Chapter 15
Laine
Jack clears his throat. He’s already finished his breakfast in the hospital cafeteria and is staring at me.
I look up from my newspaper article, which I’m reading for the eighth time this morning. My editor made some subtle changes, and I hope I’m not exploiting Abdo or the Bior family’s struggle. “What’s up?”
“What do you think?”
I shrug. “It’s my article. They tweaked a few things, but I think it all still works. If it’s well received this week, hopefully, they’ll want more.”
“When will you know if you have to go in to Steaming Mugs?”
I look at my phone. “Probably within the next hour or so.”
“Abdo is awake and looking for a game of Chutes and Ladders.”
“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” I say with a smile.
“I think he’ll welcome the chance to beat you too.”
“Okay.” I laugh. “If the shop calls, I can walk over. No big deal.”
“And if they don’t, the Lazy Rocket needs some exercise. You up for lunch in Kelowna at that place on Okanagan Lake?”
Lazy Rocket is Jack’s Cessna airplane, and it would be an hour’s flight into British Columbia wine country. We used to do this once or twice a month when the weather was good. There’s this place that makes a fantastic shaved beef sandwich and serves it with truffle fries.
But that was before he decided I’d ruined his life. What does it mean that he’s asking me now? He can’t possibly think we’re just going to pretend our breakup never happened, is he?
Evidently, he sees my hesitancy. “I would like to spend the day with you,” he says. He looks out the window at the early-morning people walking dogs, running, walking, and enjoying this rare sunny spring day. “I screwed up,” he begins, and then the rest comes out in a torrent of words, almost as if he can’t stop until it’s all been said. “I realize now that what happened with the review board wasn’t your fault. They were doing their job, just like you were doing yours. I wish we’d communicated a little more about what you were writing, but I know I wasn’t always available. I was wrapped up in getting ready for my trip, and then I was angry about the extra things on my plate and about having to defend my career. It was hard to read about the dark side of plastic surgery. It was hard to think about the decisions I make and the way I make money. I wasn’t ready to be confronted with that, and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.”
My eyes fill with tears. This doesn’t seem real. “Okay,” I breathe. “I really never thought you’d say that. I wish it hadn’t taken so long.”
He nods. “Me too. I wish I had done better. And I’d like to hear anything you have to say about it.”
“Ah… I think you’ve mostly covered it for now,” I manage, feeling a little lightheaded. “I was mourning Stacy, and I probably wasn’t my best self either. But I stand by my work and my choices,” I quickly add. No way am I ending this by taking the blame. “I’ll let you know if there’s anything else.”
“Take all the time you need,” he assures me. “I may have to accept that we’ll never be what we were, but I would love having my best friend back.”
“Okay, then,” I tell him after a moment. I guess there’s nowhere to go but forward. “Let’s see how you do with Chutes and Ladders.”
He grins. “I’m out to win.”
“I expect nothing less.”
After clearing our trays, we walk upstairs to the PICU.
While Jack goes over Abdo’s chart and speaks with the nurses, I continue into the room.
The boy comes to life when he sees me. He looks great, though his gauze-wrapped arm is still in a sling to help the burns heal.
“Jack is coming,” I tell him.
He smiles. “Chutes and Ladders?”
I nod. “Who will win?”
“Me,” he says.
I narrow my eyes. “We’ll see about that.”
Abdo laughs, and we set up the game. Just as we’re about to start, Jack walks in.
“Are you playing without me?”
“Maybe we’re doing a warm-up game,” I quip.
Jack checks a few things and asks Abdo some questions, using the cards to help them communicate about more complicated things. Abdo is learning English quickly, but he’s nowhere near fluent, and I know Jack wants to keep up with how he’s actually feeling.
“The Biors are coming with the girls today.”
Abdo nods. “We walk to garden for lunch.”
My mouth falls open. “Abdo, your English is so good.”
He smiles with pride and takes the first spin to start the game. I watch him as he plays. He’s very smart. I can’t imagine the heartbreak he has without his family.
Abdo kicks my butt playing Chutes and Ladders, and then Jack joins us for the next round, and Abdo wins again. We stick with him until the Bior family arrives. The girls fawn all over him, and his face glows with happiness. I’m so grateful that he has this opportunity for joy and for his amazingly resilient spirit. I think I’m grateful for those things in my own life as well.
We leave them to their garden lunch, which is actually in the hospital courtyard, between some buildings. Abdo will have a nurse with him if anything goes wrong or he needs to return to his room.
Jack and I collect our things and walk out of the hospital. “So, what do you think?” he asks. “You never heard from the coffee shop, right? Do you want to take the Lazy Rocket and grab lunch out east? Or if you prefer, we could go west to Vancouver Island.”
This is the Jack I remember—eager to play and have adventures. It’s hard not to like this guy, but it all feels a bit too good to be true. Things changed in an instant last time too, so I have to be careful. I’m honestly not quite sure what to do with myself.
“Um…” I look at my phone. There are no missed messages or texts from Steaming Mugs. “Sure. Why not? I could go for some Okanagan sunshine.”
“Yes!” Jack pumps his fist to celebrate.
