CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE TRILOGY

by Patrice Wilton

  Leila couldn’t believe her sister. The fact that they came from the same gene pool constantly amazed her. She just shook her head and reached for her water glass.

  Callie didn’t let it pass. “Kick up your heels without me. Pretend I’m not here.”

  “Oh, don’t be so touchy,” Crystal responded. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just suggesting that we lighten up a little tonight, because the next few days we’ll all be in the hospital, and we know what a drag that is.”

  Leila looked pointedly at the full glass of wine in her sister’s hand. “I don’t think getting bombed tonight is going to help us tomorrow.”

  “Okay. I’ll drink then.”

  “Might as well,” Callie said, with an evil little smile. “You don’t have to be at the hospital tomorrow. The rest of us get to have all the fun.”

  Ryan cleared his throat. “Speaking of the hospital—remember keep my room safe from visitors tomorrow. And Crystal, you all ready for your academy award performance Thursday morning?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I always thought your mother looked down her long nose at me, so I’m going to enjoy this little trickery.”

  “She’s nobody’s fool. You sure you can do this?”

  “Oh, yes. I’m actually quite an accomplished actress, although you’d never know it listening to my family.”

  “I never said you weren’t good,” Leila said. “But we know how competitive it is in Hollywood and you’ve given it eighteen years. When are you going to say enough is enough?”

  “When directors stop trying to get me into bed.” She glanced at Callie. “Oops. Sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have said that.”

  Callie shrugged. “I’m sure I’ve heard worse from you.”

  June put some ice in her glass of red wine and used a spoon to stir it. “I thought the directors liked their girls young.”

  Callie made a snorting noise. Leila sent her a warning look, and Callie covered her mouth with her hand, but there was no hiding the laughter in her eyes.

  “One more word out of you, Mother,” Crystal said, “and you’ll be wearing that wine instead of stirring it.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Callie woke up early Wednesday morning after a fitful night’s sleep. She’d been dreaming of scary things all night, demons crawling out of the dark, sneaking into her bedroom, ripping off her sheets, grabbing her lifeless body and sucking her into a dark void. It wasn’t the first time she’d dreamed of demons. She knew their faces pretty intimately by now.

  Still, she trembled as she remembered the dream, and could feel that her sheets were wet from sweat. She didn’t want her mom to know she’d had night terrors again, especially today. So she showered quickly, put on sweatpants and a T-shirt, and tiptoed downstairs to wait for everyone else to get up. It was only four in the morning, but they were supposed to be at the hospital at six. She knew her mom and Ryan would be up soon, and she wanted to look happy for them. She practiced in front of a mirror. She ignored her pale complexion and the sunken eyes and smiled at herself. She even tried a happy dance. After all, Ryan and her mom would expect some enthusiasm, since everybody knew she was getting her second and final chance at life. If this one failed too, she’d be all out of chances, and brave or not, she’d die.

  It had been more than two years since she’d had renal failure and had had to face the knowledge that hey, she might never go to college, never get married, never have babies. Heck, she might not live to her sixteenth birthday. She was just a kid, so of course she’d freaked. She’d gotten mad at God and everybody for letting this horrible thing happen to her. But later, in the hospital, she’d seen other kids like herself and realized that she wasn’t the only one who’d been dealt a crappy hand. So she’d stopped her whining and accepted her fate. At least some of the time. Other times she looked at the pretty, popular girls at school and hated them, wishing they could have the disease and not her. She wanted to run around and play tennis or be on the swim team or play in the school band. Something, anything, but hanging around the dialysis ward three times a week.

  Everybody thought she was okay, because in front of other people she was. But when she was alone at night in her bed the demons came, and she felt them run all over her, heard them cackling, pulling at her, trying to get her to go away with them. Those nights she’d wake up sweaty and exhausted from fighting, and her face would be puffy and red-eyed from crying.

  Well, with any luck--and surely she deserved some--she would be joining the ranks of the living, instead of hanging out with sick people wondering if this day might be her last.

