Wiping away tears, Abby nodded, which was weird because it wasn’t as if he could see her. “I know. Sorry.” She paused. “You sound tired.”
“I am. It’s been a long few days. Sorry I didn’t call earlier, but I just…God, there’s so much going on here.”
“Don’t apologize, Tucker. I know you’re dealing with a lot. I just wish I could help you.”
“Hearing your voice. It helps.”
She sniffled but didn’t reply because there was a goddamn log stuck in her throat.
“I don’t know where to start,” Tucker said slowly.
God, she just wanted to know. Sucking in a big gulp of air, she tried to control her voice so that it wasn’t so pathetic and shaky. But it was no use. She was falling apart, and she couldn’t get anything out.
“Abby, it’s not her. It’s not Marley.”
“Oh God.” She wrapped her arms around her knees, head cocked to the side so that the cell stayed in place, and she could hear him. “Oh God,” she said again, wincing at the sound of her crazy voice falling like flat stones in the small, enclosed space. God, she was going straight to hell, because her prayers had been answered. Straight. To. Hell.
“Who…How did…how do you know?”
“There’s a lot to process and talk about and there are still a lot of questions. I can’t get into it right now because honestly I have no idea what’s going on. This woman…she had all of Marley’s ID. We don’t know who she is or how she got Marley’s stuff or…”
Her heart dropped all the way to the bottom of her feet. “So, Marley could still be out there?” Good. She sounded like she had her shit together.
“Abby, we just don’t know. We’re waiting for the doctor’s to bring her out of this induced coma they’ve placed her in. We’re hoping once she’s conscious, we’ll get some answers.”
The knife in her heart twisted. It twisted hard and she had to wait a few seconds until she could speak, and then she whispered, “Okay.”
“Babe, I miss you so fucking much.”
“Oh, Tucker.”
“Look, I have to go, but I had to hear your voice, Abby or I was going to go crazy. We have a lot of stuff to talk about…shit,” Tucker’s voice broke, and she knew he was hurting…hurting and confused. A fresh batch of tears fell down her face.
“Tucker, it’s all right. Go and deal with what you need to do over there. You know where I’ll be.”
“Jack and Marley’s parents are returning to the US tomorrow. I’ll be here a few more days, until we figure this out. Teague’s sticking around. I know it’s a lot to take in, but I’ll explain everything when I see you.”
“Okay,” she whispered in the dark. “Tucker?”
“Yeah.”
For a moment, she couldn’t speak and then when the lump cleared her throat, she said softly. “I love you.”
There was static. A buzzing in her ear.
And Abby wasn’t sure if she was relieved or hurt that he hadn’t heard her. But then the static cleared and he was there again. Right there beside her. His voice warm and full of emotion.
“I know, Abby. I just need you to hold on a bit longer and then…and then I can…I’ll see you soon.”
And that was it.
Abby wasn’t sure how long she stared into the darkness, clutching her cell phone to her chest. But it was long enough for her to know that nothing had changed. She was all in with this man. She would fight for him. There was no other option.
There were so many questions, and she had no answers to any of them. But there was one that she knew for certain. Even if the words hadn’t been spoken.
Tucker Simon loved Abby Mathews.
And that’s what was going to get her through.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Three days later, Tucker was running on no sleep and way too much coffee. He was wound up so tight that he’d gone for a run and he’d kept on running. His half-an-hour jog turned into a four-hour escape and by the time he returned to the hotel he and Teague were staying at, he was exhausted.
It was the kind of bone-numbing exhaustion that sleep couldn’t fix. Hell, for all he knew, there was no fixing him.
He was beyond confused, anxious as hell for answers, and at the same time, afraid to hear them.
He’d just entered the lobby of the shabby-looking place they’d called home for the last few days when he spotted his brother near the front desk. Teague was nodding to the manager, and it looked as if they were having an intense conversation.
Pulling his T-shirt out of the back of his shorts, Tucker put it on as he made his way over to them.
“Mr. Simon,” the manager said politely. “I was just telling your brother that we haven’t seen you since breakfast.”
Teague whipped around, his face harsh. “Where the fuck have you been?”
“Out for a run. Is that a goddamn crime?”
“You didn’t take your cell.”
Tucker wiped sweat from his brow, a sarcastic comment bubbling up, but then he froze, stomach clenched.
“Is she…is she talking?”
Teague was already headed outside. “Yeah, Tuck. She’s awake. She’s finally conscious and talking, so get your ass in gear….—We’re headed to the hospital.”
Tucker followed his brother outside where a car was waiting, and they rode to the hospital in silence. He’d been wanting this moment to happen ever since he’d arrived in Havana. But now that he was so close, Tucker wasn’t sure he was ready to face a hard truth.
Or maybe nothing at all. Maybe this woman wouldn’t have any answers.
“You ready for this?” Teague asked when they pulled up to the hospital. Mr. Sanchez was waiting for them, his face calm as always.
Tucker sighed and ran his hand over the thick stubble on his chin. “Nope. I have the feeling that my life is about to change again, and I have no idea if it’s headed in the direction that I want it to.”
