by Zuri Day
“What happened?”
“Reckless driving,” he answered with a nod toward Quinn.
“I was not driving recklessly. I tried to dodge an animal.”
“A phantom dog,” Ike added, a heavy dose of sarcasm served on the side.
Quinn’s comeback was interrupted by EMTs rushing to her car. “Excuse me, guys,” the woman said, her tone businesslike but not unfriendly. “We need to get to her.”
The men stepped back. Ike turned toward his car. The quick movement made him dizzy. He stumbled.
“Whoa, watch out, brother.” Warren jumped to his side. “You probably shouldn’t be standing. Let me get one of those guys over here.”
Ike waved a dismissive hand. “I’m fine.”
“You think you are, but there may be internal injuries.”
“There are definitely external ones,” he said through gritted teeth as he crossed back over to his wrecked car.
Steeling himself, he walked around it. The meticulous paint job that had taken months to complete now covered a misaligned and bent hood, caved-in side door and hanging fender. His jaw clenched in anger. Accidents happened, a fact of life. But this one could easily have been avoided. Even if a dog had crossed the street—an excuse that he found suspect, since he saw no dog in sight—there would have been more control and time to act if she hadn’t been speeding. Her actions were reckless, her reaction less than responsible or contrite. Of all the Drake brothers, Ike was normally the calmest, most calculating and even-keeled. But with the exhausting weekend, the pressure of closing the San Francisco deal and now a senseless accident in his prized Ferrari, Ike was ready to explode.
Warren walked over and stood next to his brother. “I’m sorry, man. I know how long it took to get it in mint condition.”
“Interesting how you’re apologizing while all she talked about was a dog in the street.”
“It could have been worse.”
“Yeah, she could have been driving a tank. I just don’t—” Ike stopped short, his expression incredulous. “Did you hear that BS?” Instead of waiting for an answer, Ike walked over to where a police officer had joined the EMT team checking out Quinn’s injuries.
“...I think he was, but I’m not sure,” Quinn finished, her voice weak and body sagging as the medical personnel attended to her cuts and bruises. “I feel woozy. I can’t...”
One of the EMTs spoke up. “Officer, we need to get her to the hospital.”
“Not before I clear up her fuzzy uncertainty,” Ike butted in, bristling at an act he thought might win Quinn an Academy Award but no sympathy from him. “The accident was her fault, one hundred percent.”
Ike had addressed the officer, but his eyes stayed glued on Quinn. They’d wrapped bandages around her head and were treating the ugly gash near her temple. A medic shone a penlight into her eyes as they wheeled her away.
“What happened?”
“She said a dog jumped in front of her, but she was going too fast—slammed into me before I could react.”
The officer looked around. “Did you see it?”
“Nope.”
“All right, sir. Wait here so I can take your statement. I need to get her information before they take off.”
Warren came over. “Ike, I know you’re upset. But remember what Audrey said the other night about the judge being her father. I’m sure they’ve got the type of insurance to handle this, and if not, the judge has the cash.”
“It’s definitely going to get handled. She is going to pay for the restoration and any other charges that are incurred as a result of her recklessness.”
Warren looked over as the ambulance drove away. “Both of your cars are damaged. But it looks like the two of you are lucky to come out of this with only minor injuries.”
Even angry, Ike’s heart hitched at the sight of her being wheeled into the back of the van. “Yes, I’m grateful for that. And even though she’s a hellion, I hope Quinn is okay.”
Warren’s brow raised at the unexpected tenderness he heard in his brother’s voice. “What about you, man? How are you?”
It was the first time Ike had given any thought to his own body and possible injuries. He flexed his shoulders, raised and lowered his arms, and moved his head from side to side. “Other than being sore as all get-out tomorrow, I guess I’ll live.”
Just then, one of the medics who’d been working on Quinn walked over to where Warren and Ike stood. He looked at Ike. “Were you the one in the accident, sir?”
“Yes.”
“Mind if we check you out?”
“No need for that. I’m fine.”
“You may feel fine now, but later, after the adrenaline stops and the shock wears off, the pain might come.”
“If that happens, I’ll call my doctor.” The medic nodded and left. The police officer rejoined Ike, with Warren beside them. “Okay, sir. I need your driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance.”
Ike retrieved the items and handed them over.
The officer recorded the information and returned the papers. “Want to tell me your side of how this accident occurred?”
“I was driving down the street, no problems, no traffic. Reached the corner, stopped and began driving through the intersection. Next thing I know I’m swerving to avoid a speeding car suddenly in my lane. Barely had time to react before she’d crashed into me.”
“Did she acknowledge that she was speeding?”
“Are you kidding? She didn’t even acknowledge she ran into me and not vice versa. Blamed it on a dog that’s conveniently disappeared, and even if it had been present, it wouldn’t have posed the same kind of problem for someone driving the speed limit.”
Ike watched the officer jot down notes. “What did she say?”
