“He’s still in surgery. I don’t know whether he’ll survive or not. I’ve got to go.”
He hung up on her. She stared at the phone. He hadn’t even sounded like himself. Of course he was upset, worried, and angry that she’d left town. But before this Averil had only seen his teasing side, not the hard-toned, angry man on the other end of the phone call. She paced back and forth in front of the windows that showed planes landing and taking off. She had twenty more long minutes to wait.
Averil glanced at her watch. Her flight arrived thirty minutes late. They boarded quickly and were in the air sooner than she’d expected. The past hour had been the longest in her life. Anxiety churned inside her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry we got a late start, but we have a good tailwind and hopefully will make up most of the lost time.” The pilot spoke over the intercom.
“Just let me get back in time, and let Payton be all right,” Averil mumbled to herself. She was glad she didn’t have a person in the seat next to her, or they’d think she was crazy. She put her seat back and thought about Payton and Cody.
Was her guilt of having been instrumental in Payton getting hurt what made her feel so anxious and frightened? Or were her feelings for him and Cody stronger than she wanted to admit? She’d hoped to resolve those questions and others during this week in California. But she wasn’t going to have that leisure time. And she had no idea what she would face when she arrived home. Surely Payton would survive the surgery. He was young, strong, and healthy.
Averil stared out the window. Flying through wispy clouds with a blue sky all around, her life hung as if suspended in animation. Perhaps this was better than knowing what waited ahead.
Chapter Three
Averil’s mom and dad waved at her as she came out of the airport. Dad got out and put her suitcase in the trunk while she got in the backseat behind her mother.
Her mother turned to look at her. “Did you convince Kira to come home?”
“I think so. She said she’d get her affairs in order and come in the next few weeks.”
“I’ll be happy to have both my girls here.”
“There’ll be a lot of explaining to do. She’ll cause an uproar at first, if she opens up and tells all.”
“I know. But this is the best time for her to do it. All three of the tribes have accepted the shape-shifters. Especially since their help in the battle.”
Her father drove toward the hospital. He hadn’t committed.
“What do you think, Dad? This will be your problem, too.”
“When I married your mother, I took on you two girls as my own to love and take care of. I can handle our family’s problems.”
Averil’s heart swelled with love for this gentle giant. He was tall and husky, with large hands and a bigger heart.
“We love you, too, Dad.”
He smiled in the rearview mirror at her. “I assumed you wanted to go straight to the hospital. Your mom and I will come in with you to see Mr. and Mrs. Camilius.”
“Thanks. I’d like to have you all nearby.”
“Then we will be.”
The hospital receptionist directed them to the ICU waiting room. They took the elevator up, and when they got off, Averil saw Cody pacing the corridor. Mr. and Mrs. Camilius sat huddled together in the waiting room. Their faces were pale and worried. Their other children sat or stood close to them.
Mr. Camilius and his wife got up to greet Averil and her parents. “We were told when the surgery was half over that it was going well, but we haven’t had any news since,” Mr. Camilius said.
“Does it normally take this long?” Mrs. Bevyns asked.
“Dr. Jack came by. He said the bleed is in a difficult area, and the surgeon has to go very slowly. He doesn’t want to cause any permanent damage or lose him.”
Averil saw Cody walk by the door. She excused herself and went out to join him.
“How are you doing?”
“Don’t bother me. I’m thinking. Go back with your parents and keep the Camilius family company.”
“Cody, please stop walking and look at me.”
At first she thought he’d ignore her, but gradually his pace slowed, and he turned to face her. His light-blue eyes were cold and distant.
“I’ve stopped. What do you want?”
“Why are you so angry with me? You know I didn’t mean to hurt Payton.”
“Do I? With him gone you’d be the best sharpshooter in all three tribes. Your value would go way up.”
“Are you crazy?” Averil stood on her toes and leaned her face toward his.
