“Do you remember all those nights we spent in this room?” Laura asked.
“Sure, here or at my house. I don’t think there was a weekend that went by without a sleepover one place or the other.”
“Mm-hmm. We planned out our whole lives. Me, the great reporter; you, the artist. You were going to marry Tomás and have lots of kids, and I was going to be their eccentric aunt.”
“I remember,” Beth said softly.
“How come nobody ever told us it could be like this?” Laura murmured before her eyes closed and she slept.
Beside the bed, watching her sleeping friend, Beth whispered, “We wouldn’t have believed them if they had.”
When she was sure that Laura was asleep, she went back out into the living room and finally gave in to the tears she’d had to keep under control all day. She cried until there were no tears left, then made her own way to an early bed.
Chapter 27
Taylor swept Laura into his arms and kissed her as they stood on the deserted beach. The ocean matched her eyes; the sunrise was the color of her hair. She seemed to be made of morning light, and he realized how very much he loved her. He took his lips from hers to tell her, and she pulled away from him, running to the edge of the beach, playing tag with the waves. She was laughing and held out her hand to him as she waded out further. Without warning, the water and sky turned dark, and she was pulled away from him. He tried to reach her, but she was too far away, her brightness obscured by the darkness of the sea.
“Laura!”
The sound of his own voice woke Taylor, and he found he was sitting up, reaching out, heart pounding, still lost in the terror of the dream.
A dream. Thank God, it had only been a dream. He ran his hands through his hair, then got out of bed. He was awake now; there was no chance he’d fall asleep again. Shakily, he made his way downstairs, and, after fixing a cup of coffee, he sat out on the deck and watched the morning arrive.
* * *
Laura was jolted from sleep by the sound of Taylor’s voice calling her name. Disoriented, she stared wildly about the room before she recognized the familiar place. With that recognition came the memory of why she was there instead of in her own place.
She didn’t remember dreaming, yet she had heard his voice so clearly. Slowly, she lay back down, pulling the covers tightly around her as she recognized that no dream could be worse than the waking nightmare she was living. It was still dark outside. The sun hadn’t even begun its long climb over the mountains, and she drifted off again to the relative safety of sleep.
* * *
He’d stayed on the deck until the sun was safely up, as if its rising depended on his presence. He couldn’t shake the dream and remembered it with total clarity.
He’d been a fool! He shouldn’t have given up on Laura so easily. The old biddies said she was “practically” engaged. There was still time to change her mind, time until she actually married this man.
Going inside, he checked the computer. Still nothing from Laura. If he didn’t reach her today, he’d be on a plane tomorrow. He wasn’t going to lose her without a fight.
* * *
Laura lost her argument with Beth. “Go on to work. I’ll be fine.”
“Absolutely not, Laura Collins. I’m calling in sick for both of us. I promise not to be in your face, but I won’t leave you here alone.”
“Fine. Tell Robert I won’t be in the rest of this week. You, however, will be in to work tomorrow.”
“Stop bossing me around, Laura. It won’t do any good. See if you can stay out of trouble while I go shower!”
Laura took a cup of coffee out onto the patio. The winter haze that usually hung over the city seemed to be lighter this morning. She watched distant planes taking off from the airport and found herself wishing she was on any one of them as long as it was taking her away from here. Cary had taken so much more than her body. She’d always felt safe here, in this house, this city. This morning she looked on it without the rose tinting that had always colored her life. That was completely gone, headed for Atlanta with Cary.
* * *
The phone rang in her empty apartment. One…two…three rings. The answering machine finally picked up on the fourth. Not wanting to leave yet another message, Taylor hung up, then dialed her parents’ number.
* * *
Laura heard the phone ringing. No one knew she was here except Beth. It was probably for her parents, and she let it ring, their voice messaging picking it up. She couldn’t hear Taylor’s voice as he said, “Sean? Maria? It’s Taylor. I’m sorry to bother you. I’ve been trying to reach Laura. The Herald said she was sick. I’ve been trying for two days now and haven’t heard from her. Would you give me a call, please, or ask her to call me?”
Taylor hung up the phone. It was still fairly early in New Mexico, and the University was on break. It was unlikely they would have left for their offices. The dream still hovered in the back of his mind, and he was filled with a sense of foreboding.
* * *
“Did I hear the phone?” Beth was brushing her hair as she came back into the living room.
“Yes, but I let the voice messaging pick up. I figured it was forMom and Dad.”
“Could be, but it could have been Robert. I had to leave a message for him. Do you have the access code?”
“I can’t remember it right now. I must have it written down somewhere… ”
“Never mind. I’ll just call and see if it was him,” she said as she turned and walked back down the hall.
Laura sat in the living room, watching the sun rise higher and the city come to life. She could see the Pyramid in the distance and knew that the Herald building was in its shadow. She had a job. She should get back to it. But she couldn’t. Not yet.
