The OUT OF LINE Series

by Jen McLaughlin

  “Mm.” He tapped his fingers on the side of the couch. “Sounds like Mommy and Daddy will love him.”

  I snorted. “You have no idea, but I don’t care.”

  “The heart never does,” he said softly.

  His words reminded me of Mom’s, and all that “the heart is right or wrong” crap. I considered him. He looked awfully melancholy. “What about you? You have a girl back in San Francisco?”

  “I did.” He lifted a shoulder and offered me a twisted smile. “But we broke up when I found her in bed with her professor.”

  “Ouch.” I patted his back. “Sorry.”

  “Eh, it’s okay.” He leaned his elbows on his knees. “It’s not like she was the one or anything.”

  I pursed my lips. “Do you believe in that?” I asked.

  “I do.” He turned to me. “Don’t you?”

  “I do. I mean, I found him.” I picked up my drink. “So I know it’s real.”

  “I’m kind of jealous.” He nodded. “Enough about me. Drink that and we’ll go back in. It’s time to act the part of the spoiled rich kids.”

  I finished my half-empty one and picked up the full glass, resting my chin in my hand. “You’re so different from them.”

  “You are, too.” He watched me, his green eyes sparkling with life and kindness. “I wonder why?”

  “I…” I paused and tapped my finger on my lips. “I don’t have a freaking clue.”

  He laughed. “Me either. Maybe it’s the generation we’ve been born into.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” I thought of Cory, who was the epitome of what my parents had to have been at my age. “Then again, maybe we’re just freaks.”

  “Maybe,” he agreed, laughing. “But the best kind.”

  I chugged the rest of my drink and stood up, smoothing my dress over my thighs. “You ready to go into the ranks again?”

  “Yep.” He rose to his feet and offered his arms. “Shall we?”

  Such an old-fashioned phrase. I dropped into a curtsy, grinning up at him before taking his arm. “We shall.”

  I locked arms with him and we headed for the double doors that would lead us into the room where everyone—waitstaff, cook, house staff, and bodyguards—would be mingling with senators and governors. All dressed alike, all eating and drinking the same stuff.

  We pushed through the doors and walked into mayhem.

  Everyone was mingling and chatting, and the noise was incessant. Mr. Richards’s kids were running around pretending to shoot at each other, and the conversation was deafening. I cringed and tightened my grip on Riley’s arm. Suddenly, the empty sitting room seemed a heck of a lot better place to be. At least I could hear myself think.

  Riley scanned the room. “Holy crap, this is insane.”

  “Yeah.” I sighed and patted his arm. “Welcome to the Wallington Holiday Dinner.”

  “It’s…different,” he said, grinning.

  “Ah, there you are,” Mom said, smiling at me and then smiling even wider at Riley. “We were wondering where you two got off to.”

  Riley nudged me and I bit down on my tongue to keep myself from laughing.

  “Oh, you know, Mrs. Wallington.” He bowed at the waist. “Just talking and getting to know one another. Your daughter is fascinating.”

  “Perfect.” Mom clapped her hands. “Come, come. There are refreshments of the spirited kind for you, Riley, and some sparkling cider and soda for those of you who aren’t twenty-one.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Otherwise known as me.”

  “Yes, dear,” Mom said, patting my arm. “Well, I’ll leave you two young ones to yourselves as I mingle. Ta-ta.”

  I cringed and waved. “Bye.”

  “She’s too cute,” Riley said, smiling after her. “My mom is nothing like her. She’s a bear disguised as a sheep.”

  I looked at his small, blonde mom. She looked sweet and rich, like the rest of the women in the room. She talked to her tall, gray-haired husband, while a few feet away Larry and Christy talked between themselves.

  “If you say so. She looks harmless enough.” I smiled at him and untangled myself from his arm. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go talk to some of the staff.”

  He bowed. “Have fun.”

  I nodded and made my way over to Finn’s dad. He saw me coming and turned to me with a smile so much like Finn’s that it hurt to see. “Carrie, doll. You look gorgeous tonight.”

  I smiled and hugged him. “You do, too. Very dashing.”

