Hearts In Winter Collection

Chapter 7

Later, the couple still lay nude and snuggled together. Erin rested her head on Sean"s shoulder, tracing spirals in the hair on his chest with one fingertip. His hand rested on her back, stroking slowly so the callouses on his work-roughened palms scratched pleasantly over her skin.

Wow, she thought. I can"t believe I just had s*x, and with Sean no less. A glow of satisfaction and pride warmed her from the inside even as the touch of his body heated her skin.

Wow,I can"t believe I just had s*x, and with Sean no less.Then the pleasure of their tender afterglow shattered as the phone in the pocket of Sean"s pants began to ring.

“How odd,” he said, kissing her lips once and rolling away.

“What?” she asked.

He rose to his feet. “That phone is only for work. It never gets used at night. Must be some kind of emergency.”

He bent down, kissed Erin softly again and rummaged through the clothes on the floor to retrieve the device.

Erin leaned on one elbow on the turquoise sheet and admired Sean"s muscular physique as he moved through her bedroom. His size made her feel even smaller, in a wonderful, protected sort of way. The way that body of his felt on top of me… inside me. It was like nothing I could have imagined. The memory caused new heat to coil in her belly. I wonder if we"re done for the evening. I think I might want a little more.

The way that body of his felt on top of me… inside me. It was like nothing I could have imagined.I wonder if we"re done for the evening. I think I might want a little more.She shifted and winced. Maybe I"m more done than I realized. Ouch. Of course, if he meant what he said, if we"re a couple, waiting a day or two won"t matter at all.

Maybe I"m more done than I realized. Ouch. Of course, if he meant what he said, if we"re a couple, waiting a day or two won"t matter at all.Sean winked at her as he lifted his slacks from the pool of scattered clothing and pulled his phone from his pocket, pressing a button. “Hello?”

Erin couldn"t tell who was on the other end, but she could see that the person was doing a lot of talking, and what Sean was being told upset him.

“She"s where? …What happened? … Oh my God, no! … Of course! … I"ll get there right away.” He hung up and started pulling his clothes on. His sexy, playful air had vanished completely, replaced by an expression of sheer panic. “Erin, I"m really sorry, but I have to leave right now. That was my mom. There"s an emergency. I swear I didn"t plan to split like this, but I have to get to the hospital right away.” He babbled out the words in a nearly unintelligible gush.

Erin hopped out of bed and grabbed her panties, stepping into them. Moisture pooled in the cotton liner. She couldn"t help blushing as she crossed to her dresser. s*x is messier than I realized. “What happened? Who"s in the hospital?”

Sex is messier than I realized.“Danny.”

Erin froze, drawing in a shuddering breath. “Oh no, did they wreck? Is she okay?” She yanked jeans and a sweater out of the drawer.

“No.” He turned to face her, his handsome features transformed into such a mask of fury, she took several steps back, until her legs touched the edge of her bed. His jaw clenched so tight, she could hear his teeth grinding as he gritted out the words. “That bastard Jake Morris raped her.”

Erin"s clothes slipped through her fingers. “No.” Clamping her hand over her mouth, she sank to a seat on the mattress, her legs no longer willing to hold her upright.

“Yes.”

His words knocked the breath from her body. For several seconds, her lungs forgot to draw in air. At last, she gasped and began to chatter uncontrollably. “Oh, God! I have to go with you. Please take me with you, Sean. Danny is my best friend. I have to be there too.” As she babbled, she used her seated position to struggle into her jeans. The familiar task seemed complicated as if neither her hands nor her feet knew what they were supposed to do. She fumbled with the buttons and rose unsteadily.

“Yes, okay. Let"s go, though,” Sean urged, holding out one hand.

Erin retrieved her sweater and pulled it over her head, then took his hand, grateful for the support as her body still fought against being upright. Left at the doorway, she reminded herself. Her childhood home seemed foreign as her mind replayed the devastating words over and over. Cross the living room and into the entryway. She scooped up her sneakers from the shoe rack by the door but didn"t attempt to put them on. That can be done in the car. Locking the door on autopilot, she scuttled to the Mustang, slipped in, and fastened her seatbelt. Sean pulled away from the curb and tore off down the street.

Left at the doorway,Cross the living room and into the entryway.That can be done in the car.As she slid on her shoes, hot tears began to roll down Erin"s face. She sobbed. “This is my fault. I knew she shouldn"t be alone with him. I just wanted so much to spend more time with you. I can"t believe I was so selfish.”

He reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. “It"s as much my fault. I could see leaving her with him was a bad idea,” he said, his voice harsh and unsteady.

Sean drove to the hospital too fast, steering with one hand as he held fast to Erin"s with the other. The knowledge that they had been enjoying a passionate evening in bed while someone they loved was assaulted hurt them both beyond their ability to bear. That they’d had the opportunity to prevent it and had not taken it was even worse. Erin cried the whole way. It would be lying to suggest Sean didn"t too.

