“I told Terry I’d be here when she got back.”
Charley helped Sara to her feet. “We’ve got time. I promise.”
****
“If I’m fine, why do I need a wheelchair?” Terry groused as she was rolled out of the emergency room several hours later. She was as grumpy as Felicia on a school morning. Bad enough she wore scrubs that were a size too big, since the police needed her bloody clothes as evidence. That she had to be rolled around like an invalid was too much. “I can walk.” She didn’t bother to keep the irritation from her voice.
“Sorry, hospital policy,” the nurse said. He was very nice about it, and Terry felt a little guilty for her attitude. She wanted to go home. Her mood lightened a lot when she spotted Sara waiting for her on the curb in front of the main doors. “Is that your ride?” the nurse asked.
“Yep.” Terry wanted to jump out of the chair and hug Sara, but her nurse put a firm hand on her shoulder to keep her still.
“Take it easy. Just because the concussion is mild doesn’t mean you get to act like you’re not hurt.”
“How do you know what I was going to do?”
He leaned over her so she could see his face and smirked. “Years of practice. Now let me help you into the Jeep. Once you’re out of here, you can run around all you want. But don’t be mad at me when you end up back here because you don’t feel good.”
Terry was grumpy again as the strong young man helped her out of the wheelchair and into the Jeep as promised. He even buckled her seat belt, though she thought it was more as a joke than anything else. He was still smirking when they pulled away.
Sara patted her on the knee once they were underway. “You sure you’re okay? I think he’s right. You really do need to take it easy.”
“I’m fine. Really. I feel like I got my brains jumbled, but otherwise I’m good. I really do hope I broke her damn nose.”
“I can’t believe Angel did this.” She glanced quickly at Terry then kept her eyes on the road. “She’s pissed at me and taking it out on you—I’m so sorry, Terry.”
Terry’s head pounded like there was a kid in her skull practicing the drums. That Angel was her attacker did make sense, of course. At the time, Terry had the feeling she knew the woman, and even though she met Angel only the one time, she thought she recognized her voice.
Terry sighed and leaned back. “It’s not your fault. You don’t have to keep apologizing. Hell, I didn’t expect she’d follow up on what she said. It felt like an empty threat, you know?”
“I do and I’m still sorry this happened.” Sara fell silent until she pulled into Terry’s driveway.
Terry reached across the seat and laid her hand on Sara’s arm. “It’s not your fault. That bitch has issues, and we’ll get it all sorted out.”
“She went after you because of me.” Sara faced her, and Terry saw the tears in her eyes. “I never should have gone out with her. If I hadn’t, none of this would have happened. She’s still mad because I filed that police report, and she’s going after you because she can’t come near me.”
“Charley said they’re looking for her. It’s not going to be hard to find her with her nose messed up. If I’m right and it is Angel, it’ll be pretty damn obvious.”
“I hope they find her soon.” Sara’s fingers trailed the uninjured side of Terry’s face, and Terry leaned into her touch. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. You don’t deserve this.”
“No one does,” Terry said. “But I’m okay. I promise. Doctor said to get rest, and I’ve got all weekend for that. Mom’s already promised to help me get my stuff together for the trip to Yellowknife this week.”
“You’re still going there? Are you sure you’ll be up for it?”
Terry shrugged. “I have to be. I can’t afford to lose this contract.” She smiled at Sara and kissed the fingers that fell from her face.
Sara exited the Jeep, hurried to the other side, and helped Terry. Terry had a bruised abdomen, and when she stood, it hurt like hell. If she hadn’t had a concussion, she’d have at least been allowed to take some damn pain meds.
“You okay?” Sara asked as she helped her to the door of the house.
“Nope. I want to start the evening over again. Go back to when I was leaving the office and not get beat up. You know?”
“I wish I could make that happen.” Sara opened the door and kept one hand on Terry’s arm as she entered the house.
“Where do you want to go? Living room? Kitchen? Bedroom?”
Terry opened her mouth to answer, but her mother was already speaking.
