by Donna Hill
They approached the area where Jacqueline was being treated. Dr. Ravenell pulled the curtain back. They’d already gotten her out of her clothing and had her hooked up to an IV. Jacqueline tried to smile when she saw Rafe.
“They’re going to transfer you upstairs. Doc here said I can come along for the ride,” he said, forcing a lightness into his voice.
“Thanks.”
He came to stand beside her. He took her hand. “Everything is going to be fine, Aunt J.”
She glanced away.
Two orderlies came into the space and began adjusting the bed and IV stand for transport. Rafe stood back while they worked then followed them for the trip to the fourth floor. Dozens of thoughts flew through his head while they rode the elevator in silence, none of them good. Why had she come back after all this time? How long had she known she was sick? Why didn’t she want anyone to know? And most important, what the hell was wrong with her?
* * *
The wedding reception was finally winding down. The hired help was busy cleaning and packing up. Dominique and Spence had left about an hour earlier en route to their two-week honeymoon in Saint Tropez on the French Riviera and then a week in Acapulco.
The exhausted wedding party was gathered out back, shoes off, feet up, sipping on Cristal and sharing tidbits about the events of the day.
“What a day,” Lee Ann said on a breath. She rested her head back against the chair.
“Bring back memories?” her husband, Preston, asked, squeezing her hand.
Lee Ann flashed him a loving smile. “It does,” she said with a hint of something inviting in her voice.
“Where is Rafe?” Dominique asked, taking a quick look around. “I haven’t seen him for hours.”
“Probably off with one of his lady friends,” Justin said.
“I haven’t seen Aunt Jacquie either,” Lee Ann added.
“Now that was a surprise,” Dominique said. “I had no idea that she would actually show up.”
“Do you know if she and dad spoke?” Lee Ann asked looking around at the gathering.
Dominique shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“I wish that they would settle the differences between them,” Lee Ann said. “What happened with Uncle David was a long time ago. When it’s all said and done we’re family.”
Murmurs of agreement moved around the group.
“I thought Maurice would have come,” Dominique said.
“Why?” Justin asked.
She turned to her younger brother. “Dad went to see him about a month ago.”
“He did?”
“Dad doesn’t know that I found out.”
“How did you find out? And why didn’t the rest of us know?” Lee Ann asked, sitting up.
“Dad and Rafe went to one of Melanie’s parties. Maurice was there.”
Lee Ann’s eyes widened. “What? Is he all right?”
Dominique told them about Maurice’s injury and that he’d left the Navy SEALs. He was at Sag Harbor resting and recuperating and had taken up with a woman named Layla, the massage therapist. There was a big blow up the night of the party between Dad, Rafe and Maurice. Apparently, Dad went to see Maurice in New York and patched things up.
“Wow,” Lee Ann said softly when Dominique had finished.
“So there is hope for the old man after all,” Justin quipped.
“Maybe he’s softening around the edges with age,” Preston offered.
“Maurice and Aunt Jacquie blamed dad for what happened with Uncle David,” Lee Ann said. “I know Dad can be hard and unbending, but it was and still is difficult for me to believe that he would turn his back on his family. I was always torn between the father I know and what my cousin and aunt accused him of.”
“We’ll never know the truth if Dad won’t talk about it,” Justin said.
“Your father is a man of principles,” Preston interjected. “He’s a man who sticks by his beliefs. He’s one of the few in the senate that can never be swayed by pressure or politics or outside influences. Those are the qualities that have made him an unbeatable legislator. There are many who hate him but they also respect him. I’m sure that whatever transpired all those years ago between him and his brother he never took lightly and he’s carried it with him all these years.”
Lee Ann turned to her husband, her eyes filled with love. Thank you, she mouthed.
“Well, if Dad would go so far as to seek out Maurice to make peace, maybe there is hope for him and Aunt Jacquie, too,” Dominique said.
“Maybe that’s why she came back,” Justin said.
Chapter 10
“I know this is a lot that I’m asking you Rafe, but you have to promise me that you won’t say anything. As soon as I’m strong enough, I’ll be moving to New York. They have some new treatments there that the doctors say may help.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?” he ground out. “What is it about this family that makes us all so self-fucking righteous!” He ran his hand across the smooth dark waves of his head in frustration.
Jacqueline briefly shut her eyes and if she didn’t know better she’d swear it was her brother standing next to her bed and not her nephew. She opened her eyes, stretched out her hand to halt his pacing beside her. “Listen to me, Rafe, you of all people know that I am my own woman. This is my life and I have to live it the way I see fit.” She thought of Raymond and her stomach tumbled. “And sometimes…unfortunately, that means being selfish and not doing what others want you to do. But you do it because you know that it’s best for you.”
Rafe stared down at her, saw the unwavering determination in her eyes that was so much like his own and his father’s. He did understand. For his entire life he’d lived on the edge, bucking authority and tradition, doing what was right for him much to the dismay of family and friends.
