Page 18 of HEA: Happily Ever After

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry,” I began. “You must be at dinner. I didn’t even think?—”

I broke off in frustration when the airport PA system began announcing the last call for a flight.

“Where are you?” Oscar demanded. “What’s happening?”

“I’m in Raleigh, remember? At the airport. Trying to get home as soon as possible.”

When Oscar spoke again, his voice was lower and more dangerous than I’d ever heard it. “Where’s J-bro? What did he do?”

“Who?”

“Your… date. The one you were spending the weekend with.”

“You mean Perry?”

Oscar paused. “Perry? Are you sure?”

I couldn’t hold back a soft snort. “Pretty sure, yeah. That’s what his ex-boyfriend was moaning when I caught Perry going down on him in his mother’s pantry before breakfast.”

“Oh, babe,” Oscar sighed. “Fuck. No wonder you’re upset.”

I shut my eyes at the endearment. Not a single part of me believed he’d said it in anything other than a friendly way, but still, the sweetness of that single syllable, the caring and understanding in it, slid through me like warm whiskey. God, I’d missed that. I’d missed him.

“I don’t care about Perry,” I said, surprised to realize it was true. “I’m upset because… you remember my sister, Abby?”

“Yes, of course.”

“She’s been in an accident. She’s at Beth Israel in Newark. All they’ll tell me is that she’s stable and she’s going to be okay, but I still haven’t talked to her yet, and all the damn flights out of this place are full for some reason, and I can’t get home to see her for myself, and I’m just—” My breath hitched. “I’m worried.”

There was a pause on the other end, and I immediately began to second-guess myself. Just because Oscar was important enough to me to be the person I wanted to talk to in a crisis didn’t mean I was that important to him. He had his own life. His friends. His… hookups.

And I was interrupting.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have?—”

“I’m sending a plane.”

I blinked, completely stunned. I wasn’t even sure what to say to that. Then, a horrifying thought entered my head. “That’s not why I called you,” I said, feeling slightly panicky that he might think that’s why I’d reached out to him in the first place.

“I know,” he said simply.

But did he? Given his wealth, he had to have scores of men throwing themselves at him just for his money. I didn’t want him to think of me the way. “I’m serious, Oscar. I appreciate your offer, I do, but you know I can’t accept that.”

He tsked dismissively. “You can and you will.”

“Oscar—”

“It’s Abby, Hugh.” His voice grew gentler. “She means everything to you, and she needs you, and you need to know she’s okay. Let me help.”

My throat grew tight, my eyes suddenly blurring. Oscar had a reputation as a playboy, as an eccentric, as a man about town. But to me, this seemed like the real Oscar: someone caring with a big generous heart. He knew that Abby was all I had left in the world.

Before I had a chance to respond, he said, “Ah, here we are. Lesya has it all sorted. Apparently, one of my pilots has a colleague in your area who can bring you up on a reciprocal flight. You’re to meet him in General Aviation.”

I stared at the crowd massing around the gate for the Newark flight. The TV screen over the desk still showed no availability for standby. Getting back home would be impossible unless I took Oscar up on his offer.

“Uh… okay. I’m headed there now.”

He let out a soft breath, like he’d been worried I would turn him down. “Good. Text me when you make it, okay? I like to know you’re safe.”

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