Enamored Page 10

  When they finally free me, I race to the exit, locating my ride easily. I give her the address for the hospital and pray she’s a fast driver.

  As I walk down the hallway to Mom’s room, my heart feels like it’s beating out of my chest. My phone rings with a new message, and when I see who it is, a calm washes over me. Lana.

  Lana: I miss you. I hope everything is okay with your mom and the flight was good. Call me when you have a few minutes of free time.

  God, I want to call her so bad. She has no idea how perfect her timing is, but right now, it’s important I get to Mom and get an update. I take a deep breath when I locate her room, and a nurse carrying a small tray closes the door tight behind her. I knock and push the door open. Dad looks up at me and offers a small smile in my direction.

  “Hey, Dad. How is she?”

  “Stable. They took her off the medicine keeping her in a coma, but she still hasn’t woken up yet. Docs said they aren’t worried. It can take a few days.” He looks back at her, lifts her hand to his lips, and plants a gentle kiss on the back of it.

  The guilt eats me alive as I look at her so helpless on the bed. Then I start to remember all the time she’s spent here already. All the chemo appointments and the days she would lay in bed all day, too tired to move. Fear races up my spine at the thought of her not pulling through. I should have been home so she didn’t have to drive. “I shouldn’t have gone away. I should have been here for her. It wouldn’t have happened if I was here,” I berate myself.

  “Tristan, this isn’t your fault. You’re not going to blame yourself for this.” His voice leaves no room for discussion, and I know if I keep pushing, it will end in an argument.

  He stands and stretches. “Take a little time with her. I’m going to get something to eat in the cafeteria. I’ll be back soon. Call me if anything changes while I’m away.” He places his hands on my strong shoulders, and I feel like a five-year-old boy again under the critical eye of my father. “I’m glad you went, son. There was something special between the two of you back then. You should get the chance to see if she’s what you want.” He pulls me into a hug and releases me just as fast.

  I take his seat and take Mom’s hand in mine. She feels so frail, so sick. Her skin feels as thin as paper under my calloused fingers.

  “Hey, Mom. Not sure if you can hear me, but I went to see Lana.”

  I spend the next thirty or so minutes talking about what’s been going on for the past three days. I tell her I surprised Lana and how she reacted differently than I thought she would. I also tell her how she forgave me and that we are going to find a way to make it work—everything I know she would want to know about.

  The steady beeping of the machines is the only indicator that my mom is still here. I watch her constant heartbeat on the screen, hoping for any other indicator of her hearing or understanding me. A few times, I thought I felt her squeeze my hand a little, but it could have been wishful thinking.

  When Dad gets back, I ask him if he wants to go home for a bit, but he refuses to leave Mom. I decide it’s best to leave them alone for a while and check on things at the ranch. I know he’ll call me as soon as there’s a change in her condition.

  The car pulls up outside my house, and Holden is there waiting for me. I gave him some updates on the car ride over. I haven’t called Lana yet, but I wanted to wait until I got home. Holden and I talk for a few minutes about some supplies that need to be ordered, and I tell him to get whatever he needs before I go upstairs to my old room and plop down on my bed to call Lana. She answers on the first ring.

  “Tristan,” she says on a breath.

  “Hey, sorry I didn’t call sooner. I got your text when I got to the hospital, but I wanted to see Mom first.” I close my eyes and rub my forehead, a stress headache on its way.

  “That’s fine. I’m just glad to hear your voice. How is she?”

  “She’s okay. We’re waiting for her to wake up from the coma. They took her off the medicine to keep her in that state, but she’s not waking up yet.”

  “How long can that take?”

  I shrug my shoulders, even though she can’t see me. “Don’t know. Hopefully, soon. Dad didn’t want to leave, but I wanted to check on things here and call you.”

  “I’m glad you did. I miss you. I fly out tonight for England.”

  “England? That’s where you’re going?” Interesting that the company would send her there.

