Chapter 12
An insistent, impatient knocking awoke Erin from a night whose fitful sleep had been interrupted by dismal nightmares. The dull ache in her head increased with each knock on her front door. “I’m coming,” she groaned, running her fingers through her tangled hair and hoping that her response would stop whoever it was from making any further racket.
Jerking on her peach-colored terry robe, she cinched the belt tightly around her waist and glanced haphazardly into the mirror over the bureau. The reflection that stared back at her was disheartening—the long, anxious night had taken its toll on her face. Large blue circles under her eyes intensified the pale, washed-out complexion of her face. The large eyes that had always sparkled seemed lifeless, and her black hair hung in tangled curls against her neck.
The pounding started up again. “I’m coming,” Erin repeated loudly, and wondered who would be calling so insistently at seven in the morning. The knocking subsided for a minute. Erin half expected to see Kane when she opened the door and braced herself for whatever confrontation might occur when she came face-to-face with him. “Just a minute,” she called through the wood panels, and tugged the door open.
What she hadn’t expected to see on her doorstep—not in a million years—was Lee. His blond hair was meticulously combed and his blue eyes were as brilliant as ever, perhaps even more so. He was perched atop the polished wood railing of the landing. One arm was bent around a carved banister to aid his balance. His casual slouch, accented by faded jeans and a lightweight sport shirt was a theatrical display of relaxation by design, belied only by the tiny muscle that worked constantly near the back of his jaw.
“Hi, babe.” He greeted her with a wink and gave her a long, suggestive head-to-toe appraisal. “Rough night?” A smile, boyish yet sinister, curved his thin lips.
After the initial shock of seeing him, Erin regained her composure and propped her shoulder against the doorjamb, keeping a careful distance between them. Without conscious thought, she tugged on the belt of her robe and pulled it more tightly around her slim waist.
“I’ll ignore your insinuations for now,” she replied with a plastic copy of his smirk pasted on her face. “What are you doing here?”
Hopping off the railing in a lithe movement, he responded, “I couldn’t seem to get through to you on the phone. So I decided if Mohammed wouldn’t come to the mountainc.”
“I get the gist,” she retorted coldly. She could feel an uneasy caution tighten the muscles of her back. “That doesn’t explain why you’re here, banging on my door loudly enough to wake up the entire neighborhood at seven in the morning. What do you want?”
“How about a cup of your coffee, for starters. From there, who knows how far our relationship can progress?” There was another long, suggestive look.
“I’m sorry, Lee, but as you already guessed, I did have a rough night last night. I’m tired and I’m not up to playing word games with you. Why don’t you just tell me what it is you want? Then you can leave.” She crossed her arms over her breasts to shield herself from his gaze. Lee made her uncomfortable, but she did her best to hide her apprehension.
“Why are you always so suspicious of me?” he asked in a low voice that was meant to be hypnotic.
“Because I know you.”
“Erin, baby,” he cooed, coming more closely to her. Involuntarily she shrank back. “What’s happened to you? Let me make you feel better.”
“And just how do you think you could do that?” she asked wryly, a grim smile twisting her lips and her black brows cocking nervously.
“We used to get along just fine,” he suggested smoothly, and his hand reached out to trace the neckline of her robe.
Jerking away from him, Erin glared at his bemused face. “Look, Lee, just say whatever it is you think you have to say to me and then leave.” She paused for a moment, and then continued. “What is it? Do you need money again?”
Sandy-blond eyebrows shot up with undisguised interest. “Ah, well, that’s not the main reason that I came over here, but now that you mention it, I could use a few bucks.” He smiled his most winning smile and shrugged his shoulders. Erin was surprised at her reaction, total disinterest in his most becoming grin. “You know how it is—I had a run of bad luck.”
“Haven’t we all?” she muttered under her breath, and raked her fingers through her tangled black curls.
“Ah, come on, Erin. Don’t give me that. The way I hear it, you’re loaded.”
“Is that the way you hear it?” She laughed tightly, despite the headache that was pounding relentlessly in her ears. “I guess you’ve got the wrong information.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, a sudden seriousness killing his smile. He looks old, Erin thought to herself. The sunny college-boy looks only survived when he smiled.
“What I mean, Lee, is that I’m out of a job,” she explained, her words a little less caustic than they had been. “I’m sorry. I can’t loan you any money. I just don’t have it.”
“You? You’ve got to be kidding!”
“I’m not!” She shook her head to emphasize her point.
“You must have a savings account—something!”
“Not much,” she admitted. “And anyway, I don’t feel that I owe you any favors. That might sound a little cold-blooded, but it’s the way I feel.”
