"Feeling like the weight of an elephant had been lifted from her shoulders, she drove home and prepared for her move to Michigan. For the next several nights, she packed her life into cardboard boxes. Days she helped Pete at the shelter, and finalized the sale of her half to one thrilled and grateful Amy. She sold it to her for a song, happy to give Amy the chance to own a business.
Throughout, she kept in contact with Rainer, not only to make arrangements for the long drive to Michigan, but also to inquire into her sister's status. Although still serious, her prognosis was no longer grim. Hailey had learned enough, though, to know that didn't mean much. Heidi's condition could deteriorate at any moment. For that reason, she enlisted a local real estate agent to sell the house and made hasty work of wrapping up the final issues. Days were gold. She didn't want to miss anymore with Heidi--or with Rainer.
Before she departed that cool fall morning, she sat on the living room floor, facing the wide bay window, and while admiring the view one last time, she called Rainer.
He didn't answer.
She tried to picture where he was. Slurping coffee as he drove to work? In an examination room with a patient? She couldn't wait to see him. If she drove as many hours as possible, she'd probably make it in seven days. Seven long, lonely days.
As she walked to the truck, a taxi pulled up. Andrew climbed out and, with a suitcase in his hand, ran toward her.
"What are you doing?" she asked, eyeballing the beat-up luggage as he tossed it on the ground.
"I'm going with you."
"You're what? You can't leave Pete and Amy. They'll need your help."
"Pete gave me the go-ahead. I've been wanting a change of scenery for a while. Now seems like a good time to go for it."
"But Michigan? Do you have any idea what you're doing? You hate cold weather and snow." Even as she tried to convince him he was making a mistake, she was grateful for his offer. The thought of driving across country by herself petrified her.
"I've always wanted to wear one of those huge ski jackets. You know, the kind that make you look like a linebacker, even if you’re the size of Pee Wee Herman?"
She wrapped her arms around Andrew and squeezed him tight. "Thank you," she whispered.
He squeezed back. "You're welcome." Then he shoved her back and grinned playfully. "I'm really likin' this new you, Hailey."
"Yeah. Me too. Now, let's get going! It's a long drive.
As she started the truck and gave it some gas, a second taxi pulled up. A familiar form emerged, and Hailey's heart leapt. She jumped from the driver's seat and ran, collapsing into Rainer's arms and kissing every inch of his face.
"You came!"
"I couldn't resist the thought of seven days in a truck with you."
###
Hailey stiffened against the cool wind blowing off the distant mountains. "God, this is gorgeous!" She snuggled deeper into her jacket until the lifted collar covered her nose.
"Get your ass in here, outta the cold," Andrew called to her from the truck's driver side window. "We can't have you catchin' pneumonia."
"I'm coming. It's a shame there aren't any mountains in Michigan."
"Yeah. They're great. Let's get back on the road. We might be making good time now, but if you keep this up, it'll take us a week to get to Missouri."
"You're such a nag. This is the first time I've dillydallied since we left," she said as she climbed into the passenger side. "By the way, thanks for driving through the mountains. I can't handle driving in snow. I didn't expect snow this time of year."
"What are you going to do in winter?" He started the truck as they waited for Rainer to return from the truck stop. As soon as Rainer was inside, one arm casually resting on Hailey's shoulder, Andrew pulled slowly onto the freeway entry ramp. "Don't they get a lot of snow in Michigan?"
"Not as much as you'd think." She turned to watch the mountains fade into the distance. This trip, which had already eaten up a full day, had been a lot harder than she'd expected. The drive through the mountains had been treacherous. Frightening. She was grateful for the two men on either side of her--for more than one reason.
Finally having grown comfortable with Rainer's constant proximity, she relaxed. The view outside was dull. Miles and miles of empty fields and highway. She turned on the radio.
"What are you going to do first when you get there?" Andrew asked.
She didn't have to think about his question long. "Go see Heidi."
"And then, what?" Rainer asked with a crooked grin.
