by Kirk, Cindy
“I don’t recognize his latest companion.” Adrianna kept her tone low. “Do you?”
The belt of the woman’s mint-colored sixties dress flattered her slender waist while the strand of pearls emphasized the elegant curve of her neck. Her jet-black hair had been teased into a magnificent beehive while thick eyeliner swooped dramatically up at the corners of her eyes.
“She looks familiar,” Adrianna mused. “I just can’t place her.”
“Poppy Westover. She was on the cheer squad.”
With Gayle.
Adrianna’s mind filled in the words he’d left off. Even though she hadn’t thought of Poppy in years, now that Tripp said her name, she recognized her. The woman had been one of Gayle’s closest friends in high school. She and Gayle had renewed their friendship when they’d both settled on the East Coast after college.
She’d been at Gayle’s funeral. Her hair had been shorter and she’d been wearing glasses.
“Are you going to say hello?” she asked when Tripp remained rooted where he stood.
“No.”
Adrianna widened her eyes at his sharp tone.
As if realizing how he sounded, he offered a conciliatory smile. “She’s occupied with Winn. It might not even be her.”
“It’s her.” Adrianna sighed.
“I think she’s glaring at me,” she heard Tripp mutter, but knew she had to have heard wrong.
Anyway, Poppy didn’t matter. It was her and Tripp’s turn under the mistletoe. Excitement skittered up Adrianna’s spine. Tripp would kiss her and everyone would see how much he cared.
Almost of their own accord, her arms rose, ready to wrap around his neck. But he reached out and held them down, pressing a rather perfunctory kiss against her surprised lips.
Before she could even process what had just happened, it was over. He propelled her outside, her elbow cupped in his hand while another couple took their place under the mistletoe.
Confused and seized by a sudden urge to cry, Adrianna blinked rapidly. As her mind raced to make sense of what had just happened, she told herself not to overreact.
Based on how loving Tripp had recently been, his acting as if she didn’t mean anything to him made no sense.
Unless...
Adrianna’s heart plummeted.
Unless she’d been only kidding herself.
Unless she’d been simply a short-term diversion.
Unless this was Tripp’s way of making it clear to everyone that he wasn’t interested in anything long-term.
At least not with her.
* * *
Tripp felt Poppy’s eyes boring into the back of his shirt. Until he’d seen her, he’d been having a stellar evening. Excluding, of course, the moment his baby sister locked lips with Benedict. That had been disturbing.
When he’d seen Poppy’s stare directed at him, it was as if Gayle herself was standing there, pointing a finger at him, saying, “I knew it. I knew Adrianna was the one you wanted all along. You lied to me, Tripp.”
It was, of course, absolutely not true. He’d been totally faithful. He’d loved his wife. Still, just the reminder of Gayle’s crazy accusations brought a frigid coldness to his body.
By her silence and surreptitious glances, he could tell Adrianna was puzzled by his change in mood, but he didn’t know how to reassure her, how to explain what he was feeling. Not when he didn’t fully understand it himself.
When his phone buzzed, Tripp felt as if he’d been granted a reprieve. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the readout. “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”
“Tripp.” His name barely made it past his mother’s lips when she began to cry.
Every hair on his body lifted. “What’s wrong?”
Beside him, Adrianna went very still.
“Your father, he collapsed.” His mom choked out the words. “I called 9-1-1. The rescue squad came. He’s on his way to the hospital.”
His heart thudded heavily, making him light-headed and nauseous.
“I’m leaving now.” Even though Tripp fought to project an aura of calm, he couldn’t keep the slight tremor from his voice. “I’ll pick you up.”
“No, I can drive myself.” She took a shuddering breath and then blew her nose. “Just meet me at the hospital.”
“I’m leaving now,” he assured her, but he spoke into the ether. His mother had already hung up.
Tripp turned to Adrianna, fighting for control. “It’s my father.”
