“We need to get you up to the head table so we can have everyone settle in. We’ll have Mayor Watkins say a few words in lieu of Becca’s father, and then the best man and you will give your speeches.” The wedding planner pulled her a little in the direction she wanted Danielle to go and then let go, flitting off to some other part of the reception hall.
As she looked around, Danielle took in the beauty of the room. The woman had done a great job overall, and it worked out better that the ceremony had been by the reservoir instead of in the rec hall so everything could be set up for the reception beforehand.
Danielle took her seat and looked down the small table. The mayor and his wife were sitting next to her on the side of the bride, with Tara and Carissa on Danielle’s right. Colton’s mother sat on the other side of him, beaming. But the spot next to her had been filled by Tanner, who’d made it to the reception. His cheeks looked a little flushed, but he was smiling about something Colton’s mother said. Where was Liam?
After a quick search around the hall and not seeing him anywhere, it made her more curious. She shouldn’t worry about him, shouldn’t give him a second thought more than a writing partner for the newspaper, but she couldn’t help but wonder what would pull him away from the wedding.
Leaning over to Mrs. Watkins, she whispered, “Where is Liam? Isn’t he supposed to give a speech as well?”
Mrs. Watkins turned her head to look around the room and then looked over to Colton’s side. “He’s probably just running late, or had to get Cari.”
Mayor Watkins stood, turning Mrs. Watkins’s attention forward, and Danielle couldn’t ask any more questions. Maybe something happened to Kara that had Liam and Cari heading to Grand Junction now.
Not that she was interested in him, because that wasn’t the case. She’d pledged long ago not to let a relationship derail her life. But she couldn’t help but smile as she remembered their bantering, something most people in Sage Creek didn’t care for.
Sitting back in her seat, Danielle took a deep breath, feeling a hollowness sink into her chest. Maybe she needed to head back to LA, because she didn’t feel the same kind of pressure there. Everyone just did their thing, focusing on work and playing on the weekends.
Soon enough, it was her turn to stand, and she tried to regroup her thoughts as she took the microphone.
“Thank you for your words, Tanner.” She glanced over at him with a smile, not having heard any of his speech. She turned back to the crowd. “I just wanted to say I am so excited for the two of you,” she said, looking at the bride and groom, “for the adventures you’ll have over these next several decades and for your future. I’ve known Becca since the time we were in kindergarten, and we’ve been closer than honeycomb ever since. She’s read some of my worst writing ever, and I’ve gladly accepted the random plants she’s tried to grow in the backyard.”
The crowd chuckled at that, and Danielle paused, her emotions sobering. “I know this means our lives are changing, for the better, and I wish you both many years of love.” She raised her glass and took a sip as everyone else did the same.
Following dinner were the first dances, and she danced with Tanner, which didn’t have the same electricity as when she was near Liam. With the cake cut, the bouquet toss went to Susie Jones, who looked more surprised than anyone since she wasn’t dating anyone.
Once the couple headed out in Colton’s truck, Danielle sighed. This day had been so much better than the one Becca was to share with Peter a few years ago. She’d never seen Becca happier.
Feeling the onset of another headache, Danielle slipped out of the rec hall and walked down the quiet streets. That was one good thing about a small town: when everyone was at an event, the streets were empty enough to enjoy in peace.
She walked aimlessly and found herself in front of the bookstore, peering into the dark rooms. A mental picture of the owner came into her mind, and her attraction to him grew as she thought of how he took care of his niece and that his wit rivaled her own.
Moving away from the glass, she tried to push any thoughts of Liam Pearson out of her brain. She just needed to focus on the article and her next cozy mystery and move on from there.
Escaping back into her mother’s still house, she walked up to her room and pulled out her laptop. Nothing to squash thoughts about love like drafting her next cozy mystery.
Chapter 15
“I’m sorry, Mr. Pearson. It looks like the cancer has spread to her other organs. Our best chance is to surgically remove as many of the tumors as possible.” Dr. Marcy pushed her glasses up higher on her nose, her face a mask trying to hide the sadness in her eyes.
Liam shifted his weight to the other foot, folding his arms against his chest. “And if you can’t get them all?” His mind went immediately to Cari, and he turned, making sure she was okay in the room adjacent. She sat happily tapping away on his phone.
Dr. Marcy nodded as if she’d been waiting for this question. “We have a couple of options. The first is that we can try radiation and chemotherapy, but there isn’t a guarantee those will work. The second is that we let her go home and she has maybe three to six weeks left.”
Liam felt like he’d been hit by a car, the words slamming him in the chest and taking the oxygen with it. He took a step back, sinking into the chair. Turning to look through the window, he glanced in Cari’s direction again, to find her singing and dancing to some song he couldn’t hear.
Looking up at the doctor, he said, “But if we go through all the treatments, what are the outcomes for those?”
“Maybe another year.”
“Maybe?” Liam said. The anger rose. “What about her daughter? Kara’s got to live longer than that.” Would he really lose his sister?
