The memory of how frail and vulnerable his grandmother looked after her heart attack filled his head, the images compounded by the sight of her current bruises.
His mother, his grandfather, gone, and his father might as well be, too. His grandmother was the only constant in his life, and he wanted her around for as long as possible.
“That’s not living, Ethan. It’s merely existing.”
Ethan couldn’t believe it. He’d shared his deepest fears with her. Tia knew how he felt, and still, she didn’t say a single word in his support.
“We’re done here,” he said. “I’ll leave the rental car with you.”
“What are you talking about?” Tia said.
“My aunt’s place isn’t far from here. I’ll walk, then catch a cab to the airport to rent another one,” he said. “If you give me the keys, I’ll get them back to you after I get my bag from the trunk.”
He held out his hand for the keys. Unable to look at her, he stared down at his open palm.
“Ethan, please, don’t do this.” Tia took his face between her palms, forcing him to look at her. “I love you.”
Gently grasping her wrists, he pulled her hands away. He forced himself to look past the tears brimming in her beautiful brown eyes as she handed him the car keys.
“I love you, Ethan,” she repeated.
“But not enough to back me up when I needed you.”
Chapter 14
Why couldn’t I have just done as he’d asked?
Tia sat on the bench beneath the arbor, staring at Ethan’s retreating back until it disappeared from view. After returning the keys to the rental, he’d walked away without as much as a word or backward glance in her direction.
Tia touched a hand to her chest as if it could somehow soothe her aching heart. She couldn’t go back inside the hospital. Not yet. Not until she pulled herself together.
Carol would automatically assume the fresh breakup was her fault, when any blame rested solely in Tia’s corner.
All it would have taken was a couple of words on her part to convince Carol to abandon her bucket list and come home. It would have made Ethan happy.
It also would have been a lie.
She thought about the framed posters hanging in all the Espresso spa locations boasting inspirational quotes about being true to yourself and upholding your principles.
Tia chuckled, but it sounded as hollow as she felt. She’d spoke her truth, maintained her principles and lost the love of her life.
Exhaling a sigh, Tia pushed herself off the bench and returned inside to find Carol.
“Knock, knock,” she said, rapping on the open door of Glenn’s hospital room.
“Come in.” Both Carol and Glenn spoke in unison.
The man she’d first seen through the window of the Branson diner was lying in the bed, while Carol sat in a chair at his side. Her hand was tucked inside his, and even though they both wore an assortment of cuts and bruises, they looked happy and very much in love.
Tia felt a bit of the heaviness weighing down her soul lift as she stepped into the room. Deep down, she knew she’d done the right thing.
“Tia Gray, meet Glenn Davies,” Carol said.
The older man clasped her hand and shook it warmly. Even with the minor facial injuries and in a hospital bed, Glenn was both handsome and fit for his age. His nut-brown skin crinkled in places that showed he was a man who loved to laugh and enjoyed life.
Tia liked him instantly.
“So Carol tells me you’ve been following us on our little odyssey and trying to throw her grandson off our trail.” His dark eyes sparkled. “Mind you, it wasn’t my idea to try to hold him off. I wanted to sit down and talk to him man-to-man, but Carol thought it was best.”
Nodding. Tia sat in a second chair across from his bed in the private room. She could see Carol studying her. Knowing how observant the other woman was, Tia plastered a smile on her face.
“Anyway, thank you, young lady,” Glenn said.
“We had a pretty good time,” Tia said, although now it was bittersweet. “In Metropolis, we took photos by the superhero statue.”
“You mean you had a good time and took a photo by the statue, don’t you?” Carol said. “Because I can’t imagine my Ethan loosening up enough to do something like that.”
Tia walked across the room and handed Carol her phone. “Here’s the photo,” she said. “If you scroll through them, you’ll see we both also had fun at the amusement park.”
Carol paused on a photo Tia had snapped of Ethan laughing, before stopping again at another one of him screaming his head off on one of the thrill rides. The older woman ran a gentle finger down the photo as if it were her grandson in the flesh.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen him so relaxed and happy. I’d almost forgotten what his smile looks like.” Carol showed the photos to Glenn. “Ever since my heart attack, all he seems to do is worry.”
Glenn patted her arm. “Because he loves you.”
Tia pressed her lips together to quell a rush of emotion. Until this morning, she’d also been fortunate enough to have Ethan’s love.
“How are we feeling today, Mr. Davies?” A nurse in pink scrubs entered the room.
“Good enough to get out of here so I can cheer my gal on at her poker tournament tomorrow night,” Glenn said.
“Your doctor will be the one to make that call,” she replied. “Meanwhile, I need to check your vitals and change those dressings on your side and hip.”
The nurse turned to her and Carol. “If you ladies would step out a moment, I’ll be done in a jiffy.”
Carol laughed. “I know the drill. Come on, Tia, let’s grab a cup of tea.”
In the hospital cafeteria, Tia stirred a pack of sugar into her tea. “Glenn’s a great guy. It’s easy to see why you’ve carried a torch for him so long.”
