“I will keep in touch,” Kate reassured him. “I promise.”
“Do,” he said with a smile. He leaned in and kissed Kate on the cheek. “Take care of yourself, Kate.”
“You too,” Kate said and she without thinking she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him so tightly. Slowly she released him and stepped back.
“Goodbye, Finn Morgan,” she said with a smile, before she turned and walked down the footpath.
When Kate got back to the house, she found a frantic looking Leah and Olly. They had been calling and calling her, but she had left the house without her purse, so she didn’t even have her phone with her.
When she told them, she was planning on going back to Ireland, the reaction was very mixed. Leah was happy, but Olly wanted her to call Callum before she made any decision.
Kate told her that there was nothing to discuss, her mind was made up.
She told her friends, as the rent was paid up for another two months on the house they were welcome to stay on for a while but both girls decided they would travel back with Kate.
“What are you going to do once you get back to Ireland” Leah asked as they packed up Kate’s few belongings.
“I’m not sure yet,” Kate shrugged. “For now, money is still not an issue. Between my savings and the money I received from the crash, I have time to decide.”
“How about going back to the hospital?” Olly suggested, hopefully.
“Maybe in time,” Kate nodded. “But I am deciding nothing for now.”
“What will you do with your car?” Leah asked.
“I hadn’t really thought about it to be honest,” Kate shrugged. “Maybe leave it here, try and sell it. I can’t really bring it with me.”
“Maybe Callum will want it?” Olly suggested, hoping Kate would call him to ask him.
“I will contact him, once I am settled.” Kate replied.
In the end there wasn’t that much, most of her belongings fit in her cases. What she couldn’t fit in, she packed into boxes and had a courier come collect them, to have them shipped home.
Eight hours later, Kate, along with a very happy Leah and a not so happy Olly, taxied down the runway of SeaTac International Airport. She was going home.
As the plane rose into the night sky, Kate looked down at the city below that had been her home for the past few weeks and she felt a pang of sadness.
She would miss Seattle. She loved her little house. It had become home to her. She felt regret that she was leaving it behind. She would also miss Finn.
He meant a great deal to Kate. Still, she knew she was making the right decision. He needed to find someone who could give him their heart completely and utterly. That was something Kate knew she could never do.
Then she thought about Callum. She loved him more than life itself, but was that enough? She really didn’t know.
For now, she would have to settle for being in their little piece of heaven. Somewhere only they knew.
Chapter 34
Callum agreed to do nothing until James got to New York. Callum had tried again and again to call Kate, but she never once answered the phone. He had planned on getting on a plane, heading straight back to Seattle and making her see this was all a big mistake, but James convinced him to wait on him so they would head back to Seattle together.
When James arrived the next morning Callum was beside himself. James found him in his apartment and it was clear he hadn’t slept a week. James was relieved however, that this time Callum hadn’t found the answer in the bottom of a glass.
“I have us booked on a flight later this afternoon.” James told him the minute Callum opened the door, as he knew it would be the first thing his brother would ask.
“This afternoon is too late, James.” Callum replied in panic. “I need to get there sooner.”
“Well it was the only flight I could get us both on at such short notice,” James explained, as he followed Callum back into his apartment. “Besides, I wasn’t sure what I would find once I got here.”
“I told you I would never do something like that again, James,” Callum sighed. “Getting shitfaced feels good for all of five minutes, but in the end, it just made me feel worse.”
“Shitfaced?” James said and raised an eyebrow. “You really did spend much too long in the Emerald Isle.”
“Whatever, James,” Callum huffed, as he headed towards his bedroom. He emerged moments later with his bags and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” James asked, as he rolled his eyes.
“I am doing what I should have done last night,” Callum replied without slowing down. “I am going to the airport and booking myself on the next available flight, Christ, I will charter a flight if I have to. This has to end. She is my wife. I am going to bring her home.”
“Callum,” James said hurrying out the door after his brother. “Think this through, you go in there all fired up, you know you are just going to make things worse.”
“How can things be any worse,” Callum shot over his shoulder as he made his way down the hallway to the elevator. “My wife is on the other side of the country. Our marriage is in shambles. She thinks I cheated on her again and she could be screwing that Finn guy as we speak.”
“Okay, things couldn’t get much worse,” James sighed. “But you can’t just go storming in there.”
“THEN WHAT, JAMES?!” Callum shouted, angrily at his brother. “Because I don’t know what else to do.”
“Come back to your apartment, wait for the flight.” James said, trying to reason with him. “It’s at 4 pm. We will be in Seattle by 10 pm, that’s only 7 pm Pacific time. You will talk to her today. I promise.”
Callum stood for a moment and thought. The lift doors finally pinged open. He looked up at James and nodded.
“Fine!” Callum sighed. “But when we get there, we do things my way. Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” James nods, but couldn’t help himself and gives Callum a cheeky grin. It was enough to know James had some hair-brained idea, he would try and put into action once they reached Seattle. Callum didn’t care however. His plan was very simple. Fly to Seattle, go straight to Kate’s place from the airport and make her see sense for once and for all.
