Chapter Twenty-Six

The phone call, when it came, rocked Nick back on his heels. He wasn’t sure what caused him more grief, the contents of the call, or the manner in which it was delivered. To hear of Robert’s declining health was painfully hard. To hear of it from one of the nurses who’d been looking after him, rather than from Lizzie herself, was a double blow. Why hadn’t she phoned him? Were they so estranged that she couldn’t pick up the phone to tell him her brother was dying? His brother too, in all but blood. Hell, didn’t he deserve to be told by Lizzie herself, rather than a stranger?

Anger, hurt and grief raged through his system as he made arrangements to get on the next flight to LA. She might not want him there, but he was going anyway. He sure as heck wasn’t going to simply sit at home and wait for her to finally let him know his best friend was dead. If indeed, she’d even bother to do that.

In a matter of hours Nick was on board a flight to LA, his sister Charlotte by his side. When he’d phoned to let her know, she’d insisted on coming with him. As far as she was concerned, if her brother was like family to Robert and Lizzie, then so was she. Nick hadn’t had the strength or heart to argue. Besides, he was happy for the moral support.

After the long, weary flight he checked them both into a hotel in Santa Monica and was contemplating when to call Lizzie when his mobile buzzed into life. Tired and emotionally strung out, he was ready to yell into the phone at her.

‘Templeton,’ he barked, even though he knew who it was from the caller ID.

‘Nick.’ Her voice, a broken whisper, sliced through his anger and left him aching to put his arms round her. ‘I’ve been trying to call you. It’s Robert. He’s dying.’ She’d barely got the words out before he heard a heart-wrenching sob.

‘I know, Lizzie. One of the nurses called to tell me.’

He heard a sharp indrawn breath. ‘Oh, I didn’t realise they’d contacted you.’

‘I called them every now and again to check on him. I guess they realised I’d want to know.’ He let the subtle dig, that they’d told him straight away even though she hadn’t, hang between them.

‘I’m sorry,’ she replied quietly. ‘It should have been me who told you. It’s just that since I heard the news …’ He heard a muffled sound, Lizzie trying to hide the fact that she was crying. ‘For a while I wasn’t thinking straight. Then I kept phoning you and there was no reply.’

God, she was killing him with her tears, but damn it, he was hurting too. Hurting that in the fog of her grief, she hadn’t immediately, instinctively reached to call him. To share her pain. To ask for his help. ‘What number am I on your list?’ he asked abruptly.

That confused her. ‘What list?’

‘The mental one you must have in your head when tragedy strikes. Who did you call first? How far down was I?’ That was when he saw Charlotte looking daggers at him and shaking her head. Shit, what was he doing? She was going through the agony of grief and he was taking her to task just because she didn’t need him? ‘Forget I said that. What I should be doing is telling you how sorry I am about Robert.’

‘You’re number one on my list, Nick. I phoned you as soon as I’d got my head on straight. As soon as the nursing staff told me Robert would hold out for a day or so yet. I knew you’d want the chance to see him before he …’ she trailed off and he heard her take a deep, shuddery breath. ‘Before he goes.’

‘I do.’ He tried to ignore the fact that she’d been trying to contact him for his sake, not for hers. ‘Charlotte and I have just landed.’

He heard her gasp. ‘What? You mean you’re here?’

‘Of course we are. Charlotte’s standing beside me as I speak, her eyes telling me quite clearly that I’ve made a total balls up of this phone call.’

‘So that’s why I couldn’t contact you. You were already on the plane.’ She was half laughing, half crying, but the joy in her voice was so evident it seeped through the cracks in his heart. ‘Please, come as soon as you can. I’m sure Robert’s hanging on for you.’

The last day had passed in a blur. She’d not been home long from the Astella party – just long enough to take a shower to rid herself of the lingering smell of Hank’s aftershave – when Lizzie had received the call from the nurse. Robert had contracted pneumonia and wasn’t expected to survive it. In a daze she’d rushed to his bedside and spent the night there, dozing on and off in between trying to phone Nick. She’d been distraught at not being able to contact him, distraught enough to phone his office and ask to speak to Sally. She’d sounded … depressingly lovely. Perhaps Sally had heard the anguish in her voice because she’d been full of sympathy when Lizzie had explained the situation, telling her Nick had left the office early but she’d let him know if she heard from him.

