Severed Threads (35 page)

Every time?
The comment perked her ears. Had she heard her correctly?

Judi’s smile blossomed. "I don’t make a habit of handing out my phone number, especially when I’m not asked. However, in
his
case, I’d certainly make an exception."

Rachel snorted. “He’d probably make one too.”

“
You think so?”

“
No doubt in my mind. Can you tell me where I can find him?"

"Sure. Room three-ten. She held out her hand like a directional signpost. “Go down at the end of the hall, turn right then left. It’s straight across from the elevator. I’m taking a patient to physical therapy in a few minutes, but if you’d like I can show you – ”

"No, please don’t bother. I can find my way." She waited until the nurse turned and walked away before resuming her objective. What was Chase thinking…dropping everything to come here? And just who was this woman? What hold did
she
have over him?

Rachel strode down the long hallway, physically fuming. She’d ultimately have her own share of explaining to do, but his unthinkable actions surpassed any trust she might have broken. No matter how charming and persuasive Chase might be, she would never forgive him. Not this time.

Then she saw him…coming off the elevator. Heading into room three-ten. By all appearances, totally unaware of her presence. She heaved a deep breath and mentally counted before charging through the open doorway.

“
Chase, for crying out loud…”

Rachel’s mouth instantly dropped. Directly across from her was a little girl, half buried under the white bed sheet. Her enormous blue eyes blinked repeatedly. Two ebony pigtails sprung from the sides of her head. An inserted tube rested under her tiny nose and was taped to her left cheek, securing it firmly in place.

Rachel couldn’t stop staring.
She’s just a baby…can’t be more than six years old
.

"Did my daddy make you mad?" she asked. Her words were barely audible above the sound of the beeping monitor.

Daddy?
Rachel shook her head slowly. There had to be a mistake. She’d obviously come into the wrong room. “I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” She took a step back and immediately bumped into Chase coming out of the adjacent bathroom. He grasped his filled-to-the-brim Styrofoam cup with both hands, somehow managing not to spill a drop. He showed no sign of alarm or surprise at finding her there. In fact, he smiled, erasing any trace of apprehension that should have existed.

"It’s about time you two met,” he said. “Allie…this is Miss Lyons. She’s the friend I’ve been telling you about.

Oh, my God!
Rachel rounded her shoulders.
A daughter? He has a daughter?

Her heart skipped a beat. The air thickened. She considered high-tailing it out of the room – out of the hospital entirely, but the sight of the little girl’s glistening blue eyes and down-turned mouth cemented her heels to the floor.

“Honey?” Chase directed at his daughter.

Her tiny, dry voice broke the silence. “Nice to meet you, Miss Lyons.”

“
Likewise,” she answered, still in shock.

The pixie-faced girl watched her from beneath her lowered lids. "I had friends at school. But I don’t go no more."

What could Rachel say? She glanced at the fluctuating monitor next to the bed, at the crude cutout turkey and taped drawings on the wall then back at the cherub’s tiny face. A strange sensation washed over her. She wanted to reach out, gather this innocent creature in her arms and assure her that she’d get well soon. But how could she? Until thirty seconds ago, she didn’t even know Allie existed.

Unbelievable!
Why hadn’t he told her? What other secrets had he kept hidden? And what about Allie’s mother, or better yet…
his wife?

Allie’s moist eyes forced Rachel to bury her bubbling hostility. She erected a smile and tried her best to remain calm. "My goodness, what a lovely name you have,” she ventured.

The little girl brightened. "My real name is Alegria. My mama named me after my Grandma Craven. They live in heaven with Papa Lute."

Rachel glimpsed Chase at the foot of the bed, staring into his cup. Remorse, if it existed, was hidden beneath his heavy lids. Whether due to concern or lack of sleep, dark circles had formed under his eyes, drawing presentiment and incidental sympathy.

"I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart,” she said. “But you’re one lucky girl. You’ve got a daddy who loves you very much.”

“
I know,” she chimed. “Nurse Marcia says that all the time.” The corners of her tiny lips curled. “Do you have a daddy?”

“
I did. But he’s in heaven too.”

“
Just like my mommy.”

Rachel nodded. She battled with her emotions – her confusion, frustration. Relief that Allie’s mom was no longer in the picture. The whole situation was perplexing. But this wasn’t the right time or place to vent. Not with Allie in the room.

“
Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Rachel asked.

Chase snorted a laugh. “Not that I’m aware of.” He turned the green upholstered chair and offered it to Rachel. She hesitated a moment then quickly sat down. She set her duffle bag on the floor and nestled her hands in her lap. Then she glanced at her watch: 4:40 P.M. She’d stay for five minutes. No more.

"Isn’t it nice that Miss Lyons came to visit?" Chase prompted.

"Uh huh," Allie said. "You’re very pretty."

"Why thank you."

Apparently the child’s cruel dilemma hadn’t tarnished her sweet disposition.

"Don’t you think so, Daddy?"

“
Absolutely,” he said, smiling.

Rachel could feel his eyes on her, adding heat to the room. As she focused on the box of crayons and
Pirates of the Caribbean
coloring book waiting on the bedside table, everything fell into place. Tucked under the sheets was the reason for Chase’s sudden disappearance, his financial shortfalls. His obsession with finding treasure. Whatever his daughter’s needs and condition might be, he’d obviously been dealing with exorbitant medical bills in addition to his salvage company’s expenditures.

