***
We met Maddie and Adam at a restaurant called The Falcon’s Landing. As the hostess led us to the table where Adam and Maddie were already sitting, Luke tightened the grip on my hand when he saw Maddie laughing.
“You promised,” I whispered.
“I didn’t do anything,” he said as he looked over at me.
We arrived at the table and took our seats. I was amazed that Luke shook Adam’s hand. Maddie looked over at me and smiled.
“Adam is moving to Los Angeles, and he’s going to attend UCLA,” Maddie announced.
I looked over at Luke as he clenched his jaw. I squeezed his thigh under the table, and he loosened it.
“That’s great, Adam. What are you studying?”
“Drug abuse and alcohol counseling,” he answered.
“You want to counsel drug addicts?” Luke asked.
“Yes, I do. I already have a year of classes under my belt, and they’ve all transferred to UCLA. I’m starting over, man. I’m walking away from my past, and I’m stepping into a brand new life; a life that includes my daughter and Maddie.”
“Where are you going to be staying?” Luke asked him calmly.
“I’ve rented an apartment by UCLA. That way I can be close to Charley and the campus.”
“I’m sorry, man, but I have to ask this: how the hell are you affording all this?”
“I’ve been working the past year as a computer tech, and the owner was paying me under the table. He warned me that if he caught me using drugs, he would report me to the state. He did a drug test on me once a week. I saved every dime I made so I could go to school and make something of my life.”
“You always were a genius with computer.” Luke laughed.
It was at that moment that Luke realized maybe Adam was telling the truth, and we had a great dinner and good conversation. As we walked out of the restaurant, Adam put his hand on Maddie’s back. Luke looked at me, and I squeezed his hand. We hugged, said our goodbyes, and Luke and I climbed into his Jeep.
“They have a chance at being a real family,” I said.
“I guess.” Luke sighed as he pulled out of the parking lot.
As we were on our way home, my phone rang. I pulled it from my purse and saw it was Giselle calling.
“Hey, girl, what’s up?” I answered and put her on speaker phone.
She was sobbing so hard, I could barely understand her. She said something about an accident. Suddenly, Lucky’s voice came through the speaker.
“Hi, it’s Lucky. Gretchen and Sam were in a car accident, and they’ve been taken to the UCLA Medical Center.”
I started shaking, and instantly I felt sick.
“Lucky, how bad is it?” Luke asked as he quickly turned the Jeep around and headed toward the medical center.
“I don’t know, man. The hospital called Giselle, said there had been an accident, and to get to the hospital right away. I’m freaking out, Luke. What if—”
“Stop it, Lucky, they’ll be fine. We’re on our way.”
With shaking hands, I ended the call. Luke reached over and took my hand and brought it his lips.
“They’re fine, babe. I know they’re fine,” Luke said nervously.
39
Luke pulled into the medical center parking garage and quickly found a place to park. As we got out of the Jeep, Luke grabbed my hand, and we ran to the entrance of the emergency room. When we approached the reception desk, Giselle came running up to me, crying.
“Lily, they won’t tell me anything,” she sobbed.
“Giselle, you have to calm down. Think of the baby,” I said as I tried to console her.
Suddenly, Sam came walking through the automatic double doors. He had a white bandage on his forehead, cuts on his face, and his hand was wrapped.
“Sam, are you ok?” I asked.
“How’s Gretchen?” Giselle cried.
“I don’t know. She’s still in surgery.”
Luke hugged him. Giselle couldn’t handle hearing that Gretchen was in surgery. Lucky grabbed a hold of her, and he made her sit down in the chair.
I looked at Sam because I needed to be strong, not only for Gretchen, but for him as well. “Sam, what happened?” I asked.
“I’ll tell you as soon as we get back upstairs to the surgical waiting room.”
“Did anyone call Gretchen’s parents?” I asked.
“I did,” Lucky said. “They’re on their way down.”
Lucky helped Giselle up, and we all rode the elevator to the third floor where the surgical waiting room was. It was quiet and empty, and we were the only people in there. I sat down next to Giselle and offered her some water. She wouldn’t take it as she continued crying on Lucky’s shoulder. I walked over to the coffee machine and put in some change. I pressed the button and nothing. The damn thing was broken. I pounded on the machine as I pressed my forehead against it and started crying. Suddenly, I felt Luke’s arms from behind.
“Babe, it’s ok,” he whispered as he laid his head on my back.
“All I wanted was a cup of coffee,” I sobbed.
Luke turned me around and took my face in his hands. “I can get you a cup of coffee.” He smiled as he wiped away my tears.
I was scared shitless that Gretchen wasn’t going to make it, and I felt like I was on the verge of an anxiety attack. Luke went to get me a cup of coffee, and I walked over and sat next to Sam. He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
“She’s going to be ok,” I said, grabbing his hand.
“She has to be ok, Lily. If she dies, I don’t know—”
“Don’t talk like that. Nobody is dying here. She’s a strong person, and she’ll pull through.”
Just as Luke walked back in and handed me a cup of coffee, a doctor in blue scrubs followed behind him.
“Are you all here for Gretchen Williams?” he asked.
