Stronger Within (The Silver Lake Series Book 1) Read online

  “Nice of you to join us,” called Paul, the band’s drummer.

  “Sorry, something came up,” apologised Jake, lifting his guitar. As he plugged it into his amp, he added, “Where are we at?”

  “Full set run through for Friday night,” answered Grey firmly. “I spoke to Joe at the bar and he’s promised us two one hour sets. He’s got a beer promo night on so we get a half hour extra.”

  “And beer?” asked Jake hopefully

  “Only if we buy it ourselves,” said Grey. “I tried. If Jeannie is behind the bar, she might sneak us a couple. No promises.”

  With the rehearsal schedule set, the band settled down to their full run through. They had been playing together for almost five years and had a small, but dedicated local fan base. All of them had hopes of hitting the big time; of getting a support slot on a big tour. None of them were full-time musicians. Rich, the other guitarist, came closest. He was a music teacher at the local high school.

  It was after ten thirty before they called it a night. Once outside, they agreed to meet up again on Thursday for another run-through, then went their separate ways into the night. Jake wandered slowly back to his apartment, his head full of ideas for his own songs and more than a few thoughts of the beach. Once home, he settled down with his acoustic guitar and began work on his own compositions, playing into the small hours.

  Back at the beach house, Mary had insisted on helping Lori to bed immediately after dinner. Throughout the meal, she had scolded her charge on her foolhardiness and elicited a promise that she would be more careful the next time she ventured out. Lori listened patiently to the motherly lecture, allowing her thoughts to wander back to Jake. All of a sudden she felt like a love-struck teenager. Yes, he was attractive in a haunted kind of way, but she was too old to confuse gratitude at his rescue with feelings of attraction. Or was she? Shortly before nine, Mary ran out of lectures and headed home, leaving Lori alone with her teenage thoughts. The day’s excitement had taken its toll on her. She was completely exhausted and every inch of her ached. Her leg had eased to a dull throb after a further dose of pain relief. Was this the way her life was going to be from now on? Ruled by pain relief schedules and controlling well-meaning housekeepers? Eventually, she drifted off to sleep. Her first nightmare-free sleep since her accident. She was still sound asleep when Mary returned at breakfast time the next day.

  “Hey!” called a voice from the beach.

  The interruption broke her concentration and she laid down her sketch pad and pencil. It was a voice that had filled her head for two days. “Still thinking like that love-struck teen,” she muttered to herself.

  “Hey!” she called back. “Come on in.”

  A few seconds later, Jake appeared up the path looking every inch the rock star. The wind off the ocean had tousled his long blonde hair and his tight black t-shirt and slim fitting jeans set off the look. He sat down on the empty chair beside her at the table and glanced at her discarded half-completed sketch.

  “That’s good. Very good,” he commented.

  “Thanks,” she blushed. “I’m just doodling.”

  “Well, it looks like good doodling to me,” stated Jake matter-of-factly. “I just wanted to see if you were ok. I hope you don’t mind. I came along the beach just to be sure you weren’t face down in the sand.”

  She laughed. There was that sound that had filled his head since their first meeting. He smiled.

  “I’ve been a good girl,” she said coyly. “Mary has seen to that.”

  “Ruling you with a rod of iron?”

  “Something like that,” admitted Lori with a giggle. “She’s gone to the food store so I escaped out here.”

  “So, are you ok after the other day?” asked Jake, concern written all over his face.

  “I’m fine. I was sore yesterday, but I’m ok today. I might think twice about walking the beach for a while though,” she said. “I was just thinking about fetching a coffee. Would you like one?”

  “If it’s not too much trouble,” he replied.

  “You can help,” said Lori, picking up her crutches and getting to her feet. “Come on.”

  He followed her into the house and through the sun room towards the kitchen. It felt strange being back in the house he’d left as a newly-finished undecorated shell. The coffee pot was ready and the aroma filled the kitchen.

  “The mugs are in the cupboard over there,” said Lori, nodding towards the stove. “Do you take cream?”

