Windswept (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (9 page)

Andrea stroked her hair and held her. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?” she asked Cadence. Cadence nodded wordlessly. “Okay, let’s go then.” Andrea took the suitcase and led Cadence out of the building to her car which was waiting out front. After loading Cadence’s things into the trunk, they got in and set out.

They drove in silence for a while. Cadence stared out the window at the rain streaming down. A miserable day outside, the perfect complement to the storm that raged inside her. As they drove through an intersection, Cadence saw a car approaching from her side, coming closer. It was coming too fast, Cadence realized with a jolt just before it slammed into the side of Andrea’s car.

Chris slammed his hand against the elevator. “Goddamn it!” he cried in frustration. He punched the elevator button repeatedly. He knew it was pointless. There was only one elevator from this level, and by the time it came back up, Cadence would be long gone.

Damn Carl! How could he be so harsh with his own daughter? Chris knew their relationship was unconventional, but to call her a whore? He shook his head as he leaned hopelessly against the elevator door. He finally had someone he truly loved and wanted to be with, and one overbearing father had sent her running away. He didn’t want to lose Cadence.

Ryan put a hand against his shoulder. “Let’s go back inside,” he said quietly. “We can’t catch up to her this way. But we can try calling. She’s probably with Andrea.”

Chris nodded slowly and followed Ryan back into the condo. He went to one of the large windows and placed his forehead against the glass. It was raining and the drops streaked steadily down the pane. Far below, he could see people scurrying around trying to get out of the rain and cars moving like insects. Behind him, Ryan was dialing Cadence’s cell phone. He had the speakerphone on, so Chris could hear the endless ringing and then Cadence’s cheerful voice asking callers to leave a message.

“Cadence, it’s Ryan,” Ryan said. “We want to talk to you. We feel so badly about what happened. Please come back.”

“Cadence,” Chris cut in. “We love you.” He felt a lump forming in his throat. “Come back,” he choked out. Ryan hung up the phone, and they stood and stared at it for a few moments.

“I need a drink,” Chris muttered at last and strode into the kitchen. He opened the liquor cupboard and perused the selection. He wanted something strong. Something that would dull the pain he felt in the middle of his chest and dull it quickly. Grabbing the tequila and a shot glass, he poured the alcohol. He lifted the glass to his lips, threw his head back, and swallowed all of the fiery liquid in one. It burned its way down his throat and into his chest. That was better. He poured himself another and downed that just as fast.

In the other room Ryan had sat down at the piano. Chris recognized the piece. Beethoven. The one Cadence played the first night she had come here. Abandoning the shot glass, Chris took the tequila bottle and settled down on the couch to listen. He thought about the young woman who had taken root in his heart so quickly. The way her fingers moved over the instruments, coaxing intricate melodies from them. Her charming little giggle when she was embarrassed. The way her hair spread out on the pillow when they made love.

As Ryan continued to play, Chris continued drinking. He was unaware of time passing, lost in his thoughts of Cadence, when the phone ringing startled him out of his daze. Ryan had the phone beside him on the piano and picked it up after one ring. Chris sat up and leaned forward, anxious to hear.

“Hello?” Ryan said into the phone. He listened for a moment and frowned. “Who is this?” he asked. “I can’t understand…” Another pause. And then his eyes flew up and met Chris’s. “Andrea, what’s happened? Why are you so upset?” Ryan demanded.

Chris’s stomach tightened as a feeling of dread gripped him. Andrea was on the phone. Andrea was upset about something. As Chris watched, Ryan closed his eyes and dropped his head into his hand.

“We’ll be right there,” he whispered just before he hung up the phone.

“Ryan!” Chris demanded. “What is it?”

“Andrea and Cadence were in an accident,” Ryan murmured hoarsely. “Cadence is in intensive care at Credit Valley Hospital.”

* * * *

Ryan’s heart beat wildly as they drove through the rain to the hospital. He was sick with worry. Please, he thought, let her be okay.
Let her be okay.
The words were a silent litany in his head. Memories of the night his mother died were flitting around the edge of his conscious mind, but he kept pushing them back. This would not end the same way. It couldn’t. How could he stand the loss of the only other woman he had loved?

