Detective Greene shrugged. “So, what? You met her the night before. That doesn’t mean you know what she’s capable of. Her family’s ranch is in trouble. Maybe she borrowed money from someone she shouldn’t have.”
“I might not have known her long, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know her. That’s not the kind of person she is,” I defended her. “Maybe this guy got her mixed up with someone else.”
“Maybe you’re right. We’ll figure it out. It’s our job. We’ll be in touch,” Detective Patterson said as they walked out.
“Hey, Syd,” I said into the phone when I got home later that day. “The cops came by with some mugshots today. I was able to identify one of the guys.”
“That’s great,” she exclaimed in my ear.
“Weird thing though. The cops say he’s like, the muscle for some loan shark. Would Willa take money from a loan shark?” Syd would know better than me.
“What? No way! Willa is the most moral person I know. She doesn’t even talk bad about people. Usually. She’d never meet up with some shady character to borrow money. Besides, she has a trust fund from one of her sets of grandparents. She doesn’t need to take out a loan from anyone,” Sydney said indignantly.
I remembered her mentioning a trust fund before, but I couldn’t remember why she wasn’t using it. “If she has a trust fund, then why isn’t she helping save her family’s ranch?” I asked as I pulled out some leftover fried chicken wings to heat up for dinner. I popped them onto a sheet pan and slid them into the oven. With the press of a few buttons, I got the oven going.
“She tried. They wouldn’t accept her money. So she’s been shopping investors for them. Cade’s parents are prepared to buy out half of the Larkin Corporation. But Willa wants that to be a last resort. She’d rather not mix business with her personal life. And I’m inclined to agree with her. It just complicates things,” Sydney explained.
“How’s she doing?” I asked as I sank into the corner of the couch. I hadn’t allowed myself to call her.
Sydney let out a loud sigh. “Not good. She puts on a brave face, but when she doesn’t know I’m watching, she looks so lost.” Sydney sounded defeated.
I gripped my hair in my fingers and yanked on it. “I hate that we can’t just tell her the truth.”
“I know. But I was thinking … The doctor said we couldn’t tell her, but we could help jog her memory,” Sydney said.
“What did you have in mind? A kiss or something?” My heart raced at the prospect.
She chuckled. “Hold your horses. She’d never kiss you while she thinks she’s still with Cade. Willa wouldn’t allow herself. What I was thinking was I take her to Mind Meld. We could meet up with you there and maybe recreate the night she met you. I know we discussed it before but put it on the back burner. Now it’s time to put our plan into action.”
“That’s brilliant. The band is supposed to play a set tonight. Willa’s been wanting to see us. Think you can arrange to come?” Hope brought a smile to my face. “Wait, I thought Cade was coming back today?”
“No, he got delayed in LA and had to change his flight, so she’s still at our place. We’ll probably get there about eight.”
“Awesome. We go on at nine-thirty.” I paced the living room, unable to contain my nervous energy.
“We’ll see you later.” Syd disconnected.
I was so excited by the prospect of jogging Willa’s memory that I barely tasted my dinner. Then I showered and got ready in a daze.
Perched on a stool at the end of the bar, I watched the door. “Waiting for someone special?” Chad asked as he set a glass on a coaster in front of me.
“Yeah. New friends,” I answered vaguely and sipped my Jack and Coke to keep from saying more.
“Can’t wait to hear you guys tonight. If you need anything let me know.” Chad knocked on the bar with his knuckles then walked away to help another customer.
I ignored everyone who tried to speak to me. I barely breathed while I waited for them to appear. Syd had texted a little while ago to let me know they were on the way. But I still worried something would happen and prevent them from showing up.
Finally, Willa and Syd walked through the door like a breath of fresh air. I couldn’t stop the smile which took over my face. I waved to catch Syd’s attention. She directed Willa over to where I’d managed to save stools for them by glaring at everyone who’d tried to take up residence there.
Willa gave me a friendly hug and sank on the stool next to me. She frowned over at Syd while they waited to place their drink order.
“Why are we at a bar across town? We’ve never been here before. And what are you doing here, Trystan?” She looked around as if seeing the place for the first time. No recognition flickered in her eyes.
“Syd didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?” She faced me fully, her knee brushing my thigh.
“My band’s playing tonight. I told Sydney, and she thought you might want to come.” My fingers ran around the wet rim of my cup.
“Ooh, I finally get to hear you play?” She clapped her hands excitedly.
“Yeah,” I answered softly. It hurt a lot that hearing me before hadn’t made a lasting impression on her.
Marcy sauntered up with two cosmos and placed them in front of the girls. “I never forget a drink order,” she said with a wink at the question on Willa’s face. “I put them on your tab, Trys.”
“Thanks,” I said. I tipped my glass and drained the last of my drink.
Willa’s brow was crinkled in confusion as she stared at dark pinkish-colored drink.
Marcy noticed. “Did I remember wrong? I never remember wrong.”
“I haven’t been here before. At least, not that I can remember,” Willa stammered.