Worry filled her green eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“My dad collapsed. He’s on his way to the hospital.” Tripp gripped her hand. “I think he’s dying.”
Chapter Eighteen
Even though Tripp received his fair share of curious glances when he, Adrianna and Hailey had shown up in the emergency room in their retro-party garb, the thought of taking time to change never occurred to him.
All that mattered was getting to his father. Quickly.
Shortly after he walked through the doors of the hospital, it became apparent this was far less serious than he’d feared. Thank goodness.
“You take Adrianna and Hailey home.” His mother glanced at her now-sleeping husband, his face pale against the pillow. By the time Tripp arrived, his father had already been transferred from the emergency room to a medical-surgical floor for observation. “I’m staying.”
“I’ll stay with you.” Tripp felt as if he’d been given a great gift when the doctor had determined his dad’s symptoms were simply a bad reaction to a recent change in medicine. His physician had decided to play it safe and keep him overnight but planned to release him in the morning.
“You go home.” His mother’s lips lifted in a weary smile. “If you stay, I’ll want to visit with you. This way, I can rest between the nurses checking on him.”
“You’re spending the night?”
She nodded.
“I’ll come in the morning, then, and relieve you.” Tripp thought quickly, already planning the day. “I can be with him while the doctor makes his rounds. That way you can get some sleep and be rested when he comes home.”
“We’ll talk about that in the morning,” his mother said, making no promises.
Tripp thought about arguing but decided to let it go...for now. Even though his mother needed to rest, getting her to leave her husband of thirty-nine years—even for a few hours—wouldn’t be easy.
He took her hand, squeezing it tightly. “Promise you’ll call if you need anything.”
She assured him she would, but Tripp knew she’d hesitate to disturb him. It didn’t matter. He planned to call the nurse’s station every couple of hours during the night to check on his dad’s status anyway.
He exited the room and saw Hailey and Adrianna approaching with a cup of coffee in each of their hands. They’d offered to go to the snack center at the end of the hall and get coffee for everyone. He knew it had been an excuse to give him some alone time with his mom.
“How’s Daddy?” Hailey asked when he drew close, her eyes wide.
“Better.” Tripp offered her a reassuring smile, thankful the news was good. “He’s sleeping comfortably.”
“Good.” Hailey expelled a shaky breath, her eyes still red-rimmed from earlier tears.
Tripp shifted his gaze to Adrianna. He’d shamefully neglected her since they’d arrived at the hospital. She’d been a trouper and hadn’t complained. “I’m sorry for keeping you out so late. I’ll take you home now.”
“Your father is your priority. He’s a wonderful man. I’m just happy to hear he’s doing—” Adrianna broke off as her voice fractured “—better. I can find a ride if you want to stay.”
“I appreciate the offer, but Mom kicked me out.” Tripp forced a chuckle. “I’ll be back in the morning so she can go home and get some rest before he’s released.”
“I’m staying.” Hailey nodded decisively. She held up the cups of steaming coffee in her hands. “This will keep Mom and me going all night and then some.”
> “It might be best to go home so you’re rested when Dad is released. It’s your choice,” he added when he saw her chin lift in a stubborn tilt.
“I’ll talk to Mom. See what she wants.”
Tripp rested a hand on her shoulder. “Call me if anything changes.”
Tears sprang to Hailey’s eyes. “He is going to be okay, isn’t he?”
For some reason, Tripp found himself glancing at Adrianna.
“He must be doing well if they’re talking about releasing him in the morning.” Adrianna’s tone soothed and reassured not only his sister but Tripp as well. “These kinds of reactions can be scary, but most people bounce back quickly. Your dad is a real fighter.”
Hailey fished a tissue from her pocket and wiped away a tear. “Thanks, Adrianna.”
A look of puzzlement filled Adrianna’s eyes. “What did I do?”
