Strawberry Kisses (A Rocky Harbor Novel Book 2) Read online

  “Hey, girls. Why don’t you go inside and get those pies? I could go for another slice.” Graham patted Maggie’s thigh and she nodded.

  Lucy balked. “Get it yourself.”

  “It’s okay, Lucy. I think the boys want to talk.” Sage followed behind Maggie and yanked Lucy out of her chair as she walked by.

  “I’m not going inside. What is it?” Rachael glared at Colton.

  She, Luke, and Graham eyed Colton, then Jake, who squeezed her hand even tighter.

  “Go inside,” Colton growled at Rachael.

  If Colton was going to berate Jake, judge him for his past mistakes, or toss him out, then he’d have to go through her first. “You’re not so clean and innocent yourself. Don’t you dare—”

  “How much do you know about this guy?” Colton’s stare pierced through her, scaring her. “Spider.”

  “She can stay.” Jake, as if oblivious to Colton’s mood, rubbed his free hand up and down her back.

  Colton glared at Jake. “What do you know about Snake?”

  “Not much. Rich prick from what I gathered. He liked to show off his money, but when it came to any major theft he’d pass it on to Wolf or me. Snake was just that. Slimy. No one trusted him. Don’t know why he hung out with us, but we figured home life must have sucked and he wanted an escape.”

  Even though his home life had been loving and nurturing for Jake, he chose a path of self-destruction, which confused and saddened Rachael. Yet his parents treated him with love and respect, just as Doreen and Keith had to their kids when they screwed up.

  “What did he look like?” Colton asked.

  “Why, do you know him? Think you can tell me where he is?” Jake’s body stiffened.

  “Blond. Blue eyes. Probably a little shy of six feet. Maybe one-seventy? A scar by his left eye?”

  Startled, Rachael whipped her head toward her brother. He’d just described Dylan. The scar had been from a car accident when he was ten. Or at least that was what he’d said.

  “Sounds about right,” Jake said.

  “Oh my God.” Time stood still as Rachael’s heart stopped. She thought her near-death beating was the worst moment in her life. Then when Jake crushed her heart she didn’t think she could move on. But neither of those events had been as horrifying and permanent as this.

  The date of Julia’s accident. The timeline. It was too much a coincidence. It couldn’t be. But she knew. It was why Dylan was in such a hurry to leave Maine. Her throat constricted and her stomach spasmed.

  It was her fault. She’d caused Jake and his family the most horrific pain and suffering one could possibly imagine. There’d be no forgiveness for what she did. For what she didn’t do. All this time, the guilt of that one night had been pushed aside as she’d focused on her own pain, forgetting about the girl…

  Her head swam and her eyes went fuzzy as if she was about to faint. Her body went limp as she released Jake’s hand and slid to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest and lowering her head.

  Rocking. Crying. Nearly hyperventilating.

  No.

  ***

  Jake

  Jake looked at Rachael’s brothers for an explanation. Graham’s head hung low, resting in his hands, and Luke came over to sit on the ground with Rachael, cradling her in his arms. If something was wrong with her, it should be Jake providing comfort. He dropped to his knees in front of her. “Rachael? Honey, what is it?”

  She’d heard the story before, with more graphic detail. He hadn’t even told her siblings about Julia’s condition. So why was Rachael a crying mess? He usually didn’t do tears, but they were Rachael’s and he loved her unconditionally.

  Waiting for a signal, a sign, a break in her sobs, Jake sat back on his heels and stroked her ankles, the only part of Rachael not being enveloped by her gigantic brother. When her breathing leveled and only faint sniffles could be heard, Graham moved over two seats so they were closer together. Jake still couldn’t interpret the signs the brothers gave to each other, and every passing minute made him more and more anxious.

  Colton remained aloof, the tension in his face not giving off the warm and fuzzies.

  Finally, Rachael lifted her head. Eyes red, wet, and swollen that wouldn’t reach his. “Rachael?” She scooted out of Luke’s lap and lifted herself into a camp chair. Jake stayed on the ground by her feet.

  “What was the date?”

  Puzzled, Jake hunted her brothers’ regretful faces for a clue. “The date of what?”

