Rescue Me (a quirky romance novel about secrets, forgiveness and falling in love)

by Allan, Sydney

  He sat on the couch, his eyes hazy from lack of sleep, and stared at the phone, wondering if she would call. Annoyed with the silence, he swept the television remote from the coffee table and punched the power button.

  He glanced at his watch. Eleven-thirty. A half-hour until he needed to catch a shuttle to the airport. He couldn't even get on the phone to check on Heidi, didn't want to risk tying up the phone line. He sank into the couch cushions, wishing he were at home instead. His head pounded with every beat of his heart, his back ached and his legs were stiff. His eyelids dropped lower and lower, until all he saw was soothing blackness...

  The shrill tone of the phone's ring startled him, and he scrambled for the receiver. "Hello?"

  "Dr. Hartmann?"

  It sounded like Heidi, but he knew from the tone of the caller's voice it wasn't. "Yes, Miss Jensen."

  "I'm at the airport. Am I flying alone?"

  He glanced down at his watch, and a bolt of alarm shot through him. He slammed the phone down. In a bound, he swept his carry-on into his hand and was out the door. When he reached the lobby, he checked out and grabbed a shuttle.

  With only an hour before take off, he dashed inside the airport and took his place in line at check-in. He cursed as each minute ticked by, and the line didn't move.

  "Don’t you just love traveling?" Hailey asked from behind, taking him by surprise. Her tone was soft and lilting, belying the sarcasm in her words. "I'm checked in. Can I help?"

  "Why don't you go to the gate and make sure they don't leave without me?" he shot back, before turning around. When he did, he caught the first glimpse of what she really looked like, out of the crazy get-up she'd been wearing, her hair brushed smooth and silky, hanging iron-straight and skimming her collarbone. She wore clothes straight out of the seventies: bell bottoms, sandals and a gauzy white blouse, but on her it looked right. It looked good. He stared, to his chagrin.

  She scowled as she stuffed her cell phone into her pocket. "This line is forever long. You'll never make it."

  The line moved, and he took a single step forward. She was right. At this rate, he'd be there tomorrow morning! "I can't do anything about it."

  "Maybe I can." She snatched the ticket out of his hand. Then, picking up the small bag that had been sitting at her feet, she ran to the front and whispered to the person standing there. A man dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase glanced back at Rainer then nodded to Hailey.

  She grinned and waved Rainer forward.

  The man stepped aside to let Rainer take his place in line.

  "Thanks," was all Rainer could say, as the guy walked back to take Rainer's former place at the rear.

  Rainer turned to Hailey. "What did you tell him?"

  "I didn't tell him anything," she answered with a smile. "Franklin did."

  "Franklin?"

  She rolled her eyes again and crammed her hand in her pocket. When she withdrew it, she waved a dollar bill in front of his nose. "Franklin."

  The woman at the counter motioned for him to step up, and as he checked in, he mused about the quirky but clever woman waiting behind him. But when he turned and caught the odd look on her face, the bitter taste of foreboding settled in his mouth.

  The trip to Detroit, five hours of tedious physical proximity, was going to be miserable.

  "Are you going to stand there all day? We have a plane to catch," she said, impatiently tapping a toe.

  Shaking his head, he fell into step beside her. Fortunately for both of them, her long legs carried her in ground-gulping strides nearly as lengthy as his, and they were able to reach the gate as the last passengers boarded the plane.

  Finally, he dropped into his seat, and she took the one beside him. He released a huge sigh of relief, but that peace, that glimmer of assuagement, didn't last. She leaned over his shoulder to gaze out the window, and a shiver carried over every inch of his skin, sending goosebumps along its surface. He tried to lean sideways to gain a fraction of an inch between them.

  "Are you cold?" she asked, moving closer.

  Was she doing this on purpose? "Do you mind sitting in your own seat?" When she didn’t move away, he added, "Really, there isn't much to look at. We're still sitting at the gate." When she still refused to budge, he released an exasperated sigh and asked, "Do you want to change seats before we take off? If you're that fascinated already, then I'm sure you'll want to see what's coming."