Carol observant gaze swept over her face. “You two broke up, didn’t you?”
Tia nodded, afraid if she spoke it would unleash a dam of unshed tears.
“I love my grandson, but for a smart man he can be damned stupid sometimes.”
Although he’d dumped her, Tia instinctively came to Ethan’s defense. “We caught up to you and Glenn at the diner in Branson,” she said.
She watched Carol’s mouth form a surprised O.
“He spotted you through the window sharing a milk shake,” Tia continued. “He saw how happy you were, and he didn’t want to intrude.”
“B-but I don’t understand,” Carol stammered.
“We sat in his car and watched you two leave on Glenn’s bike.”
“Oh, my.” She reached across the cafeteria table and patted her hand. “Telling my grandson you were exactly what he needed was an understatement. Now I see you’re the best thing to ever happen to him.”
Tia averted her gaze. She was saving her tears for when she got home in a few days.
“He’ll see that, too,” Carol said.
Tia shook her head. “You’re forgetting I know Ethan. He gets his stubbornness from you. He won’t change his mind.” Nor will he forgive what he views as my betrayal, she thought.
“I’m sorry, honey,” Carol said.
“It’s not your worry,” Tia said. “In fact, now I’m going to ask a favor of you.”
“Just name it,” her friend said.
“Let’s hit the closest Espresso makeup counter so I can get a few things to cover up those cuts and bruises on your face before your big tournament.”
“I dunno, I was thinking of using it as part of my strategy,” Carol said. “Knock them off their game by scaring the hell out of them.”
Tia laughed, grateful for the moment of levity, before the reality of losing Ethan came crashing down on her.
<
br /> * * *
Ethan punched his pillow, rolled over and looked at the digital clock on his nightstand. Four o’clock in the morning, exactly one minute since he’d last checked.
He should be past sleep right now, well into coma territory.
He’d pushed himself mercilessly yesterday. First renting another car in Oklahoma City and driving five hours to the Branson airport, where he’d left his Audi. He’d turned in the rental and then drove his own car an additional seven hours to Nashville.
Tia’s presence filled the empty passenger seat of his car. Every mile marker, every road sign, every mile had been emotional torture.
Now even in his home, in the comfort of his own bed, neither of which held any memories of her, could Ethan find peace. His brain held his exhausted body hostage as it raced with thoughts of anger, regret and longing.
Pop quiz. A bubbly, familiar voice echoed through his mind.
Ethan knew better than to turn to the empty space next to him in bed like he had with the vacant passenger seat of his car on the long drive home.
It was over between them, and that was the way he wanted it. Apparently, Tia wanted the same thing, because all it would have taken was a few words from her and they’d all be home now.
“This is useless,” he muttered.
Tossing back the covers, he padded barefoot down the staircase to the kitchen. He briefly contemplated warming a glass of milk to help him sleep, but doubted it would work. Besides, if there was any milk in his fridge by now it was past its expiration date.
I love you, Ethan. Tia’s voice filled his head again.
God, he missed her. He’d only known her a week. How could a woman have gotten so thoroughly under his skin, in his heart, claiming his very soul in such a short time?
It didn’t matter, he thought, because as quickly as their relationship had began, it had ended. Ethan forced thoughts of Tia from his mind and replaced them with images of his grandmother’s battered face.
He turned off the kitchen light. Wrapped in the comfort of his resurging anger, he walked into his home office. Although he had a week left on his vacation, he needed to flush Tia Gray from his head, and there was no better way than to refocus his thoughts than with work.
Grabbing his soft-sided leather briefcase, Ethan pulled out a copy of Jeffery Ritchie’s contract with Bat Tower Records. He sat at his desk and began flicking through the pages of the agreement he’d warned Jeffrey not to sign.
Moments later, his eyes zeroed in on the clause he sought. He highlighted it with a yellow marker and added a red Post-it flag to mark the page.
For the first time since he’d broken it off with Tia, Ethan smiled.
Chapter 15
A week later, Tia greeted her father’s secretary with a hug and a pound of Kona coffee she’d brought back for her from Hawaii.
“I’m guessing this is your idea of a peace offering after sending your father into a rage and leaving me to deal with the fallout,” Loretta said.
“Actually, the coffee is for the entire office.” Tia retrieved a small white box from her purse. “This is my peace offering.”
The longtime Espresso Cosmetics employee untied the ribbon on the box and peeked inside. Her eyes lit up as she pulled out the gold bracelet covered in etchings of hibiscus blooms.
“Well, he’s been a lot better the last day or two, so I guess this squares it.” Loretta slipped the bangle on her wrist and held her arm out to admire the gleaming circle of gold. “Thank you, honey.”
Tia eyed her father’s closed office door. She hadn’t talked to him in over a week, not since their heated phone conversation when she was still in Oklahoma City. A twinge of guilt niggled at her. She’d meant to touch base with him when she’d returned to town, but instead she’d immersed herself in her spas and the impossible task of forgetting Ethan.
“Do you know what he wants to see me about?” Tia asked
Loretta looked up from her new bracelet only long enough to shake her head.
