Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
“ A m I going to have to pry that phone out of your hands?”
Ian nearly spilled his drink when he glanced over and caught the scowl on Sophia’s face. “I was just checking for updates.”
“You’ve spent the entire night sneaking out for ‘fresh air,’ but I know what this is really about.” Sophia slid the door shut behind her and zipped up her coat. “You’re waiting to hear back from Bryce. It’s Thanksgiving, E. He’s not going to call you now.”
“It’s been a few weeks.” Ian lifted the beer to his lips and took a long sip.
Over Sophia’s shoulder, he spotted Lucy and his grandparents in the kitchen, making conversation while they got the food ready. Abby, Tania, Josh, and Emma were all on one side of the living room, huddled around a laptop screen.
Zoe and Zac were in the dining room, helping Darren and Ben set up the table.
Aunt Ashley, Aunt Heather, and Aunt Rebecca were all leaning against the kitchen counter, stealing bites of the appetizers while Angie tried to shoo them away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of movement and spotted his cousin Emily carrying a large cake with his cousin Tara, the two of them looking extremely focused.
Meanwhile, Jason, Marisa, Charlotte, and Savannah all sat on the couch, playing cards. Now and again, they threw their hands in the air, earning dirty looks from Ruby, Lara, Jaxon, Reese, and Glen Jr. When Charlie brushed past and paused to ruffle their hair, a chorus of protests sliced through the air.
It wasn’t until Ian’s gaze swept back that he noticed his uncle Frankie and Cousin Terry eyeballing them through the glass. Sophia lifted a hand and offered them a wave. Uncle Frankie shrugged and drew Terry back into a conversation, the back of his head glistening with sweat. Ian then saw his cousin Suzie standing in a corner by herself, nursing a glass of wine and dabbing at her white sweater.
Ian was about to say something to Sophia when the front door opened, and Rob and Alice came in, red-faced and shaking off snow. After taking off their coats and hats, they greeted everyone with warm hugs and bright smiles. When they saw Sophia and Ian lingering in the backyard, they exchanged confused looks.
“Now the whole family is going to think we’re mad or something,” Sophia muttered before slapping him on the arm. “You happy now?”
Ian rubbed his arm. “You’re the one who followed me out here.”
“You’re the one who’s obsessed. Just let it go for one day,” Sophia pleaded, turning her gaze on him. “Everyone’s inside waiting for us. If there’s any news, I’m sure Bryce will call.”
“What if I don’t hear from him?”
“Then you’ll call him back when you see his missed call,” Lily offered as she rounded the corner and made a beeline for them. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but Tammy and Luke needed my help carrying something in from the car, so I thought I’d check in.”
“You mean hover. Look, I appreciate the concern, but I really am fine.”
Lily looked over at Sophia and back at Ian. “You don’t look fine. You’re almost as thin as Lucy. Are you eating at all?”
“If he’s not working or obsessing over Mom’s case, he’s hovering over Lucy,” Sophia told her, shaking her head. “He’s turned into one of those obsessive people.”
Ian took one more swig of his beer. “I’m not obsessed. I’m single-minded and determined.”
Lily looped her arm through his, and Sophia did the same on the other side. “Why don’t we put that energy to good use? We need help setting the table and carrying out the turkey.”
“There are plenty of people inside,” Ian protested with a look over his shoulders. “I need to stay out here where it’s quiet and I can talk.”
“You’re the host; don’t be rude,” Sophia told him with a frown. “Lucy needs your help because Kelli, Dana, and Dean are running late. Kelli’s car broke down again.”
Ian relented and allowed himself to be pulled inside.
A blast of hot air hit him in the face, followed by a loud cacophony of voices. Suddenly, he was being passed around for hugs and kisses till he ended up in the kitchen, opposite Lucy, who had a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead and a tired smile on her face. Immediately, he set to work and nudged her out of the kitchen.
Kelli, Dean, and Dana emerged a short while later, and the four of them alternated between putting the finishing touches on the food and making sure Lucy was relaxed. One by one, the Wilson clan lined up to help carry the food over to the table.
A few dishes were set on the coffee table, and the smaller foldable table was set up in the living room. Ian caught his father’s concerned look and gave him a bright smile. Stu sat down next to Lucy and drew her into conversation. In the background, music began to play, and the sound of cutlery filled the air.
Ian wound up at the head of the table, with Lucy on one side, Sophia on the other, and the rest of the Wilson clan taking up every empty space in the living room. His eyes swept over the room, and he felt a familiar swell of emotion rise within his chest.
It only grew when Grandpa Frank, who sat at the other head of the table, stood up and tapped a fork against his glass. “I wanted to thank Lucy and Ian for opening up their home to us and for the best Thanksgiving dinner to date.”
“Hear, hear.”
“And I want to thank all of you for being here tonight. I can’t think of a better group of people to celebrate with,” Grandpa Frank added, pausing to drop a kiss on top of his wife’s head. “Here’s to all of us.”
