The Fifth Season (26 page)

“I’ve not seen her since the day you left.”

Stone eyed his father. “I don’t believe you.”

Nate walked further into the room, looking around with obvious distaste. “Haven’t you gotten any of her letters?”

“Letters? Yeah, I’ve gotten them.”

“Emma’s….”

“Bunch a crap if you ask me.” Stone didn’t want to look at his father. He resented the man’s clean clothes and healthy complexion. His father’s heart hadn’t been crushed and shattered, he’d won the war. “If she needs me, you tell her to come here and tell me to my face. I’ve been waiting. Damn.” His voice lowered, and he fought against the rush of emotion. “I’ve been waiting.”

“Haven’t you read the letters?”

“Why should I?” Stone walked to an end table, shuffled aside some old magazines and threw a stack of unopened envelopes on the floor. “If she wants to hide behind a piece of paper, let her.”

“I hate to point a fact out to you, son. But you’ve gone and done the worst possible thing in your book.”

“What the hell does that mean?” He glared at his father. “What makes you think I give a damn?”

Stone swayed slightly and dashed his half-empty bottle of beer into the garbage, oblivious when beer splashed the sides of the kitchen cabinets and trickled over the edge of the can. He mentally shook himself and looked at his father. What did he want?

“You’ve become me.”

“I’ve become…” Stone faltered. He was drunk, meaner than a trapped possum, and split so far apart inside his heart bled rivers of blood every waking second.

“Yeah, you’ve turned into me. There’s a woman in Jackson who’s dying of a broken heart, and you’re letting her slip away because of some stupid stubborn pride.”

Stone swallowed. “She’ll be fine. Emma’s better off without me.”

Nate shook his head. “You don’t get it, Stone. Emma’s in the hospital, and she’s dying.”

The room tilted and Stone reached to steady himself. His entire body went numb. Fear, self-loathing, anger, love, every emotion possible pushed against his chest. “What happened?” He finally asked.

“She hemorrhaged. The baby’s fine, but Emma lost too much blood. It doesn’t look good.”

“Baby?”

“Read the letters, Stone. I always thought you were the better man. Now prove it.”

Stone watched his father leave the room then bent and collected the strewn envelopes from the floor. He sorted them by date and with shaking fingers opened the first one.

My love,

I wish I could be there to tell you all I feel. But, I can’t. The doctors say I must remain in bed at all times
.

Oh God, what had he done? A small black square fell from the envelope, and he scooped it up. It looked like a negative. Peering closer, Stone wasn’t sure what it was supposed to be.

I’ve enclosed the very first picture of our baby. Take care of it as it’s the only one we have. Isn’t it a miracle
?

Frowning, Stone peered at the ultrasound picture. He didn’t see anything. But if it was part of Emma then he certainly loved whatever lay within the grainy shadows.

You asked me to choose, and I have. I CHOOSE YOU! Please come home, I love you. Emma

He ripped open a few more envelopes and they all said the same thing. “
I choose you. Please come home. I love you
.”

Opening a letter dated in June, he snatched a slip of paper that floated to the ground. He held a bank check in the amount of nine million dollars. Eyes widened, he read her words.

I’m sure you realize you forfeited River Run under the terms of Margaret’s Will. Nate didn’t want the resort and signed it over to me. Without you, it meant nothing. I contacted the buyer you’d signed the contracts with and believe it or not, he thought you’d cancelled because the asking price was too low
.

She’d seen the contracts?

I knew you’d sold River Run. I discovered everything on Christmas, the night we conceived our child. But I didn’t know you’d voided the deal. I should’ve trusted in you, believed in you. I’m sorry.

Here’s the money from River Run. I don’t want it. I’m going to keep writing, even though you haven’t responded. I love you, Stone Connor. I choose you. Please come home
.

He didn’t know what to stay. Tears burned the back of his eyes as he opened another envelope. This held a picture of Emma and her pig. On the picture she’d taped two little scraps of paper. Above the pig it said, “Pokie.” He smiled at the name taped above a picture of herself. “Porkie.”

No.

Beautiful described her better. Her face was full, her body round, and he wished he’d been there.

Ripping open the last letter, his hand trembled, and he needed to place it on the table in order to read it. The writing was shaky and the paper looked water marked.

