Safe With You, page 19
“There’s no marriage.” Matt blew out. “Too much has happened for it to ever be good again.”
“I’m sorry about everything between you and Justine.” Jack meant it. He never wanted his brother hurt.
Matt took another drink and nodded, then said, “So this is the real deal then?”
Jack wished he had brought more beer. “Yeah, it’s real.”
RACHAEL TRIED TO GET used to her strange new normal, which seemed to include everyone in the small town. On most days, she and Jack spent the day together before he worked at the restaurant and she at the tavern.
Jack had practically moved into the apartment. Rachael insisted she’d be okay without him staying, but she liked him there. She felt safer with him there. As the weeks passed and fall blended into winter, she became less worried and anxious about being alone. She just missed not being around him.
In the mornings, he’d come over for coffee, and then they’d walked Captain along the Coastal Trail. Captain would run ahead as they walked behind together, enjoying the morning sunrise. They’d walk all the way to Perkin’s beach. His hand always holding onto hers.
“This is the local beach,” Jack explained as they stood watching the waves lap up against the shore. Wind blew her hair across her face, and he wiped the loose strands away with his fingertips. She imagined what it would be like in the summer, with colorful umbrellas dotting the sand and children running into the water. She liked being a local.
She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “I love you, Jack.”
He smiled, leaning into her. “I love you, too.”
They kissed as Captain ran into the water, chasing the waves up and down the sand. He swept her up into a hug, holding her so close she could feel his heartbeat. Then, without warning, he picked her up, off of her feet and into his arms.
Her eyes widened as he ran toward the water. “What are you doing?!”
“It’s called the penguin plunge. It’s the local rite of passage.” He ran faster as he headed toward the water with Captain galloping happily behind them. Her arms squeezed around his neck so tight, she was sure she was choking him, but he laughed and kissed her again, only hitting the edge of the water. “You only get one save.”
He set her gently down on her feet, waiting until the wave had retreated.
“You’re lucky I like you.” He laced his fingers into hers and pulled her along.
Above them, seagulls sang out, reminding her of how free she felt. How happy she was with Jack, and living in this town, seeing Finn every day.
“As a little girl, I used to wish I could fly with the seagulls.” She had never told anyone of her silly little daydreams, suddenly feeling childish at her confession. A lone seagull flew down in front of them. “To be free, like them.”
They stood watching the seagull dip down near the water and rise back up again into the wind. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him as the seagull flew off into the blue sky, crossing the beach and flying above the granite cliffs. He stood behind her as they faced the water and whispered, “You’re free now, Rachael.”
And for the first time, she believed him.
When they returned from the beach, Jack let go of her hand. “I’ve got to go and make some phone calls, but I’ll make lunch and be up in a little bit.” Jack handed Captain’s leash to her and kissed her.
“I can come down and help with the supply orders.” She had enjoyed helping at the restaurant, being with Jack in his element. One of her favorite things was watching him in the kitchen. He’d give her that look of his, making her feel crazy for him.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be up in a bit. What do you say to going for a drive out to the farm to see Maggie?”
“You want to take a day off?” Rachael was surprised. Even though she hadn’t been back for long, she understood why the whole town was concerned Jack had taken time off when he stayed at the farm. Jack never took time off, especially not a whole day for a drive.
“I can live on the edge.”
The seriousness of his tone contrasting with the playfulness in his eyes, made her laugh. “That sounds great.”
He waved as he walked to the restaurant as she jogged Captain around the back to the apartment. She dropped the leash once they reached the stairs.
When Captain reached the top of the steps, he sat in front of the door, a trick Jack had taught him. Another reason Jack pushed the idea of her moving into his place — Captain would have more space. The yard alone made Jack’s place a much better option. Maybe she was being stubborn by staying in the apartment. Maybe Jack was really Rachael’s knight in shining armor. She might actually have the fairytale. She might actually have a home with someone who loved her.
AS JACK SHUFFLED THROUGH the paperwork that piled his desk, Alex Martinez stepped into his office.
“Hey, man.” Jack hadn’t expected him to come by. He stood up and shook his hand while patting him on the shoulder.
“How’s it going?” Alex asked. In full uniform, Alex took a seat in front of Jack’s desk.
“Good, you?”
“Good. I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Jack leaned back, swiveling in his chair. “I know, busy.”
“How’s the new girl in town?” Alex winked.
He moaned, realizing that everyone knew about Rachael and him by this point. Why was he surprised? He changed the subject. “Did you stop by for a visit?”
“The town can’t stop talking about this woman.” Undeterred, Alex crossed his legs, getting comfortable. “I wondered if you figured out her story?”
Jack didn’t want to lie to his best friend, but he finally had Rachael’s trust. He had come this far, he didn’t want to ruin anything they had.
“Bad breakup, I guess,” Jack answered. “Guess he was a real jerk.”
Alex shifted his posture, sitting straighter. “Well, I kind of started poking around, and I found out some information.”