He put his nose against hers. “Yes, I’m crazy, mad, and scared. I’ve been here all day, and you come prancing in wanting attention. Go away. I’m not interested in you anymore. My friend may be dying.” He glanced around at the hospital corridor and its light-green walls. “I hate hospitals, the smell, the noises, and the people hustling here and there like they’re so important. And my friend’s life is in another man’s hands, and I can’t help. I’m worthless to save him.”
As though he’d run out of words and strength, Cody slid down the hospital wall and sat. Tears swam in his eyes.
Averil sat beside him. She put her arms around him and he buried his face in her lap. Having heard their raised voices, several members of the family came to the waiting room door. Averil waved them back into the room. Her fingers brushed through his thick dark-brown hair.
“It’ll be okay. We’ll concentrate on sending Payton a message that we’re waiting for him. He’ll feel us if we do it together.” Any other time she was sure Cody would grin and make a smart remark. But he squeezed her hand tight and nodded yes.
Cody gradually moved away and sat straight. He stared off in the distance. “When I was ten, my father went into the hospital and never came home. I didn’t understand what was happening until my mother started crying and said my dad had died. Ever since, being in a hospital makes me a little crazy. I avoid them, if I can.”
Averil wanted to take hold of his hand again, but he held himself stiff and had tightened his jaw. The moment to give him comfort had passed.
Her heart had softened when she held him. He’d gotten inside the guard she’d put around herself to protect her from hurt, and she wasn’t sure if she could resurrect her defenses.
He stood and looked down at her, then put his hand out and helped her up. “Let’s go get coffee for whoever wants some.” He walked to the doorway then turned back as the elevator door opened.
Averil saw a tall, dark-haired man dressed in surgery scrubs step out. His face was stern and his eyes cold. He must be the surgeon. Had something gone wrong? Her heart froze. Cody took her hand as the rest of the family moved toward the doorway.
The man stopped in front of them. “I’m Dr. Rexford.” He looked around the group and spotted Payton’s parents. He motioned them forward and the others moved aside.
“We’ve finished the surgery. He’s doing well considering the complications we ran into. The bleed occurred in a portion of the brain where I had to move slowly and carefully to try and not damage other areas. I believe Payton will be fine, but we won’t know for sure if he has any deficits until he wakes. He’ll be in ICU for several days.”
“Thank you so much, Dr. Rexford. When can we see him?”
“You and your husband can come with me to the ICU now.” Dr. Rexford raised his head and looked at the others. “Once he’s awake one person at a time can visit every hour, for ten minutes, until you’ve all seen him. If the visits seem to disturb him, they’ll be cancelled.” He motioned for Mr. and Mrs. Camilius to follow him. Then he turned and walked off down the long corridor toward the Intensive Care Unit.
“He’s the coldest man I know and also the most gifted,” Bud Bevyns said as they all watched the three disappear around a corner.
“Who wants coffee? Averil and I will go downstairs to the small cafe.”
“We’ll all go and stretch our legs.” Averil’s mother
put her arm around her daughter and they walked to the elevator. She whispered in Averil’s ear. “He’ll be fine, honey. I just have a good feeling about him.”
Averil hugged her mom back. “Thanks, Mom. Mr. and Mrs. Camilius must be upset with me.”
“Not at all. She said she understood completely because she’d pushed his dad a few times when he tried to make up her mind for her.” Averil’s mom smiled. “She said she wanted Payton to have a strong wife.”
“I’m not going to marry him just because I pushed him down.”
Cody must have heard her. He turned around and glared. “What makes you think he’ll still want to marry you?”
“Young man, you may be upset, but I won’t allow you to be rude to my daughter, especially not in front of me.” Mr. Bevyns glared at Cody.
Cody nodded and walked on ahead. Averil had hoped he’d gotten over being angry. But apparently, she’d only lowered the flames, not put them out.
At the cafe, after they’d finished their coffee, Mr. and Mrs. Bevyns stood to leave. “We’re going home. Averil, do you want to come with us?” her dad asked.
