Page 24 of A Little Discovery

“Like I fell off a cliff,” I tell him, not really knowing why I say those words. I meant to say “like shit” but I don’t want to swear around this guy for some reason.

The guy lights up at my answer, but that is extinguished as soon as Jay speaks up.

“He doesn’t remember, Spence. He didn’t even know he was divorced. We’re dealing with at least two weeks of memory loss.”

“Is that your name? Spence?” I ask, trying to get him to be happy again. I liked seeing him happy. The smile he sends my way isn’t the exuberant one from a second ago, but it’s better than the scowl.

“Spencer Wright,” he tells me, grabbing my left hand and placing a kiss to the back of my knuckles. “Private investigator and the man who was hoping to get to know you better before you tookyour little tumble in the woods.”

My breath comes a little faster in response to his words, but I’m not scared. I think I might be excited. I haven’t feltthatin … well, ever. This is even better than my memories.

CHAPTER 16

LUCKY

After spending the whole day Saturday and subsequent night in the hospital, Spencer and Jay brought me back to the manor house they share with six other guys. I guess everyone was at work or church or something when we got there because no one was around as they helped me up to the room on the top floor. No one has given me specifics, but I guess I moved in here the other day before my fall.

Apparently, I met some of the guys at the bar at the bottom of the hill when my car broke down the other night. My best guess is they told me the room was open for rent and I begged for it. Considering all of my stuff is in the room already, it only makes sense. Even though I don’t know exactly what led up to my tumble in the woods, I know that these guys did me a huge favor by putting me up.

I’m not surprised that Sabrina figured out a way to get a quick divorce and frame me for the one thing that would get her money. What is catching me off guard is the lengths she went to, according to what Jay told me on the drive over. I knew the woman was devious, but I didn’t think she was downright evil.

“You gonna be alright if I go out to work on a case?” Spencer pokes his head into my room while I am busy pulling items out of the boxes full of things that I don’t even remember packing. “Jay won’t hear if you need anything, but Eli just got home. He’s in the room beneath yours, so if it hurts to yell you can just dropa book or something and he’ll come up.”

Despite the headaches I still get, I have to laugh in response. The way that he’s acting is just so overprotective.

“Yes, Daddy,” I say in response to his overprotective nature. Hopefully he can take a joke because I don’t think I can take my attention away from the jewelry box I just unburied.

I thought I had lost this, but I am glad that I didn’t. My grandfather’s pocket watch and great-grandparents’ rings should be in there. He gave those to me on my wedding day and told me that he hopes I will hand those down to my kid. Of course, the kid never happened, but I never got the chance to give them back to him.

He didn’t use the rings for his own wedding since his parents were still alive when he got married. It should have been my mother to use them, but of course the tiny stones were too tacky for her. I would have loved to use them for my own wedding, but those rings should used when the couple is in love.

As for the watch. I used to pull that out of Gramp’s nightstand all of the time when I was little. Gramps always said that Grandma Juliet was his one and only true love. He told me the stories about Grandma and how she was a “cheeky little ray of sunshine” around the house. She was with him before he got rich. She loved to make him laugh, even when she didn’t remember who he was. I never had the chance to meet her, since she passed from Alzheimer's complications about five years before I was born.

She gave him that watch when they opened the riding school. Gramps gave me the most precious items he has, and they should be in this box. Pulling the jewelry box into my lap, I sit on the bed and debate if I should open it and check.

The hand on my shoulder makes me jump, but hearing Spencer’s voice helps me to settle almost immediately.

“I know you didn’t mean to say it, Little One, but please don’t call me that unless you understand the meaning behind it.”

I glance up at him in confusion, but I have to save the questions for another time. Right now, I need to find the courage to open this box and see if the bitch stole the most precious items I have ever been given.

“Lucky?” Spencer is crouching in front of me, hands on top of mine holding the box. “Are you alright? Did you hear me?”

I lift my gaze from the box in my hands to his face. The look of concern he is giving me makes me upset. I don’t want him to be upset. He’s done nothing but be nice to me and help me. I don’t want to burden him any more than I already have, but…

“I’m scared,” I whisper.

I feel his hands grip a little bit tighter before he gently takes the box from me and sets it on the bed beside me. Taking my hands in his, he asks, “Of me?”

There is no question about that, so I shake my head fast enough to make me dizzy. When I lift my right hand up to grip the side of my head, Spencer stands and pulls me up enough to take my seat on the bed. Before I can complain, he maneuvers me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me. The dizziness is slowly going away as I listen to his heartbeat. I have a vague memory of a pillow laughing before he is talking to me again.

“Why are you scared, Little One?”

I shrug and reach for the box, pulling it into my lap. “It’s dumb,”I tell him, but he just taps me on the nose. That makes me smile, but just a little bit. I’m still too scared for a big smile.

“I know whatshouldbe in this box, but I’m scared that she might have taken them out.”

Spencer squeezes me in a quick hug before putting his hand on top of the box.

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