More Than Memories: A Second Chance Standalone Romance

by N. E. Henderson

“You blackmailed the other judge?” Shane mentioned Jacob thought something fishy had to have happened for him to be awarded joint custody. He blackmailed a judge?

  “You know, Wife, it’s a wonder what some people—influential people—keep in safety deposit boxes. They think they’re burying their dirty little secrets and no one would be able to touch them. I can though. And it just so happens our judge has a box at my bank in town. And he didn’t want messy things leaked to the public. He was very happy to help me.” His smile is sickening, making my stomach roll. “Many people have secrets they think they can keep hidden. Not from me, though. Not when they pay me to house their dirty laundry. Doctors. Lawyers. Judges. And not just people in Memphis. People from all over the United States. And you of all people should be grateful. It’s how we got Emersyn after all.”

  My spine straightens.

  “What are talking about?”

  “You and your damn birth control. So thorough. Had to feed you fake pills for nearly a year before you became pregnant with her.” I gasp, shocked. I have no words. My birth control didn’t fail like I thought. He planned it. He made it happen. And I let him. I’ve let him pick up my prescriptions all these years. “This time though, when we have our next child, there’s no need for secrets. No need for you to continue taking those fake pills you’ve been on.”

  My eyes widen. He was trying again. Holy hell, that’s why I got—

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I’d completely forgotten about my doctor’s visit a few hours ago. The positive result.

  I have to do something. He’s crazy. Crazy people do crazy things. He’s talking about when we have another child like I’m going to go back to him.

  He’s going to do something bad. I feel it. I feel it in my soul. And I can’t allow him to hurt my daughter that’s already here, breathing, alive, and scared only a few feet away from me.

  She has to be my number one priority. I can’t think about anything else—or anyone else. Not until she is safe.

  I react, doing the only thing I can think of that might get her out of this unharmed and away from him. I have to do something. Surely anything is better than doing nothing at all. Something has snapped inside of him, and there is no talking my way out of this situation. I’m just praying in the end, that she’ll be okay after this.

  “Run, Everly!”

  I don’t look at her. Instead, I leap forward, pushing and knocking Blake backward as hard as I can while trying to reach for the weapon. His back hits the glass wall behind him. The gun goes off. Loaded. It was loaded. I stumble, falling onto him, my ear ringing.

  No. Nooooo. Everly.

  I push up, trying to see where she is. But I don’t see her. She isn’t in the spot she was before. I look out the entrance, still seeing nothing.

  “You bitch.”

  A sting to my face both stuns me and makes me fall off him, to the side, landing on the carpeted floor.

  He slapped me.

  Please get to safety, Ev. Please, God, get her to safety.

  That’s all that matters. If this is it, if he shoots me and I die, all that matters is that she gets to safety.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Shane Braden

  My tires screech as my Tahoe comes to an abrupt stop behind Whitney’s car. She hasn’t answered her phone once in the dozen times I’ve hit redial.

  My mother’s feeling from the week before last comes crashing into me. I have a bad feeling is what. I had this same feeling before my best friend took her life, Shane. It’s not a good feeling and I thought back then if I had done something then maybe Lynn would still be here.

  I have a bad feeling too. I’m just praying I’m wrong. I’m praying there is a logical explanation for them being here. For Whitney not answering her phone. But then Roxanne’s words come to mind. He’s not right in the head, Shane. He’s obsessed with her. He’ll stop at nothing to get her back. NOTHING, Shane.

  That was after she told me Blake approached her to help him split us up. When she admitted she liked the idea at first, I could tell that embarrassed her to have to tell me, but she did it anyway.

  But when she told me he planned to hurt Everly, I nearly lost it. And when I brought up the GPS tracking app I have on Everly’s phone and saw she wasn’t at school, I almost choked. My heart fearing every worst thing a parent can feel when they don’t know where their child is.

  Thank fuck she kept Emersyn. I rushed out of the hospital so quick I couldn’t explain to her why. I trust Roxanne when she said she would never hurt a kid. She’ll take her to Gavin and he’ll take her home with him until I can figure out what’s going on—and if my other girls are safe. God, please let them be safe.