  “Thank you.” He patted his thinning belly, sweat covering his forehead in a thin sheen. He looked exhausted. “I love these dinners.”

  “So do I.” I pointed to an empty row of chairs. “Come, sit with me.”

  He smiled and followed me. “You’re worried about me.”

  “You look tired is all,” I protested. “Are you feeling well?”

  “As well as a man my age can feel, yes.” He sat down and stretched his legs in front of him, then turned his shiny blue Finn eyes on me. “Getting old is no fun, doll.”

  “I’m sure,” I said, sitting down beside him. “Besides that…are you well?”

  He looked at me, his brow furrowed. “I’m fine. I’m just worried about my son.”

  “O-Oh.” I reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing tight. “He’s fine, I’m sure. He knows how to take care of himself, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want you to worry about him.”

  God knows I’m doing enough of the worrying myself.

  He froze and raised a brow, his eyes locked on mine. “Do you know him?”

  “What?” I froze up, realizing what I’d done. I might as well have admitted to his father that I knew Finn and that we were dating. “I…I…no. I just meant that—”

  “Carrie, dear?” Mom came up behind me and rested her hand on my shoulder. “It’s time to sit down, so you’ll have to follow me.”

  I swallowed hard, gave Finn’s father one last look, then stood. “Of course.”

  As she led me away, I looked at Finn’s dad again. He was watching me, his brow furrowed, and I know my heated cheeks were a dead tell, so I turned forward again. Mom led me to a seat that was next to Riley—of course—and next to one of the downstairs maids.

  “You’re here.” She motioned Riley over. “And Riley, you’re here.”

  I sat down, my heart thudding in my ears the whole time, and watched Larry as he sat across the table from me, but down a few chairs. Next to him was Mr. Richards, and they spoke to each other in low tones. I wanted to go sit next to them and eavesdrop, but I’d probably make a bigger mess out of it than I already had.

  I stared down at my empty plate instead. I had a sinking suspicion that something bad was about to happen. It didn’t make any sense, but I did. Maybe it was just paranoia about what I’d said to Larry. Maybe it was the drinks I’d had.

  But something felt off.

  “Hello, again.” Riley sat next to me and waved his hand in front of my face. “Hello? Earth to Carrie? Are you in there?”

  “Huh?” I looked up at him, blinking. “Oh. Yeah, sorry.”

  “You okay?”

  “Yes.” I nodded and picked up my water. “Got distracted for a minute.”

  He leaned closer, his hot breath washing over my ear. “Well, I am starving. Do you know what we’re having?”

  “Um...” I took a deep breath and scooted away. The light flirtation we’d been sharing felt a little too close now. Especially with my parents watching and scheming, and Larry across the table. “I think it’s turkey and ham.”

  He nodded. “Excellent. I love them both.”

  “I hate turkey.” I lifted my chin and stared at the table. “I prefer lasagna.”

  “That’s good, too,” he agreed. “I love lasagna.”

  “Is there any food you don’t love?” I asked drolly.

  “Um, nope.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “You’re something else.”

  “I’ve been told that once or twice. By you
even.”

  “By other women, too?”

  “Of course,” he said, grinning. “They all love me as much as I love food.”

  Such a cocky statement, but coming from him…it wasn’t cocky at all. I had no doubt it was true. He was kind, hot, and smart. What wasn’t to like? “I love food more than you.”

  “That’s because you haven’t kissed me,” he said, shrugging. “That tips the scales in my favor.”

  I snorted. “Yeah. Sure.”

  “Care to find out?” he asked, raising his brow.

  “I’ll pass.” I frowned at him. “But thanks for the offer.”

  “Suit yourself,” he said. “Why isn’t your boyfriend here, anyway? If I were your man, I wouldn’t be sending you home alone at Christmas.”

  I took a second to choose my words carefully. “He’s not—”

  A phone rang, and everyone looked up. Then another phone joined in. I zeroed in on both the owners. Larry and Mr. Richards. Larry stood and fished out his phone, smiling at the table. “Sorry, I kept my phone on me in case my son called.” He looked down at the screen and frowned. “Excuse me for a second?”

