When he rounded the sharp turn just before the town came into view below, he saw the red, blue and yellow lights up ahead. Police had the area roped off, the road closed to one lane while the firemen pulled ropes and ladders from the truck. It was almost the same place where Gina had plunged off the cliff. Without conscious thought, his gaze honed in on the ambulance. By the time he reached the area, his hands were wet, his mouth dry and his heart was beating out of his chest. He slowed and came to a stop. One of the policemen approached the car.
“Sir, you need to keep moving... Oh. Mr. Masters. I didn’t realize it was you.”
“I had a friend traveling in this area. She would have passed through here. Could you just tell me if that’s a Ford wagon at the bottom of the ravine?”
“No, sir. It’s an old Chevrolet. Driver is a man, covered in tattoos. It appears he had one too many, was driving too fast and couldn’t make the curve. Looks like he will live, though.”
Cole let out the breath he’d been holding. “That’s very good to know. I appreciate it, officer.” When he saw the officer nod his head, Cole continued on. He drove a short distance down the road and pulled over. He drew a deep, shaky breath, striving for calm.
When he had first seen those flashing lights and realized another accident had happened at that turn in the road, he’d almost lost it. Fate couldn’t be that cruel. It easily could have been Tallie at the bottom of the cliff. Oh, God. Realization came down on his head and shoulders. What had he done?
Tallie was not like Gina and if she had gone over the edge it would be his fault entirely. Torn between relief and worry, he was glad Tallie had not followed the same path as Gina but he was still concerned. Where was she? He once again turned the truck around and headed home. His business at the bank could wait.
Now that the news of the pending birth had soaked in, he was excited about their child.
Tallie was pregnant. She’d said that he was the father and he should have believed her. It was the same scene as had played out with Gina, only that child had not been his. But Cole knew in his gut that Tallie wouldn’t lie to him. He’d screwed up big time.
He’d handled the knowledge she was pregnant badly. He’d done exactly what she’d thought he would do: accuse her of trying to pull a fast one. Of getting pregnant on purpose. He still felt his heart sink to his knees every time he thought about what he’d said. He may have lost Tallie and his son or daughter permanently after his cruel allegations.
She had tied one on at a bar in New Orleans and taken a chance on giving herself to a stranger. It must have taken everything she’d had even with the help of alcohol, to give herself to him. But she’d picked the wrong man. He had been so intent on seeing every woman as a lying, conniving cheat that he hadn’t considered staying with her long enough to talk the next morning. He’d walked out on her. What a fool he’d been.
Damn. This was all his fault. He’d screwed up royally. First he’d gotten her pregnant then blamed her that it happened. He had to find her. He had to apologize, to explain. Hell, he had to ask for her forgiveness. He’d never done that before, but he imagined groveling would be involved. A tinge of pure fear ran through his body that even if he found her, she would reject him. It’s what he deserved. But he loved her and that was a first for Cole. He would be proud of their child. Proud to call Tallie his wife. He was willing to do whatever it took.
He tried calling her repeatedly but there was no answer. He didn’t have her boss’s home number. He would have to wait until tomorrow to contact Dr. Sterling. Then he would make her listen. How could he have insinuated she had lied about the baby and accuse her of getting pregnant on purpose? He knew better. Tallie was not Gina. And he had pushed Tallie too far. He just hoped to God she would listen to him. When he found her. If he found her.
The morning came. Then another and another. No Tallie. Her boss at the museum refused to give him her address, citing the laws he would be breaking if he did. He’d dismissed the college students helping her on the site with instructions to call him if they had news of Tallie, but he hadn’t heard anything from them. And Tallie was still not answering the only number he had for her.
Tallie was gone. She was smart enough that if she didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t find her. He felt as though part of him had been ripped out and thrown away.
He ran a hand over his face. He had to find her. But why? asked a little voice in his head. Isn’t this what you wanted?
