Finding Madelyn (22 page)

“I . . .” He shook his head.

She kissed his cheek feeling a little lighter. The garage was burning down, the fire trucks on their way, and he had done it without thinking she would appreciate it. Maybe to
help alleviate some of her pain.
I
n that case
,
it did what it was meant to
do
.

The guests slowly left after the fire trucks finished putting out the flames. The chief let Madelyn off with a warning for setting fires on purpose then apologized for not making the funeral
—
duty and all.

Tess and Mrs. James stayed and helped clean up but excused themselves long before Madelyn h
ad expected. She, Galen, Harland
and Rita sat at the dining room table.

Galen’s expression
remained macabre
--
he’d
taken her pain with his actions. Pain she didn’t think would subside and he had done it in a moment of passion.

She wondered if Will had truly loved Cassie as she’d claimed. Perhaps his were also actions of passion. It wasn’t for her to decided
,
but the courts. The same courts that would decide if she’d stolen the money.

“Are you alright with that?” Harland looked at her from across the table expecting an answer.

“I’m sorry?
” She shook her head.

“For me to be your lawyer tomorrow?”

She considered it for a moment. “I don’t think there is anyone more qualified.”

“Good. I saw the paperwork when Galen wanted my opinion on what to do.”

She glanced at Galen, his hands where clasped with his arms on his knees, his eyes planted on the floor.

“Dad doesn
’t have a leg
to stand on
,
which is going to help you greatly.” Harland continued.

“Glad he took it to you then.”
She smiled, “I don’t need them back.”

She could hear the breath Galen released.

“I also know a good part of the story and already talked to Judge Coswell and Dad. Of course, Dad’s adamant that you took the money with all that paperwork. The judge doesn’t trust anything he says at this point. Dad hired one of his frien
ds from Seattle to defend him. A
nyone
that would have represented him
local
ly
was in that
book, and most have passed away, retired or are hiding away to stay out of it.

What hurts us is Mama’s gone
,
too. She can’t stand up
and relay the ordeal
, I’m not sure she would have if she were still here.”

“What should I expect?”

“Coswell is a fair man. I’m not sure what to expect. He’s seen the papers on Dad,
he’s heard from me, Rita, Galen
and anyone else I could th
ink of to speak on your behalf, even people whose homes you cleaned. Nothing ever came up missing.
I just hope it was enough.” He sat back in his chair.

“What’s the plan if he convicts her.” Galen said curtly.

“We appeal.”

Galen wrung his hands.

“Did you bring your financial records with you?”

“Lucien told me to, they’re upstairs.”

“Get them.”

She walked past the front door and took a deep breath. Galen was hurting and she couldn’t take his pain as easily as he had hers. She moved her clothes around the suitcase to get the envelope from the bottom.

“Run.” Galen’s voice made her jump. “Leave and don’t come back.”

“I can’t.” She shook her head.

“Let me stand in your place.”

“I think the lawyer downstairs would advise otherwise.”

His hand wrapped around her arms. “Damn it, I don’t care.”

“I do.” She closed her eyes, unable to take the anger and pain he
held back
.

His arms wrapped tight around her, crushing her into him.

“Why can’t you listen
to me
?”

“I won’t let you take the brunt of something I caused.”

“I won’t let you sit in jail.”

Galen woke up with the night still over the house. He stretched over the bed trying to figure out what wasn’t right. It took only a few seconds and he was out of the empty bed. He flipped on the light to find her suitcase missing.

How far of a head start did she have on him? He slipped on an undershirt and his shoes. He’d grab his coat and be after her. She wouldn’t get any transportation out of this county
;
he’d seen to that but any of the surrounding counties he hadn’t.
Part of him wanted her gone, hoped he wouldn’t find her.

The door crashed into the wall when he swung it open. He’d cleared the landing on the stairs and halted when he saw her curled up lying against the wall.

“I tried to go. Tried to run like you told me to.” Her voice cracked with
each word. “I couldn’t go any fa
rther.”

The suitcase sat on a step lower than her. Her coat still on the rack by the door. He stepped closer.

“It
was like each step I took was l
osi
ng a little more of me. I was l
osing you all over again.”

He took another step.

She scanned the foyer with a cynical laugh. “I’ve been sitting here thinking about the foyer. How much of my life it’s seen. I met you here.”

He took another step
hoping she wouldn’t try to run, afraid if she did, it would
spark the memory of
the repeating dream.

“I had people I trusted lie to me in this room.”

He was close enough to see her body shutter as she tried to breath.

“I lost you here
,
in this room.”

He took a hard seat.

“Watched you walk out the door and get in Harland’s car. You never looked back.”

He’d wanted to. Harland had said it would be easier if he didn’t.

