The next town would be another forty miles or so, and Diana watched the trip meter anxiously. The silence around her was eerie and hypnotic. She needed coffee or something. She was just so tired, with heavy eyelids that were growing harder to keep from slipping over her fatigued eyes. Yet she pressed on. Her will was stronger than her exhaustion.
It was a long drive through Phoenix, and as she drove into the rising sun a new feeling of hope dawned inside her. The sprawling city loomed ahead of her for miles when she entered its limits, an oasis of life in the middle of the desert. Surrounded by small mountain ranges and saguaro cacti, the vast, bustling city was magnificent, and as she drove she breathed a sigh of relief.
It was just past dawn when she made her way off the Route 202 onto Scottsdale Road. The wide road was already stirring with early morning traffic. She pressed on north through many traffic lights until she reached the heart of Scottsdale. From there she made her way to Brad Vember’s development.
The complex that Brad lived in was modern and spacious. She breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled into an open spot and glanced around. The multiple two-story buildings all looked very much alike. She could see a fenced pool and a community center across the well-manicured lawn. It was strange to see so much plant-life and grass in the middle of the desert, not to mention all the tall palm trees. It just was not normal.
But this was Phoenix.
Shutting down the car at last, she leaned her head back against the head rest. Her legs felt numb, and she really needed a bathroom. There was no sign anywhere of her small car, and she hoped that Allan was on his way. At that moment she felt very uncomfortable about walking up to this stranger’s door and announcing herself. Still, Hannah needed a place to sleep, a safe roof over her head, and food in her belly would be nice too.
Hannah began to stir when Diana opened her car door. “Time to get up sleepyhead, we’re here.”
She moaned and opened her eyes, quickly squinting them against the early morning sun. “Where are we?”
“At a friend’s house. We’re going to stay here for a little while.”
“Is Allan here? I want to see Allan.”
Diana lifted Hannah into her arms and grunted under her daughter’s weight. “Wow, you’re getting heavy.”
Hannah smiled at her and gave her a hug. “I love you, Mommy.”
Diana hugged her back and grinned. “And I love you.”
“Is Allan here?”
“I don’t think so; we’ll see when we get inside. Are you ready?”
Hannah nodded her blond head, her tangled hair falling into her face. Diana laughed and helped smooth it away. Her fingers were tender as she stroked the smooth cheek. It reminded her that although she had lost the two men in her life, at least she still had her child.
And another on the way, she reminded herself harshly, also with no father to care for it. She could almost feel her mother’s disappointment from her grave.
“Come on, Mommy, let’s go!”
Diana was jolted back to reality and nodded. “Right, let’s go.”
Her footsteps were slow and measured as she carried Hannah towards Unit 1112. The condo was on the first floor, and the door was firmly shut against her. Her first knock was timid, but when no one answered her fist became more insistent.
Finally the door swung open, revealing a tall thin man around her age with long chestnut hair and partially closed brown eyes. He was bare-chested, wearing only baggy sweatpants that hung below his navel, and his toes were bare. She realized he had been sleeping.
“Come in. You must be Allan’s friend.”
Diana nodded and stepped in seconds before the door shut behind her with a dull thud. She was left standing in the open living room of his apartment while he strode away.
“Where’d he go, Mommy?”
“Back to bed, I suspect,” she muttered.
Hannah giggled in response.
The living room had only a full-sized futon and a TV resting in the corner. The rest of the spacious room was filled with paints and easels, brushes and canvases. It was a total mess, but Diana suspected it was organized chaos.
“The second bedroom is safe to sleep in, but I don’t have a crib for your little girl.”
Diana’s glance went back guiltily to the hallway where her host now stood. He still had not dressed, and Diana cleared her throat nervously.
“That’s fine,” she croaked. “Hannah can rest with me. Thank you for taking us in on such short notice…”
Brad nodded and waved his hand. “I’m sorry I’m so grouchy, but I sometimes work at night and just fell asleep a few hours ago. See me in the morning, and I’ll be in a better mood.”
“That’s fine, I understand,” she said nodding. Yet she was suddenly filled with apprehension. She was placing her trust in Allan completely and trusting that Brad was safe.
“I’m going back to bed,” he announced, slipping back into his room and shutting the door with another solid thud.
Diana waited a moment before setting Hannah down on the futon. She placed the overnight bag beside her before throwing her a reassuring smile.
“Wait here, I just want to look around.”
Hannah nodded, wide-eyed, and clutched the bag tightly while Diana advanced further into the apartment and looked around. There was a small dining table in the dining room, also littered with paintings, and the sink and counters in the kitchen were covered with dirty dishes. Diana sighed and shook her head. No matter what anyone said about him, he was still a man.
The bathroom was also unkempt. It was littered with his dirty clothes and the soap ring around the tub told the tale of many baths without a good scrub. She glanced into their bedroom and breathed a sigh of relief. The bed was neatly made with what appeared to be clean sheets, but she still stepped up close to check. Yes, she admitted with a sigh of relief, they were clean. There were several of his paintings hanging on the walls, but it was too dim to really look at them.
