“Laura, the morning is almost gone. You have one half hour to get down here because we have a snorkeling appointment. So, get up now, miss!”
Laura laughed at the barely disguised annoyance in his voice. “Hey, I thought today was a day off. I shouldn’t have to answer to you if I’m not working.”
“Then you’re working until you get down here, Ms. Collins. I’ll meet you in the dining room.”
* * *
Laura took his breath away as she came into the dining room. Her hair was caught back into a ponytail, and the green outfit she wore intensified the color of her eyes. She looked rested and, most importantly, happy.
“It’s about time you got here,” he growled with a frown that didn’t reach his eyes.
“What is this about snorkeling, Taylor?”
“Lover’s Cove. We’re going snorkeling in an hour, which gives you barely enough time to eat so you can go into the water.”
“I’ve never been snorkeling.”
“I figured you hadn’t. No offense, but it does require a little more—and a little clearer—water than the Rio Grande has to offer.”
“I still need to get the last of the stuff from the dressing room.”
“Already taken care of. Normally, my assistant would have done it, but she has the day off.”
“Smart woman,” Laura commented as they were interrupted by the server waiting to take their order.
Chapter 41
It had been a magical day. After the snorkeling, which she had loved, they had gone on a tour of Holly Hill House, the Queen Anne-style house that sat on a hill overlooking the harbor. Laura had fallen in love with it instantly when they’d arrived. Taylor had made some inquiries, found that the owner’s wife was a fan, and sent them tickets to last night’s concert with a request for a private tour. They’d been delighted and received Laura and Taylor for afternoon tea. He hadn’t paid a lot of attention to the spectacular view from the beautiful cupola that topped the house. He found it hard to draw his eyes away from her.
Leaving Holly Hill in the late afternoon, they wandered through the shops that ringed the harbor. Laura helped Taylor pick out some gifts for Meg, and they returned to The Inn in time to change for dinner.
Laura wore a dress she’d bought before Christmas, but had never worn. Pale green with a sweetheart neckline it boasted a mid-calf skirt of layers of chiffon in varying colors of blues and greens. The earrings Taylor had given her were the only jewelry she wore. As she pinned her hair up, she looked with approval at the woman who confidently met her gaze in the mirror.
Taylor knocked, and, as she opened the door, she was struck again by how good-looking he was. His reddish hair and turquoise eyes were such an unusual combination. In black slacks and turquoise shirt with a black blazer, he looked wonderful.
Over dinner, they talked and laughed. Laura realized he was flirting with her and she with him, and it felt so right. The ghosts that had haunted her were safely tucked away, and she really believed she could be happy again.
After dinner, Taylor and Laura returned to his suite. The balcony doors were open, letting in a gentle sea breeze. While Laura stood on the balcony watching the lights of Avalon and the small boats in the harbor, Taylor poured two glasses of wine and joined her.
“Thanks, Taylor,” she said as she took a glass. “This has to be the most perfect place on earth.”
“I’ve always liked it here,” he said, his eyes on her, not the harbor. “I’ve thought about moving here on more than one occasion. If it weren’t for Annie and Meg, I might have by now.”
“Mmm…living here would be wonderful. I never thought I could love someplace as much as I do Albuquerque, but, if I were ever tempted to leave permanently, I think Catalina would be the place I’d come.”
Taylor put down the glass and took a deep breath. Now was the time to tell her. He wouldn’t go on pretending anymore that he wasn’t in love with her, but, before he could speak, the phone rang. The switchboard usually put all his calls through to Laura, and she ran interference for him. There hadn’t been many. A couple from Meg…but it was awfully late for Meg to be calling. He hesitated for a moment before answering the phone, suddenly filled with a certainty that this was bad news.
“Hello?”
“May I speak with Taylor Morgan, please.”
Taylor didn’t recognize the voice and cautiously asked who was calling.
“This is Dr. Pearson in Tampa. Annie Miller has listed his name as next of kin.”
Laura watched as the blood drained from Taylor’s face, and he groped for the chair behind him.
“I’m Taylor Morgan, Doctor. What’s happened to Annie?” he asked, his voice curiously flat.
“Mr. Morgan, Annie was brought into the hospital today after she collapsed at her studio. She asked that we call you to return as soon as possible.”
“As soon as I can get a plane, I’ll be there.” From the corner of his eye, Taylor saw Laura open the door and go across the hall to her room. “But, Annie? Is she all right? What’s wrong with her?”
“Mr. Morgan, I really don’t want to discuss it with you over the phone. Annie is stable, for the moment, and we will be running tests that will probably keep her in the hospital for a few days. She is very concerned about her daughter.”
“Megan. Where is she?”
“We were able to contact her regular caregiver who is staying with her at their home.”
“Tell Annie I’m on my way, Doctor. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
He broke the connection and went to the open door. Across the hallway, Taylor heard Laura saying, “Thank you. I’ll have him at the airport within half an hour.”
She hung up the phone then turned to look at him. “Taylor?”
“Annie’s in the hospital. The doctor wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, only that she’s stable and they’re doing tests. I need to get back there right away.”
