How to Save a Life (12 page)

“Pate went to school to become a lawyer and in the end he did. You see Pate Strickland’s dad is a prestigious judge, so Pate always had a job working with him. Several months into the pregnancy I had some intense abdominal cramping and wanted to go to the hospital to get it checked out. Pate wouldn’t let me, he actually refused. We ended up in an argument and he punched me in the stomach. I remembered blacking out and the next thing I knew I woke up in the hospital and had lost the baby. Pate told the doctor’s that I fell."

Bringing back all these memories was hell on my tear ducts. I was already covered in tears and my shirt was wet from constantly wiping my eyes on it.

“Being who he was, no one ever even questioned him. He apologized profusely and promised me that it would never happen again. And I was naïve enough to believe him. Law school was tough on him, stressed him out so he ended up turning to alcohol. You will never
ever
see me drink because I know what it can do to a person. He turned into a hateful, vile person, but I was stuck because of some kind of hold he had over me. He treated me like a slave and forbid me to work. I had to cater to his every whim and cook and clean. I remember the first time that dinner wasn’t on the table when he got home from work. He took my only dream left and crushed it, quite literally. When I
misbehaved,
he would break my fingers. I couldn’t actually tell you how many times they’ve each been broken. So much that arthritis has taken over. I do have more good days than bad, but if I spend too much time playing piano I pay for it the next day."

I could see Mike’s hands clenched and I covered my outstretched hand over his, to try to get him to ease up the tension.

“It’s not worth it," I shook my head as I said, “I’m fine now. When things would get out of hand and he hurt me worse than he anticipated he would bring me to the hospital, but he would tell everyone that I was clumsy. Who would believe me over him? No one that’s who, I tried profusely to tell someone when we went, but no one listened to me. It got to the point to where he would lock me in the house and I wasn’t able to leave at all. I was a prisoner in my own home. The majority of the time he forced me to have sex with him, no matter the time or the place, when he wanted it, he got it. I lived outside my own head for those sessions, because if I hadn’t I clearly wouldn’t have been sane."

Mike

Listening to Sheridan rehash her past was tearing me up inside. She was forced to basically give up everything and live inside of some morbid prison. And to think no one would listen to her cry for help because of his father? I was completely infuriated that some man thought he could treat someone that he supposedly loved like this. I wished I knew where exactly this Pate Strickland was, but that was the thing, Sheridan never divulged where she was from.

I felt that new familiar pull when she wrapped her hand around mine to try to ease my tension. I could feel my blood pressure skyrocket just by listening to her.

“I managed to get away once before now. It was a little over three years ago, he was running late for an important exam and forgot to set the alarm." She must’ve registered my surprised reaction when I raised a brow. “Yeah, that’s the funny thing, most people had alarms for keeping people out; this alarm was for keeping me in.

“I ran to my parents and skimmed over most of the situation and was able to stay off of his radar for eleven months. Eleven wonderful months."

She seemed to get a twinkle in her eye, I could tell that the time away from him was good for her. But then I thought about her living here. She never goes out, she cooks and cleans for me. And even though I didn’t know any better, I was no better than Pate, keeping her hoisted inside of the house. I would have to make it my mission to take her out, see more of Brown County.

“What happened after the eleven months?"

“He found me. My parents had moved during that time I was home and tried to keep everything conspicuous, but the one time I go to the store, he finds me. He told me that if I didn’t come with him that he would find my family and kill them. So what choice did I have? I was his puppet again to do as he pleased. Until that one fateful day about three months ago, I left for good. I don’t know if he is searching for me, but he had been eyes deep in cases at the law firm, so I suspect he wouldn’t have even had the time. I stopped at my parents for a week, got my last name changed, got my old car that luckily still ran and went on my way in finding somewhere new to start my life over. And low and behold, I get in a wreck in a small ass town and met someone who I hope will become a great friend, if we can get over each other’s insecurities."

She nudged her shoulder into mine, which caused me to look into her eyes, she was talking about me, she wanted to be friends. That was just my luck, here I finally decided that I wanted to try and have more with this woman, she decides to throw out the friend card. But I would take whatever I could get.

“I’m sorry all that happened to you, Sheridan. Really I am, and here I’ve been awful to you. No more cooking or cleaning while you’re here, got it?" I said and I really wasn’t joking.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, I actually like cooking. And I like it even more when I’m not being forced."

I laid my head back on the couch again, I was absolutely exhausted. So much raw emotion floating around today. It had been one fucking long ass day and I was ready for a new day with hopefully a lot more laughs and a lot fewer tears.

The next thing I knew, Sadie was nudging my knee and when I looked up, the sunlight was pouring in through the curtains. Stretching out an arm, I realized that my other one was asleep, but it was because Sheridan was curled up next to me on the couch wrapped around it. I felt the hint of a smile flit across my face as I so gently tried to remove my arm from her sleepy clutch without waking her up.

