Letting Go of Us (Anchored Hearts Vol. 3) (40 page)

Her eyes adjusted as she
blinked a few times. I saw the emotion wash over her as it
registered with her where we were. “I, why are we here? Why did you
bring me here?”

I held her hand and put my
other one on her back. “We’re all here. Take a look.”

She looked behind her and
saw everyone there. She was confused as Cal walked over and said,
“Look at the sign, Cass.”

I watched as she hesitated.
Cal took her other hand as her eyes looked at the small sign over
the back door. The big one out front was even better. Her eyes
scanned the sign. I knew what it said because I’d looked at it a
million times.

Her voice was barely a
whisper when she asked, “I, who did this?”

Oh, God. Maybe I’d
misjudged. It hadn’t been my plan, well, it was mine, but I didn’t
remember it. Delaney and Smith had to fill me in and I thought it
was a great idea. “I’m sorry. I thought…”

She looked at me as she
choked out, “Don’t be sorry.” She looked back to the sign. “Halos
and Wings Art Studio.” Then she read the line below, “In memory of
Eva Benedict and Holly Madison.” She released Cal’s hand and placed
it over her chest. “I, um, I’m speechless. Did you do
this?”

I squeezed her hand and
nodded. “I wanted to turn something that was bad into something
good.” Before I could go into more detail, she threw her arms
around my neck. “I hope its ok.”

Whispering into my ear,
“Ok? It’s amazing. I can’t believe you did this.”

“
I had to.”

“
When did you do
this?”

“
Apparently I started
planning back in May or June. Smith and Delaney helped.” Pulling
away, she looked to everyone who was there and blushed. She linked
our hands and thanked everyone for coming. “Come on. I want to show
you the inside before the reporters get here.”

We walked in the back door
and down the hallway. Where the bar had once been was now a counter
and some shelves filled with pottery to paint. At another end of
the room easels lined the wall with various blank canvases and at
the other end were a few long tables where you could paint the
pottery.

“
Oh my, God. It’s
amazing.” It was then that she spotted the art work on the walls.
“James!”

“
Another secret even I
forgot about. Apparently I bought all of these before I took you to
that gallery in June.” She smacked my arm, “Hey! I don’t
remember.”

“
You’re lucky you don’t.”
She laughed as we looked around for a while longer.

Soon it was time for the
official dedication out front. She stood by me, a smile on her face
as the reporters flashed their cameras and I made a small speech.
Any profit from the studio would go to the charity my mother had
established, years prior for the local foster kids, and all of
those donations would be made in Holly’s name.

When we were getting in the
truck to head home, I had a nagging feeling that I was forgetting
something. I walked around to my side, after closing her door, and
stopped near the tailgate and pinched my brows together as the
flash of white happened again.

I was looking at a
painting of Cassidy and then I was holding a necklace in my hands.
The memories were separate but my brain had thrown them together in
a jumbled mess. I closed the lid on the necklace and placed it in a
drawer. The penthouse.

I had to go to the
penthouse. I climbed in the truck, “Hey, I need to make a stop at…”
There was a tap on my window and I rolled it down. Smith and
Delaney invited us for a nightcap at the hotel bar. Perfect timing.
“Yeah, I was headed that way. Sounds like a plan.”

Cassidy tilted her head at
me, “What are you up to?” I just shrugged my shoulders and she
didn’t press the issue. I had a massive headache and hoped that I
would find what I was looking for at the penthouse.

We walked into The Benedict
and I sent the three of them to the bar. “I’ll be down in a few
minutes.” Cassidy glared at me and I assured her, “Promise, I’ll be
right back.”

I got on the elevator and
headed upstairs. When the bell chimed for my floor and I stepped
out, I looked down the hall to the only other room that occupied my
floor. Another memory paralyzed me.

She walked toward me in an
olive green and black dress with a filigree mask on. I’d know her
anywhere. I was outside myself as I watched the exchange we had. I
watched as we stepped into the elevator.