“Bedroom. She’s going to lie down and rest.” Shirley helped Terry out of her coat. “I’m Shirley, Terry’s mom.”
“I’m Sara.” She helped Terry remain upright. “Tell me where it is, and I’ll get her there.”
“Down the hall, first door on the right,” Shirley said.
“Sorry you have to meet like this,” Terry mumbled. “Not the grand introduction I was hoping for.”
“It’s not a problem,” Sara said. They entered Terry’s room, and Sara took a moment to pull the duvet back. She helped Terry get seated on the bed. “Can you take your shirt off?”
“Um, don’t know.” Terry shrugged and tried to lift the scrubs over her head, but the pain in her abdomen stopped her. “I don’t think I can.”
“Okay.” Sara tugged the bottom of the scrub top and carefully lifted it over Terry’s head. She tossed it on the floor and knelt to remove Terry’s shoes, then pulled the scrub pants off without asking.
Shirley arrived and handed her a nightshirt, which she helped Terry put on. Once Terry was settled on the bed, Sara lightly tucked the duvet around her.
“Better?” Sara asked.
Terry’s mouth went dry. Sara’s touches were soft and light as she undressed her, and if not for her foggy brain, Terry knew she’d be incredibly turned on right now. “I’m good. Thanks.”
“Good.” Sara turned to Shirley and handed her a folded-up piece of paper. “This is from the nurse at the emergency room. Terry has to rest, but if she falls asleep, wake her up every two to four hours just for tonight. If she doesn’t wake up, call 9-1-1. No medicine of any kind for pain, but she said a cold washcloth might help if her head hurts.” Sara met Terry’s gaze, and Terry was touched by the concern she saw.
“I can stay here if you need me to,” Sara said.
“We’ll be okay, dear. Thanks.” Shirley placed the paper on Terry’s dresser. “You look like you could use some sleep yourself. Why don’t you go on home? You can call me later if you want to check up on her. I’ll have her phone so she isn’t tempted to use it.”
“Hey, I’m right here you know? I’m perfectly capable of not playing with my phone.”
“No, you’re not,” Shirley and Sara chorused. Shirley said, “I’ll call you if there are any problems, Sara. Feel free to stop by if you’d like to check up on her.”
“Thanks.” Sara lovingly touched the uninjured side of Terry’s face, holding her gaze. “Be good and rest. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“You better. Why don’t we reschedule our Sunday tea for next week? I’d rather you not have to meet Felicia like this. It’s easier for her when there’s not so much going on. I have a feeling my mother’s going to be hovering over me all weekend. It’s going to freak Felicia out when she sees my face.”
“Are you going to tell her the truth?” Sara whispered.
“I don’t know. Probably. I can’t lie to her. Even if she won’t understand.”
“Good plan.”
“I know my kid.” Terry tried to smile, but the movement made her face hurt.
“Rest. Talk later.” Sara kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.
Shirley had a huge, knowing grin on her face. “Tomorrow morning you’re going to tell me everything, young lady. I want to know who you got into a fight with.” She also kissed Terry’s forehead before leav
ing the room.
The whole incident sucked, but Terry felt she and Sara had just taken a huge step forward. Maybe it was worth it. Terry closed her eyes and fell to sleep, hoping to dream about Sara undressing her.
Chapter Twelve
Terry double-checked her plane ticket and stuck it into the liner pocket of her coat. Her packed overnight bag and briefcase sat by the door.
She turned her attention to Felicia, who sat in front of the TV watching a cartoon. Except Terry knew she wasn’t actually paying attention. Felicia refused to speak to her upon finding out Terry would be leaving for a few days. Only twice since Ann’s death were they separated and both times Shirley took Felicia to see her grandparents in Vancouver.
Shirley waited with the keys to her car in hand ready to take Terry to the airport. Terry gave her a wry smile and settled on the floor beside Felicia, who stared at the TV. Terry tried to wait her out, but the clock was ticking on her flight and she needed to leave.