Giselle jumped up from her chair. “Yes, I’m her twin sister.”
We all stood up and walked closer to where the doctor was standing. “Gretchen is going to be fine.”
We all let out a sigh of relief as he continued telling us about Gretchen’s condition.
“She had some internal bleeding, so we had to go in and repair that, and we also had to remove her spleen. Her right leg is broken in four places, and we had to put in some pins and screws. I also believe there may be some nerve damage. She’ll have to be in a cast for several weeks while the bones heal. There may be a chance she’ll have to go through physical therapy to learn to use her leg again.”
“When can we see her?” I asked.
“I can take you to her now, but I want you to be prepared. She’s very swollen, and she’s hooked up to some machines. We’re keeping her comfortable on pain medication, and she hasn’t woken up from the surgery yet.”
As Luke put his arm around me, we all followed the doctor to the room where Gretchen was. Giselle ran to her and started sobbing. Lucky walked over to her and tried to calm her down. I instantly fell sick to my stomach when I saw her lying there. I barely recognized her since her face was so swollen.
“Are you ok?” Luke asked me.
“I’m fine. Are you?”
“Yeah, I’m just glad they’re both ok.”
“I know this must be bringing back a lot of memories for you,” I said as I kissed his hand.
“It is, but it’s cool. I’m just thankful Gretchen’s going to be fine,” he said as he kissed my head.
We walked over and stood at the end of the bed. Sam pulled up a chair, grabbed her hand, and brought it to his lips.
“Please, sweetheart, please wake up,” he pleaded.
It broke my heart seeing Sam like that. A few moments later, Gretchen squeezed Sam’s hand, and she slowly opened her eyes. Lucky had to hold Giselle back from throwing herself on top of her.
“Let her wake up and focus, Giselle,” he said to her.
Gretchen tried to talk, but could only mumble a few words.
“Don’t tr
y and talk, sweetheart. You’re going to be fine. Just get some rest,” Sam said.
She took her other hand and laid it on Giselle’s arm as she mumbled, “Stop crying, I have a headache.”
As we all started laughing, Sam leaned over, gently kissed her lips, and told her how much he loved her. I took a few steps back, and I looked around the room at the people I called my family. As I looked at Sam, I remembered the first time I met him and how he held the door open for me as I was bringing in my boxes. Then I looked at the twins, remembering the day they moved next door, and how we instantly became best friends. As I looked at Lucky, I was remembering the night we met. I couldn’t help but smile at how he tried to flirt with me, thinking he was going to get lucky.
“You ok, babe?” Luke asked with a smile.
As my eyes looked into his, I remembered the first time he told me to watch my mouth, and I knew at that moment, he was the one I needed to complete my life.
“I’m wonderful.” I smiled as I leaned into him and softly kissed him.
The Upside of Love
Luke Matthews and Lily Gilmore will return in the second and final book of the Love Series, The Upside of Love, releasing in 2014.
Please see the back of the book for the Prologue and first chapter of Adriane Leigh’s romance novel, The Mourning After
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank you, my readers and fans, for all your support and enthusiasm while reading my books. Without your support, I wouldn’t be here giving you the story of Luke Matthews and Lily Gilmore. I cherish each message you send via Facebook and Twitter, and I look forward to connecting with you more and talking about Love In Between. I love you guys a bunch, but you already know that!
About The Author
Sandi Lynn is a New York Times bestselling author from Michigan, who recently left her full-time job in healthcare to become a full-time writer. She currently has three books published and a fourth book publishing in November. Her addictions are romance novels, coffee, chocolate, and margaritas.
Please come and connect with her at:
www.facebook.com/Sandi.Lynn.Author
www.twitter.com/SandilynnWriter
www.authorsandilynn.com
www.goodreads.com/author/show/6089757.Sandi_Lynn
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The Mourning After
“ANYONE ELSE?” A deep voice echoes down the hallway.
“Please just leave her,” he says groggily.
A grunt echoes up the stairs and then I shut my eyes to the world around me. I hear random screams and moans and then sometime, maybe hours later, or minutes, or days, I hear a popping noise. I don't know what it is and my brain no longer has the ability to expend the energy to figure it out. My mind has shut down and the only thing I can hear is screaming. It seems as if I scream for days. Months. I’ve been screaming for years.
Chapter One
“SO YOU KNOW how you said you had nothing going this summer?” I called my best friend from a coffee shop off the freeway just over the North Carolina state line.
“Yeah?” The hesitation clear in her voice.
“I’ve got something for you.” The excitement rippled through my voice.
“Since this is the first time you’ve sounded excited in a while, I’m all ears.”
“Great. I bought a house.”
“What?” Drew’s voice shrieked over the phone. I held it away from my ear with a smile on my face.
“I want you to spend the summer with me―it needs fixing up, but you can help me pick out paint colors and all that.”
“Wait, you and Kyle bought a house?”
“Not really. I bought a house. Kyle didn’t have much say in it.”
“Georgia Hope Montgomery! Did you break up with Kyle?” Her voice rose more than a few octaves.
“No, I’m just staying at the house this summer to fix it up and then I’ll rent it out next summer. You should see it Drew, it’s amazing.” I finished on a dreamy sigh.
