The River Valley Series

by Tess Thompson

  Black Sweater Guy grinned and handed Stefan his phone.

  “What’s her name?” Stefan asked.

  “Corie.”

  Stefan snapped a selfie, then typed a few lines into the phone. He handed it back to Black Sweater Guy, and then shook his hand. “Again, my apologies.”

  “This totally makes up for it. She’s going to freak out.”

  “Have a good rest of your flight, man.”

  “You too. And I hope things get better for you.”

  Stefan shifted in his seat to face the front, stretching out his legs. “Sorry, baby,” he whispered in her ear.

  “It’s okay. I understand.” Gennie rested her hand on his knee. He can admit when he’s wrong, even under all this stress. I love this man.

  A couple of hours into the flight, the cabin was quiet. Despite the fact they’d risen at five, Gennie was wide awake, worry gnawing at her stomach. None of them seemed capable of concentrating on a movie or a book. Maybe they should talk. As if he’d read her mind, Stefan started asking Lee questions. Lee told them about how she had met Tommy when she first came to River Valley. “I was reluctant to get involved with him because of my personal situation. I was literally in hiding and here was this amazing man who liked me just the way I was.” She smiled. “I was prickly back then. I mean, more so than now. I’m shy, actually, but I know I come off kind of snooty.”

  “Not snooty. Reserved,” Gennie said.

  “I wasn’t exactly my best self at the time. I was devastated over my husband’s suicide and to find out I had all this debt and I was pregnant. You can’t imagine how distraught I was. Tommy loved me through all of it. He’s such a generous person and so brave with his heart. He was out there from the very beginning, vulnerable. It was amazing to me.”

  Like Stefan. He’s so vulnerable and willing to love me just as I am. How was that possible given all of her problems? Now, these photographs were out there for the world to see. It was her worst nightmare. How would she be able to walk around in the world knowing everyone had seen her having sex? She hoped Grant hadn’t been lying to her when he’d said you couldn’t see much.

  The flight attendant brought them lunch, which Gennie forced herself to eat, knowing she needed her strength for what was on the other end of this long flight. She encouraged Lee to do the same. “It tastes like sand,” Lee said.

  “I know, but you have to eat. Tommy’s going to need you.”

  Finally, they arrived at LaGuardia. They immediately turned their phones on, but there were no messages from the hospital. Was it possible they were both still in surgery? Drake had arranged for a car to pick them up, and thankfully, it was waiting when they exited the airport. Stefan instructed the driver to take them to Bellevue Hospital on First Avenue. They were quiet on the way there, the silence punctuated with horns and the rumble of engines outside the car.

  At the hospital, the woman at the information desk confirmed that Tommy and her mother were still in surgery. She advised them to head up to the eighth-floor waiting room. The surgeons would be out to talk to them after the operations were complete.

  The waiting room was sparse, both in décor and staff. The woman at reception had no information for them other than to wait. Time passed in slow increments. Lee paced. Stefan sat slumped in a chair. Gennie stood at the window, looking out to the busy street below. Compared to River Valley, the number of pedestrians on the sidewalks was almost overwhelming. How do all these people live here and remain sane?

  Her thoughts turned to Moody. She’d thought of him earlier, but had put him out of her mind when worry over her mother and Tommy had squelched all other concerns. He would be hurt and bewildered over the photographs. He would wonder why it was Stefan and not him. I should call him and explain about Stefan and the pictures. I owe him that much after everything that went down.

  She told Stefan and Lee that she needed to make a phone call. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Stefan looked confused but didn’t press for details.

  In the hallway, she asked a nurse if there was somewhere she could make a private call. She was directed to a small room, not much bigger than a phone booth, with a small desk, chair, and outlets to plug in phones and computers. She plopped into the chair, weary, and pulled up Moody’s contact information on her phone. He answered after the second ring.

  “Halo, Gennie.” She smiled. His clipped British accent hadn’t changed.

  “Hi, Moody.”