It was a failed attempt as she started stretching as well, but pushing her chest out, accentuating her mouthwatering breasts. It didn’t help that I currently had morning wood, and this was just too enticing not to watch.

I kept staring until she let out a yawn and a sleep-filled, “Good morning. I do have to say Mr. Jameson that you make an amazing pillow and I ended up sleeping great. But that could also be the fact that I was completely drained."

“I agree. I slept very well even though this couch doesn’t normally sleep the best. Um, I do have a question about last night if that’s alright."

Something had been niggling in the back of my mind.

“Um, ok."

“Last night you said that he doesn’t know where you are and that you don’t think he’s coming for you, but what if he is? And your real last name isn’t Nichols?"

“Technically, that was two questions, but in the light of the matter I’ll let it slide."

She tried to joke, but it really just made me want to shut her up by kissing her smart ass mouth.

“For all intents and purposes, my last name is now Nichols. And, yes, Pate could be looking for me. But honestly, I’m free now, I can’t live my life in constant fear. I’m six hours away from him, and with my last name different, I think it would be a little harder for him to find me. But I would rather not talk about this anymore, it’s the past. I’m going to be trying to make a new life for myself and if Brown County is going to be it, I need to start looking for a job."

I was reluctant to let her explanation go, but I would definitely be on the lookout. I could possibly let the Sheriff’s department know to be on the lookout as well.

And I was extremely excited to even hope that she would stay in Brown County permanently.

She put her booted foot on the coffee table and stretched again.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, I had my Doctor’s appointment yesterday and apparently I’ve been doing too much on my feet and haven’t been resting enough, so I’m stuck in the boot for another four weeks. I’m just ready to get this damn thing off." She said as leaned forward to try and readjust the boot.

I was surprised to hear that she had her appointment. How in the world did she get there?

“Why didn’t you tell me about your appointment? How did you get there?"

She scoffed a little before I could tell that her smart aleck self was about to make a reappearance.

“I’m telling you now, and I took a cab. I knew you had to work and have been working a lot lately, so I didn’t want to bother you with my appointment."

Well, when she put it that way…

We were now finally underway into the summer months as it was closing in on the end of June. Things were pretty amazing if I did say so myself, which obviously I did.

I admit that Sheridan and I still tiptoe around the obvious attractions we have for one another, but I could sincerely call her my best friend.

I never thought I would identify with someone so well, we complement each other perfectly.

We went yesterday to get her cast taken off and I never thought that I would see someone so excited to be able to wear two normal shoes. The first thing she wanted to do was go get a pedicure and she made me endure one with her. Although I would deny this to my grave, it actually felt amazing.

I drew the line at a manicure. If Brock would’ve taken one look at my nails and saw my cuticles cut down and clean nail beds, I don’t think I would’ve heard the end of it.

I actually found myself wanting to be home with her rather than working. I still worked my normal paramedic shifts, but I didn’t go to the garage as much, which meant that Sheridan’s car was really no closer to being finished.

She really didn’t seem to mind though, we laughed and carried on all the time, and we’ve even taken to making dinner together. And yes, we still watched
Roseanne
pretty regularly. And she was in fact right, being in the Conner family would’ve been pretty awesome, there definitely wouldn’t have a lack of hilariousness.

To the average person looking in, you would see that I was, in fact, happy for the first time in a long time. I was just missing that one special piece of Sheridan that I truly wanted; her heart. I’ll be a man and admit that I was already halfway in love with her and what I wouldn’t give to make her truly mine.

But there was absolutely nothing that I could do about it, she had pulled out that friend card over a month ago and I would take what I could get. She was etched so deeply into my heart that I couldn’t risk losing her by taking this further.

Sadie brought me out of my reverie by placing her tennis ball by my leg and nudging her cool, wet nose on my hand.

It was such a beautiful day out, so Sadie and I were playing fetch outside. Well, Sadie was doing the fetching while I sat on the patio.

It had rained all day yesterday, so an idea sparked in my head as something fun to do. And I could almost bet that Sheridan had never done it before.

Speaking of the goddess, Sheridan came outside dressed in yet another pair of cutoff shorts that accentuated those long, lean legs and a racer back tank top. Today her hair was piled on top of her head, she had already been complaining of the heat with her long ass hair, but refused to cut it. I silently thanked God that she did. She handed me a glass full of iced tea before she sat down beside me.

I took a long gulp, it tasted so refreshing. Sheridan really knew how to make the perfect sweet tea.

“Thank you that hit the spot."

“You are very welcome." She took a drink out of her own glass and sat it down on the patio table. “You know what? I want to do something fun today. I mean I just finally got my cast off and I think we just need to go have an adventure or something."

Could she read my mind or what?

“Well, I actually just had an idea for something fun to do myself. I’m sure that it’s something that you’ve never done before and as long as you aren’t opposed to getting a little dirty, I think we would have one hell of a time."