90 Days (Prairie Town Book 2)

by Ridener, T. E.

  He didn’t even know his own name. Why would he know mine?

  “That’s a pretty name.” He eased down on the grass and gingerly touched his head again. “It must have rained hard tonight. Is that why we wrecked?”

  Tell him the truth. “Yes.”

  “Rain can be so dangerous. I’m glad we made it out okay. But,”—he gazed at Mia again—“why was she trying to hurt your boyfriend? That part doesn’t make any sense to me.”

  “She’s crazy.” Just like you.

  “And we were friends with her?”

  “You are friends with her. I don’t know her.”

  “Me? I…I don’t know why I would be friends with someone like that, Laney.” Her name sounded so strange as it rolled off his tongue. He’d never said her name in such a way before. “We’re friends, right?” He gazed at her, hopeful. “You and me, and Benji? We’re friends?”

  “Well, I—”

  “Shit.” Benji’s growl of frustration saved her from an awkward conversation. He appeared beside her and her heart fluttered, but was it out of excitement or dread? “The battery died and I can’t find another phone. Didn’t you or Mia have a phone, Devin? What the hell did you do with mine, man?”

  “I…what?” Devin tilted his head back to stare up at him worriedly. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “No,” Benji sighed, “Of course you don’t, pal.”

  “Benji.” She cleared her throat and peered at him.

  “Babe.” His good eye sparkled as he smiled at her.

  He’s just trying to let you down easy. Her mind whispered. Prepare yourself.

  Capturing her bottom lip between her teeth, she took a step closer to him, hesitantly. All she really wanted to do was hug him, but she was afraid he’d push her away. It was inevitable, wasn’t it?

  “I’m glad you’re okay.” His arms wrapped around her carefully, as if she would break, and he buried his face against her neck. “You scared the shit out of me, Laney.”

  Relief flooded her system as she wrapped her good arm around him and rested her chin against his shoulder. Maybe she had it all wrong. Maybe Benji really did care and her brain was just being stupid again.

  “I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I’m so sorry. Please don’t…” Her voice drifted off as the heartbreaking image of him saying goodbye flashed through her mind.

  “Don’t what?” He pulled back to gaze at her, waiting for her to finish her statement, but the words never came. As much as she wanted to say it, to plead with him to give her a second chance, the words became lodged in her throat and wouldn’t come out. “Laney?”

  “I…” She looked upwards in an attempt to keep from crying, but it was no use. The tears fell whether she wanted them to or not. “What are we going to do with him?”

  Benji looked disappointed when she suddenly changed the subject, but he quickly refocused his attention and shrugged one shoulder, which seemed to cause him a lot of pain. “I honestly don’t know.”

  “Do you really think he’s telling the truth?” She kept her voice low so Devin wouldn’t hear her. “Do you really think he’s lost his memory?”

  “Do you really think he would have stopped Mia from choking me if he didn’t?”

  “She what?” Her eyes zeroed in on his neck and the bruises there caused her to see red.

  That little bitch…

  “Don’t worry about that right now.” His palm rested against her cheek and he gazed into her eyes with his good one. “Please, Laney. Let’s just focus on getting a hold of Lydia and Jeb; they must be worried sick.”

  “Yeah.” She nodded in agreement and swallowed the painful lump in her throat. God, she’d forgotten about Lydia and Jeb. They had no idea what had happened and they were probably waiting for Mia and Devin to arrive for the exchange.

  There was just too much happening all at once. It was overwhelming.

  “I need to find another phone.” Benji’s thumb slid over her upper lip and he frowned. “Jesus, is your nose broken?”

  “It might be.” She winced. “Just mark it up as another casualty of war.”

  He didn’t laugh at her pathetic attempt of a joke, but instead leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. Waves of calming heat washed over her as her eyes slid closed.

  “You didn’t deserve any of this.” He murmured against her skin.

  “Neither did you.” Her voice cracked.

  “I’m not so much worried about me.” He pulled away again and glanced towards the car. The alarm was still going strong, but the sound of a siren could be heard. “They’re coming. I should find another phone before they get here.”