For the next fifteen minutes, she became the silent observer – watching Chase’s coltish exchanges with his daughter. Listening to his wild seafaring story and her cute spontaneous giggles. She measured their matching blue eyes and realized there was something remarkable about their bond. The playful bantering she’d missed growing up with her own father. But she also noticed that something was blatantly absent from this sweet, heart-warming scene. There were no photos, no get-well cards or personal mementos. Only the bare necessities for a sick child. And where were the flowers and stuffed animals one would expect from the family Chase had left her for?

“
Hello, Allie.” A distinguished-looking man in green medical scrubs stood in the open doorway. He crossed the room, arriving at his patient’s bedside. A semi-circular fringe of white hair encompassed his bald crown like a broken halo. A stethoscope hung from his thick neck. He was immediately followed by a very serious, middle-aged nurse.

The physician turned to Rachel and smiled. “I’m Ted Bailey but the kids on the floor call me Doctor Baldy. It’s sure a beautiful day outside. Did you get an opportunity to visit our terrarium? It’s really quite nice.” Throughout their superficial conversation, he kept a watchful eye on his assistant as she checked the monitor and Allie’s vital signs.

"Can Yuki come visit?" Allie asked him.

"Not right now, baby," Chase answered in his place. "They don’t allow dogs. But I’ll ask Ian to bring him by in the next few days. You’d be able to see Yuki and say hello right through the window over there."

Disappointment darkened her brow and Chase was quick to respond. “You know what? I saw your friend Shishi in the hallway a few minutes ago. If memory serves me, he said something about an ice cream sundae cart coming this way. But he wasn’t sure anyone in here would want one.”

“
Oh, yes, Daddy. Please, please…” Allie’s shimmering eyes captured Rachel. “You want one too, don’t you? There’s strawberry and vanilla with orange…and chocolate fudge too. That’s my favorite.”

“
How bout I ask Shishi to keep you company while Rachel and I track down some of that yummy ice cream?”

Allie nodded enthusiastically.

“
Be right back,” he told the nurse.

Rachel rose and followed Chase out of the room. She gnawed on her bottom lip, feeling like a tabloid reader…needing to know the whole story.

"So who looks after Allie when you’re working?" she asked, as they strode down the hall.

Chase answered with an easy smile. “They’ve got an amazing team of nurses here. Real sweethearts. And Naomi McKenzie stops by to check on Allie whenever she can.”

Really?
Rachel looked away, mentally shaking her head. Was she the only one in town who didn’t know about Allie? Without knowing it, Rachel had crawled into a bubble and cut herself off from the world.

The thought was unsettling.

“
And, of course, there’s Uncle Ian. He calls her Gator and tells her all kinds of crazy stories...although I’ve had to censor him a few times.”

Near the elevator, they met up with a doll-faced Asian boy. He was sitting cross-legged next to the wall, engrossed in a
Kung Fu Panda
comic book.

“
Hi, Shishi,” Chase said, bringing the young boy’s head up. “I’d like you to meet my friend, Rachel.”

His eyes and mouth bent into rainbows, exuding contagious happiness. He jumped to his feet and bowed then extended a small bronze hand.

“
It’s very nice to meet you,” he said, his manners befitting a much older child. “I think you know my sister, Mika.”

“
She’s your sister? Oh, of course…silly me. How could I not know that?”

Chase leaned closer – commanding the boy’s full attention. “Would you mind visiting Allie for a little while? She’d really enjoy your company.”

Without another word spent, the tiny gentleman ran down the corridor and vanished inside her room.

Rachel and Chase continued on until they arrived at the cafeteria. While she stood by, he found a food server willing to deliver a chocolate sundae to Allie and two vanilla scoops to their table. As soon as they were both seated and the ice cream arrived, he launched into a lengthy explanation, obviously attempting to answer all her questions.

“
Allie’s mother and I first met at an orphanage in Redlands, California. We became best friends and grew up sharing everything. Homework, secrets, hopes and fears. After we graduated from high school, I had this crazy notion about traveling the world. I wanted to backpack, bicycle across America…see it all. But Helen wasn’t interested. She wanted to put down roots, raise horses and a houseful of kids. We tried to make it work and even got married. But after four years, we just couldn’t see eye to eye anymore and ended up going our separate ways. Six years later, she was diagnosed with stage-four lymphoma.”

Rachel’s mouth sagged. “Wait a minute. You were
married
? Why didn’t you say something? Why did you let me believe – ”

“
It wasn’t a real marriage, Rachel…at least, not in the true sense of the word. I got a fishing job in Alaska and was gone four months out of the year. Helen had her own interests and friends. I’d call once in a while and send checks home to pay bills. But we were nothing more than roommates.”

Rachel rocked her heel beneath her chair. “So when you came to San Palo, were you still with her?”

As he spoke, Chase smoothed his thumb over the silver bracelet on his wrist. “No, I filed for divorce two months earlier. She got scared when I told her it was over and we ended up spending one night together. In the morning, we both realized the feelings weren’t there. We were friends – just kids – that should have never got married. The day I left Fort Lauderdale to come work for your dad, she signed the papers and sincerely wished me good luck. She wanted to get on with her life, just like I did.”