Sweet Promise (The Grahams Book 1)

by Jennifer Woodhull

  “Honey, he’s an old friend of the family from back home. He’s in a strange place and just wants somebody to talk to for a while. He’s harmless. I’ll be fine.” I said.

  “I don’t like it,” he looked over my shoulder to where Mike was standing, his hands still possessively on my hips. “He’s got a thing for you, you know.”

  “He does not! He’s known me since I was ten. He’s just a guy from back home, that’s all.” I put my palm to the side of his face and turned it, so he was looking directly at me. “You have to trust me, Luc. That’s a non-negotiable. I want you and only you. I’m yours. Completely. Remember?”

  He relaxed a little, nodding, and held me closer. I kissed him deeply and told him I’d see him soon before I turned back to meet my friend. “Right then, four o’clock, I’ll be back at our room to get ready for dinner. Bye, darling!” He called theatrically.

  I turned back to him, “Four o’clock, hon, and don’t be late!” I blew him a kiss, and he gave a little smile before we turned and went our separate ways.

  CHAPTER 17

  Georgia

  Mike and I walked the cobbled streets of Barcelona, catching up on our friends and family back home. We were admiring the beautiful architecture, the colorful shopfronts, and the enjoying the musical cacophony of the vibrant neighborhood.

  I told Mike about Celia’s life in Chicago. “Ya know, I always wondered why you two never got together,” I told him. “Ya’ll were together a lot senior year, and then you were around a lot during that first summer after she went to college. I could totally see it.” I smiled.

  “Oh, Celia’s great! Real pretty…runs in the family, of course.” He winked at me. “We did fool around a couple of times. Ya know too much beer, too many hormones. But she was never much interested in me.” The look in his eyes told me there was more there, but I didn't push.

  We talked a while longer, him telling me about his parents, and me telling him about Daddy and Ro. The early afternoon sun was blazing, so we took a turn up a shaded alley for a break from the heat.

  “So, how long you two been seein’ each other?” Mike asked as we enjoyed the cool shade of the buildings on the quiet street.

  “Not too long,” I said hesitantly, at first. Then I realized I had nothing to be ashamed of – had nothing to hide. We were public, after all. “We met before shooting started. The attraction was pretty strong even then, but I guess all those hours working together, traveling together…we got to know each other, and the connection between us was just really…well, it just sorta happened really fast.”

  “Hmpf,” he uttered, half to himself.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  “Well, I was just thinkin’…I reckon it’s easy to fall in love with a rich guy, huh? Ol’ country boys like me never get much of a chance with a Graham girl.” He said, shrugging.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I crossed my arms, a little offended at his tone.

  “Aw, I’m sorry, Georgia. Don’t mind me. I’m just a sore loser, I guess. Hardly seems fair that some rich playboy gets one of the prettiest girls I ever knew. Guy like me can’t seem to catch a break,” he nodded his head once and smiled.

  “Mike, I was fourteen when you were, what? Twenty? Don’t be a creep!” I shoved him playfully, the same way I did Ro.

  “Well back then, yeah, but…damn, Georgia! Look at ya now. All grown up. I’m just teasin’, ya know. I always did like Celia, to tell ya the truth. I just couldn’t get her to give me a real chance. I’m just sayin' - you and Celia were always knockouts. You could get any guy you want,” he said.

  “Well, thanks. And I did, I guess…get the guy I want, I mean. Lucas isn’t like people think he is. Everybody sees the stories in the tabloids, but that’s not who he is at all.” I smiled, thinking of how lucky we were to have found each other. Talking to Mike made me think of home, too. The show was going well, and the money I was earning would pay the tax liens. We’d finally be out of danger of losing the place. We would figure out what to do now that we couldn’t grow crops anymore, but that was a minor detail in comparison to losing our legacy.

  “Hey, look out!” Mike said, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the shop window we had paused at just as a bike came careening by a little too close for comfort.

  “Wow, thanks!” I said, a little shaken at the close encounter. “Anyway,” I continued as we walked, “Lucas isn’t necessarily that rich, he’s just had a good career.” I looked in the window of the shop we were facing and spotted a wallet that was etched with a Spanish style guitar. It had a scroll motif around the edges and was made from a beautiful mahogany leather. It would be perfect for Ro’s birthday gift.

  “I ain’t gonna argue with you, darlin’. I mean, he’s your man and all, but I ain’t so sure he’s told you the whole story. The papers been writin’ a lot about ya’ll two back home, ya know. Sounds like he grew up a little different than you and me.” He looked up the alley, toward where the cobblestone street curved. “Hey, looks like that place up there has ice cream. It’s awful hot. Might not be as good as the dairy dip back home, but you wanna give it a try?”

  “That sounds great!” I said. “I’m gonna pop in here and pick up something that caught my eye. Go grab us a table? Order me strawberry…or raspberry, maybe, if they have it. I’ll be right there.”