Parking haphazardly across two spaces, Sean and Erin hurried into the building, up to the receptionist desk, still clinging to each other"s fingers. “Where is Sheridan Murphy?” Sean asked the receptionist.

The middle-aged woman behind the plastic window gave him a hard look. “Who might you be?” she asked suspiciously.

“I"m her brother and this is her best friend. Where is she?”

“Her brother?” The narrowed eyes gave no doubt about the woman"s opinion.

“Yes.”

“I swear, ma"am,” Erin told her urgently, leaning forward with one palm braced on the counter, “he"s not the one who did this.”

Apparently, the sight of Erin, tears still sliding down her cheeks, sufficed to convince the receptionist. “Okay, she"s in room 215, upstairs.”

“She"s been admitted?” Sean demanded, appalled.

This is not a good sign. Erin"s stomach clenched, and she feared she might be sick.

This is not a good sign. “Her injuries are pretty bad,” the woman explained grimly. “They want her to stay the night.”

Sean"s hand tightened painfully on Erin"s. She flexed her fingers, reminding him to be gentle.

They left the emergency room and raced through the hospital, narrowly avoiding a collision with an elderly dialysis patient in a wheelchair, before arriving in the intensive care unit.

Outside room 215, Ellen Murphy stood in the hallway, weeping into the remains of a shredded tissue. Sean dropped Erin"s hand and grabbed his mother, hugging her tight. She hid her face on his shoulder. Erin peered through the windowed door of the room. The curtain had been pulled around the bed, but periodically it lit up.

“What"s going on?” Sean asked.

“The police are there. They"re collecting evidence.” The words had to be forced out between Ellen"s broken sobs.

“Is she alone?” The disbelief in his tone reflected his expression.

That can"t be right. Not when such a terrible event has taken place. Erin thought, horrified.

That can"t be right. Not when such a terrible event has taken place.“Dad"s with her.”

Relief took the edge off a painful ache in her shoulders. That"s good. She"s really close to her dad.

That"s good. She"s really close to her dad.“When can we go in?” Sean wanted to know.

“When they"re done. They don"t want the evidence contaminated. Sean, it"s horrible. You have to be prepared.”

He hesitated. Erin could see he didn"t want to know, but… “Tell me.”

“She"s bruised all over. It looks like he may have hit her, but she didn"t say for sure. She hasn"t said much of anything. I think she"s in shock.”

“How did you know it was… rape?” Sean"s mouth twisted to disgust, as though on the verge of vomiting.

And no wonder. I want to gag myself. Such an ugly word, especially when talking about someone you love.

And no wonder. I want to gag myself. Such an ugly word, especially when talking about someone you love“If you had seen the blood running down her thighs…” Ellen lost control, sobbed, and then visibly steeled herself to continue. “There was so much, it must have been brutal. I have no doubt what happened.”

“I"m going to kill him,” Sean snarled.

Erin believed it. His rage frightened her. And as big and powerful as Sean is, it wouldn"t take much. Jake might be a football player, but he"d never hold out against an enraged older brother with muscles.

And as big and powerful as Sean is, it wouldn"t take much. Jake might be a football player, but he"d never hold out against an enraged older brother with muscles.“No, Sean,” Ellen replied in a hollow-sounding voice that matched the desolation on her face. She gripped her son"s arm and gave it a little shake to snap him back to reality. “We"re not going to take an eye for an eye. We"re going to do this legally. He"ll pay. She"s going to press charges.”

“Do you understand what that means, Mom? There"s going to be a trial. Danny will have to relive the whole thing, again and again, before he can be punished.” Sean shook his head. His inhalation sounded far from steady.

“I know.” Ellen began to cry even harder.

Erin walked over to Mrs. Murphy and placed her hand on the older woman"s arm.

Ellen lifted her head, startled. “Oh, Erin. I"m so glad you"re here.”

“Of course. Where else would I be?”

Of one accord, Sean and Ellen opened their arms and drew Erin in, as though she were a member of the family. They remained holding each other until the police officer—a kind-looking older woman—exited the room.

She regarded them for a long moment before saying, “You can go in now. I"m finished. I"m so sorry.” Erin could see she meant it. No matter how long one worked in law enforcement, some sights still retained the power to appall.

They entered the room on weak legs. The curtain around the bed stood open now, revealing a tableau of devastation. Sheridan"s shock had worn off, and she cuddled in her father"s arms, shaking with sobs. He rubbed her back, but his own eyes burned red. Tears shone on his weathered cheeks. His salt and pepper hair stood on end, as though he"d been raking his fingers through it.

