After breakfast I changed into my dress and found Hale already in his office. “I have to go.”
He twisted in his chair and pulled me into his lap. “Will I see you tonight?”
I nodded. “I, um, have those papers for you to sign.”
He took the file from me and reached for a pen, opening to the pages Lynette had marked with Post-Its.
I caught his hand. “Wait.”
He looked at me in question.
“What happens if you give her a different property, Hale? How much will she really fight you?”
He sat back and sighed. “We’ve been through this.”
“So go through it again. I’ve seen you negotiate. You’re no slouch.”
His eyes shifted as he considered the challenges. “It’ll cost me twice as much.”
“What’s the price of peace of mind? You don’t want her that close to your family.” And maybe I didn’t want her that close either.
“I’ll make some calls today and see what I can do, but I think it’s a done deal at this point.”
“Then no harm in trying one last time.” Remington believed everyone had a price, it was a matter of matching it at the right moment. Speaking of Remington…
I kissed Hale’s cheek and slid off his lap. “I love you. I have to go. My boss can be a real prick when I’m late.”
“Don’t I know it.” He slapped my ass and I squeaked.
“Calm yourself. Your mother’s in the house.”
He arched a brow, telling me that wouldn’t stop him.
Bunch of deviants, these Davenports. I kissed him one last time. “Goodbye.”
When I returned to the house I hoped to change before anything pressing was thrown at me, but that was just crazy talk. The second I stepped through the door, Marta looked up and mumbled something in Spanish, before gazing away and rushing into the kitchen. That didn’t sound good.
“Meyers,” Remington called from the back room. “Come in here, please.”
Please? His mood couldn’t be that bad if he was using manners. Tossing my purse on the foyer table I went to see what he needed. “Sorry, I’m late.”
He waved away my apology. “Have a seat.”
Everyone else was mysteriously absent and the television was off. It usually played on a low volume throughout the day. I quickly went over my objectives from the past few days, ticking off each item wondering if there was something I overlooked.
Lowering myself to the chair, I looked at him expectantly. “Where is everyone? Why is it so quiet?”
My concern doubled when his gaze wouldn’t reach my eyes. “Rayne…” He cleared his throat and my stomach knotted. Not Rayne. I was Meyers. Meyers.
My breath turned shaky, as he remained silent. “You’re scaring me, Remington. What’s going on?”
He reached beside him and held up my phone—not the bat phone, which I’d been using lately, but my actual phone. “You left this here last night. It was ringing a few minutes ago. It rang several times…so I finally answered.”
I reached for it and he pulled it back. Dropping into my seat I struggled to breathe. “Who called?”
I don’t know who I was expecting him to say, but I knew whoever called didn’t have good news. “Your friend, Tyler. There was an accident. Your friend Elle was hurt.”
My brain disconnected for a moment and I had to replay his words several times before they made sense. “What?”
Elle was in an accident? It couldn’t be bad, because she was Elle. My eyes burned as I stared at him, waiting for him to explain more and how he was going to make it all better, because he was Remington and he could fix anything.
“It’s not good, sweetheart. Hale said you were on your way back when I called there. He’s on his way here. I’ve booked you a flight to go home this afternoon. Everything’s taken care of. Right now she’s stable, but…”
My head shook as pain tightened my chest. “What kind of accident?”
“She was run off the road by a drunk driver. They have the man in custody.”
I was going to throw up. Suddenly I was on my feet, pacing. “I have to go.”
“Your flight leaves in a few hours.”
“That’s not good enough. I have to leave now! What did Tyler say? Is she awake? Talking?”
“She woke up when they were transporting her, but nothing since. Sweetheart, take a breath and then we’ll call the hospital, see if we can get an update.”
“I need to call Tyler.”
“The hospital will—”
Ignoring him, I grabbed my phone and speed dialed Tyler.
“Rayne?” he answered, voice distraught.
My throat was unbearably tight. “What happened?”
It was just as Remington said. Elle had been driving home from work when a drunk driver came out of nowhere and ran her off the road. Her car was totaled. She was in the ICU, but somewhat stable. However, she hadn’t regained consciousness or shown any response since last night. Once off the phone with Tyler I rushed to my room and frantically tossed clothes onto my bed.
Remington followed me on his scooter. “Take a breath, Rayne.”
“I need a fucking suitcase! Jesus, I can’t even think!”
He sent a text out on his phone and Marta appeared, laying a suitcase on the bed. Remington scooted further into the room. “Things like this happen.”
My face was damp with spent tears, but I didn’t care who saw me cry. I needed to get home and it would take hours to get there. “How long does it take to fly from Florida to Oregon?”
“About six hours.”