“I’ve already called the Catalina airport. They’ll have someone take you back to the mainland as soon as you can get there. The next question is, do you want me to arrange a commercial flight or charter a plane for you?”
“Whichever is faster, Laura. Thanks. I need to call Meg. It sounds as if Susan is with her, but I need to know. I’ll pack while I call.” He went back across the hall as Laura once again picked up her phone.
As he threw clothes into his suitcase, Taylor listened to the phone ringing a continent away.
“Miller residence.” It was Susan’s voice.
“Susan, it’s Taylor. The hospital just called. What happened?”
“Oh, Taylor, I’m so glad they found you. Megan is about out of her mind with worry. Annie complained of having a headache during her advanced class this afternoon and turned it over to her assistant. When class was over, Jane went into her office and found Annie unconscious on the floor. She called an ambulance and had the presence of mind to call me.”
“The doctor wouldn’t tell me anything. What do they think it is?”
“They’re being very cautious, Taylor, but they have a ‘cat’ scan scheduled for morning. She’s admitted that she’s been having these headaches off and on for a while now, but she attributed it to stress.”
Taylor was overwhelmed by guilt. Meg had tried to tell him, but he’d never found time to ask Annie.
“What about Meg?”
“She’s been crying almost non-stop all evening. Annie is in intensive care, so they wouldn’t let Meg in to see her. I think she may finally have fallen asleep.”
“Susan, if she has, wake her. I need to talk to her.”
“Taylor, shouldn’t we let her sleep?”
“Please, Susan.”
He waited while she went to wake Meg. Tonight was turning out so differently from what he’d had planned.
“Taylor?” Meg’s tear-filled vo
ice filled his ear.
“It’s me, Meg.”
“Taylor, where are you? Mommy’s sick. I’m so scared.” She started to cry and Taylor’s eyes filled with tears.
“Meg, I’m in California, but I’m leaving in a few minutes to start back. It will take a little while, but I’ll be there as quickly as I can. I’ll go straight to the hospital to see your mom, and I’ll call you as soon as I know something. You’re going to have to be strong for a little while longer, Meg. Can you do that?” Taylor could hear her sobbing. “Megan? Sweetheart, talk to me.”
“Please hurry, Taylor.”
“I will, Meg. Try to go to sleep now. It will make the time go quickly. I love you, Meg.”
“I love you too, Taylor.”
As Taylor broke the connection, Laura knocked at the door. “How’s Meg?”
“Absolutely shattered.”
“There will be a private jet waiting when you get to L.A. You should be back there four or five hours from now. Are you ready to go?”
“Ready as I’m going to be, I guess. Laura—thanks for taking care of all of that.”
“You’re welcome, Taylor. I’ll finish things here in the morning, then head back to Albuquerque. Please call and let me know as soon as you know something.”
He nodded, then picked up his suitcase. They went downstairs where one of the hotel staff was waiting to take them to the airport. When they arrived, Laura walked with Taylor to the small plane that was waiting. He handed his case to the pilot, then turned back to Laura.
“Laura, this wasn’t at all the way I had hoped tonight would turn out. There’s so much I need to say to you, but it will have to wait.” He reached out and gently touched her cheek, his heart in his eyes as he looked at her. He kissed her lightly, then turned away, boarding the plane that would take him away from her with so much left unsaid.
Chapter 42
Laura was in his arms by the edge of the water, and he was lost in the joy of her kiss when he heard Annie’s voice calling him. He broke away from Laura. Laughing, she began to walk away from him, beckoning him to come with her. He turned to the water and saw Annie being pulled out to sea and he knew he could only chose one of them. Laura had already faded into the distance and Annie’s cries were growing weaker as Taylor stood mired in indecision, knowing that choosing one would cause him to lose the other.
He awoke with a start, disoriented until he realized he was on a plane on his way back to Tampa. The nightmare was real.
The co-pilot came in. “Mr. Morgan, we’ll be landing in Tampa in about half an hour. Would you like to me to radio ahead for a car for you?”
“Thanks, but no. I’ll probably just grab a cab.” He watched the man go back into the cockpit, then stood and made his way to the bathroom. The man looking back at him from the mirror was haggard and old, not at all the person he’d been less than forty-eight hours ago. Coming off a successful concert tour, sure of his love for Laura and hers for him, he’d been on top of the world…but he couldn’t allow himself to think about that now.
Getting a razor from his carry-on, he tried to make himself presentable.
* * *
He arrived in Tampa at five a.m. Since the condo was on the way to the hospital, he had the cab drop him there so he could take his own car. It was almost six when the elevator opened on the intensive care waiting room. There were several people there, all of them looking as worn as he felt.
“I’m here for Annie Miller. My name is Taylor Morgan,” he said to the nurse on duty.
“Mr. Morgan, Annie’s been asking for you. It will be a few minutes, but I’ll call you.”
Nodding silently, he turned away and walked to the window, not seeing anything but pictures of Annie in his mind. The only other time he’d been at a hospital for any length of time was when Meg was born. That had been a time of joy, not like now. What if Annie…
“Mr. Morgan,” the nurse said his name softly so as not to disturb the others in the waiting room. “You can see Annie now.”