Hearing the footsteps on the tile floor, Sheridan lifted her head. A swollen bruise, deeply cut in the center, reshaped the planes of her face. Sean made a strangled sound and stopped in his tracks.

Erin flung herself at the bed, scrambling up beside her friend and throwing her arms around her. “Oh God, Danny,” she wept.

Sheridan turned and hugged her. “Erin.” Her voice sounded weak and harsh from so much crying. The girls clung to each other in misery.

Now that the ice had been broken, Sean and his mother approached the bed, throwing their arms around Sheridan.

“Danny, I…” Sean broke off but squeezed his sister tight.

She squeaked.

“Easy,” her father warned. “She has bruises…” he indicated her middle.

Sean took several steps back and sank onto the edge of the bed near Sheridan"s feet.

Erin bit her lip. Bruises on her belly too? Oh, God. “Danny…” Her voice stopped, and Erin was glad because she had no idea what to say. No one knew what to say, so they mostly took turns holding Sheridan and crying.

Bruises on her belly too? Oh, God.After a couple of hours, a nurse came in.

“Folks,” she said in a soft, sympathetic voice, “It’s time to clear out. The patient needs rest.”

“How do they figure I"ll sleep?” Sheridan asked in a voice Erin couldn"t even recognize.

The nurse smiled, but it was a sad, tired smile. “The doctor suspected you might have trouble. He prescribed you a sedative.” She shook a clear plastic cup inside which a bright blue capsule rattled. Sheridan nodded, accepting the medication eagerly and washing it down with a swig of water from an identical cup.

“And now,” the nurse continued, smoothing back a strand of graying black hair that had escaped her ponytail, “there are too many people in this room. Visiting hours ended ages ago.”

“I"m not leaving my daughter alone after what she"s been through,” Mrs. Murphy hissed.

“Of course not, ma"am,” the nurse replied. “The armchair pulls out into a bed. You"re more than welcome to stay.”

“Dad,” Sheridan said to her father, tugging on his arm, “please stay. I need you both,” she begged, and Erin noticed something pointed in her voice and expression.

“Well,” the nurse said, “we normally try to stick to only one overnight guest, but under the circumstances, I think I can just borrow an extra sleeper chair. That"s it, though.”

Erin nodded. “Thank you for letting me stay this long.”

Sean took his sister"s hand. “I"ll always be here for you, Danny, no matter what.”

Sheridan wrapped her hand around her brother"s arm and hauled him down, crushing him. She whispered something in his ear that Erin couldn"t hear, something that made him nod.

“Come on, Erin,” Sean suggested when Sheridan released him. “I"d better get you home.”

Before leaving, Erin gave her friend a fierce hug and whispered, “I love you, Danny. I"ll come back tomorrow.”

Sheridan didn"t speak, but her arms tightened around her friend.

Sean took Erin"s hand and led her away.

Tears kept streaming over her cheeks as they traversed white tile corridors of the silent hospital until they stumbled through the sliding door into the October chill. Outside, by the Mustang, Sean pulled her close.

“Oh, Sean,” she whimpered, “what are we going to do?”

“I don"t know. Poor Danny! I can"t believe it.” They huddled together, trying to block out the cold October wind and the horrible memories of what they had just seen.

She squeezed him tight, her front warm against his body. The night wind cut right through the back of her sweater, slashing at her skin. She shuddered in cold and revulsion.

“Let"s get you into the car, baby,” Sean suggested. “It can"t be more than forty degrees out here.”

He handed her in and shut out the wind behind her.

As they drove, a mean, selfish thought occurred to Erin. I wonder if this means the delicious beginning Sean and I shared is over, if this really will be a single night instead of a relationship after all. I don"t want that.

I wonder if this means the delicious beginning Sean and I shared is over, if this really will be a single night instead of a relationship after all. I don"t want that.What’s wrong with you? Her conscience demanded. That"s no way to be thinking when your friend lies wounded and violated in the hospital. She tried to ignore the desperate longing for Sean, but she couldn"t. Finally, the words burst from her. “Are you still going to be with me?”

What’s wrong with you?That"s no way to be thinking when your friend lies wounded and violated in the hospital.“What do you mean?” Lost in dark, sad thoughts about his sister, Sean struggled to understand the question.

“I mean, we sort of said we were going to be a couple. Is that still the case? I know how terrible it sounds to ask this right now, but I have to know. Are we through?” She clutched her hands together in her lap, twisting her fingers. Please don"t hate me for asking, Sean. I care so much for you.

Please don"t hate me for asking, Sean. I care so much for you.“No, baby. We"re not through,” he assured her with sweet intensity. “I don"t know how we"re going to do this without upsetting people, but I would never have taken your virginity if I didn"t intend to stand by you. Don"t think for a minute that I"m doing this out of duty either. I still want you as much as ever. This situation with Danny is brutal, and…” His voice broke and he swallowed a couple of times. “We"re going to need all the support we can get. You"re part of it too. So, for tonight, we"re going to stay close, and after, well, we can see how this develops. Do you think it would be possible to keep our relationship… private, at least for a while? I hate being sneaky, but I don"t see any other way.”