  “Yes, of course,” Dad said, nodding once.

  Mr. Richards also answered, walking in the opposite direction of Larry. The two of them getting a phone call at the same time? That couldn’t be a coincidence, could it?

  My gaze darted between Mr. Richards and Larry, my heart racing and my palms going sweaty while my mouth dried out. Larry lifted the phone to his ear as he walked toward the double doors. If that was Finn, I wanted to know. No, I had to know.

  I started to stand up, but Riley put a hand on my thigh. “Dude,” I snapped, shoving it off. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

  “Whatever you’re thinking about doing right now? Don’t. Your dad is watching you and he looks pissed.” Riley leaned in and smiled, completely at odds with his warning. “Something tells me you’d like to know about that call.”

  I took a deep breath and forced myself to sit back down. “H-How do you know?”

  “I could see the tension in you when those men answered their phones,” Riley said, picking up his glass of water. “And then the answering anger in your father. Who are they to you?”

  “One’s a bodyguard and the other is a family friend,” I answered dismissively, stealing a quick glance at Dad. He was totally watching me, so I forced myself to look at Riley instead of Larry. “That’s all.”

  Riley shook his head slightly. “If you say so.”

  A masculine cry sounded, and a phone hit the marble floor, clattering once or twice before landing. It was like a slow-motion nightmare. You know, the ones where a murderer is chasing you and you’re running as fast as you can, only you’re moving in slow motion? Yeah, that. Only ten times worse.

  Dad was the first one on his feet, followed by me. Larry leaned against the wall, a hand to his mouth and his face even paler than before. I shoved my chair back and took off running in my heels, knowing I needed to get to Larry’s side. Knowing I needed to help him, but also knowing he’d gotten bad news.

  Bad news about Finn.

  I bolted around the edge of the table. Mr. Richards grabbed my elbow even though he was still on the phone. “Carrie, wait. He’ll know what’s going on if he sees your face.”

  “I don’t care.” I shook free, stumbling backward when he let go. “I’m going.”

  I took off again. Vaguely, I heard people shouting, and talking loudly, and Mom shouting my name, but I didn’t even register any of it. All that mattered was getting to Larry. My throat ached with tears that were already threatening because I knew, I just knew, this was bad.

  Dad got there first, and I wanted to shove him out of the way. “What is it, Larry?” he asked, throwing an arm around his shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Griffin. He’s been…oh my, God.” Larry fell to his knees and scrambled for his phone with shaking hands, crawling forward on all fours. “I have to go. I have to go now.”

  “I’ll take you,” Dad said, squatting beside him and handing him the phone. “Larry, come on. Where are we going?”

  I finally reached their side, but I’d already heard all I needed to know. I pressed a hand to my speeding heart, wondering how it could be beating when it had been ripped out of my chest just seconds before.

  “W-What happened to him?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Larry?”

  “Larry’s fine,” Dad said quietly, standing up and smiling calmly at the people gathering behind me. “It’s his son who’s not all right. Stay here and control the madness with your—”

  “No.” I grabbed the lapels of Dad’s tux and shook him, then shouted, “What happened to Finn?”

  Dad paled and gripped my hands. “Carrie…how…why…?” He turned red in the face. “I knew it.”

  Larry stood up and started walking for the door. I didn’t have time to waste trying to get answers out of Dad. I shoved off his chest and raced after Larry, grabbing his arm. The panicked rush of adrenaline was taking over my body, numbing the pain I knew would hit me any second. Right now I needed to know.

  “Larry, tell me.” I gripped him tighter. “Is he...is he…?”

  I gulped in a deep breath and a sob escaped, so I covered my mouth. I couldn’t even say the word. Not in the same train of thought as Finn. It wasn’t right.

  Larry paled and gripped my hands with his own trembling hand. “I don’t know how bad it is. I think they said something about him being in surgery, but I dr-dropped the ph-phone.”

  I didn’t know whether to shake him for doing something so incredibly stupid or hug him because he was obviously breaking. “Okay. Okay…we’ll go there right away and find out. Where is he? Who called you?”

