Trying to Survive (The Kiser #1)

by Hannah Davenport

  “Really! That’s great! Do you think he’ll help you? What did you tell him?” He fired one question after another at me.

  “I just told him the truth, letting him know how my parents were and how they have always been. When I told him they were trying to force me to marry Maria or they would have everyone pull their accounts from the company, he was all too happy to let me take over the retirement accounts for several of his businesses. He also asked for a list of my wealthiest clients. Said he would talk to them personally.”

  “Do you trust him with that information?”

  “Actually, I do. I don’t know why but it felt like he was being honest, and he really dislikes mother and father. I think he would do anything if it hurt them, even if he lost money.”

  “Wow, I don’t know what to say. That’s great man, and I don’t know anything about Carlana but I like her already.” He laughed.

  “I really enjoy talking to her. It’s like I crave the sound of her voice. Stupid, I know but that’s the way it is. I can’t wait to call her at night. When I get all of this settled with my parents, I plan on meeting her in person.”

  “That’s great, just be careful. Have you seen the latest cover of the gossip magazines?” Closing my eyes, I say thanks that she doesn’t know who I am yet.

  Two Months Later

  “Hello?”

  “What have you been up to today?” I have talked to Carlana almost every night for the last two months. After finally securing my company and keeping it away from my parents, I told Maria to get lost. Smiling, I remembered that day well, which was just a week ago. “Hello?”

  “Hi Colin, I waited on you at the restaurant but you never showed. Is everything alright?” Maria said in her irritating snooty voice. I’ve only been out with her a handful of times and all she ever talked about was our wedding. I don’t think she even realizes that I’ve never even kissed her nor did I ask her to marry me. That just proves even more she is just like my mother. All they care about is money, power, and social standing.

  “It’s over Maria. I know I should have called but I honestly didn’t think you would miss me. Your mom and dad were there and I’m never part of the conversation anyway.”

  “What do you mean it’s over?” She seethed. “We are getting married. We’ve been planning it for weeks!”

  “Really? I don’t recall asking you to marry me, or buying that ring that you wear around everywhere.”

  “I’ll call your mother! You’ll lose everything!” She raged.

  “Goodbye Maria. Have a nice life.” Hanging up from that conversation was as if a weight lifted off my shoulders. I still had one more to go and I knew it would be soon. Ten minutes later, I answered my cell again. “Hello mother.”

  “What have you done?” I couldn’t help but smile at the anger I heard in her voice.

  “What do you mean?” I asked in a nice, caring voice. I knew it would make her even more upset.

  “You know exactly what I mean! Maria said you broke it off with her. We need her in this family and the press has already announced your engagement!”

  “I never once asked her to marry me, you did. I’m finished! Finished with her, you, and father.”

  “You’ll be back! I’ll see to it!”

  “I don’t think so. Ellis has agreed to help and now you can’t touch my company.”

  “You would dare seek his help after everything he’s put us through?” She yelled, actually yelled and I wanted to laugh. After all the shit she has put me through recently, it felt good to have the upper hand.

  “You mean put you through. He hasn’t done anything to me but help when I informed him of the situation.”

  “You ungrateful little bastard!”

  “Goodbye.” I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped my lips. It took Ellis and me two months, but now they couldn’t touch me. I’ve had to wait two months, but now I’m going after Carlana!

  “Getting ready for Austin’s graduation party. It’s wore me out.” She sounded a little tired and it made me glad I would be there to help her, even if she didn’t know it yet.

  “You need some help. When is it?”

  “I know I do.” She laughed. “It’s tomorrow night. We’re having it here at the house. Megan said she could help tomorrow.”

  “Can I come?” Silence, that’s all I heard and I started mentally preparing the reasons why I should.

  “You want to come here?” She asked in disbelief. “You don’t even know where I live. I don’t even know your last name, or where you live.” She still sounded stunned.

  “I know and I’d like to change that. I’ve looked forward to talking to you every day. When something good happened, it’s you that I wanted to tell. You know a lot about me, and I feel like I know you.”

