Winning Back His Wife

by Ewing, A. B.

  Winning Back His Wife

  By A.B. Ewing

  Text copyright © 2013 A.B. Ewing

  All Rights Reserved

  Dedicated to my best friend, Kathy Ann Royster, who told me, I was good enough to do it.

  ****

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 1

  Caleb glared as the battered, blue Ford SUV driving in front of him swerved dangerously into the oncoming traffic. He was in no mood for this. All he wanted to do was get home and get a drink. The day had been gruesome enough and he did not have the energy or patience to deal with this idiot.

  Glancing into his side mirror, he listened to the other motorists honking their horns, signaling their annoyance at the driver holding up the traffic. Where was the police when you needed them? Caleb put on his indicator then jerked his vehicle to the right, but to his annoyance the SUV swerved right too, blocking him. He slammed on his brakes and jammed the car horn. “BEEEEP!” He tried to pass the SUV, but again, he was blocked. Growing angrier now he swore loudly, pounding his fist on the horn again, this time longer than the first.

  “Caleb, please let him be. We will arrive home soon enough.” His sister, Daphne tried to reason with him.

  Loosening his grip on the steering wheel, he glanced at the woman in the passenger seat next to him. It was amazing how much she looked just like him. She had the same dark blonde curly hair, same milky white skin, and same facial features, just softer. She was beautiful, as were all the women in the Wilder clan. Caleb glimpsed his sister sleeping in the back seat. KC was just as beautiful but chose not to emphasize it. Her pouted lips painted black were relaxed and the ghastly earring that was linked to her nose by a silver chain was now draped across her closed eye. Her blonde hair with short red streaks looked like an erupting volcano. It drove her mother crazy. At nineteen, she adopted the gothic look and always wore black, baggy clothing and heavy black lipstick. Caleb loved KC but if she didn’t change soon she would be the death of his parents.

  “Daphne, this guy is driving like a maniac. He’s going to kill someone.” Caleb looked down at his sister’s stomach; her large, round belly was emphasized by the sweater that she wore. “Look, I just want to get you home to Stuart, and KC home to mom, so I can go home and get some rest. This psycho is holding up the traffic.”

  At the mention of her name, the girl in the backseat woke from her nap.

  “Aren’t we home as yet? Caleb, can’t you make this thing go any faster?” KC whined.

  “Shut up, KC! I am no happier to be stuck with you in this car than you are to be with me, so zip it!” Caleb snapped.

  “Caleb, please. I know you’re tired and I’m sure KC doesn’t mean to be ungrateful, but I don’t like it when you shout,” Daphne O’Connor said placing her hand gently on his arm.

  She was looking at him and Caleb could see that look of concern in her eyes - that look she got anytime she was around him.

  “What’s wrong now, Daphne?”

  “You used to be so carefree, so happy. What happened to you? It’s been five years. Don’t you think it’s time you stopped punishing yourself for her leaving…”

  “I’m sorry, Sis, but this has nothing- sweet mother of God!” Caleb cried out as Daphne turned back to the road. They stared in utter horror as the blue SUV in front veered left and crossed the median, pummeling front first into a red minivan. Skidding as if the road had black ice, the minivan rammed into another vehicle to drop side first into the incline on the other side of the road.

  Caleb could hear the screeching of tires all around as terrified motorists swerved to avoid being a part of the wreck. He brought the GMC Sierra to a safe stop and turned to his sisters.

  “Daphne, Kace, are you guys alright?”

  “We’re fine!” they answered in unison.

  He quickly surveyed his sisters and when he was sure they were okay, he scrambled out of his car and raced towards the overturned minivan.

  Caleb maneuvered his way through the stalled cars, crossing the highway, with KC and Daphne following more carefully behind.

  A large crowd had already gathered when he reached the other side of the highway. Above the inaudible murmurs he heard the faint screams of a child. Straining his ear, his head began to pound when he realized that the screams were coming from the overturned vehicle that lay at the bottom of the incline. Peering over the edge, Caleb saw the minivan turned on its side, about twenty feet below. On impulse, he hoisted his weight over the severed railing and edged his way along a protruding rock towards it.

  “Hey buddy, where do you think you’re going?” one guy yelled, stretching a hand to halt Caleb.

  “To do what no one else is doing,” Caleb replied, shooting the guy a move-or-else glance.

  “Caleb, Caleb, wait!”

  Ignoring Daphne’s pleas he focused on his descent down the slope. It had been years since he left the fire service but the years he served as one of Washington’s finest were imprinted in his brain. He was more than capable of doing this.

  He could hear Daphne addressing the onlookers, her voice fading as he climbed further down.

  “He knows what he’s doing; he used to be a firefighter. I am Dr. O’Connor. Does anybody here have any medical training? You check the driver of the SUV. You two come with me. I need you…”

  When his feet hit the ground, he did what any firefighter would do - scan the area for possible danger. The side where the SUV had collided with it, was folded in as if a wrecking ball had smashed into it. All around the vehicle was shattered glass, the wheels were still spinning and smoke was rising from the hood. The child’s screams were replaced by a mere whimper and something akin to fear made his heart accelerate. ‘Hold on, little one, hold on.’

