Secret Identity (6 page)

Her head still hurt too much to try and remember details and her eyesight was going in and out. At times she could clearly see the houses and barns that they were passing, but at other times, she couldn't even make out the windshield wipers as they cleared the snow from in front of her.

The warmth of the car and the sound of the engine were making her sleepy and her head drooped. She must have slept for a while because when she woke, her neck was twisted and sore from having been stuck in the odd position of leaning against the window.

“
How about some lunch?” Carter smiled and handed her a bag from a fast food chain she did remember. “It's one of your favorite sins.” He winked at her.

She looked down and opened the bag and pulled out a large hamburger. When she sunk her teeth into the juicy burger, she closed her eyes and felt comfort flooding her mouth. It was almost like she hadn't eaten in a year.

“You don't eat these as often as you used to, but I think you can make an exception this time.” He had a funny smile on his face and she wondered why he was watching her closely as she ate the rest of her burger.

He pulled back onto the highway and continued to talk to her as they drove. She found his voice soothing and half listened to him talking about his grandparents’ place. Before she knew it, she was asleep again, this time with her head resting on the headrest.

It was dark when they pulled into a hotel. Carter ran in and got a room, then carried their suitcases into their joint room and helped her walk in. When he followed her into the room, she turned and looked at him.

“I'm not leaving you alone. There are two beds.” She saw the determination in his eyes and something told her not to argue with him. She was in too much pain at this time, anyway. Her head was throbbing and her vision had yet to return, so she could only make out shapes beyond two feet away.

“You fell asleep before you could take your pain pill after lunch.” He walked to a bag and pulled out a white paper bag. Taking a bottle from it, he handed her two pills and then walked over and filled up a glass of water in the bathroom sink. “Here, you should feel better in an hour or two.”

She'd yet to say anything to him since arriving; instead, she downed the pills and walked slowly to the farthest bed and sat on the edge.

“Your suitcase is there, if you want to shower and change.” He nodded to a large black bag.

Her things were inside it. What would she find? What kind of things did she have? She scooted over and unzipped the bag, looking inside. There were three pairs of shoes: two sets of heels and one pair of running shoes. Sweat pants sat on the top. She grabbed them with her good arm along with a white t-shirt, then went to the bathroom.

Closing the door, her head spun as she leaned against the cold door. She was having a difficult time keeping her eyes open as she showered and dressed. She refrained from using her bad arm as much as she could. Dark bruises ran up her wrist and to her elbow. She'd forgotten to grab a comb and as she walked out of the bathroom, so she finger combed her hair.

“Here,” he handed her a large purple comb. “I thought you might need this.” He smiled at her as she sat on the edge of her bed combing her hair. He had the television on to the news. The sound was low enough that it didn't bother her head. “I ordered us some food.” He nodded towards a cart. “I'll just go take a shower.” He disappeared into the bathroom.

She was too tired to walk over to the cart and see what he'd ordered. Instead, she pulled the covers from her bed and crawled under the cool sheets.

Carter walked out of the bathroom and saw her fast asleep. He pulled the blanket up over her shoulder. She was still so pale and there were dark circles under her eyes. The bruise had traveled down her forehead to her cheek. She even had a slight black eye. She still wore the dark sling for her arm and had it tucked close to her body.

Gently, he brushed a strand of her wet hair away from her forehead and looked at her stitches. She'd taken off the bandages. He knew they needed replacing, but didn't think it would hurt to keep them off for one night. The cut was looking better. No signs of infection, which Laura had warned him about.

He walked over to the cart and frowned when he saw that she hadn't touched her food. She'd only taken three bites of her burger at lunch before she'd fallen asleep again. He'd been warned that her appetite might not return for a few days.

She was already on the thinner side of his liking, and he didn't think she could stand to lose any more weight. He'd just have to force her to eat a big breakfast tomorrow.

He sat on the edge of his bed and watched her for a while. He’d thought about a lot of things during the long drive while she'd slept. He had a list of things he knew needed to be done to his grandparents’ place and a list of people he needed to contact so he could cancel his meetings for the next month. There was so much he'd have to do when they made it to Rockport, including trying to track down her mother.

He leaned his head back and listened to the news while watching her sleep in the bed beside him.

The next morning, they stopped at a little diner and he ordered her a large breakfast full of her favorite foods.

She sat across from him, almost in a zombie state. She said very little and usually only nodded when he asked her questions. Again, she only nibbled on her food and when he mentioned that she could only take her medicine on a full stomach, she ate her toast and drank her orange juice.

“
It will have to do for now, but you'll need to eat more for lunch.” She nodded and looked away. She'd found a pair of large sunglasses in her bag that covered most of the bruising. Her hair had been pulled back with the exception of a few strands that helped hide the scar and coloring of her forehead.

