Chapter Twenty Raine
Chapter Twenty
Raine
I parked in the hospital garage, nerves frayed, stomach hollow. The drive back and forth to the hospital had become a grim loop. Out of my car, I inhaled crisp, damp air.
Footsteps echoed behind me. I spun, hand slipping into my purse toward my pepper spray. Judson. He stood too close behind me.
“Dr. Webber called you?” I asked.
“She did.”
No uniform—dark pants, a white shirt, a leather jacket, black cowboy boots, a .45 holstered on his hip. The only uniform I’d seen him wear had been on game day. Football came with a scholarship dream he’d chased without loving the sport, but he still hit like a sledgehammer.
“She said she called Gabe. He should be on his way.”
“Any word from Ken?” he asked.
“He’s still checking in.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. Ken was a raw nerve. Our footsteps fell in toward the elevators. “Why?”
“That’s the big question.”
“Any trouble at Hale House?” he asked.
“The usual moans and groans. Odd being back. I’m sleeping in the spare room.” The admission slipped out.
He shook his head and pressed the elevator button. “A renovation won’t be pretty. You should sell the land to a developer and walk away.”
I pictured Hale House as a neighborhood country club—family portraits spying on strangers, champagne spills on the carpets, condensation rings darkening on antique tables, and the cemetery surrounded by a sea of new homes.
“Let’s see what the damage is,” I said.
The elevator slid open. As we stepped in, his scent caught me—cheap citrus-scented soap. It yanked me back to a fall night in the barn, naked on an itchy wool blanket, believing we had forever.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.
His eyes narrowed. “What’s that mean?”
“Jaw’s set. You’re wound tighter than usual.”
A small careful smile didn’t stick. “I’m always tense.”
“This is more so than normal.”
“We aren’t kids anymore. There’s more at stake.”
“Maria is awake. Good news. Still, you look worried.”
“Because someone poisoned her.”
The words sat between us as the car hummed upward. My mind drifted back to the summer before senior year. I’d just returned from a year in Montana when Maria had reintroduced me to Judson. A double date with Gabe.
I’d worn a short, full flowery dress, cowboy boots, and a thick stack of bracelets—already listing reasons to leave early if my date was a dud. When I’d arrived at the diner, there was no sign of Maria or Gabe.
But Judson had been waiting by the front door. Faded jeans, a clean sweatshirt, sneakers, a white T-shirt, and cheeks still flushed from a morning practice session. He had the best posture of anyone I’d ever met. And in a high school world of slouches and mumbles, it was hot.
“Delivery guy?” I teased.
He smiled. “Lawn girl?”
The memory dissolved as the elevator slowed. “Tell me what you know.”
“Let’s talk to the doctor first,” he replied, “then we’ll visit with Maria.”
The doors opened to the lobby. “Right.” His annoyance pleased me. “It’s how I make my living,” I added.
“Me too. But in this situation, I do the asking.”
“I’m Gabe’s lawyer. I have the same rights.”
“You have an agreement with Gabe?”
“I do.” A small lie, but if this turned into a case, Gabe would need my help.
As we crossed the lobby, he modified his gait so I could keep up. I was a runner and moved quickly, but matching muscled legs attached to a six-foot-six frame wasn’t easy.
On Maria’s floor, Dr. Webber was at the nurses’ station. When she saw us, she moved around the counter toward us.
“Thank you for calling.” I was blood family; my standing trumped his. “Is Gabe here?”
“Not yet.” Dr. Webber jabbed a pen back into the front breast pocket of her lab coat.
Had the doctor’s call woken him? Had he stayed up late talking to his mother or watching his daughter sleep? Had he drunk too much in front of the television texting the alleged girlfriend? I liked Gabe, but he hadn’t eased any of my worries.
“Can you give me an update before he arrives?”
The doctor shifted her focus to me. “Your cousin woke up about two hours ago. She was groggy and confused. Some of that has eased, but she’s still weak.”
