Chapter Twenty-Three
Vanessa curled into a ball on the couch and covered her ears with her hands.
She didn’t want to overhear Jackson’s conversation with Paul. She didn’t want to look out the window and see Paul’s handsome, tortured face. She didn’t even want to think about him if she could help it.
When Jackson came back inside, closing the door behind him, she glanced his direction. He wore a concerned expression.
“What did he want?” she asked.
“He said Bennett came to the cabin.”
The air rushed from her lungs. “No way.”
“Would Paul lie about that?”
“No. He wouldn’t.”
“He thinks Bennett is tracking you. Your phone, your purchases.”
“That’s impossible,” Vanessa said. “I have a new phone and all new credit cards. He doesn’t have access.”
“He knew you were staying at the cabin.”
Vanessa wondered if he’d hacked into her email account at some point. She’d made the reservations six months ago. She’d changed passwords since then, but Bennett was very tech-savvy. He might have had access to her personal communications.
While she pondered this possibility, Jackson’s phone made a buzzing sound in his pocket. Frowning, he answered the call. His face went slack with shock as he listened to the speaker, and Vanessa leapt to her feet.
“Where is he?” Jackson asked.
She waited for him to finish the call, her pulse pounding.
“Dad’s in the hospital,” Jackson said. “They think he had a heart attack.”
She clapped a hand over her mouth. They stared at each other for an endless moment. Then her paralysis broke, and she flew up the stairs to get Emily. The little girl was playing with Penelope in her dollhouse.
“We have to go,” Vanessa said, grabbing her shoes.
Jackson left in his truck, rather than waiting for Vanessa and Emily. Vanessa noted that Paul’s truck was still parked across the street. She didn’t glance his direction as she secured Emily in her car seat and climbed behind the wheel.
The trip to Mercy Hospital was a blur. Vanessa drove with a white-knuckled grip, ignoring Emily as she called out questions from the back seat.
After they arrived, she found a parking space near Jackson’s truck.
She hurried through the automatic double doors.
It felt surreal to walk into the ER as a visitor, instead of a staff member.
A police officer she didn’t recognize stood with Jackson near the entrance. He was tall and good-looking, with broad shoulders and golden-brown hair. Vanessa barely noticed him. She craned her neck for a view of the lobby, as if her father might be sitting in one of the chairs waiting to be seen.
Jackson introduced her to Wade Hendricks. She murmured a polite response.
“They took him straight to the back,” Wade said.
“Was he conscious?” Vanessa asked.
“Conscious and complaining,” Wade said. “He didn’t want to come. He said he was going to walk out.”
“Typical,” Jackson muttered. “Thanks for bringing him.”
After Wade left, Jackson checked in at the front desk, and they settled in for a long wait. Emily chatted with Penelope, and Jackson read her a book from the magazine rack. Then Vanessa gave Emily her cell phone to play games.
“Has he been having chest pain or shortness of breath?” she asked Jackson.
“Not that I know of.”
Vanessa shook her head in frustration. “He works too much.”
“That’s nothing new.”
“What are you not telling me?”
Her brother raked a hand through his hair. “He’s been taking medication for high blood pressure. And high cholesterol.”
Vanessa stared at him. Those were two common risk factors for heart attack. “Why didn’t he say anything? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“He asked me not to,” Jackson said. “He wanted to tell you on his own.”
“Funny, he hasn’t mentioned it.”
“Are you surprised?”
Vanessa shook her head in frustration. “I don’t understand the lack of communication in this family. We all just suffer in silence instead of asking for help. Why can’t we be honest with each other?”
“It’s a puzzle,” Jackson said, arching a brow at her.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He gave a stiff shrug.
“You think I lied about my marriage problems?”
“No,” Jackson said. “I think you suffered in silence for too long. You didn’t tell me it was over with Bennett until after you filed for divorce. You didn’t tell me about the custody stuff until recently.”
“What could you have done, besides tell Mom and Dad?”
“That’s not fair. I can keep a secret.”
“Clearly.”
