Always & Forever (33 page)

“I think we’re bound to make mistakes, given our pasts.” His eyes narrowed and he shook his head. “I’m so sorry for not asking you before I told my family.”

“It’s okay. Please don’t apologize.” She grabbed his hand and leaned back against the pillows. “Let’s not talk about yesterday anymore. I just want to put the whole thing behind us.”

“Just one more thing.”

Please don’t ask about Crandall.
“What’s that?”

“Do you like the earrings?”

She sighed in relief. “They’re wonderful.”

***

Lilly sat on the couch next to him, clutching his hand. Her eyes had a slightly vacant look in them, and Zach was glad her pills finally kicked in. She’d left it up to Zach to explain the situation, and the burly cop sitting in the chair next to them took copious notes.

Zach gave as detailed of an account as he could. He also handed over the letter from the rose gardens, explaining how a child dropped it off.

Officer McMann had been on the police force as long as Zach could remember. Zach knew McMann’s reputation as a hard working, honest cop, and trusted he would do a thorough investigation.

“So, you think the stalker is the guy she was accused of killing?” Office McMann asked.

“Not necessarily,” Zach said. “But it’s a theory we’re working on. The coincidence of the letter seems a little much if it isn’t Charles.”

McMann rubbed a hand along his balding forehead. “Portland is sending over the pictures and letter. We’ll look them over and see if we can figure out where the person stood while they took those ones here in town. Maybe someone saw him following you and we can get a lead on him that way. We’ll test this second letter for fingerprints, too.” He stopped and looked at his notebook. “Ms. Price lives alone?”

“Yes, sir, but she’s staying with me for now.”

McMann nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. A stalker generally won’t do anything if he can’t catch his victim alone. Most of these people are crazy, but they usually have a good sense of self-preservation.”

Lilly snorted. “Some of them are willing to hit you no matter how many people are around.”

The cop’s brown eyes pierced into her. “Miss, I don’t want to seem rude, but where’d you get all those bruises?”

Even with as much makeup as Lilly had piled on, there was no mistaking the purple stain that spread across her cheek or the way the side of her face bulged, swollen to twice its regular size. Zach had seen the marks around her neck, which she hid with the high collar of her shirt. This afternoon, as they darkened, they looked suspiciously like finger marks.

She’d wanted so much to move past yesterday and not talk about it, Zach hadn’t asked her any more questions. Maybe in her drug-induced haze, McMann could get some answers out of her.

She looked at McMann for a long time before speaking. “I fell last night at a party—down a flight of stairs. I don’t really remember much.”

“You fell?” McMann asked slowly. “Down some stairs?” His gaze flicked to Zach, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out where his thoughts headed. “You don’t have to stay here, Ms. Price. I can take you home and post an officer outside your house.”

Zach cursed himself. Why had he blithely accepted Lilly’s story? Even this officer didn’t believe her, and he’d barely met her. Zach hadn’t wanted to question her too closely; he’d just wanted everything to be okay.

Lilly must have realized what McMann thought too. “Zach didn’t do anything, sir. He was in a different room when it happened. Anyone can tell you. Curtis Crandall was the man who...found me. Zach’s taking real good care of me.”

“She has a concussion,” Zach explained.

McMann flipped open his notebook. “You’re sure there’s nothing more you want to tell me?”

“There’s nothing to tell. I hope you can figure out who’s stalking me. Now, if you’ll both excuse me, I’m terribly tired.” Lilly stood and clutched her cane. “I need to lie down. Thank you for coming out here, sir.” She turned and limped to the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

“The name Curtis Crandall sounds familiar to me.” McMann looked at Zach. “Isn’t that the guy who was...uh...friends with your wife?”

Screwing her, you mean?
Even though his family had been unaware of Victoria’s true nature, it seemed the great people of Serenity spent time gossiping about it. “Yes, he was.”