  “Yeah and two sugars,” said Jake, opening the cupboard.

  A few minutes later, they were both back outside on the desk with their coffee and some cookies that Lori found in the pantry. They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the waves crashing in on the beach. It felt as though there was a storm approaching.

  “I was wondering,” began Jake, sounding almost nervous. “If you would like to venture into town with me sometime. We could go for a beer or something.”

  His words blurted out all wrong and he suddenly felt like an awkward sixteen-year-old asking a girl out on a date.

  “I’d like that,” she answered with a smile. “I haven’t been into town since I got back. It would be good to get out of here for a while.”

  “Great. When?” asking Jake, sounding more like his adult self-assured self. “I don’t want you getting in trouble over this.”

  Lori laughed again, “I’m a big girl. I can decide if I’m going out or not. How about Saturday afternoon?”

  “I’m working till three,” said Jake. “But I could pick you up after my shift?”

  “Stupid question,” began Lori, seeing a potential flaw in the plan. “Do you have a car? I don’t think I could walk that far yet.”

  “A truck,” replied Jake. “Will we need to clear this with Mary?”

  Lori shook her head. “No. She’s not my mother. Beside she finishes at two on a Saturday. I can be trusted to behave for a few hours now. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

  “You’re scared of her,” accused Jake jokingly.

  “Just a bit,” confessed Lori. “But don’t tell her.”

  “My lips are sealed,” he said, as he took another sip of coffee. “So what do you do stuck out here all day?”

  “Not a lot. My physical therapist comes out once or twice a week. Mary helps me with the exercises the other days. I read. I listen to music. I sketch a bit. Daydream a lot.” She paused, then added, “It was easier in a way when I was really sick. Now I feel stronger, I’ll admit I’m finding that I get bored quite quickly. It’s so frustrating not being able to do the things I would usually do.”

  “I don’t think I’d cope like this,” confessed Jake. Immediately the words were out, he regretted them. It had sounded insensitive. If his comments stung, Lori never let it show.

  “Before,” she began. “I’d have agreed with you.” Then changing the subject asked, “How did rehearsal go the other night? Were you in trouble for being late?”

  Jake shook his head. “The guys were fine. They are kind of used to me being a bit late. Time keeping isn’t one of my strong points. Another slot tonight, then the gig’s tomorrow. Should be a good night.”

  “Where are you playing?”

  “Bar in town. There’s a beer promo night so we get to play longer. Not quite Madison Square Garden but it’s a start.”

  “Don’t tell me,” she mused. “Vocals and guitar?”

  “Got it in one, li’l lady,” he laughed, with a mock bow. “There’s four of us. We’ve been together for a few years. You never know there might be a scout in the crowd.”

  “Do you write your own stuff?”

  “Sometimes. Not often enough,” he muttered.

  “Oh, sore spot,” commented Lori. “Sorry.”

  Jake shrugged, “Someday…. yeah… someday.”

  From the front of the house they heard the sound of tyres scrunching on the gravel. Mary was back.

  “I’m out of here,” said Jake, getting to his f
eet. “I don’t want her growling at me.”

  Lori laughed, “Mary’s fine. Chill.”

  “No way!” he stated, draining his coffee cup. “Three thirty on Saturday. Be ready.”

  With a brief smile and a mischievous wink, he was gone and, by the time Mary came through the sun room to say she was home, there was no sign of him other than the empty mug on the table.

  ♪

  Saturday dawned grey and misty with a strong chilly breeze blowing in from the ocean. As she lay in bed, Lori gazed out of the window down towards the beach. An early morning jogger trotted past in the distance down on the sand, a dog keeping pace with him, as he headed south. It was just after eight thirty and she could hear Mary preparing breakfast in the kitchen. She sighed and sank back into the pillows. There were butterflies fluttering in her stomach already as she thought ahead to her afternoon date with Jake. Mary was due to finish at two so that would give her plenty of time to get ready before he was due to arrive.