The officer spoke without looking up. “She said speed had nothing to do with the accident. As you just stated, she mentioned the dog.”
“Doesn’t surprise me that she’d try and skirt responsibility for this. But you ticketed her, right?”
“Didn’t get the chance. The medics feared a concussion and wanted to get her to the hospital as soon as possible. That’s necessary so that a more serious injury can be ruled out.”
“But she is going to receive a citation, correct? I don’t want her getting away with this, and I definitely want her held accountable for all repair costs.”
The officer looked at the wrecked classic. “That’s got to hurt,” he acknowledged with a shake of his head. “What is that, a Chevy?”
Not a comment to normally make one want to punch a guy, but at the moment that’s how Ike felt. Warren’s chuckle compounded his anger. Thankfully it also diverted his mind from going fisticuffs, which Ike had never done in his life. The stress, no doubt, had allowed the uncharacteristic thought to surface, even momentarily. It wasn’t illegal not to be a car enthusiast. Of course, one couldn’t go to jail for not answering a stupid question, either.
“How is this going to be handled?” he asked instead.
“Well, I’m going to take a look around and investigate the scene, find out if there are any other witnesses and turn in a report based on those findings. If you ask me, though, worse things can happen than to get tangled up with a pretty little thing like the gal driving that Corvette. Who knows, she might be open to some kind of...negotiation. Know what I mean?”
“No, Officer Morris,” Ike said, crossing his arms as he checked the young man’s badge. “Why don’t you explain it to me exactly?”
Officer Morris suddenly became very interested in the fine print of the report he held in his hand as a healthy shade of red crept from his neck to his chin.
“I suggest your investigation of this accident be a thorough and accurate one, because I’m going to contact a good friend who happens to be ch
ief of police and ask him to take a personal interest in this matter and ensure that justice is served.”
“Will do, Mister—” Officer Morris looked down at the paper “—Drake. Um, right. I’ll be sure to take witness statements and record everything as accurately as possible.”
“You do that. And keep me posted on the outcome. I’m not letting her off the hook for this. Having no consequences for past rash actions is probably why she’s so careless today.”
By now tow trucks were on the scene. Ike walked over to the driver closest to his car and gave him a card to the garage where his car had been restored. “Be very careful,” he warned the freckle-faced young man. “As damaged as it is, that car is still my baby.”
The two brothers turned toward where Warren’s truck was parked. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Ike nodded. “I’m fine.”
They reached the truck and got inside. “Where to?” Warren asked his brother.
Ike looked at his watch. “Home, I guess. There aren’t any other meetings scheduled or urgent business matters at the office, so I may just as well work from there.” For a minute they rode in silence. “What were you doing away from the office?”
“I wrapped up work early and was headed home for the day. Charli’s been getting on me about increasing my daddy duties and helping out more. I told her to get a nanny, but she refuses. Says nobody else is going to tell her daughter what to do.”
“Did you ask if that included you?”
“No, but I probably should.” The brothers laughed. “She’s an amazing wife and a fantastic mother, but a little overprotective. And speaking of which, you know when Mom finds out about this she’s going to want you checked out.”
“I’ll call my doctor and, if he thinks it necessary, have him stop by.”
“Good idea. Though I’m sure that seeing your Ferrari smashed up hurt worse than any physical injury would.”
Warren, three years younger than Ike and a lot like their grandfather Walter, was the only other brother who had an appreciation for classic cars.
“Man, you know it. I just got every detail back to its original state, what, maybe a month or so ago? It took us forever to find that particular siding. And then a careless driver had to go and smash right into it.”
“I’m sure it was an accident, not intentional.”
“Accident or not, it happened because she was driving too fast, and probably distracted by the loud music blaring from her car stereo. Heck, she may have even been texting.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No, I don’t. But I wouldn’t doubt it.”
“And even with that possibility, you’re still concerned about her welfare.”
Ike’s head quickly turned toward his brother. “Says who?”
“Says you. Back there.”
“I said no such thing.”
“When she was being wheeled into the ambulance. You said you hoped she was okay.”
“I don’t remember saying that.”
“And you couldn’t take your eyes off her. Didn’t even know how badly your car was damaged until I got there.”
“I don’t remember that, either.”
Warren gave his brother a lopsided grin. “Well, I was standing right next to you, bro, and you were definitely checking her out.” They reached the gated entrance to the Golden Gates community where several Drake family members lived. Ike lived just a couple blocks over from his parents, and Niko, two years younger than Ike, lived a mere block away. Warren tapped a device on his dash and the gates opened. “No one can fault you for being concerned about Quinn. She’s gorgeous, smart...”
“Spoiled, irresponsible, ill-mannered. So don’t even start.”
“Start what?”
“Whatever you’re preparing to instigate by blowing up a general statement made when my brain was scrambled.”
“Ha! Oh, so now the comment that you don’t remember making was said while you weren’t in your right mind.”