  She hesitates before answering. “Yeah. I’m working on a project with Mr. and Mrs. Carrington. When I saw her at the ranch, she mentioned having me come out to do some interior design work. I didn’t think she was serious, but I’m the only one she wants, and Eloise didn’t want to lose this client.”

  Just. Fucking. Great. This is all a ploy set up by Russ to get her out there. I know it is. My jealousy rears its ugly head, and I grit my teeth to stop from yelling.

  When I don’t say anything, she continues. “I’ve already told him off. I don’t want to see him, and if I do, I’ll tell him to leave me alone. It’s just a job.”

  I know she’s right, and she has never given me a reason to not trust her. Even when I think back to ten years ago, I let my ego get in the way, and I lost her. I can’t do that again. I take a deep breath and push it out slowly, counting backward to calm my inner beast.

  “I know. I trust you.”

  She pushes out a deep breath. Even without seeing her, I know that was the right thing to say to ease her mind. “Don’t worry about me. Keep me updated with your mom. I have a feeling everything’s going to be okay.”

  “Yeah. Will do. Talk to you later. Have a safe flight.” I love you. It’s too soon. I’d scare her away, but I’ve always been one to fall hard and fast. And this feels right. So damn right.

  We hang up with the words on the tip of my tongue, and I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m angry at Russ. That piece of shit is going to be that close to my girl. I don’t want him thinking it’s okay to try to make a move on her. She’s not available.

  Yes, she is. No one ever said we were exclusive. She knows we are together now, right? I fight against my better judgment and don’t text or call her. I don’t want it taken the wrong way. I don’t want her to think I don’t trust her. It’s him I don’t trust.

  I can’t lay up here forever. I’ve got a ranch to run and guests to take care of. I take a fast shower and get outside to help Holden with the guests. It’s an easy day since the ranch isn’t full this week—not that it ever is now—so at least I don’t have to worry when my mind wanders to my mom and Lana.

  I haven’t heard from Dad all day, and it’s now late afternoon. I don’t think the hospital will let him sleep there overnight, but maybe it’s a special case for Mom. So, when he pulls up around eight at night, I meet him on the porch steps. He looks worn out.

  “How’s Mom?” I ask, not able to contain myself.

  He takes a deep breath and pushes it out. “No changes as of yet. The doctors really thought she would be awake by now, but they still said not to worry. You know your mom. Can’t rush her to do anything she’s not ready to do.” He chuckles and shakes her head. “Doctors still think she’ll make a full recovery.”

  “Sounds like Mom.”

  He hums in response, and we both go inside. “So, tell me about this unexpected trip to see Lana Robinson?”

  Chapter 15

  Lana

  I want a shower and bed. Red-eye flights are the worst. I’m lucky that Eloise sprung for a first-class flight, so I was able to have a bed for a while, even if it was uncomfortable. I stand in front of the mirror in the bathroom, giving myself a once over to make sure I look presentable. I’d better be able to find some good coffee around this place. I drag my small bag behind me so I can locate some caffeine and a bagel or something.

  When I make it down to the luggage area, I stop dead in my tracks. Why? Russ is standing there, waiting for me. The last man I ever wanted to see again is the one I’m stuck with. I
glance at the time on my phone; it’s eight in the morning here, which means it’s really early still in Wyoming. I want to call Tristan and complain, but I know he’s had a tough day and probably needs sleep.

  Maybe I can sneak back up the stairs before he sees me. Our eyes lock, and Russ smiles wide before closing the gap between us.

  “Lana, welcome to England. Mum and Dad are thrilled you’re doing the design. They said they met up with you at the ranch, and you said you’d be delighted to help.” He tries to take my bag from me, but I hold on tight to it. He frowns and looks at me.

  “I told you I never wanted to see you again and told you to never contact me. I didn’t want to take this job because of our past, but my boss said they didn’t want anyone else to do it.” I lower my voice so no one overhears us. “I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I am here for your parents. Not. You. Stay out of my way these next few days, and we’ll be just fine.”