Terry gave in. “I’m not going to be gone long, honey. I promise. I’ll do a video call with you when I get to my hotel room. I can read to you over the phone every night before you go to bed. I packed two of your books in my suitcase.”
Felicia didn’t even blink.
Terry reached out to her, but Felicia pulled away. It hurt more than Terry expected. “Honey, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Mommy never came back.”
“No, she didn’t.”
“You won’t come back.”
“Yes I will. I promise.”
“Mommy promised.”
Terry heard her mother moving around behind them. The door opened and closed, and she assumed Shirley took her luggage to the car. She considered cancelling the trip. Was it right to do this to her child? Felicia was somewhere between hurt and terrified, and Terry didn’t know what to do about it. If she didn’t go, she’d lose a lot of money.
Could she give in to Felicia like that? Her posture and actions suggested that’s exactly what the girl wanted her to do. No. If she did, Felicia would give a repeat performance before her next trip up north. Terry addressed what she hoped was the real issue. “I know Mommy promised, but she didn’t know there’d be an accident. She didn’t want to leave us.”
“Don’t go.” Felicia touched the bruise on Terry’s face. “You got hurt. What if you get hurt again?”
The words cut through Terry like a knife. “I won’t get hurt. The person who did this won’t be where I’m going. Besides, this is my job. I have to go.” She pulled Felicia onto her lap and held her close. Despite her attempts at staying mad, Felicia relaxed into her embrace. “I love you, baby. I know it’s scary, but Grams is here and she’ll take good care of you. I’ll call you, and we’ll see each other on the phone every night. Okay?”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Felicia’s gaze locked with Terry’s, and for a moment, Terry saw Ann in their child. She nodded once and said, “’K.”
Terry helped Felicia to her feet and took her hand as they walked to the closet for Felicia’s coat. They were both quiet on the short trip to the car. Once Terry had her secured in her booster seat, she found her mom standing behind her. As if the woman read her mind, Shirley pulled Terry into a warm hug.
The ride to the airport was short, and after a few more hugs, Terry got her luggage and went inside. She checked in and got through security in short order and settled onto a very uncomfortable chair to wait for her flight.
The image of Felicia watching her as Shirley drove away stayed in her head. Felicia’s sad expression imprinted on the backs of her lids when she closed her eyes. She felt like the world’s worst parent.
A text message pulled her from her maudlin thoughts. Sara wished her a safe flight. Terry smiled and decided to call her. Sara answered on the first ring.
“Hey. How’re you feeling?”
“Still kind of tired but okay enough. My face looks like I was in a boxing match, though.”
“I bet. Hope it won’t put off the people you’re going to Yellowknife to meet.”
“Frank says it won’t,” Terry said. “He’s knows them pretty well.”
“Have you heard anything from the police? Did they talk to Angel?”
“No.” Terry sighed. “Charley called me last night. No one’s seen Angel in a couple of days. The detectives want a DNA sample to check against the blood on my shirt, and they’re hoping she’ll give them one willingly. Otherwise, they’ll have to get a subpoena and that takes time. Until they find Angel, nothing more can be done. The CCTV didn’t show her face clearly enough to ID the woman who attacked me. If it’s not Angel, we’re back to square one.”
“I’m willing to bet it was Angel,” Sara said. “I’m so—”
“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry. It’s not your fault, Sara. I mean it. Let the police do their thing. I’m not worried about it. Honestly.”
“You’re not?”
“No. It’s over. I’m fine. I promise.”
She heard a faint sigh on the other end of the call and almost laughed. Sara was most certainly annoyed. “You’re being difficult on purpose, aren’t you?”
Now Terry laughed. “Of course I am. If it diverts you from the topic of Angel.”
“It almost did.”
“What if I tell you I’m bored and need something else to do but talk about Angel?”
“You bored?”
“I’m at the airport. What do you think?”
