The Creek Series: Complete Set: Parts I, II, & III

by Abbie St. Claire

  “Gone to get fabric. When he untied me, I didn’t have the energy to get up from the dirt. Stephan found me a couple of hours later still lying on the ground, and it was all I could do to keep him from beating my father to death. I begged him not to say anything because it would’ve killed my mother to know.”

  “So how did you go to graduation?”

  “It wasn’t until that weekend. I faked being sick for several days until I healed enough to get around. We never spoke of it again. Once my father died, my secret went with him to the grave.”

  “But you’ve managed to hide your scars from your mother?”

  “Yes. With her room downstairs and mine up, I always managed to be dressed. She had her first heart attack when I was in high school. Knowing about this would’ve killed her.”

  “I would never hurt you, but I believe actions speak louder than words, and you’ll know whether you trust me or not.”

  I fell asleep, comfortable that he knew my darkest secret and hadn’t run away. He was right, actions spoke louder than words, but giving of trust was completely another story.

  When I woke up, he brought up the Asia trip again and the issue of me not having a passport. He used my laptop to print out the forms and checklist for a passport. The to-do items were a mile long, and I would get them done the next day. Because it would have to be expedited, the passport office required proof of pending travel documents, so Dane put a ticket on hold and printed the itinerary. Some of the items like birth certificate and stuff I had from my admission requirements for school. Dr. P would email me my shot records and the rest was a matter of filling out forms.

  Dane was going to a great deal of trouble if he wasn’t serious about me going with him. We were getting very close, and I was beginning to have strong feelings for him, but the concern was creeping in. What if it was just a rebound affair? What if he was just a player and didn’t do relationships because of his constant travel?

  And why was a great guy like Dane single? Were there other girls? Was I just the flavor of the month for him?

  Chapter 21

  The following week went by quickly. Dane and I spent every possible minute together.

  One morning, he took me for a horseback ride to watch the sunrise. We crossed the top of the hill in the predawn. Then he helped me off the horse, and we sat wrapped in a blanket together. I remembered the old saying: everything is the calmest just before the sun awakes.

  “It’s so peaceful. I wonder how many people actually watch the sun rise from the depths of darkness.”

  He inhaled a deep breath while his face was buried in my hair. “I try to do this at least once a week. It keeps me grounded.” His voice was soft—almost reverent.

  “What rocks you to your core?”

  “All the unease in this world. Before you, I was so wrapped up in the next big thing in the tech world that I didn’t have time for anything else. I went through women like crazy because they never satisfied me. Now, I only want to make time for you. You’re like a drug I can’t get out of my system.”

  Later that morning, I had a good bit of studying to do, and he was actually a big help quizzing me.

  “How’s your latte?” he asked, while we sat in Starbucks.

  “Awesome. What is it?”

  “Skinny vanilla. It’s one of my favorites. So, where are we going for dinner?”

  “I have to tease you—the drink sounds prissy. As far as dinner goes, I’m working late, so it’ll be the hospital cafeteria?”

  “Sounds too healthy.”

  “And probably not organic or American made either. Just like this coffee.”

  “You’re right. I’ll bring you a surprise then.” He winked.

  There was something about his blue eyes flashing that made my heart beat a little faster.

  “I’ll let you.” I knew he would be bringing a pizza from his restaurant, and that was quite all right with me. I’d eat anything if it meant I could spend another minute with him.

  Later that night, we laid in my bed after making love and listened to the rainstorm outside. The more the wind blew, the tighter he pulled me to him.

  I laid there, facing him. With my finger, I traced the contours of his face. “What do you think about when you’re making love to me?”

  “I feel the heat of your body and the way it responds to me. Sometimes I like to go fast as if I’m driving you like my car. Other times, I want to savor you like a fine malt scotch over ice. I see the tenderness in your eyes mix with desire as you get aroused. It’s like watching a hurricane come to shore.”

  His beautiful words left me voiceless.

  When the end of the week came, I was sad to see Dane go. He had a driver take him to the airport in a limo and invited me to go with him, even though I told him over and over how I hated goodbyes.

  “Ten days. I’m flying home to get you, and we’ll go back together.”

  “It’s a long flight. You don’t have to do that.”

  “It’s your first flight, and besides, there’s customs and all that. I want to be with you when you experience all the firsts, plus be there to help navigate. Customs can be overwhelming.”

  I wrapped my arms around his waist and ran my hands up and down his back. “Have a great trip. I’ll miss you.”

  He kissed me passionately and gripped my ass, pulling me close to his body at the same time.

  “I’m gonna miss you more. Take care of Grandfather.”

  I stood outside the airport terminal and watched him disappear through the glass doors.

  I hated goodbyes.

  Mr. Lawrence returned to treatments and was tolerating them much better, but overall, I could see his health deteriorating. He moved slower and slower, and his face was drawn with all the weight he’d lost.

  At eighty-four, he said he’d live a very happy life. “I’ve almost finished my bucket list.”

  “You have? What were some of the things you’re most proud of accomplishing?”

  “Oh, seeing my name in Forbes, visiting Tibet, seeing to it that my grandson found the right track, and oh, I learned to play the saxophone.”

