Chapter Eighteen
Catie’s research online at the local library and hall of records hadn’t turned up anything important. Jack Rhine had been born in Salt Lake City a little over four years ago. Linda had lived in this little town of Applewood her whole life. She worked as a secretary for a local realtor. She seemed to be well-liked in town. Her son stayed at the local daycare center during the week. Linda’s mother and stepfather, Dorothy and Blake Smith, lived nearby. No mention of Chad McCray anywhere.
Would he deny his own son?
Catie shook her head as she closed the last document on the library computer. Perhaps she really didn’t know this man who she’d married. This man she’d loved her entire life. This man whose child she carried.
Exhausted, she plunked her head on the keyboard. Sadness overwhelmed her, trickled through every vein in her body, yet strangely her eyes produced no tears. Was she truly all cried out over Chad McCray?
She sighed. The hour was late, and a long drive home awaited her. She stood and pressed her hands onto the keyboard. A sharp pain lanced through her abdomen. She inhaled and looked down.
A small spot of crimson glared up from the white plastic chair.
Not the baby. I can’t lose my baby.
The tears that had refused to fall only minutes ago now gushed forth like torrential rains.
Help. She needed medical help. She tried to walk to the counter, but a haze filled her head and her legs wobbled. Cramps pierced into her tummy.
“Ma’am?” An elderly librarian rushed to her. “Do you need help? Oh! You’re bleeding. Let’s get you to a doctor.”
Mama’s been through this. I want Mama. I want my baby.
“Please, I just want to go home.”
“Nonsense. It’s after hours, but I’ll call Dr. Weinstein. We’ll go to his urgent care clinic. He won’t mind. Small-town doctors are used to nighttime emergencies.”
Before Catie could protest, the librarian had helped her into a brown sedan.
Catie’s weeping continued. How could this have happened? At least Chad was off the hook. He’d no longer be shackled to a wife he didn’t want, a baby he didn’t want. Hell, he hadn’t wanted Linda’s either. If he had, he’d have married her and taken care of her and the kid.
Yet he had married Catie. Did that mean anything? Nah. He hadn’t been happy about it. Maybe Linda had refused him. If so, she had strength Catie didn’t possess. She wiped at her eyes with the hanky the kind librarian had given her. Chad would have married Linda. Clearly, he was taking care of their child.
Soon they arrived at the clinic. A nurse ushered Catie in, took her to an urgent care exam room, and started an IV.
“I’m giving you something for the pain, Dr. Weinstein’s orders,” the nurse said. “He’ll be here soon.”
Catie sighed and regarded the needle in her hand. Soon the cramping would lessen thanks to the drugs dripping into her veins. Too bad they couldn’t do anything for her emotional pain.
She lay on the uncomfortable bed and waited for the doctor to come in and give her the news she already knew.
She had lost Chad’s baby.
She had lost Chad.
Because she was so early in her pregnancy, she didn’t need a D and C. She had expelled what little tissue there was naturally. The doctor released her later in the evening with a prescription for antibiotics and pain pills and instructions to take it easy. No sex for four weeks. Didn’t matter. The only man she wanted to have sex with didn’t want her, and she was done having sex with men who didn’t want her.
Should she have called him? Nah. She shook her head. He didn’t care. If Annie had left, Dallas would have moved heaven and earth to find her. Ditto Zach and Dusty. But not little brother Chad. He didn’t care that his wife had been missing for twenty-four hours. Now that the baby was gone, no reason existed to prolong this sham of a marriage.
The kind nurse drove her to the library to retrieve her car, followed her to the hotel, and made her promise not to drive until morning, when the pain medication had left her system.
It was a promise Catie did not keep.
She packed up her overnight bag and quickly rummaged through her purse. Yes, her procrastinating nature had paid off—she hadn’t yet removed her passport and put it in the safe. She should call her parents. Even Chad. He’d have told them she was gone by now. But she couldn’t. She wasn’t ready to talk yet. Besides, they’d find her easily enough. She hadn’t covered her tracks. She’d call them all when she reached her destination. For she wasn’t going home. She was going straight to Salt Lake City, to the airport.
Back to France.
