His Sister's Return

by Mary Goldberger

  “Marla, I think Samuel should change the time for Trystan’s visit to see Alina,” Delilah said not going in to detail about her suggestion as Marla said in suspicion, “Okay, mom, I will talk to Samuel about it.”

  The next morning, Samuel called Trystan as he walked in his office around eight thirty.

  “Hello,” Trystan said in his cell as he placed his briefcase on the desk and opened it to take out some work that he had finished last night.

  “Trystan, we need to change the time for today. Can you meet me an hour?” Samuel said, and Trystan frowned wondering what happened for the sudden change in time.

  “Meet you at the hospital, Samuel?” He asked glancing up as Trudy rapped on the door before she walked in.

  He smiled at her as he listened to Samuel tell him, “Come to the fourth floor.”

  “I’ll see you in an hour,” Trystan replied before hanging up. He tapped the phone against his palm thoughtfully as he said, “Trudy, I’m going out to see Alina in about an hour’s time. I don’t have anything important for this morning, do I?”

  Trudy shook her head as she put down some correspondence on his desk as she said, “You have a meeting this evening with the other shareholders investing in the restaurant, but otherwise it is a relatively light day. What should I do about any personal calls or visits?”

  “Tell them I have an unscheduled meeting,” Trystan told her without hesitation as he went through the correspondence she gave him.

  Trudy nodded her head her eyes speculating as she smiled and said, “Yes, sir.”

  Trystan grunted lightly as he continued working keeping an eye on the time as he cleared up everything he could before he left for the hospital.

  “I’m off, Trudy. If an emergency comes up, call the day manager,” Trystan told her getting a shocked look because he rarely told her call the day manager unless he was otherwise busy.

  Trystan nodded his head as he walked out of the office and Trudy smiled thoughtfully as she turned to her own work.

  As Trystan stepped off the elevator for the fourth floor, he saw his brother-in-law immediately standing at the nurses’ desk and Sam glanced up when Trystan headed over to him.

  Samuel nodded his head to the nurse he was talking to before he tilted his head telling Trystan without words to follow him.

  As they stopped outside room 412, Sam told him, “I’m going to tell you now don’t think Alina will be like she was before. Alina learned a long time ago to be wary of those who hurt her.”

  Trystan understood what Sam was telling him as he stated with a hand on the doorknob, “Samuel, I can wait until she trusts me again.”

  Sam stared at him with narrowed searching eyes before he nodded and smiled. “Let’s see what happens and if you can regain her trust, then I will congratulate you.”

  Trystan nodded his head before he opened the door and went inside his body brushing against the wall as he closed the door behind him.

  “You are early today, Sam,” Alina said from the chair near the window where she sat an IV pole next to her.

  She turned her head when Trystan didn’t answer with a smile that vanished for a second as she identified her visitor before she smiled again.

  Trystan noticed that the second smile wasn’t as bright or open, and there was hint of wariness on her face.

  “How are you doing?” He asked walking toward her with easy and slow strides.

  Alina laughed lightly her eyes watchful and alert. “I’m sore, but it is bearable. How are you doing, Trystan?”

  “I’m doing well,” he said sitting down on the bed as he began an easy conversation with her.

  They talked for thirty minutes until there was a knock on the door followed by Samuel’s entrance. They were laughing together as Sam entered and he smiled although he saw the wariness that hadn’t left Alina’s eyes.

  “Sorry, but I need to get back to work and Dad will be here soon,” he told Trystan.

  Trystan nodded his head and stood up glancing over at Alina who was staring at her brother.

  “Alina,” he said softly bringing her attention back to him. “May I come back to chat with you?”

  Alina hesitated for a second before she grinned and told him, “Of course, Trystan, after all we are family now.”

  Trystan nodded his head not showing that he didn’t care for her words as he leaned forward putting a hand on her shoulder.

  “Then I will see you tomorrow, my sister-in-law,” he told her, and he swore that a look of relief flickered through her eyes before she nodded her head.

  “See you later, Alina,” Samuel called out as Trystan walked over to him.

  “Bye,” Alina called out to them as they headed for the door.

  As the door closed behind them, Samuel noticed that Trystan’s hands were clenched in tight fists.

  “I told you,” Sam told him quietly knowing why he was upset.

  Trystan stared ahead as they headed for the elevator as he said, “At least she allowed me to come and visit her again.”

  They were leaving the hospital heading for their respective cars when Samuel stopped suddenly and said, “Trystan, how is it coming with the restaurant?”

  “It’s coming along well,” Trystan told him as he ran a hand through his hair tousling it. “In another month, I think we will start the hiring process while the last minute details are being completed.”

  “I suggest you talk to Alina,” Samuel said with a smirk. “You will be surprised at how she can help you.”

  With those words and a wave, Samuel headed for his car as Trystan stared after him a frown on his face before he started for his own car.

  “What did he mean?” Trystan asked himself as he started up the car and headed back to the hotel where the minute he walked in the lobby he was immediately called to handle an emergency.

  It was two hours later when he finally made it up to his office and he walked in Trudy’s office with a sigh loosening his tie.