  “I would love to hear you play. Would you play for me?”

  “Absolutely. I don’t have the wind I used to, but I can still forge a decent enough tune.”

  “What else do you have left to check off the list?”

  “Seeing my grandson marry and become a father.”

  That one got me. Was he implying it was me? Was he the one pushing us together? Did he intentionally set us up to achieve his own goal before he died? Was Dane just seeing me to make his grandfather happy?

  “Let’s get you in this chair, so you can get home and rest.”

  “You don’t fool me, Ms. Cunningham. I see things.”

  “Oh, we’re back to formalities, are we, Mr. Lawrence?”

  “I’ve got my eyes on you, Wrenn. I know you’re in love with my grandson. I watch the way you look at him, and I’ve noticed the glow that comes to your face when he’s around. Your eyes have a sparkle that wasn’t there when I first met you, and your sadness is gone. You won’t be able to hide your truth forever.”

  “Oh, Mr. Lawrence, you think too much.”

  Mom and I tried to talk every day, but sometimes she would fall asleep in her chair and not hear the phone when I called. When she would wake up, she would send me an email, since I’d installed a computer and Internet at the house.

  She refused my offer of a satellite, saying that TV was a waste of money. She liked to read inspirational romances and enjoyed the Kindle I gave her for Christmas more than any other gift I’d given her. She was a one-clicking fool, but still insisted on paying her way. With her working part-time and her social security, she managed to cover her bills.

  I looked at my wrist, and the charm caught the light. I’d worn it since the day she’d given it to me, never taking it off. It reminded me of the Circle of Life she always talked about. Only once had I mentioned her moving to Texas, and I t
hought she was going to throw things at me.

  “I’ve lived here since I was sixteen, the day your father made me his bride. It’s not just a home, it’s my life, and one that I want you to have. Someday, you’ll understand.”

  When I looked at the whole picture of my heritage, I envisioned pain and the dark side, but Mom saw the light and was able to forgive the dark. It didn’t have a hold on her like it did me. I wondered sometimes if she’d be able to forgive the sin of my father, the one she didn’t know.

  Dane didn’t call me while he was in China. I found that odd and a bit disheartening, but with the time zone difference, maybe he didn’t have time to connect. Regardless, the non-existence of communication left me questioning why and doubting a good bit more.

  “Does he have your email?” Karina asked one morning, while we were sharing coffee in the hospital cafeteria.

  “You know, we’ve never emailed. You’re right. I’m so stupid.”

  “Besides, I don’t think U.S. phones work overseas. He probably has a different phone.”

  It was time for my clinical rounds to start. I pushed the chair back. “Well, his grandfather says he’s coming home tonight, so they’ve communicated somehow. I wonder if I’ll see him tomorrow at Mr. Lawrence’s treatment.”

  “Hmmm, you’ll know soon enough.”

  As I was walking to meet my clinical partners, I ran into Brad, my friend from anatomy class. “Hey stranger, what are you doing here?”

  He stopped and removed his ear buds and lowered his back pack. “They have the best omelets, and I come here sometimes for breakfast. Haven’t seen you in a while, you doing all right?”

  “Yes, looking forward to graduation.”

  “Where are you working?”

  “The cancer center. Mostly in the afternoons, but it depends on my schedule with school.”

  “I should know that. I see the specimens come in to pathology. I usually work Wednesday through Friday in the lab.”

  “I think that would be a cool place to work. The patient doesn’t yell back.” I laughed.

  He slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Love to chat, but short on time. Next time I’m around your way, I’ll look you up.”

  “Please do.”

  The next day I finished my last class and headed to the cancer center and saw Mr. Lawrence’s name crossed out on the schedule. He had called in saying he was too ill. It worried me even more. No word from Dane, even though I’d left him voicemail and text messages, and his ailing grandfather left me questioning everything.

  It was unethical to access patient records for personal use, but I did it anyway. I had to know, and at that point, I was willing to lose my job over it. I looked to find any address, all the phone numbers, and if there was an alternate phone number for Dane, besides the one I had.

  I found plenty, and there was more information I hadn’t seen on our schedule or his chart. Christina Biden. She held the same address as Dane and the same home phone number.

  Secrets and lies.

  Chapter 22

  It was Saturday morning before I heard from Dane and his voicemail was very quick, saying he was overwhelmed with work, but would call me soon.

  What the hell does he mean by soon?

  We were to leave the next day for China. I needed to pack, but I had an unusual amount of questions I needed answers to before I left to go anywhere. So, what does a questioning woman do? Call the numbers on the list.

  The first number was out of order. The second was the same voicemail as Dane’s cell phone, so I thought the number might be forwarded to his cell. The third number only added mystery when a woman answered.

  “Hello?”

  “This is Wrenn Cunningham. I’m looking for Dane.”

  “He’s in the shower at the moment. We’re about to get a bite to eat. Is there a message?” Her voice was sophisticated and dripping with sarcasm.

  “Will you ask him to call…? You know what, never mind. Please let him know I’m no longer able to take the trip with him, and I’m leaving town.”

