by Tara Randel
“Heard you showed up at my wedding reception. The polite thing to do would have been to come inside and congratulate me.”
Max Sanders stopped before Mitch, a grin belying his serious gaze. Yeah, this reaction was exactly what he’d hoped to avoid.
“Couldn’t have a dead man crashing your party.”
“It would have been memorable.”
“Somehow I doubt Lilli would have agreed.”
When Max held out his hand, Mitch shook it, surprised at how much he appreciated the token. He and Max hadn’t been close confidants, but they’d had a friendship Mitch missed.
“Heard you’re staying at Wyatt’s place.”
“Yes.”
“Sorry, man.”
Mitch nodded. The depth of his and Zoe’s marital woes were not common knowledge in Cypress Pointe.
“If you need anything, let me know.”
“Thanks. I’ve got everything under control.”
A dark brow lifted over Max’s eyes, but he let the comment go.
“You probably heard that I can’t recall the accident.”
“Small-town rumors always make it to my ears.”
“If at some point I need an investigator, can I call on you?”
Max owned a private investigative firm located right in Cypress Pointe. Mitch knew his reputation and trusted him. By the curiosity on his face, Max was intrigued.
“Do you have reason to believe your accident was anything but?”
Mitch ran a hand over the back of his neck. “As of right now, no. But my gut says otherwise.”
“Call whenever you want. Even if it’s just to hash things out.”
“I will.”
More people were arriving and through a break in the crowd, Mitch noticed Zoe. She laughed, her eyes and her smile bright, as she chatted with friends. Dressed in a loose-fitting gauzy blue top, black leggings and flat shoes, he couldn’t drag his gaze away. Something in his chest shifted until a tall guy, the one he’d seen with Zoe at the wedding, came to stand by her, resting his hand on the small of her back. Every instinct he thought long gone screamed for the guy to get his hand off his wife.
Max must have noticed his distraction. He turned to take in the scene around them.
“Tim Bellows. Firefighter.”
A hero. How was Mitch, broken down as he was, supposed to compete with the guy?
“From what I understand, they recently started dating.”
Great. Another sure sign Zoe was moving on.
Why had he been so stubborn about taking jobs Zoe hadn’t approved of? What had he been trying to prove back then?
“Just to be clear,” Max continued. “I’m on Team Mitch.”
His lips curved, even though he wanted to send Tim packing. “I didn’t realize there were sides, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“We need to stick together.”
Indeed. Spying Zoe and her male friend, he came to the conclusion he would appreciate having friends to lean on in the future. Still, his pride revolted at the idea. Emotional support on top of everyone’s pity. Now would be a good time to turn tail and head home.
“Don’t let him run you off.”
Mitch shot Max an interested glance. “You think I’m worried?”
Max chuckled. “I’ve seen that look before, so, yeah.”
So much for thinking he’d kept his misgivings hidden. He was about to speak when Zoe turned in his direction and caught his eye. Their gazes met and held. Heat washed over him and even from a distance, pleasure crossed her features before she closed off her expression. She said a word to the group and headed in his direction.
“That’s my cue to leave,” Max said. “Good luck.”
“I’ll need it,” he muttered.
As she sauntered over, she greeted Max. “Your wife is looking for you.”
A self-satisfied grin Mitch remembered carrying himself a long time ago spread over his friend’s lips. “She can’t stand it when I’m gone for five minutes.”
Zoe laughed and waved him on.
“I’m surprised to see you here,” she said.
“You were right. I needed to get out.”
Her eyes crinkled in the corners. “Did I hear that correctly? You actually admitted I was right?”
“I’m not always trying to fight you.” He held up his hand when she started to argue. “That was the old me. This Mitch is willing to take your advice.”
“Did someone beam Cypress Pointe into an alternate dimension and forget to tell me?”
“Is it hard to accept I might have a new outlook on life?”
Her gaze sobered as it swept over him, then back to his face. “You’ve only been back a week. I think I need a little more time to make my decision.”
He breathed out a sigh. “Fair enough. We have to start somewhere.”
“And somewhere is the bonfire?”
“Good enough place as any.”
“Even though—” she angled her thumb over her shoulder “—I came with someone else?”
“Yes. You’ve made your position about us clear.”
She cocked her head. “Okay.”
“I’ve only ever wanted the best for you, Zoe.”
Her eyes grew dark. “I should, um, return to the...group.”
He reined in his impatience. “You do that.”
Confusion evident, she backed up before turning to walk away.
It was all Mitch could do not to run after her. How crazy was this? She couldn’t get away from him fast enough.
During the time he’d spent talking, the purple twilight had faded into dusky shadows. Red sparks from the spitting logs shot into the air before turning to ash and slowly fluttering back down to the ground, clogging his throat in the process. Voices suddenly grew louder and distorted, as if he were in a tunnel. He closed his eyes, transported back to the refugee camp.
