"Where's Rick?" she asked, not caring how abrupt that question would sound.
"Rick?" Mary asked as if wondering if Anne had forgotten her head somewhere. "Why should we know?"
"He left," Charles said. "Is something wrong?"
Yes, she wanted to yell. Rick had left! How dare he, when she was so close to seeing him! "I was just on the elevator—"
"He didn't go that way," Mary said. "He walked off in that direct—"
"Thanks, Mary!" Anne called as she bolted in the direction she pointed. But when she reached the end and turned the corner, Rick wasn't in sight. Where could that man have gone? Did he go up the stairs? Why did this hospital have to be so big? Why couldn't Rick have stayed in one spot? She knew he liked to pace when anxious, but couldn't he have paced in front of Louisa's room and stayed put for once?
Anne curled her hands into fists. She had so many emotions running through her. Anger, joy, anxiety, fear, longing—all tumbling inside her with no relief in sight. She was going to burst if she didn't find Rick.
She hurried down the hallway, begging for him to pop out of one the many doors lining the hallway. And then she saw it. A piano, in a little open area for visitors. All the craving in the world descended upon her: she needed to play. To get some of all this emotion out of her system before she burst. Rick wasn't in sight anyway. He probably had already left. She'd have to reply by email instead of in person. But right now, she would play. Play and pour all these feelings out.
She sat down and spread her hands over the cold keys like they were a door that would lead her into a magical world. Then she played, getting lost in the music. Every single happy song she had in her head, she tried to pour them all out. Every happy feeling dancing through her body. The love of her life was once more hers! Everything was finally going to be set to right!
She stilled as her song came to end, head bowed, breathing hard, drained. Then, a note sounded. Her fingers hadn't played that. Her eyes snapped to the ghost note and found a strong finger poised on the key. She followed that finger to a hand, then up the arm, to the shoulder, and to Rick's face. Uncertainty filled his face as he stared down at her, but before she could shout for joy, he played a second note. Her eyes jerked as he pressed a third one, realizing he was playing the beginning notes of their duet, the song she had been teaching him. He had learned it?
She immediately played the answering chord, her eyes rising to his with excited invitation, and scooted over, giving him room on the piano bench. His hesitant face relaxed into a smile, a relieved, happy one, and he sat down next to her, playing his notes. She answered with an accompanying chord and they continued with the song, smiles on both of their faces, the eight years melting away as if they were teenagers again, sitting at the old grand piano in the school, the sorrows of the world far, far away.
Her eyes were already on him as they played the last notes—she had no need to watch her fingers—and couldn't wait when he'd look at her. When he did, he had his warm smile, the one he always reserved for her. Then he leaned forward, just like eight years ago, and Anne closed her eyes.
But applause exploded around them. Anne snapped her eyes open while Rick recoiled in surprise, both turning to find a group of nurses clapping enthusiastically.
"That was marvelous!"
"You should do a show!"
Anne flushed, embarrassed by the attention. She'd much rather they'd go away so she could be alone with Rick.
Rick rose like a stately performer, then grabbed her hand and hauled her to her feet. They both performed bows for the adoring nurses and Anne hoped that would be enough for the nurses to finally leave. But then Rick wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his warm side and she no longer cared about the applause, the nurses, or anything else, really. She snuggled into his side, perfectly content.
After Rick thanked the nurses, they finally wandered off to continue with their duties. Anne and Rick stood still for a moment, neither saying a thing. But then he pulled away and Anne looked up, worried something was wrong.
He wrapped his hands around hers. "Anne, sweet Anne, I should have talked to you when we met again."
She scrunched up her face. "You didn't recognize me at first."
"What? Yes, I did. The instant I saw," he tapped near her eyes, "those chocolate eyes of yours, I knew."
"Really? You acted like I was a stranger."
"You looked like you couldn't stand the sight of me."
Anne grimaced. "I was in shock. I had been dreaming of the day of you coming back and that was not how I had imagined it."
Rick laughed. So close to his chest, she could hear it bubble up from within. "It certainly wasn't romantic. But..." He looked at her, an unsure smile on his face. "You were hoping I'd come back?"
"Of course. That's what I thought the plan was. When I was eighteen and didn't need my Dad's permission—"
"But, you had your college—"
"I'd have given it up in a heartbeat if you had come back."
He stared at her. "But, your family, your godmother—"
"I know, but my parents hadn't had the best marriage and Russelle, she was terrified I'd end up as unhappy as my mother. We were young and you wanted to take me away, far away from her, and it scared her."
He frowned. "Is that what she said?"
"No, back then, she focused on college and all those other excuses I gave. They made sense then. But looking over the incident with older eyes, I understand her position better than I did when I was seventeen."
He frowned. "All right, I can kind of see it her way. She still could have given me a chance."
She nudged his shoulder with hers. "You could have given me a second chance and come back."
He grinned. "All right, you make a good point. I was as hasty to judge you as she was to judge me."
"It's okay. We all did stupid stuff. But once you get to know Russelle, I'm sure you'll love her as much as I do."
His smile faded. "That...might take a while."
"Well, as long as you're by my side," she leaned into him. "I don't care how long it takes."
