"Your mind was trying to free you. Our minds can either be our allies or our foes. All the snippets of memory you experienced while in Pinewood Springs were a collage of Rodgers, down to the scent of apples and vinegar. He'd been shaking down a small apple cider business and had collected his pay before he'd come to confront your mother. The smell of fermented apples was so strong that your mind tucked it away, only for it to come forward that night at the restaurant in Pinewood Springs." He smiled warmly at her.
"It's so freeing to be able to remember. It's like I took an eraser and rubbed out a large, black spot from the tapestry of my life. It's wonderful."
Baylee had never felt this complete since the night her mother lost her life. She also credited Logan's miraculous survival as playing a role in her recovery. The shot had narrowly missed a major artery, and he'd be returning to the firm in the next three weeks. She'd bet he'd be as ambitious as ever. When she'd spoken to him on the phone the previous week, he hadn't held any animosity toward her, for which she was grateful.
"Is there anything else you'd like to go over?" Dr. Scott said.
Shaking her head, Baylee said, "I want to know when I can go home and return to work."
"By the end of next week."
"Seriously?" Baylee's eyes danced.
Nodding, her therapist smiled.
Baylee leapt up from her chair, rushed over and gave him a big hug. "Thank you for everything," she said.
"You're welcome. I'm so happy the way things worked out for you. I wish all my cases had a happy ending."
As she left his office, she looked over her shoulder at her doctor who stayed with her through thick and thin. He'd been her life saver for the past two years. It would seem strange not to see him anymore. Their parting was bittersweet. She flashed him a big smile then closed the door behind her.
Not wanting to go back to her room, Baylee walked outside and sucked in the air, enjoying the moistness after the dry summer heat. Scattered around the grounds were oak and maple trees gilded with gold leaves that hadn't yet started to fall. Baylee raised her eyes to the cloudless, blue sky-the licks of amber formed a stark silhouette against it. Sitting on one of the many white, wooden benches around the clinic, Baylee tilted her head back, relishing the warm shafts of sunlight caressing her face as the light breeze tousled her hair.
When coolness replaced the sun's warmth, her eyelids fluttered open to reveal Axe in jeans and a leather jacket standing in front of her. Since she'd been at the clinic, he'd been coming and staying at the charter clubhouse for days just so he could visit and be near her, and whenever he came by to visit her, the thrill of seeing him sent jolts of pleasure through her each and every time. He was her rock, her world, and her love.
"Hey, babe." He sat down next to her and leaned toward her giving her a soft kiss on her lips. "How are you?" Axe pulled back and ran his fingers up her arm.
"Good. Did you bring me something?"
"That's the first thing you ask me?" He scowled, but the smile on his lips told her he wasn't really mad.
She poked his chest lightly. "It is when you have your hand behind your back like you're hiding something from me." She craned her neck as she moved sideways. "What is it?"
Shaking his head, he kissed her again, his dark eyes lit with merriment. He swung his arm in front, and in his hand, he held a red rose and a purple chrysanthemum.
Blinking rapidly, she asked, "Are those for me?"
With a smile tugging at his lips, he nodded.
She took them in her hand, bringing them close to her nose as she breathed in their sweet scent. Her glistening eyes scanned his face. "Thank you," she said as she leaned over and kissed him. "I didn't peg you as a flower type of guy."
"I'm not."
"I know, and that's what makes this even more special." Her lips quivered.
Axe yanked her close to him, crushing the delicate petals of the rose as he slid her top's neckline aside then kissed her shoulder. "I fuckin' miss you. When you getting outta here?"
She pushed him back. "You're ruining my flowers."
He winked at her. "I'll just pick some more for you."
"I want these. They're the first ones you've given me."
Shrugging, he leaned back on the bench. "It's time to come home, babe. I need you."
Tracing her finger over his t-shirt, she smiled. "Dr. Scott said I can go home next week."
"Are you fuckin' with me?"
"No. I'm okay. Actually, I'm better than okay-I'm fantastic."
Axe hugged her tightly. In her ear he whispered, "I can't wait to fuck you all night. I love you more than you know."
She squeezed him closer and whispered back. "I know, because I feel the same way you do. I love you so much."
The two lovers kissed and held each other as the sun's rays slowly gave way to the early evening chill. Baylee shivered against the cold, and Axe took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. She snuggled further into it, breathing deep his scent of citrus and the wind. With Axe, she felt safe and cherished.
When the realization hit her that Axe had coerced his uncle to tell Rodgers and Gary that her memory had come back, she'd been livid that he'd set her up and hadn't warned her that she was meeting with the killers that night. She could've been murdered, and even though Axe had assured her repeatedly that she hadn't been in any danger because he and his brothers had her back, reliving the terror she felt when Rodgers aimed the gun at her, made her body shake.
Through therapy, she'd worked through the anger, the terror, and the hurt which had been consuming her since the incident in her office. She forgave him for not clueing her in on what was going down on that fateful night. Axe was right, she would've been nervous, and Rodgers would've caught on that something wasn't right. Cruel people could always smell fear.
He stroked her hair as she leaned her head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her temple, his soft breaths sounded like a gentle summer breeze. In the inky sky, chips of light twinkled and burned, and the faint scent of hickory blended with the musty scent of marigolds and earth.
Axe kissed the top of her head. "I'm here for you, always. Never doubt that."
In the darkness, Baylee smiled as she hugged his waist tighter. "I don't."
The serenity of the night engulfed the couple as they clung to each other, content to be together, sharing the moment.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Six weeks later
Baylee replaced the wilting flowers in the two vases framing her mother's tombstone with fresh bouquets of sunflowers-her mother's favorite. Brushing her fingertips over the stone, she said in a soft voice, "You're finally at peace, Mommy. You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine." After all these years, Baylee had finally said goodbye to the fear and darkness.
Leaves scurried across the graves as the wind blew them out toward the horizon. In the distance, the Rocky Mountains had a bluish hue under the late October sun. During the week, there were very few people who paid respect to their loved ones, and it was Baylee's favorite time to come. She loved the solitude.
A roar shattered the peacefulness of the cemetery. She jumped, then smiled when she saw Axe ride up on his Harley. Since she'd left the clinic, he'd been coming down most weekends to see her, unless club business interfered.
She smiled at him as he walked toward her.
"How'd you find me?"
"Bob told me you come here every Wednesday."
"You have club business in Denver?"
"I came to see you. I wanted to talk with you."
"It couldn't wait until the weekend?"
"No. Let's go to your place."
She had him follow her to her condo downtown; it was located in one of the many high-rises which had cropped up all over the city, forever changing its skyline. Inside, the sun shone brightly through the large picture windows. Axe closed the door behind him then swung her into his arms, his lips gently covering hers. A shiver rippled through her, and she drew his tongue into her mouth.
"I've missed you, sweetheart," he said against her lips, his hands roamed over her, a paper bag banging against her thigh.
"Me, too. It's hard living apart. What's in the bag?"
"Something for you, but I want to talk to you ‘bout something first."
"Now you have me curious as hell," she said as she led him to the couch. Dropping the bag on the coffee table, he tugged her close to him then held her hands, staring intently into her eyes.
"Babe, this fuckin' sucks, you being three hours away from me. We see each other on weekends, but I want you with me all the time."
"I want that, too, but I live in Denver."
"I'm gonna change that. I love you. You're the only woman who has taken my heart one hundred percent. I can't live without you. Fuck, the brothers are threatening to throw my mopey ass out if I don't bring you back with me."