REMEMBER ME (Secrets of Spirit Creek Book 1)

by Linda Style

  “We. You and me. I’ve been to L.A. several times and know my way around. It would save time if I go along.” Turning the corner, she said, “Think about it. Okay?”

  What she meant was that he couldn’t drive in L.A. with a bum foot and no driver’s license. “I don’t need to think,” he said. “It’s a good idea. But only if you agree to let me pay for it.”

  She pulled into her parents’ drive and hit a switch for the garage door. “Fine with me.”

  “But first, after we get your supplies, I want to contact the two guys I went to school with.”

  Tori took out their bags, and after Linc got his crutches under him, he managed to sling a duffel over his shoulder. He was maneuvering pretty well now and had been putting a lot more weight on his bad leg than he had before. He was down to one crutch now, and he couldn’t wait until he could manage on his own. The crutches were going into a gigantic bonfire.

  “Since you don’t have therapy until next week, it looks like we’ve got time to do quite a bit,” Tori said once they were inside and she’d put their suitcases in their respective bedrooms. “What would you like to do first?”

  Watching her as she walked away from him, Linc was pretty sure she wouldn’t like his answer. He got aroused at the way her hips swayed when she walked, the way her jeans clung to her thighs…the sweet curve of her perfectly shaped backside. What he’d like to do was find out how her long, lithe legs would feel wrapped around him.

  “Linc? Did you hear me?”

  “Ah, yes. Yes, I did, and I’m thinking.” Thinking that he’d better get his mind off his southern parts and focus on what they were there to do. If he didn’t, he’d have Tori in bed before the day was over. Or try to. “Right now, I’d like a cold drink.” What he needed was a cold shower. An icy-cold shower.

  An hour and a half later, after lunch, they decided on a plan of action—Tori would check different airlines for flights to L.A. and make arrangements for a place to stay and a rental car when they got there, and Linc would search MapQuest for all the places they planned to go, and make a list of questions to ask after they got there.

  Linc turned to Tori, who was sitting at her mother’s fancy desk. It was an antique and looked as if it had belonged to someone important, like Napoleon or some king. “I’ve done about all I can do for now,” he said. “How are you doing?”

  She looked up. “Great. I’ve got the flights for early tomorrow morning. But in order to do it online, I had to charge it to one of my accounts.” Immediately she held up a hand. “I know. You don’t have to say it. Let’s get this stuff done and work out the finances later. Okay?”

  He smiled. Just knowing he had the money to do it made a huge difference. “I didn’t say anything.”

  She stood to stretch. “I also reserved a car at the airport in L.A., but decided to wait on the hotel until we know where we’re going when we get there. How did you do?”

  “I called the number for Zack Crane and got a kid who said his dad would be home at six. So, I figure we should be waiting for him when he gets there. That way he can’t blow me off like Wilinski did.”

  “Okay, that gives us two hours to kill. I can pick up my art supplies, but that will only take a few minutes. Anything else you want to do?”

  “I’ve been thinking it might help to go to the university—to the crime scene. Maybe it’ll shock me into remembering something.”

  Tori’s eyes went wide. Her face paled.

  ~~~

  Tori felt the blood drain from her face. Her stomach roiled and sudden nausea made her reach for the desk for support. “H-how do you know where to go? You said…” She cleared her throat. “You said you weren’t there.”

  “I don’t know where to go exactly. I read the police report so I know where I was arrested. And that had to be close to where the attack happened, or they wouldn’t have stopped me.” He stood, then folded the papers in front of him and stuffed them in his jeans’ pocket. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the exact place. Just being on campus may spark some memories. And even if it doesn’t, it can’t hurt.” His mouth tipped into a teasing grin. “You can show me where we met.”

  She forced what she hoped looked like a smile. Though she’d graduated from ASU, most of her classes after the attack had been off campus at one of the smaller branches of the university or online. She’d never gone back to the tennis courts or her dorm.

  A wave of dizziness rose up in her at the thought. She walked robot-like to the car, then after Linc was in his seat, she said, “Excuse me. I need to go back inside for something.” Barely able to make it to the bathroom, she dropped to the floor on her knees and hurled into the bowl. After a series of dry heaves, she just sat there, limp and weak, her body shaking.

  Too much. It was all too much. She brushed the hair from her face with her forearm. How could she do this? She leaned to the side, her shoulder against the wall, legs out straight. How could she not? She was Linc’s only resource.

  “His only resource,” she repeated out loud. After a moment, she drew a long breath, pulled to her feet, washed up, brushed her teeth and dabbed on some lip gloss.

  She could do this. She had to do it. For Linc.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  TWENTY MINUTES LATER, after picking up her supplies at the art store in Scottsdale, they cruised around ASU’s Gammage Memorial Auditorium, the adobe-colored Frank Lloyd Wright building designed to blend with the Arizona landscape. “I don’t know where you want to go,” Tori told Linc, her thoughts shotgunning. If she parked far enough away, they might never get near the spot where she’d been attacked.

  “Anywhere,” he said. “Just park anywhere and we’ll get out and walk around.”

  She gave him a skeptical glance.

  “I can walk,” he said, a little indignant. “And if I can’t go far, we’ll find a place to sit and people watch.”

  Tori gazed from one side of the street to the other as she drove down Mill Avenue toward Tempe Town Lake. Downtown Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix where ASU was located, had grown since she’d last been there. Mill Avenue and the smaller side streets were still peppered with small bars, restaurants and funky shops selling vintage clothing, handmade jewelry, candles, books, records and antiques, but new condominiums and newer chain restaurants had been added. On weekends, she remembered, the avenue came alive with musicians and street performers.

  Watching groups of students cross the street, laughing and talking, some walking and some riding bicycles on their way to classes, a twinge of nostalgia hit her—and a sense of loss for a future she’d hoped for and was never able to experience. She remembered the anticipation, the excitement of that first day, her lofty aspirations and dreams still ahead of her.

  “There. Slow down, there’s a parking spot,” Linc said, bringing her to attention.

  “Perfect.” They were far from the tennis courts. Her dread eased and she breathed a silent sigh of relief.

  “Interesting,” Linc said, looking around. “Yucatecan Imports. Urban Angels. This is a really cool place. Too bad I don’t remember any of it.”

  Tori finished parking, got out and came around to Linc’s side. “This is your gig, so point me in the direction you want to go.”

