Chapter Nineteen
Harrison
I was fuming when Caroline told me what happened between her and Johnathan. I stormed out the door, hoping, by chance, to run into him as I made my way back home. I wanted to stay with Caroline overnight, but she told me it wasn’t necessary and that if he showed up again, she just wouldn’t let him in the house. It was the fact that he not only disrespected my daughter’s death, but he tried to evoke a feeling of guilt inside of Caroline. No matter how much I pleaded with her, she wouldn’t give me his number or any other information that would lead me to him. She knew that I was going to break every bone in his body and that was a fact.
I called her as soon as I got home. “Harrison, I am fine, trust me. His words just threw me for a loop, and I didn’t know how to handle it. He didn’t lay a finger on me or touch me physically in any way.”
“He is a little punk, that’s all. A little punk.”
“I smacked him pretty good, though.”
“That’s my girl.” Her laughter faded out soon after I said that. I didn’t know what she was thinking. I hoped Johnathan didn’t push her further away from me because that was the last thing I wanted. That would make me hunt him down like a bloodhound. “So, um, maybe you should get some rest for our trip tomorrow.”
“Right. Yeah. I think I will do that.”
“Are you OK?”
“Harrison, I am fine.” Her tone was stern, and after that, I knew not to ask her anymore. Through the silence, she spoke up again. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I am just under some stress right now.”
“No need to explain. I totally understand, alright? Get some rest. I’ll pick you up tomorrow evening.”
“OK.”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
A part of me wanted to contact some of Sarah’s old friends just to find out where Johnathan was at. She told me that they weren’t seeing each other, but he was interested. I wished that she would have been up-front with him in the beginning, but there wasn’t a time for me to say that to her. I laid sprawled out on my bed. The comforter was cool against my flesh as I watched the clock move from 12 am to 4 am. Another long night of restlessness, but by now, I was used to it. I could count on one hand the number of times I slept through the night since Sarah had passed away. My body was accustomed to sleeping for just a few hours each night. Either way, I was good to go as long as I had a cup of coffee to start my morning.
I grabbed my phone and flipped to my voicemail. “Hey Dad, it’s me again. I know we talked about this before, but, I miss Mom. I know she left us high and dry and come to think about it, I’m not sure if I miss her. I think I just want to see her so she can see what she missed out on. I’m about to graduate from college and move to California. I bet her sorry ass is somewhere eating tuna out of a can.” She paused. “Nope, I don’t miss her. That’s pure anger. Anyways, thank you for stepping up to the plate. I love you. Call me later.”
Her voicemails were small pots of gold left scattered in my heart after she left. Until now, I didn’t understand why I never deleted her voicemails, but I always kept small things that revolved around her. I still had the pregnancy test her mother pissed on when we found out she was pregnant. Those were things that meant the world to me, and now, there wasn’t a dollar amount in the world that would get me to give them up. They were worth far more than anything money could buy. I got out of the bed and walked into her room. The peaceful air met me on cue as I stood under the door frame. Her room was supposed to have been cleaned for a few weeks now, but I couldn’t find the strength to do it. As far as I was concerned, this room was going to stay put for as long as I lived. “I love you, Sarah.” With that, I closed the door and made my way to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. I had a long day ahead of me, so it was best to get things started now.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, the clock shifted past 5 pm. I sent Caroline a text just to make sure she was still going to take the trip with me. Minutes went by before she sent a response. “Yes. I am going to keep my word. I will be ready whenever you get here.” She didn’t seem confident in her choice, but that was fine by me. I just wanted her there, and I knew that I would be able to soften her heart as we rode out to California. When I got to her apartment, she had her bags packed and waiting by the door. She smiled reluctantly. “I’m ready.”
“Good.” She wore tight-fitting jeans with a black, short-sleeved T-shirt and heels. She always wore heels, no matter the occasion, and it never failed to turn me on. “Are there any more bags?”
“Just those.”
I picked them up and walked out of her home as she locked the door behind us. I didn’t utter a word to her after I opened the door for her to get inside my truck. I had a surprise for her, and I knew it was going to change her mood. “Hungry?”
She kept her eyes on the passenger’s side window. “No. I ate a little before I left, so I should be fine.”
“Caroline, you know that Johnathan is a jerk, right? He only said what he said to hurt you, and that’s it.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t the truth.”
