Loving Lily Lavender (25 page)

“Good. Take care of my heart for me. I love you, and I’ll see you
soon.”

“Take care of my heart too—I love you.”

Although what happened wasn’t funny at all, I couldn’t help but
see the humor in it as I explained it to Richard and Barbara. Lucas hadn’t told
them the details, only that I was at the airport and for them to pick me up.
They thought it was hilarious. I’m sure someday I will too, but not today,
today it was downright heartbreaking.

When I arrived at their home, everyone was there, Abigail,
Hannah, Anthony, Nicholas, and of course, Allie. It was nice to see everyone
again, and being here with his family did seem to help me with my feelings of
longing.

Richard had expressed his gratitude at my being here during his
time of crisis. He understood why I hadn’t come sooner and just knowing that
made me feel a lot less guilty.

Barbara heated me up some leftovers from their supper and sat
with me as I ate. Her babbling helped me take my mind off of Lucas for a little
while and soon I excused myself to shower and get ready for bed. I was anxious
to hurry along the evening. If only I could fall asleep quickly, then before I
knew it he would call.

I went downstairs to say goodnight and asked if I could borrow
Richard’s car when Lucas called. He said yes, of course, though he quizzed me
on whether I remembered how to drive here. I said yes, but was still a little
nervous about the idea.

The only thing I brought to wear to bed was sexy lingerie; since
I thought I would be with Lucas tonight and every night here after. It wasn’t
very comfortable to sleep in, so after a few minutes of tossing and turning and
fishing it out of my tail, I slipped it off and threw it across the room.

My phone was by the bed so I could get to it quickly, and now all
I had to do was wait.

I fell asleep, but slept restlessly, tossing back and forth,
waiting for the call to come in, but it never came. And even in sleep, I began
to worry and dream that something had gone wrong.

My worry, however, was put to rest when two warm arms slid around
my sleeping form and held me close.

“Mmmm,” I heard in my ear as I felt the vibration in his chest,
which was bare and pressed against my back.

I roused awake and turned to him. I needed desperately to see and
touch him. Before I could speak, he reached up and cradled my face and said,
“Finally, to see the face that’s been plaguing my dreams.”

The moonlight was streaming in through the window and I could
make out his face clearly. His eyes were sparkling against the moonlight glow.
His lips were red and turned up into a soft smile.

“Thank you for coming back,” I whispered, reaching up to stroke
his face.

“Lily, there’s nothing for me at home without you.”

“I’ve missed you so much,” I spoke softly in his ear as I hugged
him tightly.

“I missed you too. I was counting the minutes until my plane
landed. I decided to surprise you by sneaking into bed, but it seems you were
expecting me,” he teased, peeking under the covers.

“Oh, well maybe, or just hopeful.” I smiled sheepishly.

“I don’t ever want to be without you again,” his expression turned
serious.

“Never,” I agreed.

He gently kissed along my jaw, and then captured my lips with
his. Heat spread through me like a grease fire out of control, but before I could
cross over to the point of no return, I whispered gently into his ear, “So—how
do you feel about dogs?”

“Lucas, I think Meagan’s up to something.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, she never calls to ask if she and Cody can come over, they
just show up. And she sounded odd.”

“Odd, like how?”

“She called me Sweetie. She’s never called me Sweetie in the
history of our friendship.”

“Yeah, that does sound odd. What do you think she’s up to?”

“I’m not sure, but they’ll be here soon, so I guess we’ll find
out.”

When they arrived, everything seemed normal enough, though I
couldn’t shake the nagging suspicion she was about to burst to tell me
something. They both came in and sat down, but then, all of a sudden, Meagan
blurted out, “Oh, I can’t wait any longer, Lily—Cody and I are getting
married,” she squealed.

“Oh, Meagan!” I ran and embraced her. “I knew something was up.
I’m so happy for you!”

“Congratulations,” Lucas said while shaking Cody’s hand before
giving Meagan a big hug.

“So, when’s the big day?”

“We haven’t decided on a date yet, but Lily, I want you to be my
wedding planner because you’re the best. Please say you’ll do it.”

