Tangled Hearts (Evermore 4 Book Box Set)

by ANDREA SMITH

  “I’ve got to change our plans, babe,” he said, walking into the room and flopping down across the bed. “That was Diana. They’ve got to re-film two scenes in the movie that weren’t approved during post-production. The scenes are fairly short ones, but it means I have to fly back to D.C. for the location shots. They want me there on the 7th. We start filming on Saturday. They’ll have the crew in place by the time the rest of the talent gets there. It should just take a couple of days. I’m sorry. It looks like we’ll have to delay our trip out there for a few days.”

  “But Seth,” I replied, “we’ve got the painters and the carpet installers scheduled from the sixth through the ninth,” I argued. “We did that specifically so that the rooms getting painted and carpeted would be finished before the furniture arrives on the tenth. You have orientation at the university on the twelfth. We’re playing this way too close I think.”

  “Yeah, no shit,” he mumbled. “Gimme a minute here, babe,” he replied, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, how about this? You go on ahead as planned, and I’ll fly out from D.C. as soon as we finish up. Are you okay with handling that shit by yourself?”

  “Of course I’m okay with it,” I replied, giving him an eye roll, “I’m perfectly capable of having our home all put together and ready for you when you get there. I don’t want you stressing about it either.”

  “Do you want me to ask Laura to come out earlier than planned?” he asked, his forehead creasing in what I knew was concern.

  I rolled my eyes as I stood on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips. “And you say I worry too much,” I chided with a grin. “I will be fine, Seth. And your mom is filming too remember? If I run into any problems, I’ll call or text you, how’s that?”

  “You damn well better,” he growled, palming my still nearly flat tummy. “And take good care of the baby. No lifting. You have the delivery guys do everything. Even if they have to rearrange the shit three or four times until it’s to your liking, understand?”

  I nodded against his chest. “I love you, Seth.”

  “Come show me,” he whispered, taking my hand in his and pulling me down on the bed next to him. And the rest of the evening we both showed one another exactly that.

  Chapter 21

  September 6, 2001

  Seth

  “Okay babe, got your ticket?” I ask as the cabbie is pulling up to the United Airlines curbside check-in at La Guardia.

  “Yes, Seth,” Neely replies, “I got my ticket. The keys to the house, my cell phone, my credit cards, and everything else you’ve asked me about all morning, okay?”

  I give her a smile and a wink. “I’m a worry wart. Sue me.”

  “And the transport company will have our cars at the house Friday afternoon. You have a rental until then which will be waiting for you at the airport,” I remind her.

  “Got it. I’ll call you when I get there. Stop worrying. I’ll miss you.”

  I lean over and give her several soft kisses. “Right back at you. I’ll see you next Tuesday, babe, but we’ll talk every day, I promise.”

  “Sethhh,” she whines, “I’m gonna be fine. I have managed on my own in the past, remember?”

  I chuckle and nod. “I know. I know.”

  The cabbie opens her door, and I see he’s placed her luggage over at the Priority Check-in. I glance at my watch. My flight takes off in forty-five minutes for D.C.

  Neely leans over and gives me a final kiss. “Love you. Talk to you later, babe.”

  And she’s out of the car and gone.

  The cabbie climbs back in. “Where to, Mac?”

  “American Airlines terminal,” I reply, turning to cast one last glance in the rear window at my wife. She’s gazing back at me as the cab pulls out, her hand raises in a final wave and my heart feels heavy at leaving her there for some reason.

  I know it can’t be helped. But after Monday, I’m her’s forever. No more agents; no more studios, no more filming, no more interviews.

  Just the two of us.

  And next February…the three of us.

  The cabbie pulls up in front of the American Airlines terminal. I pay the driver and grab my bag from the trunk he’s popped open for me.

  It’s on to D.C. to finish this film. And then I have the rest of my life to live our dream.

  Thank fuck.

  Chapter 22

  Four days later . . .