  The smell of leaking gas cut through the air and Caleb knew that could be fatal. One spark and the entire vehicle could go up in flames. Hurrying to the crumpled hood he assessed the interior looking for any signs of sparks. There were none. After disconnecting the battery cables and making sure that there was no imminent danger, he went around to the side. Peering into the front he could see the driver, a woman, slumped against the driver’s side door. She was not wearing her seat belt. Her face was hidden by a matt of curly hair fused with blood. In the back seat he saw what he was looking for - the child. The little girl’s cries had died down and he strained to hear her soft cries. She was calling out for her mother.

  “Hush, little one. I’ve got you.’ he whispered as he reached into the vehicle unhooking the straps that held her to the car seat. At least the mother was wise enough to strap her in. Gently, he eased the child through the shattered car glass. She was no older than three, maybe four years.

  She buried her little head in the crook of his neck, her sobs muffled by his shirt. Her mop of curly black hair had a familiar scent, but he couldn’t tell what it was.

  “Shhh, little one, you’re safe now….Shhh!”

  Others were at his side trying to pry open the front passenger door to get to the driver. He tried handing the child over to one of the bystanders but she clasped her tiny hands around his neck tighter. Caleb’s heart warmed at the thought of the child feeling safe with him. Standing nearby he waited for the m
en to get the door open. When he was sure they could get to the woman, he started up the hill. If the mother was dead he didn’t want the little girl to witness that.

  Daphne was waiting at the top for him.

  “Let me take a look at her. How many more people are there in the car?” Daphne questioned, quickly examining the girl as best as she could. It was difficult doing so because she refused to let go of Caleb.

  Choosing his words carefully, he looked over the little girl’s head. “There is only the mother in car. I’m not sure how she is,” he responded. Daphne nodded in understanding. He didn’t want to say anything that would upset the little girl.

  “She seems to be okay, just confused. Why don’t you sit over there with her?” Daphne pointed to a spot a little distance from where she was standing.

  KC was standing at his side now, bending where he sat cradling the child in his arms, all the while murmuring soft, comforting words. She placed a hand around his shoulder to comfort him.

  Someone had called 911. In the distance he could hear the wailing of the sirens as it pierced through the air. Help was on the way. The paramedics would help the mother but Daphne would assist until the ambulance arrived.

  He heard a commotion from down the incline and watched as two of the men that he had left below, struggled to get the unconscious woman over the barrier. Daphne pushed her way through the crowd that gathered to get a better view.

  “Please make some room.” Daphne shouted and sure enough, the people scattered. The men were over the barrier by then placing the woman on a spot which Daphne was pointing to. He watched as his sister knelt gingerly at the woman’s side and pushed the hair away from her face. Daphne gasped, went still, and then covered her mouth, stifling a cry. Something was wrong. She looked up at him and from the short distance he saw that his sister’s face was as pale as if she’d seen a ghost. Something was wrong. Quickly she drew her gaze away from him and resumed examining the woman.

  He handed the little girl over to KC and his feet reluctantly moved toward his sister. As he drew nearer, he surveyed the unconscious woman’s face, and then froze.

  No, it couldn’t be. God no! It couldn’t be. His knees buckled and he stumbled backward, crumpling to the grass. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

  “Caleb, I need you to keep it together. Please, Caleb, keep it together. She’s alive. She’s still alive.”

  He opened his mouth, but no words came out. His tongue felt heavy. His sister glanced at him again. The woman who lay fighting for her life before her was Caleb’s wife, Neela Wilder.

  ****

  Caleb looked on helplessly as Daphne focused her attention on his wife. She was still kneeling next to Neela, her pregnant stomach making the task a little more difficult than usual. She ripped open Neela’s bloodstained T-shirt and placed an ear to her chest. She quickly probed Neela’s body, starting at her chest, then lower to her feet searching for broken bones or punctured organs. She examined the wound on her head and pressed her hand to stem the flow of blood.

  Caleb heard the ambulance closer now, and felt the knot in his stomach loosen a little. Daphne may be a Doctor but there was only so much she could do without any equipment. She just needed to keep Neela breathing until the ambulance arrived. What the hell was taking them so long?

  He crawled the few feet that separated him from his wife - the woman he had not seen in five years, the woman who haunted his dreams for all that time. Was she really lying here? Where had she been all these years? He had so many questions.

  He wanted to touch her now and not even hounds from hell could stop him. He raised his hand and only then did he realize how much he was shaking. Gently, oh so gently he touched her face and Caleb felt emotions so strong rise up in him that it made him lightheaded - hurt, anger, pain, fear… love.

  Yes, love! Here in front of him lay the only woman he ever loved, the woman who owned the rights to his heart, whose heart he once held. Her cinnamon-colored skin was even softer than he remembered; it stood out in comparison to his pale, milky one. Her eyes which he distinctly remembered being brown, were hidden behind closed lids, lids that were accented by long curling lashes. Long black curly hair now tainted in blood was fanned out below her head and her lips; those lips that he had kissed so many times were slightly parted and Caleb could not stop his finger from gently tracing the outline. He drew in a long breath and felt his lung constrict. God, this could not be real.