“No. I’d like to wait for a while and see if Payton wakes up.”
Mr. Bevyns glanced at Cody. “You’ll keep a polite tone when talking with Averil. If I hear different, you’ll have to deal with me.”
“I’ll be fine, Dad. You two go on and get some rest.”
Her mom kissed her cheek, and her dad hugged her before they left. She watched them until they were out of sight.
“Your stepdad is very protective of you.”
Averil looked back around. “He is. I never think about him as my stepfather. He helped raise me and treated me as his own.”
“What happened to your real dad?” Cody asked.
“He left home one day and didn’t come back. He called Mom once and said marriage and family wasn’t for him. She got a divorce and hasn’t heard from him since. So you see, after what my mother went through and then my marriage failed, just thinking about being in a relationship is right up there with the way you feel about hospitals.”
“And yet your mother found another husband and appears to be very happy.”
“She is because my dad is a special man.”
“He’s one of us. When we find our mate, we are loyal, loving, and protective. She and the children always come first.”
“And you think you, Payton, and I are meant to be together?”
“I did, but now I’m not so sure.” His cool blue eyes searched her face. “He pushed himself to ride out to your ranch to find you. We didn’t know you’d gone. He collapsed when we arrived at your place.”
Her stomach clenched. She thought she might be sick. “I’ll see you later.” Averil started to leave, and Cody stood to go with her. “Stay.” She put out her hand to stop him. “I want to be alone, and I mean it.” She walked out of the cafe to the front lobby and left. It was after sundown, but she didn’t care. There was comfort in the cover of darkness.
Averil started walking. She’d go through the back part of the other tribes’ ranch and then to her parents’ cabin. It’d take time but also give her quiet in which to think.
In her haste to get away to California, she’d given little thought to the men she’d leave behind. Cody had a right to be angry with her. She hadn’t even checked on Payton before going. Dr. Jack made his injury sound so innocuous. But she’d said she would check on him and when she didn’t, he went looking for her the next day.
A cool breeze blew across her face and the smell of hay and animals brought her head up. She had walked close to the main barn on the two tribes’ ranch. Seeking comfort, she wandered into the open back door. Several horses whinnied and stomped around in their stalls. Averil strolled to a stall and rubbed the nose of one tall, black horse.
“Be careful. Satan has a temper and might lick your hand one moment and bite it the next. He’s Mitch’s horse. I’m surprised he let you get so close without making a loud fuss.”
Sahale walked out of the shadows. “I was in my office and heard the horses. I knew the men were gone so I thought I’d check on things.”
“I was passing by and had the urge to stop and pet a horse.” Averil tried to smile.
“Has Payton gotten worse?” Sahale asked in a soft voice.
“No. That arrogant doctor thinks he’ll be fine. And I believe him.”
“Ah, you must mean Dr. Rexford. He has an interesting history, but he shares it with few people. Come join me and have coffee or a soda. I’ll drive you home afterwards.”
“I can walk. I don’t want to be a problem to anyone else.”
Sahale took her arm and walked with her to his office. “Sit in the comfortable chair. This metal monstrosity helps keep me alert in the evenings. Which will you have?” He stood by the coffeepot, but she saw the small fridge to the side and behind him.
“A soda, if you don’t mind. I’m full of coffee.”
He handed her a very cold can. She pulled the metal ring up, popping her drink open. The crisp, cold soda soothed her tight throat.
Sahale leaned back in his chair and studied her under lowered eyelids that partially covered his startling aquamarine eyes. “Tell me how you’ve been a problem.”
Quietness settled around her. In the barn she heard the shuffling of horses’ hooves as they settled down. The man in front of her appeared to have all the time in the world.
Suddenly, as though a dam broke, she found herself beginning to talk. Tears ran down her face as she explained why she was responsible for Payton’s near-death injury.
“Who said you were responsible?”