Their room was not as cluttered. There was a dresser and a small TV beside the bed, and a quartz alarm clock rested on the nightstand. She sighed and returned to the living room to find Hannah already near sleep again.
“Let’s go. The bed’s clean.”
They tiptoed past Brad’s room, and they could hear the sound of his light, even snores. Hannah glanced at Diana and giggled behind her hand.
“He’s a silly man, isn’t he, Mommy?”
Diana chuckled and shut the door behind them. As she steered Hannah into the bathroom she gave her a wry smile. “He’s an artist, Hannah. Rumor has it that they’re all a little odd.”
“Why?”
She smiled. “How about you ask me in the morning after we sleep?”
Hannah nodded and slipped under the covers of the bed. She closed her eyes and sunk into the pillow just seconds before Diana did the same. They were out within moments, sleeping until well into the day.
The first thing Diana thought when she opened her eyes was that she was still dreaming. It was hard to believe that only yesterday Roxanne had uprooted her life. And then there was the still shocking fact that she was pregnant. So much had changed in the last twenty-four hours, she must have been dreaming. Then she noticed that she was still dressed and sleeping under the covers of a complete stranger’s bed, and it all came back with a bang.
She sat upright and looked around frantically for Hannah. She was not within the spacious room, and not in the bathroom connected to their room. Diana tossed back the comforter and slipped from the bed to look for her daughter while a cold fear went straight to her bones.
“Hannah?” she called. She reached out and opened the door.
“What?” came the tenacious reply.
Diana heard laughter and sighed. At least Hannah was safe. She closed the door behind her and wandered down the hall to the living room. Hannah sat on the futon with a paper plate on her lap. There was a sandwich cut into fours on the plate, one of which was already eaten, and a glas
s of milk on the floor next to her. Their host sat cross-legged on the floor below her and was telling Hannah something that made her laugh outrageously.
“Hi,” Diana said, her voice revealing her uncertainty. “What are you doing?”
“We’re eating,” Brad announced, smoothly coming to his feet.
Diana noticed first that Brad had dressed and apparently showered, for his long hair appeared damp, even though it was still tousled. His jeans were loose and paint-stained, and his oversized sweatshirt hung loosely to mid-thigh. He looked even thinner underneath the baggy clothes, and Diana winced at his lack of fashion sense.
“Nice to meet you, Diana. I’m Brad Vember,” he said, smiling as he held out his hand. “I’ve made you and Hannah peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches. I’m afraid that’s all I’ve got at the moment. I don’t eat much when I’m working.”
Diana grasped his hand and noticed immediately that, although his fingers were incredibly long and slim, there was a lot of strength in his grasp. She smiled shyly and shrugged politely.
“Please, don’t worry about us. I’m just thankful that you were able to take us in. The last thing we want to do is put you out in any way.”
“Nonsense,” he announced, waving away her concerns with his hand. “It’s no trouble. When Allan called me last night and told me you needed help…well, it’s the least I could do. You stay as long as you need to. You’re safe here.”
Diana smiled and nodded her thanks, too choked up to speak. “Well, the first thing I’m going to do is find a grocery store and fill up your kitchen. Then maybe we can clean it.”
Brad chuckled at the sight of her wrinkled nose. “Again, when I work, everything is forgotten. The apartment could be burning down, and I wouldn’t notice. One of the hazards of the job.”
Diana rolled her eyes and glanced around again. Fortunately he did not appear to smoke, and there were no candles in the apartment. Noticing her suspicious look, Brad chuckled and shook his head.
“I don’t keep things like that around for that precise reason.” He sat on the couch next to Hannah and resumed their conversation. Diana looked on as he and Hannah began chatting again, and then she went in search of her sandwich.
The clock on the microwave in the kitchen announced the time as one in the afternoon. She shook her head in self-reproach. She should never have slept that late. But she had driven all night and felt so tired. Plus the warm bed and quiet apartment had lulled her into a dreamless sleep.
One o’clock in the afternoon. That meant that it was already noon in California and three in the afternoon in New York. Did Devlan know yet that she had gone? Did he care?
~
Devlan slammed down his fist on the table and came to his feet in a rush. Everyone in the large boardroom fell silent, and all eyes turned towards him in surprise. He had wanted their attention, and he sure had gotten it.
“You know, I pride myself on my patience, but you people are sorely trying it. For days now we have sat here debating one simple problem and no one has any answers. Instead, everyone is at each other’s throats and placing blame.”
“But, sir, this is a billion-dollar deal. If we mess up here, Doyle Enterprises will take a huge hit.”
Devlan nodded in agreement. “That’s true. But I have trust in you where you do not trust yourselves. You people…” His hand swept through the crowd of forty people. “Are the smartest in the business. Lawyers, financial planners, stock brokers, all of you. You have the brains to pull this off.” He stopped suddenly and glanced out the clear windows to the hallway outside. Kathy stood there, waving her arms frantically. Glancing back at the assembled group, Devlan smiled apologetically. “Will you excuse me for a moment? Continue discussing our options and get me answers.”
A murmur went up as soon as the door shut behind him, and Devlan rolled his eyes at Kathy in frustration.