Away from Chad.
She had friends in Europe who would welcome her. She’d already called and told Dominic that she was coming. As soon as she had her arrival information, she’d text it.
The verge of insanity niggled at the back of Chad’s neck like fingers scraping a chalkboard. A quick phone call to Linda had confirmed Catie had visited, but Linda had no idea where she was staying or if she was still in Applewood. He found her at a local motel, but had come up empty-handed when he tried to call her room. No answer. No answer on her cell either. Was she deliberately avoiding him?
He could drive to Applewood, but that would take hours. His PI buddy, Larry Parks, could easily track Catie down in less than half the time. He put in the call and wasn’t surprised when Larry called back in less than an hour.
“What’s the good news, Lar?”
“I found her, Chad.”
“Yeah? Where is she?”
“She’s—” Larry cleared his throat.
“What? Tell me!”
“She’s on a flight to Paris.”
Had a Taser gun hit him? Chad’s body suddenly went numb. “What?”
“She’s on a flight to Paris.”
He shook his head, his body tingling. “But why?”
“I can’t get into her head, Chad. I don’t have a clue why she’s on a flight to Paris, but it may have something to do with the fact that she paid a visit to a doctor last evening.”
Fear gripped him. “A doctor? Why? Is she okay.”
“Yes, yes, she’s fine,” Larry assured.
Chad sat down limply. “Thank God.”
“There’s something I need to tell you though.”
He stood up again, his pulse thundering inside his ears. “What is it?”
“She lost the baby, Chad.”
“Damn.” A cannonball settled in Chad’s gut. Anger, sadness, worry cascaded over him. He threw his phone down and then picked it up again. “You still there, Lar?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“What’s her flight number?”
He scribbled the information on a legal pad, thanked Larry before he hung up, and made a quick call to his travel agent.
Within five hours, Chad was on his way to Paris.
A flirty flight attendant brought him wine and pillows and helped him lean his seat back when the pilot turned off the cabin lights.
“Can I get you anything else, sir?” she asked. “A blanket, maybe?”
“No, honey, I’m perfectly comfortable,” he said. No one sat in the seat next to him, so he had the first class row to himself. He leaned into the soft, though not comfortable, headrest and closed his eyes.
Catie, I’m coming for you, he thought. I love you. I’ve loved you for so long that I can’t imagine not loving you. Somehow I’ve always known it would be you. I feel lost when you’re gone. I feel like a part of me’s missing. I’ve always known, Catie, I’ve always known…
As he drifted into slumber, a fateful evening four years earlier drifted into his mind.
“Hi there, Chad.”
“Hey, Catie. Happy birthday. You sure look pretty tonight.”
“You actually noticed?”
“I’ve been noticing for a while now. You’ve grown into a pretty girl.”
“Woman, Chad. I’m eighteen. I’ve grown into a pretty woman.”
She walked closer, her breath coming in short puffs. A silky green sundress sheathed her nubile body. Warm mahogany tresses fell over faintly freckled shoulders. Kissable shoulders… Damn, she was a beautiful woman. Girl, he corrected his thoughts. Catie was a girl. He willed his heart to slow before he spoke.
“Eighteen ain’t a woman in my book, little bit.”
“Why do you call me that?” she asked coyly.
“You know why. When you were four and I was fifteen, working at your house with Angie on a school project. You kept bugging us, and Angie bribed you with cookies just to leave us alone for a little bit.” He chuckled. “Course you always came back for more.”
“Well”—Catie edged closer to him—“cookies have always been my downfall. Good thing I’m not prone to weight gain.” She backed away for a moment and stuck out her chest, the soft clingy satin making her pert nipples apparent through the fabric.
Chad’s groin tightened. For a moment, he imagined biting one of those hard little nubs right through the green satin.
“What do you think? Do I need to lose any weight?”
Chad gulped, silently he hoped. “I have no opinion on the matter.”
What a crock. He had an opinion on the matter. Not one change needed to be made to that perfect young body. Had her legs always been that long? Damned if they didn’t go on forever. The gift that keeps on giving…
Catie leaned over the redwood railing. “Angie and Cal Tucker used to make out here in high school. I’d sneak over and spy on them.”