“It wasn’t. You didn’t wait for my daughter to pass away. He doesn’t know what is going on because he is on the outside looking in.” I grabbed her hand. Initially, she was hesitant to receive my touch, but eventually, she gave in. “He doesn’t know how I feel about you. He doesn’t know that I am the one who started everything, and if need be, like I said, I will handle it. I will handle all of it.” She didn’t respond. Her blank gaze was fixed on the window as if she was longing for a dream that would never come true. I faced forward and kept down the freeway.
As soon as I veered off one of the exits, she spoke. “Where are we going?”
I smiled. “You’ll see.”
We arrived at a small airport on the outskirts of Cottonwood. I drove down a back pathway until we got to the runway of the airport. “A plane?” she asked, looking around at the buildings.
“I figured that we could travel in style.” I parked near one of the small airplanes and pointed. “That right there is my private jet.”
Her eyes bulged. “Your private jet?”
“Yup. Come on.”
I unlocked the doors as she stepped outside, in awe of the airplanes ahead of us. Suddenly, her frown vanished from her face like tears in the rain. She walked towards the jet as I trailed behind with two bags in my hands and one draped over my shoulders. “You have a jet?” she said, forgetting about everything that happened just a day ago.
“Yeah. I thought it would be a good idea to fly out there, you know? A small change of plans, but I didn’t think it would be an issue.”
“An issue?!” A wide grin stretched on her face as she threw her arms around me. I laughed because Sarah would’ve done the same thing. Anytime she felt down, I would do something for her to brighten her day. They were just alike in that sense, and I knew she would snap out of her funk as soon as she stepped onto the spacious Jetcraft. The ride was filled with laughter and drinks, and in almost no time, she was back to the Caroline I knew before her run-in with Johnathan. She kept trying to go over things for the meeting, but I redirected her.
“No, listen. We have discussed the meeting enough, alright? It will take care of itself. Now, just relax and enjoy the trip.”
“A private jet, though?” she said, leaning back in her leather chair with a glass of chardonnay in her hand. “Really. How much money do you make a year?”
I smiled. “Just a few nickels and dimes. A couple of pennies. There are a lot of incentives throughout the year, though. Extremely generous bonuses, perks, and whatnot. This is just one of them.” I winked at her as she shook her head and took a sip of her drink. Normally, I would tell women what I made just so they would fall for me quicker, but I didn’t take that approach with Caroline. She wasn’t just another one-night stand to me. I saw something permanent in her. She made me think of the voicemail that Sarah left me about settling down. It could very well be her, and the irony would be almost unbearable.
Before I knew it, we arrived at the hotel in California. I placed the room key in her hand. “That is for you,” I said, smiling. She looked disappointed. “Are you alright?”
She toyed with the key card in her hand. “Yeah, I’m fine. Do you mind if I check your room after we go to mine?”
“Sure. No problem.”
We headed up to the 17th floor inside the hotel. The king-sized bed sat against the wall, covered in white linen. The tile matched the color of the sheets, and the room was large enough to fit her living room and bedroom inside. “Oh, wow,” she said as she walked to the window. “This is beautiful. My room looks nothing like this!”
“It does,” I said as I placed my bag on the mattress. “Maybe not quite as large, but it is still a nice size.”
She ran her fingers along the windowpane, then turned towards me. “Alright. Well, I guess I’ll let you get unpacked. I’m going to head to my room.”
“Alright. Well, I am just one flight up if you need anything. Enjoy yourself, and oh, if you want to go downstairs and grab a drink,” I handed her the company card, “take that. I trust you won’t be down there buying everyone drinks or purchasing bottles for you to bring to your room.”
She laughed as she took the card from my hand. “No, I wouldn’t do that. Well,” she winked, “maybe one bottle… or three.”
“If that happens, I better be sure to get an invite.”
“You will.”
Her smile lingered in the air like a fresh aroma as she stood by the door, hesitant to walk through. I saw her in my peripheral vision, but I told her that I would be on my best behavior, so I didn’t push the envelope. If anything was going to happen, she would have to sign off on it first. I heard the door open and shut just a few seconds later. I sighed, hoping that she would have decided to stay and keep me company, but it was her choice. I unpacked my bag, hung my suit inside the closet, then relaxed on top of the bed with the remote in my hand. It was going to be a long trip, especially if we kept our distance from each other.