Lee began to bite his lower lip, and his eyes darted around the landing. “Look, babe, I’m desperate. I need to get my hands on some bread, and fast!”
“Why don’t you get a job?” she asked, and hated herself for the acidic sound of the sarcasm.
A stricken expression covered Lee’s face. “A job? I’ve been looking for a job night and day. It’scjust that the rightcopportunity hasn’t presented itself.”
Erin rubbed her hands against her temples and gave Lee a final sorrowful expression. “I’m sorry about that too,” she said honestly, “but if you don’t mind, I’m tired, and I’m going back to bed.” He must have misinterpreted her feelings, because as she reached for the handle of the door, Lee was against her, his body molding tightly to hers. She tried to wriggle out of his embrace, but there was no escape.
“Erin, baby,” he growled. “Why do you enjoy teasing me?”
“What? Lee, let go of me. What are you doing?” She felt the power of his body push against her and force her rigidly against the cold hardwood. His hands reached for the knotted belt of her robe, and she could feel his long, cold fingers probe against the flimsy fabric of her nightgown. A shudder of fear stiffened her spine.
“Let me go,” she hissed, but his lips, dispassionately cool, descended on her open mouth. A sinking sensation of fear swept over her as his tongue pressed ruthlessly against her gums. With all the strength she could gather, she lifted her bare foot and hoisted her knee sharply upward, but Lee had anticipated the move and dodged the misplaced blow.
“So you want to play rough,” he growled, and pulled her hands over her head to pin them cruelly against the door frame.
“Lee! Stop this. You’re acting like a lunatic,” she asserted, but the command in her voice was diminished by the fact that her words were trembling.
“Let her go!” Kane’s voice commanded from the lower landing. At the sound Lee turned.
“What?” Lee studied the source of the noise. The man, tall and dark, was stripped to the waist, wearing only faded jeans as he began to slowly ascend the stairs. “Hey, look, mister,” Lee said guardedly. “Why don’t you mind your own business? This is my wifec.” Lee jerked his head in Erin’s direction. “We’re just having a little disagreementc.”
“I don’t think so.” Kane mounted the stairs and stood only a few feet from Lee. His gray eyes glinted like steel, and though his voice was outwardly calm and solicitous, his clenched fists and hardened jaw reinforced his words. “Do you have a hearing problem?” he asked. “I told you to let her go!”
Reluctantly Lee stepped away from Erin and glowered menacingly at Kane. “Just who the hell do you think you are?” he snapped, while Erin crumpled in the doorway. The smell of a fight was in the air.
“I was just about to ask you that same question,” Kane’s calm, hard voice rejoined.
“I’m her husband!” Lee snarled, tossing a look of red-hot anger and rage toward Erin.
“Ex-husband,” Kane corrected. “And what sort of power does that title give you? The right to rough up the lady?”
“I wasn’tc”
Kane’s fury snapped and his eyes sparked disgusted fire. “Don’t bother with any of your explanations. Just get out before I throw you over this railing!” Kane’s voice had risen with his anger, and Erin saw Lee gulp and hesitate, casting a final threatening glance in her direction.
“I’d just like to see you try,” Lee warned back to Kane. A light of grim satisfaction warmed Kane’s face. Lee saw the reaction and slowly, carefully backed down the stairs.
“And just one more thing, Sinclair,” Kane cautioned with an evil smile. “If I ever so much as hear that you’ve been bothering Erin again, I won’t wait for you to show up. I’ll come looking for you!”
Lee hastened down the remainder of the stairs, the front door crashed closed, and for a few seconds there was silence. Only the feeling of electricity crackling in the air disturbed the tranquillity of the moment until the noise of a racing engine split the silence as it roared angrily down the hill. Erin sighed as she realized that Lee was finally gone.
“I can’t say much for your taste in husbands,” Kane commented dryly. The grim set of his jaw hadn’t relaxed.
“He’s not so bad,” Erin replied uneasily, as if convincing herself. “Not really, he’s just had a run of bad luckc.”
“Bad luck?” Kane threw his hands over his head in exasperation. “That gives him the right to come in here and force himself on you?” He regarded her ruefully, since she looked so small and vulnerable this morning. “Erin, you are incredibly naive! What is it with you anyway?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, feeling herself start to bristle, partially because she knew that he was close to the truth.
“I mean, first, Mitchell Cameron—you defend him to the hilt when he’s an A-1 jackass—”
“Now, wait a minute,” Erin gasped.