"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds it might incriminate me."
Both men laughed.
"Who's Heidi?" Andrew asked.
She studied his profile for a moment and wondered why she hadn't been honest with him weeks ago. She'd been so insistent upon keeping things from her friends--from him and Pete. "My twin sister."
"You have a twin?" Andrew looked incredulous, making her laugh.
"Yes. We're identical--well, genetically identical. We're actually very different."
"I'll attest to that," Rainer said.
"You know both sisters?" Andrew asked. "Is Heidi as sexy as Hailey here?"
"They are both beautiful."
"There is one thing you should know," Hailey said to Andrew. "My sister had cancer. Leukemia. She needed a bone marrow transplant."
"Oh," Andrew said, glancing her way. "That's why you were gone so long!"
"That was part of it, yes."
"Part?" He returned his attention to the road.
"Heidi and I had a problem a few years ago, and we weren't talking. So Rainer told me I should try to make peace with Heidi in case...well, you know."
"So, did you?"
"I tried."
"I get the picture," Andrew said. "You did something rotten, and she won't let you forget it. Rainer here tries to get the two of you to make peace but fails, so you decide to go back to Michigan. No wonder you were such a workaholic. And no wonder you decided to go for animal rescue. It's a subconscious effort to rescue your sister from the damage you caused."
"You're a shrink?" she asked.
"No. But I took a few psych courses in college." Andrew grinned. "Thought it might help me figure myself out."
"Did it?" Rainer asked, laughter in his voice.
"Nope. If you ask me, it's a bunch of baloney. Except for Freud. He was brilliant."
She laughed. "Yeah. Brilliant. My favorite theory of his was the penis envy thing."
"Mine too," both men said in unison.
"Well," Andrew said, "we've got you all figured out. Almost. But I still think you're holding something back."
"How can you know that?"
"Your 'id' is showing."
She laughed. "Did I thank you both for coming with me?"
"At least a dozen times," Andrew answered. "I'll take it again. You're welcome. Now, no weaseling out of my question. What are you hiding? No one makes a one-eighty without some major shake-ups in their life."
"You mean my sister getting cancer isn't enough?"
"Nope." Andrew glanced at her. "Now that you're on this honesty kick, I'm not going to let this drop. What else happened?"
She thought for a while, but it didn't take her long to realize what he saw. Despite all the turmoil in her life, despite the uncertainty, the sorrow in her sister's up and down medical status, she was not only alive, she was complete. For the first time in her life. It was the strangest thing she'd ever experienced. Completely illogical, when she thought about it.
"You're in love with this guy," Andrew said, slamming his hand against Rainer's arm. "That's it, isn't it? I'm right." He nodded toward Rainer.
Her face heated, and she turned away, ignoring the nudge at her shoulder.
"You're hiding from me! I'm right. I knew it. So, tell me how you two met. At the hospital, making googly eyes in the hallway?"
"Not exactly," she said. "Rainer is Heidi's doctor. You remember that mysterious phone call I got at work that one night?"
"This was the guy."
"The rude ass who hung up on you?" Andrew said, scowling.
Rainer chuckled. "That wasn't one of my better moments."
Andrew focused on the road. "Well, I'm sure you'll make up for it--if you haven't already."
Hailey couldn't help laughing at that comment.
"You know that, buddy," Rainer said.
"Back to the sister," Andrew said. "You said you tried making up for whatever nasty thing you did to her. What are you going to try next? Maybe I can help you come up with something."
"I don't know," Hailey said, cautious but hopeful. "I've already tried apologizing. That didn't work."
"She also donated bone marrow, and chopped off her hair for a wig," Rainer added. "Heidi is being stubborn, but their mother is only making things worse. The woman practically lives to see the two of them at each other's neck."
Andrew shook his head. "That's too bad. You're going to have to do something huge if that's the case."
