“I hate to run, but I have to get to work. Cara will take good care of you, but please call me if you need anything.” Jordan squeezed her shoulder before dropping her bag and exiting out the front door.
“Okay, want to follow me and I’ll show you to your room?” Cara asked picking up the bag.
Tia nodded and followed her down the hall, her crutches tapping on the wooden floor. Cara stopped in front of a door and opened it to a small room decorated in tan and beige. It held only a bed, nightstand, and dresser, but it was better than the hospital room.
“There’s a bathroom right next door. Sorry you’ll have to walk a bit to get there, and the dining room is down the hall there. I serve breakfast at seven, lunch at noon, and dinner at seven. If you want a snack during the day, you’re welcome to the kitchen.”
“Thank you. This is more than I expected,” Tia said surprised at the hitch in her voice.
“We’ve all been there,” Cara said and though she didn’t put a hand on Tia’s shoulder, she felt the sentiment all the same.
After Cara left, Tia sat on the bed for a moment and looked around. It wasn’t home, but it would do. For now.
* * *
Brody pulled up in front of the house and turned off the car. It appeared weathered and in need of repair on the outside, but Jordan had assured him that Tia would be well taken care of. He planned to help out as much as possible as well.
A blonde woman he had never met before opened the door at his knock. Her features were stern, but kind. “You must be Brody,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Cara.”
“I am.” He shook her hand surprised at her grip strength. Jordan had said she was ex-military, but if her physique was any indication, she still worked out as if she were active. “Did Tia get settled all right?”
“I suppose. I haven’t checked on her since I showed her to her room, but you’re welcome to now. She’s in room three down that hallway.” Cara turned and pointed behind her. “I’ve got a dinner to prepare for.”
“Thank you.” Brody headed the direction she had pointed and paused when he reached room three. He felt like a high schooler again, showing up for a first date. It was an odd feeling considering he was over thirty years old, but it didn’t change the fact that his heart thundered loudly in his chest and his palms had collected a wet sheen. He ran them down his pants leg and then curled his right hand into a fist to knock.
“Come on in. It’s open,” came Tia’s voice from inside the room. He pushed the door open to find her sitting on the bed. “I didn’t have much to unpack and nothing else to do,” she said with a shrug as if answering his unspoken question. “Cara said I could watch TV in the living room, but I didn’t feel like it. Do you think while we’re out, we can stop by an electronics store so I can get a new phone and computer?”
A grin tugged at Brody’s lips. “We can stop wherever you would like. I figured we could get dinner and then possibly hit a clothing store, but we can add an electronics store in as well.”
She pushed herself off the bed and grabbed her crutches. “You would go to a clothing store with me?”
“Yes?” he asked hesitantly, not knowing if this was a trick question or not. He hadn’t gone to many clothing stores with Rachel but only because he never really thought about it.
She laughed at him. “It’s just that most men don’t like waiting around for women to try on clothes.”
Ah, now that made sense. He supposed that would get boring if she spent too long there, but he also knew she had spent the last week in a hospital gown and had nothing except what Jordan had brought her. He would wait all night if it meant she was able to find some clothes to make her feel more comfortable. “Well, I think you’ll find I’m not most men.”
She had reached his side by the time he spoke, and she turned her blue eyes up at him. A slight smile sent the corners of her mouth twitching in an adorable manner, but her voice was low and sultry when she spoke. “I think I’ve already realized that.”
He felt the pull between them, the desire to kiss her, but it was too soon. He hadn’t kissed a woman since Rachel, and he wanted to do it right. So, instead he cleared his throat and motioned to the door. “Shall we go?”
Confusion flashed in her eyes for a moment, but then she put on a smile and nodded. He followed her out, mentally berating himself for confusing her. She’d been through enough bad experiences to last a lifetime; she didn’t need him adding to her confusion.
When they reached the car, he held the door open for her and helped her in before loading her crutches in the back. As he walked to his side, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. He felt as if someone was watching them. With a surreptitious glance, he scanned the area, but he saw no one. Perhaps it was just a nosy neighbor watching out a window. He would scan the windows as they drove off. No need worrying Tia if it was nothing. He drove past the other houses slowly glad for the low speed limit, but there was no one in any of the windows. Probably just his overactive imagination then.
Though he rarely went out anymore, Brody had scheduled a dinner at an upscale Italian restaurant. “I hope you don’t mind Italian,” he said as he pulled the car into a space. “I suppose I should have asked.”
She flashed him a wide grin. “I love Italian. In fact, I love cheese and bread and pasta of all kinds which is why I do yoga.”
“Well good,” he said with a chuckle, “we are in the right place then.”
Chapter 16
Tia followed Brody out of the restaurant feeling a little like Cinderella, underdressed and out of her element. Though she’d enjoyed dinner immensely, she’d felt people’s eyes on them. The rest of the diners wore button down shirts and dresses while she was in the pants Jordan had brought her. She couldn’t wait to get to the clothing store and pick up some new clothes for occasions like these. Assuming there were more occasions.