Then the flash was gone.
Shit. I stumbled to the penthouse headed toward the
stairs.

I looked to the kitchen
counter and remembered the first time I brought her here. I handed
her water and then I led her up the stairs. I followed myself and
her as they walked into the bedroom. I helped her take her dress
off and then her heels and she fell over on top of me. We were
laughing on the floor and then I was lying next to her and woke to
find her gone.

It ceased again as I looked
around for the painting. It wasn’t there. I staggered to the other
bedroom and found nothing. DAMMIT! I searched through my workout
room and then headed back to the bedroom. I started turning the
place upside down. Drawers were emptied to the floor. Where was
it?

“
James?” I was aware that
it was Smith, but I didn’t have time. “What are you doing? Did you
lose something?”

“
Go away!” Talking to
myself, more than him I shouted, “Where the fuck is that
necklace?”

I walked into the large
closet and started turning over drawers in there and emptying the
shelves. My hands shook when I found the two velvet boxes, each
different in color and size. I opened the one that was clearly a
ring box and my grandmother’s ring stared back at me.

“
Jimmy, I raised you
smarter than that. She wants a ring.”

“
Mom, I’m not getting her
a ring. Besides, I wouldn’t have a clue to what she’d
want.”

“
What about grandma’s
ring?”

“
That was your engagement
ring. I’m not taking your ring. Please drop it mom.”

“
Dude, are you ok? Where’d
you just go?” He looked at the ring, but didn’t comment as I closed
the lid and handed it to him.

“
Keep that safe for me.”
He just nodded and put it in his pocket. I opened the other box and
looked at a black diamond charm in the shape of a blackbird.
“Blackbird.” I dropped to my knees.

Smith hunched down with me,
probably worried I was having a stroke. “James, talk to me. What’s
going on?”

“
I’m remember.” Gripping
his arm I pleaded with him. “Get Cassidy. Now!”

He nodded, “Ok, but you’re
not dying, right?”

I smirked, “No, I’m not
dying. Please, get her now. It’s important and don’t fucking show
her that ring or tell her I remember!”

~ CASSIDY ~

Delaney and I were sipping
on our drinks when Smith decided to go see what was taking James so
long. I was eager to get James home and show him my appreciation
for everything he’d done for me, when he hadn’t owed me anything. I
still couldn’t wrap my mind around everything he’d done. Delaney
and Smith needed to be thanked, too.

“
Thank you,
Delaney.”

“
For what?”

I rolled my eyes at her and
smiled. “For everything. You’ve really become a great friend to me.
After everything that’s happened over the past, well, year almost,
I just can’t thank you enough.”

“
It’s been my pleasure.
I’m really glad that we’re friends.” We clanked our glasses and
took a drink. “So, how’s it going with James?”

I blushed as usual, “Great.
I’m so happy. With the amnesia, I just thought there was no way
he’d let me in, but, he’s almost more open with me now than he was
before. It’s weird.”

“
Not weird. He’s been
through a lot of turmoil over the last year, you too. I think the
amnesia may have been a good thing. He was able to get to know you
without all the baggage hanging over you two.”

I nodded my head, “Yeah, I
guess you could be right.”

Snickering she boasted,
“I’m always right!”

It was then that I saw
Smith rushing to the table. James wasn’t behind him and I
immediately grew worried. I stood and asked him what was wrong
before he had a chance to say anything.

“
I think he’s ok, but he
needs you.”

Grabbing my purse I spit
out, “You think. What does that mean? Is he in the
penthouse?”

Smith simply nodded as I
ran to the elevator. He and Delaney were close behind and it was a
good thing because I didn’t have my keycard with me. Throwing the
door open for me, I strode past Smith into the penthouse and looked
to him. He pointed to the stairs. I ran up them and headed straight
for the bedroom. It looked like the place had been
ransacked.

“
James? Where are
you?”

