Remember Me (Men of Honor Series Book 1) (8 page)

***

Shuffling noises invaded her ears. Something crunched near her head. A twig snapped. Voices in a far-off tunnel murmured. Was someone saying her name? An elephant sat on her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She blinked and looked around. Fuzzy images of people, lots of them, surrounded her. Her focus cleared a bit and she saw two large men in blue uniforms. She groaned. Not more police. She’d had enough of them for a while.

“She’s moving,” a deep voice said.

“Hey, T. Can you hear me?”

Mike. She turned her head. Mike’s face filled her vision. He squatted beside her, gently wiping her hair from her face.

“Mike,” she moaned. Every muscle in her body ached. No more talking. Talking hurt too much.

“Shhh. Just stay still. They’re going to put you on a gurney and get you out of here, okay?”

A searing pain shot through her head as she nodded. Like floating in a dream, her body was lifted and then strapped down with care. The blue uniformed men she saw before lifted the plank she was on without effort and carried her up the hillside back toward the trail. Firemen, not policemen. She must have looked like a baby doll in a carrier next to the huge men. The one above her head said, “Just relax, ma’am. We’ll get you up safely.” He had dark, wavy hair just like Ben’s.

“Ben.” The name slipped from her lips.

The fireman looked at Mike, who walked beside them. She could see his bright shorts out of the corner of her eye. “Who’s Ben?” he asked.

“It’s a long story,” Mike answered, watching his step and staying as close to her as he could.

She smiled and then promptly fell asleep.

***

Ben opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. The bed beneath him felt soft, but not familiar in any way. Not the way his own bed should feel.

When he’d reached the address from his ID the night before, he hadn’t thought about not having a way to get inside. Just as he’d contemplated breaking a window, something told him to check the doorframe above the back door. Sure enough, he’d found a key and let himself in.

Cautiously, he’d made his way through the house. He hated the uneasy feeling he had about the whole situation. He thought he should feel good about finding out his identity, but something was off.

The house was not welcoming in any way. Small, with only two bedrooms and one bath, it was in a bad part of town. A sofa with no legs and a small television were all that sat in the living room, and a card table and two folding chairs posed as a makeshift kitchen table set. One bedroom was empty and another held only a double bed and a small nightstand, a lamp with no lampshade sitting on top. The closet held a few shirts, shorts, and jeans, with a stack of boxers and some socks on the floor. An empty black duffel bag sat lifeless on the top shelf.

He’d showered and crawled right into bed, physically exhausted, but mentally wide-awake. When his right hand had reached under the pillow and grabbed hold of a gun, his mind spun out of control.

He fingered the gun now as he lay on his back, trying to wrap his head around all that had happened. Nothing in this house sparked any memory for him. It only seemed to confuse him more.

The place was hollow and lonely, just like he was. His entire being ached for Tess. Her bright smile and calming presence seemed worlds away.

The cell phone he’d bought at the train station rang, snapping him from his thoughts. He snatched it from the nightstand and answered.

“Ben, it’s Mike.”

He sat up in bed. Something was wrong.

“What is it?”

“It’s Tess. She’s in the hospital. She’s hurt pretty bad.”

“I’m on my way.” He snapped the phone shut, dressed, and threw all the clothes from the closet into the duffel bag. Pausing for a moment, he looked at the pillow on the bed. Grabbing the gun from underneath, he shoved it into the bottom of the bag and left.

Every mile stretched for hours as Ben drove the rental car along the freeway. He’d called Mike back when he got on the road and found out more about Tess’s accident. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel. Anger pulsed through him at the thought of anyone laying a hand on her. Mike said she wasn’t awake yet, so they didn’t know the details of how she’d fallen down the hill, but the police on the scene suspected foul play. He thought of the gun in his bag. He would protect Tess. Always.

Something connected them. He didn’t want to be without her. He watched his speed as he drove, anxious to get to her, but making sure he didn’t get a ticket or in another accident.