He heaved a heavy sigh. “All right,” he finally relented. “If this is what you want. But I plan to be here every day until you get out of that bed.”
She gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you,” she whispered.
A nurse entered the room. “I have to take some blood,” she said, practically batting her eyes at Rafe.
Jacqueline bit back a smile. Rafe stepped aside.
“There’s nothing more for you to do here tonight,” Jacqueline said. “Go home and get some rest. I’m sure I’m in good hands.”
“I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”
“I’m sure I’ll be here,” she tried to joke.
Rafe leaned down and kissed her warm forehead. He turned to the nurse and she nearly gushed. “Take good care of her.”
“Oh, I will.” He gave her a brief nod and the benefit of his winning smile. Her cheeks flushed crimson.
Rafe strode out of the hospital, cutting a devastating figure in his tux. He paid little to no attention to the appreciative and sometimes questioning gazes that were flashed his way as he headed for the exit.
Once behind the wheel of his car he allowed himself a moment to process what little that he knew. He hung his head as a wave of sadness coursed through him. It didn’t have to be this way. It didn’t.
He looked ahead and put the car in gear. Although he’d made a promise to his aunt, he wasn’t sure how long he would be able to keep it or if he should and there was no one he could talk to about it.
* * *
Raymond put his cell phone down on the table. He’d been calling Jacqueline for hours and got nothing more than her voice mail. This was the second day with no word from her. Deep in his gut, the knot that had been there since before he took off for Indonesia had only tightened. Something was wrong. He knew it as sure as he knew his own name. And it had to do with Jacqueline.
She had not been her vivacious self for months. He crossed the room and stood at the terrace door that opened onto the bustling city of Jakarta. He knew that she was hiding something from him. He just didn’t know what it could be, or better yet, why.
He shoved his right hand into his pants pocket and pulled out the diamond ring that he’d been carrying around for weeks, waiting for the right moment. But things had been off between him and Jacquie lately and the right time never seemed to present itself. He stared at the sparkling diamond in his palm, set on a slim platinum band. The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly as he thought about how nervous he was the afternoon when he picked it up from the jeweler.
“Mr. Jennings,” the jeweler had enthusiastically greeted him. “Your ring is ready.”
Raymond felt like a kid getting his first car. Excitement mixed with raw nerves had beat inside his belly. But this was bigger than a first car. It wasn’t only about him. He was preparing to change his life forever. For a woman.
The jeweler turned to the tray of drawers behind the glass counter and pulled one open. He lifted the box marked with Raymond’s name. Reverently he placed the box on the table and slowly opened it, heightening the drama for drama’s sake.
The ring was stunning. It sparkled as the light bounced off of the points making it appear to glow from underneath.
“All done to your specifications, Mr. Jennings. I know she will be very happy.”
Raymond lifted the ring from the velvet casing and held it between two fingers. He would ask her tonight. That was the plan. He’d made reservations at their favorite restaurant. And after a wonderful meal, soft lights, good music and dessert he would pop the question.
He’d been so sure. He’d had it all worked out in his head. He could visualize the look of surprise and then joy on Jacqueline’s face.
Raymond never envisioned himself as the marrying kind. He relished his freedom, his ability to do as he chose, pick up and leave on a whim. The women in his life had to understand and accept that or they were gone. He didn’t do clingy and needy, which, unfortunately many of the women he’d bedded became. But Jacqueline was different. Right from the first night that they’d met, he knew she wasn’t like all the others. She had no more interest in him than a loaf of bread. That intrigued him. Then meeting again half a world away, he knew that destiny had stepped in.
They became not only friends and then lovers but partners in the amazing life that they lived. Together they chronicled the world from the steps of the White House, to uprisings in the farthest corners of the world.
Jacqueline excited him in a way that he could not explain. She was fearless in the most dangerous of situations, daring to go where many of their crew refused, into the mouth of death and danger to get ‘the money shot.’ She was uninhibited in her opinions and equally uninhibited in bed. She never let him doubt what was on her mind and what she wanted. It’s what he loved about her. She’d changed him in ways that he had not anticipated. He’d become settled. His hunger for something new and different was satisfied with Jacquie. He’d stopped looking for the next best thing. He’d found it with her.
Noise from the traffic below floated up to him. He squeezed the ring in his hand before putting it back in his pocket.
Why had he never told her that he loved her? Never said the words. He turned away from the terrace and stepped back inside. He knew. He’d never told her because there was that tiny corner of his heart that remained unsure about her feelings for him. She’d made it clear that her career was her life. Her freedom was like an elixir. And she wasn’t willing to give that up. Even as he’d driven home with the ring burning a hole in his jacket pocket he wasn’t sure that she would say yes. And he knew if he crossed that line with her, asked her that question, there was no turning back. Their relationship would be altered forever—one way or the other.