  “Okay.” She nodded, her eyes moving to Devin. He had his head in his hands. She wasn’t sure if he was asleep or crying. “But what about him? What do we tell the police when they get here?”

  Benji’s fingers curled around hers and he offered her a small smile. “The truth, baby. We tell them the truth.”

  ----------

  Lydia

  “Where are they?” She wailed as she stared out the passenger side window. They had been waiting at Templeton Park for nearly an hour and they still hadn’t seen the first set of headlights pass by.

  “Please stop crying, Lydia. It’s going to be okay.” Jeb reached around the passenger’s seat and rested a hand against her shoulder, squeezing gently. “They’re fine, all right? We’ll get them back soon, just try to be patient.”

  “I have a bad feeling.” She shook her head and wiped at her eyes. “Something’s wrong. I can feel it.”

  “Well, it was raining pretty hard. Maybe that’s what slowed them down.” Callum shifted in his seat and gazed at her. “Try to think of something else, huh?”

  “I can’t think of anything else. You heard what Devin said on the phone, right? He threatened to send them both back in body bags.” Tears burned at her throat and nostrils and she did her best to fight them off. Crying wasn’t doing her any good. “Laney…she’s got her whole life ahead of her and this…this is going to damage her.”

  “Laney’s strong.” Callum’s hand found hers and he slid his thumb over her knuckles. “She’s like you and Jeb; she’s a fighter.”

  “But she’s so…she breaks so easily.” She wept, burying her face into her free hand. “What if she’s traumatized? She’s already dealt with so much. This isn’t fair.”

  “We’ll get through it.” Jeb promised in a soft and gentle voice. “We’re a family, Lyds. We’ll get through it together.”

  “And that’s my fault, too, isn’t it?”

  “Huh?” Jeb’s tone became one of confusion.

  “Sticking together as a family…I’ve not been around enough to do that. I was away for too long. She needed me. Dad needed me. You needed me and I wasn’t here! Oh, God.” Her tears fell without regard and it was all she could do to keep from throwing up all over the floorboard. “I just want my sister back! I want Benji back. This is a nightmare.”

  “Whoa. Easy there.” Jeb moved his upper body between their seats and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “Lyds, it’s going to be okay.” His voice cracked. “It’s my fault, just as much as it’s yours, okay? But the past is the past and we can’t change that. We have to keep pushing forward. Whatever Laney’s been through, we’ll help her move past it, right? And Benji, too.”

  “I just hate this. I hate that she got caught up in it. I hate that people can be so mean. I hate that I’m not there with her right now. I can’t hold her. I can’t protect her. I can’t…I can’t…” She buried her face against his chest and drenched his shirt with her tears.

  He held her and rubbed her back, sniffling occasionally.

  How had she ever gotten mad at Jebson Ray? When did a stupid wedding become more important than the relationship she had just gotten back with her family?

  “I’m so sorry, Jeb. I’m so sorry.”

  “Me, too, Sis. Me, too.”

  It was the sound of her phone ri
nging that caught her attention and she quickly pulled away from him to fish it out of her purse. She knew that ringtone.

  “It’s Benji!” Her heart beat wildly in her chest. “At least it’s a call from his phone.”

  “Do you want me to answer it?” Callum held his hand out to take the phone, but she shook her head.

  “I’ve got it.” She slid her thumb over the screen and lifted it to her ear. “Benji?” Her voice was filled with hope.

  Oh, please be Benji. Please, please. Let them be okay.

  “Lydia.”

  A sob escaped her as she slumped forward, tears of happiness falling freely as she buried her face against her palm. “Benji. It’s you.”

  “It’s me.” He sounded so tired. “I’m okay. Laney’s okay. We’re both okay.”

  “G-good. Oh, God. That’s so good to hear. Where are you? Is Devin there? How are you calling me right now?”

  “It’s…complicated.”

  She straightened in her seat and switched ears, glancing at Callum and Jeb. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Just…come to the hospital, okay? We’re heading there now. I’ll tell you all about it when you get there.”

