“Well, no, not yet but I think I’m a little closer. I found out where his parents live so I’m going to look through all the RUTHERFORDS until I find the correct suburb.”
I meticulously crossed off every RUTHERFORD until my eyes settled on the initials J RUTHERFORD of La Habra Heights. J. Jack, John, Jordan…My body started to buzz, knowing this had to be the one.
Back at the phone, my fingers shook. Three rings.
“Hello?” came a toned, well-spoken voice that sounded remarkably like Kyle’s. Fear threatened to stop me dead.
I don’t know if I can go through with this now. What if he’s moved on?
“Hello? Is anyone there?” he asked again.
Speak! Say something or he’s going to hang up!
“Mr. Rutherford?” was all I could stammer, in a quiet, almost nonexistent whisper.
“You’ll have to speak up. I can hardly hear you.”
“Mr. Rutherford, my name is Dakota Livingston. I was wondering if you had a son called Kyle?”
“Yes. What do you want? Is this some groupie trying to get in contact with my son? If it is, he’s not interested. How did you get this number?”
Again, I was at a loss for words.
“Who is this? Hang up now and I don’t want to be bothered by you again.”
“Mr. Rutherford, wait!” I begged, before I lost contact, figuring this was my only hope.
Silence. He was still on the line.
“I don’t know if Kyle even mentioned me to you, but we met on Sapphire Island. He thinks I died in a plane crash and I nearly did.” God, if I had to repeat that one more time…“Look, I need to find Kyle and tell him that I’m alive. How can I do that if you aren’t willing to help me?”
There was another frustrating hush. He didn’t believe me.
“Are you still there, Mr. Rutherford?”
“How do I know you’re not some phony who just wants to meet my son?”
“Please, you have to believe me! I wouldn’t lie to you about something like this. I’ve just arrived in LA this morning and I need to see Kyle. I was staying on Sapphire Island while he was there filming. I promise I’m telling you the truth.”
He must have picked up on the desperation in my voice and the sincerity with which I spoke.
“But it is just so hard to believe. If you are Dakota, how did the media not get wind of your survival? Why wasn’t there some evidence that you survived?”
“I drifted away from the wreckage very quickly with the current and was rescued by some of the natives from Ragged Island. I know it sounds farfetched, but I need to talk to you. I’m on Main Street, in the city. I have to use crutches from an injury sustained in the crash, so you can’t miss me. I have a young boy with me from the island and we’re sitting outside The Pink Poodle Hotel. Will you at least come down here and see for yourself? I owe it to Kyle to let him know I’m alive.”
“It sounds so bizarre. This better not be some stupid joke, because if it is—”
“Please, Mr. Rutherford. It’s no joke! Will you come and see for yourself?”
I could hear him sighing loudly into his phone. “Very well then. I’ll be there shortly. I won’t tell Cheryl about this, just in case you turn out to be a hoax.”
“Thank you, sir. You won’t regret it. I’ll see you soon.”
Hell! I’d done it! My tired body wilted against the pay phone, replaying the conversation over and over. He was coming! Kyle’s father was coming. I couldn’t believe it. Victory wasn’t won yet, though. Kyle had to want me. He had to be unattached. He had to be in California!
I walked over to Daniel with a smile on my face.
“Did you speak to Kyle?”
“No, but his father is on his way here as we speak.”
“Does he know about me?”
“I mentioned that I have a boy with me, to help him recognize us but I didn’t go into detail. That will all come out in time. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.” For the first time since the crash, I actually felt it with all of my being.
While we waited for Mr. Rutherford outside, we played a game of picking out the cars we’d like to own. Daniel had expensive taste, choosing the flashiest ones. I was vague. Choosing a rusty, beat up old Volkswagen confirmed it. Daniel roared with laughter at my dream car. I was miles away in a future that didn’t exist yet.
Two girls wearing bikini tops skated past on roller blades chased by a dread-locked skateboarder with the waistband of his shorts hanging below his lime green underwear. Not a good look, but hey, we were in California. Only stargazing tourists like Daniel and I ogled at the weird and wonderful.
