Bound to the Past (Starville Series Book 1) (14 page)

“I suppose I should go talk to this Charlene,” he finally said with a shrug. “You never know, she might be able to help me remember something.”

Sara cringed.
Sure, go ahead, go talk to that brainless doll. See what kind of women you really like, and Iʼll bet you will never kiss me again!
Not that heʼd tried. In fact, heʼd been a perfect gentleman since their first and only kiss in the kitchen. He had never even brought it up, and of course, she was too embarrassed to ask him about it herself. And now he wanted to meet Charlene.
Yay
.

Sara had barely finished that thought when a wave of guilt snuck up on her. It was selfish on her part to wish she could just keep Jack to herself and expect him to stay away from everybody in Starville, when the only reason he was still in town was to try to remember something about his life. And if that meant going to talk to his former lover, she certainly shouldnʼt stop him. “Thatʼs a great idea,” she made herself say. “I need to warn you, though, donʼt expect a warm welcome if you do go talk to her.”

His face instantly hardened. “Iʼm not a complete idiot, Sara, nor am I so naïve as to not realize that people around here hate me. I believe I lost all my illusions in that regard the instant Lacrod informed me that somebody tried to kill me.”

“Donʼt say that.” She shook her head, anguished by the thought. It was true, everybody hated him too much right now. But there
had
to be a way for him to be able to explore Starville. A way for him to mingle with the people he used to know without getting assaulted, physically and mentally. She turned to him so suddenly that he raised a brow.

“What now?”

“I was thinking… I know youʼre probably not in the mood for seeing a lot of people yet, but the Fourth of July Fair is coming up. There will be music, shows, and lots of good food. Pretty much the entire town is going to be there, and it might be a good opportunity for you to take a look around, maybe talk to somebody,” she continued in one breath. “We could go together if you want to check it out.”

Jack seemed to ponder the question but then shook his head. “Iʼm not sure Iʼm ready to face an angry crowd yet, but thank you. Iʼll think about it.”

Sara tried to swallow her disappointment. She couldnʼt blame him, obviously. If she were in his place, she wouldnʼt be too enthusiastic about meeting people, either. But, darn it, she wanted him to say yes. The simple possibility of going to the fair with him made her stomach flutter.

“Damn, girl. I leave you alone one afternoon and look what the hell you get into! My ex-girlfriend, my ex-doctor. Any other chance encounters?”

His gruff question pulled her from her musing and made her smile, despite everything. “Thatʼs it, I swear.”

“Good.” Jack picked up the remote from the coffee table and turned the TV on. “Now, letʼs watch this game and find out if I like baseball.”

Chapter 11

Daltonʼs green eyes blazed as he scanned the room in search of evidence he knew he wouldn’t find. Frustrated, he raked his fingers through his short dark hair and....

Sara mumbled an exasperated curse. For one, Daltonʼs eyes were supposed to be brown, not green. And his hair was blond, not dark!

Focus, Sara, focus
. This was not working. After long and strenuous debates with herself, sheʼd decided to give her original novel another shot, and God knew she was trying. But try as she might, her Dalton seemed to be coming to life on his own, turning into Jack more and more every day. Maybe it was time to admit defeat.

Sara slid her glasses off to rub her exhausted eyes. For once she was relieved when the phone rang, and she hurried to answer it. “Hello?”

“Hey. Is Jack there?”

Nickyʼs excited voice on the other end of the line made her frown. “Heʼs outside with Lance. Why?”

“Nothing important. Iʼll call later.”

“Or you can just tell me.”

After a moment of hesitation, Nicky sighed. “Fine. I wanted to inform him that the lab has finished analyzing his motorcycle, but unfortunately not much came out. The only fingerprints found on it are Jackʼs, and it was determined that the scratches and dents on its sides are the result of the accident. In short, it presents no evidence that somebody assaulted him that night.”

Saraʼs hand tightened on the receiver. “Are you telling me that it really was just an accident?”

“No, no. Doc says Jack was assaulted, and the report we received from the hospital agrees with his deduction. All Iʼm saying is that we couldnʼt find any evidence on the bike, so itʼs no longer needed here. He can come pick it up anytime.”

“Oh. Okay, thanks, Iʼm sure heʼll be happy to hear that,” Sara said, trying to sound calm though she was shaking inside. All she could think about was the fact that once Jack picked up his bike, heʼd be independent again. Heʼd be free to go away from Starville if he wanted to.

