The Forever Gift

by Donna K. Weaver

  She met his gaze, her hands sliding down her dress again. If she was this nervous with him there, how bad would it have been for her to do it alone?

  “You should go first,” he said. “I can follow a few paces behind you.”

  Rae gave a little sigh and headed toward the restaurant. He stared after her, his gaze drawn again to how well that dress fit. Dang, but did she have any idea how hot she was in it? He blinked and looked away, heaving out a breath. She wouldn’t appreciate him gawking at her.

  Dylan strode toward the front of the restaurant where several people stood, including Rae who was scanning the parking lot. It looked like her date wasn’t there yet. Dylan’s spirits lifted; maybe the guy wouldn’t show up. But no. There was no way she’d stay, and he’d be stuck on a solo date with someone Jasmine thought he wasn’t good enough for.

  A flashy late model Jaguar in mint condition pulled up. The driver hopped out and tossed his keys to the valet parking guy in a manner similar to the one Dylan had seen his father use dozens of times. Was it something all the attorneys at his father’s office did? Or had Ben Zabala learned it from Dylan’s dad? Was that the only thing Ben mimicked? If a man like his father could cast off his daughter, what would he do with another man’s children? If Rae fell for a guy like that, what would happen to Preston and Beth?

  Zabala got one of those too-large grins as he approached Rae. He didn’t simply extend his hand but kissed her cheek. Dylan couldn’t understand what they said, but the lawyer must have suggested they go inside because Rae shook her head and indicated Dylan. Zabala glanced his way, his brows darting up in recognition.

  Fortunately, Cynthia’s car drove up. It was obviously her car since she’d had it wrapped with her business name, logo, and web address channel. She stepped out and, like Zabala, handed her keys to the valet. Cynthia was dressed to a tee in a slinky dress that glittered in the early evening sunshine. She wore a fair amount of bling, but it didn’t seem overdone, even to Dylan’s clueless eyes. He felt tacky in his department store suit. Jasmine was right. Cynthia was way out of his league.

  Her gaze stopped on him, and she grinned, raising a hand in greeting.

  “Ooo, Dylan, you look good enough to eat.”

  Her teasing comment drew Rae and Zabala’s attention, and they stared. Dylan’s ears went hot. Her remark matched her text messages and the few telephone chats they’d had. After Jasmine’s comment, he’d found Cynthia’s YouTube channel and watched a few of her videos where she discussed interior design issues. She had a nice balance between talking business with peers and keeping things simple for people like him who knew nothing about it. She was well spoken, though she did tend to turn flirty whenever she had a male guest on her show.

  He’d thought he was used to it. However, in the very public parking lot, in front of Rae and his father’s business partner, it seemed to draw attention to Dylan’s inadequacies. He’d never been into that kind of girl himself, so he hoped she wasn't putting too much stock into their little date. It was obvious to him “they” weren’t going to connect, even if he hadn’t already been into Rae.

  Cynthia moved toward him in a fluid, graceful motion that seemed to ooze sex appeal. She had Zabala’s attention for sure. With Rae on his arm, he watched—practically drooling—as Dylan’s date approached. If Rae’s smirk hadn’t shown how it amused her, he’d have been angry on her behalf. He took his cue from her and greeted Cynthia with a kiss on the cheek. He met Rae’s gaze and gave a small eye roll which almost made her laugh out loud.

  His shoulders relaxed for the first time. Dylan was glad she was there with him. They were bound to laugh over it when the double date was over. He wished all their dates could be doubles. It might actually be fun.

  “The other couple is over there.” He offered Cynthia his arm at the same time he indicated Rae and Zabala.

  He knew it as soon as Cynthia met the attorney’s gaze. It was like something tangible zipped between them. Dylan looked at Rae who was watching it happen with raised brows. Were they seeing love at first sight? Since he knew them both, Dylan made the introductions.

  “Didn’t expect to see you here, Rademaker,” Zabala said.

  “I wondered if Ruben and Ben were the same person.”

