Scarlet Fever - Hill Country 2 (16 page)

It would be a perfect gift for Alex.
 
It wasn’t like she was going to need it, and she wanted him to have it.
 
He would appreciate it.
 
Walking quickly out of the room, she called her neighbor to get the valuable relic sent to
The Lost Maples
by overnight mail.
 
And a cake, they would need a cake.
 
She had to ask Ethan about Alex’s favorite flavor of cake.
 
And she had to hurry.

************************

 
German Chocolate.
 
He loved German Chocolate.
 
Checking the pantry, she decided that she had all that she needed to make the rich, coconut-chocolate pastry.
 
Annalise slipped up behind her.
 
“Did you know that Bobby and Cecile are going out on a date tonight?”

Scarlet whirled around with a smile.
 
She was happy and she wanted everybody else to be happy.
 
She only had another week with Alex, but she planned to live a lifetime in that week, packing it as full of happiness and love as she could.
 
He had worked this morning and she had finished her maid of honor dress.
 
Physically, she was feeling great, probably due to the tender loving care that she was receiving at night.
 
And the medicine that he had bought for her; it had did its job also.
 
“Good for them.”

“What are you doing?”
 
Annalise parked herself on a kitchen stool and looked at her beloved sister.
 

“I’m going to cook something for Alex, and the rest of you.
 
A big pot of chicken and dumplings and a coconut pie.”
 
The smells that soon started wafting from the kitchen brought everyone else into the room.
 
Including Alex.
 
They were far from being alone, but that didn’t stop him.
 
He went right up behind her and pulled her back against him, kissing her on the neck.

“Hey, sweet doll.
 
I missed you.”
 
Scarlet had lost her shyness, also.
 
She turned and initiated a kiss that set off a chorus of catcalls.
 

“I’m glad you’re back.”
 
Tenderly, she laid her head on his chest, relaxing for a few moments in his arms.
 

“Are you cooking again?”
 
There was the slightest of censures in his tone.
 

“I am.
 
The chicken and broth is simmering, the dumplings are rolled out and a coconut pie just came out of the oven.
 
Sit down and talk and we’ll eat soon.
 
Right now, I’ve got to press the seams on both of the bridesmaid dresses.”
 
Before, he could stop her; she had the ironing board out of the kitchen closet.

No one else seemed to be the least bit concerned that Scarlet was cooking and ironing while everyone else sat on their rear watching her work.
 
She seemed happy, so Alex let it go, for now.
 

“When you go home, Scarlet, I want you to see if you can get Mother to go through her attic and she if she can find my senior prom dress.
 
Maybe you ought to go over and hunt it for me; she’ll never get around to it.”

“Sure.
 
I’ll do that for you.”
 
Scarlet couldn’t stand the thought of going home.
 
For going home meant leaving Alex.
 
But that was what was going to happen.
 
She might as well get used to it.
 
“What are you going to do with your prom dress?”

“I was going to ask you to rework it for the neighborhood church bizarre.
 
They are donating evening gowns to the less fortunate girls at the local Y.”
 
Annalise helped turn Cecile’s dress inside out while Scarlet worked on her own.
 

“Okay, I can do that.”
 
After all, she would need as much busy work as she could get to make the days and nights without Alex bearable.
 
Right now, she couldn’t even bring herself to meet his gaze.
 
She was afraid of what she might see.
 
He might look sad to think about her being gone, worse – he might not.
 

“What about that dress that you made for your junior prom?
 
I saw it once, and it was beautiful.
 
Would you consider donating it?”
 
Annalise asked and Scarlet lowered her head and answered.

“Actually, I planned on wearing it to your rehearsal dinner.
 
After all, it’s just like new.
 
Remember, I didn’t have it on very long.”
 
She looked at Annalise, trying to convey the message for her to change the subject.
 

“That’s right.”
 
Annalise winced.
 
“What was his name?
 
That guy that stood you up?
 
I was out of commission for most of that year; I missed a lot.”
 
When her sister said that, Scarlet mellowed.
 
Her embarrassment over the prom fiasco was nothing compared to the pain and trauma of Annalise’s rape.

“Rick LeBeau.”
 
Scarlet’s quiet answer got everyone’s attention.

Ethan asked.
  
“Did you say Rick LeBeau?”
 
He looked Alex full in the face.

“What did LeBeau do?”
 
Alex asked; he couldn’t help himself.

This wasn’t something that Scarlet wanted everyone to know, especially Alex.
 
She had no desire for him to know her shame.
 
But the cat was out of the bag now, so if she didn’t tell it, Annalise would.
 
“Nothing, really.
 
He asked me to the prom and then he didn’t come pick me up.”
 
