I Will Always Love You

by Kathryn Shay

  His gaze snapped to Brie. “You’re Italian?”

  “Yes. There’s a strain of blue-eyed blondes in Italy.”

  “Ah. Is it just you two?”

  Shaking her head, Brie said abruptly, “No need for you to know about my family. I appreciate you seeing the kids back, but we have to start class.”

  Something was off about her sister’s demeanor with this man.

  “Go ahead.” He focused on Lexy. “I try to take an interest in what my little buds are doing. Would you mind if I stay for the presentation? I have a free hour coming up.”

  “Of course not. If it’s okay with Brie.”

  “Whatever.” She pointed to an adult-size chair in the back. “You can sit there.”

  “Thanks, Gabriella.”

  They headed to the front of the room. Lexy took a seat at the table.

  “Let’s quiet down now,” Brie said much more gently than she’d addressed Dante. “I’d like to introduce you to Ms. Marcello. She’s the author I told you about.”

  In unison, the class recited, “Hello, Ms. Marcello.”

  Lexy stared out at the twenty-five third graders in the low-income school where Brie taught. “Hello.” She fished in her bag and took out her four dolls. She stood them up with a backing she’d jerry-rigged, and brought Pickles to the forefront. “Good morning, girls and boys.”

  The students seemed startled. Then they giggled. “My name is Pickles and pretty soon you can read books about me.” Pickles turned into Lexy’s hand as if she was shy.

  To the class, she said, “Isn’t that cool?”

  Yeses, all around.

  “Would you like to know what happens in the books?” Pickles asked.

  All little heads nodded vigorously.

  Pickles said, “The stories are about a princess who has a secret garden where we all live. And we have lots of adventures. These are my friends. The first story is about Mizz Lovely Lettuce.”

  Lexy made Mizz Lettuce bend over with flourish as if she was taking a bow. In a high-pitched voice, she said, “Someone is cutting all my beautiful leaves in the garden. Pickles helps me find out who the culprit is and stop it.”

  The kids laughed as she sat back against her brace.

  Pickles added. “The next book is about Tater.” Lexy moved him even with Pickles. “He goes missing, and we have to find him. I can’t wait until you see where he’s found.”

  “Where does he go?” one kid blurted out.

  “That question is answered in my book, which I’m sure Ms. Gentileschi will read to you as soon as it’s available.”

  Lexy studied them as they ohhed and ahhed. Their clothing was well-worn, shoes a bit ragged. These kids wouldn’t have the money to buy books. “I’ll be sending all of you a copy of each of my books when they come out.” She smiled to the back of the room. “One for you too, Mr. Federico.”

  He saluted her.

  She finished by bringing up Mr. String Bean. “I live in a stalk across the road from Pickles. I have an adventure with her too.”

  At the end of the presentation, Brie stood. “Come on up and thank Ms. Marcello for coming here today and the books she’s going to give you.”

  The kids bounded out of their seats and rushed to Lexy. Some managed to hug her, others offered thanks and others asked if they could hold the dolls.

  When they’d had their time with her, Brie checked the clock. “You only have a few minutes until the bus comes. Please get your things together.”

  They filled their backpacks with supplies and books, and donned coats which weren’t nearly heavy enough for February winters. Then Brie walked them out to the bus.

  Lexy blew out a heavy breath. Teaching must be exhausting.

  Dante Federico walked to the front. “I can’t wait to read the stories, Alexandra. They’ll fascinate kids up to about eight.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I teach PE, grades K through four.”

  “Well, I hope you’re right. That’s what we’re aiming for.”

  He glanced out the door surreptitiously. “You’re a lot friendlier than your sister.”

  “She’s had a rough time of it lately.”

  “Yeah, I know. I replaced him, you know.”

  “Eddie Smith?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s right, he taught physical education.”

  “I’m afraid nobody here likes me.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll win them over. My brothers say I can charm a snake out of its skin.”

