by Vella, Wendy
“It’s not the same. Not in a million years could what you did for us, Cooper and me, be described as the same.”
“You gonna make this into a big thing between us, Annabelle?”
“How can it not be?” she said. “I owe a hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. That’s not money I just have stuffed down the sides of my sofa.”
“You’re not selling your house to pay me back.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at her again. “I need you to promise me that. In fact, can’t you just let it go and we’ll move on?”
“From a hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars?” She looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “I can barely move on when I borrow five dollars. I have to pay it back the same day. But a hundred and seventy-five thousand…I’ve never even owned that much money, let alone know where to start with repayments.”
“It’s not your debt, it’s your brother’s,” Ethan said.
“It’s my family’s debt, Gelderman,” Annabelle said, looking down at her brother. “And any debt we incur is our responsibility to repay.”
“Belle?”
Cooper’s voice was faint, but she heard it.
“I have you, Cooper, and we’re going to keep you safe now.” She stroked his cheek and held him close as he started to shake harder.
“D-don’t feel g-good.”
Ethan pulled onto the airstrip and stopped beside the plane.
“I know, Coop, and I’ll help the best I can, but it’s going to be hard,” she whispered, knowing that he was going to suffer a hell of a lot more than he was right at this moment. She tried not to be angry with him, but it was there, smoldering inside her. Anger at what he’d done to himself, and anger at what he’d now forced her to do on his behalf.
“Let’s get you on board, Cooper.” Ethan opened her door and picked her brother up as if he was a doll. “You bring the bag of medicine, Annabelle.”
They put him in the bedroom, and there Annabelle got her first good look at her brother. He looked years older, his face lined and pale. His clothes hung off his body and he smelled of things she couldn’t describe.
Opening the bag, Annabelle got out the pills and a bottle of water, then Ethan held Cooper’s shoulders while he swallowed a few pills and drank enough to make her happy. She then settled him back on the bed and took the space beside him.
“I’ll watch him now, Ethan. You go and get some sleep in the cabin.” Annabelle couldn’t interpret the look he gave her.
“Call if you need me. The flight should only take about two hours. I’ll get you some food when you’re ready.”
She couldn’t read what he was thinking. All that wonderful closeness they had shared was gone; now in its place were her brother and a ton of guilt.
“Thanks.”
He left, leaving the door open, and moments later she heard him talking to someone but she wasn’t sure who.
The flight didn’t go smoothly. Cooper woke often with nausea and the shakes. His body was aching, and his eyes were running and in seconds he was drenched in sweat. She did what she could, and Ethan came back and sat with her when things got bad, but it was a relief when they finally touched down in Brook.
Once again, Ethan carried Cooper, but this time they didn’t get into a car; instead, his helicopter was waiting.
“I’ve called ahead and told Jake we’re coming with Cooper. He and his mother will be waiting with what he needs,” Ethan said as he put Cooper in the back of the chopper.
Why hadn’t she thought about doing that? Why had she left it to him again? What would the McBrides think of her now? She’d kept Cooper’s addiction to herself, but now it was out, and Jake would want to know why she’d kept it from him. Jake and Branna would be pissed with her, she knew that, as would Buster and Newman, and they probably had a right to be.
“They’ll understand why you didn’t tell them, Annabelle. They love you.”
“How did you know what I was thinking?” It wasn’t the first time Ethan had done that, guessed her thoughts.
“It was pretty obvious that you’d feel guilty about not telling Jake or Branna about Cooper. You’re all close and you know their secrets, so it’s logical to think that they should know yours,” he said.
She couldn’t find any words to answer him, so instead she nodded, and followed him into the helicopter. She climbed into the back and held her brother as Ethan flew them back to Howling.
Memories of their last trip in the helicopter seemed so long ago. A lifetime, Annabelle thought, looking down at Cooper.
“G-God, Belle, I ache all over.”
“I know, Coop.” She brushed his hair away from his forehead as he started sweating again. “Hold on to me, as hard as you need.”
And he did. Sometimes his grip was punishing, but the trip was short and soon they were descending again, down to the landing spot at Branna and Jake’s home. Annabelle looked down to see the people who had come to help her and Cooper, the friends who would always be here for her, and she started to cry.
She’d left excited and ready for Ethan’s sister’s wedding just a few short days ago, and now she was returning with her broken brother and a man she owed more than she could ever repay, the man who now very likely held her heart.
Ethan knew she was crying. He could hear the soft little sniffles she was fighting, and failing, to hold inside.
“It’s okay, baby. We’re home now, and they’re waiting for us. All those people you love are here and they’re going to help us get through this,” he said.
“I-I don’t want to s-say thank you again.”
He smiled. It was such an Annabelle thing to say, and he understood where it had come from too, which told him just how much he’d come to know the woman who now held his heart.
“I did what I did for you because I care about you. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
“I-I can’t think about that now, not with Cooper and what we f-face together ahead of me,” she said.
“I know that, and you’re exhausted too, but I’m not going anywhere. I need you to know that.”
She didn’t speak as he began to bring his bird down, but she’d heard what he had to say. It would be in her head now, which was all he’d wanted.