A chorus of well-wishes rose, and everyone began to pass around the food.
Ian pushed his food around the plate and barely heard a word that was said.
He heard his name mentioned a few times, but no one spoke to him directly. During dinner, Ian did his best to be present and aware, especially when Marissa, her husband, and their daughter arrived, but it felt like he was watching it all happen from a distance.
Like he was watching through a thin pane of glass.
His knee wouldn’t stop bouncing underneath the table, and he couldn’t stop praying for Bryce’s call.
No matter how much he wanted to.
By the time everyone left for the night, Ian had a headache, and his stomach was in knots. In silence, he and the kids helped clean up while Lucy stayed in their room. As soon as he was done, he went to check on her and found her fast asleep. With a smile, he drew the covers up to her chin and flicked the lights off. When he went back downstairs, Kelli, Dana, and Dean were sprawled on the living room couch, an old black-and-white movie playing in the background.
Ian lingered in the doorway, watching them smile and tease each other.
Then he picked up his keys and wallet and called out over his shoulder.
In the car, he drove around aimlessly through the empty streets of Falmouth. A short while later, he pulled up to the hospital building in surprise and ignored the voice of protest in the back of his head. He hadn’t even realized where he was going up until a few minutes ago.
But he knew he couldn’t leave now.
He had to see Jake. It was the only way to make sense of the jumbled mess in his head.
In spite of his better judgment, Ian forced himself out of the car, up the stairs, and through the double set of glass doors leading into the hospital. The smell of disinfectant hit him first, followed by the sound of shoes squeaking against the linoleum floors.
Doctors and nurses in scrubs and clogs rushed past in either direction.
Ian’s vision focused, and he took in the gray-colored walls with streamers and a group of individuals sitting behind a large desk. After getting the necessary information, Ian found himself striding down a long hallway that led to a pair of elevators. While he waited to reach his floor, he avoided looking at his reflection directly and instead tapped his feet.
On the fifth floor, the doors pinged open, and Ian stepped out. A police officer with a bald patch in the center of his head was stationed outside Jake’s door. His expression gave nothing away as he spoke into the radio and checked Ian’s badge. Then he twisted the knob and ushered Ian inside. The room had pale white walls, a small TV mounted to the wall, and a large bed where Jake lay in a hospital gown, a monitor on one side and an IV drip on the other.
Seeing Jake like this still made Ian uneasy.
“I hope you brought me some decent food,” Jake grumbled, both eyes flying open at once. “I thought prison food was bad, but hospital food is definitely a runner-up.”
“I did bring you something on the way over, but they confiscated it,” Ian replied, pausing to fold his arms over his chest. “You look better than last time.”
Jake flashed him a smile and pushed himself up. “Can’t keep me down for long.”
“I heard you’re going to be released soon, with just an ugly scar on your side.”
Jake shrugged, and he looked pale and anxious beneath the fluorescent lighting. “Women love a good scar. I just have to tweak some of the details to make myself look good.”
Ian took a step forward. “Any new details you want to tell me? Something you didn’t share with me last time, maybe?”
Jake threw his head back and cleared his throat. “I already told you what happened, but fine. I can tell you again. This security guard comes in, starts trying to rile me up. When it doesn’t work, he starts cursing me before spilling my food all over the floor. I shouldn’t have let him get the better of me.”
Ian’s blood turned cold. “So, he just stabbed you in the middle of the holding cell? In full view of the camera?”
Jake twisted his head to look directly at Ian. “You can’t be that surprised. I told you Eric was going to come after me once he realized what I’m doing.”
“He can’t know. We’ve kept it under wraps.”
Jake snorted. “You’re underestimating him again, Railings. It’s how he’s been able to get away with stuff. How’s that investigator going?”
“I hired him.”
Jake shook his head. “Of course, you did. You got some kind of death wish or something?”
“Do you?”
A heartbeat later, Jake smiled, and Ian pulled up a chair to sit next to him. Over the next hour, the two of them reviewed everything they knew until a nurse came in, and Ian spotted the handcuffs Jake kept hidden under the cover. When Ian left, Jake’s words reverberated inside of his head and stayed until he drove back home and got out of the car.
All three kids were fast asleep on the couch, their soft snores filling the air while the TV blared in the background. Ian crept forward and felt for the remote. As soon as the TV was off, he covered them all in blankets and lingered to watch them sleep.
He wished there was a way he could go back in time to when things were simpler.
Exhaling, Ian tiptoed up the stairs and into their room. In the master bathroom, he changed out of his clothes and into a pair of sweats and a hoodie. Then he drew back the covers and snuggled up against Lucy’s back. She muttered something in her sleep, and he pressed his head to the back of her neck.
The sweet smell of her eased some of the tension in his shoulders.
Please help me save her. Help me bring my mom’s real killer to justice, and help me stop Eric Taylor once and for all.