  “Caleb, Caleb... Caleb. Please look at me!

  He dragged his gaze away from his wife long enough to look at his sister.

  “She’s okay. She’s okay, Caleb. There doesn’t seem to be anything broken and her breathing is stable. I don’t know if there are any internal injuries but she seems okay. I know it looks bad but the blood isn’t that much. Caleb, are you listening to me?”

  He must have nodded because she continued talking.

  “I need you to stay with her; I need to talk to KC.”

  Stay with her? There was no way in hell he was ever leaving her side again. The devil himself couldn’t pry him away.

  What did she need to speak to KC about? What she needed to do was let KC take the child to the hospital and…the child! He swung around to where his two sisters stood and once again Caleb felt breathing was the most difficult thing to do. The girl had called out for her mother. She was Neela’s daughter. The baby she was carrying when she left.

  Daphne was saying something to KC and it must have been about him because she looked at him and then to the little girl in her arms, and as recognition dawned, her body started shaking. He could tell she was crying. Daphne reached her hand out to wipe a tear from her sister’s face and said something to her again. KC nodded and walked away from her.

  Slowly she came towards him, carrying the sleeping child and without being prompted Caleb opened his arms to receive his daughter.

  Sitting next to his wife he held her limp hand in one of his and cradled his daughter in the other.

  At the thought of how close he came to losing his wife and the daughter he didn’t know existed, Caleb Seth Wilder sat at the side of the road on a wet June afternoon and cried his heart out.

  ****

  Chapter 2

  Why was she not answering her damn phone? She was never this late. “Something’s happened, Kevin. I can feel it,” Kaylee Robinson shrieked at her husband.

  “Honey, I’m sure she’s fine. She probably stopped off at the grocery,” he suggested, trying to comfort her. Kevin was a darling of a man who never failed to express his love for his wife. Even now, she sensed it in the way he worried about her health. Upsetting her husband was definitely not on her agenda but she could not help but be worried about her best friend.

  Sharing similar backgrounds Kaylee and Neela had been best friends since they were kids, promising to never let their friendship suffer; therefore, when Neela had showed up at her apartment five years ago, Kaylee had not hesitated in taking her in.

  She glimpsed at the little boy sitting on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the latest episode of SpongeBob. Neela should have been home almost three hours ago. She would never stay away this long from Adam.

  “Listen, if you are so worried why don’t you try calling the hospital? Maybe Melody came down with the same bug Adam has.”

  “But she would have called,” Kaylee lamented. Before Kevin could respond, the phone in her hand rang. Kaylee looked at the display and smiled, relieved because it was Neela’s number.

  “Hey, where are you? I’ve been trying to call you for hours. You had poor Kevin worried,” she said winking at her husband, a playful smile tugging at her mouth trying to disguise the relief in her voice.

  “Kaylee? This is Caleb Wilder, Neela’s husband…” The voice on the other end responded to the parade of questions.

  “Caleb?”Kaylee asked in confusion.

  “What are you doing with Neela’s phone? Where is Neela?” She belted out at the intruder on the other end. Her gaze glued
to her husband, she could not miss the puzzled look on his face. She was right - something was wrong.

  “Kaylee, there’s been an accident…”

  “An accident? What do you mean an accident? Oh God, what happened? Is Melody alright?” Panicking, the questions flew.

  Kevin was at her side in a heartbeat, placing a protective arm around his pregnant wife. She was shaking like a leaf, the phone threatening to fall out of her trembling fingers.

  “Kaylee, calm down! We are at Dayton General Hospital. The girl is fine. She just has some minor cuts and bruises. Neela’s still in surgery. I don’t know the extents of her injuries as yet, but Daphne said nothing was broken. We have to wait until the doctors are finished,” Caleb tried to reassure her.

  Kaylee could feel a mixture of relief and worry surge through her. He said Melody was fine, but how bad was Neela?

  “Okay, I’ll be there in about a half hour… Caleb?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for calling.”

  Disconnecting the call, Kaylee looked at her husband, noting the worry in his eyes. Somehow it gave her comfort to know her husband was as scared as she was. Soft sobs broke through clamped lips as the weight of Caleb’s words fully sunk in. He said Neela was in surgery. What did that mean? Were her injuries extensive? Could she die? God, Neela couldn’t die. God would not be that cruel.

  “Sweetheart, look at me!” Kevin prompted.

  “I know you’re worried, but it’s not good for the baby.” He placed a protective hand on her swollen belly.

  “I’m sure she’ll be okay. Come on, let’s go.” As brave as he was trying to be for her, he could not hide the quiver in his voice. He too was imagining the worst.

  ****

  After their conversation, Caleb stood in the waiting room staring at the phone in his hand.

  Neela and Kaylee still kept in touch. That made sense. Kaylee had always been her only true friend. Caleb could tell that she was terribly shaken; he could hear it in her voice. She said Kevin was worried. Who the hell was Kevin? Was he Neela’s boyfriend?