Carter Grayson

by Sandi Lynn

“Follow me.”

  She grabbed two large leather-bound menus and led us to a booth in the corner. He obviously was well known here.

  “Good evening, Mr. Grayson.” A tall man with salt and pepper hair smiled as he filled our water glasses. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Good evening, George. Good to see you as well.”

  “Double scotch on the rocks?” he asked.

  “Please.”

  “And for you, Madame?”

  “A glass of Pinot, please.”

  He gave me a slight nod and walked away. I looked around the restaurant. Dark wood floors and a mixture of tables and booths to match filled the place. The ambience was cozy. A dark setting with subtle lighting and candles that flickered in the center of the tables. George, our waiter, brought our drinks, set them down in front of us, and proceeded to take our order. After Carter handed him our menus, he picked up his glass and kicked back more than half his scotch while he stared at me.

  “Listen, Zoey. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. This cold shoulder bullshit needs to stop.”

  I picked up my glass of wine and sipped it as I glared at him.

  “You think I’m crazy and you’ve made it known several times. So, let me tell you what I think about you and then we can put it behind us and move on.”

  “Fair enough,” he spoke.

  “I think you are a mean, arrogant, and miserable man. You’re rude, condescending, and just an overall jerk. You’re very disrespectful and I don’t appreciate it.”

  I could see the look of anger wash over his face as he held his drink in his hand.

  “Okay. I think you’re crazy and you think I’m a total disrespectful asshole. Now that we understand each other, we can move forward,” he spoke as he finished his drink.

  George walked over and placed our plates in front of us.

  “Another drink, Mr. Grayson?”

  “Yes, please.”

  I picked up my fork and knife and cut into my filet.

  “Are we good now?” Carter asked.

  “Sure. We’re good,” I spoke without looking at him.

  “What do you think of the place?” he asked.

  “It seems you’re well known here.”

  “I’m in Vegas a lot and this is where I stay. I also own a few properties here. One of which I’m in the process of buying.”

  “You’ve really made a success for yourself,” I spoke. “I mean, you’re young and to have what you do at your age is incredible.”

  “Thanks. My work is my life. It’s all I have and it’s all I ever will have.”

  “There’s more to life than work, Carter,” I spoke without hesitation, even though I knew it would set him off.

  “I actually believed that at one time, but not anymore.” He picked up his drink and threw it back down his throat.

  We finished our dinner without saying too much to each other. After Carter paid the bill, we left the restaurant and headed to the lobby of the hotel to leave, when I noticed a large group of people standing around a man who was lying on the floor. One person was screaming to call 911. I made my way through the crowd and knelt down beside him.

  “I’m a nurse. Everyone needs to stand back,” I shouted.

  He wasn’t breathing, so I started CPR.

  “Does anyone know what happened?” I asked.

  “He was just standing there, grabbed his chest, and went down,” a man spoke.

  “Come on. Come back to us,” I spoke as I continued the chest compressions.

  “Oh my God, Henry!” A hysterical woman came running and grabbed his hand.

  I continued the chest compressions and breathing into his mouth. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder behind me. When I turned around, it was him.

  “Thank you for trying to save me, sweetheart, but it’s my time to go. Tell my beautiful wife, Angie, that I love her with all my heart and that I’ll be watching over her. Also tell her that everything she’s going to need is locked in the wall safe in our bedroom and the combination is taped under the drawer of my nightstand.”

  A sadness settled inside me as I stopped the compressions and looked at his wife. Suddenly, the paramedics came through with the stretcher and knelt down beside his body.

  “He’s gone,” I spoke to them. “I did everything I could.”

  “No!” Angie screamed.

  I stood, walked over to her, placed my arm around her shoulder, and helped her up.

  “He told me to tell you that he loves you with all his heart and that he’ll be watching over you.”

  She looked at me with her tear-filled eyes. “What?”

  “He thanked me for trying to save him, but he said it was his time. I’m so sorry. He also wanted you to know that everything you’re going to need is locked in the wall safe in your bedroom and the combination is taped under the drawer of his nightstand.”