Chapter 28
Rehearsals had started for the second part of the tour. There were a few new people, and everyone was rusty from the time off, so rehearsal went in fits and starts. By midday, Taylor was pretty close to the end of his patience. In all fairness, he knew most of the problems were coming from him. Finally, when the director called a lunch break, Taylor told everyone to take the afternoon off. “We’ll try again tomorrow. We’ve got time, so let’s not push ourselves too hard in the beginning.”
Leaving the Tampa Performing Arts Center where they’d taken rehearsal space, Taylor put the top down on the convertible and went for a long drive. He ended up in St. Pete just before sunset. Impulsively, he pulled into the parking lot for Hurricane’s. They still had a table on the balcony, and he had a beer while he watched the same sun set that he had helped to rise that morning.
As soon as he came into the condo, he knew there was no phone message from Laura. There was no light blinking on the machine, so he turned on the computer to check there. Still nothing. Looking at his watch, he realized she should be home, so he dialed the number he now knew by heart. He listened to it ring half a continent away, then hung up when the machine kicked in. Then he dialed her parents’ number again with the same results.
Calmly, he dialed a third number.
“Kathy? It’s Taylor Morgan. I’m sorry to bother you at home, but I need a flight to Albuquerque tomorrow… no, leave the return date open. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Give me a call back when you get everything arranged.”
Hanging up, he took the stairs two at a time and pulled down a suitcase. Even as he began to gather clothes, he used the cordless phone to call his director.
“Hi, it’s Taylor. You’re going to have to run rehearsals without me for a few days… I don’t know how long. It’s a personal thing and an emergency. I’ll be out of town. There’s plenty for you to work on without me. You know what to do…thanks. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m back.”
An hour later he was packed. Kathy had called him with the flight plans, and he was ready to leave in the morning
. He thought about trying Laura again, but decided enough was enough. He’d be a lot harder to brush off in person.
* * *
True to her word, Beth had left Laura time to think. Using the computer in Sean’s study, she connected to the computer at the paper and worked on a layout that had been giving her trouble. Just knowing Beth was there was a comfort to Laura. She wasn’t sure she could have handled being alone.
She’d spent much of the day on the living room couch, staring out the window at the river and the trees. She’d lost count of the planes she’d seen taking off and imagined all the places they could be going, all the places she’d never seen.
She’d never touched her college fund. With a scholarship and student employment, she’d never had to. Her parents had given the account to her when she graduated to do with as she pleased. She’d always thought about traveling, but the time had never been right. All day she’d thought of leaving—running away, she supposed. But maybe now was the right time.
Finally, in late afternoon, she appeared in the study doorway and interrupted Beth.
“Hey…”
Beth looked up from the computer. “Hey, yourself.”
“Are you at a stopping place?”
“Sure, hang on a minute.” Beth saved her work and logged off. Then she stood and stretched. “I spent too much time on that anyway. Do we need to be in here to talk, or can we use the living room?”
She stopped in the kitchen and got a soda, offering one to Laura. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Laura said, “I’ve been thinking, Beth. It’s time for me to try something different. I want to quit the Herald, travel, do some freelance work.”
Beth was surprised. Laura had always been such a homebody. “Are you sure, Laura? Now’s probably not the right time to be making major decisions.”
“No, I think now is exactly the right time. I don’t want to be here in the news community until Cary is just a memory for people. I need to get away, to start over. I’ve thought this through, and I’m sure it’s what I want to do.”
“Robert and Henry are going to have a cow, you know,” Beth grinned at her, then sobered. “What are you going to tell Mom and Dad?”
“Henry and Robert will get over it. Mom and Dad don’t have to know why. You know they’ll be supportive of my decision. Money’s not a problem. Want to quit and run away with me?”
“No, if you do this, you need to do it on your own. You don’t need me along.”
“I know. You’re right. I just can’t imagine doing it without you. You’ve always been there. We’ve done everything together.” She reached out and took Beth’s hand.
“I’ll still be here, Laura,” Beth replied. “You can’t get rid of me by running away. You’re stuck with me for life.” Raising her soda can in salute, Beth continued, “Here’s to a new beginning, Laura.”
Laura returned her salute, then picked up the phone.
“Hello, Henry. It’s Laura Collins… I’m better, thanks, but I have a favor to ask. I’m at Mom and Dad’s house. Could you stop by on your way home this evening? I need to talk to you, and I can’t come into the office right now…thanks, Henry. I appreciate it. See you soon.”
Chapter 29
Henry Alaniz had not been Laura’s direct supervisor for a long time. He’d been her boss when she was an intern, but he’d known her since she was a little girl, and he was “Uncle Henry.” He was far from happy at her news.
Beth had met him at the door and filled him in briefly on what had happened so that he was better prepared not to show his surprise at her appearance. Controlling his anger at the man who had done this to her was a different matter.
“Laura, you have to report this!”
“Henry, please understand. I can’t. You know as well as I do that it would never hold up in court.”
He’d turned away and looked out the window. He had a daughter the same age as Laura. If something like this happened to Cindy…
“Henry? Sit down. It gets worse.”
“Worse, Laura?”