"I don't know what's bigger than having someone drill holes in my hips." Hailey said, leaning into Rainer and resting her head on his shoulder. "Heidi's changed. She's bitter." She stared out the window, watching the shadowed fields rumble by as the sun slipped behind the retreating mountains. The sky was clear, the silver moon shining already.
"You must have done something really bad." Andrew said.
"Yes I did, but I didn't mean for it to turn out the way it did. It's a long story."
"You need to return things to the way they were," Andrew said.
"Sounds so simple, but I don't think it's possible. Besides, I'm not sure she'd go for it. For one, it would mean me going into the computer business again. I couldn't. No way."
Andrew's brows lifted. "Computers?"
"Yeah," she said intrigued by his response. "I've already told Rainer about this." She squeezed Rainer's knee, wondering why he was being so quiet. He smiled encouragingly, and she continued, "We started a business together, but I pulled out. Heidi didn't know the technical side. The business failed. She lost everything, including her fiancé."
"I might be able to help," Andrew said.
"Really?" she asked, almost afraid to believe him.
"I took computer programming in college."
Rainer squeezed her shoulder.
"What kind of salesman would you be?" she asked Andrew.
"A damn good one!" Andrew said proudly.
"Really?" The gears spun in her head. Andrew and Heidi? The launch of a new business. But she didn't have the capital. Amy was paying her off in installments. How would they get the start-up funds?
And then she laughed. Here, she'd dismissed Andrew as an airhead, barely capable of managing the shelter for a few days. What a fool she'd been!
She stared at him as he drove. Yes, under his beach bum exterior lay an intelligent and capable man. Why had she been so blind? "Do you have experience setting up networks? Troubleshooting servers? Writing custom applications for businesses?"
"Did you like the system we had at Paws and Claws?"
"Don't tell me!" She slapped a palm on her forehead. "I can't believe this," she said to Rainer.
Andrew grinned. "I was, er am, 'Computer Systems Solutions, Inc.' Started the company outta college. I also work with corporations as a hacker. They pay me good money to find ways to break into their systems and hacker-proof their firewalls. How did you think I survived? No way I could live on what you paid me--no offense."
Rainer laughed. "Don't tell me she paid you minimum wage."
"Just about," she admitted sheepishly. "It was the best we could do. Why didn't you tell me about the computers?"
"I checked the 'Bachelor's Degree' box on the Paws and Claws application, but you never asked me about it."
"Computers and psychology," Rainer said. "What a combination."
"Works for me!" Andrew said.
"I see that," Hailey said with respect. He'd let her misjudge him. Never pushed her. Never threw her doubt and incessant micromanaging in her face. "This has been an eye-opener." She leaned back and watched a lone cloud skitter across the sky. "I can't believe you didn't say something to me. I treated you like a nitwit."
"It didn't bother me. I wasn't there because it was a career. I loved working with the animals, doing something that counted. What I did at Paws and Claws was enough."
"You're a better person than I am," she said.
Andrew shook his head again. "Naw. Just rakin' in plenty of dough moonlighting. Didn't need the money. So why shake things up?"
A thought dawned on her. "Now, wait a minute. You're moving across country when you have a successful business in California? Why would you do that?"
Andrew shrugged. "I'll commute once a month or so to do scheduled maintenance or upgrades. No biggie. I can do the other stuff anywhere."
"Do you need a good accountant?"
"Do I ever!" Andrew winked. "Your sister's a bean counter?"
"Yeah," Rainer piped in. "A good one. Deserves a huge salary, business car, the whole nine yards."
"I think I can do that."
Hailey sunk even deeper into her seat, letting her head settle against Rainer's chest. Had she finally found the solution--a way to make up the past? It wasn't exactly the same. It wouldn't be Heidi's own company, but it was more than what she had now. And it was with someone Hailey knew and trusted.
It was just a matter of convincing Heidi, and she knew that wouldn't be easy.
