Page 91 of In Good Company

My hands tighten against her cheeks as I keep her close to me just a little longer.

She pulls away, and I hate how swollen and red her eyes are from all of the crying. “Goodbye, Cal.”

She steps out of my grasp and walks to the plane. I count every step she takes away from me. With each one, I hope that she turns around and tells me she’s changed her mind. If she just asked me to get on that plane with her, I would.

She doesn’t.

She doesn’t even look back at me.

Not when she greets the pilot, Brian.

Not when she gets to the top of the stairs.

And not even when she steps into the open door of the jet.

As soon as she disappears, I look at my pilot. I clear my throat to make sure my words don’t come out sounding too pained. “You take care of my girl. I want to know the moment you land.”

He nods. And then, before I can make a fool out of myself and run inside to beg her to change her mind, I turn around and walk away from the only woman I’ll ever love.

All I can do is hope that our feelings are strong enough for her to realize just how perfect we are together.

I sit in my car and watch the private jet take off with a lump in my throat. I watch as my entire world flies away as I come to terms with the fact that I have no idea when I’ll see her again.

It’s only when the plane disappears behind some clouds that I wipe a single tear away from my cheek and drive away from the private airport with a broken heart and an intense longing for a woman who doesn’t want to be mine.

FORTY-NINE

LUCY

“Lucy, you’re making me nervous. Stop hovering,” my dad scolds. He stares at me over his wire-rimmed glasses. His dark, bushy eyebrows pull together on his forehead as he gives me a deep scowl.

I give him an apologetic smile. “You just got back from the hospital, Dad. I’m just making sure you’re okay.”

He waves his hand through the air dismissively. “I’m fine. Now that they’ve got my medications sorted out, you don’t have to worry.”

I narrow my eyes on him. No matter how much it annoys him, it’s my job to worry. He was in the hospital for a week while they tried to figure out what was happening with him. He was having an abnormal heartbeat rhythm, a complication that can happen after heart attacks.

It feels like I didn’t sleep for that entire time; I was so sick with worry. His team of doctors is amazing, but every time we felt like we had a handle on things, he would have an episode with his heart that sent us right back to square one. Eventually, they felt good enough about his new medications and care plan to let him go home.

“You know I’m going to worry, but I’ll try not to hover.Mom should be back soon from the pharmacy, but do you need me to get you anything?” I place my hands on my hips and wait for my dad to answer as he tries to get comfortable in his leather recliner.

“You could take me to the store. I want to check everything out,” he grumbles. It’s obvious that it’s eating away at him that he hasn’t been able to return to the store since his incident, but his doctors were very firm that he needs to take it easy.

“You were just released from the hospital this morning, Dad. Maybe we should give it some time before we try working again?”

He lets out a disgruntled growl. The man doesn’t know how to relax, but now that I’m back and in charge of keeping an eye on him to give my mom a break, he’s going to learn real quickly how serious I am about listening to his doctors. I never want to get a phone call like that from my mom again.

“Maybeyoushould go check it out,” Dad offers as I hand him the TV remote.

His warm brown eyes focus on me, the hint of a smile forming on his lips. Every time Dad smiles, it’s a reminder of how Luke had his exact smile. It’s bittersweet.

I flip through the channels, trying to find something Dad will like, as I can’t help but return his smile with one of my own. It feels like smiles have been few and far between the past week, so it’s good to see Dad giving me one.

Especially with how close it is to Luke and Logan’s birthday.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” I ask.

“Yes,” he responds immediately, making me laugh. Being grumpy is a personality trait of his. I forgot how much I missed it. His personality is coming back after being so out of it in the hospital. “I haven’t been alone in forever. If I can’t get to the store, then I can send you and maybe have somepeace and quiet before your mother gets home and fusses over me.”

---