  The street is empty of people. It’s late afternoon, but this block is mostly vacant except for a few cars. The buildings look new.

  When I come to the glass door next to where Whitney’s car is parked next to the curb, I read the name of the business. Chills crawl up my neck. That’s the company Blake works for.

  I don’t have time to think. I dial 911 on my phone as quickly as my fingers will type the digits in.

  “911 what’s your emergency?”

  “I need a police officer to come to my location. My girlfriend and daughter are missing and—”

  BOOM. I hear a loud pop from somewhere above me. A gunshot, I think. My head snaps up at the building in front of me. It came from inside there. The pressure inside mounts, building up. It’s heavy. It’s agony. They have to be okay. I won’t be able to breathe without them. I can’t do loss again.

  I drop my cell, yanking on the front of the door and rushing inside. I scan all around. There’s nothing in here but dust, darkness, and sheets of clear plastic.

  Movement to my right catches my attention, putting me on alert. My head snaps that way, to a set of stairs. Relief floods through me when I see Everly running down them. My feet propel toward her, meeting her just as she’s about to step off the last stair.

  “Daddy.” I grab her, pulling her into my arms, lifting her off the floor.

  “Are you okay?” I set her down, pulling back to scan her from top to bottom. She nods, but there are tears coming down her cheeks, one right after another.

  “Everly.” I hear the panic in Whitney’s voice. My eyes shoot up.

  “Get outside now. My truck is unlocked. Get in and lock the doors.”

  “But Momma.” She squeaks.

  I look back down. “Go, Ev.” I pull her back to where I came inside, pushing her out the door and into the daylight. “Get in the truck.” I step backward. “Lock the doors.”

  Turning, I look up again, this time seeing bodies on the third floor as I run toward the stairs, taking them as fast as I can with only two thought going through my head: that motherfucker has a gun and my woman is up there.

  When I get to the third level, I jet inside the office space I saw them in. Blake is just getting to his feet and Whit is lying on her side on the floor. And he has a gun, pointing it down at her.

  “You stupid, stupid bitch!” he screams. His eyes never leave hers, and I realize he hasn’t seen me yet.

  I tackle him from the side, forcing him away from her. The gun goes off again. My ears can only process the ringing the blast caused. I don’t know what direction the bullet went or if it hit something or someone. If it hit Whitney . . . Fuck, no. I didn’t think. Not really. I was only trying to get him and that weapon away from her.

  Crashing into Blake, he lands into glass wall, shattering it with the impact of our bodies.

  “Shane.” Whitney sounds panicked, but just the sound of her voice lightens me, telling me she’s okay. I don’t dare look at her though. Taking my eyes off a madman would be stupid and dangerous to us both.

  He starts moving under me, shoving, twisting.

  “You have to die,” he grunts.

  “Shane, get away from him. Please,” She begs. “He’s crazy. He’s lost his mind.”

  “Get out of here.” I yell, pushing him back down. He
kicks, bending my leg and making me lose my balance. I fall, landing on my hip. “Fuck.”

  “No, fuck you.” He gets to his knees, blood dripping down his cheek.

  “Whit. Leave. Go find Ev.”

  I push up, off the ground the same time he does. He’s not looking at me though. My guess, he’s looking at Whitney. I see the obsession in his eyes. I’ve loved Whitney for so long at times it’s felt like an obsession. An all-consuming feeling where only she mattered. But this obsession he has isn’t like that. Not at all. He only cares about what he wants. I’ve always cared. I’ve always loved her more than I love myself. The same way I now love my girls more than my own life. I’d do anything for them.

  He’d do anything for himself.

  How does he not see me?

