CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Addy woke when Trent laid her down on a soft bed. Her eyelids felt like they were being held shut with glue. When she moved to reach up and wipe them, pain shot through her hands.
“Easy.” Trent’s voice sounded so close to her ear. “I’ll get you a warm washcloth. Give me a minute.”
She heard his footsteps retreat, then return less than a minute later. She’d tried several times to open her eyes but was having no luck. They felt too heavy.
“What?” she blurted after the washcloth touched her face. He had started with her scalp, and the warmth felt wonderful. “What happened?” she asked when she finally could open her eyes.
He frowned down at her. “Your Jeep blew up.” He stopped washing her face and looked at her. “Do you remember?”
Memories flooded her foggy brain. “Yes,” she almost moaned. “Where am I?”
“My room.” He went back to wiping her face. “Your hair’s still got grit in it.” He touched a strand. “Hopefully we can figure out a way to wash it without getting your bandages wet.”
She groaned and shut her eyes. She must look horrid.
“Do you think you can eat? You’re supposed to take some more of these.” She heard a bottle of pills being rattled.
“What are they?”
He glanced down. “Codeine.”
She shook her head. “All I need is some Tylenol.” She shifted and tried to sit up, but when she put her hands flat on the bed and pushed, she cried out.
“Easy,” he said, dropping the pill bottle. “Here.” He helped her shift until she was sitting up.
She held up her hands. “Have you seen them?”
“Your hands?” he asked. “Thirty-two stitches overall, mostly in your hands and knees. No nerve damage and no concussion. They gave us some of this stuff to put on your cuts when we change the bandages.” He held up a tube. “Antiseptic ointment.” He wiggled it. “Fun.”
She felt like a mummy when she looked down at her arms and legs. The pain was minimal at this point, but she knew that once all the codeine she’d been given at the hospital wore off, the stinging would increase.
“Can I shower?” She looked up at him.
“No, but you can do sponge baths.” He grinned. “I’m looking forward to giving you your first one.” Then he glanced at the closed bedroom door. “But don’t tell my mom.”
She couldn’t help it; she laughed, causing more pain to shoot from her chin.
“Ouch!” She reached up.
“Sorry.” He held her still. “Let me look at that one. The tape keeps coming off.”
She sat still as he gently removed the bandage from her chin. She watched his eyes to see how bad it was, but so far, she didn’t see upset behind the dark hazel.
“Well?” she finally asked.
“Not bad.” His gaze ran over her slowly. “I’ll go get a mirror.” He stood up and disappeared into what she assumed was a bathroom.
She looked around at his room. Dark, rich browns and blues. She would have guessed instantly that this was his. A massive bookcase occupied one wall, and she couldn’t hide a smile when she noticed that it was full.
He came back with a small mirror and held it out for her.
She carefully took it with her bandaged hand and held it up.
There was a good-sized cut running from one side of her chin to the other. No stitches. However, the area was dark red and appeared to be bruised underneath.
“They used glue instead of stitches here.” He sat next to her, pointing as he talked. “Since the cut wasn’t too deep, the doctor said it would leave less of a scar too.”
“Okay, will it hold?”
He smiled. “The doc said it will hold longer than the stitches. He only stitched up the deep cuts.” Trent took the mirror and held her hand up. “These ones were too deep to use glue.” He gestured to several spots on her arms and the palms of her hands, then to her left knee.
“I fell on my hands and knees, I think—it’s all fuzzy.” She closed her eyes as what she could remember played over in her mind.
“You bumped your head pretty good, and the medicine they gave you will mess with your mind.”
She nodded just as a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” Trent called out.
Kristen walked in, holding a large duffle bag. “We went and got you a few of your things. Oh—” She set the bag down and moved closer. “That doesn’t look so bad.”
“I think we can leave that bandage off your chin for a while.” Trent tossed the wadded-up bandage he’d been holding into a trash can across the room.
“Do you want some help cleaning up?” Kristen asked, looking at Trent.
“My mother sent you, didn’t she?” He crossed his arms.
“I do what I’m told.” Kristen smiled. “I’m not about to mess with either my mother or yours.” She winked at Addy.
“I’d like to see if I could do something with this.” Addy waved her bandaged hand over her face and hair.
Trent stood up and rummaged through his drawers, pulling out a neatly folded pair of sweats and then a crisp white T-shirt.