  “I hope this mist lifts,” she grumbled, as she swung her legs stiffly over the side of the bed. During the night, her nightshirt had ridden up and she stared down at her skinny thighs- one soft and blemish free; the other disgusted her. The scars were still red and angry, the skin discoloured and puckered. Roughly, she pulled the nightshirt down and reached for her crutches. With a grimace, she pulled herself to her feet and made her way down the hallway to the kitchen.

  “Morning,” called Mary cheerfully. “Coffee’s hot.”

  “Morning,” replied Lori. “What’s new out in the world today?”

  As she settled herself at the table and buttered her bagel, Lori half listened to Mary delivering her download of the morning’s news. The housekeeper always listened to the local radio station in the car on her way over to Lori’s, so, by the time she pulled up outside, she knew everything that was going on in town. If the radio had missed anything, she heard of it in the bakery when she stopped off for bagels or Danish pastries.

  “Did you catch a weather update?” asked Lori casually. “Is that mist meant to burn off?”

  “The guy on WGMD said it should clear by lunchtime,” answered Mary. “Why? Are you thinking of venturing out?”

  “I had hoped to go out on the deck later,” said Lori, flushing slightly at the white lie. “I might do some sketching.”

  “No sketching until you complete your exercises, girl,” stated Mary, trying and failing to sound stern. “We need to get you built up and steady on those feet.”

  “True,” Lori agreed. “Give me five minutes to finish my coffee, then I’ll get dressed.”

  Lori’s morning dragged by as she tried to focus on the stretching exercises and light strength work. The pain and effort was going to be worth it in the end, but for now it didn’t feel that way. After four months of treatment she was beginning to have her doubts. The mist had lifted by the time she was showered and dressed and the sun was breaking through. Together the two women ate lunch out on the sun deck, then Lori suggested to Mary that she finish up early.

  “Would you mind?” asked Mary, obviously keen to depart sharply. “I have an appointment at the salon over in Lewes to get my hair coloured.”

  “On you go. I’ll be fine,” assured Lori.

  “If you’re sure…”

  “Go!” insisted Lori with a laugh. ”Before I change my mind.”

  “Thanks. There’s a chicken salad set out for your dinner. I’ve left it covered in the refrigerator,” said Mary, clearing the lunch dishes from the table. “I’ll be back to tomorrow around lunchtime to check you’re ok.”

  “You’re meant to have Sundays free,” commented Lori. “I’m a big girl. I’ll be fine. Take the day off. If I need you, I have your number. I’ll call.”

  “I don’t know,” began Mary, concern etched all over her face.

  “You need a day off. You’ve more than earned it and I promise to be sensible.”

  “And you’ll call if you need me?”

  “Promise.”

  “If you’re sure. I’ll load the dishwasher before I go,” relented Mary. “And I’ll be back first thing on Monday. Remember Jo will be over on Monday at nine for your therapy session.”

  It took another half an hour for Mary to satisfy herself that the house was in order and that Lori was safe to be left alone. As she finally drove away, Lori let out a sigh of relief. Freedom for a whole day and a half. The first time she had been left on her own for so long since the accident. It felt liberating! Once she was sure Mary had really left Lori went back indoors to get ready for her outing with Jake. She had struggled to decide what to wear. Jeans or a skirt? A dress? Eventually she opted for a dress, figuring it would be easier for her to move around in. She had purchased several long summer maxi dresses to hide her legs and she opted for a pastel floral one, finishing the outfit off with her white Converse- no heels allowed- and her short denim jacket. As she brushed her hair back into a loose ponytail, she felt butterflies of excitement building.

  “This is pathetic,” she said to her mirror reflection. “I’m worse than a kid. It’s only a trip into town.”

  She had just put the finishing touches to her makeup when she heard a truck crunch over the gravel in front of the house. By the time she had made her way down the hallway to the front door, Jake was already on the porch. His long hair was still damp – signs of a recent shower- and he too seemed to have taken care with his wardrobe. Behind him in the driveway she could see a black Dodge Ram pickup truck parked under the tree.

