The Sound of Consequence (Puget Sound ~ Alive With Love Book 1) (27 page)

She turned the conversation back to him. “So you say that I’m in love with Owen?”

Jenny nodded her head, a big smile spreading across her face. “Head over heels.”

“And he feels the same?”

Jenny nodded. “Spend a couple minutes with him. You’ll see it in his eyes. It’s pretty obvious. Plus, he’s here. He’s been here all night. I suspect he was awake all night too, keeping watch over you. And you’ve got that freaky Owensensory tingle thing still going on. That’s gotta be a sign of something.”

Stacie thought about him for a moment. She had only looked at him briefly, embarrassed after Jenny had explained what the tingle meant. He was insanely gorgeous. Those green eyes and thick lashes were seductive and mesmerizing. And when she watched him leave, she’d noted what an amazing body he had. The rush of heat she felt just thinking about him made her want to see him.

For the love of Romeo, she felt like a teenage girl in heat. On too many occasions she’d reminded her students that they were in honors English class, not sex education.

“Could you send him in…and let me talk to him alone.”

Jenny gave her a hug. “Of course. but try to keep your clothes…umm…hospital gown on.”

“The doctor hasn’t cleared me for sex yet,” Stacie chuckled.

Jenny left and Owen came in immediately, moving slowly across the room. Stacie felt inexplicably drawn to him. The beat of her heart kicked up a notch and she could practically feel the blood rushing through her veins. Looking at his lips, she imagined what it would like to kiss him. Her toes curled in anticipation.

“Hi,” she said, figuring that was a better place to start than demanding he quench her thirst.

“Hi.”

Owen sat in the chair next to Stacie’s bed and took her hand in his. He kissed her palm and another flash of heat flooded her body.

“I guess we have a little problem here,” Stacie started. “Jenny tells me that you and I are...” Stacie searched for the right word, “…close.”

“But you don’t remember me?” Owen asked, obviously disappointed at that revelation.

“I wouldn’t say that I don’t remember you. There’s a familiarity about you. I feel like I know you.” Stacie sighed. She was starting to feel frustrated too. “I just can’t remember how I know you.”

“Before you went in for surgery, I made a promise to you.” Owen focused on Stacie’s hand, tracing the lines of her palm with the tips of his fingers. “If you didn’t remember me, I promised to make you fall in love with me all over again.” Owen looked up, those seductive eyes burning into her.

“That’s quite a promise.” She ran her fingers through his thick, wavy hair and then down his arm until her hand came to rest on his. “Any ideas on how to get started?” Stacie asked. She had never considered herself much of a flirt, but she just couldn’t help herself. There was something about him that she couldn’t resist.

Owen leaned in and kissed her. It started out soft and gentle, his lips pressed to hers. When Stacie wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and pulled him closer, a heated tingle traveled through her body, tensing her muscles and making her toes curl again.

Stacie’s eyes remained closed after Owen pulled away. A smile lifted her cheeks as she reveled in the kiss. “Is that what it’s always like with us?”

Owen laughed. “Yeah, baby. Except hotter.”

Stacie opened her eyes and licked her lips. She pulled Owen back for more.

A cough at the door to Stacie’s room finally separated them. Owen’s smile turned to a snarl as he looked over her shoulder. Stacie turned to the door to find her parents and Greg standing just inside her room.

Great.

“Mom, Dad. What are you doing here?” She had been hoping that Jenny’s prediction was wrong. To make it even worse, her parents had brought Greg. She could understand their need to be here, but if they knew about Owen, they had no right to bring Greg, too.

Marion waddled across the room, her short, round body bouncing with each step. She pushed past Owen and hugged Stacie. “Oh, honey, we’ve been so worried. I know you told us not to come, but brain surgery. It’s so serious. We booked a flight as soon as we got off the phone with you.” Stacie’s father moved in and hugged her too.

Jenny stood in the doorway, mouthing the word sorry. She probably tried to keep them out. Stacie’s mother, however, was stubborn and would have demanded to take control.

