Stormy Passion (49 page)

Wait a minute. Taylor's mother. How easy it
was to forget the woman when Taylor was near her. Brenna couldn't
pay the money back to her, and she had no doubts that Vivian would
tell her son everything. But one thing Brenna hadn't thought of
until now was that she couldn't go back to River Run. There were
too many painful memories, and she didn't want Lisa hurt. And then
there was Carol. How did Taylor really feel about her? So where did
all this mind-searching leave her? Nowhere.

After Brenna slipped into her faded blue
jeans and a Duke sweatshirt, she went downstairs at a very slow
pace. She had been used to Taylor carrying her and this morning she
missed that simple pleasure. She'd sure be glad when she could walk
like a normal human again.

The girls were beginning to stir and the
looks in their puffy eyes told Brenna they hadn't gone to sleep
until late. She turned around and found Lisa still asleep. Brenna
smiled. Her sister had always been a night person who wanted to
sleep the morning away. Reaching down, she shook her. “Time to get
up.”

“
I'll tell her,” Lisa
mumbled sleepily

Brenna shook her again. “Wake up, you're
talking in your sleep.”

It took a few minutes but this time Lisa sat
up and rubbed her eyes. She sat in a stupor until she realized
where she was. Looking up at Brenna, she mumbled, “Good
morning.”

“
My, you're a sleepyhead
this morning. What time did you go to bed?”

“
About two.” Lisa rubbed
her eyelids.

“
Well that explains your
groggy mind. Did you enjoy your party?”

“
I sure did,” Lisa said
then motioned for Brenna to bend over. “All the girls told me they
want to come to all my parties. I think they are all in love with
Taylor.”

“
I can understand why.”
Brenna smiled at the look of happiness in her sister's eyes; no,
she could never take Lisa back to River Run. Back there they'd have
to suffer the whispers behind their backs and the peculiar stares.
Everyone loved gossip. They'd never let the murders die. Maybe
Vivian Rothschild had been right; Taylor would be better off
without her in his life.

Brenna reached down and picked up some of the
pillows thrown all over the floor. “I'm going out to the kitchen
and fix some breakfast. Have you seen Taylor?”

“
Kinda.”

Brenna looked at her sister, sharply. “What
does that mean?”

“
He's gone.”

“
Gone where?” Panic started
to build in Brenna's chest. Some warning signal told her that
paradise had ended and reality had set in. “Did he go to the
store?”

“
No. He came down early
this morning and shook me. He said Carol had called, and he had to
go home.”

Feeling as if her heart were being torn in
two, Brenna managed to ask, “That's all he said?”

Lisa pulled her brow together as she thought.
“I think so. I was half-asleep when he told me. Wait a minute. I
did ask him if he was coming back and he said yes.” Lisa reached
out and grabbed her sister's hand. “Brenna.”

Brenna couldn't believe Taylor was gone. He
had actually left. In the back of her mind she had prepared
herself, knowing that this time would come, but lately she'd been
fooled into thinking, hoping that just maybe he would stay. And he
hadn't even bothered to wake her. He'd just sneaked out so there
wouldn't be any emotional scenes. She felt a tug on her hand.

“
Brenna!”

Brenna tried to give Lisa a weak, reassuring
smile. “I'm all right. I--I just thought Taylor would have told me
goodbye.”

“
It must have been pretty
urgent.” Lisa got to her feet. “But don't worry he'll be back. He
said so.”

“
Sure he will.” Brenna
half-smiled at her trusting sister.

She moved toward the kitchen not remembering
how she got there. Brenna wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She
wanted to just lie down and die. But instead she opened the door.
Geraldine was washing her hands and staring out the window when
Brenna stumbled through the kitchen door and said, “You didn't have
to come this morning. I can handle the girls.” Brenna moved up
behind Geraldine and noticed she was getting ready to whip up some
pancake batter. Taylor had liked Geraldine's hotcakes. He'd liked
building fires, and playing games with Lisa. And still he had left
....

“
I don't mind. 'Sides, I
promised Lisa some blueberry pancakes for her birthday.”