When Brody had picked her up from Cara’s, there had been a moment. A moment where she thought he was going to kiss her, where she wanted him to kiss her, but then he hadn’t. She knew it probably had more to do with the loss of his wife, but it had still sent the insecurity fluttering in her stomach. What if he decided she wasn’t interesting enough now that she was out of the hospital? What if what he thought was attraction was more what they called ‘Rescue Romance’ and now that she didn’t need to be saved, the attraction had faded?
“Did you get enough to eat?” Brody asked as they stepped into the cool evening air. The sun hadn’t set completely, but the last orange, pink, and red rays were low on the horizon.
“I did,” Tia said with a laugh. “It’s probably a good thing I’m wearing stretchy pants or I might have popped a button, but I promise I’ll dress nicer next time.”
“I think you look beautiful,” Brody said as he opened the car door.
Their gazes locked again, and Tia felt the pull once more. His eyes peered into her soul, and she opened every door to him, willing him to kiss her. A light breeze traipsed across her arms sending goosebumps erupting on her skin. Her breath stilled as her lips parted and his face lowered to hers. When his lips touched hers, sparks darted through her body and though it was crazy, she felt as if she were experiencing her last ‘first kiss.’ Even more, she felt the last of the locks on her memory fall away. She gasped and pulled away from him.
“What? Was it awful?” he asked. “I know I’m out of practice.”
She placed a finger against his lips to stop his ramblings and smiled. “I remember, Brody. Everything.”
Light radiated from his face as he threw his arms around her. “That’s wonderful.” And then he kissed her again, slow and deliberate. Her body trembled with emotion. “So, do we still head to a store or do we head to your place?” he asked when he pulled back.
Her face fell and the joyful emotions she had just experienced vanished. “I didn’t have a place here. I’d expected the meeting with Rico to go quickly. I thought I could use my good looks to persuade him.” She dropped her ey
es to the ground, embarrassed by her choices. “Oh gosh, I was an awful person.”
“Hey,” he said putting a finger under her chin and tilting it up. “You might not have made the best decisions in your past, but we are all guilty of that. You have a Savior who forgives you, and you have the opportunity to make new choices from here on out.”
“Do you think it’s really that easy? Can I just forget my past?” She wanted him to say yes, but that old insecurity that had driven her to do horrible things whispered that he wouldn’t want her now that he knew what she was really like. How could anyone want her?
He brushed her hair behind her ear, his fingertips lighting up the nerves in her face. “No, you may never forget it, but you can apologize for what you need to and learn from the rest. Your past doesn’t have to define your future.”
“Hmm, that is sound advice,” she said breathlessly. Did he realize his words could also apply to him though in a slightly different way? He’d lost someone he loved, but he didn’t have to let that be the end of his story either.
“Yeah, I guess it is.” His eyes stared into hers again before closing as he leaned down. Before his lips touched hers, the sound of an engine revving grabbed Tia’s attention.
She turned her head to see a vehicle heading their direction. It was going fast, too fast, and the night of the accident came flooding back. Her body froze as she saw the headlights in her mirror again, blinding her.
“Tia? You okay?” Brody’s voice seemed far away as she watched the vehicle come toward them, helpless to do anything. “Tia.”
The vehicle roared past them, and Tia blinked. “I’m sorry,” she said. “That car - I heard the engine rev - and the lights reminded me of the accident. I couldn’t move.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said running his hands down her arms. “You’re going to be okay. It’s going to take some time to heal completely. How about we hit that department store and then I take you home? I think you could use some rest.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Tia’s head was still spinning, and her heart was still pounding though as she buckled her seatbelt. She’d been so sure that vehicle was out to get them. Would she ever relax again?
* * *
Brody sighed as he walked back to his car after dropping Tia off at Cara’s place. She’d been so relaxed at dinner and then the car revving its engine had sent her back into her shell. Even the trip to the department store and an hour of trying on clothing hadn’t brought her back entirely. He wondered if she would always be chasing shadows.
As he unlocked the car, a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to see what it was, but only darkness stared back at him. Probably a raccoon or some other night animal out scrounging for garbage. Here he was worried about Tia relaxing and he couldn’t even calm himself down. He thought he’d seen something when he picked her up and now again when he dropped her off. Perhaps he needed a good night’s sleep as well. He certainly had been on edge all week. In fact, he didn’t think he’d had a decent night’s sleep since Tia’s car accident. He would remedy that tonight.
As he turned back around, he got only a glimpse of the man before pain shot through his head, and the world went dark.
Chapter 17
“How was your date?” Cara asked as Tia sat down in one of the chairs in the living room. She hadn’t meant to disturb Cara’s reading, but she also didn’t feel like going to her room alone yet.
“It was….” she hesitated as she set her crutches on the floor beside her, “good.”
“That’s not very convincing,” Cara said sticking a bookmark in her book and shutting the cover to get Tia her full attention. “What happened?”
Tia sighed. She wished she had a better answer for that question. “Brody is great. He opened the doors for me, and we had a wonderful dinner at a little Italian place. Then he kissed me, and the rest of my memory came back.”
Cara tilted her head and tiny wrinkles appeared on her forehead as she furrowed her brow. “That all sounds better than good - I mean the man kissed you. And that was good right?”
