Salt Water Wounds (Oyster Cove #1) (18 page)

I sit down on the couch and run my hands over my face. “It’s been a long damn day.”

Bristol sits beside me and leans her head on my shoulder. I raise my arm and hold her closer. “Brant told me what Nick’s father said about me.”

“Do you have a way to reach Nick?” I ask her.

“Yeah, sure. Why? Did Nick say something too? I already text him cussing him out.”

I grit my teeth. I didn’t need her doing that, but at least she can reach him. “I need you to call Nick. Get him on the phone.”

“What do I say?”

I start thinking about it, while Weston makes a suggestion. “Don’t tell him about his mother. He’ll have his father drive him to the hospital.”

He’s right. We can’t trust the kid. “Should I contact her parents? Last time I got them involved she tore me a new ass.”

“I wouldn’t. You said she’s okay. Maybe she doesn’t want them knowing about it.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right. Listen, while I have you all here I need a favor, and I want you to understand why I’m asking.”

“What?” Bristol asks.

I look to Dane. “You planning on moving home any time soon?”

“No,” he answers like he’s confused.

“Good. Clean out the room the best you can. Put the furniture in the attic for now.”

“Why, Dad? What did Dane do?” Bristol questions.

Dane already knows it’s not him. “He needs the room, sis.”

“For what,” she begins to ask. It only takes her a second to understand, and I wait for her to overreact.

Cooper sees it about to unfold and gets in her shit. “I think it’s a good idea. It’ll be nice to have someone to clean the bathrooms, right Bristol?”

I glance over at my daughter and notice she’s not happy.

“I’m not moving her into my bed. She has to move out of her place, and we have the space.”

“You might not move her into your room yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Why do you all treat me like I’m a kid. I know how this works. It’s like you’re all against me.”

“Bristol, a good friend of mine is in trouble. We talked about this. It’s not up to you.”

“Whatever. Move her in. Sleep with her. Replace Mom. Obviously I’m the only person who thinks it’s wrong.”

Dane stand and leads his sister out of the room. He turns at the last minute. “I’ve got this.”

We wait until he’s gone to continue. “While I’m with Perry, I’ll need you guys to go to her house and move her things. She doesn’t have much, and Nick’s stuff can stay in the garage until we figure something else out.”

“Until Perry moves into your room, you mean?” Caleb teases.

I shake my head. “Now ain’t the time, son. I need to get her moved in as quickly as possible. When I know she’s safe I’ll figure out a way to get rid of the ex.”

“Damn, Dad. She must be worth it. I haven’t seen you this heated since I shot out the neighbors window with the pellet gun.” Weston taunts.

“Do we have a plan or not?”

Brant pats me on the shoulder. “We’ve got this, Dad. Just give us her address and make sure we have a way to get in.”

“I’ll text you the number for her landlord. Tell him she’s been in an accident and to call me if he has a problem with letting you inside. He knows me. It won’t be an issue.”

“Does Perry know?” Cooper wonders.

“No. I’ll tell her once we’re finished, that way she can’t refuse my offer.”

“Do you think we’re in danger?” Brant asks.

“I don’t want to assume anything. Let’s get this taken care of while I know Perry is in the hospital. Once she’s here I’ll have plenty of time to figure something out. Need be, I’ll go to the police.”

“We can drive him out into the ocean and leave him,” Caleb insists.

“Just do what I say for now. All of you. Got it?”

Despite the fact that they’ve all agreed, I’m not confident this will work out. Perry is stubborn, and Bristol will rebel. I could be making matters worse, but for now it’s a start.

Chapter 20

I’m surprised when Buck returns the next morning with flowers in his hand.
He sits the bouquet to the side and leans in for a kiss. I’m a little embarrassed I haven’t been able to brush my teeth, even though he doesn’t seem to care at all. “Did you get any sleep?”

“They gave me a sedative. I slept like a baby. I’m sorry I destroyed the moped.”