He sank back into the seat and closed his eyes for a moment. “God, for the longest time, I wanted Marley alive and well and home with me. It drove me crazy, you know? Thinking that she was out there somewhere. That she needed me. That she was in trouble, and I couldn’t get to her.”
His eyes flew open, and he turned to Teague. “I bought the old Blackheath place.”
Teague didn’t say anything at first, most likely because he was thinking that Tucker was fucking crazy. The old Blackheath place was a rundown Antebellum mansion up the coast, about an hour from his parents place in Florida. The estate was in ruins and had fallen a long way from its notorious beginnings. Built in the 1800’s by a pirate, John Le Black, it was home to his wife, a woman of means herself and a lineage traced back to the court in England.
It had been seized by the government in the early 19th century and at one time, had been used as a retirement home. But it had fallen on tough times and even though considered a historical estate, was in danger of being condemned.
“When the hell did you do that?” Teague asked.
“About a year ago.”
“Let me rephrase. Why the hell did you buy that place? That’s a money pit, if I ever saw one.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought of maybe fixing it up. I told myself I’d done it because Marley was coming back, but honestly, I have no idea why I plunked down all that cash.”
Fuck, it sounded crazy. “When I picture Blackheath, I don’t see Marley. Sometimes I can’t even remember what she looked like in the morning when she used to roll over and kiss me. That was my favorite time of the day. But I don’t remember the details. Shouldn’t I remember the details?”
Teague said nothing, but he was there, and that was enough.
“I don’t think about her every day, and I feel like the biggest asshole on the planet because of it.”
“You’re not an asshole,” Teague said quietly. “You’ve just learned to live again. You’ve found someone else for Blackheath. There’s nothing wrong with that. You just need to close thi
s chapter. You need to know what the hell happened so that you can move on, and if by some miracle Marley is still out there, you’ll deal with it. I’ve got your back, bro.”
It took a few seconds for Tucker to dislodge the giant freaking lump in his throat. “Thanks for being here. It means a lot.”
“I’m just glad I was around when the shit hit.” Teague opened the door. “Okay. We gonna do this?”
Tucker followed his brother and Romero Sanchez down the familiar halls. They took the elevator to the fourth floor and then continued down the hallway until they paused just outside the door.
Dr. Garcia met them and after they all shook hands, the doctor motioned to the door. “She’s doing well. A very strong woman, and she wants very much to talk to you. Please, follow me.”
“I’ll wait out here,” Teague said. “If you need anything, just give a shout.”
Tucker didn’t wait. He didn’t stop to think. He just did.
He followed the doctor inside and strode toward the bed, all focus on the woman whose pale blue eyes found him immediately.
The doctor smiled gently and took her hand. “This is Mr. Simon. He’s come a long way to see you.” Dr. Garcia repeated his words in Spanish and then glanced over to Tucker. “Her English isn’t that good, so I can help with the translating if that’s all right?”
Tucker nodded. Where to start?
“Can you ask her if she knows Marley. Has she ever seen her?”
The doctor spoke and the woman answered, her voice a little rough from the breathing tube.
“She says no.”
“Can you ask her how she ended up with Marley’s things?”
Heart pounding, Tucker listened while the doctor translated and then again the woman spoke. This time her voice rose a bit, and her blue eyes kept darting back and forth between the doctor and Tucker.
The two of them spoke back and forth for what seemed like a long time, and with each passing moment, Tucker’s body tightened. His hands were clenched to his side and his jaw was clamped down so hard that his teeth hurt.
“Okay,” the doctor patted the woman’s hand before turning to Tucker.
“Maria says that she found the bag in her brother’s home. She was cleaning his house and came across the bag along with some other things.”
“What other things?” Alarmed, Tucker stepped closer and the woman flinched. What the hell had happened?
“A medical bag of some sort and some books. She apologizes because she says her brother is a no good drunk. He’s a fisherman who doesn’t fish anymore, if you know what I mean. She asked him about the items. He told her that he found them floating in the water. He took the bag, found some American money inside it, so he kept it.”
Tucker let this process a bit, his stomach tight. He was cold as hell, but sweating like a son-of-a-bitch and he didn’t mind admitting that he felt like puking.
“I’m sorry Mr. Simon, but it seems as if your wife’s plane went down somewhere close to Cuba and this man found some of the wreckage. Maria knew these things were important, and she was on her way to the Swiss Embassy where, as you know, there is a United States interest office for communicating with your country. Unfortunately, Maria was hit by a car on her way there and ended up here. I’m very sorry for your loss.”
For a few moments, there was only silence and then Tucker took that last step, reaching for her hand. “Thank you,” he said quietly.
Her eyes filled with tears, and she slowly nodded.
He then turned to the doctor. “Does she know where her brother found the wreckage?”
Tucker had no idea why Marley’s plane was so far off course. Their flight plan hadn’t called for them to be anywhere near the island of Cuba, but he was finally realizing he might not ever know.
Doctor Garcia nodded. “She says that she can give an approximate location and maybe you will finally have all the answers you’ve been needing.”
Tucker slowly backed away from the bed and paused at the door. “Thank you for everything. Both you and Mr. Sanchez have been great about all of this. Anything that this woman—that Maria, needs. Let me know. I will cover any cost.”