  “Answer me one question.” She thought about the one thing she wanted to know more than anything. If he answered that, then she knew things were changing. “Where do you live?”

  I sat thinking about what I should say. I knew I couldn’t tell her my name because the magazines and newspapers had been reporting that I was engaged for the last two weeks and I needed to explain things. I could give her this though. “New York.”

  “As in New York City?” She sounded excited.

  “Actually, I live in Manhattan.”

  She giggled. “Manhattan, New York City… what’s the difference. I visited New York a few months ago.”

  “Did you like it here?” I wondered if she’d tell me about taking care of… well me.

  “I did. I loved the culture there and the different foods I tried.”

  “I’m glad. Did anything interesting happen while you were here?” I knew I was phishing, but I really wanted to know how she felt about finding me in the alley.

  “Only that Megan’s mom had a heart attack and she had to leave early.” I never wondered about why she was alone in New York.

  “I’m sorry about her mom. Is she okay now?”

  “Yeah, she’s fine.”

  “Anything else happen?” I waited patiently. I could tell she was trying to decide whether to tell me or not.

  “No, not really.” Okay, she could really keep secrets, and that pleased me.

  “Huh. Changing the subject, where do you live?” I asked, although I already knew the answer.

  “I live in a small town called Abingdon. It’s in Virginia, near the Tennessee line.”

  “Abingdon. I don’t think I’ve ever visited there before.” I heard her laugh. “What’s so funny?”

  “I actually live twenty minutes outside of Abingdon, and since you’re from New York I doubt you’d ever have a reason to visit here.”

  “I have one now.” I said in a low serious voice. In the last two months, she hadn’t pushed me for anything. Not my name, where I live, not anything. I’m ready to move forward, I’ve been ready for a while but I’ve had to wait. Maybe that has been a good thing because I feel like I know her already. I’ve never had feelings for a woman before, but I already feel attached to her. Since going to the club with Matt the first night I talked with her, I haven’t had sex with any other woman. Once when the waitress smiled and I thought about sex, it felt like I was cheating.

  “You want to come here?” I laughed. She sounded like she couldn’t believe I’d ever want to visit.

  “Yes, I do. Can I come for a visit?”

  “Okay. When do you want to come?” She asked hesitantly.

  “Well, it’s 10am now so how about I come by at 6 tonight?”

  “What? You want to come today? Can you get a flight out that soon? You haven’t even made reservations have you?” She fired question after question and was speaking so fast I almost missed some of them.

  “Slow down. Yes, I want to come. I want to be at the party tomorrow night. I want to meet your friends and the family that I feel like I know so well. And I think I can manage a flight today.”

  “So you’re coming today? You’re coming today! I get to meet you in person!�
�� She squealed in to the phone and I laughed. “I’ll send you my address. If you can’t make it or you’re going to be late, please call me. I can’t stand to wait on someone. That’s a pet peeve of mine.”

  Laughing, “I’ll remember that. I’ll see you at 6.” Hanging up the phone, I started packing. I called James, my Vice President and told him I’d be away for the week. I called Matt and let him know I’d be out of town. I called Seth and told him where I was going and to have the jet ready and have the limo here to pick me up at 2pm. Last, I called Gino and gave him the week off with pay. Smiling, I couldn’t wait til 6!

  Chapter 15

  I’m Freaking Out!

  Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! I just kept repeating it over and over. I felt like I was in high school again! Picking up the phone, I called Megan. “Hello.”

  “Megan! Oh my God!” I took in a gulp of air.

  “What’s wrong Lana? Calm down honey, tell me what’s wrong?”

  “Megan can you please come over? Nothings wrong, just please get over here!”

  “I’ll be there in 15 mins.” Hanging up the phone, I reached for a wine glass and a bottle of Pinot. Yes, it was too early, but right now I didn’t care. I have fantasized about this man for two months. His voice alone makes my heart pound and my core wet. It had been two years since I had sex or used a vibrator, having lost any desire for that. After talking to this man for a week, I bought a vibrator and fantasized what that voice, that mouth could do to me. I tried to imagine what the rest of him would look like, and today… today I would I would find out.