“You’re bored.” Sara released a nervous laugh, and Terry was glad she allowed the change in topic. “And Whitehorse Airport is so damn little, if you got up to walk around, you’d make a circuit of the whole place in ten minutes.”
“That’s a tiny exaggeration but close enough. Are you busy?”
“Nah. I just finished up some paperwork and was thinking of getting a snack before lunch.”
“I really wish I could eat like you do. I look at food between meals and gain weight.”
“It’s a gift,” Sara said. “You don’t sound like you’re all that happy. Is something wrong? Plane delayed? Hard time getting through security?”
“None of that, but you’re right. I’m not happy. Felicia was upset this morning because I’m leaving. She said Ann left and never came back. She’s freaked out. She thinks I’m not coming home.”
“Poor thing. It’s got to be hard for both of you.”
“It is. And she’s got good reason to be worried, you know? But how do you tell a kid the odds of me not coming home are pretty damn slim? It took so long for her to adjust to me going to work every day. She’s not been like this in a very long time, but I get it.”
“Doesn’t make it any easier to deal with, though. But she’s got your mom with her. She’ll be okay, won’t she?”
“If she’ll talk. I’m worried about her. I promised we’d do a video call when I get to Yellowknife. I packed a couple of books so she can pick one for me to read to her.”
“That is so sweet. You’re a good mom, Terry.”
“Thanks,” Terry said, feeling a little better just for talking to Sara. “I think I needed to get all that out.”
“This is what friends are for, right?”
“Right. Speaking of friends, how are things with Bren?” Terry hoped she didn’t sound like she was prying. If they were going to be friends, Terry needed to let Sara know she was interested in her life.
“We’re going out dancing again on Saturday, though I gotta say she wears me out.”
“No way. You’re like the Energizer Bunny.”
“But I’m not twenty-two and fit like an athlete. And she’s healthy, too. It’s awful.”
Terry rolled her eyes at Sara’s overly dramatic tone. “You poor dear. I hope she doesn’t rub off on you.”
“Me, too! I’d miss my junk food.”
“There’s that.”
“When you get home from your trip, maybe we could go
see a movie or something? Hang out for a while.”
Wow. Terry’s heart did a little flip. The prospect of spending any amount of time with Sara was awesome and scary at the same time. But she’d take it. No matter how much or what they were doing, as long as they were in the same space at the same time. “I’d love to. I’ll even let you pick the movie.”
“You know I’ll go for the sappy romance,” Sara teased.
“I do indeed.” Terry welcomed the idea. The last time they saw a sappy romance together, it led to a lot of other, very pleasant activities and she allowed herself a moment to remember them.
Maybe Sara was, too, because she got very quiet for a time. “Done. I have to get a hotdog and popcorn—that’ll be dinner. Bren always makes a frowny face when I do that, but I know you’ll smile and pay for it.”
“Oh, I’m paying, am I?” Terry laughed softly. “If I’m paying, does that mean I get to eat crappy food, too?”
“Of course. It’s a movie, and a movie demands crappy junk food while you sit in a comfy seat and watch. It’s a rule.”
“We wouldn’t want to break the rules. They just called my flight, so I need to go. Thanks for talking to me.”
“I’m here for you, right?”
Terry mulled the comment over for a moment. “Right. Talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
She tucked the phone into her pocket and gathered her stuff. For the first time in weeks, a weight was lifted off her shoulders and she perked up as she got in line to board her flight.
****
A dozen text messages flooded into Terry’s phone the moment she powered it up at Yellowknife Airport. Most of them were from Jackie, though a few came from her mom. The ones from her mom said to call Jackie right away.
She gathered her luggage, and once in a cab and on her way to the hotel, she pulled up Jackie’s number. “Hey, Jackie. I just got to Yellowknife. What’s up?”
“How soon can you get back here?”
“Two days.” Terry’s heart sped up. “Why?”
“William is causing more trouble. He’s demanded to have the mediation brought forward by two weeks even though we don’t have a firm date. He’s demanding we meet on Wednesday if the mediator agrees.”
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