too; the impact of being knocked off her feet by a two hundred plus pound man would leave more than a few marks, but Austin Jackson had saved her life.

  And he really needed to check on that guy. He owed the man more than he’d ever be able to repay for saving Melody’s life when he couldn’t. The car had clipped him when it had sailed past them, and last he heard, Dr. Daniels had ordered an X-ray of the guy’s leg to make sure nothing was broken. He knew the Sheriff was also somewhere in the hospital, taking statements from both Austin and one of the waitresses that had witnessed the hit and run. He needed to find Zeke and talk to him about those fuckin’ notes Melody had received, too.

  “Hey, how is she?” he heard as a low, gravelly voice asked from behind him. Turning in his chair, he saw Austin Jackson leaning heavily against the doorframe of Melody’s room, his head leaned in to try to see around him to where his new boss lay in the bed.

  “Austin, right?” Cal greeted the younger man as he rose quickly to meet him, extending his hand. “I’m Cal Valentine. Melody’s man. You okay?” he asked, looking down at the other guy’s leg.

  “Just pulled a tendon in my knee. They wrapped it; I’ll be fine. I’m more concerned about the Boss Lady,” Austin stated, his deep voice concerned. “Did she ever wake up?” he asked in a quiet voice. “Honest to God, man, I didn’t mean to take her down so hard, but I was so intent on getting her out of the way, that…”

  “Austin,” Cal interrupted calmly, hearing the apology and worry clouding the man’s voice, “You saved her life when I couldn’t. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you.”

  “I hurt her,” Austin muttered, staring at the tiled floor beneath their feet. “I’d just got done tellin’ her how much I’d changed… how I wasn’t dangerous to anybody. She was the only one willing to take a chance on me,” he said hoarsely.

  “Son, did you not hear me? You saved her life. The doc says she’s gonna recover just fine once she wakes up from all the good drugs they’ve pumped into her. And I’m pretty sure you’re gonna have job security with my woman for life. If not, you can come work at my gym until the day you die if you want.”

  Looking up at Cal, Austin’s grey eyes seemed to lighten. “You know me? My history, I mean?”

  “Yep. I make it a habit to know everything I can about any man goin’ near my woman. Especially the single ones. I know your story. You got a shit deal, Austin. You’re just a good man that was forced to do a bad thing for the right reasons. You never should have served time. Melody and I agree on that.”

  Nodding, Austin’s gaze moved from a resting Melody to Cal. “Thank you for that,” he acknowledged softly. “You should know that I’m real grateful to Melody for the chance she’s giving me, but I learned in the joint that you never step freely into another man’s territory so I gotta ask… you good with me working with her?”

  Cal smiled, instantly liking the other man and feeling bad that he’d given Melody shit for wanting to hire the guy. “I wasn’t,” he said truthfully, “But I wasn’t gonna be okay with any swinging dick near my girl. You proved tonight that you aren’t just any dick, man. You’re a stand-up guy. I’ll rest a little easier knowing she’s got you around to watch her back when she’s there at night. Especially after seeing how quickly you reacted tonight.”

  “Yeah,” Austin grunted. “You kinda have to develop some catlike reflexes on the inside or the consequences are pretty nasty.”

  Cal nodded again, darting another look toward the bed where Melody still rested. “I gotta
see the Sheriff, man. Would you mind staying with her for a few minutes?”

  Austin nodded. “Sure. Sheriff Zeke was in the waiting room with Sunshine taking her statement. I offered to take her home, but she seemed to want to stay and make sure Melody was okay and she said she had her own car. I think it rattled the poor girl pretty badly. She watched the whole thing from the window, but like me, couldn’t tell any helpful details about the car.”

  “Don’t feel bad about that, I think everybody watching was more concerned for you and Melody than trying to remember what the car looked like. I’ll give Sunshine the all clear to go home, though, and I’ll make this quick so that you can get off your feet and get some rest, too.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” Austin dismissed him. “I’m fine.”

  Cal thanked the man, grabbed the notes from Melody’s purse and headed toward the door. He found Zeke exactly where Austin had indicated. Joining the man in the waiting room, Cal forced himself to smile at the tiny black haired girl that Melody had hired last week. “Hey, sweetheart,” he greeted her gently. “I just came out to let you know that Melody is going to be completely fine. They’ve patched her up and she’s resting now. I’ll take her home tomorrow.”