He grinned down at her. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"But, what about Will?"
She pulled away in disgust. "Ugh, don't speak his name."
He laughed. "Good. I can't stand him either. The guy's a snake. It killed me to think you might like him."
Her eyes narrowed. "Is that why you left the symphony so early?"
A dark look descended over his face and that angry light lit up his eyes. "Yes. And the fact that your father made it rather clear your family was keen on Will and not me."
She grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'm sorry. My father has a lot of opinions, but they don't represent mine."
"They did once."
"I was seventeen and I hated causing conflict. Still do. I was trying to please everyone and ended up pleasing none."
"So, if your father announced he was dead set against you marrying me—"
"I'd totally run away with you! I'd run right now—" She stopped, remembering Livvy's words. "Actually, I need to save my father first. And help Livvy." Though she wanted nothing else than to be with Rick, she couldn't abandon her family. Her father was a fool, but he didn't deserve whatever Will had planned for him.
He stared at her. "Who's Livvy?"
"An old friend from college. Will ruined her husband and she thinks he intends to do the same with my father."
Rick raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
She sat down on the piano bench. "Will has a trail of friends who all mysteriously end up in trouble with the feds. He's now best friends with my father even though I'm pretty sure he secretly hates him, but I need proof before I can convince my father to get away from Will before he ruins him."
Rick sat next down beside her. "I always had a bad feeling about him myself, but I never thought it was that bad. Do you know why the feds go after his previous friends?"
"Embezzlem
ent, I think? Livvy would know more. Do you know where Will works right now? He always evades that question."
"He did? That's odd. He works for my corporation. He replaced a lawyer that mishandled a case for one of my bosses, Mr. Darcy."
Anne sat straight up. "Darcy?" She grabbed his shoulder. "Who was the lawyer that Will replaced?"
"I don't know. Some old guy who'd been working there for years—"
"Did this old guy have cancer a year back?"
Rick cocked his head. "Yeah, I think he did."
She couldn't believe it. "Rick, that was my father. Will took over my Dad's old job." She suddenly remembered Penny's triumphant smile. "And Penny is the way he did it."
"Wait, who's Penny?"
"My sister's best friend. I have no idea why she would do it, but I know those two know each other but are pretending they don't." She nudged his shoulder. "They reminded me of us with the Musgroves."
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was being an idiot then."
"It's okay. But, this could finally be the proof we need! How well do you know your boss? Is there a way you can get him to give you permission to get some files from a law firm?"
"Probably. Bingley is usually willing to listen to any idea, no matter how insane, and he's best friends with Darcy. What will the files prove?"
She explained how Penny had stolen the documents and caused her father's firing. "It's possible he re-used some of the stuff I printed and if I could find, I don't know, a fingerprint to show I had touched the papers—"
"Wait a sec, were those files printed off of any of our corporate printers?"
"No, I printed them at my house."
"Do you know if your printer is a laser one?"
"Yeah, we bought it about two years ago."
He grinned. "We just might have a way to prove he stole those papers! Laser printers print an invisible code on every piece of paper it prints so you don't need a fingerprint. I just need the printer and the papers to prove you printed them."
"Rick, that would be amazing!"
"You free tomorrow?"
"I'm free tonight!"
He laughed. "I meant for invading the law firm."
"Oh, right. Yes, I can be free. I'm in between jobs at the moment so I'm free all the time."
"I thought you had a job with your father?"
Anne sighed. "I did, but he's fired, so I've been thinking about going back to school to become a juvenile counselor."
"A juvenile counselor? Like, working with teens like me back in the day?" Shock was in his voice as if he wasn't sure she could do it.
She pulled away slightly. "You don't think it's a good idea?" She had assumed he'd support her decision, but eight years could have changed things.
A huge grin lit up his face. "You'd be amazing! If I had been able to have you as a counselor, I'm sure I would have been a whole lot better off during my teenager years."
She couldn’t help smiling. "Really?"
He leaned his forehead against hers. "That is the perfect job for you."
She gazed into his eyes, drinking in his praise. But he abruptly pulled away, a frown on his face. "Where would you go to school?"
"I was thinking Boston, but, um, I can go anywhere." She didn’t want the location of her school to be a reason for them to be apart.
"Yeah, but where do you want to go?"
She grinned. He was doing it already. Making sure she was happy, that she got her way. "Honestly? The school idea was just something to do since I thought a certain someone couldn’t forgive me and I was trying to console myself in a career."
He stared at her. "So, school isn't a high priority?"
"Not if it means losing you again."
He gave her a squeeze. "It won't. I'd stick with you even if you went to school. It would just be difficult since I move all the time—"
"But you have a base, don't you? A place of your own? That was a big dream of yours."
"Yeah, it was, but I, uh, couldn't find a place I wanted to live." He tapped her nose. "A certain someone kept haunting me."
She laughed. "We didn't move on very well, did we?"
"No, we didn't. But," he interlocked his fingers within hers, "let's change that. I know it's early, but you in the mood for dinner?"
She grinned. "Definitely."
Chapter 29
Anne had to fight to not have a gigantic smile on her face as she entered her family's condo. She didn't want to reveal to her family about Rick quite yet. They'd probably spoil her good mood.