  “Seth, you should see this place,” I squealed over the phone, “It looks perfect. The furniture goes so well with the colors I selected for the walls.”

  “Oh, you selected?” he asked, and I could picture his right eyebrow raised and the devilish grin he had going. “Seems to me that I had some say in that shit as I remember.”

  I smiled, “I know you did. I stand corrected. But it is simply epic. I can’t wait for you to see everything. Oh, and the cars have been tuned up and detailed like you wanted.”

  “I’ll see it all tomorrow, babe,” he said with a sigh. “Did our shit get there from New York yet?”

  “Nope, but don’t worry, I called the moving company and it should be here on Friday. I packed enough of your clothes to tide you over until then. You’ll be fine, Professor,” I teased. “Shall I buy you a dark brown corduroy sports jacket with suede patches on the elbows for your first day of classes?”

  He chuckled. “Don’t think so. This is acting class. Not American Literature.”

  “You sound tired,” I said.

  “I’m beat. We didn’t finish up until after five o’clock and we started at six this morning. I’m gonna shower and hit the sack. I got an early flight in the morning.”

  I immediately grabbed the pen and pad of paper I kept on the counter. “What time does your flight get in tomorrow?”

  I could hear Seth shuffling papers on his end. “I’m flying American out of Dulles. Let’s see…I depart here around eight-twenty tomorrow morning, Flight 77. I have a connection and a two hour layover in Dallas, and I arrive in Pocatello on Flight 715 around two-thirty in the afternoon your time.”

  “Perfect,” I said, scribbling everything down. “I’ll be there waiting for you, babe. I’ve really missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too, Neely,” he said softly. “You been feeling okay?”

  “Yep. I feel better than okay. I feel fantastic. You get some rest, honey. I love you.”

  “Love you too. See you tomorrow, babe.”

  After we hung up, I turned on the television since our cable had been installed earlier in the day. My cell rang again, and I saw it was Laura. I talked with her for about ten minutes, filling her in on Seth’s itinerary.

  She said she’d be coming in for the weekend on Friday evening, and could hardly wait to see us and our new place. I told her we’d pick her up at the airport. Kent wasn’t going to be able to make the trip this time, but would for sure be coming out at Christmas.

  She told me to have Seth give her a ring tomorrow evening once he was home.

  I slept later than I’d planned the following morning. I had a lot to do before picking Seth up this afternoon. Damn, it was nearly eight-thirty already.

  I pulled on my robe, slipped my feet into the fuzzy slippers I’d purchased right here in Pocatello and padded downstairs to put some coffee on. I’d switched to decaf as soon as I learned I was pregnant. I refused to take any risks whatsoever.

  I saw my Nokia on the counter with the voice-mail message light blinking just as I was pouring the water into the reservoir. I grabbed a coffee pouch from the cupboard, and placed it into the bottom of the basket, shoving the cylinder back into place. My finger hit the “Brew” button, and I grabbed a clean mug from the rack and placed it on the counter.

  I went over and picked up my phone and hit the quick link to bring up a text message. I smiled as I saw it was from Seth. He was two hours ahead of me. I figured he was probably en route now and that made me practically giddy.

  Lov
e you forever Tennessee.

  I heard the sound of the coffee as it started pouring into the glass pot, and the aroma of it wafted pleasantly around me.

  The indicator light at the bottom of the screen was blinking. It appeared I had a voice-mail too. I must’ve missed an early call. Damn, I’d meant to place my cell on the nightstand last night before I’d gone to bed.

  I hit the button to call voice-mail and listened as the computer-generated female voice told me I had one new message. Message from: Seth. In his own voice. I sighed and listened as the date and time was given. Today at 7:22 a.m.

  Then there was a static-y sound for several seconds before Seth’s voice came across. He was whispering loudly into the phone, and the background noise was comprised of chaotic voices. “Neely, they’ve taken over the plane. They made us all move to the back. Damn it! I’ll try to text you. I love you, babe.”

  That was it.

