RidingtheWaves

by Jennifer LaRose

  She leaned into the back of the couch, plopped her head down and faced the ceiling. “Did they at least arrest the man they were chasing?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know.”

  Not a reassuring answer. “I’m so sorry, Brody. I couldn’t talk Brent out of going.”

  “Don’t apologize, sweetheart.” He leaned back too. “Remember, neither could I.”

  “But I didn’t try.” A lump formed in her throat and her eyes burned. “When he explained why he had to do this, I just couldn’t push the issue any further.”

  “Hey, I’m an idiot for even asking. I know my brother and once his mind is made up, no one can change it. I was feeling a little desperate when I asked for your help.”

  She flashed him a subtle smile. “He is a determined man, isn’t he?”

  “You have no idea.”

  Oh yes I do.

  The ICU door buzzed open and a man and woman entered the area. Brody stood. Annalee had absolutely no doubts they were his parents. The gentleman, who stood level with Brody, carried himself just as confidently. Although his hair was cut short around his ears and he had frown lines on the outside of his eyes and in between his brows, he could have passed as a third brother. Brent definitely got his dark, emotional eyes from his father.

  “How’s he doing?” Brody asked.

  “Honey, he’s the same,” the woman responded. She rubbed the backside of her fingers along Brody’s cheek. She was beautiful. Long, dark hair and slender build. She looked the same height as Annalee—around five-foot-five. And her gorgeous, grayish-blue eyes encased by thick black lashes were identical to Brody’s. “Why don’t you go home and get some sleep, honey? He’s going to be in a coma for a while.”

  Coma?

  Brody looked over his shoulder and reached for Annalee. She stood up and took his hand. “Mom, Dad, meet Annalee Parschen. Sweetheart,” he nudged his head at his mother and father, “my parents.”

  Annalee shook the gentleman’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

  “It’s my pleasure.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. Wow, she knew where both sons inherited their mannerisms. “Please, call me Seth.”

  After he released her, Mrs. Delaney held both of Annalee’s hands and gazed adoringly at her face. “I sure understand why…” her voice trailed off with a sigh.

  Huh? Annalee smiled shyly. “I’m sorry?”

  “I know why my son chose to stay in Ohio rather than come home,” she finished. “You’re everything he’d said you’d be.”

  Brent had actually informed his parents about her? “We’ve known each other for a long time.”

  All three chimed, “I know,” in unison.

  Annalee laughed. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

  “Oh my goodness. That makes me sound old. Call me Sherry. Please.” She stepped forward and gave Annalee a motherly hug. “I know you’re waiting to see Brent, go on back. If he hears your voice it may speed his recovery.”

  “Can he hear people talking?”

  “The nurses believe so. We’re treating him as though he can.”

  Tears filled Annalee’s eyes. “Do they have any idea how long he’ll be in the coma?”

  Mrs. Delaney released her, took a step back and placed her hands on Annalee’s shoulders. “It’s drug-induced. The doctors will bring him out of it when the brain swelling goes down.”

  Brain swelling? Her tummy jumped. His condition was worse than she’d thought and his pain suddenly became her pain. The tears let loose and slid down her cheeks. “I’d like to see him now. Please excuse me.”

  After the woman at the desk buzzed open the door she led Annalee down a white, sterile corridor and stopped at doorway number five. A metal plate hung on the wall beside the door with Brent’s name written on it in black marker.

  Nurses darted in and out of rooms. The few who’d caught Annalee’s attention smiled in passing.

  “Thank you,” she said to her escort. Drawing a deep breath, she stiffened her shoulders, walked into the room and halted when she glanced at the bed.

  Brent lay covered by a white sheet except for his left leg, which was wrapped in gauze above his knee. A bandage was taped on his forehead near his left brow and the side of his face was partially swollen. Pistol-whipped. Her stomach flipped and fresh tears pooled in her eyes. She blinked until the water disappeared, only to discover numerous wires stretched from a heart monitor to the underside of the sheet. An IV pole stood beside it. Three bags of clear fluid hung from individual hooks but they were connected to one tube that’d been inserted into a thick vein on his wrist. He didn’t look as bad as she’d envisioned but his condition still brought forth a gasp and feelings of dread. To see him so helpless was a jarring awakening.