Jake ran under the rotor blades and opened the door. “What’s he using?” were the first words out of his mouth, followed by, “You should have told us this was going on, Annabelle.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” she said, and then she climbed out behind Jake, who now had Cooper in his arms.
Following, Ethan saw that Branna was hugging Annabelle, while Jake had disappeared into the house.
“You must be exhausted,” Branna said, looking over Annabelle’s shoulder at him.
“Coffee would be good, and maybe something you baked?” Ethan enjoyed the arm she wrapped around his neck as he drew closer, and the kiss on the cheek.
“Come on, let’s get you both inside. Buster’s there, and Jake’s parents and Dad.”
Branna let them go and headed for the house, but Annabelle stopped before entering. Her shoulders rose as she sucked in a lungful of air and looked around her. Ethan followed her eyes and saw the redwoods standing tall and strong, their roots binding them deep into the soil, and the hills beyond. He inhaled again and the scent of nature filled his nostrils. It wasn’t Texas, but it was becoming home to him. The pull would be even stronger now, he thought, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling Annabelle in to his body.
“You okay?” Ethan said, relieved when she didn’t fight him.
“When we were in that place, where Cooper was, I didn’t know if I’d ever breathe in this air again, and I was so scared that you wouldn’t either.”
The look in her eyes nearly broke his heart. He wasn’t used to seeing her vulnerable.
“And yet here we are,” he said, kissing her forehead.
“And here we are,” she sighed.
He held her tight, his arms wrapped around her body, hers around
his as they enjoyed this moment of quiet, Minutes later they walked inside to face what was to come. The battle that they both knew had only just begun.
“Jake and his mom have put Cooper in one of the bedrooms, Belle,” Branna said when they entered the house. Annabelle made a move to follow, but Declan O’Donnell stopped her.
“There, now, girl, you’re home and safe, as is your brother. You let those doctors do what they do best, and they’ll call for you if necessary.”
Annabelle let him take her into his arms and hold her tight. These were her people. From them she could take this and understand that it came from the heart.
“I’m so scared, Declan,” she whispered.
She heard the murmur of voices behind her: Jake’s dad, Buster and Ethan. She couldn’t hear the words, but it was soothing that they came from her friends and the man she loved.
“’Tis only natural, Annabelle, but we have to hold on to hope now. Hope and certainty that together we will help Cooper heal and come back to you.”
“It’s okay, girl,” Buster said, and he followed it up with a hand on her head. It was large and warm and meant so much from a man not known for demonstrative gestures. Declan released her and she turned to look at her childhood friend. His face was serious, his pale green eyes worried.
“I’m gonna be real mad with you when you’re stronger, because you kept this from us, and carried this all alone, and especially when we had this out just a few days ago. But we’ll put that aside for now, okay?”
She nodded, understanding that he was hurt, like the others would be, that she’d kept Cooper’s condition to herself.
“We’ll get through this.” Buster then touched her cheek.
“I hope so. But he’s away from that place, and that has to be a start,” Annabelle added.
“You come and drink some coffee and have a slice of the pie I brought.” Buster took her arm and led her to the table.
Food, according to Buster, fixed most things, and if not, at least you were full while you were hurting.
“I should go and be with Cooper.”
“Annabelle, let Jake and Nancy do what they need to. They’ll come for you when they’re ready,” Patrick McBride said. He looked like his son Jake, just a bit older, and his hug was hard and warm.
She took the seat next to Ethan for no other reason than she needed to be near him, and was way too tired to fight it.
“There we go, Belle.” Branna placed a plate in front of her, a huge helping of apple pie, and a large mug of coffee.
“How come she gets hers first?” Ethan reached for her mug and took a big mouthful before handing it to her.
“I like her more,” Branna said, then went back to the kitchen.
“Now, we all know that’s not true,” Ethan said.
“Don’t get all bent out of shape, Number Five. There’s still plenty of women out there who have you on the top of their list.” Buster gave Annabelle a wink as he spoke.
Annabelle ate a mouthful of pie and moaned loudly. She hadn’t been hungry until now. “Damn, Buster, we just have to get married.”
“I asked first,” Ethan said grabbing the hand Annabelle was steering towards her mouth and detouring it to his. She saw a flash of white teeth as he opened wide and shoveled the pie in. She looked at his face, saw the lines of fatigue and bloodshot eyes.
“I’m telling you, I’d turn for him if he’d have me,” Ethan added after he’d swallowed.
“Tex, there is no way in hell I’d carry enough product in my bathroom for that pretty face of yours,” Buster drawled.
Annabelle ate and drank and listened to her friends. They were keeping the conversation light, teasing each other, and she felt herself slowly begin to relax. No one had asked any questions, but she knew they were coming.
Had she only been gone three days? It felt like a lifetime, because so much had changed in that short time. She’d fallen in love, had the best sex of her life, retrieved her drug-addicted brother and gone deeply into debt. It was no wonder her head was hurting.
Ethan rested a hand on the back of her chair when he’d finished his own pie, and his fingers stroked her neck. Looking around the table, she saw no change of expression on the faces of the others. Could they see what Ethan was doing? Did they care? Did she care that they’d seen?