“We also investigated his past a little. Well, the last few years heʼs been away from Starville, that is,” Nicky continued, snapping her from her thoughts.

“And?”

Her friend hesitated again. “Iʼm not sure Iʼm allowed to tell you.”

“Nicky!”

“All right, all right. Basically, Jack moved to Chicago soon after the trial.”

Sara dropped back into her chair. “Why?”

“I have no idea, but he founded a business there—an I.T. company called Global Electronics, of which heʼs the president and CEO
.
Software development, data protection, blah blah blah. You get the drill.”

“Geeky stuff.”

“Precisely. Did you know he has a masterʼs degree in computer programming?”

Sara fell silent with shock. Jack…a masterʼs degree? CEO of an I.T. company? She shook her head, trying to envision it all. Suddenly, she recalled what Doc had told her the night of the accident, about how Jack had managed to increase J.T.ʼs ranch profits thanks to the technology he brought to it. Now it all started making sense.

“The last few years, heʼs lived a perfect life,” Nicky continued. “Nothing on his record, not even a traffic ticket. His business is going very well, too―and weʼre talking seven figures here.” Sara heard her whistle but didnʼt comment. “Hey, maybe you should demand a good chunk of money from him for helping him out. And donʼt forget about your best friend Nicky who loves you so much.” Her friend chuckled, but Sara was in no mood for jokes.

She felt as if she werenʼt hearing about Jackʼs life, but that of a stranger. And she didnʼt like that feeling at all. “Do you know why he left Chicago?”

“Nope. According to the report, he simply left and came back to Starville.”

“Something must have happened,” she mumbled pensively.

“I did talk to his business partner. His name is Raymond Miller. Heʼs the VP of the company. Nice guy, very professional. He had no idea about Jackʼs accident and was genuinely concerned about him.”

Sara was glad that she was sitting. Nicky was giving her so much information that her head was spinning. “Has anybody else looked for him since he left Chicago?”

Nicky chuckled again at her implicit question. “No. Miller said that Jack had informed everybody about his departure weeks ago and had it all planned in detail. He took a personal leave of absence and made sure to delegate his responsibilities to someone else in the company. Nobody expected to hear from him for a while, so nobody had any reason to report him missing. Aside from his co-workers, he doesnʼt seem to have any other meaningful relationships in Chicago—nor anywhere else, for that matter,” she added for her friendʼs benefit.

Sara closed her eyes, letting relief pour through her and warm her chilled heart. There were enough bimbos surrounding Jack in Starville; the last thing she needed was to learn about a girlfriend or a wife waiting for him in Chicago. Not that she should care. “Why do
you
think Jack came back to Starville, Nicky?”

“I have no idea. If he truly is innocent, he might have discovered something. Or maybe he simply had some unfinished business with somebody here. Maybe the same somebody who didnʼt appreciate his return.”

Sara shuddered at the thought. “When can he pick up his bike?”

“Whenever he wants.”

“Iʼll let him know. Thanks for everything, Nic.”

“Sure. Hey, would you like to come over for a pizza tonight? Iʼll ask Brent, too.”

She snorted. “Believe me, Iʼd love to. But my bookʼs not going anywhere, and I need to write at least another couple of chapters by tomorrow morning.”

“All right. Donʼt work too much, though.”

Sara rolled her eyes with a smile. “Yes, Mom.”

After hanging up, she found herself unable to do anything but sit there, brooding over everything sheʼd just learned about Jack. It felt unreal, to imagine him sitting behind a desk all day, maybe wearing a suit and tie, in a chaotic city like Chicago. It was disconcerting. Of course, she was incredibly proud of him for being able to get back on his feet and put his life back together despite the horrible events of his past. Then again, why would he decide to leave everything heʼd accomplished in Chicago only to go back to a town that hated him so much? “What happened, Jack? What did you find out?”

With a sigh, Sara closed the document sheʼd been working on. There was no use trying to write now; her inspiration was totally gone. No book could compare to the incredible reality sheʼd been living in the last few days, anyway. In fact…

On an impulse, she opened a new document and typed right in the middle of the page:

BOUND TO THE PAST

A rush of adrenaline coursed through her as her fingers started moving across the keyboard as though of their own volition, and the fast tapping of the keys resounded through the room.