Deep down, Tia already knew what her father wanted—money. More money to fund an extravagant anniversary celebration and their dying cosmetics brand.
Tia paused at his office door. She sucked in a fortifying breath and wrapped herself in Ethan’s words.
If they faced the consequences of their actions, without your coming to their rescue, they’d make better decisions.
* * *
Tia knocked on the door and pushed it open. “Hi, Dad.”
She disliked her awkward, almost formal tone, but knew she had to keep her guard up if she was to stand strong and do what she thought was best for the company and their family. Her principles had already cost her Ethan; she prayed they wouldn’t further alienate her from her father.
“Tia.” Victor Gray put the morning paper he’d been reading on his desk and inclined his head toward the chair in front of it. “Have a seat. I have something I need to talk to you about.”
Tia glanced at the photo of Carol in the Metro News section of the Tennessean, still sporting faded bruises and healing cuts from her accident. The photo was next to the same story she’d watched on the local news earlier this morning about her friend being the oldest woman to compete in a nationally televised poker tournament in Las Vegas tomorrow night.
While Tia had enjoyed watching Carol handily win a twenty-five-thousand-dollar jackpot in Oklahoma City last week, she wouldn’t be traveling to Vegas to watch her vie for the million-dollar prize. She would have to make do with cheering her on through the television screen this time.
Her father followed her gaze to the newspaper lying flat on his desk.
“She looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t seem to place her,” he said, staring at Carol’s photo.
“It’s Carol Harris, the private-duty nurse who took care of Mom,” Tia said
Her father nodded, suddenly looking older than his years. The last thing Tia wanted was to get into another disagreement with him. Her heart, still bruised from Ethan’s rejection, couldn’t withstand any additional pain.
She decided to head him off before he got started.
“Look, Dad, I don’t want to fight with you again. I love you,” she said. “But I won’t budge from my position.”
Her father sighed. “I know you’re serious this time,” he said. “It’s the reason I tried to reach Cole.”
Tia’s jaw dropped. It was the last thing she’d expected to hear. “S-so you’re going to try to talk to him,” she stammered, still stunned.
“He got back to me yesterday.”
By now Tia was on the edge of her seat. Still, she warned herself not to get her hopes up. Knowing both Cole and her father, any discussion had more than likely deteriorated into an argument.
“He’s coming home, Tia,” her father said. “He’ll be back next month.”
Tia rounded the desk. She flung her arms around her father’s neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Dad. I know it wasn’t easy for you to call Cole.”
Her father patted her arm. “Your cutting off funds from the spas forced me take a hard look at Espresso’s bottom line.”
He pressed a key on his computer’s keyboard, rousing the monitor on his desk to life. He jerked his head toward the screen showing a balance sheet filled with red numbers.
“You really believe under Cole’s leadership we can dig out from under this mess and turn Espresso back into a brand that would make your mother proud?” he asked.
Tia nodded. “Yes, I do,” she said. “But it won’t be just Cole—it’ll be the four of us together working as a family.” She closed her eyes briefly and silently thanked Ethan for his wise advice, hating she couldn’t do it in person.
* * *
Ethan looked up from the article in the morning newspaper as Jeffery Rit
chie walked through the door of his office.
“You clean up good,” he said, looking at the hip-hop artist as if he were seeing him for the first time. Jeffrey wore a tan two-piece suit with a pale blue shirt and navy tie.
The young man smoothed a hand down the front of his crisp cotton shirt and tightened the knot on his tie. “Up until now Bat Tower has only known me as Wangs, which is fine when I’m in the studio or onstage,” he said. “Today, we’re talking business. I want them to see me as Jeffrey Ritchie, and to know I take the business end of my career as seriously as I do my music.”
Ethan put the article about his grandmother aside, crossed the room and shook the young man’s hand. He was both impressed and proud.
“Like I told you before and again last week, I can’t make you any promises on how this meeting will end, but I’ll do the best I can for you,” Ethan said.
Jeffrey nodded. “You’ve always been straight with me, Mr. Wr...I mean, Ethan,” he said. “No matter how things go this morning, I appreciate your taking me on as a client again.”
Ethan’s secretary appeared in the doorway. Her demeanor was all business, Jeffery Ritchie apparently not garnering the same exuberance from her as his Wangs persona.
“Mr. Wright, the representatives from Bat Tower Records are here. They’re waiting for you in the conference room.”
Ethan thanked her and turned back to Jeffrey.
“Did you bring the CD?”
Jeffrey nodded and handed it to him.
Ethan grabbed his notes from his desk before walking with Jeffrey to the law office’s conference room.
“Morning, everyone,” Ethan said as he entered.
Introductions were made all around. Ethan had met Bat Tower’s attorney, Megan Howard, previously, at the Nashville Bar Association annual picnic. However, this was his first meeting with Jerome Slater, founder and CEO of Bat Tower.
Slater wore a polo shirt, sunglasses and a chunky platinum watch he’d checked twice since Ethan and Jeffrey had walked through the door.
Ethan had barely sat down before Slater started in.
Every Road to You Page 18
