Authors: Collette Scott
“At least it’s a fast mover.”
“Yes, sir.” Mike’s voice was solemn.
“No note?”
“They didn’t say, sir.”
Devlan shook his head again, stunned. He knew. In the back of his mind he knew. He had been gone for too long and she got scared. She had flown the coop again. There was nothing he could do about it now, not with a storm coming. And chances were that everything he had bought her was neatly where she had found it. Her pride would never have allowed her to take anything.
“Keep your ears open for word on the car. I’m sure we’ll be getting it back,” he said softly.
“Do you want me to hire someone to find her?” Mike’s voice was hopeful.
Devlan sighed. “No.”
Sudden anger filled him. If his love had not been strong enough to hold her, there was no sense in keeping her against her will. If she did not want him, he sure as hell would not chase after her. He had tasted their sunshine, albeit briefly. Perhaps that would be enough for him. The stabbing pain in his heart told him that it never would be. The idea of growing old without them, without Diana’s smile and Hannah’s laughter, filled him with such loneliness that he thought his heart would tear in two.
“Let’s watch for the car first,” he conceded roughly.
“I’ll pull whatever strings I can to get us back there, sir. And I’ll keep an ear open for news.”
“Good.”
“Oh, and sir? They also told me her Christmas gift for you arrived. Mrs. Maclean says it’s beautiful.”
“That’s great,” he muttered.
He hung up the phone and wandered down the carpeted hall until he found an empty office. Shutting the door behind him, Devlan leaned against the wall and took in a harsh breath. He could not breathe, so heavy was the feeling in his chest. The room began to spin as he gasped for air. He lurched away from the door and staggered to the small desk. His hands fell heavy on the papers scattered about as he collapsed into the stiff chair. He felt lightheaded.
Glancing down at his hands, Devlan noticed he was sweating. Yet he felt so cold. Gooseflesh began to rise under his suit and shirt, the fine hairs sticking up straight to hold in the heat. It did not help. He was so cold. Was it possible to die of a broken heart?
Suddenly the door opened, and a young intern stuck his head in. “Mr. Doyle? What are you doing in here?” His head cocked to one side. “Are you all right, sir? You don’t look too good.”
Devlan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came forth. He still could not breathe well, and the heaviness in his chest grew more insistent. He shook his head. The intern approached cautiously and reached forward to touch the pulse on his neck. His keen gaze took in Devlan for another moment before he backed away.
“I’m going to go for help. Just wait right here.”
Devlan wanted to shout for him to stay with him. Suddenly he felt scared. Something was most definitely wrong, but what he could not tell. Perhaps losing Diana and Hannah had done something to him, or maybe it was possible to die of a broken heart after all. The young man hurried from the office. As though from a distance, Devlan heard him shouting for help.
“Call 911. Man down. Quick, I need help!”
The next thing he knew there were people all around him and his phone was vibrating again. Still in his hand, he glanced down. It was an unknown number with a strange area code. He ignored the call and closed his eyes briefly. Faces blended, but Devlan saw only one in his mind’s eye. Just one woman with blond hair and bright blue eyes smiled down at him.
“Why?” he whispered.
No one responded; no one had the answer. His shirt was loosened, and he was gently lowered from the chair to the floor. Someone came by with a blanket, which they threw over him. He noticed then that he was shivering violently. Voices were mingling around him. Suddenly two dark figures arrived, and they were carrying equipment. A mask was placed over his face, and he was told to breathe in deep.
He was dying. He knew it. But he did not mind. Losing Diana and Hannah were too much for him to bear. So accustomed had he grown to their presence in his life, that one without them seemed too overwhelming to consider.
The huge deal he had made meant nothing. Nothing at all mattered anymore. Diana and Hannah were gone.
~
“Happy New Year!”
Diana lifted her glass of ginger ale and toasted the small party. Allan was there, as was Brad, his partner and some of their friends. Despite all these new faces, Hannah missed California desperately. Every day was a chore for Diana to explain again why Uncle Devlan was not there, and why he probably would not come back. It had been harder than she had imagined, for not only did she miss Devlan but Hannah did as well. Allan’s arrival just after Christmas had helped, but it was Brad’s consistent tenderness and playfulness with her that smoothed the way.
“Smile Diana, have a good time.”
Diana raised her glass at Allan and smiled. Once again he had proven himself to be a true friend. Allan had arrived with her car, packed to the hilt with some of her treasured belongings.
She stood alone by the easel that rested next to the fireplace in the living room, watching the small party from a safe distance. Her heart was not in it. Luckily Hannah slept peacefully in their borrowed room down the hall, the noise from the party not loud enough to wake up her exhausted child. The men and few women that mingled stood in cliques around her, and no one offered to speak to her. She did not mind; in fact, she preferred watching. Everyone appeared so happy and completely oblivious to the mess that she had made of her life.
“Hey, can you turn up that TV?” someone shouted to her.
Diana glanced at the small TV before turning it louder. The scene in New York City was boisterous. There were people all over the place in Times Square. She noticed the huge crowds in addition to the big piles of snow and shivered. Had Devlan made it home before the storm last week? She had tried one last time to reach him using Brad’s phone, but it had gone to voice mail and again she could not speak long enough to leave a message. Hoping that with time she would be able to find her voice, she decided to take a wait and see approach.
Suddenly Allan appeared by her side and took her arm. “Let’s go outside. It’s quieter out there.”
She nodded and let him lead her out the front door just as the news came on. No one watched as they went over the headlines and the weather. Then came the news that caught some of the more right wing artist’s attention.