  “Did anything important come up, Trudy?” He said as he headed for his office where he took off his jacket throwing it on the couch.

  He sat down behind his desk as Trudy told him, “Only a few things, but the day manager handled them without too much difficulty” as she gave him a rundown of them.

  He nodded his head as he sat back in his chair listening intently when his office phone rung and Trudy answered it.

  “Yes, ma’am, he just returned,” Trudy told the caller looking over at Trystan who had closed his eyes briefly.

  “Trudy, unless it is related to business please take a message and I will call them back,” he told her as his eyes opened before he stretched and leaned forward to deal with some new work that she had placed on his desk earlier.

  She relayed the message only to have the phone being slammed down echoing in her ear.

  “She wasn’t very happy,” Trudy remarked. “She has already called once while you were gone.”

  Trystan didn’t respond as he picked up his pen to make notes on the papers in front of him.

  “Oh, also, Trystan this arrived for you,” Trudy told him and Trystan glanced up seeing a manila envelope in Trudy’s hand.

  Trystan put down his pen with a frown as he took the envelope from her as she said, “If it’s okay, I would like to take a longer lunch today.”

  Trystan nodded his head as he turned over the envelope and his eyes narrowed as he saw who sent him it.

  “See you in two hours, Trystan,” Trudy called out and Trystan glanced up with a narrowed look that caused Trudy to laugh as she headed out.

  Trystan chuckled as he opened the envelope pulling out a file with a sticky note attached to the front of it.

  This is all the information that you asked for although I still think you should talk to Samuel. I hope it helps. Good luck, Trystan…Davis

  Trystan smiled shaking his head as he opened the file and started reading his eyes widening slightly at what he was reading.

  As he finished reading the pa
pers in the file, a slow satisfied smile came across his face as he finally understood what Samuel had been telling him, and he recalled at the wedding what one of the reporters said when they recognized her.

  He picked up his phone as he closed the file tapping his finger against it after he dialed a number. “Penn, how are things going?” He said as he continued tapping on the file sitting in front of him as he listened to what his foreman was telling him about what they were completing on their restaurant project.

  The next day, Trystan knocked on Alina’s hospital door around the same time with a folder in his hand before he stuck his head inside.

  “Hello,” he called out as he pushed open the door allowing him to walk farther in the room shutting the door behind him.

  Alina looked up from the bed where she was reading a book and Trystan noticed that it was the last C.S. Sin book published until her new one hit the shelves.

  “Hey yourself,” she remarked closing the book using her finger as a bookmark. “Don’t you have to work today?”

  He scowled at her with laughter in his eyes as he told her, “I do, but I like to chat with you too.”

  He settled down in the chair by the bed resting the folder on his knee which caught Alina’s attention as he planned.

  She stared at him with a raised eyebrow and he grinned with a smirk as he explained to her what it contained.

  The rest of the visit consisted of them talking about the restaurant as Alina gave him some insights.

  He listened in astonishment realizing why she had been seen as something as a genius and he said it aloud when it was almost time for him to leave.

  Alina shook her head as she handed the file back to him.

  “Not really, Trystan, as I’m only a chef. My roommate in college was the one with the business sense so when we graduated, she asked me to go in business with her and I took the chance.”

  Trystan stood up looking down at her and asked, “So what happened between the two of you?”

  Alina smiled but there was a hint of sadness behind it as she answered, “We are still friends, but she couldn’t stand my mother especially after she got married. Since I was thinking about moving back here anyway, I sold her and her husband my half of our business.”

  Trystan knew that there was more to the story then what she was telling but he believed that later when she trusted him, she would tell him about it.

  “Thank you for your help,” he said lifting the file up to her.

  She laughed as she waved her hand and said, “No problem, just do me one favor.”

  His eyes narrowed as he asked, “What is it?”

  “When the restaurant opens, let me know so I can put an application in for a chef’s position,” Alina told him. “No special treatment, Trystan, just a chance to be considered for the job.”

  “Done,” he told quietly patting her shoulder. He looked at his watch as he withdrew his hand and told her, “I have an meeting…”

  “Go,” Alina said with a smile and a wave of her hand.

  He laughed and teased, “Are you pushing me out, Alina?”

  “I don’t want you to be late,” Alina told him ignoring his teasing note.

  “All right, all right,” he stated as she shot him a look. “I will say goodbye for today, but see you later, okay?”

  Alina rolled her eyes but said, “Okay.”

  He smiled and waved as he left the room, and Alina sighed softly shaking her head as she picked up her book to continue reading muttering to herself, “Setting yourself up for more heartache” as she got back in the book.

  Later that evening, Samuel and Trace were visiting her as Trace frowned at them having heard about Trystan’s visits.

  “Alina,” Trace said glancing at his daughter with a worried look.

  “Dad, I like him okay,” Alina said giving him one of her stares that he remembered from when she was young although now it was a stare from a full grown woman, and packed with more determination and stubbornness than before. “Besides, I know that nothing will come from it but I will take it is a life lesson when it does end.”

