Promise Me Darkness (27 page)

“We made it, Maddie,” she said, tears falling down her face.

I threw my arms around her as my own tears fell. Loud sobs escaped from my chest as her arms wrapped around me. I didn’t want to see her go.

“I love you, Maddie.”

“I love you too, Eva. Stay safe.”

Eva swiped at her face, brushing away the tears. “You’re a bitch for making me cry.”

I had to laugh despite the misery twisting my heart.

Eva reached over and poked Ryder in the chest. “You better take care of her, Ryder, or I will hunt you down.”

One corner of Ryder’s mouth quirked up in a half smile. “Take care of yourself, Eva. Maddie will be fine.” He looked over at Brody. “If you need anything, come out to the house.”

“Yeah, same goes for you. You need anything, look me up,” Brody replied, sticking out his hand for Ryder to shake. Ryder took Brody’s hand, shaking it strongly.

Before they walked away, Brody gave the old man his hunting knife in exchange for the ride. With a final, tearful goodbye we went our separate ways. I was reluctant to leave Eva but desperate to see my dad. Knowing he was close was killing me.

The tears continued to fall as we drove away. I realized that just a few days ago, I was riding down this road in Eva’s truck. The tears fell harder as I remembered how carefree we were then.

“It’s going to be okay,” Ryder said. His hand moved to rest on my leg. The rough pad of his thumb brushed over my skin, reminding me that I still had him and he wasn’t going anywhere.

I wiped the tears away quickly. “I’ll miss her.”

“You’ll see her again.”

We left the town behind and headed for the country. I watched with anticipation for the deserted road that would lead me home. Finally, the old man stopped the truck on a familiar dirt road.

“This is as far as I go,” he said.

Ryder handed the pistol and ammo to the man. “Thanks for the ride.”

“You kids stay safe.”

Ryder and I stood in complete darkness as the truck’s taillights disappeared down the road. Gravel crunched under our shoes as we walked, breaking the silence of the night.

My broken rib protested at more walking but I didn’t care. I was close to my dad. Nothing was going to stop me from seeing him.

I almost ran the rest of the way when the house came into view. No lights welcomed me. Only moonlight led the way, letting me see the old ranch house sitting quietly among trees and small scrub brush.

I wondered how late it was.
Midnight? One?
My dad was probably asleep. I hoped we wouldn’t scare him by showing up in the middle of the night but I guess that was better than not showing up at all.

Ryder’s steps faltered as we drew closer to the house. I looked around, wondering what had made him suddenly tense.

“Something’s not right, Maddie,” he said quietly, glancing around the overgrown yard.

“Why do you say that?” I asked, trying to hold down the panic that something might have happened to my dad.

“In this heat, the windows should be opened but they’re all closed. Something’s off.”

I searched the dark porch for the potted cactus that held a spare key. When I found it, I dug in the dirt, finally pulling out the key. My hands shook as I unlocked the front door.
Please, please be here, Dad!

I took a step inside but Ryder stopped me with a hand on my arm. He pulled me behind him protectively, guarding me with his body. I followed him into the house, letting him lead the way. The hardwood floor creaked under our feet as the heat inside hit us like a brick.

We slowly made our way down the hallway. I stayed close behind Ryder, afraid to be separated in the pitch darkness. He was right. Something wasn’t right.

Knowing the layout of my house as well as I did, Ryder led the way to my dad’s bedroom. What greeted us in his room made my heart stop.

His bed was empty.

Ryder walked further into the room but I froze in the doorway, stunned that my dad was not here. I felt sick to my stomach.
Could he be lost? Sick? Injured?

Ryder opened a drawer in the bedside table, no longer trying to be quiet. He rummaged around until he pulled out a flashlight. Flicking it on, he shined it around the room. The beam bounced off the empty bed and untouched surroundings. Everything was in its place, looking exactly as it had when I left.

“He’s with my parents,” Ryder reassured me.

“I hope so,” I whispered, not knowing what I would do if he wasn’t.

Within thirty minutes, we were walking into his parent’s front yard. The house was dark but we could see that windows were opened to let in the night breeze.

“Maddie, if your dad’s not here, I’ll find him, I promise.”