“Does she know her name, date, where she is?” I asked.
“Time will tell, but her basic cognitive skills appear to be intact. She’s asking for her daughter.”
“That’s a good sign,” I said.
“Has she asked for her husband?” Judson asked.
“Just her daughter. And you.” Dr. Webber glanced at Judson. Her expression, a tad too stoic, was the kind a person donned when they wanted their big secret to stay . . . secret.
Judson’s expression didn’t change, but he was as practiced at keeping his cards close as I was. A man couldn’t slip into undercover work and pretend without being able to lie convincingly.
“What are you two not telling me?” I asked.
Dr. Webber looked at Judson.
His jaw pulsed. Brown eyes settled on me. “Let’s see Maria. We’ll talk after.”
Imaginary doors slammed closed around him.
When Judson was focused, he locked out everyone.
And even when I’d been in his little circle, I never felt truly included.
Sex—always good—kept us together. We were young, new, and desperate for a release.
After the tether had snapped, we drifted back to our lonely corners.
Our last real bonding moment—in the sack—had been early spring.
He’d softly told me he loved me as I dozed.
Later, I’d wonder if his words were real or imagined.
I moved toward Maria’s room, glancing at my empty hands. Should I have brought something? She liked sunflowers and daisies, but it hadn’t occurred to me until now. I pushed back the curtain and found the nurse checking Maria’s IV.
Maria’s eyes found me as I stepped in. “Amy. I’m sorry.”
The name and apology caught me off guard. I supposed near death had a way of confusing a person. I resisted the urge to look behind me for Amy. “No. It’s not Amy. It’s Raine.”
“Raine.” Her still, dry throat crumpled my name into ragged bits.
Maria and I had not spoken in a year. Our last conversation had been an argument. She’d hung up on me.
I leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. “Your cousin. Your least favorite family member.”
She studied me closely, searching, and then recognition. “The great shrinking Hale family.”
Clinging to an old grudge didn’t matter now. Maria was right: There weren’t many Hales left. “Glad to have you back.”
She closed her eyes. Moistened her lips. “Not sure about that. Feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest.”
The words dwindled like a hose running out of water. “It’s going to take time. You suffered a heart attack.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” she said.
Not the time for detailed conversations. “You might have an underlying heart condition,” I added. “A combination of the Hale and Cooper heart problems.”
“Of course.” Now free of the intubation tube, she rasped. “Gabe?”
“He’s on his way. He’s making sure Molly gets her breakfast.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine and with Edith. She doesn’t know about all this. We thought it better to wait and see.”
“Good.”
A grin teased my lips. “Now that you’re awake, it’s a matter of time before you are up and about.”
“For a long-distance run?”
I smiled. “Not today. Maybe tomorrow.” Her pale body and limbs looked as if they’d already atrophied.
“All I remember is the pain in my chest. My knees buckling.”
“It was sudden.”
Maria swallowed. “I’m sorry.”
“About what?”
“The lawsuit.” She fell silent and then: “Gabe’s idea. I shouldn’t have gone along.”
Gabe. I knew he was lying.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
Dr. Webber stepped forward and introduced herself. “Do you remember any other symptoms before the heart attack?”
“A headache,” Maria said. “But I’ve had a lot lately.”
“Anything else?”
“My chest cramped like a vise.”
Judson stood by the curtained door—his silence magnifying his presence. Moody, silent stares were his superpower.
“Nothing earlier in the day?” the doctor asked. “Arm pain? Lower back discomfort?”
Maria looked at me. “Can I get a little water?”
The doctor agreed to a few swallows. I filled a cup by her bed with cool water in the bathroom. When I placed the straw by her cracked lips, she sipped.
Judson stepped forward. “You and Gabe had dinner right before you collapsed.”
Her head turned to him. Recognition flashed. “Judson. It’s turning into old home week.”
That teased a smile on his lips. “The band is almost back together.”