  Alexandra laughed.

  “What’s going on?” Brie’s voice came from the doorway.

  Dante looked over his shoulder. “I’m chatting with your sister.”

  “Don’t you have end-of-the-day stuff to do?”

  Dante rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure.”

  He winked at Lexy, said, “Ciao,” and turned to leave. When he went by Brie, he reached to squeeze her arm, and she stepped back as if she’d been burned.

  Poor Brie. The teacher must remind her every day of the man who’d kidnapped her.

  But Alexandra was glad for the distraction, by both him and presenting to the children. She didn’t think about Ryder once, about the ill-conceived hug they’d shared.

  Until now.

  * * *

  At forty, Abigail Anderson was a beautiful woman with flowing blond hair and blue eyes. Her three series had made Reynolds Publishing money, giving her clout at the company. “So, Ryder, what do you think of my new series?”

  “I think it’s...darling.”

  She sat back. “Now that’s a term your father would never use.” She been handed over to Ryder—since he headed the children’s genre now—though Richard had bought her first book years ago and supervised the publication of the rest until now.

  “What words would he use, Abby?”

  “Smart. Unique. Great text.”

  “It’s all those things and more. And with your storied career, you know that. But I think its charm is what will make the series work.”

  Like Alexandra’s books.

  Don’t think about her. Or what happened after the accident four days ago.

  Abby laughed. “I guess you’re right.” Those eyes turned shrewd. “You add a dimension to the house that it didn’t have before.”

  “Is that a positive thing?”

  “Of course.”

  They finished the pre-writing conference and Abigail stood to leave. “Thanks, Ryder. I’m looking forward to working with you for a long time.”

  He cringed inwardly as he walked her out. He wouldn’t be here to work with her for a long time, but no one in the publishing world knew that yet.

  Back at his desk, Ryder went through his email. When he finished reading the messages, he picked up a manuscript. However, his thoughts returned to Alexandra. He’d only known her a month, but he’d been attracted to her almost from the first. The time he spent with her exacerbated the pull. Then she’d gone and risked her life to save him from the unseen taxi.

  And what had happened in the aftermath.

  The hug had started out innocently. But it quickly turned sexual. Now, Ryder was besieged by memories of the feel of her body against his, her full breasts, her surprising muscle tone. She buried her face in his chest, grasped his neck, moved as close as she could get. He’d reveled in the contact and held her tightly.

  She must have felt the same desire he did because she’d fled from the condo. He didn’t follow, but made sure his driver saw her into the hotel.

  Then she’d gone to her sister’s house. He’d received an email from her two days ago. He called it back up and printed the attachment. Like a lovesick boy, he reread her words.

  Hello, Ryder. Hope this finds you well. I’m sending an outline of sorts for the next two books. They take into consideration all your input and some more of my own as I’ve had two whole days at Brie’s and she insisted I rest. Let me know what you think.

  A
lexandra

  That was it. Nothing personal. He’d been incredibly disappointed—an emotion he too often experienced with her. They’d gotten dangerously close.

  His gaze snagged on the cell on his desk. This was the fourth day she’d been away. Should he call her? He was shocked by how badly he wanted to talk to her.

  There was a knock on the door. He leaned back, telling himself he was glad for the reprieve from temptation and said, “Come in.”

  Elena breezed through the door, stunning as usual. Maybe this was what he needed right now.

  * * *

  The night of her presentation, Lexy and Brie took a walk. The March day had been warm, though after dinner they needed coats. Still, it was nice enough to be outdoors in the neighborhood where Brie lived. “So,” Lexy said, “You don’t like Dante Federico?”

  Brie let out a heavy breath and stuck her hands in the pockets of her jacket. “It isn’t that I don’t like him. I don’t know him. He just reminds me of Eddie.”

  Lexy took her hand. “Maybe if you keep in mind the circumstances of what happened, that Eddie betrayed you because Calla’s ex threatened his mother, it would help you heal quicker.”