“Here at Mind Meld, we pride ourselves on being memorable,” Marcy said as she took my glass and quickly replaced it with a Coke, knowing one drink was my limit before performing. She used a bar towel to wipe down the counter in front of us.
“It’s not like that,” Willa said hastily. “A few days ago, I … uh … hit my head and can’t seem to remember anything from the past six months. I’m sorry if I’ve been here, but I truly can’t recall.”
Marcy’s eyes filled with sympathy. “I can’t believe that happened. That must be so awful. I couldn’t imagine that happening to me. Are you OK?”
“I’m getting there. I hope I’ll remember what I forgot. But in the meantime, I’m hanging in there. And apparently, I came to watch my hero play tonight,” Willa said, smiling over at me.
“Hero, huh?” Marcy lifted her eyebrows at me.
“It’s a long story,” I said, waving it off.
Someone behind me caught Marcy’s attention, diverting it from us. “I’ve gotta take care of this. But I want to hear how our Trystan saved the day sometime. Catch you later.” She waved and started filling an order for one of the servers.
The music overhead shifted to a slower tempo. “Willa, you wanna dance with me?”
She squinted her eyes at me like something was sparking in her mind.
“Go on, girl,” Sydney encouraged, nudging Willa’s shoulder.
Willa’s skin scraped against mine as she settled her hand in my outstretched palm. I led her to the middle of the dance floor where there was an open space. When she stepped into my embrace, it felt like coming home. I had to force myself to not draw her closer, to not kiss her upturned face when she smiled up at me, to not confess the truth of us that she’d forgotten. The space of that song was both heaven and hell.
Then we danced to another song. And another. The tempos, lyrics and notes changed, but we didn’t. We stayed close, touching and connecting, but denying it. At least I was. Maybe she felt nothing but gratitude.
Nix waved to catch my eye. When I acknowledged him, he tapped his wrist. I gave him a thumbs up.
“So, I’ve gotta go get ready. Do you have a song request?” I asked, leadingly.
“Hmm.” She tapped
her index finger against her lips. “I can’t think of one,” she said with a sigh.
“Don’t worry. I’ll play something special for you.” I kissed her cheek and ushered her back to Syd before disappearing down the hallway where Nix and Rafe were waiting.
Going out to the cheers of our group of regular fans gave me the same rush they always did. But seeing Willa right down front, dancing and grinning up at me sent my heart into the stratosphere. It was just like last time, only better because I knew how we could be. What she meant to me already.
With her there, I played better than I’d ever played. We played a bunch of crowd favorites and a couple of originals we’d performed for this crowd before. We’d promised Mack we wouldn’t play the newest stuff because he wanted it to be a complete surprise when it hit the radio. I longed to play the songs Willa had inspired while she was staring up at me in awe. But since I couldn’t, I did the next best thing. The guys and I played our rocking version of “Kiss the Girl”.
Her eyes shimmered with emotion as I crooned the words to her.
23
Willa
I wandered around the apartment aimlessly the next morning, fixing a cup of coffee and warming up leftover breakfast casserole. My mind was still reeling. Thankfully, I had the morning to be alone with my thoughts. Syd had some things to take care of with her mom, and I had nothing on my agenda. Cade would be back later today. I welcomed the quiet time before he was due to pick me up. I was so out of sorts where he was concerned. I hated not knowing what had happened between us. His cryptic responses stirred this unbelievable guilt in me, and I didn’t know how to shake it. Add the strange feeling of comfortableness and this weird sense of knowing Trystan more than I should … I was feeling overwhelmed.
I flopped on the couch with my breakfast. With the press of a button, I turned on the TV. As I scrolled through the channels, nothing demanded my attention. So, I went to my go to, The Little Mermaid. It made me think of Trystan again, which brought a smile to my face—even if it shouldn’t have.
A little while later, a knock sounded on the door. I glanced at the time. It was too early for Syd to be back. Maybe Cade had gotten an earlier flight to surprise me. He’d been full of surprises since my attack—bringing me all my favorite stuff to the hospital, cooking one of my favorite meals when I got home, holding me close when I woke in terror in the middle of the night for some unknown reason. He’d been a real prince. Even more than when we’d first started dating.
The knock rattled my door again. I checked the peephole and was surprised to see the two detectives who’d come to the hospital standing in the hallway. With a twist, I unlocked the door.
“Good morning, Detectives. Come on in,” I said and stepped back so they could come inside. Whatever they needed to discuss didn’t need to happen within earshot of my neighbors.
“Hello, Ms. Larkin. How are you feeling?” Detective Patterson asked as he moved into the living room.
“Getting better every day, thanks. Can I get you two anything?” That southern hospitality automatically kicking in.
“No, we’re good,” Detective Greene responded.
“Have a seat,” I encouraged, ever the good hostess my mom trained me to be. Once they settled on the couch, I sank into the overstuffed recliner. It was my dad’s old chair that Syd reupholstered for me when I insisted on bringing it with me rather than let Mom throw it out.
Detective Greene cleared his throat and opened a folder I hadn’t noticed in his hand. “Ms. Larkin, we have some mugshots we’d like you to take a look at. See if anyone looks familiar.”