  “Oh, thank God,” Sunshine whispered shakily, her eyes tearing up. “It looked so awful, Mr. Cal. I just felt so helpless standing there, watching it all happen in front of me. ”

  “That makes two of us, kid,” Cal offered with a sympathetic smile. He knew exactly how she felt, only instead of wanting to cry, he wanted to find who’d done this and eviscerate them.

  “You’re sure she’s gonna be okay?” Sunshine asked again.

  “Positive,” Cal confirmed.

  “I told you so,” Zeke murmured, patting the girl’s fragile back. “Now will you let one of my deputies drive you home? I’ll make sure your car gets delivered later tonight.”

  “Cops coming to my house?” Sunshine laughed humorlessly. “Not a good idea, Sheriff. It’ll just cause problems with Billy, and all I want to do is go home and cuddle with Zara. I promise, I’m fine to drive.”

  “How ‘bout I just have a deputy follow you? I’ll tell him not to stop when you get to the trailer, but both Honor and I want to make sure you arrive safely,” Zeke bargained smoothly.

  “It’d probably make Melody feel a lot better, too,” Cal interjected, trying to help out Zeke.

  Sunshine slowly nodded. “Okay. For Honor and Miss Melody,” she allowed, obviously reluctant, but unwilling to argue with the two men as she gathered her sweater and billfold. “Is it okay to call tomorrow and check in on her, Mr. Cal?” the girl asked hopefully, her wide dark eyes pleading with him.

  “Sure, sweetheart. She’d like that,” Cal agreed gently, desperately wanting to help protect the fragile looking creature standing in front of him. She looked so young and vulnerable, and not for the first time, he was glad that Honor, and now Melody, had taken the kid under their collective wings. She looked like she needed the umbrella, he privately thought as he listened to Zeke rumble into the radio he kept strapped to his belt.

  “Deputy Hanson is waiting by your car, Sunny,” Zeke said with easy familiarity. “No speeding and call Honor when you get home,” he directed.

  “Yes, Dad,” Sunshine mocked lightly, kissing Zeke on the cheek and nodding toward Cal as she left.

  Watching the kid disappear into the hallway, Cal sighed. “That kid needs help,” he muttered, remembering the ugly bruise she’d sported last week. It was fading now, but it was still glaringly clear that Sunshine was in a dangerous situation… one she didn’t want to share.

  “Yeah, we’re working on that,” Zeke muttered heavily, watching Sunshine go.

  Taking a deep breath, Cal focused his attention on the biggest problem he faced right now. There’d be time to worry about Sunshine’s situation later. “You got any leads on who tried to kill my woman?” he asked bluntly.

  “Only that it was a four door dark sedan, Cal. I can’t even verify if it was a man or woman driving,” Zeke shared unhappily. “Could be it was just some drunk driver or overzealous kid out for a joyride. Might not have been intentional, man. This could be just a case of wrong place, wrong time.”

  Cal scoffed as he shook his head. “Don’t think so, Sheriff,” he growled, handing over both notes to the other man. “Those indicate otherwise,” he stated with a nod toward the two notes in the plastic baggy. “Seems my woman hasn’t exactly been forthcoming on the threats she’s been receiving. AGAIN!”

  “Shit,” Zeke cursed, taking a closer look at the items inside the bag. “I swear to God, our women are determined to drive us insane! I’m gonna have the county test the town’s damned water supply for a chemical that makes the females in this town downright stubbornly stupid!” Flashing Cal a glare, he pointed a finger at him. “Do NOT tell Honor I said that. The woman’s already threatening to evict me from her house, and I still don’t have the first lead on who the fuck is hunting my woman.”

  Despite the grim look of things, Cal chuckled. Mostly because he’d be saying the same thing about Melody if he’d been the one making the comment. He totally understood where Zeke was coming from. “I’ll keep my mouth shut if you pull Brad Weller in to the station and question him about his whereabouts tonight. Seriously, Zeke, either you get in his face, or I will. I’m thinking if you do it, it’ll be a lot less violent than if I do it.”