“No, you wait a minute! And now your husband, pardon me, your unfortunate ex-husband who’s had ‘a run of bad luck,’ so he takes it out on you by almostc” His pause was effective, and Erin’s face flooded with color. “Erin, don’t you see? Sinclair’s a bastard, a loser. You should know that better than anyone. As far as I can see, so far you’ve had a pretty poor track record of picking male companions!”
“Is that a fact?” she fired back at him, her temper sparking. “Does that include the latest man in my life? You remember him—a wonderful guy. I trusted him completely only to discover that he thinks I’m a crook!” Sarcasm flavored her words with bitterness.
Kane looked as if he’d been slapped. The stunned expression on his face and the sudden dead look in his eyes tore at Erin’s heart, but she proudly held her ground. It would be too easy to forgive him, too easy to let him back into her heart.
His shoulders relaxed, the firm muscles slackening. “So that’s how it stands, does it? You won’t let me help you?”
“I don’t need any help. I’m innocent,” she maintained defiantly.
“Would it make you feel better to know that I believe you?”
“Ha! Then why did you accuse me of thievery last night? Why did you wait all this time? Why didn’t you just ask me what I knew about the embezzlement and the fact that there is supposedly an accomplice? Why did you wait,” she asked, her voice quaking, and her eyes meeting his with accusation, “all the while silently condemning me with your eyes!”
“Oh, God, Erin,” he groaned. “I’m so sorry—I was hoping that maybe you had changed your mindc.”
“No!” She shook her head firmly, but her voice softened. “Look.” She reached out to touch his arm, but he jerked away from her. “I want to thank you for helping me with Lee. Hecwascgetting a little out of hand.”
“Erin,” Kane’s voice was steady and low. He stood half-supported by the railing, his head drooping down and facing the lobby two stories below him. “I want you to marry me. I need you to be my wife, and Krista needs a mother. Perhaps I judged you too quickly, but it was only because I was afraid of the truth. I wanted to talk to you about it earlier.” His eyes rolled heavenward and his voice became husky. “God, how many times did I try?” He shook his head disconsolately and continued to stare blankly ahead of him. “But I just couldn’t.”
“Because you didn’t trust me. You couldn’t find it in your heart to accept my innocence,” Erin added in a flat, dead voice.
“There are other possibilities. The accomplice has to be in the legal departmentc.”
“But I was the most convenient choice. The easiest target, right?”
His silence was as condemning as the pained droop of his shoulders. “Oh, God, Erin. Just believe that I love you!” he pleaded.
“I guess you and I have a different meaning for the word,” she replied, her voice broken by emotion. “Goodbye, Kane,” she whispered as she slipped through the door and listened to the sound of his footsteps retreating heavily down the stairs. Biting back the tears that were struggling to fill her eyes, she hurried to the bedroom and pulled out her worn leather suitcase. She tossed it recklessly on the bed. “You’re a coward,” she snipped at herself, “running from the truth that you love him, and no matter what he’s done, the one thing that you want most in life is to be his wife.” Her tiny fist balled up and crashed down on the suitcase. Damn! Why am I such a fool? For an instant she thought about running after him and throwing herself into his arms, but her pride forced her to restrain herself. He thinks you’re a thief, she reminded herself, and the feeling of cold betrayal once again settled upon her. Hurriedly she tossed the rest of her things haphazardly into the suitcase and snapped it shut. She looked around the bedroom to see if she needed anything else but found that she had to get out of the room. It was too crowded with memories, gloriously happy memories of making love to Kane in her bed.
With shaking, unsteady hands she dialed the phone and made reservations for the week. Then, as calmly as possible, she wrote down the phone number and address of the hotel and placed it in an envelope before sitting down near the window and waiting. It wasn’t long, maybe only ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity to Erin before she saw Kane walk out toward his car. Fortunately Krista was with him. Erin managed a smile through her tears as she saw that Krista was able to walk to the car with her father’s assistance. Although she leaned heavily on Kane, the girl stumbled only once and he was able to catch her. The playful little kitten followed along. There appeared to be a slight argument of some sort, and Erin guessed that it had to do with the cat. Kane was shaking his head, but in the end, the black ball of fur was allowed to tag along for the ride.
After Kane’s car was out of sight, Erin hurried out of her apartment and sprinted down the stairs to knock on Mrs. Cavenaugh’s door. Erin tapped lightly against the wood, and the door was opened in an instant. The little old woman was up and dressed, as if she were expecting company.
“Good morning,” the gray-haired lady said cheerily, her wise blue eyes flicking from Erin’s distressed face to the suitcase in her hands. “Good morning, Mrs. Cavenaugh,” Erin replied. “IcI’ve got to leave town for a whilec.”
