Page 56 of Trails of Temptation

And I wasn’t ready to admit that no matter how selfish that was.

But on the third day, I called Grant.

He answered immediately. “George?”

“I’m sorry, Grant—”

“Where the hell are you?”

“Helena,” I replied. “I need some time, okay? I’m sorry.”

“Are you all right?”

I paused, swallowing hard. “Yeah, I am. I just have some family stuff to sort out and then I’ll be back.” I paused again, sitting down on the edge of the hotel room bed as I ran my hand through my hair. “My phone died and I didn’t pack a charger—”

“Keely’s having a rough time,” Grant said, cutting me off. “Thinks you left her.”

“That’s not true.”

“Then you need to call her and clear the air.”

“I plan to,” I said. “Let me handle it.”

“I won’t say anything. Are you sure everything’s fine?”

“As fine as it can be,” I replied, shaking my head. I still couldn’t say it. I couldn’t tell him what was really going on.

“Take as much time as you need. Everything is… fine, here. I guess. Other than Keely moping around.”

“I’ll handle it,” I promised, feeling like an absolute jerk.

We hung up and I immediately called Keely. It rung once, then twice, then hung up. I pulled the phone back to look at the screen.

She’d screened my call.

So, she was mad. I understood why. I didn’t have my head on straight and I deserved her cold shoulder.

I called again and it went straight to voicemail.

I lay back in bed and stared up at the water-stained ceiling, eventually falling into a deep, dreamless sleep. When I woke up at 3 a.m., it was because my phone was ringing. I reached out and fumbled in the dark for it and answered, half asleep still.

“Keely, I’m sorry—”

“Mr. Neimons?” Doctor Abbot’s voice cut through the line and my stomach immediately twisted at the tone of his voice. There was only one reason he’d be calling me at three in the goddamn morning.

“Yeah?”

The air in the room stilled as Doctor Abbot exhaled deeply over the line. My chest relaxed, which was an odd reaction, given the fact I knew exactly what he was about to say to me. I almost told him I already knew—that everything in my body was telling me exactly why I was getting this call.

I walked over to the window and pulled open the curtains, looking out that quiet, darkened highway separating me from the hospital in the distance.

“Your mother passed away about twenty minutes ago, peacefully in her sleep. Your aunt was here with her. I’m sorry for your loss. I really am.”

“Thank you for letting me know,” I replied without emotion, and it took all the strength I had. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

ChapterTwenty-Seven

Keely

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