  Zeke nodded. “I’ve already called Knoxville’s chief and got a man trackin’ him down, but Cal, I’ve seen a lot of crime go down. This doesn’t feel like a masculine crime. Men…when they want to hurt a woman… they make it physical. Almost like they want to get their hands dirty. Women, however, well, they like a little distance between them and their crimes. You know, they stick with things like poisoning. Hit and runs,” he educated Cal pointedly. “See where I’m going with this?”

  Cal nodded slowly as he frowned. “Melody hasn’t mentioned any women that she’s made an enemy of, but I’ll definitely ask her when she wakes up. Shouldn’t be much longer. The doc said those drugs would wear off in about four hours. She’s been here three. At any rate, I wouldn’t doubt that this has Brad’s handprints all over it. The guy is a pussy. I’m half convinced he has a vagina. Wouldn’t surprise me to learn that he did this. My non-surprise doesn’t mean I won’t kill him though, Zeke. If he hurt my Melody again…”

  “Let’s just find out where he was tonight before we get too far ahead of ourselves. I’ll call you as soon as I have some answers for you, and you call me if you get a lead from Melody first. No going off half-cocked and doing something stupid on your own. You were a military man, Cal. Do me a favor and follow the chain of command on this,” the lawman urged him before thumping him on the back and heading toward the door.

  Cal watched him leave, fighting the urge to follow after the other man. Breathing deeply he battled the overwhelming desire to find the asshole who’d hurt Melody himself and solve the problem in a permanent way. Of course, then Zeke – despite how much the other man liked him - would be obligated to arrest him and hold him accountable for his crime. He’d lose a few decades of his life in prison when he could spend those years loving Melody and making a family with her, and that math did not make him happy. But damn, it was hard to keep a level head when the woman he adored was at risk.

  Heading back to his Princess’s room, he mentally planned the lecture he’d soon be giving her… and this time, he’d be yelling loud enough that even the deaf would hear.

  Chapter Twenty: How to Manage the Macho Masculine Moron

  The first thing Melody noted when she finally garnered the energy to force her resistant eyelids to open was the pounding pain in her head. The next was the relieved face of the man she’d fallen in love with looming over hers.

  “There you are, Princess,” she heard Cal say, his deep voice almost shaking with grateful relief as she felt him moving closer to her. “It’s about time you showed me those gorgeous eyes,” he chided her softly, lif
ting his hand to stroke her unmarred cheek. “You scared the shit out of me. Again, woman. I’m not a young man, Melody. You’re gonna have to stop this crap,” Cal admonished, his voice growing slightly harsher as her pain dulled slightly when she shifted on the thin hospital mattress, taking some of the pressure off her sore muscles. Releasing an uneasy breath as she got a good look at the man she loved, Melody could see the residual worry and fear burning fiercely in his gaze. And suddenly, it dawned on her. She knew that he knew.

  About everything.

  It was that thought which propelled her upward in the bed, pulling a tortured cry from her lips as she reached for him.

  Cal’s aggrieved eyes softened on Melody face when she tried to sit up, and she hissed in a labored breath.

  “Easy does it, dammit,” Cal growled low in his throat as he slid a hand underneath her head to steady her while she struggled to prop herself up on the pillows. “You almost got hit by a car less than four hours ago and took one hell of a hit when Austin pushed you out of the way. For fuck’s sake, settle down before you do yourself even more damage.”

  “Oh, my God,” Melody gasped, ignoring both the pain and Cal’s obvious irritation as her body stiffened and braced for bad news. “Austin? I thought it was the car that hit me, not a body! And certainly not the body of my newest freaking employee,” she wailed, pushing a hank of her hair out of her face. “Is he okay? He wasn’t hurt, was he?” Guilt flooded her as she frantically clutched Cal’s arm, her eyes begging him to give her an answer that wouldn’t break her heart. God, if she’d gotten a good man hurt because of her problems, she’d never forgive herself.

  “Baby, he’s fine,” Cal said calmly, carefully, but insistently, pushing her back against the less than comfortable pillows. “Austin just left, in fact. He busted his knee up a little where the car clipped him, but otherwise, he’s in one piece. You, on the other hand, took a hit that would make a star NFL linebacker proud, and knocked yourself out when you hit the asphalt. It’s gonna take you a hot minute to recover. Especially after I get done blistering that beautiful ass of yours for this bullshit,” he warned as his eyes darkened and his nostrils flared slightly, his face indicating an emotional storm was coming.