“Of course I will. I would be honored. Let’s celebrate! I’ll cook
us something.” I bounced up and headed into the kitchen.

After we ate, we sat around the table while Meagan told us all
about how Cody proposed to her. Meagan and I discussed some ideas for the
wedding. I’m extremely glad she’s found love. She and Cody are adorable
together. I couldn’t have picked a better man for her myself.

It was a lovely evening, but soon our friends were gone, and we
headed up for bed.

When morning came, I was feeling unusually run down.

“Lily, it’s ten o’clock. Are you going to sleep the day away?”
Lucas teased as he entered our bedroom with my cup of coffee in hand.

“Actually, I’m not feeling very well.” I set up a little too
quickly and felt slightly nauseous.

“Honey, I’m sorry.” He came over, knelt beside me, and felt my
forehead. “You don’t have a fever, but you look pale.”

“I just feel really tired. You can go on and do what you need to
do today. I’ll be fine.”

“No, I’m not leaving you here alone if you’re sick, besides, I
wasn’t planning on going in today. Since we’ve finished recording the album, I
can take the day off.”

“Well if you’re sure.”

“Yes, I’m sure. Maybe you should go to the doctor. I can take
you.”

“I don’t feel like going today. If I don’t feel better by
tomorrow I’ll make an appointment.”

“Okay, well I’ll let you rest. Use your cell phone to call me if
you need anything instead of trying to yell down to me. I’ll check in on you in
a little while.” He kissed my forehead, and then got up and left the room.

I should’ve known he couldn’t stay away, and an hour later he had
me tucked in on our sofa with orange juice and a bowl of chicken soup by my
side while my favorite
Star Wars
movie played. I tried to explain that I
didn’t have a cold I just needed some rest, but I couldn’t ruin it for him. If
I didn’t feel so rotten I would’ve laughed at him busying himself on my behalf.
He was so happy to be taking care of me, and I’m so blessed to have him.

In the morning, however, I didn’t feel any better so I made an
appointment to see the doctor but insisted on driving myself. There was no need
for Lucas to come when he was working so hard on trying to get this record deal
finalized. He’d mentioned that if they signed this deal he might have to go on
tour. He seemed nervous about the idea, and to be honest, so was I, much more
than I let on.

Once I exited the doctor’s office, I grabbed my phone and called
Lucas to let him know the verdict. “Hey, honey. I just wanted to let you know
that I’m leaving the doctor’s office now.”

“Are you okay? What did the doctor say?”

“Yes, I’m fine. My blood test revealed that my iron level is very
low so I’m on my way to the drugstore to get a vitamin. I’ll be home soon.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound so serious. I’m glad you’re alright.
I’ll see you when you get home. I love you. Take care of my heart, and drive
safely.”

“I love you too, and I will.” I didn’t know how to tell him what
the doctor really said. It’s true, my iron is really low, but there’s something
else, something much more serious. I can’t tell him now. He has enough on his
mind at the moment. I’ll tell him when the time is right. Besides, I have to
come to terms with it myself first. For the time being I’ll just have to
pretend that everything is fine.

I woke to the uncomfortable sensation of a dog licking me in the
face. And, as I slowly peeled my eyes open, I realized, to my horror, it was
reality. “Chewy, stop that. Why aren’t you with Lucas?”

Ever since we arrived home from London and Lucas discovered that
I’d taken in a stray, they’ve been inseparable. It only took a few minutes for
Lucas to fall in love with Chewy, like I knew he would.

The truth is, I knew he left Chewy here because he was worried
about me.

“Oh well, I guess you’re stuck with me today. Sorry pal.” I got
out of bed too quickly and found myself face down on the cold, hard floor. I
tried to lift myself up, but before I could, the darkness overcame me.

When I came to, I was still face down on the floor with Chewy
whining and pacing frantically in front of me. “I’m okay boy,” I called to him.
He came to me and began licking my face again. I got up slowly this time,
steadying myself first. I looked at the clock and noticed that only a few
minutes had passed. I must’ve fainted. I’ll have to make sure not to tell Lucas
about this. It’s a good thing my only witness can’t talk.