He drives us toward the private terminal at the Vancouver airport. On the way, he tells me about a leak in the hangar that required him to replace the leather on one of the seats of the plane. “So, they don’t match.”
I’m not sure what he’s getting at here. “Since when would that bother me?”
He shrugs. “I didn’t want you to see the different-colored seat and think something nefarious happened with the old one.”
“Something did happen. But I don’t see how it’s your fault.”
He nods. “Thanks. I guess I’m just paranoid.”
I resist the urge to point out that he created any need for paranoia. He’s the one who blew everything up.
We ride in silence for a bit, and then he glances over at me. “You mentioned once before that my dad gave you a check?”
I nod. “That he did. If I decide I don’t like the look of your plane seats, I could still cash it.” I make a face, so he knows I’m kidding, but he suddenly looks very serious.
“How much is the check?”
“It’s pretty big.”
“You need the money. Why haven’t you cashed it?”
“I considered it a time or two after you kicked me out of your life. But that would have only proved him right. I wasn’t in the relationship for your money, and I don’t need your father’s either.”
Jack shakes his head. “He’s unbelievable. What did he say when he gave it to you?”
“He had some guy deliver it.”
“Some guy?” He grips the steering wheel so tightly his fingers go white. “Do you still have it?”
I nod. “Yep. At first, I was so stunned that I didn’t know how to tell you. And then, everything fell apart with us anyway. He sent it to me about a week before the article came out.”
Jack glances over at me again. “I almost wish you’d cash it now so you could quit the job at Steaming Mugs.”
“No way. That would still make him think he was right. And I don’t want to cause an unbreakable rift between you and your dad. I’ve already done that in my own life, and it’s very lonely.”
He sighs. “You didn’t cause a rift in your family. Your parents are just selfish bastards. And I don’t think it would cause an unbreakable rift with my dad. He wants me to take over the business too badly at this point. If you’re not going to cash it, would you be willing to give the check to me?”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Have a conversation with him. I’d like to tell him we should offer the same to Stephanie to see how she’d react.”
That sounds like a terrible idea. “It’s not worth getting upset over. I don’t think you’re going to make any progress that way.”
“What did Trish say? Did you tell her about it?”
I nod. “I did. She was like you. ‘Cash the check and don’t look back. If he’s foolish enough to bribe you with it, go on an expensive trip and rent a fabulous apartment.’”
“I always liked Trish.”
I give him the side eye. I suppose they liked each other just fine, but Trish is a loyal friend. Now, she’s ready to go to war with him as soon as I say the word. And she’s a take-no-prisoners type of warrior.
When we arrive at the airport, Jack’s bright blue plane is out of the hangar and waiting for us. We walk in, he thanks the people who help him care for his plane, and then we get right to it.
I have butterflies, just like I do every time we do this. Flying is amazing. I love being able to see all the way to the horizon. I’m always surprised at the hidden lakes or homes that are revealed from overhead.
I get my sunglasses out of my bag and pull on the headphones while Jack does his pre-flight check. When he finishes, he sits in the pilot’s seat. “Ready?”
I nod. “Absolutely.”
He smiles. He flips a switch, pushes a few buttons, and the propeller starts. I love this freedom. He speaks briefly to the tower, and they give us the go-ahead to proceed to one of the runways. As per usual, it takes forever. “Are we flying to Kelowna or driving?” I joke.
Eventually, we’re airborne, and the view is spectacular. I can see Mt. Baker, just south of the U.S. border, all snowcapped and looming large like the dormant volcano it is. And we follow the curves of a river until we get to the foot of the mountains, and dense forest covers the landscape.
“Ready to have some fun?” Jack asks.
“You don’t want me to get sick,” I warn.
He laughs as he races over the mountains. He rocks the wings.
“What are you doing?”
“See that house down there?”
“Yes.” It’s a lot more than a house. It’s a giant palace nestled into the mountain.
“That belongs to Griffin Martin. I’m waving to him.”
I roll my eyes. “What is he doing with a house out here?”
“His parents have that place inland, but he wanted something he could use on weekends, maybe do some snowmobiling in the winter and fish for salmon in the summer. Or at least that’s what he said. Really, he has a stressful job, and I think he likes to come up here alone and decompress.”
“Nice.”
“I’m sure if you wanted to visit, we could do that. There’s plenty of room for us to have our own bedrooms.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I’m not going anywhere with him that requires a bedroom, separate or otherwise. He should know that.
We hit the peak, and suddenly, the Okanagan Valley is splayed out in front of us. The trees give way to the acres and acres of farmland, mostly grapes, and the giant lake divides the valley.
Jack alerts the tower of our location, and they put us on a course for landing.
We land and taxi to the private plane terminal. The heat hits immediately when we open the door to get out. Despite being just a four-hour drive from Vancouver, the weather here couldn’t be more different. The warmth and dryness of the valley is far ahead of what we have on the coast, and I love it. I look up to the sun and let it beat down on my face for a moment while Jack locks up the canopy.
We enter the terminal, and Jack checks in and gives them an estimate of when he thinks we’ll be back. Then we walk out to a waiting rideshare.
“You really planned this,” I note.