When they drove away from the diner, she rested her head against the window and was fast asleep within minutes. She woke shortly before lunch and ate a little more than she had for breakfast. After they were on the road again, she swallowed her pain pills and tried to stretch out next him in the seat. He'd pulled out one of his sweatshirts for her to roll up and use as a pillow against the window. She snuggled with it like it was the most comfortable thing she'd ever had.

He didn't know how she could sleep that long, but then remembered that the nurse had told him the pain pills would make her groggy. He'd see if she felt like she could cut back to only one pill next time.

When the countryside started looking familiar to him, he felt excitement rushing through him. He'd be glad to get out of the car and be home. They drove through Rockport just after dusk and the small town had never looked better.

He noticed a few changes to Main Street. There were a few new shops and a few that had closed down. He'd called ahead to his neighbor, Mr. Johnson, and had had him stock the place with food and firewood. The old man had been a dear friend to his grandparents and had been keeping an eye on the place since their deaths.

Carter sent him a check each year to cover any expenses and a little something extra for his trouble. The old man always sent the check back to him with a kind note saying he didn't need anything and he was just helping out a neighbor.

As he drove up with Eve still asleep next to him, the headlights cut the fog and he saw the huge gray place for the first time in almost four years. His grandfather had built this place for his family when Carter’s mother had been just a child. The white trim and bright red door were in need of some paint.

From what he could see, the trees and bushes surrounding the place were still neatly trimmed, no doubt thanks to Mr. Johnson. The snow hadn't let up and when he thought of the cold in the house, he shivered. Parking the car by the front porch, he left it running and rushed in to turn on the heat and start a fire to warm the place.

When he entered the house, he was happily surprised to feel heat hit his face. There on the banister was a note from Mr. Johnson.

“Thought you might get in sometime tonight. I turned the heat on and left a pile of firewood inside for you. The pantry is stocked and your luggage from New York arrived earlier. Eve's bags are in your grandparents’ room. Yours are down the hall. I'll stop by tomorrow and check in on you both. --L. Johnson.”

They just don't make neighbors like that in New York, Carter thought, and he shook his head as he set the note back down. When he walked back out to the front porch, he could see Eve awake in the car, looking out of the window and staring at the house. Did she remember this place? Would being here jog any memories?

He looked at her through the glass and couldn't see any recognition in her eyes. Instead, she looked tired and cold.

Rushing to the car, he helped her out. “Go ahead inside, I'll grab the bags.”

She took a few steps and stood under the large overhang on the front porch and turned to wait for him as he grabbed the two bags from the trunk. When he stopped in front of her, he realized she'd put on his sweatshirt and had her good hand tucked into the large pockets, while the one in the sling was tucked somewhere under the large sweatshirt. The thing hung down halfway to her knees and looked very sexy on her with just her black leggings and boots underneath.

“This is your grandparents’ place?” She looked at him and he thought for a second that he could see the old spark in her eyes.

He nodded, not wanting to say anything and break the spell. He wanted to step closer to her, gather her up and never let her go, but instead he walked past her into the warmth of the house.

“Mr. Johnson stopped by earlier and turned on the furnace for us. Sandi and Mitch sent that luggage we talked about. I know you don't like people going through your things, but I didn’t think the three pairs of shoes you had packed would keep you satisfied for too long.” He turned towards her with a grin on his face. He was awarded with a smile from her.

“Was I that vain?” She stood just inside the door, looking around.

He laughed and set the bags down. “If I say yes, will you hit me?” He couldn't help teasing her; after all, he was home. She was here, healthy and alive, and they were together. He felt energy rushing through his veins. Somehow, the old place always did that to him. Especially when she was here with him.

“You're looking more refreshed.” He walked over and flipped on a few lights. He saw her shiver. “I can start a fire down here if you want.”

“No, it's okay.” She turned and looked in towards the living room.

“Are you hungry?” He felt a wave of awkwardness hit him and for a split second and felt like a teenager on his first date again.

“No.” She walked into the entryway and stopped in front of table that held a silver frame with an old photo in it.

“Is this your family?” She picked the frame up and looked at it.

He walked over beside her and looked at the picture, frowning. There in bold colors were Mitch, Carter, and Eve sitting on the summer beach a few yards from where they stood. Their smiles made it very obvious that they'd just spent the day water skiing and playing in the surf. He didn't remember the exact day or what they had done after, just that it had been another wonderful day with his best friends. No doubt, they were getting ready to have a large bonfire on the beach and cook hot dogs and marshmallows over the flame while listening to his grandfather's spooky stories as his grandmother pretended to be scared. He frowned even more and thought of what he had truly lost in the back alley in Chicago. “Yes, that's my family.”