  “You all right, love?” Moody sounded raspy like he’d been up all night. He was on a European tour for his new record. She remembered he often sounded like this the day after a concert. They’d talked over the phone from locations all over the world when they were married.

  “I’m fine. I wanted to call and explain things. I’m sorry it wasn’t sooner. It’s been a crazy few days.”

  “Yes indeed. Sounds like a kerfuffle of the highest magnitude.” He chuckled, softly. He’s sad even though he’s trying to hide it, pretending everything’s fine.

  “Where are you?” she asked.

  “London. In a hotel room. Having a cocktail. Just finished a show.” The sound of ice clinking in a glass came through the phone. “I had no idea, love, about what happened to you. Although, I suspected. It makes things clearer, but I’m terribly sorry for all of it. Bloody awful.”

  What can I say to make this better? “I’m sorry I never told you about my past. I was afraid he’d hurt you.” She went on to tell him about her mother’s accident. “So, I’m in New York. At the hospital.”

  “It was Murphy’s doing, I gather?” Moody asked.

  “Has to be. He’s not messing around,” Gennie said.

  “How’s your mum? Any news?”

  “Still in surgery.”

  “She’ll be okay, Gennie.”

  “I hope so.”

  “She’s tougher than she looks. Like you,” he said.

  Sweating, she moved to the next subject. “I suppose you saw the photo scandal?”

  “I heard. I didn’t look at them. It might break my unrelenting self-confidence.”

  “You weren’t to blame for my problems. You did everything right. Maybe it was bad timing for us. I wasn’t ready. Now, with everything out in the open, it’s freed me somehow. And Stefan is...I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. That’s all.”

  “Love, you don’t have to apologize. We’re not married any longer. You can be with whomever you darn well please. I want you to be happy. If he makes you happy, then I’m happy.” More clinking of ice.

  “Moody, I loved you very much. I’m sorry you were the one blamed in the press. You didn’t deserve that.”

  “It was my rap to take. I cheated, not you. I made a promise and didn’t keep it. The world’s right about who the scoundrel is here.” His voice remained soft, gentle. “And, don’t be sorry. It goes with my bad-boy image. Record sales have never been so high.”

  “If they only knew the truth,” she said.

  “You mustn’t ever tell anyone how boring I am.”

  “I wouldn’t dare.” She smiled, remembering his nighttime ritual of a cup of tea before bed. So charmingly English.

  All teasing gone from his tone, he continued, “Love, I was just as much to blame for what happened between us. I don’t mean just the cheating. I chose the road over us. This bloody music’s never let me go, and I don’t know that it ever will. It’s all I’ve ever known. This touring life didn’t make me a good husband. Two people can’t build a life together when you’re never together. It wasn’t just your problems. But listen, you get that fucker. Whatever you do, don’t stop until he’s locked away for the rest of his miserable life. Do it for you, and for all those other women.”

  “I will.” She leaned back in the chair and gazed at the ceiling. “You seeing anyone?”

  A few seconds ticked by before he answered. “I’ve been seeing someone, yes. Nothing serious. She’d like it to be, but I’m uncertain.”

  “Who is she?”


  “Our new backup singer. Enormously talented. Beautiful. The whole package, I suppose.”

  “What’s the holdup, then?”

  “Me. Perhaps bad timing. I don’t know, really.”

  “Don’t pass up a chance for love just because of past hurts, Moody.”

  “Our voices do blend together rather nicely.”

  “And music’s her life too?”

  “I suppose it is.”

  “Don’t be a stranger, okay?” she said.

  “Thanks, love. Now you should go. Prayers for your mum.”

  “Thanks, Moody. Bye for now.”

  “Thanks for calling, Gennie. You didn’t have to, but I appreciate it nevertheless. Goodbye then.”

  Gennie set the phone down and bowed her head, letting tears fall as they wanted, mourning the lost love and the damage she’d done to a good man’s heart. Please, God, heal his heart so that he finds the love he deserves.