  She placed her hand on my cheek as the tears steadily flowed from her eyes.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “You’re welcome.” I gave her a tender small smile.

  I looked across the crowd and saw Carter walking my way. I wiped my brow as he approached me.

  “Are you okay?” He lightly touched my arm.

  “Can we just go, please?”

  “Sure.”

  I turned around and walked out the door. Carter handed the valet his ticket and we stood there waiting for them to bring the car around.

  “I’m sorry you couldn’t save him, Zoey,” he spoke in a low voice.

  “Me too.”

  The car pulled up to the curb and Carter opened the door for me.

  “Thanks.” I gave him a small smile as I climbed inside.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Carter

  Zoey was visibly upset and I really didn’t know what to say to her. I pulled out of the hotel parking lot and headed towards the highway.

  “As long as this drive goes smooth and we don’t run into any problems, we should be in Sedona around twelve thirty a.m.”

  She sat there, looking straight ahead, and didn’t say a word.

  “You did everything you could for that man,” I spoke.

  “I know.” She looked out the passenger window. “It was his time, and when it’s your time, there’s nothing anyone can do.”

  “And you know that for a fact?” I cautiously asked, knowing she was going to spew out some type of bullshit.

  “Yes. He told me.”

  “What do you mean ‘he told’ you?” I glanced over at her.

  “I’m not going to explain it, Carter, and you won’t understand. All you’ll do is call me crazy and start yelling and I’m in no mood for it. I’ll drive the rest of the way in a couple of hours.”

  This feeling inside me emerged. There was a sadness in her voice when she said I’d called her crazy and it made me feel—

  “I’m sorry for calling you crazy, Zoey. It’s just—”

  “It’s just you, Carter, feeling sorry for yourself because of the tragedies you experienced. You became a victim of circumstance and you locked yourself up in your own little world that consists of nothing but pain and anger. You refuse to see any type of good in anyone or anything. So, if you don’t mind, I don’t want to talk about what I see all the time, every day, and every minute of my life,” she spoke in anger. “You aren’t the only person in the world who has lost the people you love. You aren’t the only one whose life was affected by tragedy. You just chose to deal with it in a really shitty way.”

  I immediately swerved and pulled over on the side of the highway, clenching the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles were turning white.

  “And who the fuck have you lost?” I screamed at her. “Because from what I can see, you have a perfect little life. You seem content being surrounded by death and sadness all the time. So yeah, you’re fucking crazy!”

  By the light of the moon that framed her face in the passenger seat, I could see a stream of tears falling from her eyes
. She didn’t speak a word, but only sat there, staring straight ahead at the darkness. Fuck. I reached over and wiped away the tears that fell down her cheek.

  “Don’t,” she whispered. “Just don’t.”

  “I’m sorry. I know you don’t believe me, but I am.”

  I put the SUV in drive and pulled back onto the highway. The next three hours were nothing but silence. We were getting really good at that.

  ****

  I pulled into the Enchantment Resort at approximately twelve forty-five a.m. Zoey had been asleep for about a half hour and I hated waking her.

  “Zoey, we’re here,” I quietly spoke.

  She opened her eyes, sat up straight, and looked around. I dropped her and our bags off at the front door while I parked the SUV since the valet was closed.

  “Can I help you?” the older gentleman behind the desk asked.

  “Reservation for Carter Grayson.”

  “Ah yes, Mr. Grayson. We’re happy you’ve arrived.”

  “Thank you. It’s been a long drive.” I spoke.

  “Your two-bedroom suite is ready and I can call someone to help you with your bags.”

  “No need. We can take them up ourselves.”

  “Very well. You will be in suite 325.” He politely smiled.

  Zoey and I stepped into the elevator, and as soon the doors closed, I looked over at her.

  “I’m exhausted. You must be too,” I spoke to try and lighten the tension between us.

  But she wasn’t having any type of conversation with me. She stared straight at the closed doors, gripping the handle of her suitcase tight. I sighed as the doors opened.

  “I believe we’re this way.” I pointed to the left.