He shrugs. “I thought it would be a fun afternoon.”
We crawl into the back of a BMW X7, and Jack confirms that we’re heading to Old Vines Restaurant, which is across the lake in West Kelowna. As we cross the bridge, I see someone trying to water ski. It may be warm enough to wear shorts, but the lake is fed by snowmelt, so I have to believe it is mighty cold.
“Phillip has a place down in Penticton,” Jack tells me. “We should get the gang together and make a weekend out here.”
Penticton is at the south end of Lake Okanagan and a good hour’s drive from where we landed the plane, but it’s a scenic journey. This whole area is very beautiful. I nod. “That might be fun.” He seems all-in on rekindling our friendship. I’m going to need to move more slowly, but it is nice not to have the tension hanging over us. Still, time will tell. I’m not about to let him just pick up where we left off.
We arrive at the elegant restaurant, and it’s quiet this afternoon. Tourist season hasn’t begun. In another few weeks, this place will be stuffed from the moment they open until they close. Their food is just that good.
“Good to see you again, Dr. Drake,” the hostess says as we enter.
“So glad to be back.”
We’re shown to a window table that overlooks acres of grapes and the lake behind them. After we’re settled and have ordered, Jack looks at me and smiles. “I think the article is going to do well today.”
I nod. “I looked at the Sun ’s website while you were talking to the person at the terminal. The story has nearly a million reads.”
Jack’s eyes widen. “Really? Do we need to put some security at the hospital? I don’t want anyone to bother Abdo.”
I shrug. That’s certainly the last thing I want. “Linda told me she’s prepared if people show up, but I don’t know what that actually means.”
Jack picks up his phone and makes a call. He talks to someone for a few minutes, explaining the situation. “Just send me the bill,” he concludes. “I want him and the Bior family to be safe.”
When he disconnects, I give him a look. “So, I was going to tell you how Abdo is cheating at Chutes and Ladders, but now, I want to talk about who you just spoke to.”
Jack smiles. “We have a security company that works with Drake Logistics. I just asked them to coordinate with the hospital on some extra security for everyone involved with the story. You can’t be too careful. But everything will be fine. I’m not worried.” He looks at me seriously. “And if anything did happen, it wouldn’t be your fault. Writing a story is just that.” He gives me a meaningful look, but before I can respond, he continues. “Now, tell me how Abdo cheats at Chutes and Ladders. I suspected as much, but I couldn’t figure it out.”
I feel breathless all over again, but I follow Jack’s lead and let his statement stand without further comment. Instead, I chuckle as I smooth the napkin on my lap. “He’s figured out how to flick the spinner so he knows where it will land. So, he calculates how many spaces he needs before he flicks. It tends to land where he needs it. Not always but probably eighty percent of the time.”
Jack shakes his head. “Are you kidding me?”
I grin. “No. If you notice, he always repositions the arrow before he flicks it. It’s really pretty amazing, considering his age.”
“That’s what I was thinking. I’m not even sure he’s started school.”
“Well, I would bet his parents had been working with him. He’s very bright.”
Jack sighs. “Now, I have to decide if I’m going to let him cheat me any longer.”
“It makes him feel fantastic. What’s the harm?”
“He’s cheating. You can’t always cheat to get what you want in life.”
I take a sip of my ice water. “You only know he’s cheating because I told you. You just suspected it before.”
“I figured it was that or he has incredible luck.”
“He does have incredible luck. How many kids lost their lives in that explosion on the playground? How did he make it to the hospital in time? And how did you open all the doors to bring him to Canada? He’s very lucky.”
Jack looks down at his empty plate. “I’m glad we’re friends again.”
“Hey, I never agreed to anything,” I tease.
“We can always try lovers instead.” He bounces his eyebrows.
I scoff. “We’re definitely not lovers. I guess we can attempt friends for now. But we’re also professional colleagues while I’m working on these articles.” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Fine. But I still want that check and letter my dad gave you.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“I told you. I’m going to give it to Stephanie—with my father’s permission, of course.”
“Your dad is happy. You have your trust fund. Does it really matter if he gives her all his money?”
He looks away. “No, and I know I should want him to be happy. But his double standard just makes me nuts.”
We manage to move on to lighter topics, and then Jack pays for our lunch, despite my protests. We take another rideshare back to the plane.
As we walk into the terminal, a guy in his mid-twenties stops Jack. “Is that blue plane yours?”
Jack nods. “We call it the Lazy Rocket.”
“That thing is a speed demon. How did you get it? I read that there are only about a dozen of those in the world.”
Jack shrugs. “Lucky, I guess.” He waves at the guy and guides me forward.
He thanks the woman behind the desk at the terminal as we check back in and walk out to the plane.
“We should get back to Vancouver about six,” he says as we board. “Should we order in some dinner?”
Okay, who is this guy, and what has he done with the Jack who barely spoke to me for six months? It’s making me a little nervous, quite frankly. I need some space and objectivity. “I have an early morning tomorrow. I have to open the store at four thirty.”
He nods, and for a moment, it looks like he’s going to say something else. But then he turns and starts the pre-flight procedure. “Let’s get you home then.”