He thought of a conversation he’d had with Mike. He’d come into the kitchen to find Mike reading his Bible at the counter. Mike asked Ben if he had a relationship with God. Uncomfortable didn’t even begin to describe how the question made him feel. He played the amnesia card to get himself out of really answering and Mike had let the subject die. He did, however, see Mike and Emma praying together and envied the connection they had. He wanted the same thing with Tess.

As he pulled into a parking spot at the hospital, his heart sent up a prayer for Tess’s recovery and safety. Whether God heard him or not, he didn’t know. But he figured it was worth a try. He had nothing to lose.

He made his way through the sliding glass doors and toward Tess’s room. Mike had told him her room number. The hospital was small. That was good. He didn’t like hospitals. They were like labyrinths. Too easy to get lost in or trapped. He stopped and shook his head. What made him think that? His brain was like a filing cabinet. Old drawers locked tight, new ones filling up with information every day. Focusing once again on Tess, he found her room and pushed open the door.

An IV tube ran from her left hand. Her arms were bandaged. A wave of fury flowed through him. He clenched his fists and fought back the desire to pummel anyone who got in his path.

A firm hand grabbed his arm. Turning, he looked into Mike’s eyes and relaxed. “Ben. Hey.” Mike seemed to sense his tension.

“Hi, Ben.” Emma came up and gave him a big hug, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle. His arms were stiff by his sides, but her embrace calmed him and he began to breathe normally again. Much taller than Tess, she didn’t fit against him the same way.

She stepped back and gave him a weary smile, then claimed an empty seat by Tess’s bedside. “I’m sorry. I guess we should call you Jake.”

“No. I prefer Ben.”

He ignored the look between Mike and Emma. He didn’t care. Tess called him Ben. That was the name he wanted.

Taking a deep breath, he said to Mike, “What happened?”

Mike motioned for Ben to take the chair opposite Emma’s on the other side of Tess’s bed. As he sat down, he took Tess’s hand in his and rubbed his thumb across the top. He shook his head. This tiny, amazing woman. Just knowing she existed made him want to be a better man.

“Well, like I told you on the phone, until she wakes up, we’re not exactly sure.” Mike stood behind Emma’s chair and rubbed her shoulders. She leaned into him and took one of his hands in her own, kissing his fingers. “I dropped her off at the base of a running trail and was gonna come back and pick her up after about an hour or so. When I got back, I couldn’t find her anywhere, so I called the cops and they sent out a search party. We found her down the hillside all beat up. She apparently rolled down off the trail somehow.”

Ben continued to rub Tess’s hand. He clenched his other into a fist, trying to maintain control.

“You said the police think it might not have been an accident.” His voice shook.

“That trail isn’t wide, but Tess knows it well. I told them I didn’t see how she could have just slipped off the edge. And the police said there were two sets of footprints leading up to where she fell off and then only one after that. Big footprints. Not Tess’s.”

Tess groaned. The three friends leaned towards her in anticipation.

“Tess. Honey, can you hear me?” Emma put a hand on Tess’s arm.

When Tess opened her eyes, Ben thought his heart would leap out of his chest.

“Ben,” she whispered.

“I’m here.”

***

Tess blinked a few times. Was he really here? He’d come back for her. Closing her eyes again and opening them, her vision cleared. His eyes were intense, a fire burning behind the pools of deep brown. His hand covered hers.

“I’m sorry.” She slipped her hand away from his. “I should have called you Jake.”

He took her hand again and held it tight. “It’s Ben. I want you to call me Ben.”

She tried to sit up in bed but a jolt of pain shot through her middle. She lay back down. “I’m confused,” she whispered. “I thought your name was Jake. Why aren’t you in San Diego?”

“Don’t try and talk, okay? I came back when Mike called me about your…accident.”

Her eyes moved to Mike, who smiled and said, “Hey, T. Glad to have you back.”

“Just rest, Tess,” Emma said.

“Yeah. Thank God you only bruised a few ribs, but you’re pretty banged up. You need to try and not push it, okay?”

