Forgotten Past. Mary Alford
He obviously thought she’d overreacted. He had no way of knowing what she’d been through in her life to warrant such a response.
“Yes,” she admitted and felt foolish. “I’ve only been here on the island a month. I guess I’m still getting used to living out here. Especially so far away from town.”
“I see. Well, you don’t have anything to worry about living here alone. This is one of the safest places to live in Maine. We rarely have anything more than the occasional high school prank.”
So he was a local. This surprised her. “You live here?”
JT nodded. “Yes. I’m restoring the house down the beach from you.” He was a carpenter. That explained the healthy tan. Still, it didn’t quite fit her first impression of him.
JT had a funny little grin on his face and she realized she’d been staring again. “Well, thank you for rescuing Ollie,” she said to cover up her embarrassment.
“No problem. I kind of admire the little guy’s spunk.” He reached down and scratched Ollie’s ears, and the dog rewarded him with a lick on his hand.
Faith laughed warmly. “I think you’ve made a new friend. Ollie loves having his ears scratched.”
When JT straightened, he looked right into her eyes and her heart did a little flip. He was an incredibly attractive man, yet she wondered if he even realized it.
He glanced away and she could breathe normally once more.
“You know, I remember this house. I came here a lot as a kid. My mom and the previous owners were friends. As I recall, Mom brought my sister and me over a couple of times a week for a visit. Liz and I used to explore the house while my mom and Evie Fitzgerald talked.” He sighed fondly. “I remember Mrs. Fitzgerald used to make this mean chocolate cake and she’d give my sister and me each a huge slice. We would end up with a sugar rush for hours after. It drove our mom crazy.”
She smiled as she listened to him reminisce about his family. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a simple conversation with anyone without looking for ulterior motives. It felt nice. “I can imagine. Are you and your sister still close?” Ollie scratched at her leg, his little signal he wanted her to hold him. She scooped the dog up in her arms.
“Oh, yes.” He sounded amused. “Sometimes a little too close. Liz is happily married and determined that everyone around her should be as well. She’s constantly trying to set me up on blind dates,” he added with a shake of his head.
Faith found herself unexpectedly drawn to him. She liked the way his eyes lit up when he talked about his sister. It must be an incredible blessing to have someone to care about you in such a way. She’d been on her own for a long time and she’d never really known the love of a family. Since moving to Hope Island, her interactions with others had been limited to the cashier at the local grocery store and the occasional hello from the postal employee who sorted the mail.
“Actually, that sounds pretty nice.” She stole a sideways glance at him and found him watching her with a sympathetic look on his face. When had she gotten so bad at covering up her feelings?
“Yes, I guess it is. As much as I tease my sister about being a mother hen, it’s nice having her close. She and her husband, Sam, and my niece Ellie live here on the island as well, so I get to see them a lot.” He hesitated. “I take it you don’t have any family close by?”
Faith struggled against feelings of loneliness. She hated being completely alone with no one to talk to about her problems and terrified of something she couldn’t remember.
Before she could come up with an answer, JT held up his hands. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked and it’s none of my business. Here I am talking about Liz being nosy.” He chuckled. “Blame it on the detective in me. I guess we’re always searching for answers.”
Faith did her best not to react to the news that he was a cop. After what happened in Austin and the way the detectives had treated her, she had stopped trusting in the police for help.
“You know, we can keep doing this all night,” he said softly, interrupting her troubled thoughts.
She swallowed hard. “Doing what?” But she knew.
His expression gave nothing away. “Making polite conversation while we ignore what we should be talking about. Like who you really thought was following you tonight.”
Faith couldn’t hold his gaze.
“I know you’re scared of someone. Who’s following you, Faith?”
He had no idea the dark secrets her mind had locked away because they were just too ghastly for her to remember. “I can’t. I’m sorry, you don’t understand.”
A single muscle worked along his jawline. Evidence enough he didn’t like her answer. “Then help me understand. I take it this isn’t the first time this has happened?”
She took her time answering. “No, it isn’t. But it’s my problem and I know what I’m doing.”
That look on his face said that he didn’t believe her, and she couldn’t blame him. After all, the way she’d reacted tonight wasn’t the normal behavior of someone who had things completely under control.
“I suppose you’re right. It’s not my place to—” Before he could finish the sentence, her cell phone chirped to life on the kitchen counter where she’d left it earlier. Suddenly, she couldn’t move. “Don’t you think you should answer it?” JT asked when she made no attempt to do so. “It might be important.” She read every single one of the questions in his eyes. She knew them all by heart.
After the third unanswered ring, JT picked up her cell phone and handed it to her, forcing her hand.
The caller ID registered “Unknown,” just as it always did. Faith wanted to throw the phone as far away as she could, but if it were truly him, it wouldn’t matter if she didn’t answer. He would just keep calling...or worse.
It took everything inside her to accept JT’s challenge without falling apart. “Yes. Yes, of course you’re right.” Her hands shook as she hit the talk button and listened to the familiar stanza of the old love song, “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
She murmured something to JT—some excuse—she wasn’t sure what. Somehow, Faith managed to draw air into her lungs. Put one foot in front of the other. She needed distance between herself and the man watching her every move, seeing too much. If she wanted to stay alive, she couldn’t fall apart. If she stayed in the same room with JT, she would.
Faith closed the door to the great room and leaned against it. “Please, please, just leave me alone,” she whispered frantically. “I don’t remember anything. I can’t hurt you.” The sound of a receiver slammed into its cradle was her only answer. She pushed away from the door and sank down to the sofa. Tears sprang easily to her eyes and she rubbed her hand over them.
She was so tired of fighting this battle alone.
“Is something wrong?” JT asked quietly from the doorway. She hadn’t even heard him come in.
Faith rose to her feet and moved away before he could spot the tears. “No, I’m fine. It’s...nothing.”
“Then why are you crying?”
“I’m not—” She couldn’t go on when he came over to where she stood and stopped inches away. JT touched his finger gently to her cheek and held up the proof for her to see.
“Who was that on the phone just now? What’s really going on here, Faith?” The gentleness in his tone made it next to impossible to remain strong. It would be so nice to be able to lean on someone besides herself for a change. Remember Austin. Remember how the police treated you there.
She shook her head. “It was just a wrong number.”
“That’s