  “Your sister’s accident.”

  The worst night of his life. The night he’d killed his sister, or killed any chance at her having the life she deserved. That night would be etched in his brain forever. Some stupid pop song blared too loudly from the dance floor of the bar while beer flowed freely from the tap and into the mouths of twenty-somethings looking for a good time.

  When he saw Julia leave with Snake, Jake had switched to the hard stuff. Anything to distract from the waste of a life he’d created for himself. He didn’t want Julia in it. She was a constant reminder of how much he’d screwed up. And sweet, sweet Julia was hell bent on helping him get on the right path. To prove a point, she’d gone to the seedy bar and even tried to befriend the losers he’d hung out with. She had no idea. No freaking idea how bad he was.

  The smell of stale beer and vomit woke him on May 14th. After hurling the rest of his insides, he’d brushed his teeth and scavenged through his cabinets for something to eat. Nothing. Opening the fridge, he’d found twelve beers, leftover pizza, and a carton of eggs. The freezer housed four half-drunk bottles of whiskey.

  Needing coffee, he’d headed out of his seedy apartment and to the Dunkin Donuts that was only a block to the right. His favorite bar was a block to the left. Location. Location. Location. The sun shone bright and warm for mid-May in Maine. Wishing he’d had his sunglasses to block the sun from intensifying his hangover, he’d squinted and trekked toward DD. Shoving his hands in his jeans, hoping to find a few dollars in his pocket, he’d pulled out his cell phone instead. Nine messages from his mother. Sixteen texts. Not wanting to hear her disappointed voice, he clicked on the texts first.

  A car honked at him as he paused in the middle of the street reading the first text.

  Mom: Julia’s been in an accident. We are at Maine Med.

  And then the next.

  Mom: It’s not good. She might not make it. Please, Jake. Call me. I love you. Be safe.

  He couldn’t read on. Forgoing the coffee and forgetting the hangover, he sprinted like an Olympic athlete two miles across town to the hospital.

  “Six years ago. May thirteenth. The accident happened around eleven-thirty that night.”

  “Oh, God.”

  “Rachael?”

  “It was Dylan. He blew me off that night as he often did.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “I thought it was something I did and wanted to make it up to him. I was working at the ice cream stand in town and drove to his place after work. Around eleven. He was…he was in a car in front of his apartment…with another girl.”

  Jake tried to swallow but the lump in his throat prevented it. “Who was she?”

  Rachael shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t know. I went up to the car. He…he had her pinned down and she was pushing him away. I was…so hurt to find him with another woman.”

  “What kind of car was it?” he asked, his voice brittle.

  Shaking her head again, she choked, “I don’t know. I didn’t care about the car or the girl. Dylan was…he was cheating on me.”

  “What color car was it?” he asked more forcefully, sitting taller on his knees and gripping her legs with his hands.

  Rachael squeezed her eyes shut. “Light colored. Beige.” She didn’t open her eyes when she continued. “Dylan yelled at me. Told me to leave. That I was always ruining things for him. I was so hurt that I didn’t stick around. I ran to my car and drove away. When I looked in my rear view mirror, I saw him get out
of the passenger side of her car and slam it shut. He kicked the door and yelled something before storming into his apartment.”

  “Who was the girl, Rachael?” Jake’s voice was thick with fury and he gripped her ankle tighter. The heaviness of guilt weighted down with a rush of rage and confusion.

  “I’d never seen her before.”

  “What did she look like?” Jake knew the answer but needed to hear it from Rachael. His throat tightened and his breathing turned into quick, short rasps.

  “She had…she had long dark hair.”

  “Was she wearing a red tank top?” Rachael nodded, opening her tear-filled eyes.

  She reached down where his fingers dug into her flesh and covered them with hers, stroking the back of his hands. “Dylan used to try to slip drugs into my mouth when we were kissing. Said it would loosen me up. He probably did that to Julia right before…before he left.”

  The burning in his veins clawed its way to his chest and up his neck until he thought his head would explode. “You knew that and you left her there to suffer at the hands of a monster? Left her to get raped? No, to wrap herself around a tree and never be whole again?”