That was my breaking point. Dropping to the edge of the bed, I held my face and sobbed. Remington’s hand rested lightly on my back, but there were no words that could comfort me in those agonizing moments. Even he couldn’t fix this. For all his power and privilege, his wife had still died.
“What am I going to do if something happens to her?” I sobbed. “My best friend is in a fucking coma!”
A door slammed on the other end of the house as I wheezed and I tried to catch my breath. When I saw Hale I crumbled again, letting the last of my sanity go, certain he’d catch all the shattered pieces.
His father moved aside and Hale pulled me into his arms, holding me tight as his lips pressed to my temple. “Do you want me to go with you?” he whispered.
Yes… Shoulders shaking, I wiped my eyes. “You can’t.” He had a baby and she was too new to travel.
“I can do whatever you need, baby. If you want me to go, I’ll go. Marta and my mom can take care of Elara until we get back.”
I could never ask him to leave his newborn daughter. God only knew how long I’d be gone. I had to do this on my own.
“No.” I shook my head, pulling myself together as much as possible. “You need to stay here.”
His expression shuttered and I knew what he was going to ask, but I didn’t have an answer. “How long will you be gone?”
My head pounded from too many worries. “I don’t know.”
He nodded. There was no sign of objection in his expression, just sad acceptance. Elle was my best friend and I would go for as long as it took. I wouldn’t leave until I was certain she was safe and well.
“I’m sorry.” My tears returned.
“Hey,” he whispered, cupping my face. “She’ll get through this. You’re going to Oregon and I’ll be here waiting for you to return with good news. No apologizing. Understand?”
“I might be gone a while.”
My stomach hurt when I imagined being away from him for anything more than a few days. I hated every minute wasted over the last few weeks.
What if I was gone for weeks, or months? We had only been together a short time. I wasn’t sure our connection could survive that sort of separation.
“Who’s going to take care of your dad?” It was the least of my worries, but the biggest obstacle I could manage at the moment.
“We’ll figure that out.”
They�
�d have to hire someone new if I was gone for more than a few days. Another sickening expectation to process. I didn’t want to be replaced. This was my job. These were my Davenports.
“Hey.” He tilted my face. “Look at me, baby. You’re coming back. I’m sure of it. This is just an unexpected hiccup. Elle will heal and everything will be fine. Trust me.”
Didn’t he know cars crashed and seasickness happened? He couldn’t make those sorts of guarantees, but I nodded anyway, needing to believe he could.
Hale helped me pack, insisting I leave items behind, because eventually I’d be back. Marta made me a goody bag of food for the airport and Remington insisted I take a credit card for “incidentals”. No matter how much Hale promised I’d be back, when he hugged me goodbye at the gate, his fear left an imprint.
“I love you, Rayne.”
The words escaped my throat like razor blades. “I love you too.”
It was happening. I was already detaching, because that’s what I always did when life overwhelmed me. Yet some part of me couldn’t let go.
“Hale…I’m scared.”
He kissed me and looked into my eyes. “If you need anything all you have to do is call. I can be there in a matter of hours.”
Forcing my hands to release his arms, I swallowed a sob and stepped back, nodding. Everything inside of me hurt. There was so much fear, endless panic, and there would be no more Hale to ease my scattered mind.
Without Hale, without Elle, I couldn’t imagine my life. It was possibly the most painful goodbye I’d ever made.
“I’ll call you when I get there.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
So many thoughts raced through my head as I turned away from him. Elle might be forever changed. Elara would grow in my absence. Remington would hire someone new. And Hale…
People always told me, true love could last forever. This trip home would be the truest test of all.
To be continued in…
Calamity Rayne
Back Again
Other Titles by Lydia Michaels
Falling In
Breaking Out
Coming Home
La Vie en Rose
Blind
Untied
How to Love Her
Sacred Waters
Skin
Chaste
Faking It
Forsaking Truth
As Tears Go By
Hold Me Fast
Breaking Perfect
First Comes Love
Simple Man
Protégé
Called to Order
Calling for a Miracle
Destiny Calls
Call Her Mine
About the Author
Lydia Michaels is an introverted loudmouth who loves to write. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her childhood sweetheart, a tiny chef, and four ill-behaved pets. Her favorite things are coffee, snuggling, ice cream, and family. She likes to pretend she’s one of those people who does yoga every day and eats kale, but that’s a lie. She’s a scattered disaster who still feels sixteen at heart. Her readers fill a special, rather large, part of her heart.
Connect with Lydia Michaels on Facebook and other social networks!
@Lydia_Michaels
www.Facebook.com/LydiaMichaels
www.LydiaMichaelsBooks.com
Calamity Rayne: Gets A Life Page 38