  "Sure, I'd love to switch seats. I guess I should have mentioned I prefer a window seat when I asked you to make the reservations." She clapped her palm on her forehead. "Oh, I forgot. I didn't ask you to make the reservations. You did that on your own."

  He stood, stooping to keep from bumping his head on the overhead storage compartment, and waited in fuming silence for her to step into the aisle so they could swap seats. He didn't have patience for women like her. Women who played silly games, acted nice one minute then brusque and rude the next.

  After sitting, he feigned interest in the stewardess's safety presentation. The plane taxied to the runway, and as soon as they were airborne, he tipped his seat back and closed his eyes.

  Of course, she wasn't about to let him sleep, he thought when she coughed softly, then with increasing force. When her hacking became so loud he feared the stewardess would come running in alarm, he tipped his head to look at her.

  "Sorry." She didn't look so apologetic.

  "Did you need something?"

  "As a matter of fact, I do. Would you please hand me my carry-on bag? I put it in the overhead."

  He stood and fished through the compartment, yanking the bag out from under several others. After he took his seat again, he shoved it at her, wishing the flight had already passed. Or better yet, he wished he were bidding her a final farewell--that the transplant was finished, and he wouldn't be seeing her again.

  Ever.

  He closed his eyes again.

  "So, tell me. What sort of hobbies do you have? You don't look like the fishing and hunting kind of guy. By the way, did I tell you I run an animal rescue shelter? We take in birds...and dogs...and cats...and hamsters, and..." Her words droned on, and on, and on.

  So much for wishing, and so much for sleep. He sighed. Could five hours really go on forever?

  ###

  Hailey gave herself a mental kick as their plane rocketed into the air. Sure, Rainer had been a jerk back at the restaurant, but that was no excuse for her less than perfect behavior.

  The effort it took to refrain from snapping at her was all over his face. His mouth was drawn into a narrow slit, the skin around his bloodshot eyes tight.

  After all, he was thinking of Heidi. That was noble. She couldn't fault him for it, and should be a little more understanding if his methods were less than perfect. He was human and clearly stressed.

  "Rainer?" she whispered, gripping the armrest as their plane bumped and dipped through turbulence.

  "What?"

  "I'm sorry."

  He nodded, his eyes closed.

  "I can tell you really care for Heidi, and I'm glad she has someone like you on her side. She deserves it."

  He glanced at her, his expression puzzling, almost like he was looking at her for the first time.

  "I'm sure she's been through a lot," she added, feeling weird under that probing stare.

  "She has. And she'll be through a lot more before this is through. She needs all the support she can get."

  Their gazes met, and she turned to look out the window. Anything looked better than the condemning glare of that man, even the shroud of gray clouds outside.

  Could a five-hour flight really last an eternity?

  "I'm interested in your shelter. You say you have birds?"

  Was he making peace? Offering an olive branch?

  She glanced his way and caught a soft smile of encouragement. "Were you looking for a pet?"

  "Perhaps. But I'm more interested in hearing why you chose animal rescue. I think it would be very frustrating
, discouraging work."

  She nodded. "Some days it is. When we find an animal that can't be saved it's very disheartening. People can be so cruel. The damage they do, without thinking, is enough to make a saint snap sometimes. When we confront them, they all say the same thing: 'It's only an animal'. I want to scream when I hear that. Like animals can't feel pain? Like they can't be so starving they eat each other? Like they don't feel a five pound tumor hanging from their stomach?"

  "Then why continue?"

  "Because there are so many animals and so few people like me, willing to speak for them."

  He nodded.

  "What about you? What burns you up?"

  That question was like opening a floodgate. Rainer started off with HMO's that diagnose patients and prescribe treatment, and then moved onto politics, religion, all the things people are not supposed to talk about when they first meet. But he was intelligent and well spoken, and even when she disagreed with his views she respected him for the depth of his convictions.

