Wildest Dreams (Dreamers Series Book 1) (10 page)

As the host came over to seat them at a table, Blake wrapped his arm around Ember’s waist. She didn’t know much about guy code, but she did know Blake was sending a signal that she was off limits, which became even clearer when she caught the man staring at her chest and then he found himself staring into the eyes of one very angry billionaire.

Very nervously the host said, “Your waitress will be with you shortly.” He was almost a candy-apple red by the time he left, which he did very quickly after that.

Blake pulled her chair out, and she sat down. “Now do you see what I meant about the dress? I’ve had to watch men look at you like you’re a meal all night,” he said quietly as if the thought was painful.

“I’m sorry?” She said it like a question because she wasn’t sure what she should say. She loved the dress, the way it looked on her, and frankly, the way it made her feel when she wore it.

He shook his head and gave her a small smile. “No, don’t be sorry. I’m sorry. That shouldn’t be a problem, except that I can’t do anything about it, and that kills me. I want to choke any man who looks at you like that," sighing he continued, "and yet I’m looking at you the same way.” Once again Ember found herself shocked into silence.

The waitress walked up and almost dropped her notepad when Blake looked up at her. Ember stifled a laugh at his expression. He has no clue the effect he has on women!
Believe me, Mr. O'Neil; women see you the same way
. She smiled at him when he looked back at her after ordering their meal.

“Did I miss something?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure you did.” She giggled.

“Enlighten me,” he challenged her.

She sat there a moment, and the waitress showed up with their coffee. Ember was pretty tipsy, so she poured a cup, trying to avoid saying anything. She wasn’t much of a drinker, and she didn’t like the thought of going home to Kaylen and not being soberer.

She glanced up from the coffee, hoping he had forgotten what they were talking about, but from the look on his expectant face, he hadn’t. So she decided to pretend she had. Picking up a dessert menu, she acted like she was reading it until he pulled it down to see her face.

“I think you may be more stubborn than your brother,” he said raising an eyebrow at her.

She scrunched her forehead, “Is that even possible?”

“I didn’t think so until I met you.”

She blushed. “Why on earth would you think I’m stubborn?” Ember looked down at the menu again, fidgeting with the pages.

The waitress showed up again with their meals, setting the blueberry pancakes down in front of Ember and a garden-fresh omelet for Blake. She smiled at him, asking if he needed anything else. He looked at Ember, who shook her head no, and he dismissed her.

“Tell me about the guy who sent you the texts,” Blake said as he put salsa on his omelet. Ember sat staring at her pancakes for a moment. “Please,” he said.

She sighed. “There’s not much to say really. He’s Kaylen’s father. He cheated on me, and since I left he has decided he wants me back.”

“How do you feel about that?” He looked from his food to her, waiting for her to answer.

“About him cheating or wanting to come back?” Her tone was a bit bitter. She didn’t mean it to be, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about this right now.

“I was just curious if you were thinking about going back to him, I'm sorry.” He looked at his omelet again as he cut a piece off.

“No, I’m sorry. I just, I don’t know. He hurt me more than I want to admit, and then he acts like it was nothing. Kaylen deserves someone to love her, and she never got that from him even when he was there.” She put a little bit of butter on her pancake and took a small bite.

“Syrup?” he said, raising an eyebrow at her.

She grinned. “No thanks.”

They ate in silence for a while before he asked his next question.

“So, you stayed awake long enough to finish your resume, what are you going to do now.” He grinned at her.

Blushing she said, “Get a job.”

He chuckled.

Watching him carefully, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were the one who carried me to the couch?”

He glanced up at her quickly then back down at his plate. He shrugged. “Wasn’t a big deal. Just didn’t want you to hurt your neck sitting like that.” Even when he was embarrassed, his voice could still melt her like butter. “How did you know?” He sounded genuinely impressed she had figured it out.

“Your scent.” She probably would not have answered him truthfully if she hadn’t been drinking. After she had said it she was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl under the table, and he apparently didn’t miss the fact that she was blushing again.

“That color red goes well with that dress.” He smirked.

Rolling her eyes, she groaned, and he laughed.

Feeling courageous she decided to ask the one thing she wanted to know more than anything else, “The other day, in your office,” he stopped eating and sat back; watching her intently now. “Why did you stop?”

He appeared to be thinking before he said, “It was going to go to far.”

“And you didn’t want to.” she said softly.

“I did want to, but we’re not. Any more questions?” he took a drink of his coffee.

Since she didn’t like his previous answer, she decided to ask the next big one on her list, “What did the woman mean that I should be glad I have a kid?” She could tell he was shocked by the question, and she realized this was something else she would not have said if she was sober.

He sat quietly before asking, “Are you through eating?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Good. Speaking of kids, we need to get you home to yours.” His tone was slightly cold.

She knew she shouldn’t have asked, but she really did want to know what it meant, and the drink had made her brave. She sighed.

Ember walked outside while he paid. It was raining now, so she stepped out into the parking lot and closed her eyes as she faced the sky. She had always loved to dance in the rain. She began spinning with her arms out. When she stopped, she almost fell over from the twirling and still being tipsy. She had heard it before she saw it.

The car pulled into the parking lot, going too fast for the rain, and couldn’t stop quickly enough. Ember felt the pain in her hip as it hit and she flew onto the hood, smashing into the windshield. She heard the tires as they screeched to a stop, sending her flying off the hood onto the pavement, hitting her head. The last thing she heard was the panicked cry of Blake screaming her name as he ran outside.