He was ushered into a large room lined with separate cubicles and a dazzling array of monitors and equipment. The nurse led him to one at the far end and stood back to let him go through the door. “Mr. Morgan, I’m going to stretch the rules since you just got here, but only to ten minutes.”
Taylor nodded absently as he entered the small space and saw Annie in the high bed. A number of monitors, each with a different pattern, surrounded her. She had an I.V. in her arm and an oxygen tube ringed her face; she looked totally vulnerable as Taylor took her hand and her eyes opened
“Taylor… I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Where else could I be, Annie? I got here as quickly as I could.” His eyes filled with tears as he pulled a chair beside the bed.
“No tears, Taylor. Have you seen Meg?”
“Not yet. I came straight here from the airport, but I talked to her last night. Susan’s with her and she’s safe. You don’t need to worry about her.”
She smiled at him. “Good. But she needs you, Taylor. Promise you’ll go out there soon.”
“Soon, but not until I talk to your doctor. Annie, Meg told me you were having these headaches, and I didn’t pay enough attention. Why didn’t you go to the doctor sooner?”
“I did. When I was at Mom’s. He told me I had the flu.”
“He was obviously an idiot,” Taylor said fiercely. He couldn’t bear seeing Annie this helpless.
“Taylor, hush. We’ll get through this. I want you to go to Meg.”
Taylor opened his mouth to argue, but was interrupted by the nurse. “Mr. Morgan. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave.”
“Go on, Taylor. I’ll see you in a little while.”
He leaned down and kissed her forehead then whispered, “I love you, Annie.” He felt her return the pressure of his hand before he let go and reluctantly left the room.
Back in the waiting room, the nurse handed him a list of rules for the ICU. He’d only be allowed to see her for five minutes every hour.
“Can you tell me when Dr. Pearson will be in?” he asked.
“He usually checks on his patients around seven. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
Taylor resumed his vigil at the window. The sun had come up while he was with Annie. It was going to be another picture-perfect Florida day, but he never even noticed.
* * *
About 7:30, the nurse called him. “Mr. Morgan, the doctor is just finishing up and would like to see you. There’s a conference room just down the hall. He asked you to meet him there.”
As Taylor opened the door, a tall, thin man wearing a doctor’s white coat looked up from the papers he was studying. “Mr. Morgan?”
“Yes. You must be Annie’s doctor.”
“Jared Pearson.” He shook Taylor’s hand, then indicated a chair across the table. “Annie asked that you be given any information she was given, so I wanted to bring you up to date on where we are. Annie was brought in yesterday after losing consciousness at work. By the time she was brought in, she was alert again, but in considerable pain, complaining of a headache. We’ve done a number of tests already, but we have a CT scan scheduled for later this morning. I should have the results back by one. I’ll meet with you and Annie then.”
“Doctor? What is it?”
“Mr. Morgan, I don’t want to speculate. Wait until I have some real answers to give you.” He stood, effectively dismissing Taylor. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”
Taylor returned to the waiting room and was told he could have another 5 minutes with Annie.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said as he sat beside her bed again.
“Taylor, have you called Meg?”
“Annie, I’m going out there as soon as they kick me out of here again. I met with your doctor, and he said he’d meet with both of us this afternoon, hopefu
lly with some answers. That gives me time to go to Meg.” He brushed her hair away from her face. “Stop bossing me around, Annie Miller.”
“Not a chance, Taylor! How did the concerts go on Catalina?”
He laughed softly. “Annie, that’s not important.”
“It’s important to me, Taylor. Tell me.”
“They were a success, Annie. I think the television special is going to be really good.” He went on and told her about the glittering audience and the cast party.
“I’m so proud of you, Taylor,” Annie said with a smile. “Not bad for a small-town boy.”
“Mr. Morgan.”
“I’ll be right there.” Taylor held Annie’s hand for a moment longer. “I’ll go see Meg now, Annie. I’ll bring you a report this afternoon.”
* * *
Taylor pulled into the driveway of Annie’s house a little before nine. Other than his nightmare-plagued nap on the plane, he had been awake for more than 24 hours and was beginning to feel it.
As he got out of the car, he saw Meg standing at the door. She looked so lost and vulnerable that it broke his heart. He ran up the steps and took her in his arms and held her while she cried. When she’d quieted, he took her hand and led her back into the house where Susan was waiting.
“Meg, I saw Annie this morning. She’s terribly worried about you and practically threw me out so I’d come here. She has some more tests this morning, but I’ll go back this afternoon to talk with her and the doctor.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Meg’s voice was still thick with tears.
“They don’t know yet, Meg. That’s what the tests are for. We should know more this afternoon. When I go back, I have to be able to tell her you’re all right. You’re going to have to be strong for a little longer, Meg. I want you to go get dressed while I talk to Susan. I need to take a walk and thought you might go with me. Would you?”
She nodded silently before padding off to her room.
“Taylor?”
“What I told Meg is all I know, Susan. I wish it were more. Can you stay a while longer?”
Timing Is Everything Page 22