Page 23 of One Little Memory
“Stay here,” he commanded as he ran back to his truck. He pulled out a flashlight and then took off in the direction she’d pointed. Jo stood in the doorway, helpless. She shivered. Finally, she shut the door and locked it again. Her whole body started to shake. She’d been through so much over the last twenty-four hours, and even if her mind couldn’t consciously remember it all right now, she knew now that it was all in there. The trauma was definitely taking its toll.
Quiet pounding rattled the door, and she let out a small scream.
“Jo, it’s me, Phoenix.”
She unlocked the door and pulled it open again. Their gazes locked, and she threw herself into his arms.
He circled his arms around her. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re shaking like a leaf.” He moved them farther into the room and then closed the door behind them with one hand. He pulled her back into his arms again. “You’re fine. I promise. You’re safe. He’s gone.”
“I-I-I’m s-sorry.” Her teeth were chattering, making it hard to speak. “I-I j-just got so scared.”
“I get it. It must have been terrifying for you. Stuck in here with no phone. Shit. The phone. I bought one for you. It’s in my truck. Let me get it.”
He started to pull away, but she held fast. She couldn’t seem to make her arms let go.
He pulled back and put his knuckle under her chin, forcing her gaze up to meet his. “You’re okay. I promise. I’m just going to my truck. The guy is gone.”
She nodded, but it still took a moment for her to be able to drop her arms from around his waist. She stepped back, and he went out the door. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What was she doing being so clingy? That wasn’t like her. Or was it? No. She wasn’t that kind of woman. This whole thing had just thrown her for a loop. She needed to get a grip and behave like a normal human.
Turning, she hit the light switch and then filled the kettle. If she kept busy, it would be better. She got down two mugs. A few minutes later, Phoenix was back.
“I saw you making tea, so I figured it was okay to check the back door.”
She nodded. “I was being silly before. Thanks for humoring me. I think…the last few days have been a lot for me. Even though I don’t remember much. I think on some level I’m aware of what happened to me, and it’s taking its toll.”
“Makes sense,” Phoenix said as he leaned against the back of the sofa. “Can you talk about it?”
She nodded and then started speaking as she poured the boiling water into the teapot. “There was a thump that woke me. I got up and looked out the front window. A man was hunched over on your back steps. I didn’t see his face, but I’m sure by the way he moved, it was a man. When he stepped onto the last step, the stairs moved and then fell back into place. That was the sound that woke me.” She handed him a mug of tea.
Phoenix nodded. “The house used to be a three-season cottage, and I fixed it up. I haven’t gotten around to fixing the back stairs yet. If that’s what woke you, maybe I won’t.” He blew over the rim of the mug and then took a small sip before he continued. “What else can you tell me about the guy?”
She shrugged. “It was dark. No. That’s not true. The moon made it bright, but there were lots of shadows. She closed her eyes and tried to bring up an image of the intruder. “He was about average height, not as tall as you but taller than me. He was of medium build. I couldn’t tell skin color. He moved like…maybe he was in pain.”
Phoenix frowned. “It seems an odd time of night for someone to try and break in.” It’s not that late.”
“That’s what I thought. It seems to me that someone would only break in at this hour if they knew for sure you weren’t home.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I think you’re right, which, to be honest, wouldn’t be hard to find out. This is a small town. People know everything about everyone.”
She added milk to her Earl Gray. “That’s what Hazel said earlier.” She paused. “Do you think they were looking for me?” Her hand shook as she stirred her tea, rattling the spoon rattle against the mug.
“Nah. To be honest, it was probably some kind of teenage prank. I caught them at something last night, and they’re probably getting back at me. Again, it’s a small town. Not much happens here.”
“But now there’s a murder.”
“Yeah, but it’s my understanding that it could be part of something much bigger.” His gaze met hers. “I can’t explain, but I’m not sure you need to worry about it.”
She searched his expression. Her gut said there was a hell of a lot more to it, but his face didn’t reveal anything. Very cop-like, or at least she assumed it was cop-like. Whatever it was, she had the distinct impression he wasn’t telling her the whole truth. Could she blame him? No. Then again, she wasn’t telling him the whole truth either.
She hadn’t mentioned the memory that had come to her either, but there was something about it, like it wasn’t complete. She wanted to think about it more before she mentioned it to Phoenix. She had no idea what it meant, but she was definitely feeling like she was on thin ice, and she needed to be extra careful so she didn’t fall through.
CHAPTER 10
As Jo sipped her tea,Phoenix studied her surreptitiously. She was in more pain now. Her movements were jerky, and she was jumping at every sound. He’d like to write it all off to the intruder, but thought there was more to it. His cop instincts kicked in.
When she set down her mug, she spilled a bit on the counter. Her hands were still shaky. He moved across the room and pulled her in for a hug. It was stupid, but he couldn’t look at those wounded dark eyes any longer without seeing the fear in their depths. She needed comfort, and there was no one else here, so it was up to him.
“You’re fine. I’ll make sure the phone is functional before I leave so you’ll be safe. I don’t think whoever tried to break in will be back tonight.”