  He smiles. “Whatever you say, Lana.”

  Why don’t I believe a word coming out of his mouth? He takes my bag, and when I try to protest, he walks in front of me. I have to practically run in my heels to keep up with him. I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that, though, so I huff behind him. My calves are killing me by the time we make it to his car. I climb into the passenger seat and wait for him to join me.

  He slides in, starts his car, and we’re off. He keeps the conversation moving, telling me all the things his mom wants replaced in the house as I try my best to ignore him. I remember visiting, and while I stayed at his flat, we did have dinner at his parents’ house once. It was a massive house. I’m not even sure you could call it that. It was more like a mansion.

  “Did you get the flowers I sent you?” He glances between me and the road.

  I cross my arms over my chest and stare out the window. “I got them.”

  He smirks, and I want to smack it off his stupid face. “I really am sorry, Lana. It was childish of me. I was a stupid kid when I told him that. I didn’t think he would believe me.”

  I finally turn to look at him, disbelief settling across my face.

  “You didn’t think he would believe you? What about all those years when your family would go back to the ranch, and you tortured him by talking about me? Or how about how you told him we slept together?” I almost yell. I need to rein in my emotions. Breathe, girl.

  “I never told him we slept together. I used to give him updates because I thought he would want to know how you were doing. He also seemed so sad, and I thought I could cheer him up a bit. Never worked though. He used to ignore me or avoid me, sending his lackey to do his work.”

  “His name is Holden.”

  He waves his hand, dismissing my statement. “Whatever. He’s always tried to make me look bad in your eyes. He tried anything to keep you away from me that week. I just wanted someone else to hang out with, and you were pretty.” He smiles. “Are pretty. Listen, no hard feelings. Let’s try to put this behind us and be friends again.”

  He pulls into the driveway of his parents’ home, and we get out. Can I be friends with him? After my last trip, I basically stopped talking to him because he gave me the creeps. Besides that and the thing with Tristan, he was always a decent friend to me.

  He gathers my belongings from his car, and Simone opens the door, waving at us from the house.

  “Hi, Mrs. Carrington. It’s nice to see you again,” I say as I walk up the three steps into her home. She pulls me into a hug and holds me at arm’s length, examining me.

  “Lana, dear, I didn’t know you were coming.”

  What. The. Fuck.

  My smile fades, and my eyes widen as I stare at her. “I-I’m here because you wanted to redo your house. You hired my company and insisted I do the design. That’s what my boss told me.”

  She shakes her head. “I told them I wanted to hire the company and for them to send whoever they had available.”

  I turn to look at Russ, who has the good grace to turn red and look at his shoes. Strike one against forgiving him.

  “I’m thrilled it’s you, dear. You’ll do a wonderful job. Please, come in. Let’s discuss what I want and what room I want you to redo,” she says as she pulls me into the house and leads me around.

  The house looks the same as it did when I visited last time. Nothing has changed except for a few pictures of the kids. Russ and Regina are grown in these ones. They are pictures of their graduations from college and even pictures of Regina with an unknown man, whom I assume is her boyfriend.

  She talks about her vision for the house, and I dutifully take notes as Russ trails behind us, no doubt waiting for this chance to explain. I’m sure he had something to do with it. I was willing to move past what happened ten years ago. When I called him last time, I was pissed, but this is insane. Forcing me to take this project because he wanted to see me? That borders on stalkerish.

  She lets me sit in the dining room to work on some ideas I have, and she wants me to show her something later today so we can fine-tune it. Russ comes and goes throughout the morning, and when lunchtime hits, I’m fading fast.

  “Come on, you need some coffee, and Mum only buys the rubbish stuff. You also need some lunch; otherwise, you will never make it through the rest of your day.”

  No. What I need is for you to leave me alone so I can finish this and get back to Tristan. “No, thanks. I’ll eat later. I want to get this done.”