  The attorney flushed. “I like to keep my personal and business lives separate.”

  “Do you?” Cynthia asked. “I can’t.”

  “What do you do?” Ben asked.

  She began a long explanation while they entered the restaurant together. Dylan and Rae were left to follow.

  “I’ve never felt so much like an afterthought in my life,” Rae said, looking like she was still trying not to laugh.

  “Do you think they’d notice if we left?” he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. “We’ve got a babysitter for the night. Is there something you’d rather do?”

  “You’re here. I’m here. We arranged this date with Ruben and Cynthia. If they’re so absorbed with each other, we can still have a nice meal. At least this way, we’ll have something to report to Amelia.”

  “Good answer. By the way, I told Mr. G.”

  “Did you?” Rae asked, pausing. “When? What did he say?”

  “I’ll let you know later. Let’s go catch up with our dates,” Dylan said with a chuckle as he offered her his arm.

  Ruben was still chatting away with Cynthia as he paid for his half of the meal. Rae was reaching into her purse to pull out her phone when Dylan’s went off. It was his father’s ringtone. In the last nine months, she’d only heard it twice and both had been about Nora.

  “Excuse me,” Dylan said, fumbling to grab it. “I have to take this.”

  Rae didn’t know what to do since she was technically Ruben’s date. While he and Cynthia continued to talk, Rae watched Dylan where he paced back and forth near the entrance. Even at that distance, she could tell when his shoulders slumped. Something bad had happened.

  “Excuse me, but it appears Dylan and I may have a joint emergency. Same sitter, you know,” Rae said, rising. “Thank you so much for the lovely dinner, Ruben. Cynthia, it’s been a pleasure to meet you.” She didn’t wait for a response but grabbed her purse and hurried to Dylan.

  “Well, thank you for calling to let me know.” Dylan ended the call and looked at Rae. “Nora’s overdosed again.”

  “Is she—” Rae couldn’t bring herself to say the word.

  “No. No.” The last word came out barely a whisper.

  “Where do they have your sister?” When he named the hospital, Rae said, “I’ll bet your father refuses to see her. You have to.”

  “I plan on it.” Dylan rubbed his face, looking lost. “Will you come with me?”

  “Of course.” Rae’s heart ached for him as she took his hand. “I’ll drive.”

  “Thank you.”

  They hurried from the restaurant. Fortunately, she hadn’t used valet parking, so it didn’t take long to reach her car. Rae went over the silly things that had happened during their odd double date, hoping it would be enough to distract him. It must have worked, at least partially, because Dylan would give a soft chuckle every once in a while.

  She found a parking spot near the Emergency entrance, and they hurried inside.

  “Nora Rademaker is in the psychiatric ward,” the attendant said when Dylan asked about his sister.

  Someone coughed, and the woman ducked her head. Dylan had turned at the sound and faced an older woman.

  “I’m Dylan Rademaker, Nora’s brother.” His clasp on Rae’s hand tightened.

  “Is this your wife?”

  He shook his head.

  “I’m Dr. Mackin. I’m glad someone from your family has come.” The hint of accusation made Dylan flinch.

  “He came as soon as he got word,” Rae said in his defense. “Don’t blame him for his father.”

  “I need to have a word with you, sir,” the doctor said.

  “I’ll wait over there.” Rae turned to face Dylan. “Pay close attention
to what she says so you’ll know what we can do to help. I’ll be right out here.”

  He nodded and pulled her in for a quick hug before following the doctor.

  It turned out to be a long wait. Rae stared at the TV but couldn’t concentrate enough to take in any details of the movie. What was the doctor telling Dylan that would take so long? Or had he been allowed to visit his sister? How was he holding up?

  Rae glanced at her phone. Midnight. It was a good thing Amelia had offered to keep the children overnight.

  A door opened, and a haggard-looking Dylan stepped through. Rae jumped to her feet and rushed to take his hand.

  “Is she all right?”

  “She’s alive, if that’s what you mean.” Dylan pulled her into his arms again, his body shuddering.

