AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Come in!” he said, and then smiled when Liz walked in. “Hello, darling! What a nice surprise! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
Liz plopped down in one of the chairs by his desk, straightened her blouse, sat up straight, then folded her hands in her lap. “I’ve come to apply for a job. I have a degree that I’m not using, and if Mr. Devlin, your event planner, is willing to mentor me, I would love to intern.”
Ray’s smile widened. “Honey! That’s wonderful! At this moment, Gerald does not have an assistant, and he would be grateful. He’s actually mentioned the need for one before. I just never pursued it. And interning is the obvious way for you to begin.”
Liz resisted the urge to clap her hands. “Thank you, Dad! I know there are perks of being the daughter of the boss, but I appreciate the opportunity.”
Ray laughed. “You’re welcome, and out of curiosity, what prompted this?”
Liz didn’t hesitate. “Rusty. She’s so smart and so driven and gives so much of herself in the service of others. She made me feel like a slug without even knowing it.”
“Ah…yes, I can see that,” Ray said.
“I miss her,” Liz said. “And now that Michael and I are kind of at odds, I feel like I have no purpose.”
Ray frowned. “Have you two decided to call it quits?”
“No, but we’re at a rebuilding stage, I would say.”
“I heard he was in an accident earlier today. Someone broadsided him downtown during the downpour. Do you know how he is?” Ray asked.
Liz gasped. “Oh my God! I didn’t know that happened! He didn’t call. I can’t believe he didn’t—” And then she took a deep breath as her eyes welled. “I need to check on him. I’m going up to make some calls. You can tell me about my work schedule and all that tonight at dinner, okay?”
“Absolutely,” Ray said. “It’ll give me time to speak to Gerald and give him a heads-up about you interning with him. Oh…I got a text from your mother. She said she landed safely and was waiting for a taxi.”
“Yes, I got one, as well. She’s in her own world. I didn’t bother responding. Thank you for the opportunity and for letting me know about Michael,” Liz said, and then gave her dad a kiss on the cheek and left the office.
Ray watched her go and then reached for the phone. This horrible day had just taken a remarkable turn to the good.
But for Liz, her day was shattered. She couldn’t get to the penthouse fast enough. She went straight to her room, crawled up in the middle of her bed, and called Michael.
His phone rang and rang, and she was imagining all kinds of horror scenarios about him too injured to speak, or in a hospital bed unconscious, until she finally heard his voice. It was a little slurred and raspy, but it was proof he was alive.
“Hello?”
“Michael! Oh my God! I just found out about your wreck! I’m so sorry. How badly were you hurt? Are you at home or in the hospital?”
Michael sighed. This. Her voice. Tinged with panic and concern. That’s what he needed to know. She still cared.
“I’m home. Nothing broken. Whiplash. Slight concussion. Just hurt all over,” he mumbled.
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry,” she said, and started crying. “I’m so sorry you didn’t feel like you could call me. And that’s my fault. But I do care about you. I do love you. I’m supposed to start work with our event planner tomorrow, but as soon as I get off work, maybe it would be okay if I came to see you?” she asked.
“Of course you can,” Michael said. “It will be something to look forward to. I’m so glad you called. Love you.”
“Love you, too,” Liz said. “Rest well.”
As soon as the connection ended, she fell backward on the bed, curled up on her side, and cried until her eyes were burning and her throat was raw. She was ashamed of herself. Of her lies. Of the fantasy world she’d indulged in. It was dishonest and destructive, and she’d almost destroyed her relationship. She hadn’t known how much he meant to her until this brush with death.
She spent the rest of the evening going through her closet, sorting out clothes that would be proper outfits to go to work in, and when Ray came home, dinner soon followed. They talked and planned all the way through the meal and up until they went to bed without once mentioning Patricia’s absence.
Bottom line. Liz would start work tomorrow. She called herself an adult. It was time to start acting like one.
***
Jack Barton was getting negative feedback about the murder on his property from paying guests and hoped closing the campsites down now would give the public time for the horror of that to fade. Few locals ever used the campsites, and by next year, the new tourists who arrived would be unaware of the history.
He went out on his golf cart the next morning to turn off water access to the campground to protect from frozen pipes during the winter. And when he drove all the way to the last site, he got out and removed the last bits of crime-scene tape.