“Don’t turn on me,” Jackson said, meeting her gaze. “Please.”
Guilt and sadness welled up within her. “Fine. I should have told you sooner. I should have asked for help.”
He reached out to take her hand. She held his.
They stayed like that until a man in scrubs called them to the front desk.
He confirmed that their father had suffered a minor heart attack, and would be spending the night in the hospital for observation.
They could visit him in his room, but Emily couldn’t accompany them.
“I’ll take her,” Jackson said. “You can go first.”
Vanessa didn’t argue with Jackson. She handed off Emily and navigated the hallways until she located her father’s room. He was the third occupant, closest to the window. He had an IV in one arm, and a pulse oximeter attached to one finger.
He studied her with weary eyes. Other than a slight pallor, he didn’t look unwell. She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.
“You gave us a scare,” she said.
“It’s overblown,” he said, harrumphing. “I’ll be fine.”
“I hear you’re taking meds for high blood pressure.”
He glanced out the window, his mouth grim. “I just started. Two months ago.”
“What happened to this new stage of honesty between us? Not holding back, or keeping secrets?”
“It’s a work in progress,” he said.
She laughed, despite the heightened tension in the room. Or perhaps because of it.
“I wanted a fair chance at repairing our relationship,” he said, after a short pause. “Telling you about my health problems would have tipped the scale. I wanted your love and respect, not your pity.”
“Dad—”
“Please, mi’ja. I just had a heart attack. Can we argue about it tomorrow?”
She laughed again, tears filling her eyes. “I guess it can wait.”
He grasped her hand. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
She didn’t say anything more. He looked tired, and she didn’t want to overtax him. After a few minutes, he patted her hand and released it.
“It’s late,” he said. “Take Emily home and don’t worry.”
“Jackson’s here.”
“Well, send him in.”
“I suppose he’s easier to deal with than me.”
“No,” her father said, surprising her. “He has his own grievances.”
“What grievances?”
He cleared his throat. “I’ve been too hard on him at work. My indiscretions have made life difficult for him.”
She frowned at this news. “He said that?”
“He doesn’t have to say it.”
Vanessa shook her head, sighing. “Of course. Why would anyone in this family communicate openly?”
“How’s your friend? Paul, was it?”
“We’re not friends anymore.”
“Why?”
“He lied to me.”
“Maybe he’s a work in progress.”
“Maybe he’s a stupid jerk.”
Her father gave her a crooked smile. “I’ll beat him up for you.”
“Sure, Dad,” she said, rolling her eyes. “That’s a great idea.”
She left him and walked back to the lobby. While Jackson took his turn, Vanessa waited outside with Emily, who wanted to hold a funeral for Penelope. She buried the doll in rose petals underneath a rosebush and crafted a little cross from twigs.
“Penelope died,” Emily said.
Vanessa paid her respects to Penelope, who’d died before.
Vanessa assumed the little girl was working through feelings of loss and change.
Bennett wasn’t in her life anymore. Emily had endured his absentee parenting, the upheaval of a divorce, and a move across states.
On the bright side, she was a resilient child who liked meeting new people.
She’d grown close to her grandfather in a short time.
She’d grown attached to Paul, as well.
Jackson joined them after a few moments.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“He’s acting like it’s no big deal, but he looks tired.”
She lowered her voice. “I didn’t tell him about Bennett.”
Jackson nodded his acceptance. Neither of them wanted to cause their father more stress. “Paul is here,” he said in the same tone.
“He is?”
“He’s sitting in his truck.”
She searched the rows of vehicles, but didn’t see Paul’s truck. She didn’t have a cop’s watchful gaze, like her brother. She supposed that was why Jackson had suspected Paul was in law enforcement. He’d seen something she hadn’t.
“Give me your phone,” Jackson said.
“Why?”
“I’m going to turn the tracking off, just in case. Don’t use any maps or location settings for now.”
Vanessa gave her phone to her brother, who fiddled with it and gave it back.
Then it was time to leave. Emily resurrected Penelope from the grave, at Vanessa’s urging.