"Penny!" Eliza called, her feet clattering along the wooden floor toward Anne, but abruptly stopped when Eliza spied Anne. "You!"
Anne froze, recognizing the flush of anger over her sister's face. She was not happy about something and Anne was the nearest scapegoat.
"Where have you been the past hour?"
"At the hospital. Louisa woke up today."
"Who?"
"Louisa Musgrove. Charles' sister—"
"Never mind her. Our father has been arrested! And you, of course, were nowhere in sight!"
Anne felt the world spin and she grasped the wall in order to not fall over. "Arrested? But why?"
"Embezzlement! From the Pemberley Estates Corporation. Can you believe it?"
The world abruptly righted itself. Embezzlement was what Livvy's husband had been charged with. This must be Will's doing. She needed to tell Rick.
"The drugs from the cancer must have messed with his brain," Eliza continued. "Or the radiation. Or something! You," she jabbed a finger at Anne, "you must have messed up and given him the wrong dosages—"
"I did no such thing," Anne shot back. "This is Will's fault. He set our father up."
Eliza scoffed. "Will? Will did this? Have you gone mad? Will had nothing to do with any of this—"
"Then why does he work the exact job that Dad left?"
"He does not—"
"Have you not noticed how he never details where he works? He only gives vague answers."
"And that somehow makes him a criminal? Anne, you must have started taking Dad's pills as well."
"Eliza, for once in your life, can you just believe me?"
"Believe you? When have you ever been right? You're always wrong, Anne! You just refuse to realize it!"
Anne clamped her mouth shut. This argument was becoming pointless. Eliza had never been good at listening to reason while in a calm mood—it was useless to believe she'd listen while in furious one.
"I'm calling Russelle—"
"Don't you dare bring her into this. She'll act like we owe her and have to actually listen to her advice as if she knows anything."
Anne ignored the rant and headed for the door, wishing to make the call away from her sister's angry commentary. To Anne's shock, she found Penny at the door, hand poised to ring the doorbell. Penny stared at Anne, a myriad of emotions flitting over her face. Surprise, concern, anger, then sadness and confusion. But the second Eliza called her name, the emotions dissolved into a shy, confused face as if she had no idea what was going on.
"I came over as soon as I got your text," Penny stated and wrapped her arms around Eliza's shoulders for a hug. But her lidded eyes flicked to Anne as if saying to get away. But Anne knew Penny was involved with this and she wasn't going to leave until she got to the bottom of this.
"Penny, Anne has lost her mind." Eliza pulled away. "She thinks Will had something to do with all this. Can you believe it?"
Penny's intelligent eyes jerked to Anne as if Anne was ruining everything, but then produced a proper surprised face to Eliza a second later. "Why would she think that?"
Not wanting to hear Eliza's answer, Anne headed down the hallway, away from them. "I need to make a phone call."
"Don't you dare call Russelle!" Eliza called after her.
Personally, Anne wanted to call Rick, but she didn't want her sister to think she had won the battle so she dialed Russelle's number.
"Anne!
" Russelle cried, the sound of traffic in the background. "I knew you would call. I'm driving to Boston right now—"
"You've heard?"
"Your dad called. The poor man, he was frantic, needed a lawyer, knew I'd understand, and assured me he had nothing to do with it, that he had been set up—"
"Do you believe him?"
"Honey, of course I do! Your father may have a terrible grasp of his finances, but he's no thief. Why, if he stole the amount he claimed, he wouldn't be penniless and trying to pay off all his debt! It's ludicrous! Don't worry about a thing, Anne. I will have my entire team on this case. We'll get his name cleared in no time."
"Actually, I have some evidence—"
"Anne!" A deep voice boomed behind her and Anne yelped. Turning around, she found Will, an anxious look on his face. "I just heard the news. Are you speaking with your father?"
She wanted to smack him in the face but managed to produce a tight smile instead. "Will."
"Is that Will?" Russelle asked over the phone. "That's so nice of him to come over. You have a good time with him and we'll talk later, okay?"
"Wait, Russelle," Anne began, but regretted it. With Will standing right next to her, she couldn't exactly detail the plan she and Rick had. "Can we meet for lunch tomorrow?"
"Yes, I'd love that. See you then."
"Okay." She hung up the phone, then, trying to hide a gag reflex, she faced Will. "What brings you here?" To triumph over them, no doubt.
"I had heard about your father," he grasped her hand, but his skin felt clammy and cold, like a slithering snake.
"How did you hear?"
"Bad news spreads fast," he said without hesitation. Another vague answer.
"I told him," Eliza announced, coming to his side. "We'll need a competitive lawyer to handle this and Will," she leaned toward him, blinking her eyelashes up at him, "is the best."
Anne simply wanted to gag. Not only had he framed her father, but he'd now be the lawyer defending him? More likely he'd ensure he'd get the maximum punishment, like jail for decades.
"Thank you for the offer," it was a struggle to say those words to him, "but we don't need your services—"
"I told you not to all call Russelle!"
Persuading Him: A Modern Persuasion Retelling (Pemberley Estates Book 1) Page 24
