by Karen Young
“What?” She looked blankly at Louie.
“Paxton.” Louie leaned his head back against the ladder back of the chair and closed his eyes. Lately it seemed he was showing his age more and more. Elizabeth had been urging him to have a checkup. He hadn’t refused outright, he’d just put her off. She made a mental note to get him in to a doctor soon, no matter what.
“Louie, please go home and get some rest.”
“I’m not going anywhere ’til we hear from Gina,” he said stubbornly. “As you say, Austin would have given his lawyer his cell number. What’s interesting is that you’d want to call him.”
She didn’t want to, did she? Except that she was desperate. She’d thought about having a conversation with Ryan more than once since he’d dropped by out of the blue a few days ago. He’d seemed genuinely concerned about Jesse, although she didn’t know if he was truly convinced yet that Austin was dangerous. And because he wasn’t convinced, she’d resisted calling.
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing, Louie.” She looked at the clock again as Archie got up and shook himself vigorously. “Gina knows we worry, especially when she’s with Austin.”
“You’ve convinced me, Lizzie. Call him.”
“It’s pretty late,” she said, picking up the phone with some hesitation. “What can he do except hang up on me?”
Louie got up, joints popping, and opened the French doors to let Archie outside. “You have his number?”
“He’s been calling me lately claiming we can work this out more amicably without going through the courts.” Unaware of Louie’s surprise on hearing that, she began scrolling through Caller ID on her phone. Ryan had left several messages she’d ignored, but his number should still be in the phone’s memory. Sure enough, it came up and with no more wavering, she punched it in, thinking it would serve her right if her call got the same treatment she’d given him. She put the phone to her ear and listened while it rang.
“I wonder why he’d do that?” Louie mused, scratching his beard thoughtfully.
Elizabeth still felt some skepticism, but tonight she was willing to forgo doubt as to Ryan’s motives. “For Jesse’s sake, or so he claims.”
Ryan stirred, resisting the strident sound of the alarm. With a groan, he fumbled for the snooze bar on his clock and missed, knocking it off the bedside table onto the floor. It didn’t kill the sound. Then he identified the noise as coming from the television. He’d fallen asleep watching the news. Swearing, he sat up, rubbed both hands over his face and realized it wasn’t the television or the alarm ringing, but the telephone.
On the floor, the red numbers displayed the time. Eleven oh nine. Who the hell—Then he realized it must be somebody calling Jennifer. Didn’t these kids ever sleep? Jesus. Growling like a bear routed out of hibernation, he reached for the phone and barked into it. “Paxton. And make it good.”
“Ryan? It’s Elizabeth Walker.”
Elizabeth? Elizabeth Walker. Ryan came awake abruptly and sat up on the side of the bed.
“Hello? Ryan?”
“I’m here.” It came out a croak. He cleared his throat, tried again. “Yeah, Elizabeth. What’s up?”
“I’m sorry to disturb you so late, but—”
“Not a problem. I was…uh…” Forty fathoms deep in sleep. He blinked strongly a couple of times, trying to think. “Is something wrong?”
“Do you have Austin Leggett’s cell phone number?”
“Austin’s—” He stopped, frowned. “Why?”
“Because Gina left with him this evening and they should have been back hours ago. I’m worried. I’ve tried calling her cell, but I keep getting her voice mail. She wouldn’t just ignore a call from me.”
He took a deep breath. “She would if she didn’t want to talk right now, Liz.”
It was a moment before she caught his meaning. “I don’t think anything like that is going on.”
“Really?”
“Look, could you just give me his number. Please.”
“You know I can’t do that, Liz. It would be a violation of my client’s rights.” He stood up, ran a hand over his hair and clamped it to the back of his neck. “Hell, maybe they’re working things out after all. In their own way. Take my advice, go back to bed and—”
“I haven’t even been to bed yet! How can I go back, damn it!” She paused to bring herself under control. “Look, Ryan. Please. This is very disturbing. Gina wouldn’t stay out so late without calling me. Or even if she forgot to call, she wouldn’t ignore her phone if it rang. I’ve tried several times and—”
“Maybe she has it turned off, Liz. It happens.”