The street was a buzz of activity, helping to pass the time.
For over an hour we sat, waiting for Mr. Rutherford to arrive. Daniel had gone to the bathroom twice thanks to the Coke, and if both my legs were in good working order I would have been pacing by now. I was starting to think Mr. Rutherford was a no show.
“When are we going?” Daniel understandably asked when the hour passed.
“You’ve been so patient with me. He’ll be here soon, I’m sure. Then we can get off this busy street and go somewhere a bit more comfortable.” All we had was Kyle’s father’s word and good faith.
Before I could doubt him anymore, my gaze fixated on something.
Through the crowd emerged a distinguished, handsome man, with piercing blue eyes. Without delay I sat erect, radar honed in, perceptive of the visitor even before he introduced himself. He was maturely handsome, resembling an older version of his son. He looked right at me as he strode towards us and then he smiled ever so slightly.
“Mr. Rutherford?”
He held out his hand, the grin captivating me. “Please, call me Joseph. You’re even more beautiful in real life. It’s no wonder my son fell in love with you.”
I could feel my cheeks light up. “But how do you know I’m Dakota?”
“Kyle has your photo plastered all around his room at our house, so as soon as I saw you, I knew. This is just unbelievable! My son is going to be blown away. He mourned your loss for so long that my wife and I had a job just to get him out of the bedroom.”
“I’m sorry to be meeting you under these circumstances but I’m just so happy to have found you. I was about to give up. I’ve traveled a long way just to reach Kyle.”
He looked down at my crutches, eyebrows slashed, mouth knit. “Will you ever get the use of your leg back?”
“I hope so. I really should see a proper doctor and get a diagnosis. I’ve only been treated on Ragged Island. It’s painful to walk on, so I think there is some serious damage.”
“Leave it to me,” the kind man soothed, taking over. “I’ll organize it. I have a wonderful doctor who can refer you to a specialist. We have some cutting edge medical experts here in Los Angeles. I’m sure you’ll be walking around in no time without the use of your crutches.”
Joseph turned to Daniel. “And who might this young man be?”
“Joseph, I’d like you to meet Daniel. He’s helped me immensely and will be living with me from now on. He’ll be going to school here and getting a better education. I guess you could say that I’ve adopted him.” Technically I’d adopted him. Well, maybe. He came willingly, if that counts.
Joseph held out his hand and shook Daniel’s. “Nice to meet you, Daniel.”
The formalities were over. My plan was coming together nicely.
Without another thought, Joseph invited both of us back to his house and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Kyle has his movie premiere tonight, which you must go to. Cheryl and I will take you and surprise him. He’ll be speechless. You can wear something of Cheryl’s, I’m sure she won’t mind,” he went on animatedly, like a child planning his first show and tell at school. “You two women will get on famously. Oh this is just so thrilling! I’m sure we’ve kept some of Kyle’s clothes from days gone by for Daniel to wear.”
The day was moving along at rocket speed. Less
than a week ago we’d been waiting on Ragged Island for the helicopter to arrive and now here we were in Hollywood being led to a movie premiere about to uncover the surprise of all surprises. Nothing could surpass that.
Joseph’s car was a Mercedes Benz, painted in metallic blue, similar to his eyes. It was in immaculate condition and gleamed in the late, afternoon sun, blending in nicely with the Porsche that parked behind it. I felt like royalty as I sank into the plush interior, letting the lamb’s wool seat covers caress me. The dashboard looked like the inside of the helicopter with buttons and lights galore. It was so dreamlike. There were no words to describe how I was feeling at that moment.
“I’d better call Cheryl and let her know what’s happening now that I know you really are Dakota.”
