Page 83 of Holding On to a Hero
“Thank you, that will be wonderful.” I took the pill bottle from him and shook out two. Vicodin usually gave me nightmares, but the pain relief would be worth it.
Spence went off to show Cole where he’d put the litter box he’d found in the garage. Once I’d downed the pills, Jason helped me to the living room.
“Are you sure you don’t want to lie down on a bed?”
“I’m sure. This is the only way to get my back completely flat and that’s what I really need right now.”
He didn’t look convinced but he helped me lie on the floor and put my lower legs on the seat of the couch. I couldn’t help the groan that escaped me right as Spence and Cole came back.
“Oh, you poor thing! Can I get you a pillow or something?”
“Uh, how about a rolled up towel for under my neck?”
“Of course!”
Jason sat next to my feet and took off my shoes. Cole sank down to the floor next to me and held my hand without speaking. My back and shoulder were competing to see which could hurt the most, but otherwise I felt more cared for than I had in years.
“Thanks, guys,” I managed to croak out around the lump in my throat. Fortunately Spence swept back into the room and distracted me from getting even more emotional.
“Here you go.” He carefully tucked the towel under my neck and stroked my hair back from my forehead when I relaxed again.
“Do any of you want something to drink? I’ve got water, beer, tea or vodka.”
Jason stood up. “Cole and I could use some beers. I’ll help you.”
When Spence handed Cole his beer, Cole gripped his arm and said, “Spence, I’m so sorry about your mom. Are you doing okay?”
Spence sighed and flopped gracefully into the chair next to Cole. “It’s been rough.” Cole and Jason both made sympathetic noises. Spence waved them away. “I told you how my mom’s health had been declining so I came here to see how she was doing. It was bad, much worse than she’d let on.” Cole put his beer down and grabbed Spence’s hand.
“Yeah, so I’d only been here a few hours before I realized how little time I’d have left with her where she actually would know who I was. I planned to live in this house and visit Mom every day.” He looked toward the kitchen, blinking back tears. “The day before she was to move in….” He paused again. “The doctors said it was a heart attack. She…went quickly.”
“That’s a blessing,” Cole said softly.
“Yeah, she’d told me she didn’t want me sitting around, waiting for her to die. But I didn’t get any time with her! I wanted to make up for all the years I was in LA, pretending to be someone I wasn’t. When I should have been spending more time with Mom.” Now he was all-out crying. Jason got up and walked around me to give Spence a hug. Cole moved up to the couch and hugged him from the other side. I felt like I was intruding, but I couldn’t exactly get up and go into the other room just then.
A few minutes later Spence was pushing Jason and Cole away. “Enough, enough. Sorry for the meltdown. I just haven’t seen a friendly face under the age of seventy since the funeral, you know?” He wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. Taking a couple of deep breaths, he said, “I’m okay now.”
Spence patted Jason and Cole’s legs. Then he frowned and reached out to take Cole’s jaw in his hand, turning Cole’s head so the scar was better illuminated by the lamp on the side table. “I bet you didn’t even have a plastic surgeon look at that, did you?”
Cole shrugged and gave Spence his new slightly lopsided grin. “You know I was ecstatic about it.”
Spence dropped his hand. “Cole, honey, they’re still going to hound you to come back. Any decent make-up artist will be able to make that vanish.”
“Maybe, but not if I won’t let them.”
Shaking his head, Spence’s gaze fell on me. “Okay,” he said. “I’ve been patient. Spill.” He looked between the three of us. “Now.”
I let my eyes drift shut as Cole started to tell Spence about me coming to the door of the ranch house to ask about beavers.
* * *
I was in the water. I could hear muffled screams and crashing sounds. The yacht had hit the dock. I needed to save Desiree and Bianca. Where were they? I flailed around in the water. My hand hit someone’s clothing and I grabbed on. I was going to run out of air. I pulled the body toward me. Jason’s eyes were open, but he was dead. No! I tried to scream, but the water was so heavy. I tried to let go of Jason but I couldn’t make my hands work. I had to find Cole. And where were the women? Maybe I could rescue Sarah instead. Where was she? I couldn’t see anything in the murky water. I needed air so badly.
“Will! Wake up!”
I sucked in a lungful of precious air and opened my eyes. Cole was kneeling by my head. I was still on my back on Spence’s living room floor, with my legs still propped up on the couch.
“Shit. Sorry.” I rubbed my hands over my face.