“Mom, I’m fine. Really. These doctors do this all the time. It’s really routine for them.” Stacie had no idea if that was true. She’d say just about anything to get them to leave so she could be alone with Owen. She avoided looking at Greg, doing her best not to acknowledge him. Her mother noticed and wasn’t going to let it go.

“Aren’t you going to say hello to Greg?” Marion demanded.

Stacie could play this game. “Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend Owen. Owen, my parents, Marion and Ron.”

Despite the gasp from Marion following the introduction, Owen extended his hand, first to Stacie’s mother, then to her father. “Mrs. Nightingale, Mr. Nightingale,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Stacie’s father smiled at Owen and spoke up. “Please. Call me Ron. We don’t have to be so formal with Stacie’s friends.”

Owen turned and looked at Greg. “Greg,” he said in greeting, nodding his head, his face without expression. Greg returned the nod, saying nothing. Stacie was a little surprised that Owen knew who Greg was.

Marion turned to Owen. “Perhaps you’ll excuse us while we have a few words with our daughter.”

Owen moved closer as Stacie reached for him, taking her hand in a firm hold. “Owen doesn’t have to leave, Mom.”

Feigning a polite smile, Marion was obviously trying to maintain her patience. “Stacie, dear, you really need to be with the people you love, and who love you. I’m sure Owen won’t mind.”

Stacie pulled Owen closer to her bed. “I am with people I love. Owen isn’t leaving.” Stacie turned to Greg, finally acknowledging him. “But I’d appreciate Greg leaving.”

Marion huffed. “Stacie. That is completely uncalled for. You and Greg have been together for years. You could at least show him a little courtesy, especially after we walk in to find you kissing this…this…man.”

“Marion,” Stacie’s dad warned, but that’d probably be it from him. He chose his battles wisely and Stacie was sure he’d learned years ago that there were no wise battles with his wife.

The anger steeped in Stacie, though, to the point where she wasn’t going to back down. She and her mother had never really seen eye to eye on anything. Marion was more controlling than Greg had been, always telling Stacie what she should do, how she should behave, whom she should be friends with. It was never ending.

Stacie raised her voice so she was sure her mother would pay attention. “First of all, mother, Greg and I broke up.” Stacie paused, looking at Jenny for affirmation. She wasn’t sure if her parents and Greg were aware of her memory loss, but she was going to fake it as best she could. When Jenny nodded, Stacie continued. “You talk about courtesy. Well, you had no right to bring Greg along on your little hospital invasion.” Stacie turned to Greg. “And you. Don’t you think it’s time you move on?”

Greg, in his typical khaki slacks and dark blue alligator shirt, just stood there, arms crossed, eyes so frigid he could have been an ice sculpture.

Stacie looked back at her mother. “And second, mother, this man…” Stacie’s voice trailed off. A sharp pain shot across her head. She clamped down hard on Owen’s hand. Then everything went black.

Stacie’s eyes opened in what seemed like just a few moments later, but everyone was in a panic.

“Baby, what’s wrong? Are you all right?” Owen asked quietly.

Stacie rubbed her forehead. A nurse raced across the room.

“She just passed out,” Jenny told the nurse.

“She squeezed my hand first. Then her eyes rolled back in her head. She was only out for about twenty or thirty seconds,” Owen explained.

The nurse looked at all the people standing around Stacie’s bed. “Ok, everyone out,” she ordered.

“This is our daughter,” Marion said to the nurse. “I must insist that we stay.”

Stacie shook her head when the nurse looked her way. She absolutely did not want her mother in there.

“Ma’am, I appreciate your concern, but Dr. Kam will be in momentarily to examine Stacie and he can’t have any distractions. Everyone will have to wait outside.”

Everyone started to leave, but Stacie held Owen’s hand tightly. He leaned in to kiss her on the side of her head. “Everything will be fine,” he said in his sultry voice. “We’ll be right outside.”

“Owen, can you do something for me.” It felt strange to trust him, she didn’t even know him. Well, at least she didn’t remember knowing him. The trust, though, it was as strong as the desire she felt. She’d never experienced anything like it. Somehow, she knew she could rely on him to help her get closure with Greg.

