by M Elle Kelso
“No, you didn’t, you heard me right. I know where C.J. is.”
Jared waited, not so patiently, while Mac figured out how to proceed.
“I saw her by accident one day, while I was in town. I spotted that red hair on the other side of the street and decided to follow. I didn’t know for sure it was her when I started out, but once I did, I followed her.”
Thinking through each sentence carefully before saying it out loud, he told Jared the entire story of following her, finding out where she was and what name she was living under.
“I go past where she’s staying and spend enough time watching for her whenever I’m in town, so I know she’s doing okay, although how I’m not sure. I’ve never seen her go out for groceries or anything, but there’s plenty of time she could do that.”
He stopped for a breath, wondering how much he should tell Jared. Jared was the one C.J. had picked to go with her in the helicopter after they’d found David, so she obviously trusted this man.
“Jared, can I trust you?” His eyes searched Jared’s face, looking for his answer there as well as in Jared’s words.
“About this? About C.J.? If you know something that could help us find her and help her, you’ve got to tell me. Believe me, all I want is what’s best for her.”
Jared paused, knowing he had to trust this man with whatever he knew, and knew that he’d have to tell Mac everything he knew before he left for the hospital.
“Are you sure?” Mac’s question was spoken so quietly that Jared didn’t hear him.
“What?”
“I said, are you sure? Are you sure all you want is what’s best for her, or do you want what’s best for David? They’re not necessarily the same thing.”
Jared thought about that for a minute and realized Mac was right. What was best for David was not necessarily best for C.J.. But he did know one thing. Those two needed each other, would never be complete without the other. He just had to figure out how to explain in all to Mac so he’d understand.
“Mac, you are the third person who has told me that in the past few days. And, much as I’m ashamed to admit it, for the first couple of months, you’re right. None of us was concerned about C.J.; all we could think of was what we could do to help David. C.J. was doing the same thing. But because she was always there, always on, we forgot that she might need some support, too. By the time we did, it was too late.”
Jared paused, knowing he’d have to choose his words carefully. He didn’t want to make David appear to be the villain, because everyone who knew him knew that his behavior had been brought on by the accident. He hadn’t been the David they knew. But he also didn’t want to put the blame on C.J. She had done absolutely nothing wrong. If anything, she had done too much to help and now she was paying.
“Mac, I guess we’re just going to have to trust each other with the whole story. We can keep it between us, we don’t have to tell anyone else what we know. But, and I mean this Mac, if what either of us knows would help to get them back together, then I’m willing to tell the world. I’ve known David for over twenty years and I have never seen him as happy as he was with C.J. She was right for him. They were right for each other.”
Jared stretched back in his chair and put his feet up on the one next to him.
“The night we came back from the hospital, when I flew home with C.J., it wasn’t because she needed a break. It was because David threw her out. Told her to leave and never come back. And he didn’t just do it once. He told her that while she was alone with him, then when the doctor went back in to straighten him out, he did it again, in front of all of us.”
He hung his head as he remembered the scene in the hospital room.
“He destroyed her. He broke her heart. However you want to put it, he made sure she’d never come back to him. I know she tried to call him; Blake told me about that. But he ignored her calls and didn’t bother to call her back when she left messages. Add that to how he had behaved that day, I’m not surprised she decided to come back here. And then I let her down.”
Mac’s head snapped around, his eyes stared at Jared.
“What do you mean, you let her down? You didn’t do anything.”
“That’s exactly what I mean. I should have gone back to the hospital and had it out with David. But because he was still getting used to the idea that he wouldn’t walk again, I did it again; I did what I thought David needed. I ignored C.J.’s dilemma because I thought David didn’t need that at the time. Then, I let the whole thing just slide. I never said anything to him.”
“You didn’t say anything because he was your friend. You thought you were doing the right thing.”
But, Mac, I never told him about the rings. I never told him all the things she did for him. Blake finally told Matt Hawkins and he told David. I think that’s when David realized exactly how badly he’d treated her and what he’d really done.”
“Jared, I just had a thought. Do you suppose he wants me down there to look for her? He insisted I bring the van so he could go with me to do whatever it is he wants me to do. But he didn’t give me any clue what that was.”
“I don’t know, Mac, I don’t have any idea. All I hope is that he’s realized that he needs her, but not like he needed her right after the accident. He needs her because he loves her. And nothing, not even never walking again, is going to change that. You weren’t here long enough to get to know either of them, but believe me, they were meant for each other.”
“I do know. I figured that out when she had me doing the renovations to the house. She kept calling it his house. Not theirs. Maybe I should have seen this coming. And she had me take a couple of boxes and two suitcases into her office, while you and Annie were away. She said it was stuff she was giving away. So I took it, and never thought any more about it.” Mac hung his head, ashamed of his actions.
Jared decided to help Mac lose the guilty feelings by admitting what he knew.