My heart melted knowing that Ryder would do that for me. Just another reason why I loved him.

The wooden porch creaked loudly as we approached the front door. Ryder was reaching out to open the screen door when the business end of a shotgun appeared in the dark doorway, pointing straight at his chest.

Alarmed, I grabbed a handful of Ryder’s shirt and tugged. My knuckles turned white from the tight hold I had on him.

Ryder held his ground, unafraid of the shotgun barrel inches away from him.

“It’s me, Dad. Ryder.”

The shotgun lowered immediately and somewhere in the house, a candle flickered to life.

“RYDER!”

Roger Delaney appeared in the doorway, grabbing Ryder by the arms and hauling him close. I heard Roger sniff loudly as they hugged. His watery eyes glanced at me, widening in surprise. “Maddie! Thank God!”

His huge arms wrapped around me, enclosing me in his warmth. My throat swelled with emotion. Roger wasn’t a touchy–feely kind of guy so to see him like this was moving.

Someone cried Ryder’s name with a mixture of disbelief and happiness. I heard running feet before Janice rushed from the house, throwing her arms around Ryder and almost knocking him over.

“Thank goodness! We were so worried!” she cried with tears running down her face. Reaching over, she pulled me to her. My face was smashed against Ryder’s chest as she hugged both of us fiercely.

After another moment of tight hugs and surprised exclamations, Janice finally let go and held us out at arm’s length.

“I prayed so hard that you two would make it home. Are you okay?”

Before we could answer, Roger motioned us inside. “Let them get in the house, Janice.”

She wiped her tears away and pulled us into the candlelit room. I was happy and thankful to see them but I still wondered where my dad was.

Janice reached up and ran her hand over the rough stubble on Ryder’s chin. “Now I’ve got both my babies at home.”

“Gavin’s home?” Ryder asked with hope.

“Got here yesterday. He’s at your place. We didn’t want to leave it empty,” Roger said, stepping into the circle of candlelight. “There’s been some vandalism around here.”

I hated to break up their homecoming but I had to ask, “My dad wasn’t at home. Do you know where he is?”

When I saw the look Janice and Roger exchanged, my heart sank. She took my hands in hers and gave me such a sad look that my lip started quivering. I fought the hysteria rising up in me.
Oh God! Was he still alive?

Before Janice could answer, she noticed my splinted finger.

“What happened, Maddie?”

“She broke her finger and cracked a rib. Can you take a look at her later?” Ryder asked, still standing close to me.

Janice looked up at Ryder, obviously wanting to know more but not asking.

“Sure.”

“What about her dad?” Ryder asked.

She hesitated. A silent message seemed to travel between the two of them. My heart beat faster as I waited for the terrible news that I knew was coming.

“He’s in Gavin’s old room,” she said with a resigned sigh.

I grabbed the flashlight out of her hand and started down the dark hallway, ignoring her attempt to stop me. I heard her plead with Ryder to help but my heart was pumping too loudly in my ears to hear what else was said.

“Wait, Maddie,” Ryder said, close behind me. He tugged on my arm but I shrugged him off as I practically ran down the hallway.

Coming to an abrupt stop, I threw open the closed bedroom door. Shining the flashlight at the bed, I sucked in a shocked breath. My dad was in bed, lying so still under the blankets that for a moment I wondered if he was alive. I instantly wanted to break down and cry but instead I swallowed hard and slowly crept forward.

At the edge of the bed, a sob escaped me. He looked so pale and frail beneath the dark blue blanket that I almost didn’t recognize him.

“Dad?”

He slowly opened his eyes. It took a full minute for his gaze to focus on me. With tears in my eyes, I looked over at Ryder. He was standing just inside the doorway, looking pale as he stared at my dad.

“Maddie?” my dad asked hoarsely, weakly struggling to sit up. I hurried to help him then threw my arms around his thin shoulders. I cried as one of his arms wrapped around me.

“You’re here,” he said, shaking with emotion.

I couldn’t speak as I sat on the edge of the bed with my arms still around him. Pulling away, I saw him struggling to speak. I knew immediately that something was wrong. His mouth drooped on one side and his left arm lay limply beside him.

