Challenging Burke: Embrace Island (ACI Unleashed Book 2), page 7
“What’s wrong with her?” Now I’m seriously worried. I was thinking food poisoning, but she’s young and healthy.
“Appendix. Do you know her family? Or I can get someone to look it up on her emergency contact sheet.” He raises an inquiring eyebrow and I say, “I’ll do it. I haven’t met them yet but might as well introduce myself now. Can I go with her?”
“Not enough room. No guests on the medivac. But if you leave now, you can probably get to the hospital about the time she gets out of surgery.”
Fuck. Well, there’s no question about my priorities, just execution on transportation.
I watch as they load Cass into the red and white helicopter that landed on the airstrip, the one everyone is supposed to be trying to capture. They had to suspend the games early for the day so it could land without being paintballed - I can just imagine trying to explain that one. But nobody seems to mind. I think this will go down in ACI history as the least effective war games ever. But at least it has authenticity to its credit. Whatever can get fucked up has. As soon as the helicopter lifts off, I head off to figure out how to follow Cass to the mainland as fast as possible. But first I have to finagle her contact info out of someone and I know just who will have it.
Missy writes it all down for me on a sticky note without saying a word. I wonder how her conversation with her informants went? But I don’t dare ask. I’ve got more important things to attend to.
I head down to the marina while ringing Cass’s parents. If I wasn’t so worried about her I’d be shaking in my boots when a big booming voice says, “Hello?”
“Hey, is this the Van Houen residence?”
“Who the hell wants to know?”
“I’m…” oh, what the fuck, “I’m Cassidy’s fiance.”
“The hell you are. I think I’d know if my daughter was engaged.”
“It’s very recent. But that’s not why I’m calling. She’s headed to the hospital.”
There’s a long silence before her dad’s voice turns ominous. “What did you say your name was?”
I don’t miss his use of the past tense. Maybe I’d better explain a little faster. “It’s her appendix, sir. They think it’s ruptured or about to. They’ve airlifted her to Seattle. I’m on my way there now. And the name is Burke Jamieson.”
“Let me talk to her mother. Someone will call you back.” And he hangs up abruptly. Guess that went about as well as could be expected.
I was so distracted by the conversation I didn’t realize I had already arrived at the marina, but there I stand, with three or four salty-looking fishermen lounging on a bench staring at me. I say three or four because the fourth is ever so slightly more normal looking, so he’s the one I walk up to.
“I need to get to Seattle as fast as possible.”
He looks over both shoulders slowly. “Am I on one of those TV shows? With the pranks?”
“No.” God, how long is this going to take? “My fiancee was just airlifted to the hospital, they wouldn’t let me onboard. Who can give me a ride?”
Surprisingly, the oldest and grouchiest of the lot speaks up. “Being in a rush won’t get you there any faster, son. Happens my nephew’s got a fancy boat he never uses. ‘Bout time he took it out. I’ll give him a call.”
And he does, with the slickest smart phone I’ve ever seen, although I don’t think he’s a fan based on the way he’s frowning down at the screen and sort of pecking at it with his fat index finger. “Damn phone,” he mutters as he holds it up to his ear. Then all he says is “get down here, someone needs a ride in your fancy boat.” He hangs up before anyone could possibly have responded to that. Does that mean…?
“Boy will be down here in a few.” He nods at me and leans back on the metal railing with peeling paint. I’m sure my expression is skeptical because I’m extremely doubtful. Maybe I should be finding someone else? Because what if this nephew never shows and I’ve wasted half an hour standing here. And for all I know, the nephew only has a rowboat.
9
Burke
I think twice about that conclusion when a man about my age but with serious swagger saunters down the wide sidewalk that passes as the marina’s esplanade. He looks really familiar in a celebrity sort of way. He bears a striking resemblance to rockstar Todd Kipling, but there’s not a visible tattoo anywhere so it can’t be him. He’s got the same tousled hair, but based on the breeze coming off the water I’m guessing that has more to do with nature than styling.