“Hi honey. I’ve got some wonderful news that I think you’d better sit down for. You know how I told you that I had some business to take care of? Well, I wasn’t exactly telling the truth…Hang on…Let me explain! Yes…I know…Look…if you’ll just let me finish. No, I haven’t been drinking—Dakota is alive! She called before to tell me that she survived the crash and was here in Los Angeles. I didn’t believe her at first but agreed to go and meet with her. It’s true, Cheryl. She’s the woman in Kyle’s photos. I’ve got her in the car as we speak and I’m bringing her home. Yes…I know it’s hard to believe but you’ll understand when you see her. She can come to the premiere of the movie tonight. We’ll surprise Kyle. Anyway, I just wanted to call you and warn you that we were on our way home. She has a friend with her who will be coming tonight, too. I hope you don’t mind. Okay, see you shortly.”
Joseph clasped my arm in an affectionate offering. “Well, that’s settled! She’ll get used to the idea while we are driving. Everything will be fine.”
I hoped he was right because like it or not we would be arriving on her doorstep this afternoon.
Joseph seemed like a wonderful, caring husband and father. It remained to be seen whether Cheryl would have the same cheery outlook as her husband.
The air conditioning in the car didn’t take long to take effect and soon we were all sitting comfortably on the way to Joseph’s house, talking as if we were old friends. He was just the way I had pictured him and a whole lot more.
When the luxury sedan pulled into the driveway, the neatly, manicured residence greeted us. The shrubs had been pruned to precision and the grass looked freshly mowed with the edges trimmed. Pretty, dainty flowers embellished the driveway, adding the final touch to the masterpiece. Lots of love and pride were evident and whilst it may not have been the grandest house in the vicinity, it sure was the sweetest.
Cheryl met us at the door. The only resemblance to Kyle was her hair color. It was the same shade of brown twisted into a bun, held together with a large hairpin. She looked welcoming and warm, stepping out to open my door, troubled though as Joseph had been when she saw the crutches.
“It’s okay. I’m not totally crippled. I can shuffle along quite well at the moment.”
Cheryl’s face softened as she outstretched her hand. “You must be Dakota. It’s nice to finally meet you. Kyle has told us all about you. I feel as if we’ve already met.”
I quietly retched, my stomach jumping into my throat. This was almost too much to handle in one day. I was in Kyle’s home with his folks and he didn’t even know I was alive and apparently it was going to stay that way until later in the evening. Talk about drawing out the suspense! I would be on tenterhooks for hours.
Chewing on my bottom lip was not the sign of a confident woman. Cheryl picked up on my apprehension.
“Come on. I’ll find you something beautiful to wear and I’ll do your hair and makeup for you.”
We disappeared into the too neat house to play dress-up for the big night out.
Joseph turned to Daniel. “Daniel, how would you like to watch some television until it’s time to go out?
“Oh wow! Would I!” Walking in Joseph’s shadow, they made their way through to the large living room.
The interior was even prettier than the exterior with pastel colors the theme throughout. There was a real country cottage feel about the house, from its floral curtains and tablecloth to the pine kitchen cupboards and checkerboard tiles.
A beige Persian cat wandered in from outside, nudging Cheryl’s leg. His fat stomach almost touched the floor as he rubbed and purred in greeting. His successful mews ended with a huge plate of food and a saucer of milk that was poured into a bowl titled “Rambo.”
Happy snaps of Kyle wound through the house on walls and furniture. Most of them had been taken a few years ago when he was younger but even back then he still looked like he belonged on the cover of Vogue magazine, his blue eyes capturing mine. A larger family portrait hung above the television set in all its glory. I was caught staring.
“Aren’t we a handsome bunch?” joked Joseph.
“Yes, you are. All of you! Kyle looks so much like you, Joseph. It’s incredible.”
“Yes, he does have my good looks but he’s got Cheryl’s uncanny ability to read people. He read you.”
I hoped he’d read me good and proper because so much water had passed under the bridge since my disappearance. A murder, for one! That was enough weight to sink any ship. A tight smile was all I could offer in return.
Daniel sat in front of the television, waiting for it to switch itself on.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Daniel. I almost forgot. You’re so quiet, sitting there like a mouse. Here! This thing is called a remote. It turns the television off and on so you don’t have to leave the comfort of your chair. This orange button turns it on and these buttons change the channels. I’ll leave it in your capable hands.”