“Not when she has Jesse with her.”
Ryan had wandered to the bathroom and was now looking at himself in the mirror. “Jesse? They have Jesse with them?”
“Yes, yes. That’s another reason I’m so concerned. I don’t like the idea of Gina being alone with him, but nothing I said changed her mind.” She drew a shaky breath. “But there’s Jesse—” He heard the tiny catch in her voice, but she sounded in control when she spoke again. “They should have been back by now or at the very least called.”
“Okay. Okay.” He left the bathroom and made his way across the floor to the armoire. On top lay everything he’d emptied from his pockets: keys, his wallet thick with credit cards, loose change, somebody’s loose business card, a tiny penknife, a money clip and his cell phone. He picked it up, turned it on and began scrolling.
“Ryan?”
“I’m here.” Squinting—damn, he couldn’t see shit—he selected a number and put the phone to his other ear. “Hold on while I try to reach Austin. I’ve got a couple of numbers here besides his office line.” After five rings at home, Austin’s voice mail kicked in. Ryan left a brief message to call back, no matter what time. Then he dialed Austin’s cell where, again, he got a voice message. He left the same call-back message, disconnected and tossed the cell phone on the bed.
“I don’t seem to be able to raise him, Liz.” He sank down on the mattress. “Do you know what their plans were for tonight?”
“Dinner, but I don’t know where.”
“You’re sure she would be aware that you’re worried?”
“Yes!” Again she tried to subdue her tone. “Yes, especially since she has Jesse with her.”
He stared at his bare feet, wincing at her distress. He found himself wishing he could think of a way to reassure her. Where the hell were they anyway? And what was Austin up to now? If the son of a bitch did anything more than buy Gina and Jesse dinner and pay for a movie, he’d live to regret it. Even more inexplicable was that Gina risked leaving with him after what they claimed he’d done the last time they were alone together. The woman was asking for trouble!
“I tried to talk her out of going,” Elizabeth said, as if picking up on his thoughts, “but she insisted that refusing would only irritate him and he could be very nasty when irritated.”
“What time did they leave?”
“Around seven-thirty.”
A sound brought his gaze around to the door of his bedroom. Jennifer stood watching him. Listening. She was swallowed up in one of his double-X size T-shirts, looking sleepy-eyed and very young. “I don’t know what to tell you, Liz. You’ll just have to wait it out. They’ll probably show up any minute.”
There was a long moment of silence. “Yes, well…thanks anyway.” With a soft click, she hung up.
“I heard the phone,” Jennifer said. “I thought it might be Mom.”
“No, it was…a friend.” He stood up, pulling at the low-riding Joe Boxers he’d been forced to sleep in since Jennifer moved in.
“I thought she wasn’t a friend.” She blew at a strand of blond hair near her mouth.
“Who?”
She rolled her eyes. “Dad. I heard you call her Liz. That’s Elizabeth Walker. I was with you when we popped by her house unannounced the other day, remember?”
He crossed the room toward her. “Okay, she�
�s not exactly a friend, but she’s not a client either. That call was half business.”
“What does that mean?”
“She needed information, Jen. You don’t need to know more.”
“Because it’s none of my business, right? Like I’m still a kid, no matter what the subject is. That’s the way Mom treats me and now you, too! When will I be old enough, when I’m forty-five?”
“This is not about withholding information from you, Jennifer. The call doesn’t concern you. Case closed.”
“Ooo, the lawyer again.” She shook the fingers of one hand, her mouth twisting with sarcasm. Then suddenly, there was a new look on her face, a dawning thought that widened her eyes. “I know! She’s hot for you. That’s why she called. Wow, am I a dork. I should have seen it when we were at her house a few days ago.”
“Well, you see a helluva lot more than I see,” he muttered, gritting his teeth at her impudence. He caught her arm, turned her and marched her down the hall. “Liz barely speaks to me.”
“The oldest trick in the world.”
Lord, how old was she? Fifteen going on thirty-five? He sighed, wondering if he was up to the challenge of coping with a teenager, even temporarily. They stopped at her bedroom door. “Get to bed, Jen. Tomorrow’s a school day. It’ll hurt when that alarm goes off.”