  Sam didn’t say a word as he stared at her remembering the look that crossed Trystan’s face when Alina allowed him to come see her again and he had a feeling that Trystan wouldn’t let it end so easily.

  He could be wrong though as Alina continued, “Isn’t he dating a redhead, I never really got her name?”

  “Bea,” Sam told her.

  Alina nodded her as she told him, “I’ve seen Bea and Trystan at the hotel, and she talked with me at the hotel after Trystan took me out to eat.”

  “She has been hinting that she and Trystan…” Samuel began only to stop as her father shot him a narrowed look.

  “Are getting married,” Alina finished his statement, and they turned to her in surprise only to be greeted with a smile.

  She didn’t say anything else about Trystan and Bea as she changed the subject.

  “Have you heard from Janice yet?”

  Trace’s face hardened, but he shook his head and told her, “Not yet.”

  Alina laid down as she told them, “She is probably off on one of her ‘weekends’ so I suspect by the end of next week I will get a phone call or either she will come in person.”

  There was a note of weariness in her voice at this statement and Trace leaned forward grabbing her hand.

  “You have us now,” Samuel told her getting up to place a hand on the top of her head. “We won’t let Janice hurt you anymore.”

  Alina smiled as she said tiredly her eyes closing, “She loves me in her own special way, you know. It’s just that she loves money, and men, more than me.”

  She drifted off to sleep after saying this and Samuel stared down at her as Trace sighed looking at his daughter before he whispered, “Which hurts even more.”

  The door opened quietly a few minutes later and Marla walked in coming over to kiss her husband lightly before staring down at Alina.

  “How is she doing?” Marla asked in soft voice as Samuel slipped his arms around her waist.

  “She is healing,” Trace told her as he stood up after releasing her hand. “Unfortunately, she is starting to get worried about her mother.”

  “Is her mother that bad?” Marla asked remembering what the doctor said and the tone of Trace and Samuel’s voice when they mentioned her.

  She felt Samuel’s arm tightened around her waist as Trace said in a sad voice, “Alina understands her mother better than anyone and although she knows her mother loves her, she also understands that when it comes down to it, her mother will choose money over her every time.”

  Chapter 22

  The week went by fast and as Alina was healing nicely, she was released at the end of it.

  Trystan came by every day to talk with her and after the third day, he would call her at night just to wish her ‘goodnight’.

  Alina had laughed the first night he did it and the next night, she wondered what he was planning. Now she thought it was sweet and found it touching although she was still wary of his intentions.

  She was dressed and packing her overnight bag when a knock sounded on the door.

  “Come in,” she called out not looking up as the door opened.

  She glanced up as she finished packing her bag zipping it closed to see Trystan standing quietly in the room dressed casually in a t-shirt and pair of jeans.

  “I’m your ride home,” he told with a roguish grin.

  Alina frowned slightly although her eyes showed her delight that she quickly shielded much to Trystan’s disappointment as she said, “I thought Sam or Marla was coming to pick me up…”

  “Sam has a meeting, and Marla is working on putting together another showcase,” Trystan explained.

  Alina sighed at the news because with everything happening, Marla had to cancel her original showcase date which set her back some.

  “If Marla needs any help, then I won’t mind be useful,” Alina said as she looked around the ro
om. “I don’t know anything about fashion or design, but I can keep them fed, ran errands, and such. Besides, I make a decent cup of coffee.”

  Trystan laughed as he picked up her bag from the bed kissing her cheek before straightening to his full height.

  “Trystan,” Alina said in astonishment.

  “A gift of congratulations for being released,” Trystan told her as he held up her bag slightly. “Do you have everything, sweetie?”

  “I think so,” she said eyes scanning the room one more time ignoring the flutter in her stomach at the endearment.

  “Let’s get going then,” Trystan said grabbing her hand as they walked out of the room. “Oh, by the way, a Mrs. Santos called your father and asked how you were doing.”

  “I have to call her when I get home,” Alina said in a thoughtful voice as they headed for the elevators after making a stop at the nurses’ desk so Alina could say ‘goodbye’.

  As the door opened, Trystan remarked, “They don’t want you to leave?”

  “If I was them, I would want me to leave. I think I drove them crazy,” Alina admitted causing Trystan to chuckle.

  “So this is where you were at,” a snide voice said.

  Trystan and Alina looked at the elevator as Bea stepped out with a narrowed look.

  “Hello, Bea,” Trystan said reaching forward to push the button to stop the elevator doors from closing.

  “We were just leaving. Are you here to see someone?” Trystan asked her as he stepped forward pulling Alina with him causing Bea to step back inside the elevator.

  “I thought I would come and see how Alina was doing,” she said in a soft tone as she smiled at him.

  “I am doing well, thank you,” Alina told her politely as she rested back against the elevator wall.

  “You should’ve called me first, Bea,” Trystan said standing next to Alina still holding her hand. “Trace had requested that no one was allowed to visit unless they were family.”

  “So how is it you were allowed to see her then?” Bea asked in a sarcastic voice.

  Trystan raised his eyebrows at her tone but only said, “She is my sister-in-law and I was the only one who had time to pick her up today.”