The remote may as well have been a nugget of gold. Very gently he pressed the orange button, jumping when the television came to life the same way he had on the plane. He sat bewitched by the images in front of him, as if not wanting to tear his eyes away for an instant in case he missed something.
“Well now,” broadcast Cheryl, coming through from the kitchen. “I’ll take you on a tour of the house so that you know your way around and then we’ll go and pick your gown. I’ve got a casserole in the oven for dinner. We can’t have you going out on an empty stomach now, can we? Would you like a shower to freshen up first?”
“No, thanks. I had one this morning, but thank you, anyway.”
The kind, hospitable woman led the way through the hallways, checking every now and then to make sure I was keeping up. The house was much larger inside than it first appeared. It was a labyrinth of rooms.
We both paused when we reached one room in particular and as soon as I peeked in I knew it was Kyle’s room. I could have cried. My face was everywhere. It looked like wallpaper. A jab of embarrassment stabbed at me, never having seen anything like it before.
Cheryl urged me inside. “You’ll remember this photo.”
Memories swamped me. It was taken days before my departure. A selfie using Kyle’s camera. He had turned to me at the last minute. His expression confirmed the depths of his feelings.
“I’ve never seen him so smitten before. You really captured his heart. It’s only been recently that he’s started to go out again and get on with his life.”
Getting on with his life? What does that mean? He’s over me now?
“Has…he found someone else?”
Cheryl moved to the bed and sat. “He has asked someone to the movie premiere tonight but he hasn’t been dating her. He hasn’t been dating anyone even though Joseph and I have been trying ever so hard to get him back into the swing of things. He just hasn’t been ready up until now. Don’t worry though, I think once he sees you again, he’ll soon forget her.”
Cheryl studied my face, adding, “She’s not as beautiful as you. She’s pretty, but you’re beautiful. I can see why our son was so taken.”
I had to laugh at that. Beautiful is not what I had felt in a long while and I knew that she was probably just saying it to be nice.
“After the ordeal I’ve been through, I don’t think beautiful even factors into it. I’ve lost weight and look like a waif.”
“Oh stop! You’re gorgeous. You’ll get back to the way you were, don’t worry. After I’m finished with you tonight, you’ll look like a runway model.”
Cheryl’s openness was humbling and I almost believed her, yet the restless feeling that Kyle had moved on drilled a hole in my heart.
“Thanks, Cheryl, you’re very kind. I hope you don’t mind me calling you Cheryl. Joseph insisted that we call him by his first name. Maybe you’re right. It’s just been so long and so much has happened. He might not feel the same now. People move on.”
“Cheryl is fine, and maybe in time if things work out, you’ll be able to call me Mom. Trust me. He’s going to be extremely happy to see you.”
I had to take the woman in good faith and hope she knew her son as well as she thought she did.
“Well, that’s pretty much all there is of the house to see. How about we start getting you ready for your grand entrance tonight?”
Grand entrance! Couldn’t it be a small, intimate reunion? Why a grand entrance? The world doesn’t need to pry into our business. I’m shaky enough without a zillion nosy-parkers watching.
The master bedroom was generous, housing a powder room and bathroom. The porcelain spa bath caught my eye. Candles, some new and some half-melted, bordered the edge. Lavender and musk scented the room. Porcelain white tiles rose from floor to ceiling, dotted with pastel colored fish every square foot. Gold tap-ware added the “bling” the room needed.
The closet could have housed a congregation, it was so big. Not only that but it was wall-to-wall clothes. Who could ever wear all those clothes? I’d never seen so many.
“It’s lucky that I’ve lost quite a bit of weight over the last couple of years or I might have had a job finding something to fit you. You’re so tiny. I’m trying to look for colors to match your skin tone. Here! What about this? We need to show off your best assets.”
Surely it was a doll’s dress it was so small. I knew I’d lost weight but not height.
Losing You (Finding You Series Book 2) Page 18