  Gasping, Rachael’s eyes rounded. “I didn’t…I didn’t know.”

  Jake raked his hands through his hair and clenched his fists at the back of his neck. He jumped to his feet and paced in front of the fire.

  “Jake, I’m sorry about your sister but you can’t blame Rachael for—”

  Jake shoved Luke out of his way with a force he couldn’t restrain and Colton, the guy who could barely walk, grew super human powers. He leaped across the lawn, reaching Jake in two quick paces. “Don’t you ever lay a hand on my family.”

  “Woah. It’s okay. Let’s everyone chill.” Graham stood between Jake and Colton, warding off a brawl.

  Not caring who he pissed off, Jake spat out at Graham, “She could have prevented the whole thing. What would a good Samaritan have done? She’d have gone to the struggling woman in the car and made sure she was okay.” He turned to Rachael, his finger pointing firmly at her. When she flinched and retreated into Luke’s chest, he didn’t back down. Julia didn’t have him to defend her six years ago, but she did today. “Didn’t you learn anything in class?” Some part of his brain registered she hadn’t taken his class back then and he sure the hell wasn’t teaching it, yet he couldn’t stop the tirade in him. “You don’t walk away from someone in need. Dammit, you could have saved Julia’s life. Screamed for help. Called 911. Instead all you cared about was yourself. And then what, you forgave the asshole who was just cheating on you and move across the country with him to continue being abused?”

  Spitting out a string of curses, showing more ways of using the F-bomb then Jake had ever heard during his years on the street, Colton broke free of Graham’s hold and grabbed Jake by the collar. He wasn’t scared. He didn’t give a shit what kind of damage the Marine did to him. He hadn’t been whole for twelve years. There wasn’t much he could do or say to Jake that he hadn’t already thought or said himself.

  “You ever talk to my sister like that again I’ll mince you into so many pieces your mama won’t be able to differentiate between you and the ashes in this fire.”

  “Jake. I realize you’ve been given a sudden blow, but don’t go blaming Rachael for what happened. She was just as much a victim as your sister,” Luke said calmly, prying Jake’s shirt out of Colton’s fists.

  “Bullshit.” Filled with rage and afraid he’d resort to his old ways a day after being off parole, he swore again and stormed off.

  Colton’s eyes had raged with fury. The eyes of a man who’d seen pain and suffering, just as Jake had. Eyes of a man who wanted revenge. Just like Jake. Hell, is this what he looked like just now as he accused Rachael of hurting Julia?

  Her body shook with fright as if she feared he’d hurt her. Like her ex had. Hell. He’d hurt her, like he promised he wouldn’t.

  Jake jumped on his bike, the guilt and shame in his chest weighing down heavily, and took off without putting his helmet on. It would serve him right if he got into an accident and cracked his skull open. He was a first class shit who didn’t deserve any of the happiness that had been handed to him.

  ***

  Rachael

  Saturday and Sunday night were especially lonely. Those were the nights when Jake would sleep at the inn with her. Instead, Rachael cried into her pillow, not only for herself, but for Jake and Julia and the Morgan family.

  If only. If only Rachael had protected the woman she’d seen in the car. At the time, and up until Saturday night, she’d never thought about that woman as a victim. She’d been the one responsible for spreading doubt in Rachael’s mind. Or at least that’s what Dylan had told her.

  He’d promised never to stray again. Blamed it on too much alcohol and suggested they move cross-country. His dad had a job and apartment lined up for him in California. They could start over. It would be just the two of them. No one to come in between them again.

  It meant Rachael would have to transfer colleges. There were so many to choose from in Southern California that she hadn’t thought twice about it. Only, when they got there, Dylan didn’t want her hanging out on campus. She’d be too tempted by college guys, he’d said.

  So Dylan got her job as a secretary at a software company down the block from their apartment. He’d supported them with his job and kept the finances in his name. Since her work was so close, she hadn’t needed a car. They were saving for a nicer place, he’d said.

  And stupid, stupid Rachael fell for it all, never thinking about the dark-haired girl in the car until the other night.