Meanwhile, unbeknown to her, Nick had already dropped everything and come over.

He came to see his friend one more time, she told herself firmly. And because he was her friend, too, and that’s what friends did. Support each other.

As she looked down at the frail, lifeless body of her once vibrant brother, she didn’t care why Nick had come. Only that any minute now he’d be here, with her.

‘I love him,’ she told Robert. ‘But that probably doesn’t surprise you. He was easy to let into our home, our hearts, wasn’t he? The quiet to our storm. It was the perfect combination, wasn’t it?’

The door creaked open and Lizzie leapt to her feet, barrelling into Nick the moment he stepped inside.

‘Thank you so much for coming,’ she told him, tears streaming down her face.

He squeezed her tightly, his body feeling as steady as a rock. ‘Where else would I be?’ His eyes strayed over to where Robert lay and she saw the pain cross his face. ‘How much longer does he have?’

Lizzie grabbed hold of his hand and led him quickly out of the room. ‘We don’t know how much he can hear,’ she explained at his confused expression. ‘I know it seems unlikely he can hear anything, but if he can, I want it to be positive words. Happy words.’

‘Of course.’ He dragged a hand through his hair, something it looked like he’d done a lot on the journey over here. ‘It might take me a while to get my game face on, but I can do that.’

She squeezed his hand. ‘I know you can. And in answer to your question, they’re not sure. Hours, perhaps a day.’ Her eyes swept the corridor behind him. ‘I thought you said Charlotte was with you?’

‘She came over with me, yes, but didn’t want to intrude. We’ll see her back at the hotel when … when …’

‘When he passes,’ Lizzie filled in for him, feeling another rush of tears. ‘I know it’s for the best, I know he wouldn’t want to be like this for any longer, but still. I’m going to miss him.’

The tears burst out of her again, and Nick held her silently, letting her cry. When she’d stopped, she blew her nose and put on a smile. ‘Let’s go and sit with Robert, shall we?’

She held her brother’s hand while Nick and she caught up. For the first few minutes Nick was stilted, obviously finding it hard to include Robert in the conversation when he clearly believed Robert was dead to him already. But Lizzie wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her brother yet – she’d never be ready – so she persevered and gradually Nick relaxed.

‘I spoke to Sally, you know, when I was trying to get hold of you. She was very sweet. I liked her.’

Nick gave her a wry smile. ‘Sally is a good person. Just not the person for me.’ For the briefest of moments his eyes held hers and she read his sadness in them. Then he quickly looked away.

I’m sorry, she wanted to blurt. I love you. I did what I did not to hurt you, but to protect you from me. I ruin everything.

But she said none of those things. Now wasn’t the time to pour out her heart. Not when her brother was slipping away.

Nick stared down at his friend, tears pricking his eyes. Lizzie had left to get them a drink and, he thought, to allow him some time to say his own goodbye.

The nurses had told them Robert’s vital signs were worsening. It wouldn’t be long now.

‘So.’ His voice croaked and he wished he didn’t feel so horribly self-conscious. Wished he had Lizzie’s ease when it came to talking to her dying brother. ‘I guess it’s about time I came clean about my feelings for your little sister.’ He let out a strangled laugh. ‘You probably already guessed though, didn’t you, mate? You were always inviting me to every family event, making sure I was there whenever Lizzie came over from the States.’

A tear fell down his cheek, but Nick didn’t wipe it away. His mind wasn’t in the clinical looking room with the beeping monitors. It was back in England, with Robert. Back in the Donavue family home that Lizzie now owned, having officially bought it off him a few months ago. He didn’t know what he’d have done without Robert growing up. He’d given him not just laughs and excitement, not just friendship, but a family, too. And, Nick realised with a start, he’d given him Lizzie. Sure Nick himself had then managed to cock everything up, but he’d like to bet Robert had known exactly what he’d been doing all those years ago.

‘Thank you,’ he whispered, reaching out to clutch Robert’s thin hand. ‘You were the best friend a guy could have. And don’t you worry about your sister. I love her with everything I am. I’ll always look out for her. Always.’

By the time Lizzie came in with the drinks, tears were rolling freely down Nick’s face.