The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever, even though Ryan knew it was a short one. When they arrived, they quickly found a parking spot and ran in through the main door. Ryan remembered where the ICU was and led the way, Chris stumbling after him. When they arrived at the ward, Ryan went to the desk.

“Where is Cadence Bennett?” he asked.

“Are you family?” the clerk at the desk asked.

“I’m her fiancé,” he replied, vowing to make that statement true if Cadence pulled through. “My name is Ryan Matias.”

The clerk looked through her papers. “Yes, I see your name here,” she said. “Miss Bennett is in room 15.” She glanced at Chris. “And you are?” she asked.

“I’m her fiancé, too,” he managed to mumble without slurring his words too much. “I’m Chris.”

The clerks eyebrows rose as she looked from one man to the other. Neither one volunteered any more information, so she checked her papers again. “Chris Clements? You’re on here, too.”

That was all the encouragement Ryan needed. Grabbing Chris’s arm, he guided him through the doors to the wing and down the hall until they came to room 15. Taking a deep breath, Ryan pushed the door open and entered the room.

Cadence looked so small surrounded as she was by machines. A heart monitor was beeping steadily. An IV bag hung from the pole on the bed and ran down into her arm. Tubes in her nose came from a ventilator which was noisily breathing for her. Her head was bandaged heavily, and Ryan could see cuts on her face. She was extremely pale.

Ryan felt tears welling up. Until that moment he had been able to tell himself that this wasn’t really happening, but seeing her there finally brought the situation home like a blow to the stomach. He couldn’t believe that the figure lying motionless on the bed was the same woman he had made love with just last night. There was no sign of her vibrant energy. She looked cold and fragile. Behind him, he heard Chris’s groan and then the other man staggered toward the bathroom and vomited. Ryan felt sick, too. A band seemed to be gripping his chest and squeezing the air out of him.

Slowly, he strode over to her bedside. He reached out and gently touched her hand. She was so cold. He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. He just stood staring at her and stroking her hand with his thumb. He was terrified. Terrified he might lose the best thing in his life.

Ryan looked up when Chris appeared on the other side of Cadence.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Guess I shouldn’t have hit the tequila so hard.”

Ryan didn’t trust himself to speak, so he just nodded and returned his gaze to Cadence, but at a noise behind him he looked up again to see a doctor standing just inside the door.

“Mr. Matias and Mr. Clements,” he said. “May I please speak to you for a moment in the hall?”

Reluctantly, Ryan released Cadence’s hand and followed the doctor out of the room.

“Miss Bennett’s friend filled out the form for us,” the doctor began. “She didn’t have a contact number for Miss Bennett’s father. Do either of you have it?”

“I do,” Chris said quietly. “I’ll call him.”

The doctor nodded. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m Dr. Ricci. Miss Bennett has sustained a great deal of head trauma and has been unconscious since she was brought in. We can’t say at this point how long it will take for her to wake up. She does seem to be breathing well, so we are planning to take her off the ventilator shortly, but after that we will just have to wait.”

Ryan nodded and thanked the doctor. The doctor went down the hall, and Chris followed to use the phone. Ryan returned to the room, pulled a chair up beside Cadence’s bed, and took her hand once again. When Chris returned, he pulled up a chair on her other side, and the two men held a silent vigil at the bedside of the woman they loved.

* * * *

Chris had his head resting in his arms on the side of the bed. He had no idea how long they had been there. Time just didn’t hold any meaning for him at the moment. Suddenly he heard a choked-out sob from the direction of the door.

Turning, he saw Carl standing at the door. Chris rose to go to him, but the older man brushed past and stood at his daughter’s side. Chris took several deep breaths. He knew that Carl was hurting, too, but it was a struggle not to start tossing accusations across the room. If Carl hadn’t treated Cadence so poorly, hadn’t given her that ultimatum then she never…Chris stopped himself again. What was done was done, and dwelling on it wouldn’t improve the situation. Without a word, Chris moved to stand beside Ryan.

Carl looked up. “Gentlemen,” he muttered hoarsely. “I appreciate you being here, but you can leave now.”

That was too much for Chris. “We are not going anywhere, Carl,” he seethed. “We have as much right to be here as you do.”

Carl was shaking his head. “Forget it,” he spat. “She needs her father, not two men that she’s known for less than a month!”

“Two men who love her!” Chris retorted, loudly.