  Fifteen minutes later, she was back in the waiting room when a doctor came out with news of Tommy. He spoke in a hushed voice without inflection. “He’s out of surgery and did remarkably well. We found significant bleeding in the tissues surrounding both his liver and heart, but we successfully repaired those areas. He suffered no other damage that we can see. Amazingly, no bones were broken, and he has no head trauma, which is what we worry about the most.”

  “Can I see him?” Lee asked.

  “He’s in recovery, so you won’t be able to see him until the morning.”

  “Not before?” Lee looked like she might burst into tears.

  “I’m sorry, no. He wouldn’t know you were there anyway. He’s still heavily sedated. By morning, he’ll be strong enough to see you.”

  “Will he have to be here long?” Lee asked. “We live in Oregon.”

  “He’s in good shape and very strong. If he recovers quickly, which I believe he will, my guess is he’ll be able to travel home in about a week’s time; then it will be your job to keep him from pushing too hard.”

  For the first time that day, Lee smiled. “You obviously don’t know my husband.”

  The doctor patted Lee’s shoulder. “I know his type.”

  After that, it was another waiting game. Mom’s condition must be worse than Tommy’s. Please, God, let her be okay.

  Finally, a doctor came out and asked for her. “I’m the surgeon assigned to your mother. She had multiple fractures in both legs and several cracked ribs. We repaired everything, but she’ll be in traction for a few weeks.”

  “But she’ll be okay?” Gennie asked. “Eventually?”

  “She’ll need physical therapy, especially given her age, but a full recovery is expected. We’ll monitor pain management while she’s recovering.”

  “When can I see her?”

  “It’ll be a couple of hours before she’s awake, and with the pain medicine, she’ll be pretty out of it until morning. My suggestion would be to go home and come back in the morning.”

  Stefan and Lee had been by Gennie’s side while the doctor talked. After the doctor had excused himself, Stefan put his arm around her, pulling her close. “Ladies, I had my assistant book us hotel rooms over by Rockefeller Center where I usually stay when I’m here. I’ve known the manager for a long time and he’s able to keep the paparazzi away from the front of the building. The security is exceptional, so we should be able to rest easy. Let’s get checked in, have some dinner, and try to get a good night’s sleep. I have a car ready to take us whenever we’re ready.”

  Gennie nodded, too tired to argue with him, not that she would have. A hotel room and a shower sounded like heaven.

  “Now that I know he’s okay, I’m starving. Can we have room service?” Lee asked. “I haven’t had room service in forever.”

  “Yes, we can have room service,” Stefan said, smiling. “Whatever you want.”

  At the hotel, Gennie and Stefan walked Lee to her room. Stefan had rented and paid for two suites, ignoring Lee’s protests. “You’re going to be here at least a week, and we want you to have the best situation possible,” Stefan said.

  After agreeing that Lee would come over for dinner after she’d called home to check in on Ellie-Rose, Gennie and Stefan walked down the hall to their suite. The view looked out over Manhattan. It was dark, nearing ten o’clock east coast time. Holiday lights twinkled from buildings, and the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center glowed brightly. Gennie paced in front of the window, feeling restless. “This was a way to lure us out of River Valley. Now that we’re here, we’re not safe.”

  “We’re safe in this hotel. You can relax for now.” Stefan was at the fully stocked bar, pouring a whiskey. “You want wine, baby?”

  She nodded, turning back to look out the window. Behind her, she heard a cork pop. A few seconds later, Stefan appeared by her side and handed her a glass of white wine. “This has to go down as one of the weirdest days in history,” he said.

  “This morning seems like a million years ago.” She took a sip of her wine, set it on the coffee table, and plopped on the couch.

  Stefan kneeled on the floor, placing his hands on her knees. “Are you okay?”

  Her bottom lip trembled. “I’m scared. He sent a message loud and clear. He will hurt the people I love if I don’t back off.”

  “You can’t back off.”

  She looked into his eyes. “I’ve been scared for twenty years. Maybe now it’s time to play by his rules. Fire with fire.”