Mrs. Cavenaugh’s gray eyebrows shot upward and her mouth pursed into an expression of distaste. Erin continued. “Urgent businesscI’ll be gone for a week, maybe longer. In this envelope is the telephone number and address of the hotel where I can be reached in case of an emergencyc.”
“Erin,” Mrs. Cavenaugh’s calm voice broke into her chatter. “You know that I hate to pry, but what’s the matter? Did something happen between you and Kane?” Kind, concerned blue eyes probed Erin’s rigid face.
“Whatcwhat do you mean?”
“I mean ‘leaving town because of urgent business’ is a trifle overused.” A wry smile twisted the wrinkled face. “Honestly I would have expected something with a little more imagination.”
“Well, it’s the truth,” Erin maintained.
“And you’re a terrible liar.”
“Mrs. Cavenaugh, I’m not lying, honestly. Something has come up, something I can’t deal with. I need a little time and distance in order to sort things out.”
Mrs. Cavenaugh’s knowing smile broadened. “Well, at least you’re opening up a little. I understand that you might need a little space, isn’t that what they say these days? I can’t argue with that, butc.”
“What?”
“Well, don’t let your pride come between you and something you really want.”
Erin sucked in her breath. “You mean Kane, don’t you?” she sighed dismally and broke eye contact with her elderly tenant.
“He’s a man who loves you dearly. And his daughter!” The old lady threw up her hands and shook her head at the incredulity of the situation.
“Krista? What about Krista?” Erin asked, her voice full of concern.
“Oh, nothing other than the fact that she worships the ground you walk on.”
“Be serious!”
“I am—I’ve never seen the likes of it! Oh, at first, I’ll grant you she was determined to hate you. But can you blame the child—losing a mother the way she did? All she had left was her father, and she didn’t want to share him. But now—” Mrs. Cavenaugh moved her head thoughtfully “—that poor girl can talk of nothing but you—except for the kitten of course.”
The lump in Erin’s throat began to swell, and some of her firm resolve began to be chipped at. Mrs. Cavenaugh was working on her; Erin knew it, but she couldn’t help but hope that there was just a sliver of truth in the sweet old woman’s words.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Cavenaugh,” Erin managed, looking hastily at her watch, “but I’ve really got to run. Now, promise me that under no circumstances will you tell Kane where I am!”
“I don’t know if I can do that,” the older woman replied honestly.
“You have to! I need time to myself.”
“Well, if you’re so dead set against it, I’ll give you my word,” Mrs. Cavenaugh unwillingly agreed.
“Thanks,” Erin sighed, kissing her friend lightly on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Dear,” Mrs. Cavenaugh said, placing a bony hand on Erin’s sleeve. “Do be careful.”
“I will,” Erin promised, and turned to leave the apartment building. She could feel Mrs. Cavenaugh’s kind eyes boring into her back as she walked to her car, but she didn’t have the heart to turn and wave. It took all her strength to hoist her suitcase into the car, start the engine and race down the hill toward the city and the waterfront.
* * *
Once back in Deer Harbor on Orcas Island in the San Juans, Erin realized what a disastrous mistake she had made in returning to the island where she had had such a carefree and loving existence with Kane only a few weeks earlier. Although she was far removed from the rustic cabin that they had shared together, memories of the small town still burned in her brain, and it seemed that she couldn’t walk anywhere without coming face-to-face with memories of Kane. The pain in her heart didn’t disappear.
The seasons had changed in the past weeks, and each day was as gray and cold as the Pacific Ocean. Wind and rain deluged the coastal town, and although Erin tried several kinds of outdoor amusements, she found that most of her days were spent inside her tiny hotel room staring vacantly at the television or brooding about the turn of events in her life. Knowing that her attitude was as discouraging as the somber, gray rain-washed days, she attempted to pull herself out of her depression, but found it impossible. Nothing seemed to work. And thoughts of Krista and the fact that she hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye to the lonely girl only made Erin more miserable and guilt-ridden. While the island had once been a haven, now it seemed like a prison, but Erin elected to continue her confinement until she could no longer afford it. How could she possibly go home to an empty house and no job?
It had been over a week, and the depression still clung to her like a heavy shroud when she picked up the Seattle newspaper to look through the classified advertisements in search of employment. As usual, the openings for legal assistants were few, and Erin faced the fact that it would be more difficult than she had first imagined to find a decent position. Disinterestedly she perused the rest of the paper and stopped at the financial section. A photograph of the bank building with a caption concerning the embezzlement caught her eye. With more interest than she had felt for days, she began to read the article. As the meaning of each sentence in the column became clear to her, Erin began to feel her stomach churn with emotions of rage and disgust. According to the article, Mitchell Cameron had in fact worked with an accomplice—a woman with whom he had shared responsibility for years—Miss
Olivia Parsons. The article explained the scam more fully and the fact that the scheme was so elaborate that it had taken the auditing staff and the president of the bank a lengthy amount of time to prove the guilt of the parties involved.