  “No! Oh my God!” I shrieked out loud, my voice shrill with fear and disbelief. But nobody was around to hear my scream or to assure me that what had been in that message couldn’t possibly be true.

  It just wasn’t possible. This had to be a joke. Why would Seth pull a mean prank like that on me? His wife for Chrissake. His pregnant wife.

  And then it hit me with full force: he wouldn’t. I sank down to the floor and quickly pressed the button to call him. But it went straight to his voice-mail. I tried it again. But nothing. So, I frantically texted Seth back. “Call me!!!!”

  Nothing.

  Silence except for the sound of the clock ticking.

  I looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall. The one I’d just purchased the other day at Pottery Barn. It was a Kettle Blue Cookhouse clock. It had a retro look to it that I loved. But now, all it did was show me that it was 8:40 in the morning. Mountain Time. It told me nothing else.

  My eyes flickered back to the phone in my hand. He’d just sent that text six minutes ago. Why the hell wasn’t he picking up? Why wasn’t he answering my text message for Chrissake?

  I texted him again.

  And again.

  And then I waited some more. Maybe the signals were bad. Maybe the plane was at a higher altitude now that didn’t pick up the pings or something.

  His last message was etched in my brain: Love you forever, Tennessee.

  Wet warm tears streamed down my face as I tried calling his cell again. It went straight to voice-mail again, but this time I didn’t hang up. I listened to his deep, masculine voice and closed my eyes, willing myself to forget that voice-mail message that had come in earlier this morning.

  “Seth Drake,” I whispered hoarsely into the phone after I heard the beep, “I’m worried sick about you, baby. Now you better call me back as soon as you get this, and you better tell me this is some big joke or I swear to God, I will kick your ass into next week when I see you this afternoon, do you hear me?”

  I pressed the # key to send the message. And then I called his phone again. For whatever reason, I kept thinking as long as I continued calling him, none of this could possibly be true. He’d answer his phone eventually. He just had to.

  But he didn’t.

  So, I left another message. My voice cracked this time as my mind struggled with the possibilities I didn’t want to consider. “Seth,” I sobbed, “Please…don’t you dare leave me, do you hear me? You can’t leave me. We’re…we’re having a baby, remember? Don’t….don’t you do this to me…” my voice broke off as sobs racked my entire body. “I love you, Seth Drake. I always will.” I ended the call and continued to sob.

  I wasn’t sure how long I sat in a crumpled heap crying before I was startled out of it by my phone ringing. My heart pounded with hope and determination. But it was short-lived when I saw that it wasn’t my husband. It was Laura.

  “Laura,” I croaked into the phone. “Laura—something’s—” Those were the only words I got out before I heard her tearful sobs from the other end.

  “Oh Neely,” she wailed, “Seth’s plane crashed . . . Pentagon!” I couldn’t distinguish whatever words came after that. Everything was muffled and garbled.

  Kent must’ve grabbed the phone from her at some point, because the next thing I heard was his voice. He sounded strangely solemn. His words were mechanical. “Neely. Do you have someone that can be with you?” he asked, before his voice cracked with emotion. “Have you seen what’s going on with the airplanes?”

  I shook my head.

  Airplanes?

  “Neely? Are you there, honey?”

  I sat up straighter and cleared my throat. “No. I don’t know what’s going on. A voice-mail from Seth. He won’t…he doesn’t answer his phone,” I whispered frantically. “He isn’t answering my text messages either.”

  I heard Kent take a deep breath. “Listen to me, Neely,” he said, “He texted our phones earlier too, honey. But you need to turn on the television and see what’s going on. You’re safe. But we can’t get to you, because no planes are allowed in the air for right now. God I hate that you’re alone.”

  I couldn’t comprehend the magnitude of what Kent was telling me. I couldn’t fathom the meaning of his words. I wouldn’t accept what Laura had said. There was no way Seth was gone. No fucking way.

  Just then I felt a fluttering in my belly. Like a butterfly—only stronger. I recognized the feeling. I’d felt it many times before…when I was pregnant with Drake.