“You’re here. You listened to me rattle on and on. You let me cry on your shoulder.” Hailey gave a wobbly smile. “I can see why you’re so good at your job. You make me believe that everything is going to be okay.”
“Well, thank you.” Adrianna appeared touched by his sister’s declaration. “I do believe this is just a minor bump in the road.”
Tripp left the hospital via the side entrance. He didn’t think he was capable of smiling at one more jokester flashing the peace sign.
He told himself he should keep his distance from Adrianna until he figured things out. But he couldn’t stop from reaching for her hand as they headed to the truck. Because, like his sister said, just being with Adrianna made him feel that everything was going to be okay.
* * *
Instead of taking her to her condo, Tripp surprised Adrianna by asking if she’d spend the night at his place. Even though he’d stayed with her many times, this would be the first time she’d spent the night at his town house.
After what had happened at the party, for an instant the anger and hurt she’d held under tight control reared up and she briefly considered responding with a snarky jab to let him know she was irritated by his behavior under the mistletoe. But he was tired and worried about his father and she’d never been one for such games.
Discussing what had happened at the party could wait for another time.
She accepted his offer but made him stop at her place first to pick up a change in clothes and some needed toiletries for the next morning.
While she wondered what she’d do if he wanted to make love, once they got to his place and crawled into bed, he simply pulled her close and held her tight. Exhausted, they slept the entire night.
Tripp was in a panic the next morning when he realized he hadn’t called the hospital once. Before he pulled on his clothes he was on the phone. Adrianna saw the relief on his face after he’d talked with his mother. He’d wanted to go straight to the hospital, but his mother told him they were already signing dismissal papers.
Then his dad had gotten on the phone and insisted they both come out to the ranch for lunch. They could talk more then. Instead of a big breakfast, she and Tripp settled for a quick bowl of cereal.
While she munched on her Shredded Wheat, Adrianna inspected her surroundings. Last night, she’d been too tired—and stressed—to pay much attention.
Tripp had purchased the townhome several months after he’d moved back. His place was less than five miles from Jackson, in a development that was a nice blend of single-family homes and town houses.
“Do you miss living on a ranch?” She cast a wide glance around the professionally decorated living room where everything matched and was in perfect order.
With no personal items or pictures sitting out, the place could have been a show home.
“I don’t right now.” He came up behind her and kissed the back of her neck. “I’m not here often enough to make it matter. Eventually I’d like to build a place on some of my family’s ranchland.”
Eventually.
She wondered when that would be. When he married? Had a family?
Adrianna stepped from his embrace and walked to the sink, pouring the remaining milk in her bowl down the drain. “Once I brush my teeth, I’m ready to go.”
She glanced down at the jeans and pumpkin-colored T-shirt she’d stuffed into her bag last night and sighed. Even though she wished she were dressed a little better, she knew Kathy wouldn’t care.
His mother was a sweetheart. As was his father. Seeing Frank so ill had hit her hard, but Adrianna had done her best not to let her fear show. Without realizing how it had happened, Tripp’s parents had become important to her. In fact, she’d come to love them as if they were her own mom and dad.
“I swore it was right here.” Tripp shut the cabinet in the living room, a look of dismay on his face.
“I promised Mom I’d bring my extra iPad.” His lips lifted in a rueful smile. “Now I can’t find it.”
“This place is so organized I wouldn’t think it’d be hard to locate.”
“How about you check around up here?” he said. “I’ll look in the basement.”
“You sure you want me poking around in your stuff?”
“I don’t have anything to hide, Adrianna.”
He headed downstairs and she wandered through the main level, trying to think of a logical place he might have stowed it. After rechecking the cabinets in the living room, she moved to the master bedroom.
In the closet, his clothes hung in an orderly fashion. She was pleased to see he had only a handful of shoes and boots. When a man had more shoes than her, it always made her suspicious.
Nothing jumped out from the shelf above the clothing racks except a large brown box. As organized as Tripp was, she could imagine him placing his rarely used small electronics all in one place.