  ~~~

  LINC PRESSED HIS BRAIN to remember something…anything. He’d spent four years in this neighborhood, for God’s sake. Graduated from the university. How could he not remember any of it? He gestured down the street toward a microbrewery. “Let’s go that way.” And on those words, he propelled himself across the street with ease, almost beating Tori. He stopped and glanced around.

  “Look.” Tori’s mouth fell open as she motioned toward an antique store window, then rushed over.

  “What?” Linc said, coming right behind her.

  “Oh, gosh. It’s mine,” she said. “One of the paintings I did just for fun way back when.”

  A large abstract painting sat on an easel in the middle of the window display. Linc bent to see the price ta
g. “Whoa. Did you see what they’re asking for it? Your work must be in demand.”

  Tori read it and took a step backward. “Wow.”

  “You better jack up your prices,” Linc teased.

  She worried her lower lip with her teeth, something Linc noticed she did when she was nervous about something, or embarrassed. And she’d seemed that way from the minute he’d mentioned coming to the area, the campus in particular.

  “The price really doesn’t mean much if no one will buy it.” After studying some other things in the window, she said, “Let’s go inside. I’m curious.”

  The place was packed with old stuff. A slightly musty smell permeated the air, the same way his grandmother’s house had smelled. His neck prickled at the thought. “Tori!” He grabbed her arm, stopping her. “I remembered something.”

  She swung around, eyes wide. “What?”

  “A memory of my grandmother’s house. The scent…I remembered that first. And then I remembered the house. And I can visualize it, and her face.” Damn. He couldn’t quit smiling. “I actually remember.”

  “Anything else?”

  “No, but it’s got to be a good sign.” A rush of adrenaline jacked him up. Man, he was pumped. Stoked. He remembered. Thank God, he remembered. Even if it wasn’t much.

  “That’s great, Linc.”

  Just then a clerk came over smiling. “Can I help you with something?” She looked at Tori, and her eyes suddenly lit up. “Tori? Oh, my gosh. It’s you.”

  “Liz?”

  “Yes!” the woman gushed and pulled Tori into her arms. “Oh, my God. Tori. Small world, huh.” The woman kept grinning like a long lost sister. “How are you?”

  “Good. I’m good. How about you?”

  The other woman raised her arms. “This is my store. Can you believe it?”

  “Of course I can. You were always an…entrepreneur.”

  “Hah. That’s a nice way to put it. I remember you telling me I should open up a junkyard because I collected so much trash in our little dorm room.”

  Tori looked at Linc as if just realizing she should introduce him. But if the woman knew Tori from school, maybe she knew him, too. When Tori didn’t say anything, He reached out and took the woman’s hand. “Hi. I’m Linc.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she said. “I’m Liz Anderson. Tori and I were roomies way back when.”

  No recognition there.

  The woman turned back to Tori, a sheepish expression on her face. “You saw the painting, didn’t you? I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do with it when you left school so suddenly. And then I never heard from you and someone said you dropped out. I didn’t know what to do with any of the stuff you left, so…” She shrugged, palms up.

  “I—I didn’t want it,” Tori said quickly. “It’s not very good and the price is way too high.”

  “I’ve had it in the window for a long time, just to dress it up. But a few days ago some guy came in and told me it might be worth something. He said you had a lot of paintings in Sedona. So, I put a good price on it.” Liz glanced from Tori to Linc and back again. “But it’s yours. Take it.”

  Interest flickered in Tori’s eyes. “It must have been someone I know. Did he tell you his name?”

  “No. I asked if he knew you so I could get in touch. But he said he didn’t. I have to say, he was kind of weird.”

  A slightly bewildered smile crossed Tori’s face. “What did he look like?”

  Liz moved closer to Tori, then looked at Linc when she said, “He looked a little like…your friend.” She gestured to Linc.

  Tori’s eyes narrowed.