Cole sat on the large sofa in the den, the last moments they’d had together running through his mind. Tallie was so amazing, so different than Gina, they could be two separate species. Tallie’s intelligence was off the charts. Her sense of humor had him laughing when at times he wanted to break down and have a fit of frustration. Her natural beauty was unsurpassed.
He needed to find her. He needed to sit down and listen this time to what she had to say and to keep his temper under control. He grabbed his cell and called the little motel in Calico Springs. She wasn’t a registered guest.
If Tallie had intentionally disappeared, neither he nor his security staff would find her. Her family would stick together and protect one of their own. And what in the hell was he going to do?
Fourteen
Three months later
Cole had come home to pick up some papers and was on his way back out when the phone rang. “Yeah?” he answered coldly.
“Is this Mr. Masters?” a woman asked.
“Yes, it is. Who is this?”
“You probably won’t remember me. My name is Kathy Brown and I was one of the four students who worked for Dr. Finley. You gave all of us your cell number in case of any emergency.”
“I remember you, Kathy. Have you heard from Dr. Finley? Is she okay?”
“My mother is a nurse at Medical Central Hospital in Dallas. She knew I was working for Dr. Finley and mentioned that she was admitted as a patient.”
“She’s in the hospital?” His heart sank to his knees. Had something happened to her? All the worst scenarios raced across his mind. Cole was holding back a scream, a demand to know where she was, but he didn’t want to frighten the young student.
“Yes, sir,” she replied. “She’s been there for a week. It’s something about her pregnancy. Something has gone wrong.” She paused as if putting thought to what else to say. “I just didn’t know if you knew. Dr. Finley is such a nice lady and I know you were friends.”
Assuring Kathy that Tallie would be all right, as though he actually knew something she didn’t—he thanked her for calling and hung up.
Cole’s heart began to slam against the wall of his chest. He immediately called for a driver. No time for a shower. Since Tallie had left, Cole had spent his days in the main barn, mucking stalls, grooming, exercising colts in training, his work forgotten until he could find Tallie. Now, he wanted to be there with her as fast as possible.
The helicopter ride to Dallas was excruciatingly long. And when they got there and switched to a limo to drive into the city, every red light seemed to take an hour to pass. Finally the tall, fourteen-story hospital loomed ahead. His driver pulled up under the pergola and Cole bailed. By the time he stood in front of the double doors leading to the ICU he felt as though he’d just run a marathon. With every step he worried. Does she want me here? Will she see me? The shoulda’s and coulda’s followed him the whole way.
He went to the nurses’ station in the ICU and asked where Tallie’s room was. The attendant looked something up on the computer and said, “Ms. Finley has been taken to surgery. Up two floors. There is a waiting room.”
Cole ran for the elevator. When he got off, he quickly followed the signs to the surgical unit. Eventually a nurse answered the doorbell leading to the surgical ward.
“I’m looking for Tallie Finley.”
“And you are?”
“Her husband, Cole Finley.” He hardly gave the lie a second thought.
“She has just been taken to recovery. I’ll let them know you’re here. Have a seat in the waiting room across the hall. We’ll notify you when you can see her.”
Recovery. That was good—wasn’t it? It had been twelve weeks since Tallie had left the ranch. A quick calculation put her at about eight and a half months pregnant.
The minutes slowly ticked by. Every time he looked at his watch, only three or four minutes had passed. He stood and walked to the window. People were coming and going, some smiling, some weeping. He gripped his hands into tight fists. Tallie had to be okay. She just had to be.
Finally a nurse came into the room calling out for Mr. Finley. Cole followed her into Recovery. Tallie was asleep; her face looked ashen. He couldn’t not touch her. He went to the bed and picked up one small, soft hand. She stirred and blinked her eyes as though she couldn’t believe he was there, standing next to her. Whether that was good or bad remained to be seen.
“You’re here,” she whispered as if it was a struggle to speak. Her eyes fell away and closed as she concentrated on something going on with her body. She suddenly gripped his hand. Hard. “Are they all right? The babies?”
The babies? Was she delusional? “Sure, honey,” he said to comfort her. “They are going to be fine.”