“You needed it, and don’t even think about that right now. I can’t begin to know what was going through your head, but I kind of get it. We’ve all wanted to give up, Perry.”

“Yeah.” It appears that he’s the one who didn’t sleep. “Were you up all night, Buck?”

“I slept a little.” He walks over to the window while continuing. “I had a lot on my mind.”

“Did you do anything illegal?”

He laughs at the question. “Do you think I would?”

I shrug. “I know you’d do anything for the people you love.”

“Damn right. That’s how it should be.”

“Then you shouldn’t laugh at the question.”

He sighs, then turns to look at me when he answers. “I didn’t do anything illegal, sweetness.”

“The doctor says I need to start seeing a therapist.”

“Are you upset about that?”

“No. I haven’t been to one in years. I guess I could go back to my old doctor so I don’t have to start over with my life story for another stranger.”

I cover my mouth when he leans in to kiss me again. “I need to brush my teeth.”

Buck pulls something from his back pocket. It’s a toothbrush in a wrapper. “I snagged it from the nurse before I walked in.”

“Keep doing stuff like that and I may never want you to leave.”

“I could get used to hearing that I’m needed.”

We stare deeply into each other’s eyes for a few seconds. “I want to talk to you about something, Buck. I can’t let you do this without knowing everything. I would have liked to wait a few months before putting this on you, but you and I both know this thing between us has been going on for a while. We may not have acted on it, but I’m sure it was there, at least on my part. Maybe I’m wrong, but you still deserve the truth. You need to know why I’m cursed.”

He puts his hand over one of mine. “I promise I won’t leave this room, no matter how awful you think it is. I’m a man of my word. It may have started with a beer and a conversation, but it’s more now. I’m going to be here, sweetness. You can count on that.”

“This isn’t something I like talking about. I’ve done my best to pretend it never happened, or that my past isn’t full of lies and deceit. Sometimes I feel like my life should be one of those Lifetime movies. Most people wouldn’t believe it, but I’m here to tell you it’s true.”

“I’m still with you.” His hand is in mine, his eyes focused with a sense of concern. I’ve never had someone care about me like this. That’s why telling him this could destroy it. “It started when I was around eight. I kept having nightmares about a scary man. My mom would try to calm me, but they got worse, until my teacher approached them about my lack of participation in class. Then I had an episode at recess with one of the boys. We were hiding behind a play set with our pants down. You see, I thought that kind of activity was normal. When my mother scolded me I didn’t understand. She took me to a shrink and the dreams started getting better. I learned how to act appropriately and all was well with the world. I was ten years old when I first saw him. He was standing outside the playground at the elementary school. I recognized him immediately from being the man in my dreams. One minute I’m telling my mom the boogeyman exists and the next thing I know police are at the house asking me questions I didn’t understand.”

Buck notices how badly I’m shaking. He squeezes my hand to remind me he’s still there.

“This man. Did your parents know him?”

I close my eyes, barely able to get the words out. “They knew him. I knew him too, I was just brainwashed to forget.”

“Who was he?”

God, I hate saying the words. It makes me ill. I cover my mouth in case I gag, because it bothers me this much. “My father, Buck. That man who haunted my dreams was my biological father, and that’s not it either. They weren’t dreams. They were memories of him doing things to me, things that no man should ever do to a child.”

Buck has to look away. He finally gets it. I’m already crying, just waiting for the second he realizes I’m wretched. That’s what Peter used to call me.

“Damn. I get it now. I know why you didn’t want to tell me.” He’s still holding my hand. Buck stands and lets go, but only to brush the tears away from my cheeks. “Tell me he’s in jail or dead.”

I shrug. “You haven’t heard the worst part yet.”

“What could be worse than a child being molested by their father?”