“Uncle Lou? You know you don’t pay by the minute anymore? And besides, I pay the phone bill so you could maybe give me a sentence more over the phone before I bust my ass getting down the hill?” The man sounds affectionately exasperated so I not only deduce that the old crusty gentleman is Uncle Lou but that this is pretty much his normal mode of behavior.
The younger man turns to me. “Guessing you’re the one needing a ride? What’s up? Island life driving you mad?”
“No. My fiancée was medevacked to Seattle. I need to get to her. Your uncle said you have a boat?”
“That I do. Well, sounds to me like a valid reason to shake the cobwebs off old Bianca. Come on.” He gestures down the marina towards the slips with the bigger boats. Huh, maybe it’s as fancy as his Uncle Lou was claiming. Which might mean a bigger engine and a faster trip to Seattle. One can hope. The man stops in front of what can only be described as a yacht. A very sleek, fairly new yacht. “Who are you?” I blurt out.
“Didn’t Uncle Lou tell you? He can be a bit shy. I’m Todd. Todd Kipling.”
I gape like a teenage girl. I’m not proud of that, but there it is. Partly because even though I’m used to sports celebrities and a few admirals, I’ve never stood talking to someone that can pack Madison Square Garden twice in one day. And secondly, because where are all his infamous tattoos?
“Come on. I thought you were in a hurry?” Todd’s tone is amused, as if he knows what’s running through my mind. I nod decisively and follow him up the narrow ship’s ladder. Todd points to a rope. “Just undo that when I give the signal. The rest we can take care of when we clear the marina.” He heads into the cabin and I hear the engine roar to life with the soft hum of really well-tuned machinery. Damn. I grab the rope and look back. When Todd raises his hand, I undo the knot holding the boat to the dock and in seconds we’re pulling away. I know enough to coil the rope neatly against the bow and then head in to get some answers.
“So if you’re that Todd Kipling, where are all the tattoos? And what are you doing on Embrace Island?”
“I should make you sign an NDA for that, but I’ll take pity on you. Nobody would believe it anyway.” He nods towards the other chair. “Take a seat. I live here now. Partly because of Uncle Lou, who never had any children and refuses to move. Partly because nobody on the island gives a fuck that I’m Todd Kipling, which means I can live a fairly normal life. As for the tattoos, I’m allergic to the ink. But nobody will buy tickets for a band that doesn’t have tattoos. Not unless they’re doing evangelical Christian or something and even those guys mostly have ink. So it’s all temp stuff. Good quality ones last for about two weeks these days so it’s not as bad as it sounds. Plus, now you can print your own so I always make sure the same ones go on the same places. Mostly. Almost got caught once, but I convinced the fan that the photo had been reversed in the magazine.” He grins like that was a major coup. I’m still shaking my head over catching a ride with a rock star. And I want to tell Cass. That part hurts because I’ll bet she’s in surgery right now.
I grab my cell and hurriedly type out a message.
Love you. When you see this, if I’m not there I’m on my way. Stay put!
Maybe that will make her laugh. I still haven’t heard from her parents but my phone signal is at almost no bars, which isn’t too surprising given we’re out in open water now.
“Ready to fly?” Todd asks and I nod. I realize I never told him my name but he must be so used to fans thinking he’s going to remember them that not asking is habit. He’ll ask if he wants to know.
We’re speeding now. But the elegant lines of the yacht mean it’s cutting through the smooth water of Puget Sound like it’s butter so you can barely feel it. There’s no bounce at all. Fuck, I could like this boat.
“So what’s wrong with your girl?” He finally asks me when he has to ease off the throttle because of boat traffic.
“Appendix.”
“Sucks, man.”
I nod. It really does.
