Heather Webber (2010) by Valentine Lucy - Deeply Desperately

Author:Valentine, Lucy - Deeply, Desperately [Desperately, Valentine, Lucy - Deeply,]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2011-01-14T19:07:45.453000+00:00

17

I’d just walked in my door when the phone rang. It was Sean, and I’d decided that bringing him along tonight was better than canceling. I set the mail on the kitchen counter. No Handmaiden letter. I was thankful for the reprieve.

“I’m not going to be able to make it tonight, Lucy.”

I took a deep breath. “Why not?”

“I’m back at the hospital.”

“Oh my God! What’s wrong? Are you all right?”

“It’s not me, Lucy,” he said in the barest of whispers.

I felt foolish. Of course it was Cara. Not his heart. Mine could settle down now, thankyouverymuch. “Cara?”

“Yeah. She fainted after I brought her home earlier, hit her head. I don’t know how long I’ll be here, but the doc thinks she’ll be released soon.”

“But then she probably can’t be left alone.”

“No.”

I bit my lip.

“You understand?”

How could I not? “Pefectly,” I said.

I snapped my phone closed, stared blurry-eyed through the living room windows. Snowflakes melted against the glass, leaving behind a polka-dotted screen.

I took a second to tend to Grendel’s separation anxiety by rubbing his ears. After he settled down, I gave him his highly anticipated piece of cheese.

Looping around the living room, I turned on all the lights, added water to my tree.

Let it go. Let it go.

I couldn’t control what was happening to Cara, or Sean’s need to be there with her. I didn’t doubt that he cared for me—maybe even loved me—but I also knew that at one point Cara had meant a lot to him too.

I slumped in my favorite chair and rocked. Grendel jumped onto my lap, started kneading my stomach. I rubbed the underside of his chin as his purrs filled the room with happiness.

I tried Leo again without any luck. I dislodged Grendel, fired up my laptop. I did a quick Google search on Lea Epperson. I didn’t find anything helpful. I lacked the PI search engines Sean had access to. And I couldn’t very well call him at the hospital.

But …

One-handed I flipped open my phone, dialed.

“Sam here,” Sam Donahue answered brusquely.

“It’s Lucy.” Silence stretched a smidge too long. “I’m not calling about Sean, don’t worry.”

“Then you know where he is.”

“It’s not a secret.”

“I wasn’t sure … It’s weird, Lucy. That’s all.”

“I know, but enough about that. I know it’s Saturday and I know it’s late, but I need a favor.” I filled him in on Lea Epperson.

Girls squealed in the background. His daughters. My heart broke that Leo never knew his own little girl.

“I’ll get right on it,” Sam said.

“Thanks.”

“And Lucy?”

“Yeah?”

“This thing with Sean …”

It felt as though a thorn had wedged in my throat.

“It’s temporary. He cares about you. A lot.”

“Thanks, Sam. Call me if you find anything.”

As I lowered the screen on my laptop, I heard a car outside. Grendel heard it too. He was already at the door. Probably hoping it was Thoreau. Poor, lovestruck kitty.

Unfortunately, I knew how he felt.

I peeked through the drapes. Aiden was walking up my front steps. Quickly, I opened the door.

He wiped his feet before coming in.

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