Through my sullen sniffles I explain. “Nestor raised me as his daughter. He felt sorry for my mother, took us in and I guess they eventually fell in love. They both knew what happened to me. My mother had let it go on for years. She claims she was in denial. Nestor came home from college to visit and saw it for himself, his own brother touching on his child. Even as disgusted as he claims he was, he wouldn’t let my mom call the police. There was apparently an altercation. He gave my father an ultimatum. He could leave and never come back for any reason, or he’d go to jail for the rest of his life. I didn’t learn that much until I was a teenager and started asking.”

“Wait a minute. That man is still out there somewhere? He could be doing it to someone else.”

I shake my head. “I looked up his name when I was in high school. I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t run into him. I never found any record of him living on the East Coast.”

“Now I know why you don’t trust your parents.”

“They tried. They thought if I didn’t remember it couldn’t hurt me. I’ll never forgive my mother for letting it happen while she was in the next room. It makes me sick. I didn’t let her see my son for years. She didn’t deserve to know him. It’s why I’m so protective of Nick. I swore I’d never let anyone hurt him the way my family let someone hurt me.”

“Nestor gave you the tavern. I’m guessing he’s still trying to buy your love.”

Finally someone gets it. “Nestor, the only father I admit to having, also tried to make me think I was crazy. He helped my mother cover it all up, and then sent my father away instead of letting him rot in jail where he belongs. Maybe he’s dead now. I don’t care. I pray he’s not out there hurting other children, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive them. I only moved back to Chincoteague because I had nowhere else to go. He thought he could keep me here with my own bar. He even added that stupid contingency that I couldn’t get out of it unless it was given back to a family member. He thinks he’d get back his investment, but I had other plans.”

“Ah. The marriage proposal.”

“I just want to be free, Buck. No matter where I run my past keeps haunting me. It’s why I wanted to drive into the bay and never come to the surface.”

He leans forward and kisses me on the lips. I still haven’t brushed my teeth, but it’s getting easier to not worry about it. “I would have never forgiven you for taking your life.”

“What about Peter?”

Buck sits down and folds his hand across his lap. He clears his throat and speaks with a confident demeanor about him. I expect him to want to leave, but he doesn’t. “We’re going to get you home before we worry about any of that.”

“Buck.”

“Sweetness.”

I shyly laugh. “What’s with the nickname?”

He shrugs like he doesn’t realize he’s doing it. “It’s just a name. You’re sweet like candy. I crave you.”

“Don’t say things like that while I’m stuck in this bed.”

“Why?” He chuckles. “It’s the truth. I’m going to make this right, Perry.”

“How?” I worry. “Why?” I’m tearing up again. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Everything is going to be okay.”

“I’m not lucky. I don’t get a happy ending, Buck. I’m in the hospital because I tried to kill myself because I can’t take the pain anymore. I’m burdened by a past I can’t run away from. A man I promised to spend my life with has abused me. I ran because it’s all I’ve ever known how to do. I’ve been surviving. It’s not right to expect you to come in and save the day.”

“It’s not your choice. When I’m in, I’m all in. Why do you think I waited so long for this? I had to be sure. Even then, I doubted my judgment. I questioned if we’d rushed things. Right now I know I don’t need you going anywhere. Maybe I’m crazy, but I know when I want something. I’m a country grown man. I don’t scare easily. It takes more than a threat to get me to back off. I don’t judge people for their mistakes, and I certainly wouldn’t walk away from someone because they’ve been a victim. That’s what you are, Perry. You’re a victim, and it’s time you changed that. For once stop running. Look at what’s right here in front of you. Who knows what will happen if we just stop fighting it?”

“You don’t think I’m damaged?” I ask.

“We’re all damaged, sweetness.”

“I thought I’d lose you.”

“I’ve got thick skin. I’ve watched my wife die before my eyes. I’ve watched my children live years in sadness. I’ve taken on the burdens of everyone I care about. This part is easy. It’s my choice.”

I can’t speak. He’s said everything I’ve wanted to hear from a man for my whole life. When Buck Wallace says he wants to protect me. I know he will.

It changes everything.