“These might be bigger and looser than anything you have. It will be easier to get in and out of, plus give us room to check on your knees later.” He set them on the bed. “Feel free to use anything else. I’ll go check on . . .” He looked toward his bedroom door. “Things.” He rolled his eyes. “Let me know if you need anything,” he said before stepping out.
“We’re fine.” Kristen smiled at him until he shut the door. “Now.” She turned to Addy. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
It took a lot longer than Addy expected. Almost an hour alone to wash her hair. They decided on using the bathtub instead of the bathroom sink since Trent had one of those removable showerheads everyone dreams of. She sat at the edge of the tub and leaned back as Kristen gently shampooed her hair.
Kristen chatted with her as she took her time trying to get all the tangles out. Sitting there with Kristen working on her hair, Addy closed her eyes and thought that this would be how it felt to have a sister. Someone to help her through a rough spot. Someone else who would care about her, who had been there during the hard times. Her mind flashed to her mother and how she used to cut Addy’s bangs. There hadn’t been gentleness or kindness like Kristen was showing her. Her eyes started to sting, so she focused on what Kristen was talking about instead.
When Addy’s long hair was wrapped up in a towel on the top of her head, Kristen used a washcloth and soap to clean where she could since Addy’s hands were out of commission. She even had black soot on the back of her neck. It felt a little awkward, but wonderful to be clean.
“Okay, after that, there should never be any awkwardness between us.” Kristen chuckled.
“Right?” Addy laughed. “I could use some food now, and I guess one of those pills.”
“Are you hurting?”
“Yup. Every muscle feels like it went through a blender.”
“I’m curious.” Kristen bit her bottom lip.
“About?” Addy asked as Kristen helped her into Trent’s sweats.
“Was it like it is in the movies? The explosion?”
“I don’t know. I guess I don’t remember much, other than being thrown around.” She lifted her arms as Kristen pulled the large T-shirt down over her head. “Was being kidnapped like it is in the movies?”
Kristen shifted, then a slow smile formed. “Guess we’ve both been through some crazy stuff. I don’t think either of us will be signing up as stunt doubles anytime soon.” Addy laughed in agreement. “Sit, I’ll get your brush.” She tugged the towel off Addy’s head and pointed to a chair near the bookcase, then disappeared back into the bathroom where she’d left a smaller bag of Addy’s toiletries.
Addy sat and reached for a book, but it fell out of her bandaged hands. She bent to try and pick it up.
“Here,” Trent said from just inside the doorway. “Let me.” He set a tray of food down on the nightstand.
Kristen walked in with a brush.
“I can handle it from here.” Trent took the brush from her. “Thanks.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Kristen’s forehead. “Go home and get some sleep.”
Kristen nodded, then turned back to her. “If you need anything . . .”
“Thank you,” Addy said.
“Think you can eat while I do this?” Trent held up the brush.
“Yeah, if you open the book and lay it on my lap and flip pages for me.”
“To Kill a Mockingbird,” he said as he retrieved it. “One of the first books I read in high school.”
“Me too.” She smiled.
It took a few minutes to organize everything. The plate of food sat on the wide arm of the chair, the book sat in her lap, and Trent stood behind her, slowly brushing out the tangles that remained in her hair.
He even helped her eat the fries since they were too small for her fingers to pinch.
“When can the bandages come off?”
“In a few days. Depends on how the cuts look. We can wrap your fingers individually so you don’t have mittens.”
As he continued to brush her hair and the food filled her stomach, Addy began to get drowsy. Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift through a list of things she had been toiling over. How to get to the bottom of the McGowan plans, for example? But then, suddenly, her thoughts took a different turn. She was floating across a bright-green field; the grass was high and swaying in the light summer breeze. Slowly she drifted toward a small log cabin. On the wide front porch sat two wooden rocking chairs, and in her mind, she knew who she wanted to fill the comfortable seats.
“Here.” Trent’s voice broke in, and she shook the images from her mind.
He handed her a pill and a glass of water.
“I know you said you wanted Tylenol, but for tonight, maybe take one of these.”
She complied with a nod.
“Almost done here,” he said. There’s just one knot left.” He moved back around her. She’d set the book down since her eyes refused to focus anymore.
She leaned her head back as he worked the knot out of her hair. Once he was finished, he picked her up and carried her to the bed.