*********
It was a little after 7 pm when they touched down in Seattle. Callum was like a caged animal waiting to burst free of the confines of the airplane, as it taxied slowly along the runway of SeaTac to the arrival gate.
When they were finally alongside the gangway for the terminal, Callum was out of his seat and down the isle of the plane before James had time to think.
He was only short of breaking into a sprint, as they made their way through the airport. As each only brought a small carry-on bag, there was no need for baggage claim.
By the time they got their hire car, James was surprised Callum wasn’t hyper ventilating.
He checked his watch repeatedly on the drive to Kate’s house, but never said a single word. James knew he needed to calm him down a little before he got to Kate’s house.
“Callum,” James began. “You need to breathe.”
“I will be okay once we get there,” Callum reassured his brother. Once again, they were in silence.
“Have you talked to Mom since you went back to New York?” James asked knowing the subject of their mother would distract Callum.
“No,” Callum snorted. “I have nothing more I want to say to that woman. She is nothing but a poisonous bitch. All she cares about is what people think about her, or how we make her look. Sometimes, I wonder how Dad stayed with her all these years.”
“He screwed his way through half the wives that go to their company club,” James said, as if what he said was the most natural thing in the world.
“You’re kidding me!” Callum exclaimed, as he turned and looked at his older brother in complete disbelief.
“Nope,” James replied matter of factly. “I walked in on him and Charlotte Broman when I cam
e home from college three days early for Christmas break my senior year. You know some things, you really can’t unsee.”
“Why did you never tell me,” Callum asked his brother.
“I assumed you already knew and it was just something we didn’t talk about,” James shrugged.
“I had no idea,” Callum replied. “I was too busy disappointing them both to notice Dad was nailing anything with a heartbeat.”
“Well they can sit on top of their ivory tower, in their perfect little world and judge.” James said, glancing over at his younger brother. “But I would take what you and Kate have over their life every time.”
“Thanks James,” Callum replied with a grateful smile.
They drove the rest of the way in silence, but James could feel Callum was a little more relaxed.
It was almost 8.30 when they pulled up outside Kate’s house. Callum was relieved to see her car in the driveway, but the house looked in darkness.
“I doesn’t look like anyone is home,” he said, as he unfastened his seatbelt.
“Maybe they are at the back of the house,” James suggested.
“Only one way to find out,” Callum said, as he climbed out of the car. He hurried up the walkway to the house and stepped up onto the porch. He paused for a moment before he rang the doorbell and held his breath while he waited for an answer. He was joined on the porch by James, as he rang the bell again.
“I guess they aren’t here,” James said, as he walked towards the window and peered inside.
“She can’t have gone far without her car,” Callum replied, as he checked his watch.
“I am not too sure about that,” James sighed, as he stepped back from the window. “The house looks like nobody lives here.”
“What do you mean,” Callum said, as he hurried to the window and peered inside. He heart was in his mouth, and he thought he was going to throw up. The furniture was all covered up and all Kate’s little knickknacks were gone. There was no sign of anyone living here. She was gone. “I’m too late.”
“Okay, don’t panic,” James said. “You don’t know that you are too late, she isn’t here, but that doesn’t have to mean she’s gone.”
“And what do you suggest, James?” Callum asked feeling completely broken. He had no idea what he should do now. She could have gone anywhere.
“What about ringing one of her friends,” James suggested. “Maybe they will tell you where she is?”
“They are her friends,” Callum shrugged, as he sat down on the front porch steps. “If she has told them not to tell me where she is, they won’t break her trust. Face it, I totally fucked this up. I acted like a jealous asshole, when I had no right to, and she had enough.”
“There is another way,” James said sitting down next to his brother on the front porch. “You could go talk to this Finn, guy?”
“Right now, James,” Callum said looking at him. “I would swallow my stupid pride and ask him, but I have no idea where to find him…”
“I do,” James interrupted. “Okay don’t freak out, but I did a little digging into this Finn Morgan guy. He is spotless, but I do have an address for him and someone called Jack Morgan.”
“That’s his dad,” Callum explained. “He and Kate seemed to get along very well. Olly said he is dying.”
“Damn,” James sighed. “Well maybe that’s where we will find Finn. Or Jack might know where she has gone.”
“What have we got to lose?” Callum shrugged.
The two brothers hurried back to the car. Once inside, James got the address for Jack Morgan’s house and loaded it into their Satnav.
Ten minutes later, they were pulling up outside Jack’s house. Callum felt relieved when he saw the car that Finn had collected Kate in over a week earlier was parked in the driveway.
“I am not sure about this,” Callum said, suddenly having second thoughts. “This man is sick. I am not happy about just arriving at his door, demanding to know where my wife is.”
“This might be your only chance,” James replied. “Are you going to let it go?”
“You’re right,” Callum said. “But I think it’s best if I do this alone.”
