Page 40 of Where Secrets Lie

Jess reached into the bag at her feet. “You could just skim them to make sure. I brought them along for you to see.” She withdrew a sheaf of papers and rose to hand them to Hez.

He didn’t take them. “It’ll have to wait a few days, Jess. I still have a splitting headache, and my eyes want to jump around when I try to read.”

“Don’t be a wimp! Just get it done. The financiers are getting frustrated with the delay.”

Don’t be a wimp?Her sister was way out of line. Savannah saw the indecision on Hez’s face and leaped up to step between him and her sister. “Jess, he told you it’s going to have to wait until he’s physically capable of doing it.”

Jess’s hand containing the papers dropped back to her side. “But they may pull out of the deal! I’ve worked hard on this, Savannah, and you’re about to waste all my efforts. Worse, it leaves TGU in a terrible position. It would take him fifteen minutes or less to skim these.”

“He needs to do more than a light read. Jess, he just had brain surgery. I’m not going to put up with you pushing him. Put those away for now. He has a copy, and he’ll look it over when he’s able.” Her counselor would be proud of her for standing up to her sister. Savannah glanced at Hez and saw his color had gone paler. “Now I’d better get him inside to rest. Thanks for coming to see him.”

She saw the defeat in Jess’s eyes as she guided Hez back toward the hospital. It was about time her sister learned who was in charge here.

***

The gorgeous day matched Savannah’s excitement at finally taking Hez home from the hospital in Mobile. She was so thankful to have him beside her in the car and on the mend. She’d been happy to grant his request to take the scenic route to Pelican Harbor down Highway 98. They both loved the drive through Fairhope and Point Clear. She always slowed to take in the view of a house she’d loved since childhood, but she was so focused on Hez’s condition she missed seeing it today.

She turned onto the bridge over the inlet between Mobile Bay and Weeks Bay and inhaled the salty air pouring in their open windows. Hez had his eyes closed and his face turned to the sunshine. “Don’t think you’re going to go home to plunge right into work, mister. The doctor said you have to take it easy.”

He opened his eyes and turned toward her. “I’ll do my best. I could certainly get used to having a personal chauffeur for the next three months, especially one as easy on the eyes as you.”

“Just be grateful it was a few seizures and not an epilepsy diagnosis. They would have made you suffer through my driving you around for six months.” The neurologist had told him he couldn’t drive for at least ninety days because he’d had seizures, and Savannah knew the loss of independence must bother him. “And thanks for the compliment, but you’ll probably have to get used to Uber. I have a day job, remember? Besides, you’ll be able to relax in that cozy condo most days.”

“True. The law school is letting me teach my classes online for the rest of the semester, so I’ll have a chance to answer the tsunami of emails in my inbox.”

“One of those is from me. I emailed you the loan papers Jess wants me to sign. Don’t let her push you into reading them before you’re ready, though.”

“I’m sure they’re fine, but I’ll take a look.” He yawned. “Maybe not today, though.”

“The first day home from the hospital is exhausting, so I’d suggest taking a nap when I get you to the condo.”

“I’m sure Cody will be ready to have one with me. He’s there, isn’t he?”

“I asked Jess to drop him off this morning so he’d be waiting for you. He’s been so mopey he didn’t even want to challenge Boo Radley to a fight last night on our walk.”

“I can’t wait to see him.” He glanced back out his open window and gestured toward a park ahead near the Fairhope Tea Plantation. “It’s so gorgeous out. Do you mind stopping to take in some fresh air? I’m tired of being cooped up.”

She nodded and pulled into a small parking lot. “I love this spot.” Oak trees towered over masses of rhododendrons and azaleas, and as usual, the place was deserted. The beautiful spot was one of those mostly unknown treasures in the area. “The last time we were here was about a month before Ella died.”

She smiled as the memories flooded back, each one tender and wonderful. Ella loved the swings here, and they’d had the park all to themselves. Hez had carved their three names in a tree, and they’d eaten s’mores until they’d all had stomachaches. They’d taken Ella home covered in mud, and she’d fallen asleep in the bathtub.

His eyes glistened with moisture. “I pushed her on the swing until my arms about fell off. I like to remember that day. I think it was the last perfect day in my memory.”

She reached across to take his hand. “It won’t be the last.”

“I hope not.” He released her hand and opened his door to clamber out. “Let’s see if our initials are still in the tree.”

When she joined him at the front of the car, he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “I think it’s this way.”

“It’s there.” She pointed to the big oak next to a rambling thicket of bushes. “I love the smell of the air after a rain even if it’s as muddy as a swamp. It’s like everything is new.” She pressed her fingers tighter on his arm. “Seems appropriate, don’t you think?”

“Sure does.” His voice was hoarse, and he stopped when they reached the tree. She touched their initials in the bark before he started to crouch as he glanced toward a nearby blackberry bush.

She followed his gaze and saw a glint of something metal. The flash was followed by a clicking sound. A gun? “Get down!” Before he could drop to the ground, she leaped on him. Her weight pushed his face into mud, and he came up sputtering with goo dripping from his chin.

“Are you okay?” Adrenaline made her voice shake, and she kept her hand on his back as she stared at the bush. Was there one shooter or more than one? How did they get to safety? She couldn’t lose him. She jerked her head slightly toward the bush. “There’s someone there with a gun.”

Hez pushed up against the press of her hand. “I’m fine, honey. It’s not what you think.”

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