  He must have managed to keep it together until now, so Rae held him. She’d never met his sister, but the woman’s absence had been an ever-present “elephant in the room” for him and Jayden. When the two had first moved next door to Rae, the little boy had talked about his mother a lot. Whatever other problems she was dealing with, she’d managed to leave him with good memories.

  “Thank you.” Dylan released her and wiped his eyes. “Can we get a coffee? I have to talk about this.”

  “Whatever you need.” Rae took his hand, and they headed out to her car.

  He didn’t say anything until they’d been seated in the all-night diner and ordered their drinks.

  “When that woman said Nora was in the psych ward, I assumed she’d attempted suicide.” Dylan stared past Rae, out the window.

  “I wondered that too.” She leaned back so the server could put a mug of hot chocolate on the table and then topped Dylan’s cup of coffee. “Nora didn’t?”

  “The doctor didn’t think it was a conscious attempt.” He met Rae’s gaze, the shadows under his eyes even more pronounced.

  “Then why the psych ward?”

  “Because she was hallucinating. She looked awful, Rae.” Dylan buried his face in his hands. All she could do was reach across the table and touch his arm. He finally looked up. “I asked if she wanted to see Jayden. I thought it might give her a reason to keep trying, but Nora freaked out. She screamed that she’d stayed away to protect him.” Dylan’s voice dropped to barely more than a whisper. “She said she doesn’t want his memories to be of her like she is now.”

  The hot chocolate sat in her stomach like a weight. “It sounds like your sister expects she’s going to die.”

  “Yeah. Nora’s dying, if only by slow starvation. She’s skin and bones.” Dylan’s voice cracked. “I don’t know what to do for her.”

  “I don’t see how you can do any more than you’re already doing by keeping her son safe and happy.”

  “You’re probably right. At least she has peace of mind there.” He signaled the server for the bill. “Let’s get you back home. I didn’t mean to keep you so long.”

  “I’m glad you did.” Rae was pleased she’d finally been able to return the favor even in this small way. Dylan had been there for her so many times.

  Because of the late night, Dylan slept in. What would he have done if Rae hadn’t been there? At least they’d been able to laugh about that ridiculous joint date. He gave a dark chuckle, remembering the magnetic attraction between Cynthia and Ben. Nice that some people were finding love.

  With a sigh, Dylan checked his phone for messages. Nothing. He called the hospital about his sister. He was given the run around. It seemed she’d been moved to a regular room.

  “I’m sorry, sir. Ms. Rademaker checked herself out.”

  “What?” Dylan scrambled out of his bed. “Why would anyone in their right mind let her do that?”

  “Mr. Rademaker,” another voice said, this one more authoritative. “Your sister wasn’t being held on a court order, and she wasn’t a danger to herself or others. She had the right to leave.”

  “Of course.” He sank to his bed, defeated. “Thank you for telling me.”

  Dylan didn’t know how long he sat there staring at nothing. Finally, he woke his phone again and called his father.

  “Dad, I’d like to see about getting access to my trust.”

  “Good morning to you too.”

  Dylan debated if he should mention Nora, but he was curious to see if his father would first.

  “Sorry. Good morning. I had dinner with Ben last night.”

  “Zabala?” His father’s voice had taken on an assessing tone. “Are you considering going back to school?”

  “I have gone back to school. I’m studying business management.” Dylan took a deep breath. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you about the trust.”

  “You want to use some of the money to pay for your schooling?”

  “No. I want to use it as a down payment to buy a business.”

  There was silence on the other end. No surprise there. If someone had suggested to Dylan a month ago he’d be planning to buy his employer’s company, he’d have been speechless too.

  “What business?” his father finally asked.

  “Green Pest Control.” Dylan went into an explanation of the offer before his father could start attacking the idea.

  “And if I refuse to release the funds for this?”

  “Then we’ll be a little more creative with the financing. I get the money when I’m thirty, regardless, and I’ve got a lot to learn in the interim. We’ve yet to work out the details, but I’ll hire a personal attorney to make sure I do this right.”