“
He's gone,” Brenna blurted
out.

Geraldine whirled around from the sink.
“Why?”

Tears had begun to trickle down Brenna's
cheeks. “I don't know. Carol called, and he left.”

Geraldine put down the bowl and hugged Brenna
to her motherly bosom. “I'm sorry, sweetie. I thought he was goin'
to stay.”

Brenna sobbed against her. “Me, too.”

“
There's bound to be a good
reason. Maybe he'll call ya.” Geraldine patted her back. “I don't
believe he's the kind to just walk out.” She held Brenna away from
her and placed a finger under her chin. “Ya know he loves
ya.”

“
No, he doesn't. I wanted
to think he did, but he never made me any promises. He just
left.”

Taylor whipped into the hospital parking lot
and in no time he was walking down the hospital corridor. He opened
the door to his mother's room, then stopped at the sight of her
lying much too still. Tubes ran in and out of her arm, and a heart
monitor blinked steadily. He moved over to her bed. This wasn't
right. He was used to seeing his mother feisty and giving orders,
even though they usually didn't work with him. But she always had
everyone else jumping. Reaching down, he picked up her hand and
whispered, “Mother.”

She didn't respond. He looked closer. Her
coloring wasn't good, and her breathing seemed much too shallow.
Taylor ran his hand down the side of her cold cheek. “Mother.” She
looked tired and old. He never thought of his mother as being old.
If he had known she was sick, he would have come home sooner. But
his mother had never been sick. She had always been the picture of
health, a tower of strength, and a ball of energy. After all, she
was the only family he had. His father had died seven years
before.

“
Mother, I'm here.” Taylor
leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. This time she stirred
slightly and slowly her eyelids fluttered open.

“
Taylor, I knew you'd
come.” She gave him a weak smile.

“
Have you had heart
problems you haven't told me about?”

She smiled. “I've had a few minor incidents
over the years. I'm just as surprised as you are that I'm in the
hospital. This shouldn't be happening to me,” she admitted in a
broken whisper.

“
Why didn't you tell
me?”

“
Because you would have
worried, and I didn't want you to. I wanted you to be happy,
Taylor. All my life that's the one thing I've strived for is to
make you happy.” She looked at him as if she searched for her
answer. “But I haven't succeeded, have I, son?”

“
Mother, my happiness
should be the least of your concerns. I'm a big boy now, and, no,
I'm not happy when I come home to find you in the
hospital.”

“
That's not what I meant.”
Her frail hand reached over to grasp his arm. “The last few years,
even though I've not wanted to admit it, I've seen sadness in your
eyes I couldn't erase no matter how hard I tried.”

“
Unfortunately, there are
some things even you can't control, Mother. I guess I didn't
realize until recently how miserable and empty my life had become.”
Taylor took her hand in his. “But none of it has ever been your
fault. When Brenna walked out of my life something died in here.”
Taylor placed a hand over his heart.

Vivian gasped for air.

“
Don't talk. Save your
breath.”

She squeezed his hand and looked at Taylor
with a pain of regret. “Taylor, I--I'm sorry,” she told him before
closing her eyes. “I'm so very sorry. I thought I was doing the
best thing for you. I hope you'll forgive me someday.”

“
Forgive you? For what?” He
couldn't begin to imagine why she was apologizing. But he would
receive no answers, for she had dropped off into a deep sleep. The
room was quiet except for the beep of the heart monitor. God, he
hated the smell of a hospital.

A knock sounded and the door swung open.
Doctor Gardner dressed in a white coat, complete with stethoscope,
entered carrying a clipboard in his hand. He nodded to Taylor then
bent over and checked the patient. When he straightened, he shook
his head, and motioned for Taylor to step outside the room.

The doctor jotted something down on the
paper. “Afraid it doesn't look good.”

“
I don't understand.”
Taylor’s brow furrowed with confusion. “She's never been sick.
Surely there's something you can do?”

“
I'm afraid your mother has
hidden her heart problem from you for some time, son.”

