Crazy For You (39 page)

“I was a terrible person.” Her tone and her
expression were dripping with disdain. “I don’t understand how I
could have put any of you through the things I did...and I’m
thoroughly ashamed of myself.” She moved away from him, back to the
window where she stared outside. “That’s why I haven’t had the
nerve to face any of you. Especially you.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” he told her. “I’m the one to
blame.”

“How could you love someone like me?” From what
Roxanne was hearing, she didn’t deserve his love or his
loyalty.

Frank pushed himself off the desk and went to her
side. “It’s not a hard thing to do.” He smiled softly and touched
her cheek.

Chills rushed through her. Even though she couldn’t
remember a single thing about him, she felt herself growing weak
against his touch. She wasn’t overlooking the fact that he might be
telling the truth when he said he didn’t feel hatred toward her
anymore. Still, she was afraid of him and what he could do.
Apparently, he had the power to drive her over the edge. If it had
happened once, who’s to say it wouldn’t happen again?

“I’ve got to tell you, Frankie...” She wanted to let
him know Kirk was there.

“What’d you call me?” Frank asked quickly.

“I don’t know…Frankie? Is that wrong?” Her tone grew
agitated. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not wrong. It’s exactly right,” he said,
happier now. “You always called me Frankie. In fact, you’re the
only one who ever did.”

“I did?” She wished she could remember something.
Anything about this familiar stranger.

“Listen, we have all the time in the world for me to
tell you about us,” he said. “But right now, there’s a little boy
out there who really needs to see his mother.”

Fear swept over Roxanne. “Would you come with
me?”

“Of course, I will.” He smiled, took her by the hand
and led her out to the terrace.

Outside, she saw a little boy sitting on the ground
with his back to them. He was playing with something. Cars maybe.
He looked like he was about five or six.

“Hey, Frankie,” Frank called to him. “Look who’s
here.”

Frankie turned around and his eyes lit up when he
saw Roxanne. “Mommy!” He jumped up, flew into her arms and
immediately started crying.

Roxanne held on to him, trying to bring him comfort.
“Sweetie, don’t cry.” She was filled with remorse at the sound of
his tears. “It’s okay. Mommy’s here now. Mommy’s here and I’ll
never leave you again.”

Frankie didn’t say anything, he just held onto her
as tightly as his little arms would allow. He tried to hold back
the tears, which resulted in little whimpers every now and
then.

Roxanne took Frankie and sat down in a nearby chair.
She swayed back and forth, as if to rock him to sleep, and kissed
the top of his head while caressing his back soothingly.

She didn’t say anything. She just sat there for the
longest time, holding him securely in her arms. How she could have
ever forgotten him? Silent tears fell from her eyes.

Roxanne got wrapped up in her son and his pain, and
forgot about telling Frank that Kirk was in the house.

F
rank sat silently on the
couch in the living room, letting reality sink in. He would’ve
preferred that Roxanne remembered him as soon as she saw him, but
that didn’t happen. Still, he was happy to find her in good health,
aside from the loss of memory.

“Hey, Frank.” Rich walked into the room. “How’d it
go? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine,” Frank said dismally. “Physically
anyway. But she doesn’t remember me.”

“Well look at it like this…” Rich sat down on the
couch. “That just means she doesn’t remember any of the bad stuff
either.”

“I’m telling her about it,” Frank said. “I’m not
hiding anything from her.”

“Being told about it and remembering it are two
entirely different things.”

J
erry had summoned Roxanne
into the library. He was worried about her. He wanted to be sure
she hadn’t been subjected to too much emotional distress.

“How are you holding up?” he asked casually.

“I’m okay,” she said truthfully. “It hasn’t been
nearly as bad as I thought it would be.”

“How do you feel about Frank now that you’ve met him
again?”

“Well it’s kind of weird.” She was hardly able to
believe that she could tell anybody these things, much less Jerry.
“You know that feeling of excitement you get when you meet someone
you’re really attracted too?”

“And where exactly does Kirk fit into all of this?”
Jerry asked, like a true shrink.

“Kirk!” She gasped. She’d forgotten all about him.
“I’ve got to tell Frank that he’s here. Before he runs into him.”
She rushed for the door, saying, “Or he’ll never forgive me.”