“Thanks.” She nestled down into the covers. “I feel so much better.”
“I’ve been given permission to stay in here tonight.” He smiled down. “If you think I won’t bother you.”
She scooted over slightly and nodded her head to the empty side of the bed. “There’s plenty of room.”
He pulled off his clothes and crawled in next to her, reaching over to flip off the light before pulling her closer.
“Trent?” she said once her face was settled on his shoulder.
“Hmm?” The sound vibrated against her skin.
“Thanks for being there for me.” She sighed as his arms settled around her.
Trent had a hard time sleeping. It wasn’t the softness of Addy pushed up against him but the images of her destroyed Jeep and the storefront that kept him awake.
Things could have ended much worse than they had. So many different scenarios ran through his mind. What if Addy had been standing directly next to the Jeep?
When the sunlight started streaming in his window, he edged out of the bed and showered. His brothers had told him last night that they would fill in for him today at the office, but there was some detective work he wanted to do on his own while Addy was still sleeping.
When he came back into the bedroom to gather his clothes, he heard her moan.
“Wow, what a nice view to wake up to.” She stretched her arms over her head. He noticed a slight wince, but otherwise she was looking much better than last night.
He glanced down at the towel he’d wrapped around his hips and smiled. “I was thinking you’d sleep in.”
“If the sun is up, so am I.” She shifted and sat up without using her hands.
“How are you feeling?”
“Better. I’d like to see what’s under this mess today.” She looked down at her hands. “Maybe see if we can just rebandage the fingers?”
“Sure. How about after breakfast? I’m sure my mom or Trisha have something cooking by now.” He smiled. “I smell bacon.”
“So do I.” Her stomach rumbled audibly. “I haven’t had bacon . . .” She shook her head. “In too long.”
He walked over and took out a pair of boxers, then quickly tugged them up his legs and shimmied out of the towel. He heard her groan and then whistle.
He turned. “You are feeling better.”
“Why don’t you come over here and . . .”
A knock came at the door. “Breakfast is ready,” his mother called out, causing him to roll his eyes.
“Okay, we’ll be out in a minute.” He waited until he heard his mother’s footsteps retreat. “She has a sex radar,” he whispered, causing Addy to laugh.
Once he tugged on the rest of his clothes and Addy had climbed out of bed, they made their way out of his room and down the hallway.
“You look more alive today,” Trisha said to Addy from her spot at the stove. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, thank you.” She sat down when Trent pulled out a chair at the table for her. He busied himself with getting them both full plates of eggs, toast, and bacon.
“Do you drink coffee?” he asked.
She put up a bandaged hand. “Nope, gave the stuff up. But I like orange juice.” She nodded to the glass container.
He grabbed a mug for himself, then a glass of juice for her, and finally sat down with their plates.
“I can’t eat half of this.” She chuckled as he set the plate full of food in front of her.
“I’ll finish what you can’t.” He smiled.
She reached for her fork and frowned when she dropped it and it hit the table.
“Here.” Gail walked over and handed her a thick wooden spoon. “This might be easier.”
“I feel like a child,” Addy said, looking around the table.
“The good thing is you’re here, safe, and well,” Trisha said. “When I think of what could have been . . .” She shook her head.
“You and me both,” Trent said to Trisha.
His mother glanced in his direction. “I thought you had the day off ?”
“I do. Just have a few things I wanted to take care of this morning.” He looked at Addy.
“We were going to sit out on the back patio for a while this morning. Why don’t you go run your errands, and Addy can enjoy the spring sun with us until you get back?” Trisha suggested.
“I don’t have to be babysat,” Addy chimed in.
“No, but you’re under doctor’s orders to take it easy, at least for the first forty-eight hours.” He finished his plate and reached for hers that she’d pushed away. She’d eaten less than half of her food, but last night, she’d eaten a full burger and half the fries, so he wasn’t too concerned.
He left Addy in his mother’s and Trisha’s very capable hands and headed to the police station. When he drove by the store, he saw that the lot had been cleared of cars, including the remains of Addy’s Jeep. The front windows had been boarded up and a handwritten sign had been posted saying they’d be open tomorrow after some repairs.
He parked in the guest spot at the station and noticed how full the lot was. When he walked in, he knew why. It appeared the entire town had shown up when the doors opened that morning wanting to know what had happened.