“Correct.”
Warren laughed again. “Okay, you go ahead and believe that. I don’t know why you’re fighting it. If I weren’t married, I’d probably ask her out.”
“Could you see someone like her feeling at home on your ranch? No, I don’t think that would have been a match. She’s more Terrell or Julian’s speed, and closer to their ages.”
“How old do you think she is?”
“Too young for me.”
Warren gave a disgruntled grunt. “I bet she’s not ten years younger than you—probably more like five.”
“She could be five years older than me chronologically and still too young. Or perhaps I should have said immature.”
“You’re full of it, Ike. There’s no way you can sit there and tell me you don’t find Quinn attractive.”
“She’s gorgeous, no doubt. Just not the type of woman I’m looking for.”
They reached Ike’s house. Warren pulled into his driveway and turned off the truck’s engine.
“So you are looking. That means you and Audrey are still off again?”
“Audrey and I are off forever.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“No, it’s for real this time. She agrees, too. Said that after ten years I should know if she’s the one. Plus, she’s not getting any younger and wants kids. She needs to be with someone ready to commit.”
“And that’s not you?”
“Doesn’t look like it,” Ike said with a sigh. “And to tell you the truth, I don’t know why. She has all the qualities I’d want in a wife. Everything except that spark, that something that leaves no doubt that you’d lay down your life for that woman. Like what I see between our grandparents, between Mom and Dad, heck, even between you and Charli, Niko and Monique, and Teresa and Atka. But it’s not there. I couldn’t lie to her and say it was, nor could I lie and say a commitment was imminent. So, yes, it’s officially and completely over, but we parted as friends.”
He opened his door. “Thanks for the lift, Warren. I’d tell you not to share the accident with Mother, but she probably knows already.” As if on cue, his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and showed Warren the picture of their smiling mother, indicating that she was indeed the caller. “See what I mean?”
He waved to his brother as he walked up the steps to his front door, placing the phone beneath his ear as he let himself in. “Yes, I was in an accident, Mom, and no, I’m not hurt,” he said in greeting.
“I know all that,” Jennifer answered. “I’m calling to inquire as to whether or not you’ve called to check on Quinn, and to know what type of flowers you had sent to her room.”
Chapter 3
Ike actually pulled the phone away from his ear to see if the image had changed. Where was his mother and who was this stranger asking the ridiculous question? “You’re joking, right?”
“Why would I joke about performing a classy, kind act?”
“Obviously because you don’t know as much about the accident as you think you do.” Ike bypassed his living/ dining area and went into the kitchen. He pulled a bottle of water from the fridge then continued to his office. “The accident was totally Quinn’s fault, one that save for her negligence could have been avoided.”
“Be that as it may, you seem to be fine and she’s in the hospital, where she’ll be overnight for observation. So the gentlemanly thing to do is to send flowers and a card wishing her a speedy recovery.”
“All I plan on sending her is a repair bill, and that through my lawyer.”
Jennifer tsked. “Ike Anthony Drake, do not speak that way. It’s not how you were raised. I understand you being upset and can only imagine how bad you feel that your car was damaged. But it’s just a car, Ike, not a life. That neither of you were ser
iously injured is a blessing. Now, would you like for me to handle that for you, dear, or will you have your assistant send them in the morning first thing?”
Ike was dumbfounded into silence.
“Something grand and cheery, I’m thinking,” Jennifer continued in the silence. “Bird-of-paradise, red ginger and lilies—no blemishes, of course. And orchids, for their lovely scent. Purple would be nice. All accented with tall palm leaves and—”
“Mom. Excuse me for interrupting, but...I’ll take care of everything.”
And he would. That his idea of everything had not included a delivery of flowers to the woman who’d crashed into his Ferrari was something he saw no benefit in sharing.
“Sorry to prattle, darling. You know how much I love flowers. And so does your father. After almost four decades of marriage, he still brings them to me every week. Gets them from the florist shop in the town square.”
“He’s your husband. I’m the victim. So forgive me for not seeing a connection.”
“Oh, sweetheart. You’ve always been the serious son. At least until Julian was born. Among our children, you two are the most alike. Both of you can stand to lighten up a bit and not always take life so seriously. Except when it comes to your health. I understand you refused one at the scene, but have you seen a doctor?”
“Jeez, Mom, how do you get this information so quickly?”
“It’s a strategic process, darling, honed over time and not easily or readily explained. But very handy when one has six rambunctious sons.”
“Don’t leave the rambunctious sister out.”
“Unlike Teresa, the sensible sister, I admit London can sometimes be a bit unruly. But that comes from an inner excitement and zest for life.”
“No, it comes from being Daddy’s baby girl, led to believe that the sun revolves around her.”
“We may have been too lenient in those early years, that’s true. But your little sister has grown into an amazing woman. You know, the young lady in the accident, Quinn Taylor, reminds me somewhat of her.”