Ryan laid a hand on his arm and turned toward Carl. “We will leave for a few minutes to give you some time alone with Cadence,” he said quietly. “But we will be coming back, and we will be waiting here until she wakes up. The first faces she sees should be the same ones she will wake up to for the rest of her life.” His tone left no room for argument.

Carl stared speechlessly after Ryan and Chris as they made their way out of the room.

Sobbing. Cadence was aware of a soft sobbing near her head.

Then a whisper. “Please, Cadence, wake up. We need you so much.”

Warmth. Hands holding hers. A gentle squeeze. She squeezed back.

“Somebody get the doctor!” Chris’s voice, as though from a distance. “She squeezed my hand!”

Frantic whispers and hurried footsteps.

“Cadence,” Chris’s voice came again in an urgent whisper. “Come on, sweetheart, we need you to wake up.”

“Cadence, please,” Ryan pleaded softly. The voices were sharper now, more defined. She could feel someone lightly stroking her forehead. She became aware of several garbled voices and a sharp pain in her head. She moaned very faintly.

“Shut up for a minute!” Ryan cried. “I heard something!”

“What?” Chris’s voice came again, and she felt her hand being lifted.

And then there was silence.

“Ry…” barely a whisper from between her parted lips. “Ch….Ch…”

“We’re here, baby,” Chris said softly. “Please open your eyes.”

Cadence wanted to do what he asked, but her eyelids felt so heavy. Gathering every bit of energy she could, she opened them slightly, but the sudden brightness caused her to squeeze them shut again.

“Get the lights!” Ryan commanded. “It’s too bright!”

Cadence tried again, and this time only a dim glow met her eyes. She blinked once, twice, three times. At last, two faces swam into focus. Blue eyes and brown eyes looked anxiously down at her. Her lips curved up slightly.

“Hi,” she breathed.

The two men must have been holding their breath because they exhaled loudly and began talking both at once.

“We were so worried…”

“…waiting for you…”

“…do you feel…”

“…love you so much.”

A new face appeared beside them. Light-brown eyes and graying brown hair.

“Papa,” Cadence whispered softly. And suddenly tears were falling hard and fast from her father’s eyes. His hand gripped hers tightly.

“Cadence,” he choked out. “I thought…” He swallowed and tried again. “I didn’t…Oh, honey, I’m so sorry!” He bowed his head and shook with sobs.

“Excuse me, Mr. Bennett,” a firm voice said. “I need to check your daughter over. You can wait in the hall and come in again in a few minutes.” Cadence’s father reluctantly let go of her hand and moved out of her field of vision.

Cadence focused on a new face. Silver hair, blue eyes, glasses, lab coat. This must be the doctor. A petite nurse stood beside him holding a cup and an ice chip. The nurse gently rubbed the ice across Cadence’s dry lips and then slid it into her mouth. Cadence automatically sucked on the cold, hard shard and realized how thirsty she was.

“Water?” she asked.

“In a few minutes,” the doctor replied. He was listening to her chest with the stethoscope. Then he looked directly into her eyes, lifting first one eyelid, then the other and shining a bright light into them. Cadence winced at the brightness. She tried to turn her head away and felt the pain in the side of her head again.

“Ow,” she moaned softly.

“Can you tell me your name?” the doctor asked her.

“Cadence Bennett,” she replied.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-one.”

Several more questions followed. Her birthday. Her phone number. Did she know where she was?

“Well, Cadence,” the doctor said. “You’ve suffered a major blow to the head. You were unconscious for a couple of days.”

“A couple days?” Cadence whispered, shocked.

The doctor nodded. “You appear to be on the mend now. Your vital signs are stronger, and you don’t seem to be having any memory problems. We will keep you here for observation for a few more days at least.” He moved away, and the nurse came back into view.

“My name is Samira,” she said softly. “I will help you with a few more ice chips, and if that goes well, you can have a glass of water.”

Cadence nodded gratefully. The nurse raised the head of Cadence’s bed so she was more upright and helped her with the ice. Cadence could see she was in a typical hospital room. Machines were beeping beside her. An IV hung from a pole on the head of her bed and ran into Cadence’s left hand. There were flowers on the bedside table and the window ledge and Cadence counted three chairs pulled up close to the bed.