Page 54 of Fractured Hope
I leaned over him and gently kissed his lips. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. It’ll be good to get you home.”
“Home. Hmm, I like the sound of that.” He smiled up at me. “I like that you think of my house as home.”
“Your house isn’t my home, Atticus, you are. You’re my home.” My cheeks heated as I cursed myself for being so corny. “You make me feel safe and settled, and that’s something I’ve never had before.”
Atticus reached up and tapped my chin to get me to look at him. “That means the world to me. I love you, Bodhi.” He took my hand and kissed my palm.
Theo walked back in. “Mama wants to stop by your house this afternoon. She says it’s to drop off food, but I think we both know she just wants to check on you.”
“That’s fine,” Atticus said, fighting a yawn. “I’m not surprised.”
There was a knock at the door, and we all turned to look. I froze in place when a man with blond hair and a Sheriff’s uniform appeared. I relaxed when I noticed Max behind him, but it still triggered my fight-or-flight response. Shaking off my fear, I greeted Max and waited for them both to enter.
“Hey, Theo, I heard you were back in town. Not the best welcome home from Atticus, here.” Max clapped Theo on the shoulder and pulled him into a hug. “It’s good to see you, son.”
“No, not a welcome I ever want to experience again.” Theo looked a little green as he glanced at Atticus as if to make sure he was okay and conscious.
Moving to Atticus’s bedside, Max looked Atticus over, fatherly affection shining in his eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay. Sore and tired but on the mend.”
“You feeling up to answering a few questions? Sam here, is running point on your case.”
Sam moved forward then, looking proud. He seemed to be young, maybe new to the Sheriff’s department. He was stocky but had a baby face and kind blue eyes.
“Sure, go ahead, but I’m not sure how much I remember.”
Theo held up a hand. “Atticus did lose consciousness at the scene and seems to have concussion-induced amnesia. It should come back to him, but it might not.” Theo turned to shoot Atticus a serious look. “And don’t you push it. You’ll end up making your symptoms worse.”
“I won’t. I don’t need to make this headache any worse, trust me.” He closed his eyes as if bracing himself through pain.
Sam came over to stand next to Max. He pulled out his small notepad and pen from his pants pocket and started taking Atticus’s statement.
“What do you remember from yesterday?”
Atticus opened his eyes. “I remember the courthouse, then returning to town. You dropped us at Jolt.”
Max nodded. “Yes, that’s right. I’ve given Sam the basic background of the case. Do you remember what happened next?”
Reaching up to rub his forehead while being careful not to touch his eyebrow, Atticus nodded. “I went to the garage. Seb was there. I had to do something... a test drive. Shit! It was Sidney’s Ford F-150. I drove it out to Mitch’s farm to test everything before his big trip.” Atticus grimaced in pain and sympathy for Sidney. “Has anyone told him about his truck? He’s going to be crushed.”
Max let out a little chuckle. “Don’t you worry about Sidney. He’s been told. He was more worried about you. He’s a good kid, and we’ll get it all worked out.”
Sam cleared his throat.
“Sorry.” Max turned to Sam, looking bashful. “I’ll step back. Continue.” He waved his hand for Sam to take over. Max seemed to be testing him, seeing if he could take charge and lead the questioning, but was having a little trouble letting go at the same time.
“It’s okay, Max. I know these guys are like family to you. Feel free to jump in any time. I just didn’t want to get sidetracked, since I’m sure Atticus would like to rest.” Turning back to Atticus, Sam asked, “Atticus, can you think back? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary when you were leaving town? Any people nearby? Any unfamiliar vehicles?”
Atticus squeezed his eyes shut. “I feel like there was something. There was something on the side of the road. It was abandoned... a black....”
“A black vehicle?” Sam asked.
“Yes. I remember slowing down to check if there was someone there or if they needed help. It was on the other side of the road. There was no one in it or nearby. I was going to stop on my way home to investigate further.”
Nausea swamped my stomach. “Do you remember what type of vehicle it was? Was it a matte black Jeep, perhaps?”
“Yes! That’s it. I thought it was odd and not a vehicle anyone in town owns, that I know of.” He looked at me, mouth set in a grim line. “Why?”