Erin felt a growing nausea as she read the article, and when she had finished, she tossed the newspaper into the wastebasket near her bed. Never would she have suspected Olivia of doing anything illegal. Just like Mitch, Olivia seemed far too professional to stoop to thievery. The delight that Erin should have experienced as she realized that she was no longer under suspicion of the crime seemed to have soured as she thought of Mitch and Olivia, two respected members of the banking industry who had tossed away their careers and possibly their lives for greed. Erin wondered what could have caused their joint journey into crime.
Two days later Erin began preparing for her trip home to Seattle. She had been gone far too long already, and her money was running out. She realized that she couldn’t run away from Kane and her love for him, and there was really no reason to linger on the island.
Just as Erin began to pack her things, the telephone jarred the stillness of the hotel room. For several seconds Erin just stared at the telephone, wondering who would be calling her. Kane? Unlikely. A wrong number? Perhaps. Her heart began to thud wildly in her chest as she reached for the receiver.
“Hello?” she inquired, and felt a welling sense of dread when she recognized Mrs. Cavenaugh’s unsteady voice.
“Erin—Erin, is that you?” the old lady demanded.
“Yes, it’s Ic.what happened?” Erin asked, convinced that Mrs. Cavenaugh wouldn’t call unless there was an emergency of some sort. Nervously she bit at her thumbnail.
“Oh—I know that he told me not to call, but I knew that you would want to know. It’s just awful—I really don’t know what to do. Dear Lord in heaven!” The little old lady continued to ramble in endless circles of words and phrases that meant nothing to Erin. Apprehensively Erin interrupted.
“Mrs. Cavenaugh! What’s wrong? Try and pull yourself together and just tell me what’s the matter.” The hairs on the back of Erin’s neck began to stand on end.
“It’s Krista,” Mrs. Cavenaugh moaned in a voice so low that Erin thought perhaps she had misunderstood.
“Krista?” Erin echoed. “Oh, God, what’s happened to her?” Erin’s heart leaped to her throat and her pulse began to race. Tiny droplets of perspiration moistened her skin, and she felt her knees give way as she sank against the bed.
“Oh, Erin, it’s so awful. Ever since you’ve been gone, Kane, well he hasn’t been himself—in a terribly foul mood.” Erin swallowed hard and tried to press back the feelings of guilt that assailed her. “And Krista, well, she didn’t fare any better. Shecwithdrew. You know. You remember what she was like when she first arrived in Seattlec.” Erin gasped, and the little lady reassured her. “It wasn’t nearly that bad, you understand, but still she just wasn’t her cheery self. I’m afraid that she’s missed you terribly.”
Erin closed her eyes and leaned her head against the headboard of the bed for support. “She didn’t stop walking, did she?” Erin held her breath.
“Thank goodness—no.” Erin let the air escape from her lungs in a rush. “However, she was distracted, wouldn’t eat, was thoroughly depressed.” Erin felt as if a knife were being slowly twisted in her stomach. How could she have been so heartless as to have left Krista without explaining anything? Mrs. Cavenaugh continued. “And then, late this morningcwell, Krista was chasing that little kitten of hers, and it scrambled up the stairs. She tried to follow it but fell. She hit her head on the bottom step.”
“Oh, no,” Erin gasped, the color draining from her face. “Is—is she seriously injured?”
“Well, that’s just it. No one seems to know for sure. She’s still in the hospital for observation, been there all day as far as I know. I think she regained consciousness, but I’m not really certain.” The elderly woman’s voice had begun to quake, and Erin felt herself shiver.
“Mrs. Cavenaugh, where is Krista?”
“Virginia Mason Hospital on First Hill, but you shouldn’t go there. Kane’s there and he specifically instructed me not to tell you.”
Erin stifled the sob that threatened to belie her calm words. “Don’t worry about Kane. I can handle him—I’m leaving as soon as possible. I’ll see you when I get home.”
“Good.”
“Oh, and Mrs. Cavenaugh?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for calling.”
“I knew that you’d want to know,” came the somber reply.
Erin stripped her things out of the closet and dresser. As hastily as possible she threw them into her case, paid the hotel bill and rented a small boat back to the mainland. It wasn’t easy to find someone who was willing to take her out in the stormy weather, but fortunately she found a young sailor with a sense of adventure who loved to make a quick buck.