“
So there's nothing you can
d--”

Doctor Gardner stopped him with a sad shake
of his head. Taylor could see the answer in the man’s eyes. “Do you
want to use life support when the time comes?”

“
No,” Taylor managed to get
out as the full impact of what the doctor just said hit him. The
walls were closing in on him as he backed away from the physician,
feeling as if all the air had been sucked from his chest. He didn't
want to talk, so he went back and rejoined his mother. He sat down
beside her bed and picked up her cold hand. It looked so small and
feeble lying in his hand. Rubbing his thumb back and forth across
her skin, he wondered when she'd grown so old, so frail? He'd never
thought of her being old before. He glanced at her face. Her lips
were blue. Her breathing labored.

And so Taylor began his wait.

A loud noise jarred him awake. Dazed, he
scanned the room. By the time he realized the heart monitor
displayed a steady, straight line, a nurse came flying through the
door followed by two doctors.

“
I'm sorry, you'll have to
leave,” the nurse said, taking Taylor's arm and urging him to his
feet. He didn't want to go anywhere. He stared at his mother. She
was too still--her lips too blue. Reluctantly, he let the nurse
usher him out of the room.

His gaze focused on the door ... waiting ...
wondering... knowing. Finally when he didn't think he could stand
the wait any longer, the door opened and the nurse walked past him,
her eyes downcast. She didn't say anything. But he knew.

The doctor came out next. He didn't avoid
Taylor. Instead he walked over to stand in front of him. “I'm
sorry, son. We did all we could. Her heart was too weak.”

Taylor felt cold all over. None of this could
be happening. Was he dreaming? His mother had been fine when she
left for her vacation. Now, four weeks later she was dead.
Impossible. He realized the doctor was waiting for him to
speak.

“
Thanks,” Taylor managed to
rasp out.

“
Would you like to spend a
few minutes with her?” Doctor Gardner reached up and grasped
Taylor's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

Taylor nodded. He knew he should say
something more, but there were no words as he turned and went back
into the hospital room.

Vivian Rothschild looked contented, almost as
if she were sleeping. Taylor picked up her hand and wondered how
life could be snuffed out in a single minute.

Looking down at her, he knew that sometime in
the wee hours of morning, his mother had given up her struggle and
passed away, leaving Taylor very much alone.

The week passed slowly for Brenna ... minute
by minute ... hour by hour ... and still no phone call from
Taylor.

Geraldine put a hand on Brenna's back. “Ya
been crying again?”

Brenna nodded her head. “Tell me I did the
right thing.” She sighed then continued as she’d never told
Geraldine the entire story. “When Taylor's mother offered me the
money, I knew Lisa could have her surgery. Since I'd just found out
that my parents had very little insurance, I knew I didn't have
much of a choice. With everything that had happened it would have
been a lot to put on Taylor. His mother pointed out the scandal
would never die down as long as I remained in River Run.” Brenna
took a deep breath as she unburdened her soul. “Don't you see, I
would have been a black splotch on Taylor's career. Everyone would
have wondered if I were crazy, too.” Brenna looked beseechingly at
Geraldine. “Tell me I made the right choice. It would help to ease
the hurt just a little.”

Geraldine patted Brenna on the back. “Ya did
the only thing ya possibly could have. Ya took care of your sister,
and ya didn't want to burden Taylor, so ya thought ya were doing
right by him.

“
And his ma makin' ya feel
guiltier than sin didn't help none. I'd probably done the same
thing. But I think ya've really underestimated ya man. He's made of
sterner stuff than that.”

Later that day, Brenna had the strangest
feeling--almost as if a spider had tiptoed up her spine--when she
looked up at the black enamel clock hanging on the wall. Six
o'clock and Lisa wasn't home. Come to think of it, Brenna hadn't
seen her sister since early this morning.

After searching downstairs, she called
several of Lisa's friends, but they hadn't seen her all day either.
Her panic escalated. She'd always been good about letting Brenna
know what she was doing. However, Brenna had been so wrapped up in
her own misery that she'd ignored Lisa this past week.