Closing her eyes briefly, Annabelle tried to think, but couldn’t seem to push through the gray haze of exhaustion currently occupying her head.
“How about I take you for a rest, Belle? Just a few hours, then you’ll feel up to dealing with everything.” Branna had come around the table, so she would have seen Ethan’s fingers on Annabelle’s neck.
“Yes, I-I think I need that.” Annabelle got to her feet and took her friend’s hand. She wasn’t usually one to rest, but she was pretty much at the end of her strength now that she was here and Cooper was safe. She needed to recharge, wake refreshed and strong again, and she needed to get away from Ethan before she fell apart and asked him to hold her again, and this time never let go.
“I’ll see you later, then?” This she directed at Ethan. “And…thank you,” she added. The words were still way too lame, but again she’d needed to say them.
“We discussed you not saying that again, honey.” Ethan came to stand in front of her. “Go and sleep now, and when you wake up I’ll be here.” He touched her cheek.
Her nod was jerky, and then Branna led her away.
She stopped to look in on Cooper, and found him dressed in one of Jake’s t-shirts, which hung on him. He was lying back against the pillows with his eyes closed while Jake and his mom looked him over.
“How’s he doing?”
“It’s not good, Annabelle,” Dr. McBride senior said, “but we’re going to fight right alongside you two to make sure we get him through this, okay?”
Annabelle nodded and then sniffled. More tears. She’d never cried so much in her life.
Jake stood and came to her. Taking her in his arms, he held her tight. Branna stood behind her and Annabelle held out a hand to her, and they stood that way for a while until she’d stopped crying once more.
“I’m pretty pissed with you right about now, Annabelle, but that can wait until you’re stronger,” Jake said, letting her go.
“Buster said that.”
“I bet he did.” Jake wiped her tears with his thumb. “You’ll probably get it from Newman, Cubby, and a few others too, but you need to know it’s only because we love you, okay?”
She nodded, sniffled and then nodded again.
“Take her to a bed now, love,” Jake said to Branna. “I’ll give you an update after you’ve had a rest, Annabelle.”
“Ethan needs to rest too, Jake. Can you make sure he does?” Annabelle said.
“I will, and you need to know that what he did for you he did willingly and because he cares,” Jake said. “So don’t go and do anything rash like selling your house just because you think you owe him.”
“I do owe him,” she whispered, “more than I can ever repay. He…he did so much for me and Cooper, went out of his way to do it.”
“Because he cares about you,” Branna said.
“B-but you know me, Bran. I can’t live with a debt like that and not at least try and repay it.”
“Now is not the time to talk about this,” Branna said, taking her hand. “Now you need to sleep, and we’ll deal with the rest when you’re stronger.”
She didn’t fight the hands that pulled her from the room, nor the ones that stripped her to her panties and bra, pulled back the covers and then nudged her into bed.
“It’s going to be all right.” Bran kissed her forehead.
Annabelle closed her eyes, and that was the last thing she remembered as the blissful numbness of sleep pulled her under.
“They’re both sleeping now,” Jake said as he, his mother and Branna came back into the room Ethan was still sitting in with the others. “And you need to rest too, Tex. Your eyelids are drooping and you l
ook ugly, which is a sure sign you need your beauty sleep.”
“Ha,” was all Ethan could manage in response to that. He was tired, but in all honesty he’d been worse when he was in the Army. It was all the emotional shit that had exhausted him, first his family and now Annabelle and hers.
Jake’s mother said, “I need a wash before I head in to the clinic, so I’ll leave Cooper in your hands, son.”
“Sure,” Jake rose to see his parents out.
Declan agreed. “I should head back too. I told Ellen I’d help her with some marketing today, and I need to get in a shower too.”
“Ellen?” Branna said, teasing her father.
“I’m just helping a friend out, daughter,” he said, smiling. “No harm in that, and if she’s easy on the eye, then I’m a lucky man.” Declan kissed his daughter before gripping Ethan’s shoulder. “You are a good man, Ethan Gelderman. Codladh samh,” he said before leaving the house.
“Sleep well,” Branna translated as Ethan looked at her.
“How was the wedding?” Jake asked when he returned.
Ethan closed his eyes and sighed. The time for secrets was over; he knew that now. These were his friends and they deserved the truth from him, especially as he was now involved with Annabelle. Of course he had to convince her of that, but he would, Ethan vowed.
“I need more coffee and cake to tell you about the last few days,” he said.
“That bad, huh?” Buster got up to refill his cup. When he’d returned, Ethan started to talk.
“You all know I’m rich, so that’s no surprise, but my family is into oil in Texas, and they have a great deal more money than me. Private jets and that kind of thing were what I grew up with,” he said.
“I’m guessing that was the only good part,” Jake said.
“My dad is a control freak asshole, and also a master manipulator,” Ethan said, then went on to tell them about some of his childhood. Not all, but enough.
Jake whistled. “Sounds ugly.”
“It was, but having Annabelle there was good, and she kind of pushed the confrontation, so I ended standing up to my father and speaking my mind.”