  Her mother came down the stairs. “You up all ready?”

  “Uh-huh. I couldn’t sleep.” Callie yawned, pretending it was no big deal.

  “More nightmares?” Her mother dropped a kiss on her head and felt her forehead. “You’re warm, honey.”

  “Yeah, well, not to worry. We’re going to fix that.” She smiled for her mother’s benefit.

  It worked, because her mother smiled back, looking relieved as she always did when she had her hopes up again. “Yes, we are getting you a new kidney, and by the end of the day, you’ll be as good as new.”

  “You think?”

  “I think,” Uncle Ryan said, appearing out of nowhere. His hair was rumpled, his face unshaven, and he was wearing a white tank shirt and baggy basketball shorts.

  “Hi.” She smiled at him, wishing for like the zillionth time that he didn’t have to go away once this was all over.

  “Hi, yourself.” He tousled her hair. “I heard a rumor that something is going on today. Is that why everybody’s up early?”

  Her mother smiled and touched his hand. Callie wondered if that intimate touch was as innocent as it seemed, or if her mother liked Uncle Ryan more that she would admit.

  “Something wonderful is going to happen. And all because of you.” Her eyes were shining, and she looked at Uncle Ryan as though she wanted very much to kiss him.

  And he was looking back at her that way too.

  Callie felt her heart lighten. Maybe this was going to be a magical day after all, and all her hopes and dreams would come true.

  “Well, Mom, since we can’t have breakfast, why don’t we all get dressed and go to the hospital early? I hear they’re passing out kidneys and I’m going to get me one.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Ryan took the steps two at a time, and Callie grinned at her mother.

  “You like him, don’t you?”

  “That I do. He reminds me of your father in so many ways, but in others, he’s uniquely charming, and that’s the part I like best.”

  “Me too.”

  An hour later they checked into the hospital, and her mom called both of Callie’s grandmothers to let them know they’d arrived. She and Ryan were taken into a pre-op room, and the surgeon came in to answer any remaining questions.

  No turning back now, Callie thought. It was time to do or die.

  “You, okay, kiddo?” Ryan asked her as a nurse hooked up their IV’s.

  “Uh… sure.” She gave a weak laugh that sounded false even to her own ears. “I haven’t got anything better to do today.”

  “Me either.” He smiled and winked at her. “Let’s do it then.”

  Before they could change their minds, orderlies came and wheeled them into an operating room for their side-by-side surgery. The anesthesiologist gave them both a sedation medicine, and Callie didn’t have any more thoughts before the anesthesia kicked in. She was already in dreamland when the incision was made on the left side of her lower abdomen in preparation for the new kidney.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Leila, June, and Ryan’s parents sat in the waiting room, making small talk to pass the time. As agreed, Crystal was at the hotel, since her big performance would be the next day. The operation was supposed to take about four hours, but time crept by so slowly for those waiting, it seemed as though four days had passed. Everyone was jittery and kept watching the door,
waiting for the doctor to appear and deliver the news that the transplant had been successfully completed.

  Jack Warner was sprawled in his wheelchair, occasionally shifting his weight to relieve the strain on his bad leg. He was in his early seventies and his hair was completely white. His formerly solid jaw was slack, and his left hand had a constant tremor. The stroke he’d suffered the previous year had left him with little feeling and movement on the left side of his body. Although he was not restricted to a wheelchair, his dignity demanded it. His body might have failed him, but not his spirit.

  “What the hell is taking so long?” he grumbled. “Shouldn’t take anybody this long to reattach a kidney. I could probably do it, half-paralyzed and all.”

  “Oh, be quiet, Jack. You’ve always been the most impatient man I’ve known.” Margaret was a tall, angular woman, and she stood up now, giving her back a good stretch. She walked to the door and peered out into the hallway. “I’m dying for a cup of coffee. Anyone else want one?”

  “Coffee sounds good,” Jack said. “And something to eat. Breakfast was a long time ago.”