  We approached room 325 and as soon as I slid the keycard into the lock, I held open the door and motioned for her to step in first.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Zoey

  The moment I stepped into the large suite, the lights automatically turned on. I wheeled my suitcase behind me as I looked around. It was beautiful with beige painted walls, wood beam ceilings, and décor that was casual but sophisticated at the same time. The living area had a beehive fireplace that sat quaintly in the corner, a wall-mounted TV, an oversized couch and chair that were in a deep brown rich leather, and a beautiful wood coffee table to match. There was a kitchen area with a large oak table, oak cabinets, and black speckled granite counter tops. The best part of the room was the sliding glass door that led out to a large wooden deck, which housed a gas grill, a small round wood table, and matching chairs. The view that sat in front of me was breathtaking. Even though it was dark outside, the lights from all over the resort lit up the beautiful scenic box canyon.

  “Wow, this is beautiful,” Carter spoke as he stood beside me.

  I hadn’t forgotten what he said and I hadn’t forgiven him either. I was tired and speaking to him was the last thing I wanted to do. I walked away, grabbed my suitcase, and wheeled it into the bedroom that had two double beds.

  “You can have the room with the king-size bed,” Carter spoke from the doorway.

  “No. This is fine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed.” I walked over and shut the door in his face.

  After changing into my nightshirt and washing my face, I turned off the light in the bathroom. As I stepped into the bedroom, a cold sensation tore through me. I looked around but didn’t see anyone, which was strange.

  “I don’t know what else to do,” I quietly spoke as I climbed into bed.

  The moment my head hit the pillow, I was out.

  ****

  I opened my eyes as the sun poured through the large window. Looking around the room, I had forgotten for a moment where I was. Letting out a long yawn, I picked up my phone from the nightstand and saw that it was nine a.m. I hadn’t a clue what time Carter planned on leaving for the Grand Canyon, so I took a shower, got dressed, and ventured into the kitchen area for some coffee. I wasn’t sure if he was up yet, and to be honest, I really wasn’t ready to see him after last night.

  I popped a k-cup into the Keurig machine that was sitting in the corner on the granite countertop. Looking around the suite, I didn’t see or hear any sign of him. I was sure he was still asleep. I took my coffee out to the wooden deck and sat down in one of the chairs that faced the canyon. There was something about this place that filled me with peace.

  I had just finished my coffee when I heard the sliding door open. I turned around and saw a very sweaty Carter Grayson standing on the deck.

  “Morning,” he spoke as he wiped his face with a small white towel.

  “I thought you were still asleep.”

  “Nah. I was up at the crack of dawn, so I decided to go for a run.”

  “How was it?” I asked as my eyes stared straight ahead.

  He took the seat beside me and chugged a bottle of water he was holding.

  “Good. It’s beautiful here. I would have asked you to come, but—”

  “I wouldn’t have gone anyway,” I interrupted him. “You couldn’t have gotten much sleep.”

  “I didn’t. The bed was a little too comfortable.” He smirked. “Go figure. Anyway, I brought you something back. It’s inside on the counter. Maybe you should go take a look.”

  I narrowed my eye at him for a moment before getting up from my seat and stepping back inside. Over on the counter sat a white square medium-sized box.

  “What’s in here?” I asked him.

  “Open the lid and find out.”

  I slowly lifted the cardboard lid with my fingers and inside the box sat a huge, probably the biggest I’d ever seen, round donut with white icing and the words “I’m sorry” written in pink on it.

  “I don’t think I’d ever seen a donut this big before. Where did you get this?” I looked at him with a smile on my lips.

  “The bakery in the hotel had them. I remember you telling Nora that your favorite donuts were the ones with the white frosting.”

  “And you had them put this writing on it?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I’m sorry for what I said to you yesterday, Zoey. I was out of line. There are just some things you don’t understand.”

  “I know you don’t believe me, Carter, but I do understand. In fact, I’m probably the only person in the world who does.”

  “There’s no way you could,” he spoke. “We have a long trip ahead of us still and I don’t want there to be any tension. So, I’m extending an olive branch, or donut.” He smiled.