  “The hospital?” Her heart dropped into her stomach. “Benji, what’s wrong? Who’s hurt? Is Laney hurt?”

  “We had a wreck. Devin lost control of the car and…just come to the hospital, okay? I swear I’ll tell you everything.”

  “Okay.” She nodded eagerly, sucking in a deep breath. “I want to talk to Laney. Is she able to talk?”

  “Of course. Give me just a second.”

  “What’s going on?” Jeb whispered anxiously. “What happened?”

  “They had a wreck, but they’re okay.” She laughed, unable to help the influx of emotions she felt. “They’re in an ambulance and on their way to the hospital.”

  “Thank God.” Callum sighed. He turned the key over and his Tahoe hummed to life. “Which hospital?”

  “I don’t know y—.”

  “Hello?” Laney’s voice graced her ears and Lydia wasn’t sure she’d ever heard anything so wonderful before. “Lydia?”

  “Laney!” The dam burst again and she sobbed into the phone.

  “Lydia, hi. Oh, God. I’m so glad to hear your voice.”

  “Me, too.” She struggled to speak. Her throat tightened and the words were difficult to find. All she wanted to do was hug her sister and never let go. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m…fine. I’m okay.” Laney sniffled. “Are you coming to the hospital now? We’re on our way.”

  “Yes.” She replied without hesitation. “Which hospital are they taking you to?”

  “I don’t know. Hold on just a second.”

  Lydia listened as Laney asked someone and then she returned a few seconds later.

  “We’re going to the one in Prairie Town. We’re not far away.”

  “Prairie Town. Got it.” She lifted a trembling hand to wipe at her eyes. “We’ll be there as soon as we can, Laney. I promise.”

  “Okay.” Laney laughed weakly and Lydia could hear the fear and exhaustion in her voice. It only fueled her need to hold her little sister in her arms. “Lydia?”

  “Yes?”

  “I love you. I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too, Laney. More than you’ll ever know.”

  “I need to go now. I’ll see you soon?”

  “With the way Callum drives? You’ll see me in about ten minutes.”

  “Good. Oh, and one more thing?”

  “Anything.” She promised.

  “Don’t let Mom and Dad know about this.”

  “Laney…”

  “I’m serious. Don’t tell them, Lydia. I want this to stay as quiet as possible.”

  Sighing in defeat, she switched ears again and shook her head slowly. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Laney. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  It was only when they pulled into the hospital parking lot that Lydia realized she wouldn’t be able to keep her promise to Laney.

  “Holy hell.” She got out of the Tahoe and froze. “Is that…is that Dad’s truck?”

  “Ah, yup.” Jeb released a long sigh of frustration and stopped beside her, raking his fingers through his hair with a funny look on his face. “I’m going to guess maybe Mom and Dad got a phone call from someone else’s dad.”

  “Hey, don’t blame this on me. My dad is a pretty confidential guy.” Callum rounded the Tahoe and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Let’s just go inside and see what’s going on.”

  A million and one possibilities ran through her mind as they hurried inside the emergency room. Her eyes searched frantically for any sign of her parents, Benji, or Laney, but it was seeing the familiar red hair that caught her attention.

  “Ags?”

  “Lydia!” Aggie sprinted in their direction and flung her arms around Lydia, nearly knocking her backwards. “Oh, Lydia. Isn’t this awful?” She pulled away and wiped at her bloodshot eyes.

  “It’s the worst.” Lydia nodded, glancing around again. “Have you seen Laney or Benji?”

  “No. I’m not ‘family.’” She laughed bitterly. “But I did see your parents—they’re actually in the back right now. God, how did this happen?”

  “It’s a long story. How did you find out about it?”

  “Benji called me a few minutes ago. He sounded so upset,”—she wiped at her eyes again—“and I swear if I had known something was going on…”

  “We couldn’t do anything anyway.” Jeb interrupted. “Devin’s a crazy piece of shit.”

  “Well, be that as it may,”—she gave him a stern look—“You guys should have called and told me. It’s a shame I had to find out after it was all over.”