“What were you? Five or six then?”
“About five. I always thought, someday, I’d make out with the man of my dreams here too.”
“Cal Tucker was hardly the man of Angie’s dreams, little bit.”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“She was never the woman of his dreams, that’s for sure. He was after anything in a skirt back in high school.”
She batted her eyes. Big brown doe eyes. His breath caught.
“You’re one to talk.”
He couldn’t help a chuckle. “Never claimed to be a saint, little bit.”
She sauntered toward him, her narrow hips swaying just enough to drive him crazy.
“Tell me, Chad.” She licked her ruby lips. “Do I look eighteen to you? Do I look like a woman? Or do you still see a little girl?”
Chad closed his eyes. “Why are you doing this, Catie?”
A whisper of skin grazed his chin. Her fingertips.
“Open your eyes, Chad McCray. Open them and look at me.”
He obeyed and gripped her wrist, removing her hand from his face. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”
“That’s a start.”
Catie placed her hand in his forearm. His pulse raced at her delicate caress.
“Seems you know what I’m after.”
“Yeah. I know what you’re after,” he said, “and you’re not gonna get it.”
“Don’t you think I’m pretty?” Catie curled her lips into a pout and entwined her arms around Chad’s neck.
“Aw, damn.” He pushed her away. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me. This is really dangerous.”
“It’s what I want, Chad. What I’ve always wanted.”
“Catie—”
“I never dated in high school. Did you know that? I’ve never even kissed a boy. I wanted you to be the first one to kiss my lips. Do it, Chad. Please.” She closed her eyes.
He groaned. How easy it would be to lower his mouth to hers, to taste those succulent lips. He inhaled, and then unclamped her arms from around his neck.
“This isn’t what you want,” he said.
“I’m eighteen. I know damn well what I want, Chad. I know you want me, too. I can see it in your eyes. Your body language.”
“You don’t know the first thing about body language, Catie.” He stomped across the gazebo, away from her, the loss of her body heat a deprivation he hadn’t expected.
“I do. I feel that you want me.”
“Fine.” He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists. “You’re not wrong. I want you. I want to rip your dress off and take you right here on the gazebo. And if Harper or your dad should walk by, to hell with them. I want to shove my tongue into your mouth, down your throat. I want to kiss your soft skin, your pretty nipples. I know they’re pretty, Catie. I can see ’em through that damn dress you’re wearing. I want to taste every inch of you. Kiss you between your legs until you can’t see straight. I want to shove myself deep inside you. So deep you scream with the invasion.”
Sweat trickled down his brow, tickling him. God, he wanted her. She stood before him, her cheeks glowing with redness, goose bumps on her bare arms.
“See? You’re quivering. I scared you, didn’t I? You’re arousing a man’s feeling in a grown man. And you’re still a little girl. God, you have no idea what you’re doing to me.”
“No, Chad. You didn’t scare me.”
But he had. Her cracking voice gave her away.
“You’re not ready for this. Not ready for me. Some day you’ll thank me for not takin’ what you think you’re so ready to give.” He banged one of his clenched fists against the railing of the gazebo. “Damn!”
Her hands curled into fists and she inched toward him. “I do know what I want, Chad. It’s always been you. Always.”
He held up his hand in a stop motion. “Don’t come any closer, or I swear I won’t be able to resist those cherry lips.”
“That’s okay.” She smiled and closed her eyes, lifted her chin. “I’m legal now. You can have me. All of me.”
Sweet temptation…but no, her body betrayed her words. She wanted him, but fear still gripped her.
He walked away while her eyes were still shut, and he didn’t look back.
The white haze of sleep engulfed him. Catie came to him then, wearing a flight attendant outfit.
“May I fluff your pillow, sir?” she asked, smiling.
He longed to touch her pretty face. He extended his hand, but she smacked him away.
“No,” she said. “Don’t touch me. You did this to me. You. You.”
What? Tears streamed down her soft cheeks. He yearned to offer comfort, but she pushed him away again.
“Look at me. You did this. You did this.”