  Had Julia seen her? Did she recognize Rachael from that night? Jake swore Julia’s mental state was fairly sharp and that she could hear and process just fine, and that it was just her motor skills holding her back. Rachael needed to talk with her. Maybe Rachael could help put the pieces of the night together. Not that it would matter. Jake hated her and she didn’t blame him.

  They’d probably never have enough evidence to charge Dylan for anything unless Julia could speak and tell the judge what Rachael believed to be true. That Dylan White attacked Julia and when she fought back, he slipped her a drug, causing her to get into an accident, which resulted in anoxic brain injury.

  Rachael made a large breakfast for the inn’s guest before heading out to the Morgans’ place in Westbrook. She hoped Jake wasn’t there; he probably wouldn’t allow Rachael to talk to his sister if he was.

  Pulling to a stop in front of his childhood home, Rachael mourned the sweet boy the Morgans raised. Her brothers’ bad behavior stemmed from their biological parents and upbringing, but Jake had a solid, sturdy home, proving parents can only protect their children so much. People made choices and were responsible for their actions.

  She made her way to the front door, clutching a bakery box of brownies in front of her, and rang the doorbell.

  “Rachael? What a nice surprise. I thought you and Jake went away for a few days. Come on in.”

  She must not have gotten the memo that her son believed her to be guilty for Julia’s condition and had dumped Rachael. Granted, he hadn’t told Rachael they were done either. He’d ignored her one text. She wouldn’t chase after him and his message the other night was heard loud and clear.

  He blamed her for Julia’s accident.

  “I have something for Julia.”

  “Are those your brownies I smell? She’s sitting on the patio. Let’s go out back.” Rachael followed Lesley through the house. Julia stood in the grass, a field hockey stick in hand and an orange ball near her feet. “She was an amazing athlete in high school and college. I came across her stick the other day and Julia started making all sorts of sounds. I could barely make out her words, but I think this is what she wants. I’m so proud.”

  Julia looked up at them and rocked back and forth, her mouth opening and closing as if she was babbling a mile a minute. “Are you happy to see me or the brownies?” Racha
el teased. Still holding the stick, Julia dragged her feet across the lawn. “Ah, brownies win every time.”

  Lesley put the box on the table and placed one on a napkin for Julia and one for Rachael. “I’m going to finish the laundry. You girls better save me at least one brownie, though.” She squeezed Rachael’s shoulder with a knowing smile before going inside.

  “Your brother told me you were some hot shot field hockey player in high school,” Rachael said, breaking off a piece of her brownie before tossing it in her mouth. “I’ve never played. If you go easy on me, I’d love to learn. Do you have another stick or should I pick one up for the next time I come over?”

  Julia opened her mouth, taking the time to formulate her words. “I…have…fow.”

  “Four sticks? Great. I’ll ask my sisters-in-law to come over as well. I’d ask my sister, Lucy, but she’d show no mercy on me.”

  “Ja…Jake?” Julia looked over Rachael’s shoulder, most likely expecting to see him emerge from inside.

  “Don’t tell your mom, but Jake and I aren’t exactly talking right now. He can be a stubborn ass, you know.” Julia nodded and Rachael laughed. “I suppose you would know. Some day I’d love to hear some of your favorite childhood stories. He had to have had some cute years before he turned into a surly teen.”

  Nodding vigorously, Julia picked up another chunk of brownie and slowly brought it to her mouth.

  “Look at you shoving food down your throat. Your brother would be proud, but your mom’s going to be mad if you don’t save her any,” she teased.

  Rachael continued to make small talk while they ate. Normally Jake swallowed the brownie in one bite; eating with Julia took a bit longer. When she was finished and Rachael had swept the crumbs into a napkin, she turned toward her, taking Julia’s hands in hers. “I’d like to talk to you about the night of your accident.” Julia’s face dropped in hopeless despair.

  “Have you ever seen me before? Before Jake introduced us?” Julia’s head lifted and she studied Rachael, blinking rapidly. Rachael closed her eyes and swallowed before continuing. “The night of your accident…when you were in the car with Dylan…Snake. I’m not sure what he called himself. Do you remember me?” She opened her eyes and watched Julia’s reaction. “I was the girl who yelled at him. I was his girlfriend.”