  Two glasses of wine later, I heard Megan knocking on the door. Throwing it open, she walked in. “He’s coming!” I squealed. “He’s coming tonight!”

  “Really? Okay, what do we need to do?” She said taking my wine glass away from me.

  “I don’t know. He said he’ll be here at 6, so I’ll need to have dinner ready. My house is a mess, I don’t know what I have in the kitchen to fix so I’ll need to visit the grocery store, and I need more wine for tonight.”

  “Slow down Lana. You’re all over the place. Let’s take one thought at a time. I’ll clean house for you while you see what you have in the kitchen.”

  “I don’t want you to clean.” I sighed.

  “Honey, I know you don’t like anyone helping but if you clean all day then you’ll be too tired to cook or enjoy your company. You’re like a sister to me and I’m helping.” I knew she was right but it still bothered me. Stupid lungs! I needed to take my medicine before he got here. I still hadn’t told him about my illness. I tried taking slow deep breaths so I didn’t have another panic attack. The last one I had was right after Christmas, thinking Austin would be on the road with all the drunk drivers. Shit! Austin doesn’t know he’s coming. It’s Friday night, maybe he has plans.

  “I’m sorry Megan, I’m such a mess!”

  “But it’s a good mess.” She laughed. “I’m very happy and excited for you.”

  Three hours later, I had already went to the grocery store to stock the refrigerator and had finished a couple loads of laundry. Megan was still here mopping and dusting. The house was looking great, but I was exhausted. “Everything’s almost done. Why don’t you go take a nap and I’ll finish up.”

  “You staying here when you’re done?”

  “I was planning on it.”

  “Okay, if I’m not awake by 3:30 then wake me up.” Surely 2 ½ hours was plenty enough for a nap.

  “You got it, now go to bed.”

  Waking up, I stretched then looked at the clock that read 3:20. I jumped in the shower and then quickly dressed. Walking through, I found Megan sleeping on the couch. I snorted at the thought of her waking me up. I let her be and headed for the coffee pot. Knowing Austin would be home soon, I made enough for all of us.

  “Mom, I’m home!” Austin yelled as he always does when he gets in from school.

  “In here.” I called from the living room. He walked through and dropped his backpack on the floor. I smiled and casually asked, “How was school today?”

  “Good, although I got in trouble in Mrs. Bailey’s class again. She says I’m not paying attention, but I know it already so it makes her class really boring. I make straight A’s so what does she expect?”

  “Don’t worry about it. You don’t have very long until graduation.” The thought of him leaving home made me sick to my stomach, but I’d never tell him that.

  “I know.” He sighed.

  “What are your plans for tonight?” I tried to be casual but he stared at me a little long and it made me nervous.

  “I’m sorry mom.” He took a slow deep breath. “The guys booked us a gig at The Old Mill tonight. We go on at seven, but were meeting up at 5:30 to practice one last time.”

  “Why are you sorry?” I felt confused by his statement.

  “I’ve been leaving you home a lot by yourself on the weekends and I feel guilty about it.”

  “Don’t! I feel guilty right now for missing your first live performance.”

  “Why don’t you come? We play until 10 but you don’t have to stay that long.” He sounded so excited.

  “I’ll try, but no promises.” He looked confused. I was always there no matter what he was doing. “You know the guy I’ve been talking to on the phone a lot?” He nodded. “He’s coming for a visit. He’ll be here tonight at 6.”

  Austin finally looked around at the very clean house. He rose to his feet and started pacing. When he finally stopped, all he said was “Shit,” and then rubbed his forehead. I sat there silently watching him. “I can’t cancel on the guys and I can’t leave you here alone with some man you’ve never met. Shit!” He started pacing again. “Mom, you can’t!”

