9781618850676UnchainedMelodyHunter (21 page)

The
fish were biting and soon they had a huge string of the medium size silver and
gold fish. “Are you going to help me clean these?” Ethan teased Annalise as he
iced them down in another cooler he had brought for that express purpose.

She
looked at him for a moment, wondering if he was kidding. Finally she answered,
“I’ll scrape off the scales if you’ll clean out the guts.” Ethan roared with
laughter.

“You
are the sweetest treasure a man could ever have.” He pulled her to him and
kissed her hungrily. He could not get enough of her. For six years, he felt he had
been on a starvation diet and now having her near, touching her whenever he
wanted—he felt like the luckiest man in the world.

They
had brought Mojo and Tiny with them and they were having a blast running after
bugs and darting through the weeds. Ethan unloaded the food cooler and helped
her spread a large blanket for them to sit on. She laid the food out and fixed
a plate for him. She was generous with the portions, he was a big man and he had
a big appetite—in several areas. “This is great,” he complimented her on the
taste of the food. “You are an excellent cook. I wouldn’t have thought a person
living by themselves would get much practice.”

For
some reason his words made her sad. She had been lonely, she just hadn’t
realized it. Now, if she were to go back to that lifestyle, she knew she would
feel desolate. To be with Ethan like this and then to be without would make her
feel as if she’d been cast into isolation. “Truthfully, usually there is nothing
in the house, but ketchup and bread. And dog food of course. To me, eating and
good food is a social event and when you’re by yourself it doesn’t really
matter what you ingest just so long as it makes the hunger pains go away.” Knowing
how much Lise loved food, Ethan thought that was the saddest thing he had ever
heard. He resolved that she would never be on a ketchup and bread diet again.

He
ate three sandwiches, both tubs of lobster salad and four coconut cupcakes. Now,
all he wanted to do was take a nap. She reached behind the seat of the truck,
brought out a soft UT blanket and folded it. Kneeling beside him, she lifted
his head and laid it gently on the makeshift pillow. Kissing him softly on his
forehead, she decided this would be a good time to take both dogs for a walk.

* * * *

About
two hundred yards away, a man watched Annalise walk away from Ethan. He watched
her make her way down the Maple Trail toward the banks of the river. “Come this
way, bitch. Just a little farther.” Soon his troubles would be over. His mother
had solved a problem for him. She had reminded him the annulment he wanted to
get from Annalise had never been filed. Meaning whatever belonged to Annalise,
also belonged to her husband. And when a wife dies, her husband inherits
everything.

“Tiny,
Mojo, come back here, you little rascals.” Annalise laughed at the sight of
them wading through the shallows, lunging after minnows. Today was a wonderful
day. She looked back at Ethan peacefully sleeping on the blanket. He was her
daily delight.

In
the distance she heard a limb crack. She was about to turn around and look when
something struck her a tremendous blow right behind the knees. Her feet flew
out from under her and she was tossed in the air like a rag doll. The world was
turning upside down! Desperately, she tried to catch herself, and found nothing
to grab onto but empty air. It all happened in a split second, but the moments
felt like an eternity. Just before she hit the ground, a crushing blow was
delivered to the back of her head and she knew nothing more.

Ethan
was having the best dream. Lise had just consented to be his wife. He placed a
ring on her finger and relief filled his heart. Now, she was his. Suddenly a
jolt of electricity seemed to go through him. He sat up, quickly. Had he heard
something?

He
looked around for Lise and the dogs, but they were nowhere in sight. A tingle
of fear rushed through his lungs. “Lise! Lise! Tiny! Mojo!” He stood still,
trying to hear her answer or hear the bark of the dachshunds. He called again,
there was still no answer. Then he began to run down toward the river. Finally,
he heard the dogs and they were literally going crazy. But there was no sign of
his beloved. He kept running in the direction the dogs seemed to be.