I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to raise a child without you. My heart breaks each day the mail comes and there’s nothing from you. I have no desire to go on. Weak as it may sound…I need you, Stone Connor. Where are you?

His tears dropped onto the page, landing next to her dried ones. He dropped his head and swallowed hard.

I love you more than life itself. I choose YOU, Stone. Do you hear? I wish I could yell it in your face and beat you senseless with these words. I CHOOSE YOU!

“I hear you, Emma. I hear you.” He gathered all the letters and stuffed them in the duffle bag he hadn’t bothered unpacking yet. The bag was full of rancid clothes from his week long fence mending journey. He didn’t care. Getting ready to leave the old cabin, he paused at the door.

He couldn’t go like this.

Running into the bathroom, he turned the shower on and grabbed his razor. He’d been a fool. The man in the mask of hair was nothing more than a stubborn fool.

***

As the small commuter plane glided between the steep peaks of the Grand Tetons, Stone didn’t notice the turbulence or the beauty of the setting sun. He held tight to the stack of paper between his hands.

Exiting the plane, he realized he didn’t know exactly where Emma was. He’d assumed St. Johns Medical Center but wasn’t certain. Walking out of the terminal, he pushed the hair out of his eyes as an icy wind bit through his jacket. He looked for a taxi and pulling his cell phone out he began to call Alexa. His eye caught a worn and battered pick-up truck with an equally worn and battered man sleeping behind the wheel.

He strode over and yanked open the passenger door. His father jerked awake and eyed him in surprise.

“Took you long enough,” Nate said.

“Just drive.”

They drove in silence for several miles then Nate cleared his throat. “I know you don’t want to hear anything, but I’ve a few things to say.”

“I’m listening.”

Nate raised his brow and nodded. “She didn’t have anyone to call that day things started to turn bad with the pregnancy.”

“I know. She explained it in the letters.”

“After you left, I tucked her in bed. Poor bird, her heart was broken.”

Stone swallowed, fighting back his emotions.

“She demanded the truth.”

Surprised, Stone slanted his father a look.

“About what?”

“Me.” Nate stared straight ahead, his shoulders sagged and he appeared to age before Stone’s eyes. “I told her everything. And she asked me to leave.”

“I see.”

“No,” Nate shook his head. “You don’t see anything. She hated what I’d done to you, but even if she didn’t, she still would’ve asked me to leave. I haven’t seen her since that day.”

“You haven’t been to the hospital?”

“No,” Nate shook his head. “Hugh keeps me posted via the phone. It was his idea I come get you.”

Stone thought hard. He figured before he could fully help Emma he needed to deal with his father.

“I know you didn’t shoot Mom.”

Nate shook his head. “Until you blew up at Emma, I’d never even realized my actions had appeared that way to you. But let’s not go there, son. You need to focus on what’s best for the woman we both love.”

“How bad is she?”

Nate stopped at a red light and looked over. Stone’s heart hitched at the grief on his father’s face. “She’s in a coma.”

“What happened?”

“Complications. I’m not certain. Placenta privia, hemorrhaging, all sorts of things.”

Nate pulled the truck into visitors parking and stepped on the brake. “Here you go. Tell Hugh to call me if anything changes.”

Stone reached for the door handle and paused. He looked at his father and saw him for the first time in forever. “Why don’t you park this heap of metal and come in?”

“No, I don’t…”

“Well, I do. I think that sometimes it’s good to forget. It’s not going to be easy, but I’ll try. Okay?”

Nate nodded. “Okay.”

“Now let’s go see about waking my sleeping beauty.”

They entered the hospital, the scent of ammonia and sterile surroundings assaulted Stone’s nose. He shivered in revulsion and maintained his pace down the white hall.

Nate checked at the first nurse station, and they were directed to the delivery ward.

“Hold on a minute,” Stone said, ducking into the gift shop.

“What are you doing?”

“Buying something for the baby.”

“Stone, we need to get to Emma’s room.”

Stone grabbed a stuffed animal off the shelf and slammed it on the check out counter. “What if she’s awake?”

“We’ll celebrate?” Nate gave him a perplexed look.

“I can’t walk in empty handed. After all these months of torturing her, I can’t walk into the room empty handed.”

They strode out of the gift shop and to the bank of elevators. Nate glanced down at the floppy lump of fur clutched in a death grip between Stone’s fingers.