An hour later and Todd is letting me off at a marina in downtown Seattle. It’s not big, and he’s not staying so I literally jump off as he idles the boat next to what is the boating equivalent of the ten minute unloading zone. He already turned down my offer to pay for the gas, so I wave my thanks and start maneuvering through the vehicle and pedestrian traffic towards the main emergency hospital on the hill.
When I get there, I’m somewhat relieved to learn that Cass is still in surgery. It’s good that I can be there as soon as they put her in a room, but I hope like hell that she didn’t hit any complications. Of course they won’t tell me anything. As it was, I had to pull the fiance card just to learn as much as I did. So, somewhat at loose ends, I head down to the cafeteria and the gift shop. Maybe I can find something to cheer her up once she’s awake.
That’s also when I remember to check my phone. Her parents, or rather her mom, left me a voicemail message. She’s catching the first flight out and will be here sometime tonight. That’s good for Cass, I think? I’ll have to ask her how she gets on with her mom.
I eat but I couldn’t tell you what it was. It was tolerable, but nothing to write home about. But then it is a hospital and I’m more than a little distracted. The gift shop has more to offer. They must know their audience because there is everything cute and cuddly at twice the price it would be in a regular store. Still, when I spot the perfect thing, I grin and gladly hand over my credit card. It won’t make that big a dent.
Then I head back up to the surgery floor and settle in after telling the nurses at the station who I’m waiting for and making sure they know I’m not moving my ass until I can see her. They must hear this a lot because they don’t even blink.
About two hours later, there’s a hand on my shoulder, and I jerk awake. “Mr. Jamieson?”
“Um, yeah?” I try to get my head back in the game. It’s not working so great. “Your fiancée is out of recovery and on her way to her room. Do you want to join her there?” There’s only a hint of laughter, and maybe that they’d like the big lump out of their waiting room in her voice. I nod and smile weakly and she gives me a room number while pointing down a hallway.
I wake up more fully as I walk, checking room numbers as I go. When I find 2235 the door is open and I peer inside. The room is pale blue and full of medical equipment. Cass is lying in the hospital bed looking absolutely tiny. But her color is better than the last time I saw her and I breathe out with relief. Her eyes pop open and she smiles wide. “Burke! You came.” Her voice is croaky and barely above a whisper, so I hurry over and scoot a chair up to the side of the bed.
“Of course I came, princess. Wasn’t going to be any fun without you. How are you feeling?”
“Icky.” She pouts, and I can tell that the painkillers are still making her loopy.
“So before you go to sleep, I’ve got two things for you. Your mom is coming in tonight. She should be here in a few hours and I found you this.” I hold up her present from the gift shop. It’s a big pink-enameled A that I guess was supposed to be a key chain but the thing is huge. I balance it on the nightstand where she can see it, and her smile is incandescent.
“Love you,” she whispers.
I lean down to drop a kiss on her forehead, and her eyes close. She’s out of it, which doesn’t surprise me.
And while I love hearing those big important words from her lips, I’m not counting my chickens until she says them to me sober. Still, it’s a positive sign, and she seems to be resting comfortably, so I lean back in the chair and simply watch her.
Cassidy
Why couldn’t my appendix decide to act up closer to home? On top of missing out on the games stuff, now I have to worry about traveling. Although I’m not that sad about missing out on the games. Quite frankly Betsy, Burke, and some of my new friends are what made it interesting. And yes, I probably should put Burke first on the list, but I don’t want him getting a swelled head. His ego is plenty healthy as it is.
And now I’ve got him and my mom fussing over me. Sometimes they collaborate — making me get up and walk down the hall when I’m not in the mood, and sometimes they glare friendly daggers at each other. Mostly over where I’m going when I get out of the hospital later today. Mom wants me back in Ohio at home in my old bedroom. Burke wants me anywhere else because he knows he won’t be allowed within sixty feet of my bedroom if I go with Mom. I’m not sure where I want to be, but I’m guessing it will be a week or two before I can do everything without assistance. And regardless, I’ve no idea how I get there from here because being folded up on an airplane right now does not sound pleasant. Or even like I could manage it without passing out.