  “Anyone else?” Margaret grabbed her purse, took out a small brush, and ran it through her short gray hair. She popped a breath mint in her mouth, but it was pointless really. Leila had detected the stale gin on her breath the moment she’d walked in the room.

  Margaret drank very little in public, but Leila had seen the flask in her purse on more than one occasion. She was also used to seeing her mother-in-law chewing breath mints all the time. Nobody was fooled, but everyone turned a blind eye. Even Jack.

  June nodded. “I’d like one too.”

  “I’ll help you.” Leila was eager to get out of that room and walk around. Sitting and worrying was not going to make the operation go any faster.

  The two women took the elevator down to the coffee bar on the first floor which sold pastries and sandwiches. “So,” Margaret began after they’d placed their order, “how did you finally convince Crystal to give up a kidney?”

  Leila didn’t look at her mother-in-law as she fabricated a story. “I called her after I got back from Australia, explained that Ryan refused to come to the States, and told her that Callie was going downhill fast. Something I said must have got through to her, because she made the offer. I accepted quickly, before she had a chance to change her mind.”

  “Thank the dear Lord.”

  “Yes. I do.”

  Leila wished she could tell her in-laws the entire truth, so they could have a reunion with their only surviving son. It broke her heart to think that he felt so alienated, so unloved, when she was sure that once they saw him, his parents’ bitter memories would disappear. She believed in the power of love, and knew if they could only see him again, even for a moment, that love would triumph, and they would welcome him back into their hearts. How could they not?

  “I’ve never asked you before, but what happened between you and Ryan?” Leila searched her mother-in-law’s face. “Why is he so adamant about never returning home?”

  Margaret looked uncomfortable, her attention fixed on a display case of muffins and pastries. “It’s a long story, Leila. And so many years have passed that I’m not even sure of the details anymore. My memory is a little fuzzy about what happened after his release from prison. He wasn’t with us very long before the man who supposedly murdered the poor girl died in that awful hit and run, and of course Ryan was questioned. I’m not sure exactly what Jack said to him, but they had a big fight that night.”

  Leila felt her temper rise. She knew Ryan. He was a good person, so why the hell hadn’t his parents stood by him? She wanted a satisfying answer, but she knew she wouldn’t be getting one. Margaret was well respected among her peers, the kind of person who always did the right thing, said the right thing, and was quite successful when it came to running charitable events. But in her own home, she was dominated by her husband and preferred to keep peace.

  Jack was not a monster, but he had a strong will and a wicked temper. Nick had told Leila that his mother had long ago learned to pick her fights with her husband. Obviously, she hadn’t thought her youngest son was worth fighting for, and that thought sliced right through Leila.

  She wanted to grab her mother-in-law by the shoulders and demand a proper answer. But for her departed husband’s sake, she kept her hands to herself and the accusation out of her voice. Or tried to. “You don’t know what the fight was about?”

  “Knowing Jack, he probably said something he shouldn’t have, and Ryan, as Ryan always did, over reacted. He stormed out of the house and within a week he was gone. Took off to Australia and cut us out of his life, just like that.” She sniffled. “It broke my heart, Leila.”

  Leila shuffled her feet, feeling so antsy she wanted to scream. Her finger nails dug into the palms of her hands, and her arms were rigid at her sides. “Did you try to find him, to let him know that you loved him and wanted him home?” She spoke softly, keeping her anger in check.

  “At first I tried to make contact, but Jack was being a stubborn old fool and wouldn’t fly down there with me to get him.” Margaret rocked back and forth in her flats, keeping her eyes on the young lady putting their order together. She, too, seemed unable to make eye contact. “Said Ryan was nothing but trouble and he was better off starting a new life elsewhere.”

  Leila felt as if she’d been kicked in the stomach. Emotions churned inside her, and she fought for control. “That was a little harsh considering Ryan was found innocent for the first murder and had a solid alibi when Corbin died.”

  “I know. I tried to tell Jack that, but you can’t tell that man anything.” She folded her arms under her ample breasts and sighed, as if she were the one hard done-by.