“Dad?” I whispered with alarm. “What happened?”

His eyes were full of sadness. With panic, I looked over as Janice forced her way around Ryder in the doorway.

“Maddie, I wanted to tell you before you saw him. We think he had a stroke.”

I looked back down into his brown eyes as my tears fell unchecked. “Oh, Dad!” I cried, giving him another hug.

“Maddie, so happy.” His words sounded forced and pieced together with difficulty.

I felt Ryder move to stand behind me, giving me the strength I needed to face this nightmare.

“He has some muscle weakness in his mouth and left eye that comes and goes. His left arm is completely numb and he has some trouble walking so he’s been using a cane. Also, his speech is deteriorating,” Janice said, quietly. “With his medical history, I’m almost certain it was a stroke. How severe, we won’t know without tests.”

My dad reached up with his good hand and smoothed the hair away from my face. “So happy,” he said with a crooked smile. I forced a smile on my face, knowing he would want to see it.

Janice walked to the opposite side of the bed and helped him lie back down. It hurt to see her covering up my larger–than–life dad as if he was a child.

His hand reached out shakily toward Ryder. “Thank you. Bring her home.”

Ryder reached around me to grasp my dad’s outstretched hand. “You know I would do anything to keep her safe.”

My dad’s eyes twinkled at Ryder. Looking at me again, he whispered, “Love you. Remember.”

The tears fell harder. He was talking to me like he was dying. I shook my head in denial, refusing to listen.

“Let him get some sleep,” Janice said.

I leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Love you, Daddy.”

We were heading out of the bedroom when his weak voice stopped us. “Ryder. Stay.”

As Ryder turned to go back into the bedroom, Janice took my arm and led me away. Before she pulled me around the corner, I turned to see my dad’s hand reaching for Ryder’s.
What did my dad have to say to Ryder that he couldn’t say in front of me?

In the living room, Roger had lit a lantern that cast a soft glow around the spacious room. The large stone fireplace and the brown leather furniture gave the room a warm comforting feeling that I needed right now.

“Are you hungry?” Janice asked, pushing me gently to sit the couch.

“No, thank you,” I answered, numbly.

Taking a seat beside me, she took my hand in hers and studied my face.

“Roger found him like that two days ago when he went over to check on him. I’ve done everything I could.” She paused a second before continuing. “From one nurse to another, you need to know that without medication or medical help, there isn’t much we can do for him. And since the hospital doesn’t have electricity…" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I’m not sure how much time he has left, Maddie.”

I nodded, the tears falling harder. I lost one parent long ago. I couldn’t lose the other.
How could I live without my dad?
He was my foundation. We depended on each other. I would have no family left in the world, a world falling apart a little each day.

“Let me get you some water, dear.”

After Janice left, I sat alone, gripping my fingers tightly to stop them from trembling. Studying my dirty shoes, I told myself over and over that this wasn’t real. None of it was real. I would wake up in the morning, back in my apartment. My dad would call and tell me about his day. I would go to school and see my friends. My old life would be back.

“Your dad is strong. He’ll pull through this,” Roger said from across the room.

I nodded, tears making my eyesight blurry. As much as I wanted that to be the truth, as a nursing student I knew that recovering from a stroke without medical help would be next to impossible. Janice and I would do what we could but the rest was up to Fate or God or whoever was controlling this crazy world we lived in.

I looked up as Ryder walked into the room, his long legs covering the space between us within seconds. When he sat next to me and took me into his arms, I felt comfort that only he could give me.

“He’s alive and safe, Maddie, be thankful for that,” he whispered against my hair.

I knew Ryder was right. I think it would have been worse not knowing where he was, lost to me forever.

Roger cleared his throat. “When did you two leave?” he asked.

Ryder pulled away, suddenly aware we weren’t alone. Leaning forward, he put his elbows on his knees and looked at his dad.

“Right away. It took us three days of driving and walking to get here,” he answered, running a hand over his face.

“Here, hon,” Janice said, returning with a small cup of water.

My shaky fingers took the cool plastic cup. I took a sip, not really thirsty but knowing I was still dehydrated.

“I’m glad you’re home, son. Really glad,” Roger said with a catch in his voice.