She freed herself, but couldn’t resist a parting shot as Ryan turned to leave. “I’m telling Mom.”
The call came not long after Elizabeth spoke to Ryan. No matter how much she’d insisted, Louie had refused to leave until Gina and Jesse got back. And he had refused to lie down until she did so. So she’d stretched out on the sofa in the den, wrapped in an old afghan, not so much for its warmth, but for its soft familiarity while Louie lay on the sofa’s matching twin. But lying still had proved impossible. It had been torture to wait until she heard Louie’s breathing deepen into sleep, then she’d thrown the afghan aside with relief and escaped quietly to the kitchen where she made herself a cup of tea and then sat letting it grow cold…waiting.
Her heart had stopped, literally, when the phone rang. She grabbed for it, jostling the cup in its saucer and splashing tea on the table. Ignoring the mess, she stared at the number and name displayed. Hermann Hospital. With her heart pounding, she fumbled with the talk button. “Hello.”
“Elizabeth Walker?”
“Yes.” Standing now, Elizabeth pressed a hand to her middle.
“This is Megan Blackstone, Elizabeth. I’m a resident in the Trauma Center at Hermann Hospital.”
In some distant corner of her mind, Elizabeth registered the name, but only in the most vague sense. “Gina,” she said in panic. “Is it about Gina?”
“I’m afraid so,” Megan said in a gentle tone. “There has been an accident.”
“An accident.” Elizabeth repeated the word while her mind shrieked denial.
“Yes. A car accident. Can you come to the hospital now? Do you have transportation?”
“Jesse.” With her hand at her throat, she managed to ask, “What about Jesse?”
“Is that a little girl, dark hair and eyes? Five or six years old?”
“Five. Yes. That’s Jesse. Gina’s daughter.”
“Jesse appears unhurt. Just some bumps and bruises.” Megan took a deep breath. “Is there someone to drive you, Elizabeth?”
“I…yes. No.” She licked her lips. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll get there. How—how bad is it?”
“We really aren’t sure yet,” Megan said, speaking softly, her tone rich with concern. “Just…if I were you, I’d hurry.”
Twelve
The Trauma Center at Hermann Hospital was packed with people when Elizabeth arrived. She scanned the faces of medical personnel, seeking someone to tell her where Gina and Jesse were. Finding nobody else, she headed for a clerk who sat behind a desk in the admissions zone. “I’m Elizabeth Walker. I had a call from…ah, Megan Blackstone that my—my friend, Gina D’Angelo, is here. With Jesse, her little girl. They’ve been in an accident. I’d like to see them, please.”
“Gina…What’s the last name again?”
“D’Angelo. Gina D’Angelo. And Jesse. Jesse Leggett. I had a call—”
“Uh-huh.” The clerk wore a blue name tag with Lashanda printed on it. Without looking up, she ran one of her long, bloodred acrylic nails down a list. While Elizabeth agonized, Lashanda finally found what she was looking for. “She’s in Trauma Six. If you’ll have a seat, someone—”
“Please. I was told it was urgent. If you could page Megan—”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait for one of the staff.”
“She is staff! She called me. She—”
“Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth turned at the sound of her name. She knew instantly that it was Megan Blackstone. She was tall, dark-haired and serenely beautiful. Her eyes were a luminous gray and her face was so like pictures of their mother that for a moment, Elizabeth could only stare.
“I’m sorry that we have to meet this way.” Megan put out her hand, her features soft with sympathy. “I’m Megan Blackstone.”
“I’m here for Gina,” Elizabeth said, trying to read more in Megan’s expression as she took the extended hand. Lately, she had been curious about the second of her biological sisters, but in her anxiety over Gina and Jesse, Megan was now simply a medical person and a source of information.
“I’m doing a trauma rotation, and tonight, when they came in, I knew who they were, of course.” Megan wore plum-colored hospital scrubs and paper booties on her shoes that meant she’d come straight from a treatment room.