Roxanne ran through the house looking for Frank.
Someone mentioned they thought he was in the living room. Running
to the doorway, she called out his name, “Frank...?”

He was sitting on the couch. He looked up at her and
smiled. From out of the corner of his eye he saw someone enter from
the opposite side of the room. He glanced over to see who it was,
intending to direct his attention back toward Roxanne—but that was
before he saw Kirk Bronson standing in the doorway.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Frank leapt to
his feet and rushed toward Kirk. Without any forethought, he
grabbed Kirk and threw him against the wall.

Jason’s commanding voice bellowed out, “Not in my
house!”

“Fine. Let’s just take it outside then.” Frank
dragged Kirk through the doorway leading out to the terrace.

Desperately, Kirk tried to free himself, but Frank’s
rage was more powerful than Kirk’s need to get away. Frank shoved
his fist into Kirk’s face. Each time he hit the guy, he released
bits of the hatred and anger he’d built up toward him over the
years.

Frank latched onto Kirk’s hair and yanked his head
down, kneeing him in the face. Kirk slumped to the ground, leaving
Frank standing over him with handfuls of his hair. His arch enemy
was lying before him, nearly lifeless, but Frank was still full of
rage. Opportunities like this didn’t come along every day. Frank
pounced down on him. “You stay away from my wife!” He bashed Kirk’s
head against the ground. “You got that?”

At first, Rich had hesitated to break up the fight.
He wanted to give Frank a chance to let out some of his
frustration. Besides, the way Rich saw it Bronson had it coming.
But now, Rich was starting to get a little worried. “Frank…” He
grabbed at his arm, trying halfheartedly to pull him off Kirk.
“That’s enough,” he said, almost laughing. “Get off him.”

“Get away!” Frank gave Rich a one-handed shove.

“You gotta get off him.” Grit invaded Rich’s tone as
he climbed onto his friend’s back and locked his arms around
Frank’s. Rich, who was much smaller than Frank, had to yank at him
with all his might.

It took a couple of tries, but finally, Rich pulled
Frank off of Kirk. Frank fought to break free, but Rich had him
successfully locked down. It was taking everything Rich had to hold
onto him.

“Let me go.” Frank tried to jerk away.

“Sorry, pal.” Rich held tight. “I can’t do
that.”

“Damn you, Rich!” Frank relaxed for a moment to
build up strength for another go at breaking free.

“If I let you go…” Rich reinforced his grip. Frank
was not the type to give up this easily. “You’re going to kill the
guy.”

“Exactly.” Frank tried breaking free again, and
failed.

Jerry and Jason appeared in the doorway.

“I don’t know how long you think I can hold him,”
Rich said. “You’d better get this guy out of here.”

They rustled Kirk away, but Rich was reluctant to
release Frank. He was so pissed off, he’d probably go hunt down the
guy.

“You can let me go now,” Frank said. “They took him
away.”

“You promise to be a good boy?”

“No.” Frank looked ready to explode. “First, I’m
going to get you for turning on me. Then I’m going to go find that
son-of–a-bitch and kill him.”

“Daddy…?” Frankie’s trembling voice echoed across
the yard.

Frank looked up and saw his son standing in the
doorway beside Roxanne.

“What are you and Uncle Rich doing?” Frankie asked
fearfully.

Instantly Frank relaxed. “We’re just playing
around,” Frank assured him. “Right, Rich?”

“Right,” Rich said, and released Frank.

They both sat up and shook off what had just
happened. Frank waved Frankie over. “You got a hug for your ole
man?” He chuckled. “Uncle Rich got the best of me.”

Frankie ran to his side, while Rich hopped up and
went to Roxanne.

Rich smiled, glad to finally see her. “Roxie, I’m
happy to see that you’re okay...except for the memory thing.”

“Thank you.” Her tone was friendly, but she looked
uncomfortable. “Are you Candy’s husband?”

“Yes. I’m Rich.”

“Are you all right?” Roxanne asked anxiously. “Candy
would never forgive me if anything happened to you.”

“I know he’s your guest,” Rich said of Kirk. “But
it’s probably in his best interest if he leaves here before Frank
has the chance to find him.”

“You’re right,” Roxanne agreed.