  “I’ll see to it, Miss…?”

  “Cunningham. Wrenn Cunningham.”

  “Ah, yes, but of course. Just another one of his little flavors-of-the-day. I think he’s forgotten about you already and moved on, sugar.” As she spoke, I was quite certain the male voice I heard in the distance on her end of the line was that of Dane’s.

  Within a couple of minutes, my cell was ringing with Dane’s number lighting it up. I knew then he was with that woman, and oh, how convenient.

  Lying, cheating bastard.

  I packed quickly and let Mom know I’d changed my plans and was headed home. I missed her, and it had been six weeks since I was home last.

  The questioning tone in her voice told me she didn’t buy what I was saying, but she let it drop.

  “What’s going on, Wrenn?” Karina asked as I loaded the car.

  “He’s a liar. I caught him with another woman.” I crammed my suitcase into the backseat with a huff.

  “I knew he was too good to be true. Sweetie, I’m sorry. I feel like this is my fault. I encouraged you to break out of your shell.” She embraced me.

  “It’s not your fault. I can’t hate him for everything. He helped me put closure on my past, and I know someday I’ll find the guy for me, but it’s not him.”

  “You staying the week?”

  I nodded.

  “Tell Mom hello for me and be careful.”

  “Hope you and Aaron have fun on your ski trip. Don’t break anything.”

  As I drove down the highway, my cell rang endlessly until the battery finally died, but I didn’t answer his calls. I didn’t want to hear more lies.

  I tried to think about good times with Mr. Lawrence and my other patients and reminded myself to focus on the two months I had remaining in school. After that, it would be smooth sailing for the first time in my life.

  I would have a career I love, which would support me, and soon, I would be able to cross some things off my own bucket list.

  The next few days were spent in peace and quiet with Mom at the house. I didn’t bother charging my phone and actually had left it in the car on purpose. She tried to help me learn quilting, but I didn’t have the patience for it.

  “What is this quilt over on the table for?” I asked, unfolding it.

  “It’s yours, sweetheart. I made it from scraps of your dresses from when you were a little girl. I found the scraps in the attic and was hoping to get it finished before you came home. I wasn’t expecting you this week.”

  “I know.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No. He was just a guy that’s all about himself. There will be another one for me someday, but I’m not rushing. I’ve decided that men are a luxury, but not a necessity.” I tried to laugh.

  “Tomorrow, we can go to town and get the fabric I need to finish the quilt. So many of your dresses were red or had red in them, so I thought about red or black as the bottom fabric color.”

  “Red.” I grinned. “You know me too well.”

  “Red always looked best on you with your dark hair and dark eyes. You got those features from your daddy.”

  “What do you think I got from you?”

  “You got my nose, my fingers, and unfortunately, my weird shaped toes.”

  I looked down at my flip-flops and laughed. My toes. The very ones Stephan had made fun of.

  Sadness gripped my heart. Stephan would’ve taken his fist to Dane Lawrence and either pummeled him or died trying.

  The next morning, I drove Mom to get the fabric she wanted. We called going to the closest city “going to town”, and it was about an hour and a half away.

  She seemed to be walking slowly, and I noticed her holding her stomach a couple of times, while we were in the fabric store.

  When we stopped for lunch, she didn’t feel like eating, so we left the restaurant without ordering, which was totally unlike her. It was such a rare treat f
or her to go out and eat.

  “Mom, are you okay today?” I asked as we walked back to the car.

  “My stomach is queasy. It has been all morning. Must’ve been something I ate.”

  “You don’t look so good.”

  “Don’t make a fuss. I’ll be fine.” She buckled her seat belt.

  Then she gripped her chest and moaned loudly.

  Certain she was having a heart attack, I didn’t wait for an ambulance, since we were only a few minutes from the hospital just across the interstate.

  Grateful that we were in her car, I had more power under the pedal and gunned the engine, racing against the clock. I pulled into the emergency room behind an ambulance that had just unloaded and ran in yelling for help and grabbed a wheelchair I found just inside the door.

  When I returned to the car, she was slumped over. Two paramedics has rushed out behind me. They got Mom out onto the ground and begin chest compressions and asked questions as they worked.

  They got mom on a stretcher and took her inside, but she never regained consciousness, and even though they worked on her for over an hour…

  In a flash, she was gone.

  Chapter 23

  I didn’t get it. What on earth did I do to piss off God?

  I sat in the ER family counseling room for hours, until finally a lady from the hospital social services came back to speak with me.

  “Ms. Cunningham, is there anything more I can do for you? You’ve been here for hours. I’m worried about you. Can I call someone?”

  “I know you probably need this room, don’t you?”

  “Oh dear, no. You can stay as long as you need, but it’s getting dark, and I’m concerned about you driving home.”

  “I don’t have a home anymore. My home was with her. There’s no use going back to an empty house and a stale piece of land.”

  She held my hand, and I felt her gaze on my face.

  “I need to borrow a phone and call our family friend, Dr. Palmer,” I said softly.

  “Absolutely.”

  She pulled the phone from the small table and handed it to me. Sara Beth answered their home phone.