And
then he saw her. She was lying on the ground, so still. Mojo was upset, but
Tiny was hysterical. He even attempted to bite Ethan. Kneeling down, he calmed
the dogs, noticing that Tiny had blood in his mouth. Surely, they hadn’t
attacked Annalise.

Ethan
fell at her side. He picked her up, cradling her head in his hand. He kissed
her face, but she did not move. “Sweetheart, wake up.” Holding his breath,
frantically he felt for a pulse and when he found one he gulped huge breaths of
air. When he lowered her head, he felt dampness on his left hand. Horrified, he
realized his hand was bloody. “Oh babe, you hit your head on a rock.” He stood
up with her, noticing the grass where her head had been lying was covered with
blood, but he saw no rock. The dogs must have gotten into
Annalise’s
blood, when they were sniffing around her, trying to wake her up. There was no
time to investigate further. He picked her up, commanded the dogs in a voice
they knew not to ignore and ran to the truck. Holding her in his arms, he
opened the door and gently laid her in the seat. She never moved. He had to
take the time to lift the wiener dogs in, but they fully cooperated. They knew
something was very wrong. Forty miles from a hospital, he breathed a prayer
with every breath.

Chapter Nine

Ethan
sat in the waiting room. Alex and Bobby at his side. “I don’t even know how to
get in touch with her family.”

“How
about that agent friend of hers,” Alex offered.

“I
only know her first name,” Ethan admitted sorrowfully.

“What
have you two been doing? Don’t you talk?” Alex knew that was a stupid question.
He knew what they had been doing. Ethan hung his head and prayed harder than he
ever had in his life.

After
what seemed like an eternity, a white coated doctor approached them. “Are you
with Annalise Ramsey?” he asked.

Ethan
stood, waiting, holding his breath. ”Your wife,” there was a question in his
voice, but Ethan didn’t bother to deny it, “is a very lucky woman.” Ethan let
out a long breath. “From what we can tell, there was blunt force trauma to the
back of her head. There was also extensive bruising on the backs of her legs.” None
of this made any sense to Ethan. He had no idea what could have happened to
her. “You can see her in a few moments, they are dressing her wound.”

“Is
she awake?” Ethan asked quietly.

“No,
she’s not awake yet.” The doctor shook his head. “The brain scan shows a rather
severe concussion. There is no way of knowing how long she will be unconscious;
she may wake up in two days or two hours. We have no reason to think it will be
anything other than a temporary condition.” He patted Ethan on the shoulder. “Someone
will come after you in a few minutes.”

“What
could have happened to her, Ethan? Could somebody have done this to her? Do you
think she has any enemies?” Alex was thinking out loud.

“Lord,
I wouldn’t think so,” Ethan answered. “She is a romance writer for heaven’s
sake.” Then he thought of how he had acted when he had found out what she did
done for a living and he was so ashamed.

A
nurse walked up and told Ethan he could go into Lise’s room. His heart jumped
and he followed her eagerly. When he entered the room, she looked so small and
alone.

The
nurse adjusted the I. V. and left him alone with her. He went to her side, took
her hand and bowed his head next to hers. “Wake up, sweetheart. I love you.” He
kissed her head. How could he have let this happen? Seeing her like this
brought back the realization this wasn’t her first time in the hospital and the
last time he hadn’t been there for her at all. His heart broke and a sob tore
from his throat.

“Please,
Lise. Wake up,” he whispered raggedly. Pulling the chair close to her, he sat
down and remained as close to her as he could get, without getting in the bed with
her. In a few moments, he felt something then it dawned on him. Someone was
stroking his hair. He lifted his head and looked directly into her big brown
eyes. “Thank God.”

“Ethan,
are you all right?”

He
rose and covered her mouth with his. He kissed her gently. “I’m much better now
that you’re awake. How do you feel? Do you hurt, sweetheart?”

“No.
I want to go home.” Then she clarified, just in case he misunderstood. “I want
to go home with you.”