  Hours later, she stood, their plane having finally rolled to a stop at Detroit Metro Airport.

  After their first exchange, she'd expected the flight to be absolutely miserable. Instead she'd found him fascinating, intelligent, and remarkably tolerant of her less-than-perfect behavior.

  She studied his back as he stood hunched over like tall men did in cramped airplanes, and recalled when that subtle change had occurred. When he had gone from being infuriating to interesting, and when churlish monosyllables had matured into intelligent conversation.

  She shrugged, first turning back to grip her bag and then following him down the narrow aisle way. It didn't matter what she thought of him. After today, she wouldn't see him much. And after the tests were completed, she'd be back on a plane, and he would be a distant memory.

  "My car's in the long-term parking lot. We'll have to catch a shuttle," he said when they stepped from the gate.

  She simply nodded and followed him, watching people she passed as they hurried through the airport. She hated Detroit. Especially in the summer. It was hot, humid, filthy and smelled bad.

  There wasn't a single thing she missed about it.

  Except her sister. And her mother, and her brother. She bit her lip when an unexpected rush of regret gripped her. She swallowed over and over again to keep from crying and followed Rainer through the concrete parking structure, not trusting herself to speak.

  He silently studied her for a moment over the car's roof as he unlocked the doors, and after they each took their seats, he said, "What's wrong? We step from the plane, and you clam up. Does Detroit always do this to you?"

  "Can I ask you a question?" she hedged, finally succumbing to the temptation she'd repressed throughout the flight.

  He started the car and looked at her again, his eyebrows huddled together. A moment later, he returned his regard to the windshield, put the car into gear, and drove toward the exit. "I imagine I'll regret this, but go ahead."

  "Why are you doing this? You flew across the country, paid for my airfare, dragged me back with you, nearly kicking and screaming, and all without my sister's blessing."

  She watched his profile. It softened, the muscles along the side of his face, which had been stretched taut since they'd boarded the plane, slacking a tiny bit. "I told you, Heidi is my patient."

  That didn’t explain anything. She wanted to know why. What made this guy tick? And she wanted to know why he was being so patient. "Still. Doctor or not, that's a lot of trouble to put yourself through." She looked down at her hands and toyed with the gold ring on her thumb. "Especially when you're dealing with two stubborn, thick-skulled women."

  His chuckle was throaty and not unpleasant, and she smiled. Without looking at her, he answered, "I've always been a little excessive when helping my friends. I have this uncanny ability to see what they want before they know it, and I'm not afraid to ignore their protests and step in if I have to."

  "Is that right? Sounds more controlling than helpful. I don't know if I should envy or pity them."

  This time he laughed. They drove into the darkness, within moments whizzing down I-94.

  Suddenly exhausted, feeling like she'd walked across the country instead of flown, Hailey let the steady hum of the engine lull her into a partial sleep. "What time is it?" she asked before she slipped deeper.

  "Quarter past one."

  "One... already?" she asked in shock. No wonder she felt like she'd been beaten. No wonder her eyelids felt like they weighed fifty pounds and her eyes were full of grit. "One in the morning?" She moaned.

  "Yes, you lost several hours when we crossed time zones." He sounded more amused than she liked.

  "So where do you get all your energy? Are you popping uppers with your coffee?"

  "It's a natural high. In my line of work, going without sleep for a night is fairly common."

  "What are you talking about? You're in Family Practice. How often do you get called into the hospital in the middle of the night?"

  The radio blared to life.

  "What's wrong?" she challenged. "Don't want to answer?"

  Morning talk shows and occasional bits of oldies punctuated grating static as he changed channels. "I'm looking for the traffic report," he answered.

  "It's one in the morning. The streets are empty. There's your traffic report." She looked at him. He scowled as he drove, his gaze dancing between the rearview mirrors and the windshield, but never straying toward her.

  Then she looked out the window. Low clouds rumbled overhead, promising a thunderstorm and blocking out the moon.

  They exited onto northbound I-275.