“Is there any chance he could be Ms. Price’s stalker? I don’t buy that she fell down some stairs. I’ve heard that story from too many women, and she had the look of fear in her eyes I’ve learned to recognize.”

Zach gritted his teeth together. “Damn it. I didn’t press her for answers. I was so happy the doctor said she was going to be okay.”
But
I noticed the way she pulled back from Crandall. I actually
thanked
the jerk.
“It’s possible Crandall did something to her.”

McMann’s eyebrows rose. “You know I can’t do anything if she doesn’t report it.”

“I’m pretty sure she won’t. She’s lying to me about whatever happened, when she’s trusted me with everything else. I don’t think she’ll tell you the truth either.” Zach tried to make sense of it all. “She met Crandall last weekend at a boat party. I don’t think he’s her stalker, he hardly knows her. But he
did
make a pass at her.”

McMann let out a low whistle. “Is this guy trying to piss you off, or do you have the same taste in women?”

Zach ignored that. “Is there any way I can keep Crandall away from her?”

“She can take out a restraining order against him, if you can talk her into it. At least then we can put him in jail if he approaches her again.”

“I don’t think she’ll do that.” Zach paced around the room, his hands clenched into fists. Was it possible that bastard beat Lilly? That she didn’t really fall. She’d told people the same story when Charles hospitalized her. It was a flimsy excuse.

Zach met McMann’s eyes. “Maybe someone should teach Crandall a lesson.”

“Mr. Woodbridge, it’d be nothing more than what he deserves, but think about the consequences.” The officer put his hat on and walked toward the door. “He’ll likely press charges, and I’ll be forced to arrest you.” He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “With a stalker out there terrifying her, and this Crandall character possibly having hurt her, who’s going to protect Ms. Price while you sit in jail?”

McMann was right. No matter how it made his blood boil, Zach had to stay calm. He’d do Lilly no good from the inside of a cell. “I’m not letting Lilly out of my sight again, I can assure you of that. And I’ll stay away from Crandall.”

“That’s a wise decision.”

“Wise, maybe, but damn tough to swallow.”

McMann nodded and opened the door. “Those kinds usually are. I’ll call you when I learn anything.”

Zach locked the deadbolt behind the officer and turned the alarm on. Although he knew lying about abuse was second nature to Lilly, if their relationship was going to work, she had to learn to be honest with him.

He tapped on the bedroom door before opening it. “Honey, are you okay?”

Lilly’s eyes cracked open. “Come on in.” She patted the bed next to her. “I’m fine.”

Zach ached to reach out to her, but knew she was too fragile to touch right now. “We need to talk about last night, Lil. I know you don’t want to, but I need you to tell me what really happened.”

“Please, stop asking. There’s nothing to tell.”

What would he do if she could never be honest with him? “Your bruises aren’t nothing, and a fall down stairs doesn’t explain the marks on your neck.” Zach shook his head. He hated pressuring her like this, it didn’t seem right somehow, but he had to get her to talk to him. “I know what Crandall did. Please just talk to me about it.”

A tear slipped down her cheek. “Please stop,” she whispered, “I can’t tell you what you want to hear. I fell. End of story.”

“Lilly, I know what happened, just tell me!” Zach hit the bedspread.

Lilly cringed, eyes wide.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Zach held his hand out to her, fingers splayed in what he hoped was a nonthreatening manner. “Don’t be afraid. I would never—”

“I know you wouldn’t. Really, I do.” She reached out and took his hand. “I try to be normal, but sometimes I slip back to old ways.”

Forget the trauma of Charles. If Crandall did something to Lilly last night, as Zach felt was highly likely, how could it not bring up horrible memories? “Is that why you didn’t want to snuggle with me last night for so long?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.” Lilly looked away. “But maybe the concussion set me back a bit. I’m trying not to be afraid of you. And I’m not, not really. Just, no sudden movements, okay?” She gave him a tremulous smile, tucked herself under his arm, and cuddled against his chest.