  Stefan sat on the coffee table and took a sip from his drink. “What do you mean?”

  “That’s just it. I don’t know. But we have to play dirty.”

  “We could have him killed,” Stefan said. “Or, I could do it myself.” He finished his whiskey and went to the bar, pouring another. She’d never seen him drink as much as he had today. It isn’t every day naked sex pictures are leaked to the world.

  When he returned, he sat next to her with his drink in hand.

  She placed her hand on his thigh. “That’s a large glass of whiskey.”

  “Forgive me just this once. It’s the only thing keeping me from doing something stupid right now.” He took a sip. “I’m so full of rage I don’t know what to do with myself. I want to kill him. I want to throw Trix in jail for a thousand years. And I can’t do a damn thing. I can’t do anything to keep this bastard from hurting you, and it’s killing me.”

  She rested her cheek against his shoulder. “You’ve already done more to rescue me than he did to hurt me. You’ve won. You taught me how to feel again, to love again.”

  “But I can’t keep you safe. That’s all I want. For you and your mother and Sarah to be safe, and I can’t do a thing about it. It’s a man’s worst nightmare.”

  Her phone buzzed. “It’s Raquel.” She answered the phone and put it on speaker mode.

  “Hey, Gennie,” Raquel said.

  “Hi. Stefan’s here with me. We have you on speaker,” Gennie said.

  “Hi, Stefan. I just heard a news report that your mother was in an accident. Is she okay?”

  “She’s going to be, but they broke both her legs and a couple ribs.”

  “You think it’s Murphy?”

  “I know it is. She and a friend were on their way back to the airport after the interview. A car came out of nowhere, smashed into them, and then sped away. They found the car abandoned later, but no trace of a driver. The car was unregistered.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Raquel said.

  “Did you see the photographs?” Stefan asked.

  “I didn’t see them,” Raquel said. “But I know about them.”

  “It was Trix,” Gennie said. “She planted the cameras in our room.”

  “Wow. I’m sorry, you guys,” Raquel said. “For the record, I always thought she was a twit.”

  “Join the club,” Stefan said.

  “Do you want to do another interview?” Raquel asked. “I think it needs to be out there that he did this, just like he said he would. I suspect he’ll be arrested soo
n for the statutory rape charges, but from jail he can continue to hurt you and the other women. We’ve got to bring attention to it.”

  Gennie thought for a moment. The court of public opinion was the only thing she had going for her. He could control the police, but not Raquel. “Yes. Let’s do it. Tomorrow after I visit my mother.”

  “Come to the studio around ten. We’ll tape it here. I can have it ready for the evening show.”

  Gennie agreed, then hung up the phone.

  “I’ve come this far. There’s no way to prove any of this is him, but I want it out there. In case anything happens to me,” she said.

  “Gennie, please don’t say it. I can’t stand the thought.” He put his face in his hands. “If anything happens to you, I will kill him. I can promise you that.”

  She crawled onto his lap, cradling his head against her chest. “One night at a time. We’re safe for now.”

  His arms tightened around her waist. “I think I’m a little drunk.”

  She giggled just as they heard a knock on the door. “I told you to take it easy.” She kissed the top of his head, then disentangled herself from his arms and rose to her feet. “I bet that’s Lee. I’ll let her in and order you a cheeseburger.”

  “Good idea.”

  Chapter 14

  Her mother was awake when Gennie arrived with a large bouquet of lilies. Her face was bleached of color, magnifying the dark smudges under her eyes. Both her legs were in traction and suspended several feet in the air. A young nurse stood next to the bed, writing into a chart.

  “Good morning, Mom.” Gennie set the lilies on the bedside table, fighting tears. She seems so small and fragile and pinched.

  “Hi, sweetie.” Her mom lifted her arm from under the sheet and reached for her. “The flowers are wonderful. Thank you.”

  “Are you hurting?” Gennie held her cold hand and kissed her on the cheek. She smelled of antiseptic, not her usual floral perfume.

  “Not too much. They have me on some good drugs.”