“You"re right, and that"s fine. I wasn"t planning to broadcast it anyway, especially not under these circumstances.”

They had arrived at the house by that time and trailed back inside. Erin"s mouth tasted terrible, so she hurried into the hallway bathroom to brush her teeth. Sean followed, and she found him an unused toothbrush in the cabinet. While he brushed, she washed the last of the makeup off her lips and eyes before leading Sean back into the bedroom and pulling him to her again. They kissed endlessly, their burgeoning passion for each other exacerbated by their terrible grief.

He lowered her to the bed, and they cuddled up, their hands running over each other"s bodies.

“I"m a bit worried about this,” Sean said as their caressing began to take a more intimate turn.

“What? Why?” Erin tried to burrow even closer to Sean, tugging at the waistband of his slacks.

“Aren"t you sore?” He arrested her busy fingers with one big, calloused hand.

“A little,” she admitted, “but it doesn"t matter. I need you, Sean. I need you as close to me as possible.”

Their caresses continued, and when the moment came, he eased inside her so gently and slowly she only felt the slightest twinge.

The second time was just as sweet as the first, especially as Erin now knew Sean intended to stay with her. Falling asleep in his arms was one of the sweetest things she had ever experienced. If only it didn"t have to be coupled with such tragedy.

If only it didn"t have to be coupled with such tragedy.Late the next morning, Erin called the Murphy house as Sean still slept in her bed. It made her feel weird, talking to people she knew in some ways better than her own family while keeping a secret that affected them all.

Roger Murphy answered the phone.

“Hello, Mr. Murphy, this is Erin. I"m just calling to see if you guys are home. I"m not going to ask if you"re okay. Do you think it would be all right if I came over later?”

“Yes, Erin, please come over,” Roger said. He sounded awful. “Sheridan is sleeping now, but I think maybe this afternoon, say around one? It would be good for her to have you here.”

It would be good for me too. I can"t leave her to face this without me. No friend would do that.

It would be good for me too. I can"t leave her to face this without me. No friend would do that.“I"ll be there at one. Hang in there, Mr. Murphy.”

The voice on the phone sounded weary but appreciative. “You too. Goodbye.”

Warm arms wrapped around Erin from behind and she snuggled against Sean. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “What"s the word?”

“They"re home. I"m going over there this afternoon. I think it would be good for us to drive separately. No one would take kindly to finding out we spent the night together.”

“Right. I"m glad though. It would have been terrible to be alone.” He hugged her a little tighter.

“I feel a little guilty about doing something so wonderful when poor Danny is…” She sniffled.

“I know, but it"s understandable. When you"re hurting, you want to cling to people who care about you. Danny needs Mom and Dad. We"re lucky to have each other so we didn"t burden them with our pain in addition to what they"re already dealing with.”

“Is she going to be okay?” The words fought her, emerging as a strangled whisper.

“I hope so. She"s strong, but no one should have to live through that.” Sean"s Adam"s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

“It"s so unfair,” Erin wailed, abandoning her attempt to maintain composure. “She always tries to do the right thing. Danny is the kind of girl who should have been a virgin on her wedding night. It’s what she wanted and it’s not right for him just to take that away from her.”

“Yeah.” Sean visibly struggled to come up with any words to help, but clearly couldn"t think of anything to say, and remained silent.

“Do you have to leave?” Erin asked as she walked Sean to the door. “I don"t want to be alone.”

“I don"t either, baby,” he replied, wearily giving her a little squeeze. “But I"ll see you at the house later, okay?”

She kissed his cheek. Unsatisfied, he swept her into a passionate embrace. “Sweet girl,” he said, “I"m so glad you"re mine.”

Then Sean kissed Erin long and lingeringly before getting into his Mustang and driving away.

Not sure what else to do with herself, Erin put together her oboe and spent the time practicing her music for the audition she would play for the recruiter from Texas. She"d had all the notes well in hand long since, of course, but had been experimenting with different stylistic elements, trying to find just the right mood. Oboe naturally lends itself to sounding melancholy, which suited her mood perfectly. Today, the piece rolled off her fingers with a passionate and mournful keening, her instrument weeping with her grief. Strange I chose a piece that so perfectly expresses my emotions. It had never sounded better, but by the time she played the last cadence, her tears completely obscured the music stand.

Strange I chose a piece that so perfectly expresses my emotionsShe managed to pull herself together long enough to clean her instrument and put it away before making the short drive to her friend"s house safely, but she didn"t stop crying altogether.

It would be a long time before the Murphy family and their friend began to recover from the trauma.