He was willing to risk a lot of things, bodily injury, incarceration, hunger, thirst, terrorist’s bombings and even hostage situations. But he wasn’t willing to risk losing Jacqueline.
So they’d had that lovely dinner. They’d talked and laughed and came home and made love until the sun rose and finally lulled them to sleep. And the ring remained in his pocket.
His cell phone rang and he quickly crossed the room and snatched it up from the table.
“Hello?”
“Ray, it’s Matt.”
Matthew Davis was his partner on the junket. More than that they were real friends. They had both attended Columbia University’s School of Journalism and wound up competing for many of the same plumb assignments. Understanding that opportunities for young black male journalists were few, they opted to squash the competition and pool their talents. Once that hatchet was buried they became fast friends, finding a love for a good beer, a good basketball game and beautiful, intelligent women. Matt was the only one he’d confided in about buying the ring for Jacquie.
His spirits dipped. “Hey, Matt.”
“Everything is all set up for the interviews this afternoon.”
“Yeah, good.”
“Don’t sound so excited.”
Raymond ran a hand across his face as if he could wipe the worry away. “Sorry, just distracted.”
“Listen we’re free for the morning. Let’s take a ride, see some sights for a change.”
Raymond chuckled halfheartedly. It was true. There was rarely time to actually see the hundreds of places that they’d traveled to. Most of their hours were spent working, negotiating and working some more. Maybe getting out for a while would take his mind off of why he hadn’t heard from Jacqueline in two days.
“Yeah, why not. Give me about five minutes. I’ll meet you in the lobby.” He disconnected the call and tried Jacqueline one more time. Again he got her voice mail. He had one more day in Indonesia and then he would head home. Jacqueline had some explaining to do.
Chapter 11
“Ms. Lawson, I’m Dr. Phillips.”
“Good morning.”
He adjusted his half-framed glasses and flipped through the pages of her chart then focused his green eyes on her. “I spoke with your doctor in L.A. You’ve been on medication for about six months now.”
“Yes.”
“You have discussed your options?”
“Yes.”
“Ms. Lawson, I have to agree with your doctor that the medication is not doing the job. The transplant could make you turn the corner. It’s my opinion and the opinion of my team that it’s the only alternative at this point. You’re at a critical stage.”
Jacqueline’s throat went dry. She’d heard this all before but hearing it again was no easier.
“A family member would—”
“No! I don’t want my family involved.”
“But Ms. Lawson the chances for a full recovery…”
“I said, no, Dr. Phillips. I’ve been advised of all the options available to me. They…have some new medications in New York. I’m lined up for a trial. As soon as I’m able to leave here, I’m going to New York.”
Dr. Phillips removed his glasses and slid them into the breast pocket of his bright white lab coat. He pushed out a long breath. He’d had his share of stubborn patients. He was accustomed to tantrums, denials, begging and even accusations, but it was rare that he found a patient that was unwilling to do whatever was necessary to save their own life.
“We’ll do what we can to get your strength back and your levels up. You can do as you wish once you leave here, Ms. Lawson, but while you are here, you are under my care and supervision. And I will not in good conscience release you until I’m confident that you are up to traveling beyond thi
s hospital room door.”
She sighed in relief.
“Do you think you can at least follow my instructions until then?”
“I’ll try,” she said, a tentative smile on her lips.
“Good. I’ll be back to check on you.” He turned to leave.
“Thank you, doctor,” she called out.
He stopped in the frame of the door, glanced at her for a moment before walking away.
She knew better than anyone what her last chance was—her brother Branford. How could she possibly go to him now after all the bad blood and recriminations that she’d hurled at him? Besides, when he’d had the chance to help their brother David, he didn’t. And there was nothing to make her believe that he would do anything differently when it came to her.
Jacqueline reached for her cell phone that was on the nightstand next to her. She looked at the number of calls from Ray for the past two days. She squeezed her eyes shut against what he must be thinking. She’d gone over her decision a million ways from Sunday. She’d debated telling him what was going on with her, but knowing the outcome, she knew she could not do that to him, bind him to her in sympathy. She couldn’t bear the look in his eyes. That would be worse than what she faced.
For months she’d hidden the truth from him. She attributed her growing fatigue and bouts of illness to travel, pressure from the job, anything but the truth.
One message after the other she deleted. It was better this way.
Steeling herself against what she knew would be Traci’s barrage of questions, she dialed her number in L.A.
“In the hospital? What the hell?”
“Got back to my hotel after the reception and passed out. Nothing serious. They just want to check me out,” she added, not wanting to alarm Traci more than necessary.
“Nothing serious! Jacquie, are you hearing yourself?”
Jacqueline rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not fine. J,” she cried, her voice breaking with emotion. “Don’t do this. At least let me come to Baton Rouge.”