  “Linda says the same thing.”

  “Linda’s your therapist.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  They walked a little farther in silence, then Lexy picked up the conversation. “When you took the kids out to the bus, Dante told me nobody at school likes him.”

  Her sister stopped. “That’s awful.”

  “You didn’t know?”

  “Of course not. But now that you mention it, he eats his lunch alone and I haven’t seen him hang out with anybody. That’s because of me?”

  “He probably reminds everybody of Eddie. When did Dante start work?”

  “The school hired a long-term sub at first. Apparently they had to hold Eddie’s job until after his trial. His classes had a substitute, then Dante started in March. And was hired back for the next year.”

  “Huh. Maybe if you befriended him, others would, too.”

  Brie’s face fell. “I’m not sure I want to do that.”

  “That’s okay too, Brie.”

  She shook her head, sending blond waves into her eyes. “No, it’s unkind and selfish. I’ll talk to Linda and see what she thinks.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.”

  “What about you? Have you been thinking about Ryder, Lex?”

  “I’m trying not to.”

  Again, Brie stopped. “Because of the accident?”

  What to say?

  “Sweetie, tell me what’s going on in your head. You’ve been glum all week. Talking might help.”

  “Or it might make me think about him more.”

  They started walking again. Brie was quiet, giving her space.

  Finally, Lexy blurted out, “When I left his condo...” she’d told Brie some of the story “...I hugged him.”

  “I would have done the same thing.”

  “He hugged back.”

  “Okay.”

  “It felt sexual.”

  “Oh.”

  “I prolonged it. Maybe he did, too.”

  “I see.”

  “Brie, I’m attracted to him. I wanted that hug to go further. Hell, I can’t be the cliché of sleeping with the boss. I can’t.”

  “A hug is a far cry from sleeping with him.”

  “Yeah, well, it didn’t feel that way.”

  * * *

  She stepped back from him in the hallway foyer. Kicking off her boots, she reached for the hem of the red sweat suit top. His jaw dropping, Ryder watched her as she pulled the garment over her head along with the T-shirt beneath. Her hands hooked into the waistband of her pants and she pushed them down, too, so they puddled next to her boots. In a move worthy of Aphrodite or Lady Godiva, she shook back all that hair and smiled at Ryder...

  Startled out of sleep, Ryder bolted up. Shit! He was covered in sweat and hard as a rock.

  And the freaking phone was ringing. He glanced at the clock. Five a.m. Something was wrong. He snatched it up. “Hello?”

  “Hey, buddy, sorry to wake you.”

  “Rina? What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Annie. She’s in the hospital.”

  “What happened?”

  “Millie told us she can’t stop throwing up. It’s early, but I knew you’d want to know.”

  “Of course I do. Which hospital? I’ll be right there.”

  His dream forgotten, he bounded off the bed, dressed and was out the door in ten minutes. As he waited for an Uber, he prayed, Please God, don’t let anything happen to my sister’s child.

  * * *

  Her last morning at Brie’s, Lexy woke up at six a.m. She was going back to New York today for a meeting with Ryder. Maybe that’s why her stomach ached. No, not an ache, a...bad feeling. A really bad feeling. Shaking herself, she got up, threw on her bathrobe and went to the kitchen. A note from Brie sat in front of the coffee pot:

  Had to leave early for a before-school faculty meeting. Have a safe trip back. Loved having you with me, and love you, kiddo!

  Lexy frowned. She hoped the disturbing sensation wasn’t about her sister. Brie had enough to deal with. She picked up the brewed pot which contained the dark, rich coffee from Casarina. Mamá had it shipped to all the girls living here. As she sipped her drink, she went to the sliding glass doors and stared out at the backyard. And shivered. This was where Brie had been abducted. Maybe seeing it—and the fact that they’d been talking about the incident—was the source of Lexy’s anxiety.