The rain washed down in torrents and the small craft rocked and lurched against the rough whitecapped waters of the sound. Several times the boat rocked so crazily that Erin was sure that they would capsize, but the steady hand of the dark-complexioned young man kept the tiny craft miraculously on course. The wind tore at Erin’s face, pelting it with cold rain, and whipping her long black hair away from her neck. But she continued to watch the shoreline and prayed that Mrs. Cavenaugh had exaggerated Krista’s condition.
“Hey, lady,” her companion called to her over the roar of the boat’s engine and the howl of the wind. “Would you like something to drink? I’ve got a thermos of coffee, orcsomething stronger, if you like rye whisky.”
Erin shook her head. The thought of something in her already-knotted stomach made her want to gag. “Nocthank you. I’m fine.”
“You sure?” he asked, not convinced. The young woman was pale and scared, and deep lines of concern creased her otherwise beautiful face.
“Yes, really,” Erin asserted, and managed a wan smile. The young man lifted his shoulders and turned his attention back to the sea. The remainder of the trip was made in silence. It seemed an eternity before Erin was on solid ground once again.
Virginia Mason Hospital stood out starkly white against a threatening charcoal-gray sky. Inside, the corridors were hushed, and the white walls were only made more severe by the garish splotches of color in the modern-art prints that hung on the walls. The bustling, white-uniformed staff, the mechanical groans of the elevators, and the overall oppressive silence gave Erin a strange sense of impending doom.
Room 538 was easy enough to find, and Erin braced herself to enter the white cubicle just as a portly nurse in a neatly starched uniform approached her.
“Looking for someone?” the nurse asked in a professional voice. There was a calm smile on the broad face that spoke of authority and efficiency. “Can I help you?”
“I hope so. I’m a close friend of Krista Webster. I just found out about the accident today, and I hurried over here as quickly as I could.” The disapproving brown eyes of the nurse studied Erin, and for the first time she realized what she must look like in her rain-drenched clothing and wet hair.
“You’re not a member of the family?”
“Nocnot exactly.” Erin shook her head.
The nurse placed a friendly hand on Erin’s arm. “I’m sorry, but only family members are allowed to visit Miss Webster. Perhaps you would like to wait in the lobby? There’s a coffee machine and some magazinesc.”
Erin refused to be brushed off. “Can you at least tell me how she is? Will she be all right? IcI have to know!”
“I understand,” the nurse replied, and Erin felt that those wide, brown eyes and large, kindly face wouldn’t lie. “Krista had a very bad fall and suffered a concussion, but Dr. Sampson is caring for her and the prognosis is very hopeful.”
“Butcwhat does that mean, exactly? Will she recover? Will she be able to walk again?”
The nurse was steering Erin toward the waiting room. “Don’t worry. Dr. Sampson is a very capable doctor, and he has the entire staff of the hospital to support him.” With that, the nurse excused herself to answer another patient’s call, and Erin found herself alone in the clinically clean waiting room with its ancient magazines and battered plastic furniture. She waited impatiently, staring out the window at the gloomy city, and ignored the stacks of outdated magazines that cluttered the table, while she sipped bitter coffee from a machine that looked as old as the hospital.
The sound of a familiar voice startled her, and she pulled her gaze from the dismal gray sky and the gathering dusk into the direction of the deep-timbred sound that made her heart leap. For several seconds she found it impossible to move or to speak as she studied Kane, his face lined with concern. He was speaking in low tones to a short, balding man with heavy glasses. The identification tag indicated that he was Dr. Sampson. The conversation was short and one-sided, with Dr. Sampson explaining Krista’s condition in medical terms. Although the doctor seemed optimistic, Kane’s entire bearing was a slouch of resignation and grim defeat. Erin felt her eyes burn with tears as she saw the pain and confusion in Kane’s normally clear gaze. He loves Krista so much, Erin thought, and he is hurting so badly. She felt the urge to run to him, to comfort him, to love him, but she restrained herself.
Dr. Sampson excused himself, and Kane stood transfixed in the waiting area. He hadn’t noticed Erin yet; he was too preoccupied with his own black thoughts. Suddenly she felt very out of place, an intruder. How would he feel when he finally saw her? How could she explain how she felt about him and his daughter, the love that was smothering her in its encompassing grasp? He had instructed Mrs. Cavenaugh not to call Erin. Perhaps he truly didn’t want to see her. What would he do?
