Caden bolted to his feet and Ava’s eyes went wide. “I’m on the way,” he told his sister. To Ava, he said, “I’ve got to get to the hospital. Dad’s had a heart attack.” His own heart threatened to jackhammer out of his chest.
“I’ve got to go,” Sarah said.
Ava grabbed her purse and darted for the door. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
Caden used his hazards and horn and flashed his lights as he sped through town, parting traffic much like she envisioned God must have divided the Red Sea. Ava clutched the handle attached to the roof of the car to keep from slamming against the door.
“I knew he wasn’t feeling well,” he said, “but in no way did I think it was this serious.”
“That’s the general for you.”
“No kidding.” His jaw flexed. “He’s never been one to let on when he was feeling bad. I should have known when he let Sarah take him to the doctor that something was wrong.”
His phone rang while he took a turn a little faster than Ava would have liked, but she understood his rush. She tapped the screen for him and he shot her a look of thanks.
“Caden here.”
“It’s Daria.” Her voice filled the car’s space.
“I know. I’ve got you programmed in my phone.”
“I’m honored. Okay, so do you have a minute?”
“I have about seven minutes and then I’m going to be offline for a while.” He told her about his dad.
“Oh no. I’m so sorry. All right, I’ll talk fast. According to a neighbor I managed to track down, Bridgette O’Reilly and her three children of Portland, Oregon, took an emergency trip to Houston when she heard her brother and his family had been murdered. After everything was over, she and her children returned home, and she confided in the same neighbor that she couldn’t go back to work yet. She was having a very hard time coming to terms with their deaths and had decided to take an impromptu trip to her parents’ second home in New York. She chartered a plane and there they stayed for a few weeks. The day she and the kids returned, they were killed.”
“He was waiting on them,” he said. “He knew their itinerary. How?”
“She had it on her refrigerator for the neighbor who was coming over to take care of the cat, so if he was in their house beforehand . . .”
“Right. Were their deaths before or after the Fields family was killed?” he asked. His eyes scanned the road, and while he drove with skill and precision, Ava knew he was using the call to keep from worrying about his father. She wasn’t sure it was working.
“Before,” Daria said. “However, they were found after the deaths of the Fields family. But you know that.”
He raked a hand through his hair, then down his cheek. “All right, thanks, Daria.”
“I’m still working on gathering information about your guy Nicolai. I hope to have something soon.”
“I’m heading into the hospital. I have a feeling this might wind up being a ‘hurry up and wait’ kind of thing. If I don’t answer a call, definitely text.”
“Will do.” She paused. “I’m saying a prayer for your father.”
“Thanks, Daria,” he said, his voice suddenly slightly husky. “I appreciate it.”
He hung up and nodded to Ava. “Wait for me to come around and get you, okay?”
She raised a brow. “Okay.”
He opened her door and leaned in a fraction. “I’m sorry, Ava. I didn’t mean to be harsh.”
“You weren’t harsh. No apologies necessary.”
He offered her a strained smile and held out a hand. She placed hers into his and he helped her out of the seat. Then he shut the door and slid an arm around her shoulders, tucking her close. No doubt thinking he was protecting her in case there was a sniper trying to get a bead on her.
While Ava considered herself self-sufficient and able to take care of herself, she wasn’t opposed to his help. Or being this close to him. In fact, she liked it just fine. What she didn’t like was him putting himself in danger with his protection.
He held the glass door open for her and she slipped into the air-conditioned chill of the hospital. Together, they made their way to the emergency room waiting area, where they found Sarah and Gavin sitting next to each other, holding hands. Sarah looked up and her eyes connected with her brother’s. “You came.”
“Of course I did.” He frowned and Ava’s heart hurt for him. He was batting a thousand today for getting his feelings knocked around. She squeezed his hand.
Sarah blinked and sniffed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean . . .” She waved a hand. “Of course, I knew you’d come. I don’t know why I said that.”
“So what’s the verdict?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know anything yet. They’re still back there working on him.”
Gavin rose. “I’m going to go grab coffee for all of us.” He looked at Caden. “Two creams, no sugar.” Then turned to Ava. “Black and loaded with sugar?”
She gave him a small smile. “Yeah. Thanks.”
He leaned over and kissed Sarah’s forehead. “Hang in there, hon, the general’s one of the most stubborn men I know.”
Sarah nodded and bit her lip. “Yeah.”
She stood as Gavin headed down the hall toward the cafeteria, and Caden stepped forward to hug his sister. She leaned her head against his chest and Ava looked away. She and Nate were so far apart in age, she felt more like his mother than his sister. She’d had to adopt that role at an early age, thanks to their mother’s alcoholism battle. She pulled her phone from her purse and sent him a simple text.
I’m thinking of you and I love you.
There, that was more sisterly than motherly, wasn’t it? Or maybe it was a bit of both, but hopefully, he’d take it as it was intended.
“Hey, guys.”
Ava turned to see Brooke with her very round tummy coming toward them. She embraced them all, then took a seat with a sigh and put her feet up on the chair opposite her.
Caden shook his head. “You didn’t have to come down here, Brooke.”
“Oh, please. I wanted to. Asher would have come too, but he and Travis are working security for someone.” She eyed them. “How’s the general?”
“We’re still waiting to hear,” Ava said, taking a nearby chair.
Sarah settled next to Ava and took her hand. “How are you doing?”
Ava shrugged. “I’m hanging in there. Glad Caden has allowed me to help him on this case some.” And very anxious to watch the video burning a hole in her phone.
“Yeah, he’s told me a little about that, but not much. He’s been very tight-lipped about it.” She stuck her tongue out at her brother and he rolled his eyes.
The levity was a coping mechanism. They meant no disrespect to their father. Ava knew that and offered the siblings a smile.
Caden’s phone rang and he snagged it. “Hi, Daria. Hold on a second.”
“She found something else?” Ava asked.
“I’m going to find out. Come get me if the doctor comes out about Dad, will you?”