Torn (34 page)

“
Old friend of the family”
. . . that explains how he knows me. He must’ve seen pictures. Why
haven’t I seen or heard of him before?
“I’m sorry, have we met before?”

“
No, but I know who you
are.”

The tone in his voice and the darkness
in his demeanor demanded respect. Branson didn’t care who he was,
or why he hadn’t heard of him before. This man had answers that he
needed, and he’d do whatever it took to get them. He could ask
questions another time. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me. I’ve
been going out of my mind. I’ve called Katie’s cell, and the
house—I know she’s angry—but disappearing is extreme.”

The waitress returned, still working
on her wad of gum. “What’ll it be, hon?”

Pete waved his hand, informing her he
wasn’t interested in anything on the menu, or her presence.
Somehow, the way he waved her off didn’t come off as rude, but the
directive was made, understood, and followed.

“
What are your intentions
when you do find her?” Pete asked.

“
To tell her that I love
her.” Branson ran his hand through his hair, his nerves were
frazzled. “And I’m sorry.”

Pete chose his words carefully. “Like
I said, I’m an old friend of the family. Elizabeth and I go way
back. I care for her deeply, and I know that she’s doing what she
thinks is best for Katie. However . . . I disagree. This is the
second time she’s tried to control two people in love, and I’d like
to make sure this time turns out for the better.”

Branson watched Pete’s face soften as
he talked about Elizabeth. It wasn’t hard to figure out that the
first incident he was referring to was between the two of them.
“Thank you.”

“
Elizabeth and Katie are
staying at my cottage on the Outer Banks.” He slid a piece of paper
across the table. “Here’s the address. I expect you to do right by
Katie. You made a mistake letting her go. Don’t make it again.” His
eyes darkened as he gave the warning and Branson knew he would
never want Pete on his bad side.

“
I won’t.” He picked up
the paper and studied it before shutting his fingers around
it.

***

The smell of freshly brewed coffee
drifted through the cottage and into the bedroom where Katie was
enjoying the most restful sleep she’d had in weeks. She felt the
pull and stretch of each muscle as she pointed her toes and
stretched her arms overhead. After slipping into her robe, she ran
her fingers through her hair—trying to tame the bed head—and
stepped into the kitchen.

Aidan was over the stove, flipping
pancakes. “Good morning,” Katie whispered, her voice
groggy.

“
Good morning, sleepy
head.” Aidan handed her a mug of coffee. “Hungry?”

Katie nodded as she sipped the rich
brew that promised to bring life to her fatigued body. “What time
is it?”

“
Eight
o’clock.”

“
Really? I usually don’t
sleep that late. Don’t you have rounds this morning?”

“
I did, but I got it
covered.” He set a plate of pancakes in front of Katie and sat
across from her at the small, round kitchen table. “How’s your
head?”

“
I feel great. Thank you
for taking care of me.” Katie cut into her pancakes and took an
oversized bite. She could only get halfway through them before she
was full. Relaxing back into her seat, she sipped her coffee and
watched Aidan. He was meticulous when he ate, cutting each forkful
and then setting his knife down on the side of his plate while he
chewed.

“
I’ve got big plans for us
this weekend.” He flashed that cocky smile that was quickly
becoming Katie’s undoing.

“
Oh?”

“
Pack a bag and be ready
in a couple of hours.”

Thirty-Five

A new sensation distracted Katie’s
racing heartbeat as they approached the beach house in Cape
Hatteras. She gazed at Aidan’s right leg, his muscles flexing as he
took his foot off the gas pedal and switched to the brake. Her eyes
shifted up, noticing his hand as he shifted into a lower gear,
slowing the car and eventually coming to a stop. She thought about
spending the weekend in the amazing beach house with him, no
distractions, no worries about prying eyes or knowing smirks. This
new feeling wasn’t the usual fear and uncertainty, it was a feeling
of anticipation and possibility. Thoughts of his hands roaming over
her body in the hot tub sent a warmth through her body that landed
on her cheeks, threatening to give her thoughts away.

Aidan caught a glimpse of Katie, who
seemed to be deep in thought. He saw the heat behind her eyes and a
jolt of electricity shot through him. Nothing would stand in his
way of having her this weekend. He was finally going to make sure
she knew who she belonged with. After putting the car in park, he
turned off the engine, and looked at Katie. “Ready?” The question
held more than one meaning.

Katie wasn’t sure who made the first
move, but as soon as they stepped through the front door, they came
together in a wild, primal haste. Aidan dropped the bags and pulled
Katie with him as he shut the door, never losing contact with her
mouth. She groaned when he pushed her up against the wall, almost
knocking the breath out of her.

Katie cradled his face in her hands as
they kissed. She pulled away when she saw movement in the kitchen.
She froze.

“
What is it?” Aidan asked,
pulling his shirt down off of his face so he could see. As soon as
the words left his mouth, he knew what Katie was looking
at.

“
Dammit, Maria!” he said
under his breath, before turning to face her in the kitchen. The
housekeeper was in her mid-fifties. She had a kind face and dark
brown eyes that matched her hair color. She was as big around as
she was tall, and it was obvious she didn’t know what to do in this
situation.

“
Almost
finished?”

“
Yes, sir,” she answered.
“I just finished stocking the fridge. I’ll be on my way now.” She
grabbed her purse and ducked out, avoiding eye contact.

Aidan rested his forehead against
Katie’s, hoping the moment wasn’t completely lost. He chuckled and
shook his head slightly. He took her hand in his, leading her
toward the kitchen. “How about a drink?”

“
Yes! Can we take them out
to the beach?”

Aidan whirled a blender full of frozen
mango daiquiris and divided the mix into two turquoise cups. “Beach
friendly, and festive.” He donned each with an umbrella straw and
handed one to Katie.