The remainder of the trip was spent preparing for every argument Heidi might throw her way. Rainer and Andrew drilled her, until she felt somewhat confident she had a good case to present to her hardheaded sister. The final night, the steady hum of the tires on the road and Rainer's bulk next to her, his hand rubbing the tension from her shoulder, lulled her to sleep.
A restful sleep, filled with images of her sister's happy face.
Chapter 17
Sue stopped mid-stride as an approaching horde of teenagers parted and walked past. Rainer laughed at her scowl.
"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" she asked, falling into step with him as he rushed through the crowded mall. "You may be on vacation, but I have appointments this afternoon. What if we get a horde of flu patients?"
"They'll page you."
"I should be at work," she said, shaking her head. "I'm going back." She turned around.
"Wait," he said, catching her arm and tugging her back in the same direction he was headed. Not missing a step, he continued, "I need your help. Please. She's moved to Detroit for good. I want to buy her a housewarming gift. But you know me. I'm terrible at this stuff. I don't have a clue what to get."
"First of all, who's 'she'? And second, I'm no better at shopping than you are--especially shopping for a stranger."
"You've met her."
"I have?"
He smiled at her furrowed brows and bewildered expression. "Heidi Jensen's sister Hailey."
"Ohhhh..."
That word lasted longer than it should. "What?" he asked.
"Nothing."
He stopped walking. "What was that 'oh...' about?"
"Is she moving here to be with you?"
"No. She's moving here to be with her family."
"All right. Well, let me think. What kind of place is she moving into? A condo? A house? What's her style?"
He tried to envision Hailey's house in California, but naming the style was beyond him. "Kind of simple?" was the best he could come up with. "She hasn't found a place yet--at least I don't think she has. She's apartment hunting as we speak."
"I see." Sue stood before a broad window studying some strange furnishings with profound interest.
"She wouldn't like this stuff. Too weird," he said, taking a second look at a furry couch and bright pink chair. Though that couch might have its uses.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Not moving here to be with you, eh? I think you should
buy something small. If she's staying with her family for a while, she won't want to haul around some piece of furniture when she moves."
"Good point." He decided not to mention that he'd invited Hailey to stay with him, and she'd accepted. It was still a little hard to believe. She could change her mind, make peace with Heidi and stay with her...who knew?
"How about a nice plant?" Sue said, turning from the window. "Or a small accessory? Maybe something for her kitchen."
"A plant? Those are so impersonal, don't you think?"
"No. Not normally, unless... Exactly what is she to you?"
"A friend?"
She shook her head and walked toward the next store. "Friend? Bull! It's as clear as day you're in love with her--have been for who knows how long. I saw the way you looked at her that day at the clinic."
He stopped at the next store, a jewelry store with tiny windows showcasing dazzling gems. A square cut emerald ring caught his eye. "Let's go in here."
"What are you thinking?" She sounded exasperated. "You're not getting an engage--"
"No! I'm not that bad." He tried to reassure her with a smile. "Come on. Why are you acting like this? I've never seen you so argumentative. I thought our little excursion might be fun."
"Okay. I'm sorry. You're right. It's your life. Your mistake. But as your friend--a real friend, I might add--It's my job to make sure you know what you're doing."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me." He turned to the grinning salesman whose gaze leapt tellingly from Rainer to Sue and back. "Rainer Hartmann. I'd like to see the emerald ring in the window, please."
"Mr. Hartmann. My name is Henry. I'd be glad to get it for you. It's a personal favorite." He motioned toward a set of metal stools next to a glass counter. "Would you and your lovely lady like to take a seat?"
"Thank you." Rainer led Sue, wearing a crocodile smile, to the stool and held her chair for her before taking his own.
The ring was even more dazzling close up than it was in the window. When Henry tried to slip it on Sue's finger, she shook her head, and he glanced questioningly at Rainer.
"It's not for her. She's here to help me choose."
"Oh. I see," the man said with a nod, before launching into his spiel about the stone's brilliance and unsurpassed quality.
Rescue Me (a quirky romance novel about secrets, forgiveness and falling in love) Page 20