“Anything, baby. What is it?”

“Jenny told me about my computer. I need you to look at it. I need to know if Greg did something to it. Can you do that? Now?” Stacie saw this as an opportunity. With Greg here in Seattle, she could confront him, tell if he was lying. And possibly get him to move on. Or, if necessary, threaten him so that he would move on. If she did it with her parents here, especially her mother, maybe they would stop meddling.

“I’ll take care of it,” Owen said. “What if I find something? Do you want me to clean it up?”

“Do whatever you think is best. I don’t think I need to see what’s on there. I wouldn’t understand it anyway. I just need to know what it is so that I can confront Greg. I can tell when he’s lying.”

“Are you sure that confronting him is a good idea?” Owen asked, his concern obvious in the soft tone of his voice.

“It would seem that Greg needs closure. I need him to have that so I can focus on us.” She reached up and stroked his cheek, leading his face down to hers. They shared a soft, slow kiss.

Dr. Kam came in the room moments later and the nurse motioned for Owen to leave. Before the doctor could say anything, the nurse summarized the number of people who were in the room when she got the emergency page. Then Stacie explained that she had been arguing with her mother when she felt the shooting pain, wondering if they might be related or if the pain was simply a residual effect of the surgery.

“It sounds like a mild seizure. Anxiety can increase blood flow, which after a surgery like yours can cause such seizures,” Dr. Kam explained. “It’s not a good idea for you to have all these visitors. You need to get some rest, Stacie.”

“I know. It’s just that I really don’t want to be alone. It’s comforting to have Owen and Jenny here.” The whole situation was scary and now that she thought about it, it was downright frightening. Audrey had been killed in a car accident that Stacie couldn’t remember. And the fact that she couldn’t remember anything since then—yeah, she really didn’t want to be alone.

“One visitor at a time. And no conversations that will upset or excite you. We need to keep your blood pressure down. I can get you in for a CT now. Then I must insist that you get some rest.” Dr. kam looked up at the nurse. “One visitor at a time. Be sure to give them the same instructions.”

The nurse nodded. She was a rugged woman, standing at almost six feet tall. She was plus-sized, but not fat, looking more like a female bouncer than a nurse. Stacie figured bouncer was a skill that could be useful in a hospital, especially with obnoxious visitors like her mother and Greg. “I’ll make sure they know. And I’ll kick anyone out who doesn’t comply.” She winked at Stacie.

~~~

Owen was a little uncomfortable being in Stacie’s condo, in her bedroom, by himself. He had no intentions of snooping, the memory of how betrayed he felt when he’d discovered that Stacie had snooped still with him. Fortunately, they had moved beyond that. Sure, Stacie didn’t remember him, but it seemed that she was about to defend their relationship to her mother before she passed out. That meant something.

Her small notebook computer sat closed on the desk. He opened it, remembering that he didn’t have her password, but surprised to find it wasn’t password protected. He’d set that up for her. Once the computer was up and running, he opened a command prompt and started typing, running a search for malicious programs and spyware.

It didn’t take long for the search to return a handful of results. Owen recognized all of the programs, a couple that recorded key strokes, one that allowed a remote user access to the file system, and another that allowed a remote user to control the software on the computer.

That son of a bitch. He had been spying on Stacie. Owen cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck like a fighter going in to the ring. He wanted to get his hands on that douche bag and find out what else he’d done to Stacie. If he’d been compelled to spy on her, it was likely that he’d hurt her in other ways. Owen thought about Stacie’s panic attacks. She claimed Greg had never hurt her, but if she was suffering some memory loss, she might not remember.

Breathing in deeply, Owen bit back the anger. Losing his temper wouldn’t help Stacie. Instead, Owen began making notes in one of Stacie’s note pads. He took some screen captures of the results as well, just to cover his own hide. He didn’t want any accusations coming back from Greg. Stacie had a printer on the desk, so Owen connected it and printed up the screen captures. Then he removed the programs.