Zach breathed a sigh of relief. Despite whatever happened, she could still bring herself to hug him. At least she wasn’t truly afraid of him. “If Crandall did anything, Officer McMann said we could come down and fill out a restraining order, at the very least.”

Lilly shook her head against him. Her soft hair tickled his face, and the scent of his own shampoo wafted up from it. It was somehow satisfying to have her smell like him, as if she belonged to him.

“I am not going to the police under any circumstances. Why won’t you let this go?”

“If he’s in jail, he can’t come after you,” Zach pointed out. “We need to file a report.”

“I thought you told me I could make my own decisions about my life.” She sniffled, and Zach handed her a tissue off the nightstand.

“I’m not trying to run your life, honey.” He held her a little closer, praying she wouldn’t get angry like she had before their trip to Portland. “I’m afraid for you. I want to protect you.”

What did Crandall threaten her with to convince her to lie? Zach thought they had broken past lying to each other, but Crandall must have really scared her to make her act that way.

He sighed and gently stroked her back. He didn’t want to fight with her, and if he continued to persist in this questioning, it was sure to make her leave him. “If that’s what happened, I guess that’s what happened. I can’t guarantee we won’t run into Crandall again though. He’s Tommy’s friend. He’ll be around the family while Tommy’s in town.”

He felt her shiver.

“I don’t like that man because of what he did to you,” she responded. “But as long as we’re together, I can handle anything. You and I can’t fight any more though.”

“No more fighting,” he agreed.

He’d have to be satisfied with that explanation. It looked like Lilly would not alter her story. He wouldn’t pressure her anymore about what really happened. He didn’t want to push her out of his life. Not that he believed her story...and if Crandall came near Lilly again, Zach didn’t know if he would be able to keep his word to Officer McMann.

By Wednesday afternoon, the thought of spending another day in bed repulsed Lilly. Enforced idleness quickly became boring. Thankfully, Margaret had called last night, inviting herself to lunch and a visit for the afternoon.

Lilly’s face had returned to normal proportions. It didn’t seem like Crandall cracked the bone. The bruises had faded to a sickly yellow-green, which she covered reasonably well with makeup. If she took a pill, she hardly noticed the pain.

She hated lying to Zach, but it was more important to protect Sarah and keep him away from the lies Crandall threatened to tell. To Lilly’s relief, Zach seemed to have let it go, not bringing it up again.

A car door slammed outside, and Zach entered the room. “Sounds like Grandma’s here. By the way, baby, lunch smells delicious.”

Lilly smiled. The way to Zach’s heart was definitely through his stomach.

“I hope Margaret likes it.” Lilly had woken up early that morning to make Beef Bourguignon.

Zach leaned down and nibbled gently on her earlobe. “I’m the one you have to impress, and I’m ravenous. Maybe tonight?”

Lilly felt herself blush. They hadn’t been intimate the entire time she’d been here. Zach was being incredibly sweet, but she sensed his patience deteriorating. Perhaps the only way to get over her fear would be to go for it. That approach seemed to work before, and she was losing precious time with him. “I’ll try.”

He grinned and walked to the front door, opening it just as Margaret’s driver knocked.

Margaret’s head poked into the doorway. “How’s my favorite patient?”

Lilly waved. “Feeling pretty darn fit. I think I’m ready to come back to work tomorrow.”

“I already told Zach, you aren’t to come back until next Monday.” Margaret walked in, shaking her head. “We can’t have anything happening to you.”

Perhaps she worried more about the way Lilly looked, but Margaret’s concern touched her all the same. “Okay, boss. Monday it is.”

“I brought our book.” Margaret held up the latest Nora Roberts. “No one reads it with the inflection you use. Sarah came up yesterday and tried.” She glanced over at Zach and leaned in close. “Talk about boring,” she whispered.

Lilly laughed. “Should we eat first? Lunch is nearly ready.”