Whispering plagued the dreams cascading through Kate’s mind. She was sitting at a quiet street cafe with Tony enjoying some cheeses and wine. Their conversation was comfortable. At last, they had the time to become more acquainted with one another. He would flash her boyish smiles and caress her hand. The glistening emeralds of his eyes spoke to her, letting Kate know Tony was as mesmerized by her as she was by him. This could’ve been a love story from any movie starring Humphrey Bogart.
France was heavenly this time of year. The flowers were in bloom, sending aromatic scents in every direction. She looked up into the sky and saw big white fluffy clouds float through the blue sky. It was serene and just the place she wanted, and needed, to be.
Kate didn’t want the dream to end; she didn’t want to get the pleasant images of Tony out of her mind. However, the people around her had different ideas. Clearly, she was supposed to wake up and face the reality taking place around her—good or bad.
How long had she been asleep? Where was she? When she attempted opening her eyes, they were still heavy as though she’d been drugged or hadn’t slept in a week. It was a struggle just to lift her eyelids and focus on the people hovering over her.
Her dad was there, with his salt-and-pepper hair combed to the side. His tan skin intensified the blue in his eyes. His smile was contagious and Kate’s heart warmed. If her dad was by her side, that meant she was safe. There would be no more harm. She could relax. The tension that had unknowingly built up slowly found its way elsewhere.
“D—Dad.” Her voice was weak and hoarse as she cleared her throat.
“Don’t try to speak, love. We’re all here with you. You’re going to be just fine.”
Kate moved her sights from face to face, focusing on each individual staring back with smiles as big as the state of Texas plastered over their faces. Her mom’s normally perfect complexion now contained dark circles surrounding her eyes, and she had tears spilling down her cheeks. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and her jogging suit was disheveled as though she’d been wearing it for days. Her mom was normally very put together; but not so much today. How long had she been maintaining vigil at Kate’s bedside?
Kate moved on to her brother. David wiped his brow and gave a sigh of relief as he leaned over and hugged her. He was never very good about showing emotion. The fact that David seemed to be on pins and needles meant that he too was worried. Of course, he was. Why wouldn’t he worry about his only sister?
Kate continued to look around the room. There were IV poles, monitors, and other equipment that left her no doubt she was in a hospital.
She searched the room for some indication of what country she might be in. There was nothing but a board written with the nurse’s name and date in English.
“Where am I?”
“You’re home, honey. You’re back in New York.” Elizabeth reached for Kate’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Was her mom trying to reassure her or was she hanging onto it for dear life? Either way, they both needed that contact in that moment.
“How long?”
Elizabeth had a puzzled expression on her face. “How long, what?”
Kate swallowed and garnered some strength before repeating the question. “How long have I been here?” It had to have been at least a couple of days. It was no short flight from Italy, and certainly, there was some red tape they had to get through at the embassy. In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter how long she’d been home…just that she was finally here.
“A week. You’ve been here for a week.” Elizabeth seemed to force a smile to her face.
How could a week have gone by already? How could she have missed this much of her life? Was she sleeping the entire time or did she suffer from amnesia? What happened?
“How did I get here?”
“An agent from the Interpol delivered you to the embassy. Your dad had the jet waiting and they flew you to a hospital in London. You were there for a couple of days before we had you transferred home.” Elizabeth squeezed Kate’s hand.
Holy crap. She’d been out for almost two weeks.
“What about Tony?”
Kate looked to her dad for answers. They both shrugged. “Who are you talking about?” Elizabeth asked.
Just as Kate suspected, there was no sign of him. Tony could be dead for all she knew. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Kate should be thankful she had made it out alive. She should also probably hate him for dragging her into the debacle that he was involved in. But she just couldn’t. She missed him and his companionship. She missed his touch, his smell, and his smile. She missed the connection between them that she had never felt with Mike or any other man. Kate had a primal instinct to find him and be with him. She needed him.
Kate’s dad rubbed her shoulder. She winced as a sharp pain shot into her back.
“Everything’s going to be okay. You just need to keep resting.” He gave her a crooked smile.
Clearly, her dad was skeptical of the advice he was providing. None of them truly knew what happened in Italy. They could see her physical injuries, but they had no clue what she saw or what went on in her heart and mind. They would never understand, but she wasn’t so sure that she completely understood.
A heaviness crept over Kate’s eyes and forced her eyelids closed. She fell asleep with the comfort of knowing she was safe and dreaming of what might have been with Tony.