  Quickly she approached the bed, her boot heels clicking against the tile floor. For a long moment she stared at his handsome face. Despite the injuries, his features looked relaxed and peaceful. She leaned forward and gently kissed his lips. “Hi,” she said. “Can you hear me?” His eyes roamed beneath his lids and the heart monitor beeped.

  She sat down on the vinyl chair, scooted close to the bed and took his hand in between both of hers. Gently she lifted it to her face and rubbed it along her cheek. “You have to get well, Brent. You came back after all these years. You can’t leave me now. We still have so much to talk about and do.”

  She pressed her lips into the backside of his fingers. They were so warm and they filled her with a brief moment of comfort. “You’re tugging on my emotions, mister. You excite my heart and light up my insides just by looking into your eyes. I’ve never felt like this before.” She sighed. “Please come back to me.”

  A soft knock preceded the door opening. She glanced over her shoulder just as Brody stuck his head into the room. “Is it okay if I come in?”

  She reached for him. “Yes. Absolutely.”

  He walked to the bed, pulled up a chair and took hold of her outstretched hand. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

  “Yes. Are you?”

  “Yeah.” He sat down. “You know,” he glanced from her to Brent, roaming his eyes over his brother’s body, “it’s difficult seeing him like this. He’d covered my back our entire lives. Now look, he’s broken and I can’t fix him. I should’ve been there, Annalee. I shouldn’t have let him go alone.”

  “Brody, don’t.” She removed her hand from his and lifted his chin. His eyes were glossed over by tears. “Don’t do this to yourself. We’re all dealing with a little bit of guilt right now but we can’t let it consume us. We have to stay positive, otherwise we’ll drive ourselves insane.”

  “You’re right.” His eyes brightened when he offered a faint smile. “My mom invited you to stay at the house.”

  “I’m not sure I can do that.”

  He laughed. “This is coming from the woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer when inviting me to bunk at her place. Isn’t that something a hypocrite would do?”

  She released his chin and softly backhanded him in the chest. “Fine.” Now she fully understood his awkwardness at that time. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling in the least. “You must have told her about my out of this world cooking skills.”

  He scrunched his nose and grinned. “Yep, that’s it. I’ve missed those gourmet meals and told her you’d do all the cooking.”

  Just then her cell phone rang. “Shit. Am I going to get in trouble for having my phone on?”

  Brody did a quick visual sweep of the room. “There’s no signs posted. I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

  She pulled it from the bottom of her purse and pressed the phone symbol. “Hi, Mom. I can’t talk. I’m at the hospital with Brent. I’ll call you back when I leave.”

  “Annalee, Grandma had a heart attack,” her mom exclaimed, her voice shaken and anxious.

  Annalee’s eyes widened. “Is she okay?” She glanced at Brody and cupped her hand over the mouthpiece. “My grandma had a heart attack.”

  H
er mom sniffled. “We don’t know. She’s being admitted to the Lexington Heart Clinic but she doesn’t look good. I’m afraid she’s going to die, Annalee. I can feel it.”

  A lump formed in Annalee’s throat. “I’ll schedule a flight right now and get there as soon as I can. Give Grandma a kiss,” her voice cracked as tears dripped from her lashes, “and tell her I love her. I love you too, Mom,” she squeaked, holding back a sob. She disconnected the call and squeezed the cell phone in her palm.

  Oh no.

  Grandma.

  And Brent.

  How could she be both places at once? It wasn’t fair. Life was not fair. “Brody, what am I going to do? I don’t want to leave Brent, but I need to visit my grandmother. My mom thinks she’s going to die. What if she’s right?” Don’t die, Grandma. Please don’t die. “She’s freaking. Mom never freaks,” she rambled. “She’s our rock. When things are bad I call just to hear her voice. It gives me strength.” And it worked every time. “I have to be strong for her now. She’s falling apart. How can I stop her heart from breaking?” she continued to rattle. “Why do bad things always happen at once? I can’t—”

  “Breathe, sweetheart.” Brody pulled her into his arms and soothed her back. The comforting embrace was so similar to Brent’s her breath caught. “Breathe. That’s it,” he continued. “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of Brent.”