“Chewy, let’s keep this our secret, okay boy? We don’t want Lucas
to worry any more than he already does.” He wagged his tail happily as I rubbed
him behind the ears.

I felt much better when I got out of the shower. I went
downstairs and made myself a cup of coffee, ate a banana, some blueberries, and
took my vitamin.

I spent a few hours on my laptop doing some research and checking
my e-mails, until the ringing of my cell phone interrupted me.

“Hello.”

“Hello, is this Mrs. Lavender?”

“Yes it is. Who’s speaking?”

“This is Mrs. Cope from Charter Pines Nursing Home. I’m sorry to
tell you this, Mrs. Lavender, but your mother, Elaine Spencer, has gone
missing.

I gasped. “What do you mean, gone missing?”

“Well, we’re not sure. She just disappeared. No one can remember
seeing her in over 3 hours, at least. She was sitting quietly in the craft
room, and then she was just—gone. We had a disturbance earlier, and we were
distracted, but we’ve never had a problem with her before. We’re searching the
grounds now, and the local police have been notified. I’m so sorry, Mrs.
Lavender. We’re doing everything we can to find her.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can, and thank you for calling me,
Mrs. Cope.” I hung up the phone and quickly hit Lucas on speed dial.

As we arrived at the nursing home, the first thing we noticed
were police cruisers surrounding the facility. They assured us they were doing
everything to find her. Officers were searching the nearby woods and a missing
persons bulletin had been airing on the local news. But none of that really
comforted me.

“Lily, you don’t look very well, love. Let me take you back to
the hotel. The police will notify us when they find Elaine.”

“Luke, I can’t leave. I want to be here when they find her. I
want her to see me. She’ll probably be frightened, but you can go back to the
hotel and rest. I’ll call you if anything happens.”

“Oh no you don’t. You think it’s that easy to get rid of me?”

“No, I guess not.” I smiled weakly.

“Lily, honey, I’m worried about you. How long did the doctor say
it would take for your iron to build back up?”

“Well, it depends on the person, but it could take a couple of
months, but I think it might be good if I ate something. Maybe we could go to
the cafeteria and get a quick bite to eat. I don’t want to be gone long
though.”

When it turned dark, the search was suspended due to poor
visibility, until the morning. It took some persuading from Lucas and Detective
Taylor, but I eventually allowed Lucas to take me back to the hotel. I slept
restlessly, tossing and turning until finally the morning arrived. I was
relieved to return to the facility and continue our search. However, as the day
went on, I became more and more panicked when there was still no word of her
rescue. Where could she be? The question plagued me, and I knew we had to find
her soon.

“Lucas, what if we don’t find her in time?”

“We’ll find her, Lily. With all the prayers we’ve prayed. The
whole church is praying as well. We just have to have faith.” He reached out to
me and pulled me against his chest. With the gesture I couldn’t hold my tears
back any longer. I let the floodgates open and the tears flow.

When I felt dehydrated from all the crying, I pulled back and
looked up into his compassionate eyes. “Luke, thank you for being here with me.
I couldn’t be strong without you.”

“Lily, where else could I possibly be? Everything that’s
important to me is right here in my arms.”

“Yes. Everything.” I reached up and caressed his face gently.

“It hurts me that you’re hurting, but I promise you we’ll find
her soon. I really believe that.” Then he leaned his head down and touched his
lips gently to mine.

Once again we had to return to the hotel knowing she was still
out there somewhere, possibly lost and scared, or worse. And once again Lucas
held me as I cried myself to sleep.

The next thing I was aware of was running barefoot through the
thick, damp forest. I was wearing my white night gown and was frantically
searching. Branches were hitting and scratching my face, arms, and legs. My
feet were sore and bleeding, but still I ran, always searching. I began to
realize that I was running in circles. I kept coming to the same fallen down
tree in the center of a clearing. As I approached the tree, I stopped to catch
my breath. Then I heard something, a whimpering. I crept closer to the tree,
peering behind it, and there lay my mother curled up into a fetal position,
weeping. “Mom!” I threw my arms around her and cradled her to me.

“You found me,” she cried. “I’ve been here under your nose the
whole time, but still you ran past me. You finally stopped so you could hear.”