“Maybe it’s none of my business,” Rich said. “But if
you don’t want this marriage anymore, then end it. But don’t start
another relationship until you’ve finished this one.”

He was right. It wasn’t any of his business. But
Roxanne had to admit that he did have a point. Even so, the thought
of ending her relationship with Frank brought on a sadness she
couldn’t explain. As afraid of Frank as she was, the thought of
never seeing him again frightened her even more.

K
irk entered the library
just as Frank turned the corner at the other end of the hallway.
Frank paused outside the door to find out what was going on inside
the room before he went inside and finished the job he’d started
earlier.

“Kirk, I’m very sorry about what happened,”
Roxanne’s voice flowed out into the hallway. “I really had no
idea.” To think she was consoling Kirk made Frank’s blood boil.

“It’s okay,” Kirk said.

“Let me finish.” Her tone grew stern. “I’m going to
ask you…for me…for my sake… please don’t press charges against
Frank.”

“If you think it will help,” he said. “You’re trying
to end it easily.”

“I’m not trying to end it at all.”

“How can you stand there and tell me you want him,
when you can’t even remember him?”

“I am his wife,” she said. “And I can’t overlook
that or throw it aside.”

“You’re going back to him, aren’t you,” Kirk said,
and it was no question.

“I have to find out if the feelings I had for him
will resurface.”

Frank smiled and turned away, heading back down the
hallway in the direction he’d come from. Everything was going to be
okay. Kirk couldn’t replace him in the past, and he wasn’t going to
replace him now.

Frank was feeling pretty confident, until Jerry
summoned him and Roxanne into the library a little while later.

“I’m not going to get involved in your relationship,
or tell you what I think you should do now that Roxanne has no
memory of you, Frank, or your marriage,” Jerry said. “But I will
give you some advice. You have a long road ahead of you.” He looked
at Frank. “And no matter what you’ve seen in the movies, it’s
highly unlikely that Roxanne will ever regain the memory of those
years she’s lost.”

“How can you be so sure?” Frank asked.

“Amnesia victims will usually regain their memory
within a few weeks, a month at the most. After that, the chance of
recovery diminishes with each passing day. Eventually you hit
zero.”

“I hit zero a long time ago.” Roxanne sounded like
she’d gotten used to the idea.

“So what happens now?” Frank wondered out loud.

“Your job is relatively simple,” Jerry said. “Maybe
not easy, but it is simple…all you have to do, Frank, is win
Roxanne’s heart again.” Jerry turned to Roxanne. “And you, Roxanne,
all you have to do is put your fear aside and open your heart to
the possibility that you can love Frank again.” Jerry paused,
giving them a moment. “Now, what you two need to decide is…is that
what you both really want?” He eyed the two of them, long and hard.
“So I think you two should think things over and make it a point to
get together later tonight or tomorrow and discuss your thoughts
and feelings on where you’ll go from here.”

R
oxanne went in search of
Candy and discovered that Candy and Rich were staying in the
bedroom across the hall from her own suite. She tapped on the door
three times.

“It’s open,” she heard Candy say from within.

Roxanne opened the door, hoping Candy was alone.
Finding out she was right made her feel a lot better. It wasn’t
long before both women were sitting on the bed, laughing and
sharing secrets.

“You have to help me,” Roxanne said on a more
serious note.

“I’ll help you in any way I can,” Candy said.

“I have no memories of Frank, so you have to share
yours with me.”

“I’ll share with you all that I have. But there are
some memories you’re going to have to go to him for.”

“How did we end up in Florida? Was that our plan
when we left Tennessee?”

“Well no,” Candy said. “We just got in your van and
when we got on the freeway you headed south and we never even
discussed it.” Candy sucked in a breath. “We stopped in Savannah
for a couple of nights but we both quickly decided to keep going.
Then we ended up in Tampa.” She gave Roxanne a bittersweet smile.
“When you met Frank the first night we were there, I had a feeling
we wouldn’t be leaving.”

“I guess I was really taken with him, huh?” she
asked, shyly. But what she really wanted to know was…if she was as
taken with him then as she was now?

“You definitely had the hots for him. That’s for
sure.” Candy laughed softly. Roxanne looked away bashfully, and
Candy added, “It didn’t take long for him to sweep you off your
feet.”