Chapter Twenty-Five – Alison
Alison arrived back at the stream with Bumpkin clutched under her arm, only to find Jay standing with his arms folded tightly over his chest. His expression was strained, as though something dark weighed on him. Her heart twisted. He had seemed so at ease just a few minutes ago.
“Here we are,” she said, forcing a lightness into her tone as she held out Tessa’s teddy bear. “Is everything okay?”
Tessa ran to Alison, her face aglow with excitement. “We were looking at the fish,” she announced. “I’m sure Bumpkin wants to see them, too!”
Alison handed over the teddy, offering her daughter a smile. “Don’t get too close to the water, in case you or Bumpkin fall in.”
“We won’t,” Tessa promised, already trotting back toward the stream, her voice lilting as she chatted to Bumpkin about fish and imaginary castles.
Alison watched Tessa go, and then she turned to Jay, noting how his earlier warmth had vanished. The lines at the corners of his eyes were deeper, and the tension in his jaw was unmistakable.
“Jay?” she said, stepping closer. “What’s wrong?”
He hesitated, pressing a hand to his temple. “It’s nothing.”
She knew better. “Tell me.” Her voice was gentle but firm as she reached out to him, still keeping one eye on Tessa as she kneeled by the water’s edge. “Is it Tessa?”
“No,” he said, pausing before adding, “and yes.”
Alison’s concern deepened. She took his hand, wanting to offer him the same comfort she’d give Tessa if she’d scraped her knee. But Jay wasn’t a child. This was different, a pain she couldn’t just patch with a Band-Aid. Nonetheless, she held his hand close, hoping Tessa wouldn’t notice their worried exchange.
“When Tessa was at the water…” He glanced at her, voice tight. “She wasn’t in danger, but the sound of the water—seeing her so close to the edge—it triggered something.”
Alison’s stomach twisted. She kept her voice calm. “A memory?”
He nodded, his brow furrowing. “I heard the rush of the water and I swear I pictured someone falling in. Except it wasn’t Tessa. I was remembering… It was…someone else.”
Alison held her breath, recognizing how fragile these moments were. He needed space to piece his thoughts together, but she also sensed this could be a breakthrough in understanding his past.
“You think this has something to do with why you left Bear Creek?” she asked carefully, not wanting to jeopardize his recovery.
He blew out a breath, nodding. “Yeah. It feels like I was…responsible. For someone’s death.”
Her mind snagged on that single, heavy word: death . A chill skittered across her skin. “You mean there was an accident?”
He shrugged, frustration in the tight line of his shoulders. “I think so. All I know is that he…Lomas…fell. He was my friend. I can see it, but I can’t make sense of it.” Jay pressed a clenched fist to his forehead, eyes closed as though the pressure might jog his memory.
“Describe it,” Alison urged, her free hand brushing his arm in encouragement. “Maybe if you focus on the details, something else will surface.”
Jay’s jaw clenched, tension evident in every line of his body. “We were at a canyon—there was a river below, fast-flowing and swollen. We argued. I remember…cross words. It wasn’t Tessa I saw in danger just now. It was him.”
Alison reached for his other hand, holding them both, steadying him. She glanced over her shoulder at Tessa, who was happily dropping small twigs into the water, watching them float downstream. At least she was occupied. And safe.
“Stay calm,” Alison murmured, her gaze returning to Jay. “Whatever happened, it’s in the past. It can’t hurt you now.”
He gave a shaky laugh, though there was no humor in it. “But if I was responsible for his fall…for his death…” He swallowed hard, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What if I killed him?”
Alison’s breath caught at the pain in his eyes. “I don’t believe you’re a killer,” she said firmly, hoping he’d believe her. She clung to his hands as she felt him pull away. “I believe in you. And so does your family.”
He cast his gaze around, frustration simmering in his eyes. “What if you are wrong to believe in me? As for my family, they won’t tell me anything. That’s why it’s all so confusing.”
“I am not wrong,” she told him firmly. “As for your family, they want you to remember for yourself, because that was the doctor’s advice. That’s all.”
Jay searched her eyes, the hurt beneath his confusion piercing her heart. “What if that never happens? I need to know.”
“Tell me about him,” she prompted again, gently. “You said he was your friend. This Lomas, right?”
He took a slow breath. “He was a little shorter than me. Dark, wavy hair. A scar…I remember he got it when we were kids. We were climbing a tree, and he slipped, and a branch sliced his face. My mom said he was lucky not to lose an eye.” Jay’s fingers lifted to a point just below his left eye. His eyes clouded. “I see it in flashes, but nothing lines up.”
Goosebumps prickled Alison’s skin, a memory of her surfacing. The stranger outside The Grizzly Bar, the one with dark, wavy hair…
She swallowed, her pulse thumping so hard she swore he might be able to hear it. “Jay,” she began, choosing her words carefully, “I don’t think you killed him because I’m pretty sure I met someone fitting that same description the night I went out with my coworkers.”
Jay stilled, his eyes darkening. “What do you mean?”
She hesitated, recalling the unsettling feeling of that stranger’s presence. “He approached me. There was a…vibe, I guess you’d call it. Something off. He said he’d seen me at the hospital. But he had a scar right about…” She tapped her face. “There.”
Jay’s expression grew grim as realization dawned on him. “He’s alive? Lomas is alive?”