“
Ah,” Katie sighed. “I
could get used to this. Relaxing on the beach, watching the waves
roll in and out. The sun warming my shoulders as I sip this
delicious frozen concoction. All we need is Bob Marley.”

“
I’ve got some of his
music on my phone . . .”

“
No, now that I think
about it, I like the sound of the ocean best.” Katie covered her
mouth as a yawn escaped. “Sorry.”

“
Are you
tired?”

“
Not tired, just sleepy.
After effects of that massive headache last night, I
guess?”

“
I didn’t have anything
planned for this evening. How does a movie on the couch
sound?”

“
That sounds so good to
me.”

Moments later, Katie was
in a sweat shirt and shorts, ready to cuddle up on the couch. She
was in charge of picking the movie while Aidan prepared popcorn.
After slipping
Skyfall
into the DVD player, Katie pulled a blanket up over her legs,
and rested her head on Aidan’s shoulder. She closed her eyes, for
just a moment, to relieve the heaviness. Soon she experienced the
sensation of floating and lifted her lids, peeking out through her
lashes. “What? Where are we going?” she asked, realizing she was in
Aidan’s arms, traveling up the stairs.

“
You fell asleep. I
thought you’d be more comfortable in bed.”

“
No, I’m awake.” She
yawned, unable to open her eyes fully.

Aidan balanced her in his arms
carefully, while working the comforter down with one hand. He laid
her on the bed, covered her, and whispered good night.

Katie gripped the hem of his shirt as
he turned to walk away. “Stay.”

***

Sounds of grunting and heavy breathing
reverberated through Katie’s ears. The smell of cigarette smoke and
cheap beer assaulted her senses, causing her skin to pebble with
goose bumps. She wriggled out of someone’s grip and started running
down a damp, asphalt road. Her legs were so heavy, she had to grip
her pant legs in each hand and make them move, as a puppeteer
commanding the movements of his wooden doll.

Tripping over a pothole, she fell. The
pavement came up to meet her before she could release her pants and
brace herself for the fall. She felt the warm blood trickle down
her chin before her nerve endings sent the message of pain to her
brain. Pushing up onto her hands and knees, she reached for her
busted chin to assess the damage. She pressed two fingers gently
against her flesh, now slick with blood and peppered with bits of
dirt and gravel.

The crescent moon offered little help
guiding her path. She stood, looking down the road in front and
behind her. There was no light, no sign of life, and nothing to
signal the right path. She had to make a choice. Turn back or go
forward. Neither seemed promising, and her body shook with fear.
Her senses were heightened as she heard every noise coming from the
woods surrounding her. Crickets played music together in tune,
frogs cleared their throats, and owls delivered haunting questions
that echoed through the air. The air was as thick as pudding, and
Katie found it difficult to breathe. The moisture tickled her skin
as it settled on her bare arms in a fine mist.

Finally choosing to go forward down
the road, Katie took a step. Each step was a chore as coaxed her
feet to lift off of the pavement and step forward. Dark figures
began stepping out of the woods coming toward her. She begged her
feet to move faster . . . to run from the demons trying to capture
her. When they surrounded her, hands grabbing at her shirt, arms,
and hair, she screamed. Blackness surrounded her like a fog.
Flowing black material swooped in all around her, covering her,
touching her, and grabbing at her. She felt their fingers on her,
but no flesh was visible, only shadows and fabric. They were trying
to suffocate her.

“
Don’t touch me!” she
screamed. “Stop! Don’t touch me!”

“
Wake up.”
She heard a voice in the distance. It was pulling
her, commanding her to take control of the nightmare, and wake
up.
“Wake up, Katie.”

Opening her eyes, she tried to focus
on her surroundings. The dark figure was there, in reality. Or was
she still dreaming? He was too close to her, looming over her,
ready to attack. “Don’t touch me!” She flailed her arms, striking
his chest.

“
Katie! Wake up. It’s me,
Aidan.”

“
What?” She sat up,
looking around the room, and then back to him. “Where am
I?”

“
We’re at the house in the
Outer Banks. You were having a nightmare.”

Warm tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Another nightmare? Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“
Another? Do you have them
often?”

Katie tried to catch her breath and
settle her emotions before she gave away too much. She racked her
brain, wondering if she’d said anything during the bad dream. “Did
I say anything in my sleep?”

“
You were screaming,
‘don’t touch me.’” He wiped a tear traveling down her cheek. “How
often do you have nightmares, Katie?”

She sighed, not wanting to have this
conversation with him. He was her fresh start, her chance to keep
the secrets of her past safely buried forever. If she told him the
truth behind her nightmares, he’d drop her in a heartbeat. Worse
than that, he’d look at her with the same expression Branson had.
“I’m sorry, Aidan. It’s the scary movies. I just can’t handle them.
I’ve been plagued my entire life with nightmares after seeing
something frightening. Next time I’ll remember to pick a
comedy.”

“
We watched
Skyfall,
” he said,
confused. “James Bond . . . there wasn’t anything scary in the
movie. Besides, you fell asleep during the opening scene.” He
lifted her chin with his forefinger and thumb, looking into her
eyes for answers. “Tell me what’s really going on.”

Lying wasn’t one of her gifts, and she
scrambled, trying to think of something. It wasn’t fair to blame
everything on her breakup, but it was the only thing she could
think of on the fly. “It’s because of . . . you know . . . I’ve
been having the nightmares since . . .”

“
The breakup?”

Katie nodded. She hadn’t had to tell
another lie after all, Aidan filled in the blanks for her. He
pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair like Gram used to do.
When her body finished trembling, and the flow of tears came to a
halt, he laid down and held her until they both drifted to
sleep.