She nodded and closed her eyes. Ben’s left hand held hers tight and his right rested on her forehead, his fingers brushing hair from her brow. “Just rest. I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”

***

Tess sat propped up in bed, soaking in the sight of him. Ben lounged in a chair, his head back and his fingers laced together across his stomach. He wore jeans and a T-shirt, with flip-flops. She loved the combination of his style—both surfer and construction worker, depending on his mood. One day he’d be in surf shorts and a T-shirt, the next day jeans, work boots, and a faded button-down. He wore dress pants and a shirt and tie as a detective, but he hated it. Loved the job, just not the wardrobe. She knew many women didn’t like men with beards, but she loved his. The dark hair along his jawline made his smile stand out and she had to admit, she liked the way it tickled her neck when he nuzzled in for a kiss.

Feeling her face flush, she looked away. She had no business thinking about his kisses. He wasn’t hers anymore, and although he kissed her at the train station, she knew it was nothing more than being caught up in an emotional moment. For crying out loud, this Ben barely knew her. So what he was doing back here anyway?

“Hey.”

His husky voice brought her attention back to him. His eyes were the color of chocolate. Divine. He leaned toward her, his expression eager.

“You look great.”

She couldn’t suppress a laugh. “Liar.”

“I’m not lying. It’s good to see you so awake and sitting up. How do you feel?”

“Not great, but okay.” She took a deep breath. “It still hurts to breathe, but not as much as yesterday.”

She looked at the bandages on her fingers and arms, the memory of what happened flooding her senses. Her fingers stung at the thought of grasping for anything to help her stop rolling down the hill. The large arms wrapped around her right before she was thrown flashed before her and she shivered.

“What’s wrong, Tess?” He moved from his chair to her bed, sitting next to her legs and taking her hand.

“I was just thinking about what happened.”

“Do you remember what happened?”

She chuckled at the irony. He smiled.

“Yes. I remember everything. I was running on the trail and I heard someone behind me. At first I thought it was another runner, so I moved over to let him pass. When he didn’t, I panicked and reached for my pepper spray, but before I could grab it, his arms were around me and he threw me down the hill.”

His grip on her hand tightened. “Were you able to get a good look at him?”

“No. It happened so fast and I only saw his arms. He was big though, with dark hair all over his forearms.” That was helpful. She’d just described about half the men in the world. Ben had taught her some self-defense moves and how to be aware of people around her in case she ever had to defend herself. But the man had grabbed her so fast, she’d had no way of fighting back.

“I should have been more alert to someone behind me before he got so close.”’

“This isn’t your fault, Tess.”

He touched the bandage on her forehead and then ran his thumb down her cheek.

“You scared me to death.”

She trembled at his touch. Placing her hand over his, she leaned into him, accepting the safety his presence always provided. Her mind told her not to get close again, not rely on him. But her heart told her otherwise.

The door creaked and Ben stood up, moving back to the chair by her bedside.

“Hey, T.”

Mike came in with Emma behind him holding a huge bouquet of roses. Gwen was by her side.

“Hey, guys.” Tess’s heart warmed at the sight of her friends. She smiled at Gwen. “Hey, boss. What are you doing here?”

Gwen placed her hands on her hips. “What am
I
doing here? I was about to ask you the same question, young lady. I just about fell out of my chair when they brought you in. I was terrified. Don’t you ever do that to me again, you hear?” She gave Tess a tender hug.

“I’ll try not to.”

Gwen looked at Ben. “Well, aren’t you looking good these days, lumberjack.”

Ben looked between Gwen and Tess, his confusion obvious as the two women shared a giggle over their inside joke.

“Or should I say, Irish lumberjack.” Gwen winked at Tess.

Ben’s cheeks turned red and Tess laughed harder.

“Ouch! Oh, that hurts. No more jokes or laughing.”

“Sorry, honey.” Gwen patted Tess’s leg.

“Okay, what’d we miss?” Emma asked. She set the flowers on the table by Tess’s bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“Nothing,” Ben said. Tess could’ve sworn he turned a darker shade of red.

“Our lumberjack here gave us a peep show when he was brought in last week, and I’m guessing he wishes he’d had those four-leaf clover boxers on at the time.”

Ben looked like he wanted to crawl under the bed and die.

Mike and Emma laughed.

Mike slapped him on the back. “No worries, dude. They’re nurses. They’ve seen it all.”