Sympathy spread over the doctor’s features, and her voice came out softer this time. “I’m really sorry, Liam. I know how much she means to you, and I wish we had been able to find this sooner. But this type of cancer is resistant to most forms of treatment. There are some trials we could put her into and see how she does, but that will be something you need to discuss with her.”
“Is she awake?” He’d convince her now to start the trial. Anything to keep her with him and Cari for a while longer.
“She woke up just a few minutes before you arrived. I’ll check to find out if she’s up to seeing you, but the sooner we make decisions in regards to her treatments, the better our chances are of prolonging some part of her life, even if we only add a few more weeks to it.”
Liam stood and shook the doctor’s hand, ready to take Cari to see her mother. A thought struck him as he moved to the door, and he turned around. “Are the treatments rough? I mean, will they make her sick?”
Dr. Marcy’s face softened, and she nodded. “Usually sick days follow the treatments. The number of treatments and how close together they will be will determine whether she has any good days left.”
Biting his bottom lip, he nodded. They both left the room, and Liam pasted a smile on his face before walking into the space next door. “Hey, Cari. Are you ready to see your mom?”
The girl’s light brown hair fell into her face, and she moved it with her hand. “Is she awake?” Her eyes were wide beneath her glasses, and a big grin spread across her face as she waited for his answer.
“The doctor said she’s going to go check on her. She must have known you were coming and wanted to be awake for it.” Liam smiled, trying to mask the emotions of all the information he’d just been given.
When Kara received her diagnosis, Liam had just assumed that her mother-in-law in the next town over would be able to care for Cari, should anything happen. But as the weeks had gone on and Cari spent more and more time with him, he didn’t know if he would be able to let go of her. And with the information he’d just received, he probably needed to plan to take care of her full time, or at least make arrangements to be in her life.
A nurse came for them, leading them through a long hallway and stopping before a door.
“She’s a little tired, but she was excited when I said you were here,” the woman said, addressing Cari.
Her words made Cari bounce on her heels and clap her hands together. “Can I open the door?”
The nurse nodded, and Cari burst through. Liam waited in the hall for a few more seconds, not wanting to intrude on the mother-daughter moment.
As he crossed the threshold, he tried not to gasp as he saw his sister’s face, so gaunt and pale. He’d seen her in person only a week earlier, but now she seemed like a different person. If he hadn’t recognized her weak smile, he would’ve walked back out to check the name of the patient on the door. Lines pulled around her eyes as she listened to Cari talking a mile a minute, spilling all about everything that had happened since the last time they’d seen her.
Liam took a seat against the wall, knowing he’d have to talk about the options with his sister soon enough. None of them came with the guarantee he wanted.
He wouldn’t be able to sit and watch his sister come home and slowly waste away. What would that do to Cari? But he also didn’t want to see her go through any more pain or sickness. In all reality, that was the final conclusion. She would have to go through pain and sickness no matter what they did for her.
Rubbing his hands over his face, he took in a few breaths.
Cari had finished talking, and Kara was looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. “What’s eating you?” she asked, her voice sounding like she hadn’t spoken in years, cracking and soft.
“Life. Cari, why don’t you take my tablet and go out to the nurses’ station for a minute. I need to talk to your mom about a few things.”
“I can’t stay?” Cari turned to him with her big brown eyes, and as much as Liam wanted to give in and let her stay, he knew it would haunt the both of them forever if she started to have nightmares.
Kara moved her head a few inches and said, “Baby, just go out for a minute, and then you can come back in and tell me all about school. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mommy. I hope you can come home soon. I miss you. Liam only makes mac and cheese and cereal.”
“I made you pancakes yesterday, and the day before that.” He tilted his head and gave her a side-eye, causing Cari to grin.
Kara tried to laugh, which turned into a cough, the movement shaking her whole body. Liam rushed forward with his hands out, ready to help with whatever was needed. When the coughing fit ended, she said, “We should probably teach him how to cook something else, huh? And do it without burning the house down.”
Liam smiled at that, knowing full well what she meant. “That was one time, and nothing burned down. The wall was just black behind the stove.” It had happened when they were teenagers and their parents had gone out for dinner. Liam had tried to cook some kind of meat but forgot about it, and the whole thing caught on fire.
Cari looked interested in that, but Liam gently guided her to the door and then watched as she walked over to a chair by the nurses’ station. Shutting the door with a click, the sound made it seem like he was closing one part of his life, even though he wasn’t quite ready for that chapter to be done.
“You look like someone took your puppy. What is it?”
“Doctor Marcy said the cancer has already spread throughout the rest of your body.”
Kara nodded. “I figured that’s what happened. I haven’t felt much different after the surgery than I did before.”
Liam looked at her, wondering how to tell her which way to choose. “We have a few options. We can do treatments, put you into some trials, or have you come home where chances are high that you’ll only have a couple of weeks.”
Kara was silent, and her gaze turned to the ceiling. The machines beeping in the background told him she was stable for the minute. Things were so quiet, and he wasn’t sure whether he should keep talking or not. After a bit, he opened his mouth to speak, but Kara beat him to it.
“Let’s do the treatments. If I don’t respond, we’ll do the trials.”