Heat crept up Tia’s face. “Yeah, that part was perfect. No complaints for sure.”
Cara grinned and pulled her feet up under her. “So, I’m guessing there’s more to it.”
Tia nodded. “There’s two more pieces. The first one is my past. I was not a nice person, and I think I went down that road because of my father, but still… How do I date this amazing man who is practically a saint while I have this checkered past?” Her gaze dropped to her hands and she picked at a rogue cuticle. “I mean I’m only here because I flew out to try and convince a man to promote my book. And I was willing to use almost any means necessary.”
Cara’s head bobbed as she let out a long breath. “Yeah, I can see why you feel that way. Does Brody know?”
“A little,” Tia said with a shrug. “I haven’t told him everything yet. I’m afraid he’ll run away.”
“He might.” Cara’s matter-of-fact tone caused Tia to raise her head. “But if he does, then he’s not the man for you.”
Tia’s mouth fell open. That was certainly not the advice she had been looking for.
“Look, that’s a hard lesson for a woman to learn at any point. I haven’t dated a lot, but I gave my heart to this guy once who said all the right things until it came time for the rubber to meet the road. Then he was nowhere to be found - wouldn’t return my texts or calls. I spent a few days wondering what I had done wrong, analyzing the relationship, agonizing over it really. But then I realized, it wasn’t me. It was him. He wasn’t ready for a real relationship with me. If Brody runs from your past, then it’s just a sign you aren’t meant to be together, and it would be better to find out now than to date for months and find out then.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Tia wished she had Cara’s confidence, but growing up feeling unloved by her father had fertilized this insecurity in her that she wasn’t good enough until it had taken root and overrun her life.
“You said there were two reasons. What is the second one that is keeping you from smiling and walking on cloud nine?”
Tia dropped her eyes back to her fingers. She pulled off the rogue cuticle, grimacing slightly at the pain that shot through her finger momentarily. “When we left the restaurant, I heard this car rev its engine, and I thought it was coming right toward us. I froze and couldn’t move until the car passed us. It reminded me so much of the accident, and I thought someone out there was still after me.” She lifted her eyes. “I don’t know how to stop being afraid.”
Sympathy and understanding flooded Cara’s eyes and she leaned forward. “That will come with time too. You’ve been through a traumatic experience. You can’t expect it’s going to be unicorns and rainbows right away. I still have nightmares about my deployments sometimes. I’ll see bombs exploding or injured civilians in my dreams.” She chuffed out a breath and ran her hand through her spiky hair. “And don’t get me started on loud noises. I still jump. Fourth of July is no longer my favorite holiday, but it gets easier. Every day will get a little…”
Her words stopped abruptly as the lights in the house went out and darkness filled the room. The mood in the room shifted and Tia could feel the fear pressing against her. She didn’t believe this was a simple case of the electricity going out. There had been no storm, no reason. No reason except her.
“Tia, do you have Jordan’s number on you?” Cara asked in a forceful whisper.
“I do, but I don’t have a phone.” Why had they forgotten to stop at the electronics store on the way home? “And I don’t know this place well enough to go stumbling around in the dark.” There was no way she could navigate her own home in the dark on crutches. She certainly couldn’t do it in this house she didn’t know.
“I’m going to hand you my cell phone. There’s a hall closet about fifteen feet to your left and nothing is blocking your way. I want you to crawl that direction as quietly and quickly as possible. Get inside, shut
the door, and call Jordan.”
“What are you going to do?” Tia’s voice trembled with the fear racing through her.
“I’m going to do what I said I’d do. I’m going to protect you. Now go.”
Tia didn’t need a second urging. As soon as she felt the phone hit her palm, she lowered herself to the floor and began crawling the direction Tia had said. Her cast made a soft scratching sound as it dragged across the floor, and her breath sounded like a freight train in her head. Surely, she was giving her location away as silence filled the rest of the house.
When she had gone approximately fifteen feet, she began to feel around for the door of the closet. With every second her hand didn’t find it, her anxiety increased until she nearly screamed for joy when her fingers finally found the knob.
She opened the door and crawled inside, shutting it after her. Only then did she turn on Cara’s cell phone, grab the card Jordan had given her from her pocket, and dial the number.
“Jordan?” she asked in a hoarse whisper when he picked up.
“Tia? What’s wrong?”
“I’m at Cara’s, but someone’s here. The electricity just went off. Cara sent me to the closet to call you.” Just then the door swung open and the light from a flashlight blinded her.
“Hello, Tia, I’ve been looking for you.”
At the sound of the man’s voice, Tia screamed and dropped the phone.
“Tia? Tia?”
* * *
The sound of a scream stirred Brody. He struggled to open his eyes, but the pain in his head was severe. He reached a hand up and was not surprised to find it come away sticky with blood. What had the man hit him with? More importantly, was Tia okay?
Another scream carried out of the house. Groaning with effort, he pushed himself up. He wanted to rush into the house, but the spinning of the world around him forced him to wait. Rushing in without all his faculties wouldn’t help anyone. He pulled his phone out and dialed 911 while the world slowed down.
Lost Memories And New Beginnings (The Men 0f Fire Beach Book 2) Page 10