  A chain of loud beeps fled from the heart monitor.

  “I wanted to be here when he wakes up. Please tell him that. I don’t want him to think—”

  “It’s okay,” he whispered in a reassuring tone. “He’ll know.”

  “Can you give me a ride to the airport?”

  “You know I will.”

  Tiny, blue-eyed, white-haired Grandma was sitting up in the hospital bed, alert and all smiles when Annalee followed her parents into the room. If Annalee hadn’t known about her Alzheimer’s disease she’d never guess she’d been diagnosed with it. Immediately Grandma reached outward for her.

  “My precious Annie. Come here. Give me a hug.”

  “Hi, Grandma,” she squealed. How awesome to see her lively and fully coherent when she’d expected her to be inhaling her final breaths.

  Annalee smiled ear to ear and snuggled into her grandma’s frail arms. She’d lost a lot of weight and her shoulder blades and spine protruded through her thin gown, but it felt good to be held in her embrace. She still smelled like roses just as Annalee remembered. It took her way back to the times when she’d curled up on Grandma’s lap and Grandma rocked her to sleep. “I’ve missed you, Grandma. How are you feeling?”

  Her grandma stiffened then slowly relaxed in Annalee’s arms. “Grandma?” she said softly into her ear. “Grandma, are you all right?”

  Grandma’s arms dropped to the bed and Annalee had to clasp her tightly to prevent her from falling backward. “Mom, something’s wrong with Grandma.” Gently Annalee laid her down.

  Her skin was ashen, lips blue, and her eyes were wide open.

  “Mom?” Annalee’s mom said, rushing to the bedside. “Mom!” She looked frantic while taking hold of Grandma’s hand. “Honey,” she shouted to her husband, “get a nurse in here.”

  Annalee pushed the call button while her dad ran into the corridor. Within seconds a group of medical staff rushed into the room. “Please, you’ll have to wait outside in the hall,” a nurse said briskly.

  Annalee’s mom didn’t move. Annalee and her dad grabbed her around the waist and physically guided her through the door and sat her in a chair in the waiting area.

  “She’s gone,” her mom sobbed. “I know she’s gone.”

  Yes, Annalee had no doubt Grandma passed away. She’d literally died in Annalee’s arms. She would cling to that precious moment for the rest of her life. And as she inhaled Grandma’s scent of roses drifting from her blouse, tears bubbled in her eyes. As they slid along her cheeks she knelt beside her mom and wrapped her tightly in her arms.

  “Excuse me,” a gentleman said at her back. “I’m looking for the family of Genevieve Landing.”

  Annalee released her mom and stood.

  “I’m her daughter,” her mother said, dabbing her eyes with a tissue she pulled from a box on the table beside the chair.

  He stepped closer and laid his hand consolingly on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. Your mother has passed.”

  Annalee closed her eyes and tilted her face toward the ceiling. Thank you, Jesus, for giving me the opportunity to see my grandma alive one last time.

  Chapter Nine

  Annalee scurried through Whiltby & Sons’ main entrance, loosening the grip she’d held on her purse. No longer feeling the need to use it as a weapon as she had in the parking garage, she flung it over her shoulder and inhaled a deep breath. What in the hell just happened?

  An eerie, bone-chilling sensation had groped her the instant she’d stepped out of her car, as if she was being watched or something, and her insides still trembled. She’d even thought she’d heard footsteps trailing her but she’d refused to stop and look back. That’s the first time in her seven years at Whiltby’s she’d experienced such eerie feelings. First time ever, actually.

  “Good morning, Ms. Parschen,” said Tina, the attractive new receptionist, flashing a warm smile. “Welcome back. I’m very sorry about your grandmother’s passing.”