Liam moved the chair next to her bed and took her hand in his. “The doctor said you might not have many good days, depending on how many treatments you have.”
A tear rolled down her cheek, and Liam did the best he could to keep his own tears at bay. She gave him a sad smile. “That little girl out there is worth it. If I can just have a little more time with her, create a few more memories for her to remember me by when I’m gone, then I’ll fight through any of the bad days I have to.”
Liam couldn’t hold back his emotions anymore and fought to see through the tears in his eyes. “I can’t lose you too.” A mound had formed in his throat, and he tried to swallow past it, causing the constriction to tighten even more.
Kara squeezed his hand. “You’re strong. I hate to place this burden on you, but will you be her guardian when I’m gone? I love Sarah, but she’s older and doesn’t have the physical strength to take care of an energetic six-year-old.”
“I’ll do it. Of course, I’ll take care of her.”
Biting her upper lip, Kara nodded, more tears streaming down her face. “You need to find yourself a girl.”
Liam laughed and wiped at his cheeks. “That was a change in subject.”
“No, it wasn’t. She’ll be special, whoever she is, and hopefully she’ll love my little girl the way you always have.” Kara took in a deep breath, looking like talking had worn her out. “It’s better to love than not take the leap, Liam. If you’re not going to do it for yourself, do it for me. I’ll never regret marrying Cory, even if I’d known I’d lose him after all we went through when we lost Mom and Dad.”
Patting her hand, Liam said, “Rest. I’ll talk to the doctors and see what arrangements can be made. You’re sure, then? You want to go through with the treatments?”
She smiled. “Absolutely. If those don’t work, we’ll move on to the trials.”
“Okay. We’ll get a hotel and come see you in the morning.” Liam winked at her before entering the hall and closing the door.
Walking up to the nurse at the desk, he said, “My sister wants to go forward with whatever treatments the doctors recommend.”
The nurse gave him a sad smile. She moved to get some papers and then said, “I’ll let the doctor know.”
Liam nodded and strode over to sit by Cari. “Hey, girl. Let’s go get a hotel. We’ll buy you a swimsuit so you can swim, and we’ll come see your mom tomorrow.”
As Cari placed her hand in his, he knew things were changing, and Kara’s words echoed in his mind. Find a girl. He would’ve been lucky to find one willing to consider him without Cari in the picture. He’d just have to trust that things would work out, or that if the next steps didn’t work out, maybe one of the trials would save his sister.
He reflected on his time with Tawnee, the real reason he hadn’t pursued anyone else in the past six months. She’d been a pathological liar, and when it all came to light, he was surprised he’d lasted as long as he had in the relationship. Would he be able to open himself up to someone else?
Danielle’s face popped into his mind, and his curiosity grew. She didn’t seem like the type to be in a long-term relationship. But then again, he wouldn’t mind getting to know her better.
Chapter 16
Danielle had gotten a text from Liam saying he wouldn’t make it Sunday afternoon. They’d rescheduled for Monday, but when he didn’t come at the designated time or another hour after, she wondered if she’d gotten the time wrong. Had he counted their agreement on a topic as canceling their meeting?
Pulling out her phone, she scrolled through the short list of messages they’d sent back and forth, wondering why he hadn’t at least given her a heads-up about not coming. Maybe he’d had to take care of Cari or some emergency happened with his sister. He’d mentioned something about hoping Kara would be able to come home on Sunday.
Danielle paid her tab at the diner and walked along Main Street, seeing the darkness inside the bookstore. Since she’d been here nearly a
week, the only time she’d seen the store black was on Sunday, which wasn’t a rare occurrence in town. The only place usually open then was the gas station.
Taking her laptop to the park, she sat on one of the benches, trying to focus on the outline for the next MK Malone book. She’d felt the block in her brain for the last twenty-four hours, and she hoped it wouldn’t stay long. As far as steady work was going, she kept striking out with every station and larger newspaper she’d applied for, and the need to do something other than sit at home or roam the streets of Sage Creek was eating at her.
She plugged in her wireless connection and pulled up her stats for her mystery books. She was surprised at the spike in sales of her books since she’d come back to Sage Creek last Tuesday. It was almost laughable that something she’d written and hadn’t promoted hardly at all was actually making some money.
At least that was encouraging, since she felt like everything in her life was unraveling. Opening her Word document, she reread the last few lines she’d written from the day before, honing in on where she would take her heroine next.
She didn’t know how long she’d been there, but the bench moved slightly as someone sat next to her. Looking over, she saw it was Liam, and a wave of relief rolled over her. She’d never really been worried about anyone, but with all the assumptions she’d made, it was good to see him there uninjured.
“I’m sorry to startle you. You looked like you were really focused on whatever you’re working on.” Liam smiled and leaned over, trying to focus on the words.
Danielle shut the laptop with a loud click, hoping he hadn’t recognized anything. She still didn’t want anyone to know about her alternate identity, especially Liam. She’d never felt comfortable discussing her writing with anyone outside of Becca, because many people didn’t get it. And now that things were going well with the three books she already had out, she didn’t want to jinx it or chance anyone in town figuring out who she was.
Love Under Review Page 8