Hand in hand, they started walking toward her car.
Vanessa noticed Paul at the edge of the parking lot, watching them in silence.
The setting sun illuminated the space behind him.
He stood between his truck and a gnarled oak tree.
She wasn’t sure why he’d come here. His presence offered no comfort.
They were over. She wasn’t interested in listening to his excuses.
He didn’t call out to her or do anything to attract attention, but Emily spotted him before they reached the car. She yanked her hand from Vanessa’s and ran toward him. Instead of scolding her daughter, Vanessa let her go.
“Mr. Paul! Penelope is sick.”
He greeted her by ruffling her hair. “Is that who you were visiting?”
“No. It was my grandpa. They wouldn’t let me in.”
Paul’s gray-blue gaze met hers. She stared back at him stonily. Two could play at being cold and expressionless.
“Can I climb the tree, Mommy?”
Vanessa scanned the short, sturdy tree. It had several branches low enough for a small child to access. Emily needed some outdoor play time after being forced to sit for several hours. “Go ahead,” she said, sighing.
Paul watched as Emily grasped the lowest branch and used her legs to walk up the side of the trunk.
After she maneuvered the obstacle with relative ease, he glanced at Vanessa.
It was the kind of thing parents did. They monitored for safety, evaluated risks, and accepted that kids couldn’t be insulated from every injury.
Bennett had never done this, as she recalled. He’d let her do all the monitoring.
“How’s your dad?” Paul asked.
“He’s okay. They’re keeping him overnight.”
Paul gave her a curious look, but didn’t ask for more details.
Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest, uncomfortable. She didn’t want him to think her feelings had changed. She couldn’t have him following her around or knocking on her door. “Did I make myself clear when we talked earlier?”
“Yes,” he said gruffly.
“Good.”
Emily hung upside down from the tree branch like a monkey. “Mr. Paul! Look!”
He looked.
Vanessa stood silent as Emily performed minor acrobatics.
She was adorable, but not athletically gifted.
Paul inched closer to the tree, as if anticipating a fall.
Tension radiated from his body. Although Emily was only four feet off the ground, Vanessa sensed that he was imagining worst-case scenarios.
“Catch me,” Emily said.
Paul stepped forward the second she let go of the branch. Emily dropped into his arms. When he tried to put her down on the ground, she clung to his neck. The sight broke Vanessa’s already-bruised heart.
“Say goodbye, Em,” Vanessa prompted. “We have to go.”
“Will I see you tomorrow?” Emily asked Paul.
“I don’t think so,” he said.
“Why not?”
Paul didn’t answer. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, as if he’d swallowed past a lump there.
Vanessa could have intervened, but she didn’t.
She let the painful moment play out. Emily hugged Paul with renewed fervor.
The little girl shared his sadness, even if she didn’t know the reason for it.
He accepted the embrace, and hugged her back.
“I have a dad,” Emily said finally.
“I know,” Paul replied.
“You don’t smell like him.”
“I don’t?”
Vanessa remembered the scent of Bennett’s cologne, which he’d applied liberally, along with hair gel and expensive accessories. He’d been obsessive about his appearance, and had often refused to pick Emily up for fear of getting mussed.
“You smell like a tree,” Emily said, sniffing him.
“Hmm.”
“My dad didn’t want me.”
Paul absorbed the words like a blow. He didn’t criticize Bennett, though Bennett deserved it. He didn’t voice his feelings, whatever they were. He closed his eyes, shook his head, and said nothing.
Vanessa felt her own emotions welling up. She had to end this before they were all openly weeping in public. She peeled Emily out of Paul’s arms, with his cooperation. Emily made a sound of protest.
“Goodbye,” he said, and turned around quickly, as if he couldn’t bear to watch them go.
Tears blurred Vanessa’s vision as she carried Emily to the car. The little girl kicked and shrieked, gearing up for an epic meltdown. Vanessa ducked behind the vehicle, but she didn’t try to wrestle Emily into the car seat.
She sank to her knees on the asphalt and held her daughter with trembling arms until the sobs subsided.