Jack’s heart raced.
“Rachael Hawkins is really Rachael Milano, and married to a cop.” Alex’s forehead creased.
Jack leaned forward, closer to his friend, looking him in the eye. “She’s not hiding anything. She’s just came out of a rough relationship.”
Alex’s leg shook. “Are you sure that’s all there is with her?”
“You should probably just drop it,” Jack said to him his tone on the edge.
Alex made a face. “Weren’t you the one who asked me to look into her?”
The door suddenly opened and Rachael said, “You did what?”
RACHAEL COULDN’T BELIEVE what she was hearing. He’d had a cop check her out. Before she could stop herself, she pushed through the slightly opened door and both Jack and the officer stood up.
Jack’s face turned white. “Rachael.”
The officer reached out his hand, but she kept her eye on his gun. “Hello, Rachael, I’m Alex, Jack’s friend.”
Her heart started racing, pounding through her chest. “You asked him to look into me?”
Jack knew it didn’t matter, but he said, “I asked before.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He looked at Alex, who held up his hands.
“Because I didn’t want you to worry.”
Jack walked around the desk, but she backed away from him into hall, not exactly sure what to do next. The police officer certainly was suspicious. It would only be a matter of time before he connected the dots.
“Alex is my closest friend, you can trust him.”
She just shook her head, unable to look at him. “I can’t believe you went behind my back like that.”
“I should’ve told you. I never meant to hurt you.”
He reached out to grab her hand, but she pulled it out of his grasp. “Don’t.”
Her heart tore inside her, like a muscle ripping off a bone.
“Rachael, please.”
She turned and ran out, up the stairs and slammed the apartment door. She heard his footsteps behind her, but she tore down the shade. Captain jolted from a deep sleep on the couch.
Jack knocked on the door. Pacing back and forth, she swung open the door. “How could you go to the police?” Her hands went to her forehead. She looked around at the room. The home she thought was real was suddenly becoming another memory.
“Rachael, I promise, I only wanted to help you,” he pleaded.
Tears stung at his naivety, and she let out a huff.
Her throat closed up as she spoke. “He probably called Providence.”
“Look, I didn’t tell him anything other than that you seemed like you were in trouble.”
She shook her head, and turned away from him. “You should go,” she said, walking toward the bathroom. She couldn’t look at him. She no longer trusted him.
Twenty
Rachael waited inside her apartment for Jack’s friend to come upstairs and arrest her, but when she saw him leave the restaurant and get back into his police vehicle, he didn’t even look back. She wondered how much he really knew. How long she had until Nick showed up.
If he dug around enough and called around about her, it would only be a matter of time before Nick found out about it. He probably had tabs on all the police stations in the area. If Jack’s friend even called about a strange woman in town, Nick would hear about it. How long ago was that?
She looked around the apartment. Jack’s things intermingled with hers. A sweatshirt draped over the kitchen chair, his Red Sox hat by the door. It had felt like a home, if only for that short moment. It felt perfect.
How could he have gone to the police?
Her phone continued to vibrate against the table. Jack hadn’t stopped texting since she asked him to leave, but she didn’t even look at them. She needed to think about what she had to do next, and she couldn’t involve Jack any longer. That, she knew for sure.
Rachael gathered her things together, walking around the space, collecting anything she could take with her. Captain followed at her heels, sitting next to her whenever she stopped. Every once in a while, he’d rest his head against her leg, reminding her of his presence. Not that she forgot. Captain looked up at her, his big brown eyes digging into her soul. How could she leave him behind? Or Finn? Or even Jack?
Adam had filed for divorce, and promised her location would be protected in the documents, but he didn’t know Nick like she did. He was a great detective.
She grabbed her bag before leaving a bowl full of kibble on the floor. She left and walked down Harbor Lane. She didn’t turn back, even after Jack called her name, afraid she’d change her mind and make things worse.
When she reached the police station, she looked up at the two-story building. The afternoon sun had begun to set, and the windows reflected the golden rays. Her heart raced. This was the only way. She let out a deep breath and opened the glass doors.
In the lobby, a woman in uniform sat behind a tall counter. She looked up as Rachael approached and asked, “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’d like to speak to Officer Martinez.”
JACK SAT AT HIS KITCHEN table and looked out at the water. How did he mess up again? His knee bounced as he rethought everything he had done wrong. Why hadn’t he just told Rachael? He could have told her that night at Maggie’s. Confessed everything. She would have been upset, but maybe he wouldn’t have ruined everything by hiding it from her.
The sound of tires crunching on the gravel caught his attention. Matt’s truck pulled up outside.
“Wow, he’s back,” Matt said, as he walked into the house, closing the door to the garage. He dropped his fishing gear on the floor in the mud room, next to the washer. “You can start my laundry any time.”
Jack didn’t even bother to acknowledge him, just stared out the window.
Matt walked over to the kitchen table and peered out. “What are we looking at?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure?”