He stopped next to Trey and nudged him with his shoulder. “Have they given up anything new yet?”
Trey shook his head. “Not yet. They have a list from the gas station and store of everyone who purchases Gold Crest cigarettes.”
“And?” he asked, noticing Tyler walk by. Trent waved him over.
“Well, they’re about to start calling people in and finding out where they were yesterday when the fire started.”
Trent looked around and sighed. He doubted anyone on the list of possibilities would be standing in the station the morning after setting a fire.
Then he spotted a dark-green cap on a man standing in the corner and he tensed. “What the . . .” He pushed through the people around him. Just as he broke through the crowd less than a foot from Dennis Rodgers, his brother’s hands yanked him back.
“Easy,” Tyler said next to him. “He was released on bond a few days back.”
“Why the hell—” Trent said loudly, glaring at the man who’d kidnapped his soon-to-be sister-in-law.
“Lack of evidence,” Dennis interrupted. “It will all come out in the trial.” He crossed his arms. “I’ll find some proof that you three set me up.”
“You son of a—”
“Trent McGowan.” His name rang out, causing everyone to turn and look at Mike.
Trent’s chin dropped. “What?” He looked at the chief of police.
“You’re the first on our list to be interviewed,” Mike said.
“Me?”
Mike nodded, causing Trent to laugh. “The hell I am. I don’t smoke.”
Mike crossed his arms and glared at him. “Are you going to come peacefully?”
Tyler shoved his brother toward Mike and whispered, “He’s just doing his job. You’re closest to her, and he wants to find whoever did this as much as you do.”
Trent’s shoulders firmed and he made his way through the crowd once more as people started whispering around him. “Knock it off. I would never hurt Addy.” He glared at a few of them.
“Of course you wouldn’t,” several people said together, causing him to smile as he entered the interview room with Mike and Tony.
He sat down at the table and waited until his two friends sat across from him.
“Where were you yesterday around eleven in the morning?” Tony asked, looking down at his list.
“Work,” Trent answered, causing Tony to glance up at him over thick-rimmed reading glasses.
“Which site? The office?”
“The office—my office. Rea can account for me. I was there on a phone call when I got the call from my mother about what had happened.”
Tony nodded. “What time did you arrive at your office?”
“Seven in the morning.”
“Where were you before?”
“Ho . . .” He backtracked and took a deep breath. “I’d spent the night at Addy’s.”
Both men’s eyebrows shot up. The room remained silent for a while.
“Does your mother know?” Tony asked, causing Trent to laugh.
“Tony, I’m a grown man.”
“Course you are, son, just . . .” He shook his head and leaned forward. “You know how she is, about spending the night with a lady before . . . marriage.”
Trent leaned forward. “The question is, how do you know how she is?” His eyes narrowed as Tony’s face turned a shade of red.
“Enough,” Mike broke in. “What time did you leave her place?”
“Just after four. I went home, showered, and changed, then was in the office shortly after Rea arrived. I had a conference call with a new supplier for our fir trees. That lasted almost thirty minutes before I had another meeting with . . .”
“Okay.” Mike stopped him and jotted a few things down. “At any point in the morning did you leave the office?”
He thought about it. “No. Rea ran over to the diner and grabbed me a breakfast sandwich. I was just about to go to lunch when my mother called.” His eyes moved to Tony, who quickly looked down at his paper to avoid his gaze.
“Thank you, you’re free to go.” Mike stood.
“Not so fast,” Trent said, not moving from his seat. “I expect to know . . .”
Mike stopped him by raising his hands. “I’ve already bent the rules once for your family in the past few months. We’re playing this one by the book. I’ve got the fire inspector coming back into town. He’s still looking at the NewField fire, and now he’s adding this one to his list. You’ll find out the same time everyone else in town does.” Mike turned and opened the door.
Trent glanced at Tony, who was still looking down through his glasses at the stack of papers.
When he walked out of the interview room, he was shocked to hear his brothers’ names called directly after his.
He kept telling himself that they were just doing their job, but part of him was angry that the officers would call in the McGowans first. What were they looking for?
Later, as the three brothers walked out of the station, Trent pulled out his cell phone and called his mother.
“Want us to pick up some food?” he asked.
“Pizza,” she said. “You know what we like. Any news?”
“Nope,” he said. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s resting again.”
“Good, see you in a few.”