  “Is that why you had dinner with Ben?”

  “No,” Dylan said, surprised his father hadn’t trashed the idea. “I went on a double date with a friend, and he happened to be the other guy.”

  “Well, he’d be a good choice. This is his specialty.”

  “That’s good to know. So, about the trust—”

  “No.”

  Just like that. His father’s voice wasn’t angry, but his tone was final. Dylan had expected arguments and derogatory comments, so a simple “no” was an improvement. He was careful to sound calm.

  “That’s what I needed to know. Thanks for the tip about Ben. I’ll have to see if I can afford him.” Before he could lose his nerve, he added, “Nora checked out of the hospital.”

  “What?”

  “Nora. Your daughter. You do remember her, don’t you?”

  “I told you last night—”

  “She looks bad, Dad,” Dylan interrupted. “Like on death’s door bad.”

  “I can’t help someone who won’t help herself.” For the first time in his memory, his father sounded sad. Defeated.

  “I know.”

  “Do you have permanent custody of the boy?”

  Dylan’s body flushed hot with anger. “Do you mean Jayden? He’s your only grandchild, whose name you can never remember.”

  “Do you need anything else?” His father asked stiffly, like he wanted to say more but was controlling himself.

  “Not from you.” Dylan couldn’t keep the animosity from his voice.

  “Just make sure you’re legally Jayden’s guardian.” His father sounded angry too. “If she dies, you don’t want the state taking him away from you. Keep me informed.” He ended the call.

  Dylan stared at his phone. He wanted nothing more than to dial his father again and say all the things he’d been wanting to for years. Instead, he took a deep breath. Amelia and her church friends would counsel him against it, and they were probably right. Rae was always telling him he needed to let go of his hard feelings.

  For Jayden’s benefit, Dylan would work on it.

  6

  “Good morning, love,” Jason said from behind Rae as she reached the office entrance the next morning.

  “Hey.” She turned the key and opened the door. He’d been gone on vacation, and it was the first time she’d seen him in a week.

  “You’re extra early this morning,” he said, following her into her office.

  “My son has a doctor’s appointment this a
fternoon, so I’m making up my time.” She expected him to go into the termite inspector’s office immediately, but he didn’t.

  “Is he sick?” Jason took the seat beside her desk.

  “No, it’s for this fall, when he’ll be starting kindergarten. It’s like a physical with a review of his shots.”

  Jason reached over and picked up the photo she had on her desk. It was one Amelia had taken the day of the flash mob last Christmas. Rae wondered again how she’d have gotten through the holidays if not for Dylan and Jayden.

  “Can I help you with something?” she asked, opening her desk drawer and putting her purse inside.

  Jason returned the picture to her desk. “I understand from Jasmine you’re on eRapport.”

  Rae wished, as she often had over the past year, the girl had a life so she didn’t feel the need to gossip about her coworkers all the time. Though, in all honesty, it was a miracle Jason hadn’t heard about it sooner.

  “I’m not sure that’s any of your business,” Rae said, keeping her voice low. She didn’t want to feed any more gossip.

  “I’m merely an interested party. If you’re ready to date again, I’d like very much to take you out to dinner,” Jason said in his usual flirty tone.

  Did he even know how to talk to a female without coming on to her? She’d liked him so much better when he’d treated her like a coworker.

  Rae met his gaze, and he did his brooding thing. It made her think of Amelia’s comment that Jason was hot enough to melt paint, but it only struck Rae as a poor case of acting. Before she could stop herself, she burst out with a laugh. Trying to choke it back, she covered her mouth.

  Jason’s entire persona changed as if he were a hopeful child who’d suffered a smack-down. If she’d trusted it was sincere, she’d have felt bad. She decided to be frank with him. If he couldn’t take it, then he didn’t really want to spend time with her.

  “Are you really able to charm women by putting on that brooding look?” Rae went for a teasing tone. She wanted to be honest but not hurtful, if she could help it.