“That message you were waiting for from Malibu arrived early this morning. It took them all afternoon to find you here. I have a line if you want to return the call now, sir.”
Devlan shook his head as he took the cup of coffee she handed to him. “It’s just Diana returning my call. She never got back to me last night.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll call her when we wrap up here. That is, if we ever wrap up here.”
“Still no resolution, sir?” she asked.
Devlan shook his head. “One more day of this and I’m likely to go crazy. I’m getting too old to be up till all hours of the night brainstorming. I want to go home and celebrate the holidays.”
“I know what you mean,” she replied, her eyes taking on a faraway look.
Devlan cocked his head to one side as he contemplated her. She did look as lonely as he felt. Was she missing her husband and children?
“You know, Kath, I’m not likely to need you here. If you want, I’ll have the jet fly you back to L.A. this afternoon and fly back later to collect me.”
Kathy shook her head no. “This time of year the airports are a mob scene. I don’t want to add to that. I’ll go back with you.”
“Nonsense. We’ll find you a commercial jet and get you a first class seat then.”
Kathy’s face brightened. “I’ll get on it right away. Thank you Mr. Doyle.”
Devlan smiled down at her, pleased that she was happy. He knew how she felt, for his whole being ached with longing for the woman and child awaiting him in Malibu. It seemed an eternity since he had held Diana in his arms and buried his face in her glorious hair. He missed the sweet sound of her voice and her light laughter. And he really missed the golden child whose speedy recovering made his heart fill with pride. He counted her swift recovery as his greatest triumph ever.
“I’ve got to get out of here soon too, Kath. The only way to do that is to finish up here. Just let me know if something else important comes up. I’ll call Malibu later.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, grinning. She chuckled a little as she tossed back her hair. “Isn’t love wonderful?”
Devlan shook his head in wonder. “I don’t know how to answer that right now. So far, it’s not so great when I’m stuck at work.”
Kathy laughed harder. “It can only get better, sir. Just wait until you give her that beautiful ring.”
Devlan winked and returned to the boardroom, leaving Kathy with the sound of his determined voice.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, I have to be in Malibu in two days. We have to settle this within that time or I’m firing all of you.”
There was a roar of laughter before the room settled down once again. Kathy walked off down the hall, a wide smile on her face. She joined their laughter happily. “I love this job.”
It was well after midnight when Devlan finally left for his apartment on the Upper East Side. He was exhausted but elated. They had finally reached an agreement and completed the merger, netting his organization a huge amount of money. The paperwork was in its final stages, and once everything was signed and sealed he would be free to celebrate the holidays and hopefully his engagement. And if that went well, his next project would be his retirement somewhere quiet with Hannah and Diana. It was no secret that Diana disliked being in the spotlight, and he too was growing tired of having his every move watched. With this new merger, he would be free to retire away from the spotlight, and he wanted to relocate somewhere quiet with the two ladies in his life.
Devlan glanced down at the pile of messages handed to him when he got into the car. There were three from Malibu, one saying it was urgent, as well as one from his lawyer out there, and one from Kathy saying she was on her way home. He grinned at the last one. It made him feel a lot better to see her happiness, and he hoped that his relationship with Diana would work out the way hers had.
The wide smile remained pasted to his face as he took the elevator up to his apartment and unlocked the door. He wandered into the library and settled down in his large leather chair with a large groan. As he reached for the phone a new smile crossed his face. Just one more day an
d he would be home with the woman and child he had grown to love with all his being.
He quickly dialed the number to Diana’s room and sat back in the chair, reaching into his suit pocket to pull out the box holding the ring he had purchased. As he waited for her to pick up, he flipped the lid off and stared down at the glittering ring. It was a beautiful ring, he admitted, taking pride in the fact that he had helped to design it. As Diana once said, he learned fast.
The diamonds were a rare blue tone, set in an antique platinum setting. The center large diamond was in the shape of a heart, with a crown of smaller diamonds around it. The band had engraved hearts along the sides and narrowed down into solid platinum underneath. It was not flashy or showy, just pure workmanship and detail. He really admired it, and he hoped Diana would too.
The operator came on to the line and broke him from his reverie. “There’s no one answering, would you like me to put you through to the main house, sir?”
Devlan glanced at the clock with a frown. It was after midnight in New York. Perhaps they were already sleeping. Diana was sure to have Hannah in her bed by seven thirty; it was quite possible that she retired too. He felt the evening’s elation drain from him to be replaced with disappointment and loneliness.
“No, I don’t want to wake them up if they’re sleeping. I’ll call back in the morning. Thank you.”
He hung up the phone and came to his feet. His hands tightened into fists clenched by his side. Another night was passing without hearing the sound of Diana’s voice. It was torturing him.
He placed the ring in his safe and locked the heavy metal door. Tomorrow, first thing, he would call Malibu and talk to Diana and Hannah and give them the good news. He desperately needed to hear their voices.
~
“And nearly two feet of snow fell in Denver and Chicago yesterday and is due to hit us in the next day or so. Be prepared, the meteorologists are expecting over a foot of snow and plenty of disgruntled travelers. Merry Christmas, New York!”
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