  I haven’t heard from him yet today, and I’m getting worried. I pull my phone out and send him a quick message.

  Me: Haven’t heard from you. Hope your mom is doing okay. I miss you.

  I lock my phone, and he snatches it from my grasp. I pop my mouth open in surprise and stand just as quickly, holding out my hand.

  “Give me my phone, Russ,” I chastise.

  “Not until you take a break and have some lunch with me. My treat. I want to be able to talk to you.”

  I march toward him and stand on my tip-toes as he holds it high above my head and out of reach. I smack him in the chest when he doesn’t lower his arm.

  “You’re giving me my phone back, now!” I toss my hands up in the air. “I don’t have time for this. I want to finish these designs and head to my hotel for the night. I’ve barely slept, and I’m jet-lagged.”

  He quiets his voice. “All the more reason to get food in your system. I just want to have a meal with you. I’m not trying anything.”

  My phone buzzes, and he looks at the I.D. He makes a face and holds it out for me to take. I snatch it out of his hand and open the message from Tristan.

  Tristan: No news yet. She’s still in a coma. I’m going over there in a little bit, so I’ll keep you updated. Thanks for asking. I miss you, too.

  Me: I’ll call you when I’m at the hotel for the night. Boy, do I have a story for you...

  I place my phone in my purse, away from Russ’s grabby hands, and sit back down to work on a few more sketches. He sits in the chair next to me and watches me work, staying perfectly silent. I don’t know if it’s the fact he’s sitting here watching me, or that he’s so silent while doing it, but I’m so irritated.

  I huff and drop my pencil, fold my hands on my drawing, and glare at him. “If I go to lunch, will you leave me alone?”

  He places his hand over his heart and smiles. “I promise.”

  Eight o’clock and it feels like two in the morning. I am so tired and so happy to be able to lie down and get some sleep. Lunch with Russ wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. He gave me a chance to rip him a new ass hole, and then he cleared the air between us. I still don’t fully forgive him, but I’m willing to try to move past some of it.

  I want to call Tristan and get an update on everything. He picks up just before it goes to voicemail, and I can hear people talking in the background.

  “Hey, babe,” he answers, sounding happy.

  “Hey. You sound happy. Good news, I hope?” I stifle a yawn as I listen to him speak.

 
“Yeah, Mom woke up this afternoon. She seems to be on the mend, but she has a lot of broken bones and won’t be back up and running for another few months.” I can hear his smile and relief over the phone.

  “Tristan, that’s great news. I’m so happy she’s going to be okay.”

  “Me too. So, you have a story you want to share with me?”

  “Boy do I ever.”

  I change into my pajamas as I tell him all about how Russ called my office, stating Simone only wanted me to take the account. Simone didn’t even know about it and was just as surprised as I was when I showed up at her house. I go on to tell him about how Russ apologized for his behavior as well.

  “That’s what he told you?” He scoffs. “God, he’s so full of shit, Lana. He was doing more than giving me updates out of the goodness of his heart. He did it to torture me. And he said you were great. Who says that unless they mean in bed?”

  Not that I think Russ is innocent, but this wouldn’t be the first time Tristan had it out for Russ. “You’re making a big deal out of this. Is it possible you misunderstood him? It wouldn’t be the first time you thought you heard something or saw something you didn’t.” I wince, knowing that cut deep, and his silence confirms it. I sigh and rub my forehead. “I didn’t call to fight. I’m glad your mom is okay and is on the mend. I’m going to get some sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, fine. Talk to you later. Bye.” He hangs up before I even get the chance to respond. I roll my eyes, turn off the light, and let sleep pull me under.

  Chapter 16

  Tristan

  It’s been a week since Lana returned from England, and while we have talked, things have been tense between us. I don’t know if it’s the distance or the time apart that’s killing me. I know she can feel something’s wrong, too. She’s been different since we talked last week.