Chad’s eyes traveled down her body, to the juncture between her legs. Bright red blood stained her white capri pants.
The miscarriage.
“Baby, I’m sorry.” His heart ached with despair as he reached for her.
But his hand touched only air. She was gone.
Chad awoke, sweat dribbling down his forehead.
Ms. Flirty approached. “Do you need anything, sir?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I need to get to Paris.”
“We’ll be there in about three more hours, sir.”
“Not soon enough,” he grumbled and turned into his pillow.
No more sleep came. Only anguish. He loved Catie. More than anything. More than his own life. He loved her so much he thought it might hurt less to rip his heart right out of his chest than to live without her.
He’d been her first, and he’d give anything in the world, his entire fortune, to be her last.
“Oh, Dom, you are such a sight for sore eyes!” Catie ran into the Frenchman’s arms.
“Chérie, we need to get you home,” Dominic said. “You look like you have been run over by a train. Mon Dieu.”
“I feel like I’ve been run over by a train. And a truck. And a herd of stampeding buffalo,” Catie said. “I’m just glad to be here. It was a long flight.”
“Not one you thought you’d be making so soon.”
“Right.” She sighed. Good old Dom. He’d take care of her.
Back at Dominic’s Paris flat, Catie relaxed with a glass of Bordeaux and a crisp baguette.
“I’ve missed the wine,” she said, “though the first thing I drank when I got to Colorado was a good old margarita.”
“That lime monstrosity?”
“Yeah, and it was damn good.” She closed her eyes, remembering that night. When Chad had danced with her, had kissed her on the dance floor. Was it possible only a little over a month had passed since then?
“Chérie, we need to get you to bed.”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“Do not be absurd. You need some rest. I can deal with the couch for one night. Tomorrow we will get you a futon.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Now go take a shower.” He picked up her small bag. “I’ll put this in your room for you. It doesn’t look like you brought much.”
She sighed again. “I got out of town quickly.”
“No matter. Tomorrow you can shop for whatever you need.”
“Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”
“I’m taking the day off.”
“Not for me.”
“Yes, for you. You’re one of my dearest friends, Caitlyn. I’ll be here for you.”
Catie smiled. Dominic was such a savior. She could always count on him. If only she could count on her husband that same way.
She hadn’t heard word one from him. Of course, her cell phone was dead. Still, if he cared…
Visions of their baby, now dead, tormented her. A little boy who looked like Chad. The image of his other baby, Linda’s son, stole into her mind. Why had Chad abandoned his son?
She fell on the bed and closed her eyes. She’d shower in the morning.
“Rise and shine, lady of the manor!”
Catie opened her eyes to Dominic strolling about the room, opening the shades. Morning sunshine flowed into the room, hurting Catie’s eyes.
“Goodness. What time is it?”
“Eight a.m., chérie.”
“Oh, my.” Catie sat up and stretched. Her body itched with grease and grime. She so needed a shower.
“Take care of yourself, chérie. I will have café au lait for you in the kitchen in half an hour.”
“You’re a gem, Dom.”
Dominic’s steam shower soothed her aching bones. She disconnected the showerhead and let the water pulse over her abdomen, relieving some of the residual cramping. She was still bleeding, and probably would for a few days, the doctor had said.
She dressed in some of Dom’s sweats she found in the room. They hung on her, but they were soft and comfortable. She ambled out to the kitchen, sat down at the table, and fingered a flaky croissant.
“Here you go, just like you like it.” Dominic set a cup of steaming café au lait in front of her. She inhaled the smoky aroma. Mmmm. She had missed this. She’d missed Dominic.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
“That is Christian,” Dominic said. “You sit tight.”
“Caitlyn!” Christian pulled her up into a bear hug. “When Dom said you were returning, I was so happy.”
She melted into the handsome blond’s embrace. Oh, she had missed her friends. She inhaled the aroma of his jacket—stale cloves and smoke—Indonesian cigarettes. She’d never been able to convince either Dom or Chris to quit smoking. Right now, his scent was the sweetest thing she’d smelled in a long time. She inhaled again and closed her eyes.
Until a deep-timbre cut into her thoughts.
“Get your filthy French hands off my wife.”