“Do you remember the night we got back, Mac, and you told me you couldn’t get an answer when you knocked? That’s because she wasn’t there. I don’t know which day she left, but that sales guy that works for her picked her up and took her back to Douglas. Then, she just disappeared. We’ve searched everywhere we could think of and if she’s in town, I don’t know how you spotted her, because we simply couldn’t find her.”
Mac was silent, knowing that the moment he spoke, he’d have broken the trust he felt he had with C.J. But he was also certain that it was in her best interest.
“Jared, you were looking in the wrong place.”
“What do you mean, the wrong place?”
“You weren’t in the right city.”
“We looked all over Douglas, and let’s face it, Douglas isn’t that big. And we searched as best we could in Cheyenne. We figured she might go there to be closer to David. She kept working on the paper, though, that’s why we concentrated on Douglas.”
“Did you ever think to look in Casper?”
“Casper? We took her there for her doctor’s appointment. She said she hated the place. Would never live there.”
Jared wound down, realizing they’d taken her at her word and hadn’t looked for her that close to home.
“Did you know that she has been back to that doctor’s office four times in the last six weeks.?”
Mac’s question drained the color out of Jared’s face.
“Why, what’s the matter with her? I knew she was run down and tired when we took her, but she told us he’d given her a prescription and that she would soon be better. How’d you find this out?”
“I heard this from my friend, Mona. Mona manages the motel where C.J. is living, in Casper. A real dump it is, too. Old and run down, but I will give it credit for being clean. C.J. booked herself in there indefinitely the day I followed her back to her room. During the last month, Mona and I have become sort-of-friends. She knows that I’m watching C.J. but she promised never to let on to her. I told her that I was following her becau
se we thought she might be someone who’d inherited a lot of money but we had to make sure first. So she’s very nicely told me what little she has heard from C.J. at each of my visits. But there is one thing she hasn’t mentioned; actually she didn’t have to. I guess Mona figures that it wouldn’t affect her inheriting money, and I’ve just let it go.”
Mac came back and sat on the chair opposite Jared and looked him in the eye.
“Jared, C.J. is expecting. She’s pregnant. And she’s far enough along that this has to be David’s baby. I’d guess she conceived about the time of the wedding.”
Jared sat, too stunned to speak.
He had heard what Mac said, but it hadn’t truly registered. He stared at Mac, not breaking the eye contact but not really seeing him either.
“Oh, man. And you haven’t told anybody else about this?”
“No one. I figured she didn’t want to be found, otherwise she’d have registered under her own name. Well, at least her own last name. I don’t know where she got Foster and telling Mona that her husband was Ivan Foster made it seem like she really was waiting for someone.”
“Foster is her maiden name. Ivan Foster was her father.”
“Okay. So. Now what do we do?”
Both men sat there in silence, trying to figure out what had to be done to get these two stubborn, heartbroken people back together. By the time they had talked it out, Mac had to phone David and tell him he’d be late. That he’d be at the hospital first thing in the morning.
C.J. was just getting back from her little trip down to the mini-market at the corner two blocks away. That was her exercise. She only bought enough to last two days. That way she made sure she got out. And by doing her shopping early in the morning, she didn’t see anyone and didn’t have to worry about the shelves being picked over.
As she approached the motel, she was thinking about David. She wondered if she dare try to phone him again. She’d been trying, repeatedly, but all she ever got was his voice mail. Maybe this time he’d answer.
By the time she was back in her room, she had decided it was worth trying. Maybe he’d talk to her this time. If he didn’t, she at least had to tell him about his child and she didn’t think she could leave that on his voice mail. Maybe a letter. She had planned to keep the baby her secret, but realized that knowing he had a son or daughter might make him work harder to get back to his life. She could do that much for him. And if he wanted visitation rights, she would grant him that as well. Not too often but enough to know his child. And one of the other men or their wives would have to be responsible for getting the baby back and forth to David. She wouldn’t go out to the ranch. It held too many painful memories and she wasn’t ready to go through that again.
As she waited for the call to go through and the ringing to start, she wondered what she’d say if he answered.
“Hello?” A woman’s voice answered David’s phone.
“I’m sorry, I must have a wrong...”
“Who are you calling, please?”
“David Taylor. But I must...”
“This is his phone, he just isn’t here right now. Can I take a message?” The woman’s voice was vaguely familiar but C.J. couldn’t put a name to it.
“Umm, no, thank you. I’ll call him back.” She hung up quickly, not wanting to know what was going on. Obviously, another woman was in his room. Was it his hospital room, or had he been discharged? Calling a cell phone didn’t tell you where a person was.
She wandered over to the window, thinking about that call. As she looked out, she spotted a black minivan, exactly like the one she’d had converted for David. It was parked across the street. But they were a popular make, so she shouldn’t be surprised to see one just like it.
Nina Roman had recognized C.J.’s voice and wasn’t sure what to do about the call. If she told David, it might upset him. But if she didn’t tell him, it might upset him even more if he ever found out. And she was going to have to work for the man for the next month.
When Blake walked into the room, without David, she saw her solution.
“Mr. Corbin,..”