“Cody. He’s so mad at me. Well, I think he’s mad at the world, but I’m available to kick, and it hurts.”
She glanced up at Sahale. “I did leave without calling to check on Payton. It was totally selfish of me to leave without telling them.”
“Why? From what you said you’d told them to leave you alone. It’s their fault if they didn’t believe you. Even with our mates, we need to be responsive to their needs, not just ours. Whether we like it or not.”
“Were you always as responsive to your mate when you were trying to convince her to marry you?”
A smile crossed Sahale’s face. “I think I was most of the time. You’d have to talk with my wife, Ellen, and get her perspective. She’s very independent in her own way.”
His face glowed when he spoke her name. Averil found herself jealous of the woman receiving such devotion.
“How do I know they are my mates? I had a miserable marriage, and the idea of two husbands scares me.”
“Give it time. Let them get to know you and you get to know them.”
“Cody hates me anyway. So it’d never work.”
“He’s an easygoing guy ninety-five percent of the time, but when someone he cares about has a medical emergency, his personality changes, and his temper flares easily. Cody says things he regrets later. Once he knows Payton will recover, he’ll regret all the words that have spilled out of his mouth.” Sahale straightened in his chair. “Did Cody tell you he met Payton shortly after his dad had died? Those two have been fast friends ever since.”
“No, he didn’t. Thanks for talking to me and letting me cry on your shoulder.” She wiped the tears from her face. “Mom and Dad would huddle around me and get mad at Cody.”
“We wouldn’t want that to happen, since I suspect he might be one of their future sons-in-law.” Sahale smiled at her. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.”
Her dad was getting in his truck when they drove up. “I just heard you took off walking home. I thought I’d drive along and find you, but I see Sahale beat me to it.”
He and Sahale shook hands. “She stopped by the barn to see the horses, and we talked for a bit. I’m sorry we didn’t call to relieve your mind. But guess what, I found her with Satan, and he was letting her rub his nose. Mitch will never believe it. Satan won’t let most of our cowhands near him.” Sahale waved and started
back to his truck. “Ellen will be looking for me. She and Jack will have supper ready.”
Averil and her dad waved and then walked inside. Her mom rushed to her and hugged her. “We were getting worried.”
“Walking home looked like the only way to have time alone. Then I saw Sahale, and we talked. I feel better.”
“Sahale has some of his grandmother’s gifts. I’ve been told Nanna has a second sense about many things and makes the best teas around,” her mom said.
“There is something comforting about him. Talking with him helped me clear my thoughts. Next time I see Sahale I’ll ask if I can meet his grandmother. I’m thinking she might be the person Kira should talk to when she gets here. It might help Kira decide about how and when to expose herself to all of the tribes.”
Her mother agreed but added, “Don’t forget about our leader, Garth. His mother is a good witch. Have Kira meet her, too.”
Chapter Four
Gala rode out to Averil’s ranch late in the afternoon. As she’d hoped, the workers were gone. She didn’t ride all the way to the cabin but left her horse grazing on some grass back from the house. Using gloves for extra protection, she took the coffee cup secured inside a plastic bag and gingerly crept into the cabin. It looked complete except for furniture.
Taking the cup out of the bag, she placed it on the counter. Then she zipped the bag and went back to her horse. She removed a coffeemaker and several other items from her bulging saddlebag, hanging on the opposite side of her saddle. In the kitchen, she placed the coffeepot on the counter close to the cup. Then she set a bag of coffee in front of it and put an envelope in front of the bag.
Standing back, Gala admired her handiwork. She hoped all would go as she’d planned. Averil would most likely ride by here first thing in the morning to inspect her cabin. She’d see someone had left a housewarming gift. Hopefully, she’ll make a cup of coffee and her finger will touch the tiny spot of resin on the handle. The special concoction deposited inside the resin will go through her skin to her vital organs. But it won’t be enough to kill her, not yet.
Paige Cameron Page 3