“Don’t say anything, Dad.”

“I think a teddy bear would’ve been more appropriate.”

“I just grabbed the first thing on the shelf.” Stone stared straight ahead, not looking down.

“But it’s a giraffe.”

Stone glanced at the silly toy and burst out laughing. Nate’s answering laughter helped ease some of the tightness in his chest. He could do this. Dammit. He could make his woman come home.

***

He inhaled sharply as they walked down the long corridor of Labor and Delivery. Spotting Alexa, Ethan and Seth leaning against one wall, he headed in their direction. A crowd of nurses and technicians entered a room opposite them. One glance into Alexa’s eyes and Stone knew it was where Emma lay.

He ran headlong into the maze of white jackets and green scrubs. Pushing aside a little cart being taken from the room, Stone tried to reach the bed.

“Excuse me, sir, you’ll have to leave.” A nurse yelled, tugging at his arm.

“Let go of me. That’s my wife.”

The nurse looked confused for a moment, checked the chart in her hand, then shook her head. “Miss Gallagher isn’t married.”

“Well she damn well will be the second she wakes her sorry butt up. Let me by.”

“Sir, please.” This time the nurse’s tone was softer. “Let them finish their exam.”

“Exam? There’s nothing wrong?”

“Other than a coma? No. She’s stable.”

Stone searched her eyes. He couldn’t ease the panic. “You don’t understand. She’s my life.”

She smiled and patted his arm. Looking back at the chart in her hand, she pulled him out the door. “Mr. Connor, you just pushed aside another part of your life that you should go say hello to.”

Stone looked at the doctor and nurses running down a checklist of God only knew what then back at the nurse. He nodded and followed her down the hall. The entered a small alcove and he realized it was the nursery.

They caught up with the little cart being wheeled down the hall. The nurse gathered a tiny bundle of blankets and handed it to him.

“Mr. Connor, meet Katie.”

“Oh,” he said softly, accepting his daughter. Tears streamed down his face. “Damn,” he swore. “I didn’t know I could cry this much in one day.”

The nurse chuckled and patted his back. “Just wait. You’ve years to watch this one grow and to cry at the most inopportune times.”

He smiled and stared in wonder at the tiny pink nose peeking from the blanket. The nurse left him alone, whispering instructions to the young woman attending the baby’s bed. Katie squirmed and opened her eyes. They connected with him, widened, and blinked. He felt the immediate tug on his heart. “Hello, baby girl. I’m your daddy.”

In answer, the most precious of all jewels opened her mouth and screamed with the gusto worthy of any Connor offspring. “What?” Stone turned a panicked face toward Alexa who came rushing down the hall. She was laughing and shaking her head. “What did I do?” He said as his cousin entered the nursery.

“Nothing, Stone. Nothing at all. She just wants her mommy. The room’s clear now. Why don’t you go see Emma? I’ll take care of your little princess.”

Considering the fact that Katie continued to cry, Stone handed her over without hesitation. Before leaving, he bent and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. She smelled sweet. “I’m going to wake your mommy up so she can see what a beautiful little girl you are.”

Alexa squeezed his shoulder and nodded for him to leave. He turned and walked the longest ten yards of his life.

Pushing the door open, he glanced at the nurse who’d directed him to his daughter. She nodded and motioned for him to come in. Emma lay in a bed next to the window.

She looked so small.

The hospital bed dwarfed her slender figure, making her appear childlike and vulnerable.

He walked over, biting down his fear.

Smiling, he stepped to the head of her bed and placed his forehead against hers. “Wake up, Emma. Please wake up.”

The nurse pushed a chair over to him and signaled that he sit.

“You need to talk to her. Hold her hand, tell a story. Anything. She can hear you, Mr. Connor. You must believe that she can hear you.”

“Okay.”

He took her hand in his, careful of how frail it appeared. Stroking his fingers along her arm he tried hard not to let the tears fall. “You’re making me cry Emma, and it’s not at all manly. How am I supposed to be the strong silent type when the sight of you in this bed is ripping my heart in half? I’m sorry I didn’t come home. I was too stubborn to read your letters. But I’m here now, and under no circumstances am I leaving without you. Do you hear me? Wake up, Emma. Dammit, wake up.” He rested his head on her hand and continued speaking softly about what he’d been doing for the past six months.