Fear and uncertainty had been a mainstay. Families had lost their homes, children their parents. He’d taken pictures, memorializing the suffering of a community, yet this time it had been personal. He shared their pain, even if it had been to a lesser extent. Hadn’t he lost his family when Zoe had pushed him away?
A loud shout shook him from the vision. Confusion overwhelmed him. He blinked, trying to orient his surroundings. The temperate night turned too warm. Sweat broke out on his brow. He tugged at the collar of his polo shirt, trying to catch gasps of breath. The air turned thick and the scent of burning trash filled his senses. Crying children running for cover and safety flashed before his eyes.
He reached for the camera, like a phantom limb, letting the cane fall. But there was no camera dangling from the strap circling his neck. His good hand only grasped air as his other arm shook. Dizzy now, he staggered, his stomach swirled and his vision went cloudy at the edges. Where was he?
He heard his name repeated over and over, the urgency pulling him from the trancelike state. But instead of coming out of it, he felt the sudden impact of a crash, followed by pain, then blackness.
“Mitch. Please. Talk to me.”
He blinked. Once. Twice. The haze began to clear in his mind until Zoe came into view, frantically trying to get his attention. He swayed. Would have fallen if Zoe hadn’t been quick on her feet and caught him, her slight frame taking the brunt of his heavier build. He took soothing breaths before easing some of the pressure off her.
“My cane,” he sputtered.
She glanced around, finally locating the wooden lifeline. Crouching down, still laboring under his weight, she snatched the cane’s end and pulled it close. Once she had a grip, she passed it to Mitch. He tightened his grip on the handle and moved his weight to his good leg. His blood pounded as if he’d just finished a 5K run. What had just happened?
“Mitch. Are you okay?”
> He focused on Zoe, taking in her worried features. “I’m not sure.”
“You seemed to blank out there for a few moments.”
“I thought I was back at the camp.”
She frowned. “You’re in Cypress Pointe. Surrounded by friends. You’re safe, Mitch.”
He shook off the fear, his heart rate finally slowing. Whatever had triggered that...flashback, he had to get away.
“I’m okay, Zoe. I’m going to leave now.”
“You don’t look anywhere near fine. Your hands are shaking and your face is as white as a ghost’s.”
“I just need to sit.” He tried to move but his legs nearly buckled.
Zoe slid her arm around his waist. “I’ll take you.”
“No.” He gently pushed her away, straightening his shoulders. “You came here for a good time. Not to help an invalid.”
Her lips pressed together and he noticed a bright sheen in her eyes. Great, on top of flipping out, he’d upset Zoe.
“Just go back to your friends.”
She opened her mouth. He took a step back, ready to turn, but stopped. The voices and laughter around them had faded to silence, the pop of burning logs the only sound he heard. Mitch looked around, appalled to find all eyes on him. Eyes filled with pity, revulsion and curiosity.
This was his life now? The town oddity?
Anger and embarrassment surged through him. With controlled precision, he turned on his heel and limped away from this nightmare come true. Swallowed the bile rising in his throat. He now had concrete proof that he was half a man, certainly one unable to care for his wife and son. He’d lost Zoe long before tonight. Had his meltdown now cost him his son?
Chapter Six
ZOE HURRIED ALONGSIDE MITCH, nearly losing her own footing in the sand as she tried to stay out of his path. “Where are you going?”
“Far away from this crowd.”
“Mitch, slow down. You’ll fall.”
Her words only made him move faster, increasing her frustration level. Why wouldn’t this man ever listen?
“Please.”
Her tone must have finally registered as he slowed his clumsy gait to a snail crawl. When he finally stopped, she halted beside him, trying to slow her racing heart. “What happened back there?”
Running a hand over the back of his neck, Mitch stared at the ground. “I...ah...think I had a flashback.”
“You’re not sure?”
He glanced around. “Can we discuss this away from curious eyes?”
She glanced over her shoulder to find they were the center of attention. “Sure. Where did you have in mind?”
“For now, let’s just walk.”
She sent a doubtful look over his leg.
“I can manage,” he bit out through clenched teeth.
The first couple of minutes were spent in silence. Mitch pushed himself and she tried not to hover—well, hover as much as one could while walking. Mitch stopped every once in a while to adjust his grip on the cane or rub his forehead. When he did, Zoe looked over her shoulder. The crowd had receded in the distance, but the bonfire remained a bold beacon in the spring night.
“You can start explaining anytime,” she told him as they began moving again.
A flashback. He shook his head as if trying to remove the cobwebs weaved over his memory. “The scent of the fire triggered a response. I guess it reminded me of the refugee camps I’d worked in.”
“Any chance it’s connected to the accident?”
“Might be. At the end, I felt an explosion. Obviously not real, but it sure seemed like the real thing in my mind.”
“Was there was an explosion at the crash?”
“The medical team never said anything. I must have been mixed up when I got to the hospital. Kept saying, ‘He’s behind me.’”
“Someone was after you?”
“Again, I don’t know. Or why, if that’s the case. I was doing humanitarian work, taking photos of a refugee camp, not covering a story.”