CHAPTER 14

Ember could hear voices, but she wasn’t able to open her eyes. She lay there and tried to concentrate on who was talking. She heard her mother and father, and there was Ridge. Wait, was that Blake? What was he doing here? Then she realized she wasn’t even sure where here was. She began to panic, and then she heard a beep that was getting faster. She knew that sound. She had worked with them long enough to know that was a heart monitor.
Am I on the heart monitor? Why?
The voices went quiet, and she could feel people standing close, but no more noise except for the beeping. In an odd way, it was actually comforting; it was something she knew. Out of all that was going on, it was the one thing she understood, although she wasn't sure why she was on it. She started to calm down, and the beeps began to slow.

“I hope that means she’s resting.” She could hear the exhaustion in her mother’s voice.
Why is she so tired?

Ember tried again to open her eyes, but she couldn’t. She tried to move her hand, but it wouldn’t budge. Finally, she just lay there, hoping the voices would start again so she may have a clue about why she was here. She fell asleep waiting.

****

Ridge’s voice pulled her out of her slumber. “Reece again.” He said flatly.

“We need to tell him?” Her mother said in a low voice now.

“Hell no!” Ridge answered angrily.

“He’s not going to stop texting until she answers him,” Blake said sounding very annoyed.

“Ridge, you know I don’t care for him, but if Ember and Reece get back together, we have to support her in this. He is Kaylen’s father.”

Kaylen. Where is Kaylen?
She started to panic again. The beeps got a little faster as her heartbeat began to speed up.

She felt someone beside her again, and her mother’s soft hand took hers. “It’s okay, Ember. You’re okay,” she whispered. She started to relax again, and the beeps slowed. She still wasn’t sure where Kaylen was, but she did know her mother would not be this calm if something were wrong with her.

“Tell him, Ridge.” Her mother stopped the discussion as if her mind was made up.

“I don’t have his number.”

“You know her passcode, use her phone.” Her mother was using her don’t-mess-with-me tone that she used on them when they were younger.

Ember heard Ridge mumble something about what if they didn’t get back together, and then he sighed as he did what he was told.

“Maybe I should leave,” she heard Blake say.

No!
Ember could hear herself yelling it, but nothing was coming out. She wasn’t sure why he was even here, but she knew she didn’t want him to leave.

Ridge was close to Blake when she heard him talk. “You may need to stay to keep me out of trouble.”

“Yeah, but who’s going to keep me out of trouble?”

The room was quiet then, and she drifted off to sleep again.

****

She heard the door open and thought she heard a gasp. “Thank you for texting me, Ridge. Is she okay?” Jenna’s soft voice was cracking like she might cry.
What is going on? Why is she crying after seeing me?

Ridge’s voice came from the same area as Jenna’s. He sounded tired too. “She’s going to be okay. The doctor said she has a lot of bruising but no major injuries. She had to get stitches on her forehead from hitting the pavement. Her left wrist is broken, but at least it won’t need surgery. They'll replace the splint with a cast in about a week.”

Ember’s heart began racing again at the news. She felt a hand slide into hers, and she could smell Blake. She started to calm, but she was still shocked that she had been in an accident.

“Has she woken up at all?” Ember could tell Jenna was genuinely concerned.

“No,” Blake said quietly, and she thought maybe he sounded a little sad. “Doctor said the concussion has made her tired, and the pain meds have her knocked out. They're hoping that since they changed them recently, she may start to wake up soon.”

Ember tried to squeeze the hand she was holding. She couldn’t grip it hard, but she did feel her fingers twitch. It was Ridge.

“Hey, Sis!” She could hear the excitement in his voice. She turned her head to look at him, but it was taking all her strength. She opened her eyes a little and could see them all standing around her bed.

“Hi.” Her throat was dry, and she didn’t sound like herself at all. “Water, please,” she whispered.

Her mother handed her a cup, and Ridge lifted the head of the bed so she could sit up. After a couple of sips, she sat there looking at the cup then looked up at Ridge. “What happened? Why am I here? Where is Kaylen?”

The door opened, and Reece walked in, followed by her father and a nurse.

“Ember!” Reece walked over to the bed, pushing his way through everyone standing at it. He took her hand and kissed it.

“What happened?” Reece looked around the room and was apparently very upset, but Ember wasn’t sure why.

“It was an accident. She was in the parking lot, and it was raining. The car was going too fast for the conditions and couldn’t stop quickly enough,” Ridge answered.

The nurse began a neurological check on her to make sure she was okay.

“What time did this happen? It didn’t start raining until after one in the morning.” He looked down at Ember, and she could see the anger flare in his eyes. “Did you go out last night or something?”

The nurse looked up at Reece and glared. Ember could tell that if he wasn’t careful, he was going to end up being removed from the room by someone other than Ridge.

“I don’t know,” Ember said softly. “I don’t remember anything after eating dinner with Ridge and Kaylen. Where's Kaylen?” She looked around the room and stopped on Blake when she saw his face. Was he sad? Why?

“She’s with Jade, sweetie. She’s okay.” Her mother’s voice was reassuring.

“You got hit by a car in the parking lot of IHOP.” Ridge paused to see if she had anything to say or ask before going on, which she didn’t, but Reece did.

“IHOP? What the hell was she doing at IHOP after midnight?” Reece said, confused.

“She was eating blueberry pancakes.” Blake glared at Reece. His normally tan skin was pale. She could tell he was tired. “Then she decided to go to the parking lot and dance in the rain.”

“Well, that does sound like me,” she said quietly.

“While I was paying,” Blake finished. Ember looked at him in shock. Now she understood why he looked sad, or maybe it was guilt.