Right now my mom is pitching her side with the confident assumption of an army general that I’m not going to question her decisions. “Now Cassy, Dad has already made up your bed with your favorite sheets and he’s ready to go to the grocery store. Is there anything in particular you want to eat? I was going to make all of your old favorites.”
Wait. She still has my favorite sheets from more than ten years ago?
“Mom…”
“What?” She’s busy tapping things on her phone. She’s never figured out how to do abbreviations (or she simply refuses to) so she types everything out exactly. And she’s a librarian, so she likes really specific long words. I roll my eyes while I wait for her to finish typing.
“Cass?” Mom looks up finally.
“Mom, I’m not going home.” Her face falls with disappointment.
“I promise I’ll come soon for a long visit and we can do all that cooking together.”
“But what…? Where will you go? You can’t go home in that condition. And Burke, as nice as he is, I don’t trust him to take care of you properly.” God help me if Burke ever hears that one. He’ll go so overprotective, I’ll be wrapped in padding just to walk to the bathroom.
“Mom, I’m thirty. Almost thirty-one. Anything Burke doesn’t know how to do, I can tell him.” Of course he walks back in my room, right at that moment. I see his lips twitch and a serious twinkle appears in his eyes, promising I’ll hear more about this later. But he glances at my mom and wisely keeps his mouth shut.
“But California is so far away.” Mom is still not done.
“So is Ohio which is why I’m not going there either.” Now I’ve got both of them looking at me with shocked expressions. I’m a little scared now to think about Burke sitting down at our family Thanksgiving. He might switch sides in the Big Scrabble Debate that always follows the meal. God help us all if my mom gets reinforcements.
“I found a vacation rental just outside the city that is available for the next two weeks. It’s not big, but it looks comfortable. Burke, I was hoping you could stay?” I don’t want to take him for granted here. I mean, I really want to, but I know he has a job that he pretty much abandoned to come find me in the hospital. He hasn’t said anything more about it, but it’s dangerous to make assumptions.
“Princess, I already told you I’m following you, no matter what. That sounds like a really good idea. Then you can see the same doc for your checkup. Anita, how about I promise to call you every morning and night to check in and you can issue any orders for the day?”
“Video call?” she counters. My mom is a master negotiator.
“No problem.” Burke gulps slightly, making me think he’s a tiny bit worried about that. My mom’s eyes sharpen, but she’s smiling slightly. I think she’s got him right where she wants him, which is sort of funny to watch.
She stands up and drops a kiss on my forehead. “Then I’m going to go check out of my hotel.”
“How are you going to get a flight that fast?” I ask, concerned.
“Oh, I’ve already got the reservation. I would have pushed it out further if I needed to. I’ll be back to say goodbye before they release you, sweetie.” And with a cheerful wave she disappears into the hospital corridor. I’m suspicious that she expected this exact outcome all along. I’m still gaping after her when Burke comes round and takes the now empty chair.
“I like your mom but I’m scared of her,” he admits ruefully.
“It’s the librarian in her. She scares most people.”
“On the plus side, she only threatened to castrate me once. That’s a good sign, right?”
I ponder this one. “Not sure. She faints at the sight of blood.” She does like him, a lot. She finally admitted that to me yesterday, but she’s never going to let go of the parental upper hand by letting him know. Still, she was already rearranging the seating chart for Thanksgiving, so he’s basically in. And because my dad won’t even raise an eyebrow if Burke has Mom’s seal of approval, she’s the only real barrier to full family membership.
I watch Burke haphazardly pack up my things. Which since I was rushed here, and I lost all my luggage before leaving the island anyway, consists of the hospital ‘freebies’. I know those will end up on my insurance bill and then there are the few things he and Mom bought for me. Oh well, I’m alive, and if I lie perfectly still, I feel pretty good.