On the screen was the view of a dark coated man whose face was hidden under the raised collar. A biting wind pressed the coat against his long legs, the tails flapping wildly out behind him. He was climbing the stairs to a white jet, but his face remained downcast and his footsteps were slow. The newsman’s voice suddenly interjected.
“And Doyle Enterprises’, Devlan Doyle, left the city tonight for rest and relaxation in his Brentwood, California mansion. As you know, Doyle, on the day he made history with his huge company merger with SYTE Computers suffered a near fatal heart attack. It’s said that he will make a full recovery but needs to take some time off from his hectic schedule.”
“Will his girlfriend, model Roxanne Lemieux, be accompanying him?” The co-announcer asked.
“Roxanne has left New York for Italy, and Doyle is due to start production of a new television movie in Hollywood. A spokesperson for the Doyle camp has released the news that Doyle and Lemieux are still friends, but probably will be seeing others. Sounds a little rocky to me.”
The crowd jeered at the news, and Brad shouted at the others to turn it off. Through the closed door Diana heard the sound of Brad’s stereo and grimaced.
“I’ll go tell him to turn it down,” Allan said, coming to his feet.
“No, no,” she said, putting her hand on his arm. “It’s his house.”
“That’s why I asked you to come out here. Brad approached me earlier tonight…”
Diana squeezed her eyes shut. “He wants us out?”
“No, no, just the opposite. He wants you to stay on as a roommate. It’s cheap enough rent if you split it in half, and Hannah seems to like it here.” Allan smiled and reached for Diana’s hand over the glass table. “I noticed you were drinking ginger ale all evening.”
Diana glanced down at her champagne flute and shrugged. “I don’t like champagne.”
Allan nodded, but the curve of his mouth told her he did not believe her. He leaned against the wall and crossed his legs at the ankle as if he had all the time in the world. “What happened in California?”
“I told you. Hannah’s almost well. It was time for us to move on.”
“In that much of a hurry? There’s more.”
Diana shook her head, but tears had begun to form in her eyes. She looked away from Allan’s piercing stare and crossed her arms over her chest, wincing as she did so. The sensitivity of her breasts merely made matters worse, reminding her that she did in fact have a secret.
“I’d rather not pry Diana, but you sounded so desperate on the phone. I just want to make sure you’re going to be safe here… Did he hurt you like Peter?”
Diana tried to laugh, but the sound was more like a sob. “Oh no! Just the opposite, Allan. He was a true gentleman. He was so nice, so gentle and caring. Hannah loved him. He was just perfect.”
“So why did you leave him?”
Diana returned her gaze to Allan’s, her eyes bright with tears. “He’s getting married.”
“Married? To whom?”
She waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. Not to me.”
“But did you tell him how you feel?”
“And how do I feel, Allan?”
“It’s plain as day that you’re in love with him. Maybe you should tell him.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? Maybe he’d change his plans.”
“Roxanne is much more glamorous and beautiful than I. He’s better off with someone more of his class.”
“More his class? I don’t know for sure, but when I saw him, he seemed pretty humble to me.”
“Yes, but I didn’t fit in.”
“Tell him.”
“I can’t,” she whispered.
“Tell him.”
“I can’t, Allan. Please stop.”
“Why the hell not?”
Diana glanced down at her hands. She was grasping her ginger ale flute tightly. “I’m pregnant. I confirmed it at a clinic Monday.”
Allan’s face paled for just an instant before all the color came rushing back. She watched as he swallowed hard.
“What?” he choked.
“You heard me,” she snapped.
“That’s all the more reason to tell him. Don’t be stupid, Diana.”
She shook her head. “I can’t right now. I’ve tried, but it’s too difficult. I can’t even leave him a message.” Her voice broke, and she felt her eyes fill with all the unshed tears she had been bottling in. “Please, I need more time. It just hurts too much right now.”
“He has a right to know.”
“Please, Allan. When you return the car to him don’t say anything. Do you understand me, Allan? You can’t tell him.”
“How can you do that to him?” Allan frowned fiercely. “How can you be so cold?”
His words stung her. Cold? Is that what she had become? She needed to make her point clear. “It would kill me to know that he was with me when he loved another. Don’t you see? He would do that. He’s such a kind man that he would drop everything and marry me. I couldn’t live like that.”
“I don’t agree with this. Diana, I can’t make any promises. If he gives me any inkling that he really wants to know where you are, I’m going to tell him.”
“Please don’t do that to me.”
Allan came to his feet. “I’d like to get some sleep before I hit the road later.” Though he was furious with her, he held out his hand. “Come on, I’ll tuck you in.”
She gave him a watery smile. “Thanks for everything, Allan. I really do appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“You may not say that if Doyle asks where you are.”
“But I mean it now.”
He smiled. “We know.”
~
“Well, I’ve always wanted to be a daddy. I hope you don’t mind me filling in for the guy?”
Diana laughed. It was a sound that was rarely made in the last month. “Really, Brad. Do you have to keep reminding me?”
With one hand on his hip, Brad waved his paintbrush around flagrantly. “So, will you marry me or what?”
Diana shook her head. “I’ve been married once, and trust me when I say that it’s not fun.”
“But this would be different. I’d be –”
“Saddled with a woman who has two children by two different men, neither of which is you.” Diana glanced up and frowned. It really did sound bad, and even worse when she added that Devlan and Peter were step-brothers. “You can be my coach. Okay?”
Cocking his head to one side, Brad stuck out his lower lip and made a sad face. “Well, if you say so.”
Diana gave her attention back to the papers in front of her. “You have over twenty thousand in your checking account, and you’re getting reminder notices left and right.” He shrugged. “And the mural you sold at your shop last week went for two grand less than it was worth. What are you doing?”