  “No. You aren’t leaving, Wife,” he spits out. A small stream of blood trails from his lip and down his chin. “You’re staying right here. With me.” His arm slowly starts to rise. “You won’t be his. I won’t allow it. You are mine fore—”

  I move fast, my hand reaches out, one grabbing his wrist and pushing down while the other turns his to face me. Surprise sparks his eyes, but only for a moment. I slam the back of his head into the doorjamb behind him. Anger quickly returns and he head-butts me, thrusting my head backward and blinding me.

  Fuck. The pain that radiates through me is squashed and replaced with something else when Whitney screams. I can’t let him hurt her. I won’t.

  Shaking it off, I see through a haze his arm lifting. Without thought, I shove him out the door, getting him away from Whitney. I push again as my forehead throbs.

  Blinking, my vision has finally fully returned and I’m able to look him in the eye. I’m expecting to see hatred, but in its place, is fear. What the . . .?

  When I realize what’s about to happen, I jump forward, leaping to the railing to grab him, to grab onto something to keep him from falling. But I’m not quick enough. He goes over the railing, his suit jacket sliding through my fingers. I’m not able to stop it from happening.

  My stomach pushes against the hard, steel of the railing. My head turns to the side, wincing when the thud of his body hits concrete. The wind from my lungs leave my mouth in a rapid gush.

  Deep down, I know there is no way he survived that fall. But the physician in me urges me to go make sure—to see if I can save him. He doesn’t deserve it, but that’s never been my call to make. My job is to save lives, not be the decider on who deserves life or not. I’m supposed to do anything within my power to give people another chance.

  “Oh my . . .” Whitney steps up next to me, looking over. “Fuck. Is he . . .?”

  “Go,” I whisper. “Go check on Everly. She’s supposed to be in the truck.”

  She doesn’t say yes. She doesn’t tell me she heard me. But she does take off running down the stairs. Seconds later I’m doing the same, but for different reasons.

  A part of me doesn’t want him to be okay. Doesn’t want him to be alive. And I curse myself on the inside for those thoughts. What does that say about the doctor I’m supposed to be?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Whitney Lane

  When I raced outside, I saw blue lights all around, but I couldn’t comprehend they were police officers. Seeing Blake go over that railing, and then trying to find Everly, consumed my every thought. My thoughts were like a ping-pong ball bouncing back and forth.

  Everly. Blake.

  Where is she? Is he dead?

  Everly. Blake.

  How is all of this going to scar her? How did he become that person?

  My baby girl. A man that should have never been my husband.

  “Ma’am,” someone, a man, had called out.

  “Ev. Everly.” I looked all around, finally spotting Shane’s Tahoe.

  “Ma’am.” I ignored him again, running toward the vehicle.

  “Mom.” Her voice made me stop a few feet from being able to snatch the door open. She wasn’t inside. The sound of her voice was somewhere else, so I looked in the direction I thought I heard it. I looked left, across the street, spotting her sitting on a curb in front of a police cruiser.

  “Ma’am, please stop. I need—”

  I took off, running toward her.

  “Sweetheart, are you okay?” I pulled her to her feet and clutched her to my chest. I was finally able to breathe again. She was okay. At least physically she was okay and that was enough, for now.

  That was two hours ago. Two hours that I’ve been able to take air into my lungs. Two hours that I’ve felt relief like nothing I’ve ever experienced before in my life. Not even the moment my memories returned did I feel this settled.

  Blake’s gone. He’s dead. The father of one of my children died today, and I feel settled? What the fuck kind of fuckedupness is that? I don’t voice any of this though. No, I keep all that inside.

  “Buckle up, Ev,” I tell her when we all slide inside Shane’s Tahoe with me in the driver’s seat, Shane in the passenger, and Everly safely in the back. Both are quiet. Shane is the quietest of us all. He’s thinking. I can tell he keeps getting caught up inside his head.

  We were questioned at the scene of the accident. Accident, my ass. Sure, Shane never meant to push Blake over that railing. That part was an accident, but the whole thing wasn’t an accident. Blake planned it. I don’t know what he thought the outcome was going to be, but he planned it. It was no accident. He’s dead now because of his own selfish reasons. He did this.