  “The baby just kicked,” I said, my voice stronger than before.

  “What?”

  “Our baby just kicked,” I repeated, and instantly a smile spread across my face. “I can hardly wait to tell Seth. He’s going to be so excited you know?”

  “Oh God,” Kent said from the other end, his voice anguished. “Listen. We’re driving out there Neely. You just stay put, okay? Don’t worry. We’re coming for you, honey.”

  I sat motionless on my new kitchen floor and placed my hand flat against my abdomen, and waited.

  There it was again!

  That beautiful, fluttering movement inside of me that reinforced my love for Seth and his love for me. I could never get enough of that reinforcement I decided, wiping my damp cheeks with the palms of my hands.

  I wouldn’t turn the television on as Kent had instructed me to do. Why should I? I had a lot to do today before I picked up Seth at the airport.

  Besides that, who needed or wanted the type of doom and gloom the news channels seemed eager to spew into the living rooms of a hundred twenty million households on what seemed like a daily basis?

  Not me.

  I picked my cell up from the floor and sent a quick text off to Seth:

  Making your favorite dinner. Bought some really sexy underwear. See you at 2:30!

  XOXO

  And then I got my ass in gear. I browned the center-cut rump roast I’d bought at the market yesterday, and peeled potatoes and carrots to go into the slow cooker with it. I loved that Seth, despite his affluent upbringing, was a meat and potatoes kind of guy at heart.

  I put everything into the slow cooker, including the onion I’d peeled without shedding a single tear, and poured a can of beef broth over the top of everything. I set it to cook at low, so it would be tender and stringy, just the way he liked it.

  I went upstairs to our master suite and made up the bed. I turned the stereo on, and slipped the CD in that Seth had made for me with all the songs he said reminded him of us.

  I listened to it while I ironed a pair of slacks and a dress shirt for Seth’s orientation scheduled for tomorrow at the college. I pulled a couple of his ties from the closet, and finally selected the one I thought would look the best with his freshly ironed shirt.

  “This one,” I said aloud, “will look stunning with your eyes, baby.”

  I showered, shampooed and conditioned my hair, and then shaved my legs. I took ten minutes trying to decide what to wear over the sexy new underwear I’d purchased as a “welcome home” surprise for m
y man. I finally decided on a red pullover sweater and dark jeans. The weather was definitely chillier here than in New York. But I actually appreciated the crisp, clean mountain air. Seth had certainly picked the perfect place for his family I’d decided.

  Once back downstairs, I checked the progress of my roast. The aroma was already making the downstairs smell delicious. I checked my phone and saw that I’d missed calls from my father, Jazzy, and even Mama.

  I made a couple of slices of toast, slathered peanut butter on them, and devoured them in two minutes. I hadn’t realized just how hungry I was, but then I remembered I’d skipped breakfast with all of the silly drama that had greeted me this morning.

  I chuckled softly to myself. Nothing was going to spoil this day for Seth and me. I wouldn’t let it.

  At two o’clock, just as I was getting ready to head out the door for the airport, a man claiming to be a minister, and a lady who introduced herself as Rose McVey from the local chapter of The Red Cross were at the front door.

  They told me that Seth was dead at the hands of terrorists. They told me I needed to stay put because family was on the way. They promised they’d stay in our home with me until my relatives arrived the following day.

  I told them they were goddamned liars. I told them they were full of shit. I told them they were talking about the boy I’d known and loved since I was nine years old, the one who nicknamed me Tennessee, and asked me a zillion questions the first time we’d met. I told them it was just not possible that he’d been taken from me when we had just made our lives perfect.

  They just looked at me with pity and sadness in their eyes. The preacher started reading a Bible passage to me. And I curled up into a ball on our new living room sofa, wept until I had no tears left, and then finally rocked myself to sleep. I didn’t speak another word to anyone until I felt the touch of my daddy’s hand against my cheek the following day.

  And I knew that my Seth was gone.

  Epilogue