  “He’s in Germany. I don’t know anything else,” he rasped. “That’s all I know,” he repeated, his eyes focused on a spot on the wall. He looked like he was in shock, so I rubbed his back. “My boy. I don’t even know…”

  I nodded, trying to remain calm for Larry’s sake, but inside I was freaking the heck out. This couldn’t be happening. Not to my Finn. It had to be a nightmare. That was the only explanation. But I didn’t wake up, and the pain wracking through my chest was all too real. I was awake. “Let’s go find out more. Just let me grab my passport.”

  “No way, missy.” Dad grabbed my upper arm. “You’re staying here with your mother. I can handle this.”

  “No.”

  “She can come,” Larry said, his voice cracking. “It’s fine.”

  My father stiffened and rose to his full height. “Carrie Louise Wallington, you will listen to me and you’ll—”

  “No, you will listen to me.” I yanked free and glowered at him and everyone else who had huddled around to watch the show. Riley looked at me with sad eyes, and Mom was wringing her hands. “I am going because his son is Finn, and I love him.”

  Mom gasped and covered her mouth, her cheeks fusing with color. “Carrie. You don’t even know him.”

  “Don’t I, Dad?” I put my hands on my hips and stared him down. “Tell her why I know Finn, won’t you?”

  “Hugh? What’s the meaning of this?” Mom asked.

  “Oh for the love of God…” Dad said, covering his eyes.

  “Carrie, go get your things,” Mr. Richards said, laying a hand on Dad’s shoulder. “I got this.”

  Dad yanked on his tie and threw his arms up in the air. “We don’t have time for this melodramatic scene. Larry and I have to go. She is staying.”

  “I am going,” I shouted. Tears were streaming down my face, and I didn’t even care I had a whole freaking audience in front of me. “Do you even hear me? I love him, and I am going.”

  Larry grabbed my hand. “She’s coming, and you can too, if you want. But we’re going now.”

  Dad sputtered, his fists clenching and unclenching, then headed for the door without a word. I didn’t have time to worry about him. I needed Finn.

  He was okay. H
e had to be okay. Because if he wasn’t okay…

  I’d never be okay again.

  The town car sped down I-95, leading us to the airport. Dad had secured a private jet for the flight, and apparently he was going to Germany with us. He was going, despite his stony silence and glowers. All I cared about was getting to Finn.

  “H-Hello?” Larry said, his voice soft. “Yes, this is him.” Silence, then he sagged against the back of the seat and ran a hand down his face. “Can you tell me anything at all?” Larry nodded. “But how?” A moment of silence. “I…I see. Yes. We’ll be landing at six your time.” More silence. “Okay. Thank you.”

  He hung up and I reached out, grabbing his knee. “Tell me everything.”

  “There was an ambush. IEDs and guns…” He drew in a deep breath and covered his face with his hands. “He’s in surgery, but I already knew that. They won’t tell me anything else. They claim not to know.” He dropped his hands from his face. “I think he’s alive. I’d know it if he wasn’t, wouldn’t I?”

  I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I was too busy trying not to break down. We clung to each other’s hands, not speaking. The whole ride to the airport felt like a nightmare. And the long plane ride turned out to be even worse.

  I spent the whole flight praying and praying that Finn would be all right. But even more so, I prayed that this was all a dream. I was so sure I’d wake up in Finn’s arms. He would laugh at me for being such a paranoid wreck, and I would snuggle in. I looked out the window and saw the clouds beneath us, and the pain hit me all over again.

  It wouldn’t leave me alone.

  Dad swiped his finger across his phone. What was he doing, anyway? He couldn’t be messaging anyone or doing something important since we were flying. I swear to God, if he was playing Candy Crush when I was dying inside, I’d kill him. He hadn’t said a word to me this whole flight, but I didn’t care.

  I didn’t have time for my daddy issues. Not when Finn…

  God, he couldn’t be dead. It wasn’t possible. I had to believe, like Larry, that I would know if he was gone. I covered my mouth with my free hand, fighting back another sob trying to escape me. Wouldn’t I know it, deep inside?