  Damn. Guilt weighed her down and Lydia dropped her head in shame. Aggie was right; she should have called and told her, but she had been so scared. Could she really blame her for not calling?

  “Anyway, I’m going to get some coffee because I’m not fully awake yet. Any special requests?” Aggie averted her gaze from Lydia and stared at Callum instead.

  Aw, crap. She’s mad at me. Lydia’s heart sank.

  “I think we’re good here.” Callum’s arm slipped around Lydia’s waist and he pulled her close. “Do you need some change?”

  “I think I’ve got it, Ritchie Rich.” Aggie mumbled quietly. “But thanks. I’ll be back.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Jeb followed in suit.

  Sinking back against Callum’s strong frame, Lydia sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. “She’s upset with me.”

  “We’re all upset.”

  “I know, but she’s really upset with me. I didn’t call her. She deserved that much.” Turning in his arms, she buried her face against his chest. “I’m a horrible sister and a horrible friend.”

  “Stop that.” His large hand moved up and down her back slowly. “You are wonderful at being both; anyone would have reacted the same as you did tonight. What’s important is Benji and Laney are safe now.”

  “You’re right. You’re always right.” She tilted her head back to peer up at him and smiled when he winked at her. “What would I do without you?”

  “Marry somebody who’s occasionally wrong, I suppose.”

  “I don’t think I could ever marry anyone else.” She tiptoed to kiss his lips. “You’re the only one for me, Ritchie Rich.”

  “Hey now.” His hands fell to her waist. “Let’s not call me that, okay? Who my grandfather was and what he earned, it’s got nothing to do with me, Lydia. Money doesn’t mean as much to me as it did to him.”

  “I know that. I can tell.”

  “Can you?”

  “Yes, of course. Callum, you drive a nice car and your parents have a nice house, but you walk around in blue jeans and dirty boots all the time.”

  “That’s true. I just didn’t want your opinion of me to change. I’m sorry, Lydia. I s
hould have told you the truth from the get-go, but I just felt that getting to know each other for who we are rather than what we have was more important.”

  “And I feel the same way. Baby, I don’t care if you have twenty thousand dollars in the bank or ten; what matters to me is what’s in here.” She rested a palm over his heart and smiled. “Your heart is more valuable to me than money could ever possibly be. I love you so much.”

  His lips brushed over hers tenderly. “I love you, too.”

  “Please let me go! I didn’t do anything wrong! Please!”

  They jerked apart upon hearing the desperate screams of a man and Lydia’s mouth fell open when she spotted two police men escorting a man down the hallway.

  “Is that Devin?” Callum questioned as the three men got closer.

  “Please, please!” Devin sobbed as he struggled to get free from the officers. “You’ve got the wrong guy! I saved them. Please listen to me!”

  “Oh my god.” Her hand flew to her lips and she watched as the three men disappeared through the double doors. She could still hear Devin sobbing. “What was that all about?”

  “He was probably just trying to get out of being arrested.” Callum’s jawline tightened. “But I’m sure my father will have other plans for him and Mia. He’s in for a rude awakening.”

  “Lydia!”

  Whirling around, Lydia caught sight of her mother and immediately ran to her, wrapping her up in a tight hug. “Mama! Oh my god, have you seen Laney? Is she okay?”

  “She’s fine, dear. She’s a little roughed up, but she’ll be okay. Oh, what a nightmare this has been. Why didn’t you call us?”

  Uh oh, here we go again.

  “I’m sorry, Mom. There was just so much going on and—”

  “Never mind that. What’s important is that we’re all together now and Laney is safe. She’s being fitted for a cast right now.”

  “A cast? What?”

  “She broke her arm during the crash. Oh heavens, we sure don’t have much luck with vehicles, do we?” Mrs. McIntosh slid into a seat and pinched at the bridge of her nose. “Perhaps we should consider walking everywhere…”

  “Laney didn’t tell me she broke her arm.” Lydia eased down by her mother and rested her hands in her lap, toying with a loose thread on the hem of her dress. “She said she was okay. Why would she lie to me?”