  Mike nodded and headed up the street as I popped in to get the wallet. I managed to convey to the shopkeeper, somehow, that it was a gift for my brother despite my virtually nonexistent Spanish. He wrapped it neatly for me, and I was excited to have found something so perfect for a classical guitarist. I stepped out of the shop and looked up the street where Mike was walking out of the ice cream shop with two cups, one heaped with pink ice cream for me. He held it up and smiled, then placed them on one of the café tables outside the shop and started to sit down.

  I smiled and started to walk toward the shop. I decided to put the bag with Rome’s gift in my handbag for safekeeping. I unzipped my bag and put the package inside as I stepped across the alley toward the table where Mike sat. I didn’t look up until I heard my name. “Georgia, no!” Mike screamed as he jumped up from the table and started toward me. The last thing I remember was looking up and seeing a shock of blue, the shade of a blue jay, as the scooter swerved toward me, the driver rolling off as it skidded sideways down the cobblestone street. Suddenly, everything went dark.

  CHAPTER 18

  Lucas

  “Can’t you go any faster?” I heard John urging the driver. “De prisa, por favor!”

  I sat silently in the backseat beside my friend, my mind racing. I didn’t know much. There had been some sort of accident in the street. Georgia was at the hospital, and I needed to get to her. John had gotten the call and came to get me straight away. Thank bloody hell, John had registered her with the embassy in each country on our itinerary, so when the police and ambulance arrived, they ran her passport and knew to call him. My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest. I’d finally got it right – found this amazing woman, and for reasons I couldn’t quite explain, she actually wanted to be with me. I’d just found her, and now all I could think of was, how could I possibly live if I lose her?

  We pulled up to the hospital, and I leaped out of the car while John dealt with the driver. I ran up to the admissions desk. “Please, English? Anyone? I need help…my girlfriend was brought in…Graham – Georgia Graham. Please, someone, help me!”

  “You must be Mr. Nash, yes? We’ve been expecting you. Please, come with me.” A man in a white lab coat said as I pleaded with the nurse.

  “Is she alright? Please! Tell me she’s going to be okay,” I pleaded.

  “I am Dr. Velez, Mr. Nash. Ms. Graham has taken a very serious fall, I’m afraid. We will watch her closely over the next hours, then we will know more,” the doctor said calmly.

  “Can I see her, then?” I asked as he walked me down the hall toward her room.

  “You can sit with her.
She is not awake right now, but we hope she will wake soon. We have her on some fluids and anti-inflammatory medicine to help with the swelling from the trauma. We are monitoring her blood pressure and heart rate. She must stay very calm until we know more, you understand.” His expression was stern.

  “I understand. I just…I need to see her,” I could feel the tears spilling down my cheeks, but I didn’t care.

  “Of course, Mr. Nash. She has not been coherent since she was brought in, you understand, but as we transferred her from the gurney, she was unconscious, but calling for you,” the doctor told me.

  “She was asking…for me?” I asked, my voice cracking.

  “Yes, she was calling, Lucas, Lucas, she said it over and over. Here we are. This is her room. I’ll let your friend know you’ve come back to see her.” He said and left me to enter her room.

  I grasped the handle, took a deep breath, and opened the door. My heart stopped when I saw her. She looked so small – so fragile in the giant hospital bed with tubes and wires coming from her arms and mouth. A bandage was wrapped around her head, and a black splint was on her wrist. Her face was swollen, a bruise on her cheek. I walked to the side of her bed and took her tiny, limp hand in mine. All the air left my lungs, and my eyes began to blur from tears.

  “Georgia, how did this happen? Why? Why you, my darling?” I held her hand to my lips. I pulled a chair over beside her bed, put the guard rail down, and leaned beside her on the bed. “I need you, Georgia. I’ll do anything – give up anything, but I can’t lose you.”

  I sat like that, waiting for any sign of movement, for I don’t know how long. My eyes were closed when I heard the door of Georgia’s room open. “You made it,” I heard a voice say and my eyes shot open. The American. I stood and walked toward him, grabbing him by the collar and shoving him against the wall.

  “What the fuck were you doing?” I asked through gritted teeth. “She was with you. Why didn’t you keep an eye on her?” My voice spewed venom. I hated him for not doing something to save her. I hated him more for having been the last person she saw before she lost consciousness.

  He tried unsuccessfully to wrench my hands from him. “I’m gonna give you a break ‘cause I know you’re hurtin’, but I’m gonna need you to get your fuckin’ hands off me.” He replied quietly.

  I tightened my grip, grabbing his collar and shoving him against the wall again with a thud. “You were right fucking there!” I said through clenched teeth. “How did you let this happen?!”

  John walked in, hastily putting the coffees in his hand on the little table by the door and rushing to calm me down. “Nash, stop – let him go. This isn’t solving anything,” he pleaded.

  I looked at him, then back to Mike, and released his neck.

  He looked at Georgia, lying in the hospital bed, and explained what he’d seen. “She was buyin’ something in a store. It was hot, so I walked across the street to get us some ice cream, and when I came out of the shop, she was startin’ across the street, but she wasn’t lookin’. I called out when I saw the scooter, and started toward her, but it was too late. The guy ditched the bike, and it skidded down the alley. It connected, and she just…she was in the air, then on the street…I just couldn’t get to her fast enough. It was…awful…I…,” he looked at me, his eyes wide and rimmed with red. “I’m so sorry, man. I’ve known Georgia since she was a kid. I know how special she is…and I know how much you care about her.”