Chapter 12

Sara parked her car in front of the sheriffʼs office and smiled at Jack. “Here we go.” Sheʼd thought heʼd be a little more excited about retaking possession of his motorcycle, but Jack threw her an unenthusiastic glance before he opened the door and got out of the car. “Do you want me to go in with you?”

“No, thanks, I―”

“Sara, is that you?”

They both started at the shrill female voice coming from a few feet away, and Sara turned around with reluctance. It was the last thing she needed right now: the ever-gorgeous Layla Lacrod. With her impossibly perfect body, her pale blue eyes full of curiosity, and the waterfall of shiny red curls cascading softly down her back, it wasnʼt surprising that Layla was one of the most sought-after models in America. The black silk pants she was wearing flowed around her mile-long legs, hugging every curve of her hips, and the low-front aqua blouse clung to her ample breasts and slender waist like a second skin.
Sexy and elegant at the same time
, Sara mused grimly, glancing at her own worn-out jeans. How could she ever compete with a woman like her? It certainly didnʼt help that Jack was staring at her as if she were a celestial appearance.

“Hi, Layla,” she said, forcing a smile. “I didnʼt know you were back in town.”

The other woman nodded. “I flew in last night. I just canʼt wait for the Fourth of July Fair this year! Have you heard that Gina Prescott refused to participate in the cake contest after her fight with Mrs. Nickelby? Oh my God, itʼs going to be the event of the year,” she said with a chuckle.

Sara couldnʼt help joining her. Her smile, however, faded as soon as Jack cleared his throat, reminding her of his presence. Halfheartedly, she tried to remember her manners. “Layla, I would like you to meet―”

“We know each other already.” The woman studied Jack from head to toe with curious interest. “Wow. Jack Turner in the flesh. I didnʼt think this day would come.”

Sara stiffened and felt Jack do the same beside her. He was already whipped into guard mode. “Excuse me?”

Layla shook her head with a smile. “Holy cow, Jack, you really donʼt remember me, do you? Well, in that case, let me re-introduce myself. Iʼm Layla Lacrod―yeah, yeah, Iʼm the sheriffʼs daughter,” she added with a grimace, noticing his disconcerted face. “Donʼt let my name fool you, though. Most of the time I barely tolerate my dad, too.”

“Layla and Brent went to school together,” Sara interjected, as Jack looked more and more disoriented by the second. Layla nodded.

“My dad, Brentʼs, and J.T. were best friends, so the three of us used to hang out all the time.”

He frowned, his gaze glued to Layla. “Iʼm sorry, I donʼt remember.”

“Oh, honey, itʼs okay. I heard about your accident. Donʼt worry, though, Iʼm sure it will all come back to you soon,” she encouraged him amiably, placing a hand on his arm.

Sara caught herself fighting against the urge to sink her fingernails into those gorgeous eyes of hers.

“Are you guys coming to the fair? Iʼm going with Brent,” Layla asked.

“Probably.”

Sara shot Jack a surprised look. They hadnʼt talked about the fair since sheʼd first mentioned it to him, and she was under the impression that he didnʼt want to go. Apparently, she was wrong. Or heʼd just changed his mind about it. A raging jealousy ate at her at the thought that Layla might have had anything to do with his change of heart―even though she knew it was completely irrational and unjustified. In fact, she hated the way she felt. And why the heck was the womanʼs rapacious hand still on his arm, anyway?

“Excuse us, Lay, but we have to go,” she blurted. “Maybe weʼll meet you at the fair.”

Layla nodded again, her gaze never leaving Jack. “It was great seeing you again.” She took his hand and held it between hers for what Sara considered way too long. Much to her annoyance, Jack appeared just as mesmerized by Layla as she was by him.
What did you expect, dummy? He probably slept with her, too!

When the woman left, she and Jack walked to the sheriffʼs office entrance in silence, both lost in their thoughts. Unfortunately for Sara, though, the peace didnʼt last long.

“Is Layla really the sheriffʼs daughter?” Jack asked in a curious tone.

“Yes.” She stifled a resigned sigh. “Her parents got a divorce when she was little, and her mother took her with her to California. When she passed away a few years later, Layla came back to Starville to stay with her father—so Iʼm guessing thatʼs when you guys met. Sheʼs right, though, she couldnʼt be more different from Max,” she added, struggling to be objective and not sound like the irritated, possessive bitch that she seemed to become when she was around Jack.