“
Cassidy!”

I found him sitting on the
floor of his huge walk-in closet. What the hell was he doing in
there? It had been torn apart as well and I wondered if he’d found
the place in that condition or if he’d done it himself. Kneeling
down next to him, I placed my hands on his knee. His legs were bent
and his hair hid his face from my view.

“
James, please talk to me.
You’re scaring me.”

“
Why didn’t you tell
me?”

It was like someone stuck a
dagger in me. Why hadn’t I told him what? I racked my brain. The
only thing we’d never discussed was the baby. I sighed as I tried
to form words.

“
Little bird.” He finally
lifted his head and his eyes met mine. Had he been crying? God, it
was worse than I thought. “That’s not your name, Blackbird. Why
didn’t you tell me?”

“
I didn’t want to pressure
you.” Wait. The hypothetical dagger left my chest as I asked, “How,
why, did you just call me Blackbird?”

“
That’s your name isn’t
it?”

Before I could say anything
more, he dangled the necklace in front of me. I thought it had been
long gone and it seemed that James had it all along. My voice
cracked as I asked, “Where, how did you get this?”

“
I found it on the ground
that day at the hospital after Dan tried abducting you. The chain
was broken and I took it in to get fixed. Then I blew everything to
shit.”

“
You’ve had it all this
time?”

“
Yes. Waiting for the
right time to give it back to you.” I didn’t know what to say. I
listened as he carried on. “I’ve been remembering things, little
things. When we left the art studio tonight, I had a flash of the
necklace here at the penthouse. I had to come and find
it.”

“
You’re remembering
things?”

His hands grabbed my waist
and pulled me closer to him. I was on my knees as we both held the
others face. He tucked some hair behind my ear and said, “Not
things,
everything
, Blackbird.”

I shook my head in
disbelief. “Please don’t tease me.”

“
I don’t tease.” He cupped
my face as I clutched his shoulders. “Always.” He looked in my
eyes, “Only.” He kissed my lips, “Forever.”

Together we whispered,
“You.”

His lips met mine and we
took our time. Gently, he nipped my bottom lip between his teeth as
my hands threaded through his hair. I licked at his open mouth as
he pulled me onto his lap. There was a knock on the closet entrance
and I groaned as I dropped my head to his shoulder.

“
I’m going to assume
everything’s good here. I don’t need to call paramedics or
anything?”

James growled and looked
past me. “Only for yourself if you don’t get the fuck out of
here.”

“
Aye, aye captain. It’s
nice to have you back.” James picked up something and threw it at
Smith as I chuckled. Smith and Delaney left us to our long overdue
reunion on the closet floor of the penthouse.

“
How long have you been
remembering?”

He looked to me and rolled
his eyes. “Does it fucking matter.” I tried not to smile at his
tone as he demanded, “Fucking kiss me, wife.”

~ JAMES ~

Every single memory I’d
lost came rushing back. My head was pounding with the information
overload. Weeks and months of torture were finally over. She’d
stood by my side, without falter, the entire time. She’d bent her
own will to my whims as I made her my slave. I was a dick. I knew
that she’d done it knowing it was probably the only way she’d get
to me. She’d been right. The closer we became, the more frequent
the dreams and glimpses of my lost memory had become.

We were sitting on the
floor of the closet, her straddling my lap. My headache was
starting to subside and Smith had just left. “Fucking kiss me,
wife.”

“
I will, soon enough. How
much do you remember of that day?”

I pulled her to my chest
and said softly, “I remember seeing his car fly off that bridge and
plummet into the water. I think my heart stopped. I remember
telling Paul that no matter what, he had to get you to shore.” I
sighed deeply, burying my nose into her hair. I’d almost lost her,
again. Then I remembered seeing the flash of white that went off in
the car. I pushed her back so I could see her face. “I got your
phone call, I heard everything you said.” She wiped at her tears as
I asked, “Did he try to shoot you?”