“I don’t know. Dad probably wouldn’t be keen on me being away all summer. D.C. is far away.”
Drew was the accountant for her dad’s construction company. I knew she wouldn’t have a problem working from the beach all summer even if she would be more than a few hours away. “Please come. You can crunch numbers from anywhere, Drew. Let’s spend the summer together! We haven’t spent much time together since college. Silas has already agreed; it will be a blast. And it’s not in D.C.”
I heard a huff from her end.
“Where is it?” She sighed.
“That’s the best part, Drew―it’s on the beach.” My grin grew impossibly wider even though no one was there to see.
“The beach? Like, the ocean beach?” I could hear the excitement rising in her voice.
“The one and only. It’s thirty minutes outside Wilmington, North Carolina. I promise there’s plenty to do there, you can troll for hotties―there’s plenty of clubs...” I trailed off.
“You had me at beach. Although Silas…” She groaned when she mentioned one of my other closest friends since college. Silas and I were nearly inseparable. We’d both moved to D.C. after college when Drew had moved home to Jacksonville. She’d been bummed to be moving away from us; we’d had endless amounts of fun in college, but she and Silas bickered like an old married couple most days. For whatever reason, they did not click like he and I did. Perhaps it was because she had more competition when they trolled for men at the clubs. Silas was ridiculously charming and deliciously hot and operated under the assumption that he could turn even a straight man bi for at least one night.
“I know you love him deep down.” I grinned. “I'll tell him not to hit on anyone you bring home,” I teased.
“Actually,” I could hear the grin in Drew’s voice, “I’m seeing someone.”
“More than once?” I coughed on my drink.
“Yes, more than once. We’re pretty serious. He’s amazing in bed.” She sighed wistfully.
“How long have you been sleeping with him?” I rolled my eyes. Drew was famous for her unapologetic one-night stands.
“A few weeks.”
“Met him at the bar?”
“No,” Drew deadpanned as if she were offended by my question. “He came into the office, he had a meeting with Dad. He’s sexy, Georgia, like really sexy. Big and tall and cut, and you should see how big―”
“Great, thanks. He sounds great.” I interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. “Back to the subject. Will you come? Take the summer. You, Silas, and me. We’ll soak up the sun on the beach all summer.” I heard an audible groan on the line.
“It won’t be complete without you.” I lowered my voice.
“Well, there’s a bit of a minor detail I failed to mention.”
“What?” I asked.
“Gavin, he’s―”
“Who?” I scrunched my nose.
“The guy I’m seeing,” she said.
“Oh, right. Tall, dark and handsome.”
“Right. So Gavin is having a house built this summer and is a bit homeless right now until it’s finished so he’s been staying with me,” she said the last part in a rush.
“You’re living with him?” I groaned.
“I couldn’t just leave him out in the cold,” she said.
“Right, and I’m sure the fact that he has a big d―”
“It doesn’t hurt…Unless I want it to…” She giggled and I groaned.
“How old is he, Drew?” I rolled my eyes even though she couldn’t see. Drew had been known to date men far out of her age bracket and I wanted clarification before we went any further.
“Same as us―twenty-seven.”
“Surprise of surprises,” I mumbled.
“What?” Her irritated tone made it clear she’d heard me just fine.
“Nothing. So, you want Gavin to come too? Doesn’t he work?”
“From hom
e. He’s an entrepreneur.”
“Aren’t they all?” I huffed.
“No, really. He does well with it if the house he’s building is any indication.”
“Ok, great. So Gavin can come too. I’ll put you in the room farthest from mine so I don’t have to hear your love romps.”
“I don’t know about love romps, but the man can fuck like a―”
“Great Drew, thanks. It’s going to be a great summer, I can see it now.”
“It will. I’ll call you once I make some arrangements. When do you want me there?”
“Tomorrow…”
“Tomorrow?”
“I signed the papers today. Got the key, and I’m headed there now. I’m a few hours away. Silas is meeting me there. Just come whenever you can.”
“Okay, G. I’ll call you later.”
“Great. I gotta go, I want to make it there before dark.” I looked at the sky and noticed how late it was getting.
“Okay.” Drew paused for a moment. “Are you okay, G?” A few silent beats of my heart echoed in my ears.
“Yeah.” A frown crossed my face as I answered.
“Okay. Can’t wait to see you.” Her voice chirped in my ear.
“Me too.” The frown was still whispering around my lips.
“I’ll call you.”
“Bye.” I pushed end call on my phone and stared at it for a few moments as I stood in the coffee shop’s parking lot. I knew I should call Kyle but he was not on my list of favorites right now.
He’d been more than a little angry at my spontaneous beach house purchase, especially since I hadn’t consulted him on the deal. Frankly, I hadn’t wanted his help. He had a tendency to bulldoze any negotiation he was part of, and he wasn’t interested in heading south anyway. He worked in Washington, D.C. as an attorney seventy plus hours a week hoping to make a name for himself in the growing firm. That left me alone a lot. I managed a boutique hotel a few blocks from The Smithsonian that I loved, but evenings and weekends alone had me lonely and ready for a change.