  I couldn’t help but smile back.

  “Okay. I accept your apology. How about we cut this donut in half and eat it?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  He walked over to the drawer, opened it and pulled out a knife.

  “Shall I do the honor?” He held the knife up.

  “Be my guest.” I nodded with a smile.

  He cut the donut in half and it was still too big, so he cut it into fours.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Carter

  Even though I was dead tired, I was up all night replaying the shouting match Zoey and I had in the car. She was right about me living in my own world of pain and anger and how I refused to see any type of good in anyone or anything. Most of that was true, but I did see good in her, too much good and that was what frightened me so much. She told me that I wasn’t the only one whose life was affected by tragedy, insinuating that she too had suffered some in her life. I kept going back to when we were at the gas station and she let it slip about her mother. But why the hell would she keep that from me? After tossing and turning, I decided to go for a run because it always helped clear my head. But this time, it didn’t. It only made me have more questions about her. There was a mystery surrounding Zoey Benson and there was something she didn’t want me to know. The words “I don’t want to talk about what I see all the time, every day, and every minute of my life” circled around in my head. I had a feeling she wasn’t talking about her terminally ill patients, and I was going to fin
d out exactly what she meant, whether I wanted to know the truth or not. I needed to find out what kind of person I was dealing with.

  I took our large pieces of donuts and sat down at the table while Zoey made us each a coffee.

  “What time do you want to head out for the Grand Canyon?” she asked as she set our coffee cups down on the table.

  “After I shower,” I spoke as I picked up my coffee and took a sip. “I have a question for you, Zoey.”

  “Sure. What is it?” she asked as she took a bite of her donut.

  “Right before Nora passed away, you told her you could see my parents like she said she did. Was that really true or were you just saying that for her sake?”

  I could see the hesitation on her face and silence crossed her lips. I reached over and lightly placed my hand on hers.

  “It’s okay. You can tell me the truth and I promise not to judge you or say anything out of line.”

  “As much as I want to believe you, Carter, I’m not going to answer your question.”

  She pulled her hand out from under mine and picked up her coffee cup.

  “And why not?” I narrowed my eye at her.

  “Because you aren’t ready to hear the truth.”

  “Who are you to decide if I’m ready or not?” I spoke with irritation.

  “You already think I’m crazy as it is. I’m not about to add anything else to that.”

  I sat there, eating my donut and sipping my coffee while staring at her. If she was mentally ill by some means, then I wouldn’t have to worry about wanting to be with her. She was complicated and that was something I didn’t need in my life.

  “Are you on any kind of medication?” I asked her.

  Her brow arched as her eyes stared into mine.

  “Have you ever seen me take any medication?”

  “No, but I don’t know if you take something right before you go to bed or not.”

  “Mr. Grayson, what exactly are you insinuating?”

  “I know you’re adopted, so maybe mental illness runs in your family.”

  She threw her head back and a roar of laughter escaped her.

  “You think I have a mental illness? Wow. Okay, we’re going to settle this once and for all because, honestly, I’m tired of you and your accusations.” She got up from her seat and took her plate and coffee cup over to the sink. “I can see dead people, aka, ghosts, spirits, or whatever you want to call them. Plain and simple. I’m not crazy. They’re real and I can’t help it. So, to answer your question from earlier, yes, I did see your parents standing by Nora’s bed and she saw them too. And by the way, I see Nora every now and again. She was with us while we were scattering her ashes in Lake Tahoe. And the man at the hotel, yes, he was standing behind me because he needed me to give a message to his wife. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take my crazy ass to the bedroom. Just let me know when you’re ready to leave. Or, if you’d prefer, I can catch a plane home and you can handle the rest of this by yourself. I wouldn’t want you to be freaked out or have to deal with my craziness any more. I know Nora wanted me to help you, but frankly, it’s not worth it anymore. You’re beyond help, Mr. Grayson.” She began to walk away and then stopped and turned around. “My parents were killed in a plane crash when I was five years old. So yeah, my life has been affected by tragedies as well.” She stormed off and into the bedroom where she slammed the door shut.