She didn’t look up.

Alex could picture her getting ready for the date, waiting, and then realizing that no one was coming to take her to the prom.
 
“Bastard.”
 

Annalise connected the dots.
 
“Alex, is this the same Rick LeBeau that works for you?
 
You said he was from our home town.”

“Yeah, apparently.”
 
Alex’s voice was low and hard.

“He’s the one that told you about me, wasn’t he?
 
It makes sense now.
 
He always did get some type of odd thrill from making fun of me.”
 
Scarlet looked at Alex sadly.

“Yes.”
 
The anger and shame hit Alex anew.

“What are you talking about?”
 
Annalise asked, unaware of all that had transpired.
 
And Scarlet planned to keep her that way.

“Nothing sweetie.”
 
Quickly, she veered the subject to the first thing that she could think of.
 
“I did find out something odd about him not too long ago.”
 
She looked at her sister full in the face.
 
“Did you happen to know that that he’s Jeff’s half brother?”

Annalise went pale.
 
Ethan leaned over and touched her hand.
 
“You don’t mean Jeff Ramsey, do you?”
 
Seeing, how her sister reacted, Scarlet was sorry that she brought it up.
 
Jeff was Annalise’s first husband.
 
If he could be called a husband.
 
Their marriage had only lasted one day; he had been an immature bastard who was turned off by the scars that she had received at the hand of her rapist.
 
Just a few months ago, he had turned up and tried to force Annalise to give him money.
 
He had even attempted to kill her.

Scarlet answered softly, “Yes.
 
They have the same mother, but different fathers.”
 

Annalise looked at Alex.
 
“Be careful of Rick, if he’s as crazy as his brother, he’ll bear watching.”

“Don’t worry about that, I will.”
 
He couldn’t imagine that he was actually dangerous, but Alex had already decided to keep an eye on him, anyway.
 

Scarlet was having trouble with subject changes.
 
Time to try again.
 
She needed to learn to keep her mouth shut.
 
     
“Do you have anything else that needs ironing?
 
Do you Ethan?
 
Alex?” Scarlet quickly changed the subject, not wanting her sister to dwell on all the painful details.
 
Annalise was easily distracted, heading to her room and retrieving four pieces of clothing that could use a touch up.
 

“I think Bobby has some shirts, too.
 
Alex, how about you?”
 
Annalise was still looking for garments for Scarlet to iron.
  

“No! No! No!”
 
Alex shouted, standing up and walking over to Scarlet.
 
“You’ve done enough.
 
You cook for everyone.
 
You sew.
 
You still have to bake the cakes.
 
You are not going to do everyone’s ironing.
 
And to make matters worse. . . . . ” Scarlet realized that Alex was about to tell everyone about her illness.
 
She stopped him.
 
With her mouth.
 
She kissed him long and hard.
 
When they separated, Annalise and Ethan was nowhere to be found.
 

“I like the way you shut me up.”
 
Alex smiled.

“Well, I couldn’t very well let you tell Annalise about my kidneys.
 
But, mainly I kissed you because no one has ever stood up for me like that before.
 
Nobody.”
 
She held him tight.

************************

As she finished up the chicken and dumplings, Annalise ironed.
 
She didn’t mind at all, she was just used to Scarlet taking care of her.
 
Alex walked off his angst.
 
He was so angry.
 
At himself.
 
At Rick.
 
At life.
 
Ethan joined him.
 
“So, that’s how it is, huh?”

“Yeah, that’s how it is,” he said gruffly.
 
“I love her, Ethan.
 
Completely.
 
Irrevocably.”

“Does she know?”

“No.
 
I mean, we haven’t said the words.”

“What are you waiting for, brother?”

“She’s sick.”
 

Ethan stopped in his tracks.
 
“What did you say?”

“She has kidney failure.
 
She’s had it since the operation on her foot.
 
Time has run out for her.
 
She’s either going to need dialysis or a transplant and it doesn’t look like she will get either.
 
She has no health insurance.”

“What about. . . .” Ethan couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“Neither Annalise nor her mother have the right blood type.
 
Her dad did, but he’s dead.”
 
Alex could see the relief in his brother’s eyes.
 
He didn’t like it, but he understood it.
 
  
“I’m compatible, I don’t know if I’m suitable for a transplant, but my blood type is right and I’m going to get the rest of it checked out.
 
Soon.”

“Wow.
 
I don’t know what to say.”
 
Ethan was stunned.
 

“She has a problem with taking a kidney from a living donor.
 
We’ve got to work that out.”
 
Alex was talking fast now.
 
He was so desperate to help Scarlet that it was physically getting to him.
 
He wanted to scream.
 
He wanted to hit something.