  I felt my anger start to rise. “What do you mean I can’t?” I asked in a low voice.

  “I mean you don’t know this guy and you can’t meet him with nobody else here. You don’t know who he is or anything, so no he can’t come over.” Austin continued pacing. He didn’t see my face turn red, or the anger that was written all over my face. I knew he meant well, but this had to stop. Glancing at Megan, she sat there wide-eyed and not only was I angry, I was a little embarrassed that my son was talking to me as though I was a child.

  “Austin” He turned to look at me. He saw it then and the color drained from his face. “I love you. I love the fact that you try to take care of me. But I am 35 years old and I am your mother, you are not mine! I have talked to him almost every day for two months so I think I do know him. You are going to The Old Mill. Colin is coming at six, and then after we eat I’ll see if he feels like going out for drinks. Hopefully, I’ll see you tonight. I would love to watch you perform.”

  I could tell he was trying to calm his nerves. “God mom, is this what you feel like when I go out?” I laughed.

  “Sometimes. Remember the panic attack at Christmas?”

  “I’m sorry for putting you through that.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. He looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “That’s just how it works when you care about someone. I love you Austin.”

  ****

  The flight to Highlands Airport took forever. Well, only 1 ½ hours but time crawled at a snail’s pace. I was laughing to myself because I have never been this excited before. Not that I remembered anyways. Trying not to stand out to much, I had a 2015 Jaguar waiting at the airport. It was no Aston Martin, but it would do.

  After talking to the rental company, and with keys now in hand, I headed toward Carlana. The GPS said it would only take 20min. The drive was beautiful with all the trees. There were many mountains here and the road was curvy. When the GPS had me turn down this unmarked two-lane road, I begin to get nervous. I had never driven on roads like these before. Hell, I barely drove in the city. Slowing down for yet another turn, I swore loudly. I had a 2015 Jaguar and was now driving down a gravel road. Not only was it gravel, but it had holes in it, which made it very bumpy. Nearing the end of the road, this little white r
anch style house came in to view. It looked to be about twenty-five hundred square feet. I pulled up in the drive, grabbed the flowers that I had bought and headed to the door.

  Walking up on the porch with a lump in my throat, I raised my hand to knock but the door swung open and there she stood. She looked better than I remembered. Her long, curly auburn hair fell loosely around her shoulders. She had piercing green eyes that held me captive until she blinked and looked away. My gaze kept traveling and I noticed the light splatter of freckles across her cheeks, and her pink soft plump lips that were without lipstick. Her body was gorgeous with breast that would fill your hands, tiny waist and shapely legs. Actually, gorgeous wasn’t the word for her. Stunning, everything about this woman was real, and she was stunning! When my eyes found hers again, she smiled. “Hi Carlana.” I took her hand and pulled her to me for a warm embrace.

  “Hi Colin.” She whispered in to my neck while hugging me.

  Lana couldn’t believe he was here. He had to be at least six-feet-two. He towered over her five-feet-four. He had short dark hair, and deep blue eyes. Looking at him, he looked familiar but she couldn’t place where she might have seen him. His arms, chest, his whole body appeared muscular under his clothes. It made her want to see more. She tried to control her breathing, hoping it would calm her pounding heart that beat against her chest. She had dreamed of what he might look like, but she never once thought he would be an Adonis. “Please come in.” She slowly pulled her eyes away from him and led him to the living room. “Would you like something to drink?”

  I couldn’t stop staring at her. This woman that had taken up so much of my thoughts the last couple of months. This woman that took care of me when I was beaten in the alley. Did she just ask me something? “Excuse me, what did you say?” With that, she gave me a blinding smile.

  “Would you like something to drink?” She stood there fiddling with her hands. I smiled to myself knowing how nervous she must be.

  “Yes, thank you. Oh, and these are for you.” I handed her the flowers I finally remembered I had with me. She took them and as she walked away, I followed. Under the kitchen sink, she pulled out a vase and ran water in it. With the red roses now in place, she set it on the dining room table.