He stood and leaned over the corner of the coffee table to pass them to me. With shaky hands, I accepted them and slowly examined each photo, taking in each unsmiling face. Nothing rang any bells. No one seemed like someone I’d noticed before, not that day or any other day. I tapped the papers on my knee to align the edges before I handed them back over.
“I’m sorry, detectives. I don’t recognize any of them. Are the guys who did it in this stack?” I wove my fingers together to keep them from fidgeting.
“Mr. Davis was able to identify one of your attackers. We’re gathering evidence so we can hopefully make an arrest,” Detective Greene explained.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to identify anyone.” I felt so helpless.
“It’s OK. We’re hopeful we can get him without your ID. But we do have a question for you. Have you ever been involved in any questionable business deals?” Detective Patterson asked.
“What?” I frowned.
“Do you gamble? Owe anyone money?” the detective continued.
“Absolutely not.” I had no idea why they were asking these questions.
Detective Greene fidgeted in his seat. “The reason we’re asking is the guy Mr. Davis identified serves as the muscle for a loan shark. This loan shark—” He handed me another photo from the folder. “—Tony Casteel.”
I stared down at the two-dimensional image of a man in a pressed Gucci suit who didn’t look like a criminal. I’d never seen him before. I shook my head. “The guy must have gotten me confused with someone else then.” I gave Detective Greene the black and white picture back.
“These guys don’t make mistakes. It would cost them their lives.” Detective Patterson got to his feet.
“Ms. Larkin, you need to be extra vigilant, because if you do owe someone money, they’ll be coming to collect. And the outcome might be worse than a stolen purse and six months’ worth of memories lost,” Detective Greene warned.
“I’ll make sure I’m cautious,” I assured the officers as I walked them to the door.
“Please do,” Detective Greene said softly.
We shook hands, and they left.
With trembling fingers, I turned both locks on the door. My knees were so weak, I didn’t even bother trying to cross the floor to the couch. Instead, I slid down the closed door until I sat on the cool hardwood floor. I dropped my head between my knees to try to catch my breath.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
I finally got my heartrate down marginally. I slapped my palm against the floor, making my skin sting.
Damnit. I didn’t ask which of the mugshots was the guy Trystan recognized. How was I supposed to keep an eye out for the guy if I didn’t know what he looked like?
The me I knew would never approach a loan shark for money. Wouldn’t even know how to find one. But whoever I was the past six months, I didn’t know for sure. Could I have changed so drastically? I’d called off my engagement to a man I’d been with for years. Apparently, I’d done something to warrant needing forgiveness from Cade. I was having erotic dreams about a different man. And I’d formed an amazing, but unexplainable, connection to the man who’d saved me.
Was it really so far-fetched to think I could’ve borrowed money from an unsavory character to rescue my family?
Later, a knock on the door filled my guts with dread. What if the police were back with more news? What if my attackers had found me? They had my purse after all, so they knew my address. I grabbed my phone, prepared to dial 9-1-1.
Criminals wouldn’t just knock on the door though. They’d break in. Or wait for me to come out. I debated hiding in my room with that door locked until whoever it was went away. I started easing out of the living room when a voice called through the closed door.
“Willa? Are you in there?” Cade’s voice was urgent, worried.
“Be right there,” I croaked out as I rushed to the door.
When I finally jerked it open, I collapsed in his arms. Surprised, he caught me and held me tightly to him. Awkwardly, he shuffled us backward so he could shut the door.
“I missed you too, babe,” he said with a chuckle. He kissed along my neck. “Missed you so much,” he murmured against my skin. One hand slid down my spine until he gripped my butt and urged me against his crotch. “Is Syd still out?” His lips closed around my earlobe, sending shiv
ers across my flesh.
“What? Ah … yeah, she’s still out with her mom. Why?” I panted.
“Because I’ve missed you so much. And it’s been so long.” He pulled back from me so he could stare into my eyes. His gaze was so full of affection … affection I might no longer deserve.
I let my hand drag from his neck to his chest, where I pressed it over his heart. “I thought we were revirginizing ourselves?” I said, trying to force lightheartedness into my tone.
“I’m beginning to think that was the worst idea I’ve ever come up with.” He shook his head with a wry laugh.
“Maybe. But I think we should stick to the plan. We’ve made it this far. The wedding’s not so long off now. And I had a rough day.” I pleaded for understanding with my eyes.
“Do you want to pack some more of your things to bring over to our apartment?” Cade asked, his smile covering the disappointment on his face.
“You shaved late.” My fingers rubbed across the smooth skin on his jaw. It was normally starting to prickle by this point in the day. “Honestly, I just want to have dinner and relax.” My visit with the police had stressed me out.
“That sounds wonderful. Shall we pick up takeout or do you want to go sit down somewhere?” Cade asked.
“Home,” I said immediately. I didn’t have it in me to sit in public, staring at every person we encountered. “You can tell me all about LA over dinner.”
“Sounds great. Come on, let’s get you home.” He draped his arm across my shoulders and tugged me to him so he could plant a kiss on the top of my head.
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