“Please, call me Blake. If you’re going to spend a month at the ranch with us, you don’t have to be quite so professional.”
“Okay, Blake, thank you. I just wanted to ask you about a call that came in on David’s cell phone while you were away. I answered it, without thinking. It was a woman. I’m pretty sure it was Mrs. Taylor. Should I tell David? I know he becomes extremely angry or overly quiet if her name is mentioned, but she did try to reach him.”
Blake’s mind was working overtime. If C.J. had phoned here, maybe there was hope yet.
“Nina, where’d you put his phone?”
Maybe it would show a number they could call. Try to find her that way. When the nurse handed him the phone, he hit the redial button, holding his breath.
Damn!
She’d placed the call from her cell phone, so that didn’t tell them anything about where she was. She could be in Douglas or she could be here in Cheyenne at the hotel across the street. That was no help at all.
“Is there anything else, Blake? I’m just going off duty. I have to go home and get packed to leave on Monday with David.”
“That’s all for now. Don’t worry about the call, I’ll tell David when he gets back here. If he calls her is up to him.”
As he spoke, Blake was deciding that he wasn’t going to tell David about the call just yet. He wanted to talk to Jared first, see if they could find her before Monday.
Checking his watch, he realized that he had at least thirty minutes before David would be back in his room. His rehab work had been cancelled because of the strained shoulder muscle, but the therapists had decided that he could do with a massage in its place, their going-away treat to him. That thirty minutes would give him time to call Jared and, with any luck, they’d be able to get something organized to help find C.J..
Leaving a message on David’s pillow that he’d be back later, he strode briskly out of the room and down to the elevators, intent on getting back to the hotel. He had walked past the red headed man who got off at that floor before he realized it was Mac. Turning back, he yelled for him to stop.
“Hey, Mac. Hold up. What are you doing here?”
Mac turned to find Blake trotting toward him.
“Sorry, boss, didn’t even see you. I was thinking about something else. I’m here because David asked me to come down here and help him with some case. Something like that. He wasn’t exactly too forthcoming with the details.”
Mac was expecting Blake to know what he was talking about, but his blank look made it obvious he didn’t have a clue.
Not another one! First Jared, now Blake. Didn’t any of these guys know what the other was up to?
“Well you won’t find him in his room. His therapists decided to give him a massage today. He won’t be back up for a half hour or so.”
“Well, then, I’ll grab a coffee and go wait in his room. Quieter there than the waiting room.”
“I’ll join you. I was just going back to the hotel to call Jared, but that can wait. You don’t know why he wanted you, hmm?”
“Not a clue. Although I’ve been doing some guessing. But that’s strictly out of nowhere.”
As he spoke, Mac’s hand tightened around the envelope with C.J.’s wedding ring. If he had to lie, at least it was in a good cause.
“Anything to do with C.J.?”
The question caught him by surprise and his face told Blake that he had hit the mark on that one.
“So, what do you know about all this?”
“Nothing, really. Like I said, it was just a guess. Look, can we find some phones someplace where we could do a conference call. You might want to hear my end of it, and I may be able to tell you more after I’ve talked to Jared.”
At his request, Blake had turned back toward the elevators and was punching the down button even before he replied.
“Since we both want to tal
k to him, let’s do it from my room. We can get room service to bring us some decent coffee instead of the slop that machine pours. I think I can honestly say I will never complain about anybody’s coffee again, after having to drink that for so many months”
The two men left the hospital in a companionable silence, although Mac was sure he was going to end up getting himself into trouble for not telling Blake everything he knew as soon as he’d seen him. At least he had Jared on his side. As they passed through the hotel lobby, Blake placed an order for a large carafe of coffee.
“You know, Mac, I thought I could live just about anywhere, and until I was married, I could. But now that I’ve got a family, this living in a hotel in a different city is not my idea of fun. I’ll be so glad to leave here on Monday. Get back to my ranch, see my wife and the boys, check out my horses, maybe even get to one of Kaycee’s dog shows.”
“I know what you mean, and I haven’t been here that much. Those trailers you got for Will and me, that’s even better than the last apartment I had in Portland. It feels like I have more space, even though I know I don’t. But with having it set up at the ranch, back in the trees like that, it’s like living in your own little world. It’s quiet, and it’s private; but if I want company, the office isn’t far away and there’s always someone around. I’m enjoying living there and I really like the work. Not too much travel, but just enough to keep life interesting and to make you happy to get back home. For that, Blake, I have to thank you. I couldn’t have found anything I liked doing better than I have working for you.”
Mac’s fair complexion became redder with each word. He realized he sounded like he was fawning over the boss, saying the right things. But what he’d said was true. He did like it.
All of it.
“Don’t worry, Mac. I know what you mean and I’m glad you feel that way. In the meantime, we have a call to make, so if you can get the door,” this in response to the room service knock, “I’ll get Jared on the phone. We’ll use my cell on speaker phone, so we can sit here in comfort, drink our coffee and discuss whatever it is we all need to talk about.”