  “He was your son, Margaret.” Despite her best efforts, her voice cracked. “How could you let him go?”

  “I had no choice. Jack is a forceful man, and right or wrong, I loved my husband and did what he asked.” Margaret straightened her spine, and her mouth was a rigid line. “He turned his back on Ryan and refused to speak his name. Made Nick forget him too.”

  “I don’t understand,” Leila whispered. Tears pricked the back of her eyes. “That was so unfair, and I’m surprised Nick went along with it. Ryan was his brother.” She found a new target for her anger. Nick. How could he?

  “I know. They were close growing up. But Nick was always the star and couldn’t do anything wrong, whereas Ryan… Well, Ryan was always in some kind of trouble. Jack said Ryan had made his own bed, and he was washing his hands of him.”

  Leila swallowed hard. “You know I met Ryan. He’s a kind, intelligent, wonderful man. It’s a shame you never got to know the man he became.”

  The conversation ended when the server handed them a tray with four cups of coffee, a selection of sandwiches, and half a dozen donuts. In silence they returned to the waiting room.

  Leila had nothing more to say to her mother-in-law. She felt raw inside, hurting for the son they had so easily discarded. They had lavished their love and attention on the son of their heart, which made her wonder about Nick. Had she really known her husband as well as she’d thought? What hold did his father have over him to make him turn his back on his only brother?

  ***

  A half hour later the doctor came in to tell them everything had gone well and that Callie was in the ICU.

  “She’ll be feeling a little pain and discomfort when she first wakes,” he said, “but the medication will help make her comfortable.” He went on to explain that she’d need a catheter for several days, and that she might still need dialysis to help clear any excess fluid and toxins from her body until the new kidney started working on its own.

  “When can we see her?” Leila asked.

  “I’d suggest the others wait a little longer, but you go ahead, Leila. Have a moment with your daughter.”

  “I will. Thanks.” She glanced at her mother and Ryan’s parents. “I’ll be right back.”

  Margaret nodde
d. “How’s Crystal doing?” she asked the doctor.

  Dr. Hardy didn’t answer, but looked at Leila in confusion. During one of the pre-op meetings between Ryan and the transplant team, Ryan had informed everyone that he wished to keep his identity as a donor a secret. He didn’t explain why, but everyone agreed to comply. It looked like Dr. Hardy had forgotten that little detail, so Leila gave him a warning look and answered for him.

  “If it’s okay, can I have a quick peek at her too? She’s asked me to keep everyone out of her room until at least tomorrow. You know how vain she is,” she said to the others.

  The doctor started to say something, and then thought better of it. “Sure. It won’t hurt.”

  Leila flashed him a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

  “I never much liked your sister,” Jack said, “but I’m willing to change my mind. She’s done a fine thing here, and if she needs a little privacy, that’s okay by me.”

  “I’d love to see her just to tell her how grateful we all are,” Margaret said, “but I understand if she doesn’t want to see anyone until she’s looking better.”

  June rolled her eyes, but she went along with the charade. “By all means, we’ll let her recover before we all march in on her.”

  “I’ll be right back,” Leila said cheerily. She hadn’t realized how easy it was going to be. By tomorrow, Ryan would have his IV and catheter removed and be moving about. It would be simple for Crystal to slip into his bed.

  No one would ever know.

  She walked with Dr. Hardy to the room Callie was in. Even prepared, seeing Callie was hard, something no mother could ever get used to. Watching your baby hooked up to IV lines, oxygen plugs in her nose, monitoring machines beeping, and looking pale as death, was worse than being gutted with a carving knife.

  Leila put a hand over her mouth to cover her sobs.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  As Leila tried to compose herself, Dr. Hardy spoke briefly to the young nurse who was monitoring Callie. He patted Leila on the shoulder as he left, and the nurse discreetly turned away from Leila as she wiped her eyes. A few minutes passed, and Leila stayed by the door and out of the nurse’s way. Then Callie stirred on the bed.