Her conjecture was cut short as Kane whirled to face her. It was as if he had sensed her presence and her uncertainty. His expression was cold, guarded, and Erin felt her heart stop as her eyes clashed with his brittle gray gaze.
“Erin?” His dark brows drew together. “How did you know?”
“Mrs. Cavenaugh told me.”
“That woman can’t keep a secret to save her soul!” He bit out the words and Erin wondered once again if she had made a grave mistake by intruding into his private grief. She took a step toward him and stopped. There was so much to say, so great a misunderstanding to bridge, and she wondered if it was at all possible.
“I’m sorry about Krista,” she whispered, and the pain in her eyes was undeniable.
She saw him hesitate for a moment. He closed his eyes and seemed to give into the pressure that was battering against him. When he opened his eyes, they were clear once again, and in swift strides, he was by her side.
“I’m glad you came,” he admitted, his voice rough from the strain of the day.
“Didn’t you know that I would?”
“Erin, I don’t know anything, not anymore!” His confession was a sigh of disgust.
“How—how is Krista?”
Lowering himself onto the edge of the plastic orange couch, he rubbed the tension from the back of his neck and ground his jaws together. When he spoke, it was in a monotone. “Dr. Sampson seems to think that she’ll be fine, even taking into consideration her previous problem. She’s got a concussion, but supposedly it’s not serious, or at least not too serious. She was unconscious for a while, but she came to. Now she’s resting. They gave her something—a sedative. The doctor thinks she’ll wake up soon and that I can see her. God, I hope so. This waiting and not knowing is driving me up a wall.” His long fingers raked deep gorges in his thick chestnut hair.
Erin sat next to him, not knowing the comforting words that would soothe him. They sat only inches apart, and yet Erin felt as if it might have been miles. Kane’s eyes remained closed as if he were frighteningly weary and unable to face the trauma that was in store for him.
At the sound of Dr. Sampson’s clipped footsteps Kane’s eyelids flew open, and he was on his feet in a moment. “How is she?” he asked.
The pudgy doctor smiled. “You worry too much, Mr. Webster. Krista is going to be just fine. As a matter of fact, she’s coming around now. You can see her if you like.”
Erin couldn’t keep up with Kane’s swift strides as he nearly ran back to Krista’s room. The frail figure in the hospital bed brought back Erin’s earlier feelings of apprehension and dread. Krista’s complexion was nearly as white as the stark bedsheets that draped her, and the bandage on her head only seemed to add to her fragile appearance. A colorless fluid dripped into Krista’s arm from a suspended I.V. bottle positioned near the bed. The tiny arm was secured to the bedrail by a strip of gauze.
Krista’s eyes fluttered open after what seemed like hours, and a look of utter confusion and fear crossed her small face as she called to her father.
“Daddy?”
Kane’s voice cracked with emotion as he responded. “Krista, honey, I’m right here.” His fingers reached out and touched her cheek. “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t know how good it is to hear your voice,” he sighed.
Krista tried to lift her head, but her small face cringed in pain. “Oooh, where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital, honey. Remember you hit your head while chasing the kitten?”
“Figaro? Where is he?” she asked with childish concern.
Kane smiled despite his tension. “Don’t worry about him, honey. He’s in good hands. Mrs. Cavenaugh promised to take care of him until you get home.”
Krista’s eyes moved around the room until she spotted Erin. A smile brought back a little of the color to her face. “You’re back!” Krista’s enthusiasm shined in her eyes. “I knew that you’d come back!”
“You were right,” Erin choked out, stepping nearer to the bed. “You should have known better than to think that I’d ever leave you.”
“I did. I knew you wouldn’t go without saying goodbye. See, Dad, I told ya she’d be back!”
“That you did,” Kane whispered, and his eyes locked with Erin’s questioning gaze.
Dr. Sampson came back into the room with his usual quick, short stride. “Well, little lady—so you did decide to wake up after all. About time, I might add! Your father here, he was beginning to worry.” The little man’s expert fingers probed Krista, and his knowing eyes studied her as he talked.
“That’s okay. Dad always worries.”
“Is that so? Well, maybe next time you’ll be more careful on those stairs,” the doctor reprimanded teasingly. When his examination was over, he studied Krista with feigned concern. “I think you should get some rest, young lady, before I send down for a special dinner for you. I’m going to send your dad home for a while, but he can come back and visit you later—what do you say?”
Disappointment crowded Krista’s fine features, but she gave in. “All right,” she agreed, and turned her attention back to her father. “But you will come back tonight, won’t you?”
“You can count on it, pumpkin,” Kane said huskily.
“And you, Erin?” Krista asked, her sky-blue eyes searching Erin’s face.