Zoe’s eyes went wide. “Humanitarian work?”
He shot her a sideways glance. “You aren’t the only altruistic one in the family.”
Surprised by his disclosure, she was at a loss for words.
By now, they’d reached the north end of the beach. This area was more secluded. Besides the stars sparkling in the sky, the only light to be found came from the illuminated windows of the homes they passed. Before long, they came upon a small cove curved into the very end of the beach. From here, they would have to scale rocks and jetties before reaching another smooth stretch of sand.
“Mind if we sit?” Mitch said, his breath heavy from exertion.
“Of course not.”
Making sure Mitch didn’t topple over as he lowered himself onto the sand, Zoe sank down beside him. The water, reflecting the light of the three-quarter moon, was calm tonight. The cool sand sifted beneath her fingertips. Nearby, sea oats swayed in the breeze, the air scented with a mixture of briny moisture and damp earth.
“Do you remember this place?” Mitch asked.
How could she not? “We used to hang out here in high school. Usually after one of us had a fight with our parents.”
“I’m surprised it hasn’t been developed.”
“The original owner still keeps this property as natural as when he first moved here.”
Mitch stretched out his injured leg, massaging the thigh muscles. “This is the most I’ve walked in days.”
Zoe picked up a small shell and rubbed the rough texture with her fingers. She hadn’t wanted to ask, hadn’t thought he had answers due to his memory loss, but now, finally, seemed like the right time to question him. “What happened over there, Mitch?”
He stared over the water.
“You saw me. I lost it.”
“No. I mean overseas.”
His shoulders sagged as if diverting her questions took too much energy. “I was covering the conditions of a refugee camp at the Syrian border. The conditions are... Let’s just say, you wouldn’t want Leo living there. But it’s home for many people. The kids—” His voice broke for a second. “It would have broken your heart, Zoe. Yet the kids were resilient as only children can be.”
When he paused, she wanted to reach out, put an arm around him, but she didn’t want him to stop telling the story.
“One of the boys, Hassan, heard his father had been forced to another camp by local rebels after a bomb attack near their home. Supposedly, this small camp was just over the border, about twenty miles from our location. A few of us gathered together supplies to deliver, just in case the reports were true. Hassan wanted to know if his father was there and if he was, begged us to bring him back when we returned.”
When Mitch didn’t elaborate, Zoe finished the story for him. “Only you didn’t return.”
“No.” He dropped his head in his hands for long seconds, then lifted it again, not meeting her gaze. “It’s like every time I start to think about the trip, I get so far and, bam, a door slams shut. I remember driving, then nothing.”
“Were you alone?”
“There were...two others, maybe?”
“They weren’t at the hospital when you woke up?”
“No. If there had been others there, maybe talking to them would have jogged my memory.”
Zoe shook off the sand between her fingers. “Dr. Warren seemed positive about you getting your memory back. Once the injury heals.”
“And while I appreciate his take on my recovery, he isn’t the one racking his brain to come up with one little detail that hopefully opens the floodgate.”
How on earth was he coping with all of this? She didn’t know if she could be so matter-of-fact if she were in his shoes. As much as she wanted answers, Mitch wanted them more and pushing him wasn’t going to bring r
esults, only frustration on his end.
“I’m sorry I suggested you come to the bonfire tonight.”
“You had no idea I’d have a meltdown.”
“I should have considered how being around old friends might affect you.”
“Zoe, I’m not upset with you.”
She lowered her head. “You should be.”
He exhaled loudly. “So what, every time I have a setback you’re going to take the blame?”
Her head popped up. “No. I mean, I guess if I caused it.”
“You were trying to help.”
“I’m not sure how to help you, Mitch.”
“Look, helping is your thing, but we both need time to figure out what life looks like from here.” He took the end of the cane and started poking the sand with a vengeance.
“How about we table the discussion on where we go from here. Just for a while.”
“Sounds good.” He looked up at the stars for a long while, so did she. “Tell me more about Leo.”
Her heart lifted and a smile curved her lips. “He was a surprise, Mitch. When you left the last time, I just knew my chances of having a child were over. Boy, was I wrong.”
He shifted, bending his good knee to balance his weight. Zoe noticed the slight grimace he tried to hide.
“You said you moved in with your mother because of health issues?”
“I had a tough time in the last trimester. Bed rest was ordered. Instead of Mom always coming to my place, she set me up at her house to take care of me. After Leo was born, I didn’t want to go back to the empty house, especially when it didn’t seem like you’d be returning, so we packed up and sold it.”
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s actually been a good thing. For the most part, Mom and I have learned to coexist. My parenting style is a complete one-eighty from hers, but she’s encouraging. A surprise, I’ll admit, but we’re working at making things better.”
“What does she think of you being mayor?”
Zoe let loose a laugh. “I’m the establishment now. Completely blows her away.”
“If she’d paid attention to you growing up, she would have seen how you and this job were made for each other.”