  Linc shrugged, feeling as if he was intruding on a girl conversation, something he didn’t want any part of. “I’m going to go outside and let you ladies chat.” He started to leave, then stopped. “The guy was right, though. That painting is worth every penny you’re charging, maybe even more.”

  Outside, he spotted a bench across from the door, went over and plopped down. He glanced around at the other shops, then back again.

  Through the window, he saw Tori shove a hand through her hair. All day she’d seemed on edge. Now, as she stood talking, she shifted from one foot to the other, and it didn’t look as though she was enjoying the conversation at all. She hadn’t told Linc she’d dropped out of school. She’d told him she’d graduated from ASU, and that’s where they’d met. She never mentioned living in a dorm or that she’d had a roommate. And wouldn’t her friend know him, too? Of course, it had been a long time ago. Still, it made him uneasy, as if he were missing something. Or there was something she was keeping from him.

  Just then a motley-looking guy with torn clothes and a long, dirty beard got up from the curb where he was sitting, stopped a passerby and said, “If you’re looking for a good hamburger, go to the Four Peaks Brewery. And be sure to have the Kilt Lifter with it. That’s a Scottish ale. I recommend it. Best Arizona beer in town.” The passerby handed the man a buck and said, “Thanks for the recommendation.”

  The guy started to approach Linc, but before he had a chance to go into his spiel, Linc pulled out his empty pockets. He’d be happy to give the guy a handout, but he hadn’t had a chance to get money from the bank yet. Money from heaven. Literally.

  “Sorry,” Linc said, then watched the guy wander off to hit up his next target. He couldn’t help thinking, there, but for the grace of God… If it weren’t for Tori, that man could easily be him. If it weren’t for her, he didn’t know where he’d be right now. Just because she was staying with him didn’t mean she had to spill her guts. Just because he wanted to have a relationship with her didn’t mean she wanted one. And until he found out more about himself, how could he blame her? Hell, he didn’t even know if he was trustworthy.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  OF ALL THE PEOPLE Tori could have run into, why did it have to be Liz? Linc had heard her old roommate say Tori dropped out of school, heard her say she’d left everything there. How was she going to explain that? With another lie?

  “You look comfortable,” Tori said as she came out of the store. “But I think we should get going so we don’t get caught in traffic. It gets pretty busy around here.”

  “Where’s the painting?”

  “I left it with her. It’s a bad painting.”

  His forehead furrowed. “I think it’s good. And you should take it, especially if it’s one of your first paintings. It’ll be worth even more a few years from now when you’re world famous.”

  She grinned. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

  “It’s true. I know what I like. If I had more money than I do, I’d buy it in a heartbeat.” He stood and positioned himself to go. “Oh, Mac told me I could start using a cane anytime I wanted, and I see a cane in the window over there.” He gestured behind her. “I’d sure like to get rid of these crutches, so maybe we can find a bank and I can get the cane.”

  She glanced around. “I’m sure there’s one somewhere nearby, but I don’t see any. Rather than searching, why don’t I get the cane and we’ll find a bank on the way. I promise.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Tori bought the cane, and when she came out, she saw Linc was already down the street heading toward the car. Catching up, she said, “I think we should find the place where this friend of yours lives and then make it an early night. The flight leaves at six in the morning.”

  The look on his face said he thought she was crazy. “Six? Are you serious?”

  “Yep. Dead serious.”

  “Man, I thought I’d get a little extra rest since I don’t have to get up early for therapy.”

  “No rest for the wicked,” Tori said as they walked to her SUV. Once there, she tossed the cane on the backseat. Linc’s progress, both physically and mentally, was extraordinary. He’d worked through the pain day in and day out, and her chest ached whenever she saw him struggling to become whole again. When he was joking around and having a good time, her heart swel
led with happiness for him, and she wanted to hug him and kiss him and act like she was a normal person expressing her happiness for the man she was falling in love with.

  But with his memory coming back in dribs and drabs, it would only be a matter of time before he found out the truth.

  She had to tell him before that happened. It wouldn’t be fair for him to find out some other way. And it would be a cop-out on her part. She just had to find the right time.

  Once in the car, she turned on the radio and found a blues station. She didn’t have it in her to make conversation right now…and she didn’t want Linc to ask questions she couldn’t answer.

  “According to the map, you need to get on the Superstition Freeway going west and then I-51 going north.” He checked the map again. “The Superstition is I-60.”

  “I know. I’ve lived here all my life.”

  “Oh. Right.”

  For the next fifteen minutes, Linc hummed along to the music and beat a soft rhythm on his knees like a drummer.

  “When I meet Zack,” Linc said out of the blue, “I’m not going to tell him I don’t remember anything. At least not right away.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I want an honest reaction. If he knows I don’t remember, he could tell me anything and I wouldn’t know the difference.”

  “Do you think he’d do that?”

  “I don’t know that he would, but something happened between us, and I have to hedge my bets on the off chance he won’t want to talk to me.”

  “It’s probably nothing. You were probably just kids being kids, or teenagers being teenagers…who, by the way, can be incredibly mean. I doubt you were any different than other kids your age.”

  “But I don’t know that. And we were seniors in college. Not teenagers.”