Erin cast a quick glance at Kane and then smiled tenderly down at the child. “Sure, Krista. I’ll be back,” she promised.
As they stepped out of the room, Dr. Sampson gave Kane a quick report on Krista, assuring him that the little girl was responding well to treatment, and Erin felt a tide of relief wash over her. Kane, too, seemed visibly encouraged by the news. They walked out of the hospital together, and Erin wondered what their futures would be—together or apart. Kane was lost in his own thoughts but shook his head when Erin offered him a lift home.
“No, thanks,” he said, “I’ve got my own car.” Disappointment shattered Erin, but she tried not to show her feelings. “I have to stop off and talk to Mrs. Cavenaugh. I know she’s worried about Krista.”
“Willcwill I see you later?” Erin blurted, unable to restrain herself.
“Do you want to?”
“Of course I do!” She shook her head in frustration. “I’ve missed you so badly.”
“Shhh,” he held her close to him for a moment, and she could hear the clamoring of his heart. “I’ll meet you back at your place in an hour,” he promised. “It’s important that I speak to Mrs. Cavenaugh—you understand that, don’t you?”
“Of course,” she whispered as he walked away from her.
The hour stretched out to two, and Erin found herself nervously pacing the floor of her apartment. Where could he be? Was he even coming at all? She had tried to fill the time by taking a hasty shower, unpacking and finally brewing a strong cup of tea. The minutes ticked slowly by. What was he doing?
When at last he arrived, she steeled herself for the rejection that she knew was coming. Too much had happened—too many bitter words had been lashed out—it was just too damned late.
She didn’t bother to get up when he opened the door and came into her antiques-filled loft.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” he apologized, but didn’t move to take off his jacket. “I’ve spent the last two hours driving in circles, wondering how on earth I can say the things that have to be said.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“I appreciate the fact that you came to the hospital.”
A wry smile curved her lips. “You don’t have to thank me. I had to come. Krista means a great deal to me.”
“Erin.” She let her eyes melt into his as he spoke her name. “I feel as if I owe you this incredibly large apology about the embezzling.”
“Oh, Kane, not tonight, not after everything that’s happened to Krista. Itcdoesn’t matter.”
“Damn it, Erin! The least you could do is let me explain. Then, if you want to throw me out of here, I’ll go.” Kane walked into the living room and sat on the small antique coffee table, positioning himself directly in front of Erin. She found it impossible to take her gaze from his. She was compelled to listen to him.
“After our last fight, I began thinking about alternate suspects in the embezzlement. You were right and I feel like a fool admitting it, but I was so blinded by my love for you, so afraid that you were the culprit, that I couldn’t see the facts correctly. It was an unforgivable injustice to you.”
Erin started to protest but he ignored her. “Just let me finish,” he commanded. “I started putting some of the pieces together and discovered that Mitch was having an affair with Olivia. It really wasn’t all that difficult to see, once I knew you were innocent. Olivia was the one person who seemed to know too much—everything about you, the securities key, the meeting with Mitch on the day of the arraignment. She was clever and subtle, but she took great pains to mention that you and Mitch had always been friendly, and Cameron, the bastard, didn’t deny it.”
Erin shook her head in disbelief as Kane continued. “At the point that I began to suspect Olivia, I was inhibited because of Krista’s depression. I’m sorry, Erin, if you can only guess how really sorry I am that I thought, even for a momentc”
“It’s okay,” she whispered, and reached to touch his arm.
“No, it’s not!” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “And what makes it worse is the fact that I fell in love with you the moment I saw you sitting in the office on the floor with all those books spread around you, and still I thought that you were involved with Cameron. I must have been out of my mind.”
Erin’s head was reeling with the magnitude of Kane’s confession. He had said it over and over—that he loved her. Was it really possible?
“I want you to know that it doesn’t matter, not anymore. When I heard about Krista from Mrs. Cavenaugh, I realized that nothing matters—nothing except for you and Krista,” she admitted, smiling into his face.
His eyes opened slowly. “Erin, just what are you saying?” he asked quietly.
“I’m saying that I love you, and the only reason that I wouldn’t marry you before was because I didn’t think that you loved me.”
“How could you have been so blind?” he asked, reaching for her and crushing her to him. “It was so evident!” He didn’t wait for an answer. His lips came crashing down on hers with a fiery passion that was soon exploding in her veins. “I’ll never let you get away again,” he vowed. “We’re getting married as soon as Krista is out of the hospital.”
“You haven’t heard any disagreements from me, have you?” she asked.
“Thank God for small favors!” He sighed, and let the weight of his body fall against hers.
* * * * *