“I couldn’t tell you how long I sat on the porch and cried. Thinking I’d never see you again. It felt the same when I woke alone in bed but at least I had the thread of hope that you would just clear my name and come back. Instead
,
we are sitting in the damn foyer.”
H
er voice broke. “And I’m so scared Galen.”

He slid down the last two steps and pulled her to him, kissing her
check, letting his lips linger
. “I wanted to leave you there. The judge said he had to see you and I couldn’t let you not be at Cassie’s funeral. I couldn’t leave her out there with you never knowing what happen to her.”

With each word, she curled closer while crying harder until her arms wrapped around his neck. She was shaking, her skin smelled of salt from so many tears.
Like the ocean she loved so.
All he wanted was to make the pain stop, to make the trouble disappear. If he wasn’t so sure the judge would toss them both in jail, h
e’d take her back to Maine. Now!

Instead, he held her as tight and as close as he could, waiting for the tears to stop. As they slowed to a trickle, he carefully stood and took them
back to bed. He
lay
her down
,
putting himself between her and the door.

“What if they don’t believe me
tom
orrow
?” Her eyes were closing.

“I’ll think of something.” He pulled her closer.



Madelyn could feel his solid body as she came out of sleep. His eyes were closed and he snored softly. She wondered if he was still having the nightmares. Two nights now in
the same bed without him waking her, she hoped they had gone.

Gently she lifted his arm
,
trying to slide out without waking him. Instantly his hand wrapped around her wrist.

“Trying to run again?”

“Only to the powder room.”

He released her hand. “Don’t jump out of the window.”

“You’re no fun
,” s
he kissed his forehead and slipped from the covers.

His eyes shot open but a smile quickly replaced the morning scowl.

In the powder room, Madelyn slipped out of the wrinkled cloths and washed her face. The window was tempting but no
t
nearly as much as the door last night. The robe slipped on and she pulled it up enough when she tied it not to trip her as she walked.

She put the cloth
e
s back in her suitcase and stared at the pretty soft pink dress in the closest. The little girl with her first pink dress in church had grown up. Back then all she worried about was keeping the dress clean
, her underwear from Galen seeing,
and the chickens away from her legs.

Galen too had grown and not just physically. His sense of responsibility was still as high as the first time he agreed with his mama to play with her. Although these days he wouldn’t be brazen e
nough to ask someone why they wo
re jeans instead of a dress.

If she’d known then what she knew now, she’d have kissed him that first day. The man never waived on what had to be done. She’d rather not have to see the judge today but as long as Galen was there, she would be fine.

“Coffee
?
” Galen stepped into the room
handing her a cup
.

She set the dress on the bed, took the coffee, drank a sip, and set it on the nightstand. Then she turned back to him and kissed him. No matter what happened today, he would know she loved him. That she didn’t hold him responsible for dragging her back.

At first, he seemed a little surprised by her actions but it didn’t take long for him to
pull her
close. His lips parting slightly as she took more. His fingers played under the robe at her exposed skin between panties and camisole.

She countered with her hands running down his bare chest. His breath shuddered out, making her wonder how many years it would take before he lost that reaction to her? How long would it take her to not melt at his touch? Little would stop her from finding out as the robe slid to the floor.
The judge wouldn’t sentence her to life.

S
he twined her fingers through the patch of hair on his stomach. Gently her lips skimmed across his chest, then to her tiptoes for his shoulder.
Then around.

He simple stood there taking deep breaths, tensing when she kissed the back of his shoulder. The scar went from his side across
and up
, stopping just shy of his neck. The tip of her finger fit in the groove and she traced it down.

He cleared his throat, “I won’t tell you about that one.”

A shudder escaped her and her finger trailed out of the groove only to find small dots scattered below it, covering a few ribs and the softer flesh below
almost to his spine
.

“Glass.”

Walking
her fingers
across the glass
marks
,
then slid
ing
that
hand up his spine,
and
the other across his side looking c
losely for other blemishes. O
ne on the top of that shoulder was the size of a silver dollar. With one finger planted there she moved to stand in front of him and put her other
hand over the mark under his shoulder blade
.

His hand shook as he brought it up to hers. Pulling her hand to his lips, she ran it across his chin.

“We…were…” The breath vibrated from him.

“You don’t need to—”

“When I pinned you to the bed at the hotel,” his voice was stronger, “
I was dreaming. The same dream…” his eyes closed tight.

Her heart sank.

He continued, slowly,
“We were somewhere in the east, I don’t even know what country at that point. Six of us looking for…for survivors. I don’t know where she came from, but I saw the dark hair and I swear my heart stopped. It was you running through the woods all over again
.
Dark hair and soft skin against the snow.

There were snipers all over, everyone knew to keep their heads down. I couldn’t leave her out there. The guy must
have already had her in his sight
s…”

He let the word fall off, his arms holding her tighter. Then his arms trailed hers as they did that first day in Maine.

“So much pain…I thought it was you and…I went numb…I got home and…and you weren’t here.”