Read Online Remember Me (Men of Honor Series Book 1) by Lara Van Hulzen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lara Van Hulzen
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dizzy.
“I can’t, Ben… Jake.” She tripped over the names. It felt so wrong.
“Why not? Because of work?”
She actually had the next four days off, but wasn’t about to tell him that. “I just can’t.”
His shoulders sagged, a defeated look on his face. “I understand.” He reached for the door handle but then turned and looked at her.
“I’m gonna buy a cell phone when I can and I’ll call you.” He stared down at the wallet. “The money you gave me is on the nightstand in Mike’s guest room. I can’t thank you enough for that. I guess now I’ll be good though.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He took his hand off the door handle and gently cupped her chin, making her eyes meet his. “This isn’t good-bye, Tess. It’s just see you later. I promise I’ll see you again.”
He swept his lips over hers, a whisper of movement, touched his forehead to hers and got out of the car. He was out of sight and in the train station before she knew what happened.
Barely able to see through her tears, Tess drove home. She pulled into her garage and went inside the house. Kicking off her shoes, she fell onto the couch and cried herself to sleep.
***
A pounding noise. A voice floated through her ears, calling to her like someone shouting down a tunnel. Or maybe she was underwater. She rubbed her eyes, unable to grasp the sound or her surroundings. Then she heard Emma’s voice through the back glass door, and her knocking came in loud and clear now. Tess sat up and pushed herself up to stand. She slid the door open. Emma came in, looked her up and down, and said, “What happened?”
Tess looked down at her wrinkled dress and crumpled cardigan. “I know I don’t look super hot right now, but that’s no reason to be so harsh.” She shuffled past Emma to the kitchen and popped a K-cup into the coffee maker. She needed caffeine to deal with this conversation.
“Mike just got a call from Ben, who said he’s headed to San Diego.”
Tess stopped mid-grab for the creamer in the fridge. How did he get a phone so fast? Sheesh. Ben was scary resourceful. At least he used to be. Ugh. Her head hurt. Coherent thoughts swirled like birds above her, none of them agreeing to land. She poured creamer into a coffee mug, stuck it under the machine spout, and pushed the brew button. Emma’s glare bore into her back. She rubbed her neck and turned with a sigh.
“It seems as if you already know what’s going on.” She shrugged. “Ben went to San Diego.”
“Well, what happened at the police station?” Emma was now perched on a barstool across from where Tess leaned against the counter, waiting for her coffee to brew. Mike stepped through the back door Emma had slid open but failed to close. It didn’t matter. Most days Mike and Tess left their doors wide open for the ocean breeze.
Mike waved his phone at her and sat down on the barstool next to Emma. “Just got off a call with Ben. You okay?”
Tess looked at them. It was a bit like facing a firing squad.
“Yeah. We got his wallet back, he decided to go check out the address in San Diego, so I drove him to the train station. End of story.”
She turned around to grab her coffee mug, now filled with steamy hot goodness. Her favorite was iced coffee, but right now she was too lazy to even pour it over ice. She rubbed her eyes. She was tired of crying. Tired of hiding the truth from Ben. Just. So. Tired.
“Hey, T. It’s us. We aren’t trying to hound you or make you feel bad, we just want to know what happened. We’re here to help you.”
She faced them again and took a sip from her mug. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be snippy. The last twenty-four hours have been a whirlwind.” Claiming the third barstool on the end of the kitchen island, she set her mug down and put her chin in her hand. Mike and Emma sat to her right, waiting patiently. She filled them in on getting the wallet back and Ben wanting to go to the
“I can’t, Ben… Jake.” She tripped over the names. It felt so wrong.
“Why not? Because of work?”
She actually had the next four days off, but wasn’t about to tell him that. “I just can’t.”
His shoulders sagged, a defeated look on his face. “I understand.” He reached for the door handle but then turned and looked at her.
“I’m gonna buy a cell phone when I can and I’ll call you.” He stared down at the wallet. “The money you gave me is on the nightstand in Mike’s guest room. I can’t thank you enough for that. I guess now I’ll be good though.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He took his hand off the door handle and gently cupped her chin, making her eyes meet his. “This isn’t good-bye, Tess. It’s just see you later. I promise I’ll see you again.”
He swept his lips over hers, a whisper of movement, touched his forehead to hers and got out of the car. He was out of sight and in the train station before she knew what happened.
Barely able to see through her tears, Tess drove home. She pulled into her garage and went inside the house. Kicking off her shoes, she fell onto the couch and cried herself to sleep.
***
A pounding noise. A voice floated through her ears, calling to her like someone shouting down a tunnel. Or maybe she was underwater. She rubbed her eyes, unable to grasp the sound or her surroundings. Then she heard Emma’s voice through the back glass door, and her knocking came in loud and clear now. Tess sat up and pushed herself up to stand. She slid the door open. Emma came in, looked her up and down, and said, “What happened?”
Tess looked down at her wrinkled dress and crumpled cardigan. “I know I don’t look super hot right now, but that’s no reason to be so harsh.” She shuffled past Emma to the kitchen and popped a K-cup into the coffee maker. She needed caffeine to deal with this conversation.
“Mike just got a call from Ben, who said he’s headed to San Diego.”
Tess stopped mid-grab for the creamer in the fridge. How did he get a phone so fast? Sheesh. Ben was scary resourceful. At least he used to be. Ugh. Her head hurt. Coherent thoughts swirled like birds above her, none of them agreeing to land. She poured creamer into a coffee mug, stuck it under the machine spout, and pushed the brew button. Emma’s glare bore into her back. She rubbed her neck and turned with a sigh.
“It seems as if you already know what’s going on.” She shrugged. “Ben went to San Diego.”
“Well, what happened at the police station?” Emma was now perched on a barstool across from where Tess leaned against the counter, waiting for her coffee to brew. Mike stepped through the back door Emma had slid open but failed to close. It didn’t matter. Most days Mike and Tess left their doors wide open for the ocean breeze.
Mike waved his phone at her and sat down on the barstool next to Emma. “Just got off a call with Ben. You okay?”
Tess looked at them. It was a bit like facing a firing squad.
“Yeah. We got his wallet back, he decided to go check out the address in San Diego, so I drove him to the train station. End of story.”
She turned around to grab her coffee mug, now filled with steamy hot goodness. Her favorite was iced coffee, but right now she was too lazy to even pour it over ice. She rubbed her eyes. She was tired of crying. Tired of hiding the truth from Ben. Just. So. Tired.
“Hey, T. It’s us. We aren’t trying to hound you or make you feel bad, we just want to know what happened. We’re here to help you.”
She faced them again and took a sip from her mug. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be snippy. The last twenty-four hours have been a whirlwind.” Claiming the third barstool on the end of the kitchen island, she set her mug down and put her chin in her hand. Mike and Emma sat to her right, waiting patiently. She filled them in on getting the wallet back and Ben wanting to go to the
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