“Those were good days,” Maria said.
Judson shifted back to the topic. “What did you eat for dinner the other night?”
There was a curious look in Maria’s eyes. “Pasta. Molly loves pasta.”
“And?”
“Bread. Salad. Wine.”
“Who cooked?” he asked.
“I did.” She winced as her bruised ribs expanded with a breath. Gabe had saved her with clumsy chest compressions that had kept her alive long enough until the paramedics arrived. “Saying my cooking almost killed me?”
“No,” Judson said gently. “Just testing your memory.”
The curtains drew back, and Gabe entered the room. His face was flushed, his hair rustled. No doubt he was fueled by adrenaline and fear.
Gabe crossed the room to Maria. Carefully, as if she were made of delicate tissue paper, he took her hand. “God, I’ve been so worried about you.”
A smile flickered across her lips. “Molly?”
“She’s good. Mom’s taking her to the park today.”
“Edith will buy her ice cream. She’ll be wired and won’t sleep well tonight.”
“It’s okay. They can have a little fun.” Gabe kissed her on the lips.
“You always say that.” Her eyes narrowed, held his for a beat, and then closed. “You spoil her.”
“I want to spoil you now.”
Maria sighed as if she wanted to believe her husband. But we all knew Gabe had made promises he hadn’t kept. “That would be nice.”
Dr. Webber stepped forward. “My patient has had all she can take for now. Everyone out of the room.”
“I just arrived,” Gabe said.
Dr. Webber shook her head. “Come back later.”
I laid my hand on Gabe’s arm. “We’ll return.”
Maria smiled, eyes still closed. “Listen to Raine. She’s always right.”
Gabe kissed her on the forehead and then straightened. His eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I love you.”
Maria hesitated. Hard to say if it was exhaustion, pain, or something else. “I love you, too.”
We all left—lingered outside Maria’s room. “No visitors until much later today,” Dr. Webber said. “She needs rest.”
“Of course,” I said.
Gabe’s head bobbled. “I’ll be back later.”
“Call before you come,” Dr. Webber said. “I’m ordering tests today.”
“What kind of tests?” I asked.
“Scans, blood work, MRI.”
Gabe nodded. “I need to get back to Molly.”
Dr. Webber walked Gabe to the elevator, but I didn’t follow. Was he really behind the lawsuit? He seemed barely able to process what was happening now.
When the doors closed, I turned to Judson. “Is this about tests? What’s going on?”
“Just being cautious,” Judson said.
There was more. “Good public defenders can sniff out lies.”
“Have I ever lied to you?” Judson asked.
“Brutally honest is your style, but that isn’t an answer.”
“Why do you think Maria called you Amy? What did she have to be sorry for?”
“She wasn’t very kind when Amy worked as Mom’s caregiver. She didn’t like her living in Hale House. She saw Amy was using my clothes and makeup. Amy was copying me when she worked in the house.”
“More than that. She was turning into your look-alike.”
“She was a teenager with no family. She was searching for an identity.”
“That didn’t bother you?”
“I took it as a backhanded compliment.”
The lines in his face deepened. “Why did you let Amy live in Hale House?”
A sigh rushed from me. “Her nights and weekends at the house helped me get out and live a little. And yes, it gave her time to go through my stuff. I knew when she tried on my clothes. When my perfume had been sprayed. My jewelry worn. But I wasn’t attached to much in that house.
All those things were symbols of a crumbling family. ”
“You never talked about your mother much.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered. You were focused on your future, and no one had a rescue net big enough to save me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Your job wasn’t to be my life raft. You were a kid, barely keeping your own head above water.”
“I thought I let you down.”
The weight of unspoken emotions deepened the lines on his face. “No. The exact opposite. I’d have gone insane without you.”
He frowned as he always had, entirely, with every muscle in his body.
“Don’t take us personally,” I said. “We were already headed our separate ways. I didn’t want to dump more on your back.”