  “Your chariot awaits,” he declared theatrically.

  “Hi, Jake,” she smiled, stepping out onto the porch, pausing to pull the door closed behind her.

  “Hi,” he replied. “Are you still ok with this?”

  “Of course! I’ve been looking forward to it,” she said. “And to seeing you,” she added silently to herself.

  “Ok. Let’s go then. The local metropolis awaits you.”

  Getting into the passenger seat of the truck proved to be a challenge, but Jake swept in and lifted her up into the seat. He slid her crutches in behind then handed her the strap of the seatbelt.

  “I hope you’re impressed. I even cleaned out the truck for you,” he said proudly. “It’s not usually so tidy.”

  “I’m honoured. Thank you.”

  As Jake turned on the ignition, the stereo burst into life and the cab was suddenly filled with very loud hard rock music. He reached to switch it off, but Lori stopped him.

  “No worries. It’s fine with me,” she assured. “Is this the kind of stuff your band plays?”

  “Yeah,” said Jake reversing out into the narrow road. “Depending on where we’re playing, it can get a bit heavier. We do the occasional acoustic set too.”

  “How did last night go?”

  “We’ve played worse,” he replied. The gig of the night before hadn’t gone as well as the band had hoped. The beer promo had not drawn a big crowd and the bar owner cut their set short. A crowd of brewery executives had requested a karaoke session instead of live music. Jake had been beyond furious and stormed off home, not even pausing to collect his cut of the fee.

  “So what’s the plan for this afternoon?” she asked, changing the subject.

  “Well, I’ll try to park near the beach patrol office. If you feel up to it, we can walk along the boardwalk or through town. I’m easy. It’s up to you,” he said. “There’s plenty of places to stop at if you get tired. Later we could maybe grab some dinner?”

  “Sounds good to me,” said Lori, watching the scenery go by. “This is the first time I’ve been this far from the house in almost seven weeks.”

  It only took them a few minutes to drive into the heart of town, but finding a parking space proved to be more of a challenge. The tourist season had still to start, but the town was busy. Jake circled round a few blocks trying to find a space near the boardwalk. Finally, he found one two blocks further north than he had hoped for in Olive Avenue.

  “Do you have a
ny quarters?” asked Jake, rummaging in his pocket for some change.

  Lori opened her purse and found six coins for him, “How long will these give us?”

  “An hour and a half. Not long enough,” he muttered. “Ok, I’ve got another three here. It’ll have to do for now. We’ll need to get change and I’ll run back to top up the meter.”

  Lori manoeuvred herself out of the truck while Jake went to feed the parking meter. She gazed around, drinking in the scenery, glad to be free from the house for a few hours. A few moments later, Jake was back.

  “We’ve struck gold,” he declared grinning. “There was an hour already on the meter.”

  “So, as long as we feed the meter before seven, we’ll be in good shape?”

  Jake nodded. “Let’s go!”

  Together they walked down the street towards the boardwalk. Now that the earlier mist had cleared, the sun was out and it was a pleasantly warm spring afternoon. The boardwalk was busy with families and kids on skateboards. As another two whizzed passed them, Jake felt Lori tense up beside him.

  “Don’t panic,” he said, leaning towards her. “I won’t let you fall.”

  She smiled up at him trying but failing to disguise her nerves. As they reached the town’s famous taffy shop, she paused to look in the window.

  “I used to love when my dad brought me here,” she reminisced. “We would walk along the sand from the house and come in for a bag of salt water taffy. He’d then take me along to the amusement arcade before we walked home. Happy days.”

  “How old were you then?” asked Jake casually.

  “About ten I think. We came here every summer for July and August. Are you from here?”

  “No. I’m from Dover. I moved down here after college and just kind of stayed. I guess I’ve been here for about fourteen years.”

  They moved on silently, both lost in their own thoughts. Lori headed off the boardwalk and up the town’s main avenue. She paused occasionally to look in the boutique windows.

  “Can we go in here?” she asked when they reached a small clothes boutique.