  She brought a second cup of coffee to the bedroom and left it on the nightstand while she showered. A name kept running through her mind: Ryder, Ryder, Ryder. Wow, she truly was obsessing about that hug.

  Or something was wrong with him.

  After she towel-dried off, did her morning routine and dressed, she checked her messages on the phone in the bedroom. None from him. He must be okay if he was keeping their ten o’clock meeting. Should she email him? But that way, she’d have to wait for him to respond. Should she’d call him? As she was staring at the phone, it rang. She snatched it up. “Hello.”

  “Alexandra? It’s Ryder.” His voice was strained, hoarse.

  “Hi. Are you all right?”

  “Um, no. I can’t keep our meeting today.”

  “This is going to sound stupid, but hear me out. I had a presage of something bad happening since I woke up. You kept coming to mind. What’s going on?”

  He sucked in a heavy breath. “Annie, my sister’s daughter, was rushed to Mount Helen’s emergency room around five this morning.”

  “Do they know what’s wrong?”

  “Not yet. And her symptoms won’t abate. She’s been sick for a few days, but she got worse during the night.”

  When he didn’t offer any more details, for privacy’s sake she was sure, she said, “I’m so sorry. How are you holding up?”

  “I have to pull myself back from the edge every five minutes. I’m sorry, I know I’m unloading on you. I can’t with the girls.”

  “Do you have anyone besides them to talk to?”

  “Um, no. I don’t have close friends outside my family.”

  “I’m coming back to New York like I planned. Would it be all right if I come and be with you?”

  “We’re at Mount Helen’s Hospital.”

  Chapter 8

  A yellow cab pulled up at the entrance to the Emergency Room and Alexandra got out. The sight of her banished his feeling like a fool, like a totally unprofessional jerk, as he walked out to meet her. He hadn’t realized how much he needed her here until she arrived. “Ryder!”

  “Alexandra.” His voice caught on the last syllable.

  She came closer and threw her arms around his neck. He encircled her waist and clung to her. Her fresh scent replaced the antiseptic smell permeating the hospital. For a few moments, they just held each other. When he drew back, he cleared his throat. “Wow, I’m more of a basket
case than I thought.”

  “That’s okay. Do you want to talk now?”

  “Yeah, I guess. I told the girls I was going to the cafeteria to grab a pastry. Let’s get coffee there.”

  Inside, they took a quick left and went down a few feet until they reached the eatery. He let her go before him. As they waited their turn, he put his hand on her shoulder. Touching her now calmed him. “I know it was crazy to ask you to come.”

  “You didn’t ask. I offered.”

  “But I agreed.”

  “What does it matter, Ryder? I’m here now, and I’m glad I am.”

  Once they got coffee, they sat at a table. He sipped his drink, peering at her over the rim.

  Lexy broke the silence. “You said your niece has been sick?”

  “Yeah, for a few days. Millie, my oldest sister, thought she had the flu. She and her wife played tag team staying home with her. They said she got better, then early this morning she woke up vomiting and had diarrhea. It wouldn’t stop so they brought her here.”

  She checked a chunky watch on her arm. “What time was that?”

  “Five.”

  “And still no diagnosis?”

  “They’re hydrating her. She’s small like Lisa, her birth mother. She’s twelve, but she’s the size of a nine-year-old, which makes her more susceptible to dehydration, which can shut down your systems.”

  “But she’s in good hands. She’ll get hydrated here. The doctors are in charge, and this is one of the best hospitals in New York.”

  Momentarily distracted, he asked, “How would you know that?”

  She traced the rim of her cup with her finger. “I looked it up on the Internet on the train ride down. This place has a world-renowned pediatrics unit.”

  “Hmm.”

  “Her mother is your oldest sister, right?”

  “Yes, you met the next in line, Suzanne.”

  A curve of her lips. “A Barbie Doll. I researched that one, too. You have three sisters?”