  I called Jacob, not knowing who else to call. He called Shawn who was closer. Shawn met us at the bank and Jacob arrived just as we got to the police station to give our statements of what happened.

  Jacob says there will be an investigation into everything that happened. Protocol, he said. He also said not to worry. It’s mostly over, and he’d deal with anything else that comes along. I’ll probably be questioned again. He told me this, but I also figured as much. We’ll all have to re-live today’s events, at some point. But for now, it’s over.

  I’m taking us home. Shawn is going to follow. He wanted Shane to ride with him. Said we could all fit in his truck and he’d come back for our vehicles later, but I wanted to drive us. Driving helps me think. It’ll help clear my head by the time we get back to the apartment. At least I hope so.

  I shove the keys in the ignition and crank it. When I go to sit the bottle of water Shawn bought me into the cup holder it won’t go in, making me look down to see what’s blocking the hole.

  It’s darker now. Dusk is upon us, so the inside of the truck is too dark. I reach in, pulling out a small box. It’s velvet. I know this from the feel of it before I pull it up. It’s unmistakable. It’s a ring box. I open it before I realize I’m doing so. My eyes grow wide with shock. My mind sparks, and my chest swells.

  It’s a ring.

  It’s an engagement ring.

  I don’t have to be told that to know that’s exactly what this is. I promptly sit it back down, not closing the lid like I should. I pull my hand back, still looking down at the diamond that sits nestled in the jewelry box. It’s an oval cut, with small diamonds around the band. I can’t see beyond what’s visible so I don’t know if the diamonds go complete around the brand.

  Shit, that’s pretty. That’s freakin’ gorgeous.

  Oh my God! Another realization dawns—he was going to ask . . .

  Fuck.

  Focus, dammit.

  I glance down at the open ring box again. Stop it!

  I look over. Shane’s head is resting on the headrest and he’s looking up. Eyes open. He’s freaking out inside his head. I know he is. I see it. He saved us yet a person is dead. This is going to eat him alive.

  I look in the rearview mirror. Everly is biting her nails. She must be wigging out too.

  Hell, I’m freaking out now too, but not because someone died. I’m freaking out because the man next to me wants to marry me.

  Emersyn.

  The thought pops up. Where’s Em? Panic bub
bles up my throat. Where the hell is Emersyn?

  “Shane? Babe, where’s Em?” I touch his forearm where it’s resting on the console.

  “Rox has her.”

  Rox? Who the fu—

  “Roxanne your neighbor? Roxanne that wants you? That Roxanne has my daughter!?”

  Ah, fuck. I’m screaming at him, and I can’t stop myself. Roxfuckinganne? I just dealt with a crazy psycho. I can’t deal with another.

  “She’s fine,” he assures me. “I’ll explain later. I can’t . . . think.” He sits up, abruptly taking his head off the headrest and starts looking around, searching for something. “My phone! Where’s my phone?”

  “Here.” Reaching behind the center console, I grab my purse.

  One of the police officers found his phone on the ground earlier. They asked if it were mine when we were at the police station. It wasn’t, but I took it knowing it was Shane’s. I pull it out it, handing it to him.

  “I told her to take her to Gavin. I’ll call him.”

  Relief doesn’t come until he’s spoken to his boss and confirmed he does in fact have Emersyn.

  Thank God.

  “He’s going to bring her home. He’ll meet us there,” he tells me when he puts his phone down. His eyes stay cast down. When I look where he’s looking I see his eyes are on the opened ring box. “You saw it.”

  It’s not a question. He knows I did.

  I grab his hand, entwining our fingers, and I lean over. He looks at me, then my lips meet his. It’s not a passionate kiss. It’s not sexy or erotic. It’s just a kiss. But it’s a kiss that tells him everything he needs to know at this moment.

  It says we’re here together, forever.

  I just have to figure out a way to get him past what happened today. To get our family past today’s stupid, tragic events. But first I have to confront the people that put all this in motion to begin with.

  Mommy and Daddy, I hope you’re ready for me, because I’m bringing a shit-storm to your door very, very soon.