“There’s
nothing I want more, but you’ve got to stay here until the doctor says it’s
safe for you to come home.”

“You
need to go and get some rest. You look so tired.”

“I’m
not leaving until you do.” When she started to protest, he closed her lips with
his own. When he had effectively taken her mind off his not so imminent
departure he asked her. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Not
really.” Annalise had to think about what she remembered before she alarmed
Ethan. She lay back, feeling slightly nauseous. Ethan felt her face then her
neck. They were damp with perspiration.

“You
feel worse than you’re letting on don’t you?” She looked at him, pain in her
eyes.
 
“Please don’t lie to me,
sweetheart, don’t ever lie to me. I can handle any truth, as long as it comes
from your lips.” His words sank into
Annalise’s
very
being. She had lied to him, but it was a lie of omission and only to protect
him.

“It
hurts, Ethan. I feel sick. Would you hold me, please?” He pulled the chair over
right next to the bed. Sitting on the arm of the chair, he took her in his arms
so her head rested on his chest.

“Go
to sleep, sweetheart. I’ll hold you.” Ethan held her until his arms went to
sleep then he held her some more.

The
next morning, Annalise felt very near to her old self. The doctor said she had
to stay twenty-four more hours then she could go home. That would make a total
of thirty-six hours she had been in the hospital. She had slept most of the time
and didn’t think Ethan had been asleep at all. “Love, I’m going to get coffee. I’ll
send Alex in to stay with you ‘til I get back.” Annalise hoped Alex had just
arrived, instead of sitting out in the lobby all night.

 
In a few moments, Alex came in, walked
straight over and kissed her on the cheek. His sweetness made Annalise want to
cry. “Did you go home last night?”

“I
left here at midnight, back at seven. You didn’t realize you were so important
did you?”

“Good
grief, Alex. I’m not used to being fussed over. Would you please make Ethan go
home and get some rest tonight?”

“Ask
me to change the course of the sun; it would be a more reasonable request.”

Annalise
had to smile at Alex’s dry humor.

“Does
your head hurt?”

“Oh,
yes, but don’t tell Ethan.”

“You’re
always trying to protect him, aren’t you?”

“Can
you think of a more worthy calling?”

“Have
you told him about the scars and the rape yet?”

“My
head hurts, Alex. Do we have to talk about this now?”

“No,
we don’t.”

“No,
I haven’t told him. I’ve gotten braver with the…um…sex and I’ve made an
appointment for a consultation for further surgery.”

“Good.
Shall I cancel the party Friday night?”

“Why
are you being cruel to me, Alex?”

“I’m
being cruel to be kind.”

“Don’t
cancel the party.”

“Now,
who’s being cruel?”

“I
want Ethan to see he is popular, attractive, sexy and irresistible.”

“You’re
dangerous, do you know that? Are there any more at home like you?”

“Well,
actually, yes, there is.” Annalise laughed then groaned and held her head.

“That’s
good news.”

“Would
you like to meet her?”

“Hell,
yeah!
 
Maybe she’ll come for the
wedding?”

The
door opened and Ethan reappeared so Annalise did not get to answer Alex.

Alex
stayed a few more minutes and then he went to tend to the B&B. After he
left, Ethan sat on the side of the bed. “Do you feel like telling me what you
remember, now? What happened that caused you to fall?” When he was near her, he
never failed to touch her somewhere; as if to assure himself she was near and that
she belonged to him. Now, his hand stroked her leg, concern clouding his eyes.

“I’ve
thought about it, Ethan. I can’t make much sense out of it. Something hit me in
the back of the legs and it had to have been the dogs, but I would have sworn
they were in front of me. Then, I felt a blow to my head. Again, I must not be
remembering clearly, because it seemed to come before I hit the ground. But
none of that makes sense. I guess we’ll just have to blame my inborn
clumsiness. I am so sorry about all of the trouble I have caused you. There is
no reason you have to stay with me, I know you have things that you need to be
doing. “