The box was surprisingly heavy. She placed it on the closet floor, then tugged it out into the main part of the bedroom before looking inside. The scattered pictures on top told her this wasn’t a box of electronics. This was Gayle’s stuff.
She recognized the ultrasound picture Gayle had emailed her. There were baby-shower cards intermixed with pictures of her and Tripp. Pictures of a very pregnant Gayle looking radiant stared back at her. She lifted a pregnancy journal and flipped through it, noticing that it was almost complete.
“What are you doing?” Tripp’s voice sliced the air like a whip.
Adrianna stiffened, dropping the journal back into the box. “I thought this might have electronics in it.”
His expression was closed, guarded. “I’m sure you didn’t need to bring it out of the closet to realize you were incorrect.”
He’s stressed about his dad, she told herself and bit back a harsh reply.
“When was the last time you looked through this stuff?” she asked instead.
Tripp didn’t answer. He simply lifted the box back on the top shelf.
“Gayle looked so happy in those pictures,” Adrianna said cautiously.
He held out his hand to her. “We’ll be late.”
Adrianna let him draw her from the bedroom, casting one last glance in the direction of the closet. Why wouldn’t Tripp discuss Gayle with her?
For that matter, why had he given her such a chaste kiss under the mistletoe?
She thought she’d gotten to know Tripp pretty well this past month. Now she had to wonder if she knew him at all.
* * *
Lunch with his parents was a pleasant affair. Frank was in high spirits. It was hard for Adrianna to believe the man who joked and laughed over chicken and dumplings was the same one who’d been rushed to the hospital less than twenty-four hours ago in an ambulance.
To allow Kathy to relax with her husband, Adrianna and Hailey offered to clean up. Tripp insisted on helping. She watched him filling the dishwasher and a surge of love swamped her.
“Your mom makes the best dumplings,” Adrianna said as she wiped the counter. “I hope she doesn’t feel like she always has to cook a big meal when I come out.”
Tripp looked up and smiled
. “She enjoys cooking. And she likes spoiling you.”
Spoiling, Adrianna thought with a warm flush of pleasure, was something a mother would do.
“Well, I always love whatever she makes.” Adrianna patted her lean hips. “Though I think I’ve gained weight from all her good foods.”
“You’re perfect the way you are.” Tripp straightened and pulled her to him, turning strands of her hair loosely around his fingers. “Absolutely, positively perfect.”
He kissed her then, long dreamy kisses that sent warmth flowing through her veins like honey.
With a contented sigh, Adrianna wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. Her head fit perfectly against his chest, just under his chin. Now, this was more like it. “Compliments like that are going to get you every—”
“Break it up, you two.” Hailey entered the kitchen, her hands filled with dessert cups with the remnants of strawberry shortcake.
Adrianna started at the interruption. She tried to put some distance between her and Tripp but didn’t get far. He kept one arm around her waist.
Once Hailey had placed the dishes on the counter, she turned to her brother. “I can’t figure you out, Tripp Randall.”
Tripp grinned and played with a lock of Adrianna’s hair. “Thanks for the compliment. I like being a mysterious kind of guy.”
A chuckle formed low in Adrianna’s throat. She opened her mouth to tell Hailey not to encourage him when his sister continued.
“This thing with you and Adrianna,” Hailey mused, her brow furrowed. “It’s confusing. Not just to me.”
Adrianna’s breath froze.
Tripp dropped his hand from Adrianna’s waist and tilted his head back, his gaze firmly fixed on his sister. “What are you babbling about?”
“At the retro party.” Hailey rested against the counter. “You know, I had people actually ask me if you two were dating or just friends.”
“Who asked you that?” he asked, clearly puzzled. “And why?”
“While I didn’t see it myself—” Hailey paused “—the consensus seemed to be that when it was your turn under the mistletoe, you kissed Adrianna like she was a good buddy.”