She handed him an envelope. “It’s my resignation, Henry,” she said quietly before she went on to tell him what her plans were. “I don’t want to go back at all, and I need you to tell Robert for me.”
“Absolutely not, Laura! You can’t make a decision this important right now.”
“I can, Henry, and I have.” He saw the determination in her eyes and knew he’d never win this argument.
“I won’t accept your resignation, Laura.” He raised his hand to stop her as she started to protest. “I will give you a six-month leave of absence. If, at the end of that time, you still want to resign, I’ll accept it.”
Laura’s eyes filled with tears at the kindness of this man who had been her mentor for so many years.
“But, it comes with strings attached, Collins.” His voice resumed its customary gruffness. “Those freelance articles you’re going to write? The Herald better have first crack at them. Deal?”
She held out her hand and shook his as she replied, “Deal.”
* * *
After Henry left, the two women made a meal out of the treasures in the well-stocked freezer. Beth was pleased to note that Laura actually ate and there was some color in her face, other than the bruising.
“I think I’m going to log on for a few minutes, Beth.”
“Go ahead. I’ll put this stuff away, then watch some television. Take your time.”
Laura went to her father’s home office and booted up the computer. It had been several days now since she’d checked in. As she scanned the list of messages, she knew she was looking for one in particular—and it wasn’t there. Vaguely, she remembered Taylor had called that night when Cary… but she couldn’t examine that memory without looking at others, too, so she shut them all out.
She went through and deleted all but a few of the messages. They would keep for answering later. Suddenly she was so tired. She logged off, took a pill, said goodnight to Beth, and was asleep almost immediately.
* * *
Laura slept through the night. No nightmares. No voices calling her awake. She heard Beth moving around, but couldn’t quite make herself wake up. Beth knocked at the door to wake her, then said, “Hey, sleepyhead. I’m leaving for work now—on one condition. You have to promise to answer the phone so I can call and check on you. If you don’t, I’m coming back here!”
“I promise. Go on, already, so I can go back to sleep.”
Beth looked back from the doorway. It was good that she was sleeping. She needed rest to heal physically. If only everything else could be healed as easily.
* * *
Taylor had slept well, too. Now that he’d made up his mind, he could relax. No matter what happened, at least he’d be doing something. His flight was due to leave mid-morning. With the time gain, he’d be in New Mexico by noon. With luck, in a few short hours, he’d be telling Laura the truth about his feelings.
Whistling, he carried his case down the stairs. He picked up the phone and left a message for Annie. His agent had a number where he could be reached, but no one else knew where he was going—and no one knew why.
* * *
Laura slept until ten and woke up hungry. After eating an enormous portion of eggs and tortillas, she showered. The soreness was fading, as were some of the bruises. She still avoided looking in the mirror any more than necessary as she dressed in a turtleneck and jeans. As she finished drying her hair, she heard the phone ringing and ran to answer it.
“Collins.”
“Wilkins.”
“Morning, Beth.” She sounded so much better that Beth regretted that what she had to tell her would bring it all back.
“Morning, yourself. I just called to tell you to avoid reading the paper this morning—at least the arts and entertainment section. I’m sorry, La
ura, but there’s an article about him, and I didn’t want you to come across it without warning.”
Silence stretched across the line as Laura’s tenuous serenity vanished. Finally, she said, “Does it say when he’s leaving?”
“Today, actually. He’s leaving today. It’s not too late—”
“No, Beth,” Laura said firmly. “I’m not pressing charges.”
“Laura? Are you sure? Once he’s out of state it will be almost impossible.”
“I’m sure, Beth.”
Beth sighed. “OK, then. Have you eaten this morning?”
The conversation turned to everyday things, and Beth promised to call back in the afternoon to see what she could bring home for dinner.
Laura hung up the phone and picked up her hairbrush. Absently brushing her hair, she examined her feelings. Relief that he was gone, anger that she couldn’t do something about him, excitement at the new possibilities she faced, embarrassment at letting it happen at all. Why hadn’t she been able to see through his veneer of charm and caring? Dr. Remington was right. She was going to need some help to get her feelings sorted out.
Twisting her hair back into a ponytail, she picked up the phone and dialed her own number to check messages. It was time to try to get back to her life.
Chapter 30
As the plane taxied to the gate at Albuquerque’s Sunport, Taylor couldn’t help wishing Laura would be there to meet him. He could see her so clearly in his mind that he was a little surprised when she wasn’t waiting.
Hailing a taxi, he got in and told the driver to take him to the Hyatt. He planned on checking in, sending his bag upstairs, and immediately leaving for the Herald. Asking the driver to wait, he took care of the registration and came back out. As the taxi pulled into traffic, he suddenly told the driver to pull over. Jumping out of the cab, he checked the hand of the boy on the skateboard that was part of Sidewalk Society. It was empty, and he put a quarter on it. “Wish me luck,” he said to the bronze boy before he went back to the cab. The driver was sure he had a lunatic on his hands—but this lunatic had tipped well for him to wait.
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