  "Where are we going?" she asked.

  "I didn't call your mother, haven't told her you were coming to town, but I assume you can stay with her." He maneuvered the car around the cloverleaf curve and onto the freeway. "We can come up with some excuse for your being here if you don't want to tell her you're donating."

  "I can't stay there!" She sat bolt upright, wide-awake. "Hasn't my sister told you anything?"

  "She said she had a problem with you but never mentioned the rest of your family, so I assumed it was a sister thing." He eyed her, until she grew nervous by both the intensity of his gaze and the fact that he wasn't watching the road.

  "Would you please watch where we're going?"

  He jerked his gaze back to the road.

  She continued, "Besides, my mom is no fool. She would know I was donating the marrow. Why else would you be picking me up from the airport?" Moments later, Rainer drove past the exit to her mother's house. A wave of stress slid from her body, down through her toes. The muscles along her back relaxed. "So where are we going now?"

  "My place."

  "I can't stay there, either. You should have thought this through before you dragged me here, don't you think?"

  The muscles along his jaw tightened again, and she almost laughed. He was so easy to set off, and she was hysterical from exhaustion and worry. This isn't funny, she scolded herself. He'd forced her out here, and now she had no place to stay.

  "My condo is plenty big. You won't even have to see me--until we go to the hospital later."

  Later? That didn't sound good either. "How much later?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

  "You have an eight o'clock appointment."

  "Eight? That's less than seven hours from now." He scheduled an appointment? How did he know I'd come? Either this guy had a lot of nerve, or he was the most confident man she'd ever met.

  He nodded. "Even more reason to stay at my place. But if you insist, we could drive around for a while and see if we can find a hotel with a vacancy. There's a big computer convention in town, but we can check a few places. I know there are some hotels on Ford Road--"

  "Oh, just shut up and drive. I'll stay at your house." She scolded herself again. No matter how irritated she was, she shouldn't snap at him. She'd been doing okay until now. Expecting to see another scowl, she peeked at him.

 
His smile caught her off-guard.

  ###

  Rainer bit his lip and tried not to smile, but it was impossible. He turned from Hailey to hide the amusement he suspected shone clearly there and rolled down the window. A bite of cool air slapped his face and jolted the drowsiness from his weary body.

  That had to be it, he decided. Whenever he was sleep-deprived he got a little slaphappy, found strange and unexpected things funny. It was the only explanation he could accept.

  Either that, or maybe it was stress. This whole situation had every muscle tied into knots. It was a miracle he could function, walk or drive. But whenever he thought about dropping into bed and succumbing to a deep, nourishing sleep, thoughts of Heidi lying in a hospital bed wiped the thought from his mind in a flash. No one else was going to do this. Heidi depended on him.

  Now, with Hailey in town, there was even more to worry about. There were blood tests to coordinate and the physical to perform. Then if those came out all right, there was the chemo that must be timed properly, the donor preparation and extraction of the stem cells, and finally the transplant.

  Plus, now he had to make sure no one, not even Heidi's mother, knew who the donor was. What if the sisters saw each other before he was ready for them to? Heidi was no fool. She knew they didn't have a match. What would he tell her when a donor suddenly surfaced?

  He sighed, anxious to get back to his condo and pour over each question with a bucket of coffee. He had to be prepared. There were too many consequences if he wasn't.

  As he parked the car in the driveway, Hailey's soft snore buzzed in his ear, and her head slumped sideways until it rested heavily on his shoulder. He hesitated moving, feeling awkward and stiff.

  He slid his hand under her cheek and supported her head so he could slip from the car. Once he was out of his seat, he laid it against the seat back. Several heavy drops of rain pelted him as he stood half-in, half-out, staring at her slumber-softened face. In the light of the overhead dome light, she looked different, sweet and innocent.

  Shaking his head at his crazy thoughts, he walked around the car, opened her door and nudged her, softly calling her name. When she didn't answer, he tried again, this time shaking her a little harder and speaking a little louder. Still, she didn't wake.