Alison nodded, watching the mix of emotions chase across his face. Shock, relief, and more than a hint of anger. She tried to steady him with a gentle squeeze of his hands. “That’s good, right?”
“And he approached you? He said he’d seen you at the hospital. Has he been stalking you?” Jay’s voice had dropped to a dangerous growl, a sound that sent an involuntary shiver down Alison’s spine. Not fear, exactly—something more primal.
“Yes, he did.” Alison felt a chill run through her despite the warmth of the afternoon.
Jay’s hands tensed beneath hers, his knuckles whitening. “What did he say to you?”
“Nothing specific. Just small talk. Asked if I was new in town. If I wanted to go for a drink.” She hesitated, not wanting to add to his distress.
Too late!
A low growl rumbled in Jay’s chest, so subtle she might have imagined it. His eyes darkened further, and for a moment, Alison could have sworn they flashed with an amber glow. A trick of the light, surely, filtering through the trees.
“Stay away from him,” Jay warned. His voice was rougher than she’d ever heard it. “Whatever happened between us...it wasn’t good.”
Alison nodded, though she couldn’t help but wonder what had transpired between the two men. Something so bad it had driven Jay from Bear Creek, something that had left him with fragmented memories of guilt and loss. And now Lomas was back—or perhaps he’d never left.
“Jay…” she began. Because it might not be a matter of her staying away from Lomas. More of Lomas staying away from her. What did he want from her? She needed to know. “Do you remember anything about what happened between the two of you?”
“No, but I think it’s time I found out.” Jay glanced at Tessa. “We should go back to the ranch house.” As he spoke, his eyes became unfocused, as if he were looking into the distance.
“What are you not telling me?” Alison asked, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling as she scanned the trees around them. “Is he here?”
“No.” Jay turned to look at her. “But earlier, when I got the flash of memory, I thought…” He shook his head. “It’s probably my imagination running away with me.”
“I thought I sensed him again,” she blurted out. “That same evening, when I got to the gate… I thought someone was watching me. From somewhere in the trees.”
Jay’s expression hardened and his muscles tensed beneath his flannel shirt. “What do you mean, ‘sensed him’?” His voice was careful, measured in a way that told Alison he was holding back the urge to go hunt this person down.
She shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling foolish. What if she had imagined the whole thing? “I don’t know exactly. Just...a feeling. “
“You should have called me,” Jay whispered. “If you ever feel that way again…”
“There was nobody there,” Alison said, but more to convince herself than Jay. He was right to be cautious. If the man who had approached her was the same man from Jay’s scattered memories… “I think it might be time to talk to your family.”
She needed to understand what she was up against. Because if anything happened to Tessa…
Jay gave a curt nod. “You’re right. I understand they wanted me to remember for myself. But if there is any threat to you and…” His gaze landed on Tessa, and she was suddenly overcome with a wave of nausea.
“Hey, Tessa,” Alison turned away from Jay, her voice just as measured as his had been. “Change of plans. We’re going to head back to the ranch house.”
“Why?” Tessa stood up, clutching Bumpkin in one hand. “I thought we were going to help Jay with his cabin.”
“We need to go and talk to Mary and Waylan first,” Alison replied. “Why don’t we race back to the house, and see if you can beat us there?” There was nothing like a little competition to get her daughter moving.
“A race?” Tessa glanced at them with a wary, perceptive gaze that often made Alison feel as if the girl could read her thoughts, but she accepted the challenge. “Catch me if you can!”
Alison watched Tessa sprint ahead, still clutching Bumpkin in her hand, and then she turned back to Jay. “Coming?”
He nodded. His jaw was set as he scanned the tree line, as if daring a threat to emerge. “I’m sorry you’re wrapped up in this mess.”
“We don’t know anything yet,” she interrupted, trying to steady her nerves as they set off at a fast walk behind Tessa. “Let’s just see what Mary and Waylan have to say.”
“Do we let her win?” Jay asked as they caught up with Tessa.
“Sometimes,” Alison replied as Tessa dropped Bumpkin and had to stop to pick him up. Then she sprinted off again with Bumpkin clutched under one arm. “And maybe this is one of those times.”
“She sure does love that bear,” Jay said.
“And I sure do love this one,” Alison replied, squeezing his hand. Then she slowed as she realized exactly what she’d said. But she couldn’t take it back. Because it was the truth.
“I love you, too,” Jay replied, slowing to a walk as he cracked a grin that swept away the fear from his face.
“I beat you!” Tessa called out, and they both ducked their heads as they walked on, side by side, hand in hand. Sharing this moment of complete honesty.
“You’re too fast for us,” Alison said, trying to sound disappointed that she had lost the race. But she had won something more. Something that would endure. Something that made her heart soar despite the uncertainty surrounding them.
As they approached the ranch house, the weathered wood gleaming golden in the late afternoon sun, Alison felt Jay’s grip tighten slightly. She glanced at him, noting the tension returning to his shoulders.
“It’ll be okay,” she whispered, though she wasn’t entirely convinced herself.
“It will,” Jay said with more confidence than Alison felt. “Because this is the life I want. You, me and Tessa.”
“And Bumpkin,” Alison reminded him.
“How could I forget Bumpkin?” Jay said with a mock roll of his eyes.
“And it’s what I want, too,” Alison said with a playful nudge in his ribs.
“Mommy, why are you and Jay holding hands?” Tessa asked.
It seemed that Jay wasn’t the only one with questions.