“That’s very generous of you, but since our countries are still not seeing eye-to-eye, that would be inappropriate. I will make sure Maria is well looked after.”
With one last handshake, Tucker walked out of the hospital room.
Teague pushed off from the wall. “Are we good?”
“Yeah,” Tucker answered slowly. “I think so.”
The two men walked out of the hospital and not once did either of them look back.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Abby was just coming out of the kitchen when it happened.
It was nearly ten in the evening and gentle snow flakes fell from a cloud-heavy February sky. She’d just handed Cooper a “Mathew’s special” or as he liked to call it, Slippery Sex Drink, and was on her way to the living room where Betty, Beau, Jack and the rest of the Simon clan were gathered.
The door to the apartment opened, and her entire world froze.
Abby stopped midstride and nothing short of an earthquake could have moved her. Her feet felt as if they were encased in cement, cement that had seeped into her veins, slowly filling her body with a heaviness that was painful.
She couldn’t breathe, because it hurt too much.
Couldn’t speak, because there were no words.
Couldn’t move, because she had nowhere to go.
Abby could do nothing but stare back into the piercing brown eyes that watched her from across the room.
Teague moved out from behind Tucker and placed their bags on the floor, closing the door behind them as the entire room fell into silence.
This reunion had been a long time coming. Those first few days had turned into nearly two weeks, and now that Tucker was here, only ten feet from her, Abby could do nothing but stare at him like a complete idiot.
In her mind, she was already in his arms, but right here, right now, she was frozen. Screaming inside. Happy. Scared. Angry. Grateful.
Tucker’s hair was lighter from his time in the sun, his skin tanned. With a few days worth of stubble on his chin, he looked dangerous and sexy and so much like home, that Abby wanted to cry.
“Tucker,” his mother said, rising from the sofa.
Tucker’s gaze didn’t waver from Abby. He strode across the room, his long legs eating up the space between them in less time that it would take for Cooper to pound back his Mathews Special.
Before Abby could react, his arms were around her, and she was crushed to his chest. Oh God, his warmth. His flesh and blood beneath her.
She still couldn’t breathe. Or Speak. Or move.
She heard someone talking—Teague?
But then Tucker scooped her up into his arms without saying a word to anyone, and headed for their bedroom. Abby buried her nose in his neck and tried to keep it together, but every inch of her was trembling.
Tucker kicked their bedroom door shut and then his hand was on her face, his touch gentle.
Something finally turned on inside Abby, and her eyes flew open.
“I love you.” Tucker’s voice was rough, but there was no mistaking the emotion that laced those words. His eyes held hers prisoner. “I love you, Abigail Mathews and I’m sorry that I waited so long to tell you.”
That was it. Abby was done for. With those three little words, Tucker had wrecked her.
“Oh,” she said, trying to bury her face in her hands. She was overwhelmed. Overwrought. Wrecked.
Gently, he tugged her hands away.
He kissed her forehead and murmured, “I love you.”
Then he sought out the corner of her eyes, his tongue sweeping the edge and taking care of the tears that sat there. “I love you.”
And then he claimed her mouth, a soft, gentle claiming that was more of a caress. All of the emotion inside her bubbled to the surface, and she made a strangled noise, her muscles suddenly free as she move
d in his arms. She needed to get as close to Tucker as she could.
God, she’d crawl inside him if it were possible. Bathe in his spirit, live in his soul. She wanted this man on every single level that existed.
He deepened the kiss, both hands sunk deep in her hair, holding her in place as his lips and tongue connected them once more. It was a soft, sensual kiss of welcome. A kiss of coming home. A kiss of promises and a future.
And it was a kiss that said he belonged to her.
“Hey,” Tucker said when they finally came up for air. “You okay?”
She brushed that long piece of hair off his forehead that always seemed to creep down. “You’re home. You’re home, so yeah, I’m good.” She smiled, sniffling a bit when he wiped the corner of her eyes again.
“Sorry. Don’t mean to ugly cry. I just…” she shook her head. “It’s been a long few weeks, and I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”
“I’m so fucking tired,” he admitted. “And I know I’ve got a lot of stuff to explain. Hell, I might not even be able to explain it all, but I’ll try.”
Abby gently pushed back until she was kneeling on the floor in front of him. Very carefully, she undid the laces on his Doc’s and pulled off his boots, aware that his dark eyes were on her. Next came his socks.
She stood, held her hand out and pulled him to his feet.
“You’re family is in our living room,” she said.
“Yeah.”
“I should go and—“
“No.”
“No?” She couldn’t help it. Some of the happiness in her heart had found its way outside, and a small smile touched her mouth.
“Nope.” He was already tugging his T-shirt over his head.
“We’re going to bed.”
“We are.”
“Yep.” His hands were on the waistband of his jeans.
“But what about—“
He smiled tiredly. “They’ll figure it out, Miss Mathews.”
His jeans were off, and he stretched, totally unmindful of how amazing he looked in his black boxers and nothing else.
“It’s your turn,” he said crowding her toward the bed. “I’ve missed that fucking tattoo.”
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