Jack stood up, stepping closer to the sliding doors. “I messed up with Rachael and I’m not sure if I can fix it.”
Matt made a face. “What’d you do?”
Jack leaned against the glass. If he strained, he could just make out the restaurant. The sun reflected in his eyes and he stepped back.
“I kept something from her.”
“That certainly doesn’t ever work out.” Matt took another drink. “Did you apologize?”
Jack shot him a look. “Of course, I did.”
“How bad is it?”
“I asked Alex to look into her.”
“You did what?” Matt’s jaw fell. “Why did you do that?”
“I thought she was in trouble.” Jack sat down and put his head between his hands, squeezing his head with his fingers. “She doesn’t want to see me. She won’t answer my texts.”
Matt pulled out the chair next to him and joined him at the table. He nodded as though contemplating the situation. “Maybe you need to apologize again. Sitting here, staring out the window, isn’t going to make things better.”
Jack looked back out to the afternoon sky. Matt was right, of course, but what more could he say? He messed up. How could he ever gain Rachael’s trust again?
“It’s way more complicated than that.”
“Doesn’t seem that complicated.” Matt shrugged. “Just as long as I don’t have to move again.”
RACHAEL STEPPED INTO Officer Martinez’s office.
“Please, sit.”
She folded her hands in her lap, squeezing them tightly when she noticed they were shaking. At this point, especially because of Jack, she was done running.
Officer Martinez leaned forward on his desk. “How can I help you?”
Rachael got right to the point. “Have you talked to my husband?”
The officer shook his head. He pulled out a piece of paper from his desk drawer and handed it over to her. She saw her driver’s license photo staring back at her. It was like looking back at a stranger. She looked so old, all the weight of the world resting on her shoulders.
“Have you tried leaving your husband before?” he asked. “Under special circumstances, you can get help from the state.”
She looked at him, surprised. Did the officer understand her situation?
“Jack came to me about a new woman in town with a black eye,” Officer Martinez said.
She didn’t say anything. She wanted to keep Jack out of this.
She looked back down at the photo, then passed it back to him. He picked it up and said, “I had to wonder what would make someone want to change their identity.” He passed another piece of paper across the desk, a photograph of Nick from the Providence Police website. “So, he’s your husband?”
She nodded as her heart skipped a beat.
“Does he know I’m here?” she asked, her eyes widening as she spoke. The realization that Nick could be anywhere filled her with fear.
He shook his head, but her hands shook as she picked up the paper with his photograph, her stomach twisting as she looked back at Nick’s face.
“Look, I...” She didn’t know what to say at this point.
Alex stopped her. “You know we have judges here in Maine that would be more than willing to help a woman leave her abusive husband, even if he is a cop.”
Rachael looked at the officer. “If he finds me, I think I’ll need more than a judge’s restraining order.”
She thought of her apartment. Had he come to find her? Did he already know where she was? If this officer figured it all out, Nick would, too.
Alex started talking as her mind raced. “Filing a restraining order is the first thing we can do.”
Her mind wandered as he kept talking about the next steps. How he could send a patrol car around to keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior.
“What can you tell me about your husband?” he asked.
“He wants to be the one who finds me.”
Twenty-One
Jack waited inside the restaurant for Rachael to come back home. He had looked everywhere — the Tavern, Finn’s place, even called Maggie, but he knew she wasn’t far, with Captain still upstairs. He sat in front of the computer looking up at the man who was married to Rachael. Officer Nick Milano, Chief Deputy of Providence Police Department.
The man’s cold, gray eyes looked back at Jack. He wanted so badly to punch in the station’s number. To hear Nick’s voice and warn him to stay away from Rachael. But Jack had no idea what the man was capable of. He didn’t want to make the situation worse for her, not knowing what he might do.
Jack searched everything he could about Nick. He dug through all the images and newspaper articles he had been referenced in. The police officer was a local hero. There were no stories about him beating his wife. Instead, there were images of him receiving awards, shaking hands with prominent figures of Providence, and attending special events in full uniform. There were articles with him speaking about a crime he solved, or a criminal he brought to justice. Then, Jack stumbled upon a photo of Nick receiving an award at his local high school. Rachael stood beside him, smiling at the camera.
She looked beautiful, in a pink dress and heels. They look like the perfect couple, but the strange thing was, she didn’t look like the Rachael Jack knew. The person who smiled next to Nick Milano looked like a stranger. His jaw tensed.
He looked out the window again. The moon already hung in the afternoon sky. The sun would soon disappear behind the tree line. He wanted Rachael to come back. He didn’t want her to be out in the dark, alone.
His eyes were focusing on Nick’s face again when he noticed a Camden Cove police cruiser drive down the street and park in front of the restaurant. Alex stepped out, and then so did Rachael. She looked directly into the window and saw him. He watched her from the window as she went up to her apartment with Alex. The two talked, and then he saw her shake his hand.
Jack’s heart raced as he watched her step inside.
Matt was right. He needed to apologize again.