“I think you’re right,” James nodded in agreement. “I will be here, no matter how long this takes.”
“Thanks James,” Callum replied. He looked up at the house one more time before he undid his seatbelt. With a deep, steadying breath, he opened the car door and got out.
Slowly he made his way up the path to the front porch. He hesitated for a moment before he walked up the steps. When he finally reached the front door. He just stood there for a moment. Then suddenly, the thought occurred to him, Kate could be here.
He reached up, pressed the door bell and prayed to god this was going to be the eleventh hour miracle, he so badly needed right at that moment.
***********
Finn was sitting on his father’s back porch with a cool bottle of beer in his hand, lost in his thoughts. Sara had returned to her own house a couple of hours earlier, but Finn decided he was going to stay in his father’s home one more night. He found it comforting to be where his parent’s memory where ingrained in every part of the house.
He thought about Kate. She had called him to let him know she had managed to book a flight and that she was due to fly at 7 pm. He looked at his watch. It was almost nine. He sighed and wondered, would he ever see her again.
Finn brought the bottle of beer to his mouth and took a long swig. He needed to decide what he was going to do with his life. Was there more to life than this little suburban existence.
The sound of the doorbell echoing through the deserted house, startled him. Finn had no idea who it could be at this time of the night. The thought it might be Kate, that she had changed her mind, did briefly come to him, but he knew that was never going to happen. He knew that day her mind was made up and she was leaving, he knew nothing he said to her would have changed her mind. Still he couldn’t help but hope.
He quickly hurried to the front door, and was surprised when he opened the door, to find Callum standing there.
“Hi,” Callum said nervously.
“Callum,” Finn said looking him straight in the eyes.
“Look, I want to apologise for hitting you the last time we met.” Callum said, he felt he needed to get that out of the way. “It is not something I am proud of.”
“It’s forgotten about,” Finn replied. “I probably would have done the same.”
“That is good of you to say,” Callum said. “But it doesn’t make it right.”
“So did you come here to tell me you were sorry?” Finn asked.
“No,” Callum replied. “Look I know I have no right to ask you for help, but I came here to find Kate. I was at her place and it’s all locked up. She isn’t answering my calls. I was hoping you or your dad might know where she is.”
“You’re too late,” Finn said, wishing he could take pleasure in how desperate Callum looked, but he couldn’t. Truth was, he actually felt sorry for him. “She left today with her two friends.”
“Where did she go?” Callum asked.
“She said she was going home?” Finn told him.
“Back to New York?” he asked hopefully.
“Back to Ireland,” Finn corrected him.
Callum felt like he’d been kicked in the guts. Her going back to Ireland could only mean one thing. She was done. She had given up on them and she was moving on.
“Look, why don’t you come in?” Finn said, surprising Callum with his offer. “I have some cold bottles of beer, and look you like you could use one.”
He hesitated for a moment, but then he shrugged and followed Finn into the house.
Finn led Callum through to the kitchen, grabbed a beer from the fridge, picked up his open bottle from the counter, and then led the way out to the back porch.
They both sat in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing what to say next.
“Did you try calling one of
her friends?” Finn asked, finally unable to cope with the growing silence and both took a long swig of their beers.
“There is no point,” Callum sighed. “Those three are like the mafia, you don’t mess with the family. If Kate is angry and pissed off at me, you can bet your ass, the other two are just the same.”
“Yeah,” Finn laughed. “I learned that the hard way. Don’t think I was their favourite person either.”
“I am telling you, those chicks are crazy,” Callum replied and both men laughed until once again, the silence returned.
“Look, For what it’s worth,” Finn finally said turning to Callum. “I don’t think it’s too late for you and Kate. She called in here yesterday morning, early. She said she was going to find herself again. That she needed to be closer to Emily. The thing is, she said she thought you had moved on, but that she still had hope. She still loves you.”
“Did she say where she was going?” Callum asked hopefully.
“She said she was going somewhere only you knew,” Finn replied and smiled when he thought of her.
“She is going back to the summer house,” Callum said jumping up to his feet, as a tiny bubble of hope sparked inside him. “She really is going home.”
Callum held his hand out to Finn. Finn looked at it for a moment, then took it and shook it firmly, but neither said a word.
Finn led Callum back through the house to the front door.
“Thanks for all the help,” Callum said once he was back on the front porch. “I half expected you to tell me to go to hell.”
“It’s not what Kate would have wanted me to do,” Finn replied.
Callum turned to walk away then he stopped and turned back to Finn.
“I heard your dad is not doing so well,” Callum said sincerely. “I will keep him in my prayers.”
Finn thought for a moment, he wondered should he tell Callum about his dad, he clearly didn’t know Jack had passed away.
He decided against it and instead just smiled.
“I would appreciate that,” Finn replied.
He stood and watched Callum hurry down the path to the car parked outside.
He smiled to himself knowing his dad would have been proud of him. He then thought of Kate, she was everything he wanted, but they just weren’t meant to be. It was time to let her go and move on too.
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