“Yes. Is Gina okay?” Elizabeth wrapped her arms about her waist, prepared for she knew not what. Then, before Megan could tell her, someone came up behind her and a strong, male arm settled around her shoulders, squeezing reassuringly.
“Here you are.” It was Ryan Paxton’s deep voice. “Austin called me,” he explained at her startled look.
Her reaction amazed her. She felt a crazy urge to simply lean into him. He was tall and warm and real. If she was about to hear horrible news, she would need—She would need help—maybe—but not from someone whose loyalty was to Austin!
Withdrawing so that his arm fell away, she drew herself up with a deep, deep breath and looked directly into Megan Blackstone’s eyes. “Please, I’m not going to fall apart. Is Gina…Has she been…killed?”
“Gina is alive,” Megan said.
Elizabeth’s knees went weak, but only for a second. “And Jesse?”
“We can talk in here.” Megan motioned them inside a small room. She waited as Ryan urged Elizabeth to sit on the sofa, then took a seat beside her. He didn’t attempt to touch her again, but sat close, almost protectively.
Megan sat, too, in a chair opposite them.
“What about Jesse?” Elizabeth repeated.
“Jesse was banged up some. She’s having a CAT scan as we speak. Just as a precaution,” she added when Elizabeth looked alarmed. “She appears to be in good shape.”
“But Gina isn’t?”
Megan’s face was grave as she sought for the right words. “We aren’t quite sure the extent of Gina’s injuries yet. There is extensive head trauma and her left arm is broken. There’s internal bleeding, probably from a punctured lung. Of course, that’s just a guess at this point. But we’ll need to find the source. As for the brain trauma, that will require surgery.”
“Then she’s not conscious?”
“No. She was unconscious when the EMTs arrived on the scene and she remains unresponsive.” Megan reached out and touched Elizabeth’s knee. “It doesn’t look good, Elizabeth. As it stands, she is in critical condition.”
Elizabeth pressed fingers to her lips to keep from crying out. She felt Ryan’s arm steal around her shoulders again. And again, she felt a weak, needy urge to take a time-out, just until she could absorb what Megan was telling her. But there was no time-out and no escaping the fact that Gina could be dying. She straightened and tried
to speak around the knot of fear in her throat. “Will she survive, do you think?”
“Only God knows.” Megan was shaking her head slowly. “It’s so hard to say at this point considering the scope of her injuries. I’ve seen patients in worse shape survive, but to tell you the truth, only rarely. And the prognosis for the future is often pretty bleak.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes for a second. “Brain damage,” she murmured. When, after a long moment, there was no reply, she asked, “Does anyone know what happened?”
Ryan spoke for the first time. “Austin was there.”
Austin. Of course. “He called you?”
“Yeah, not fifteen minutes after you hung up the phone. I tried to reach you, but apparently you’d already left for the hospital.”
“What did he say?”
“They were in separate cars after leaving the restaurant. Austin was following to see that they got home safely.”
Elizabeth couldn’t prevent a twist of her lips at the thought of a chivalrous Austin Leggett, but she said nothing.
“It happened on Memorial Drive. You’re familiar with Memorial, right?” At her numb nod, he went on, “It twists and turns and it’s pretty narrow in places. According to Austin, Gina was going at a good clip. She lost control somehow, ran off the road and slammed into a tree. Austin was unable to free them from the car and had to leave briefly to get help. The road was pretty deserted at that hour.”
“And where is he now?” Not with Gina or Jesse, she’d bet. He would be busy fabricating his version of the accident.
“He’s with the police filling out a report of the accident.”
And probably rejoicing over the possibility of fate taking a problem off his hands if Gina died, Elizabeth thought bitterly. But it took too much energy to dwell on Austin just now. She dismissed him from her mind. It was Gina and Jesse who mattered. “When will we know something?” she asked, turning again to Megan.
“About Jesse…probably very soon—when she’s done with the CAT scan. As for Gina, I wish I could give you an answer, but with injuries such as hers, it’s almost impossible. There’s going to be some swelling of the brain, which in itself is a serious danger. She needs to get into surgery as soon as possible. First and foremost, we need to try and stop the internal bleeding. We’ll know more after that.”