  Annalee halted and sucked in a breath. “Good morning, Tina. Thank you,” she replied, stopping at the desk. The elevator chimed. She quickly glanced over her shoulder into the corridor to see who exited onto the second floor. A janitor pushing a large trash can stepped off. He nodded and smiled before he headed toward the public restrooms.

  Annalee sighed in relief and glanced at Tina. “Can you please have Willow Gordon meet me in my office in five?”

  “Sure.”

  “Thanks.” After Annalee closed herself inside her office she made a pot of coffee and sat down at her desk, glancing at the mound of folders stacked on the upper left corner. Dang, her nerves were tangled in knots. Even her fingers still trembled as she reached for the top file and set it down on her workstation. She needed more sleep or something. It was pretty sad to suspect someone watching her in the parking garage for no apparent reason. This entire Brent situation plus Grandma’s passing had gotten the best of her. She was a nervous wreck and her brains were so tired and rattled she couldn’t think straight.

  Although she’d expected Willow to arrive any minute, she jumped in surprise when Willow actually knocked on the door. “Come in,” Annalee shouted.

  Willow twisted the handle and stepped inside. “Did you want to see me?”

  Other than passing each other in the halls or lunch room, this was the first time Annalee encountered Willow face-to-face since the night she’d broken the wedding engagement. It soured her stomach somewhat. “Your February receivable reports should’ve been turned in yesterday.”

  “You weren’t here yesterday. I’ll try to get them to you by five o’clock.”

  Annalee sneezed. Dang it, Willow needed a new perfume. “Then you should have turned them in to Mr. Horrance. Instead he called me demanding to know where they are. If they’re not on my desk by the end of the day, this time Monday you’ll be looking for another job.”

  Willow fisted a hand on her perfectly sculpted hip, which was outlined by a lime-green suit, which looked fabulous on her curvy frame. The color even emphasized her dark, green eyes. No wonder Jared chased her like a dog in heat. No, he hadn’t chased her, he’d succumbed to the powers of her sexual deviations. Oh brother.

  Willow’s eyes widened. “Is this personal?”

  “No.” Annalee leaned forward in the office chair and planted her elbows on the desk, where she lifted a pen and rolled it in between her fingers. “It’s about meeting your scheduled deadlines.”

  “This is about Jared, isn’t it?”

  “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  Willow crossed her arms and harrumphed. “You’ve never threatened my job before and
I’ve turned those damn reports in later than one day.”

  “Well, things have changed. We’re on a tighter schedule now that Thailand’s product demand has increased.” She set the pen on a folder and reclined in her chair. “You’re wasting time.”

  “That’s bullshit, Annalee. This doesn’t pertain to my job. Talk to exporting about delays.”

  “Really? Your reports don’t verify revenue? So it’s okay to keep shipping merchandise whether or not previous orders have been paid?”

  “I input data and print the reports. I don’t interpret them, that’s your job.”

  “Exactly. And when you don’t do your job, I can’t do mine.”

  “This goes much deeper than work. I think you’re retaliating against me.”

  Annalee rolled her eyes. “If you think I’m unfairly accusing you of poor job performance due to personal issues, take it up with human resources. I’ll have documentation ready to present.”

  Willow’s gaze dropped to the floor. “Sorry,” she said contritely. “I have a lot going on.”

  I bet you do. “Leave your personal life at the door before you clock in.” Seriously, Annalee could barely function when she’d found out about the affair but she left that shit at home when it came time to work. Like now, she’d rather be home weeping over Grandma than sitting in this chair. A piece of her heart was now missing. And watching her mom go through such a horrifying situation—there were no words to describe the sadness.

  Boarding the plane home from Kentucky yesterday was very hard. Not only had she been forced to permanently say goodbye to Grandma, but leaving her mom in a distressed state tore her heart to shreds. She’d practically begged Mom to let her stay, but she’d insisted Annalee get her life back on track and assist in Brent’s recovery if needed.

  The doctors brought him out of the drug-induced coma a few days after she’d left Seattle and she’d spoken to him briefly every day since. The scariest part—waiting on his brain function test results to determine the amount of damage, if any. Thankfully they returned perfectly normal. He’d since regained his strength and faced a full recovery.