  My face was still stone, but I nodded at him. “I need some time with her,” I said, looking to him and then John. “Please.”

  “I understand. Now you’re here I’m gonna head back to my hotel,” Mike said. “John,” he turned to him, “you’ve got my number. Will you let me know…if anything changes?” He had apparently gotten John’s number from the embassy as well.

  “Of course. Thanks, Mike,” John said.

  “You should call Adam – her dad. Let him know. I won’t say anything to anybody back home. Not my place,” Mike said. He turned to open the door of the room, then turned back to me. “Lucas, you should know – the last thing she was talkin’ about was you. She was tellin’ me how you met…how crazy she is about you. She’s tough. She’s gonna fight to get back to ya. I know it,” he said, then left.

  “He’s right you know,” John said. I just looked at him. “She’s a fighter. She’ll do whatever it takes to come back to you.”

  I nodded. “Do you have her Dad’s number?” I asked.

  “Sending it to your phone now. I’ll step out, but I’m not leaving. I’ll be right out in reception.” John said, patting my shoulder before he walked out the door. “I know…,” John stopped, looking at me. “I know what you’re feeling right now, Lucas. I know more than anyone. The pain is…it feels unbearable. But you-you've got hope. You just have to have faith.” I nodded at him as he walked through the door.

  I stepped to her bedside and took her hand in mine as I looked at my phone. It was nearly five in the afternoon – almost midnight in Nashville. I took a deep breath and hit the call button on my phone.

  “Hello? Who’s this?” His voice was throaty and full of sleep as he answered the phone.

  “Mr. Graham, it’s Lucas Nash,” I said nervously.

  “Who?” He uttered through sleep, “Wait…Lucas? Georgia’s fella? What…What’s goin’ on? Georgia okay?”

  “There was an accident, Mr. Graham. We’re in the hospital,” I said.

  “What?!” He was fully awake then, startled by my words. “What happened? Is she okay? Lemme talk to her,” he said sternly.

  “Mr. Graham, she was hit by a scooter in the street. I got here as fast as I could. She hasn’t been awake since I got here,” I squeezed her hand, and a tear breached the rim of my eye, rolling down my cheek. My jaw was set. I was so angry that she was lying there, and I was helpless to do anything for her.

  “I see,” Adam Graham said quietly. “I…how can I…I don’t got a passport or anything. I don’t know how to get to her,” he stammered. “Is she gonna…what does the doctor say, Lucas?”

  “They’ll know more when she wakes up,” I told him. “It’s hard to say right now.”

  “You gonna stay with her, son?” Mr. Graham asked me.

  “Nothing could pry me away from her. I won’t move from her side,” I said.

  “I need you to take care of her, ya hear me?” He said, angrily. “She’s…she’s my baby girl. She’s everything to me. To all of us. I lost her mama. Can’t lose her. If she…if she…I can’t lose her, son!”

  “No…no, sir, we won’t lose her. She’ll come back to us. I know she will.” I said quietly.

  “You let me know what’s happenin’. I gotta go…gotta tell her brother. They’re close…that twin thing they got…he won’t take it very good. You let us know what’s happenin’. Call any time – day or night – as soon as you know more. I’m countin’ on you, Lucas.”

  “Yes, sir, I will. I won’t leave her side, I promise you. I’ll call you as soon as the doctor comes back in.” I told him before he hung up.

  “Georgia, I need you to come back, now, do you hear me? I need you to wake up and be well. Your dad…he’s…he’s not having it. You know how scary he is, and I can’t deal with him on my own,” I let out a little laugh as my tears were falling uncontrollably. I pulled her hand to my lips. “Come now, darling. You’ve got to wake up. We need you…I can’t…I can’t…,” my words were gone, and I began to sob like a child.

  I didn’t remember falling asleep, but the nurse’s hand on my shoulder roused me. My neck was stiff from leaning on the edge of the bed, Georgia’s hand still in mine.

  “Sir, we need to take some vitals now, please,” the nurse said as she patted my shoulder. “Please, it will not take long.” I nodded as she spoke. “You go get some coffee maybe? Or food?”

  I looked at my watch. Ten-thirty. I walked out into the hallway and found John sitting in a plastic chair across from her room, head buried in his hands.
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br />   “You’re still here?” I asked.

  “Just because you’re a complete wanker most of the time, you didn’t think I’d leave you, did I? Besides, I’m worried about her too, you know.” He stood and slapped my shoulder. “You look like hell, mate. Let’s go find you something to eat while they take care of her, eh?”

  We found a vending area on the next floor and made a makeshift meal out of crisps, stale biscuits, juice, and some dodgy-looking sandwiches. “I take it you called Tasha, then?”

  “I had to, Nash. We don’t know…I mean…she could be in here for days.” He replied.

  I sat quietly, mindlessly eating crisps. “You aren’t leaving here, are you?” John asked.

  “Never,” I replied, taking a swig of apple juice. “I’m not leaving here without her.”