Part 21 (1/2)

”What happened?”

Drew said nothing, feeling very cold inside. ”I'm going to call Marcus, see if he can put a rush on those prints.”

Seth was silent for a moment. ”Alison's a good woman, Drew. Probably the best thing that ever happened to you. Don't screw it up.”

I already have, he thought. ”I'm in no mood for a lecture, Seth. Just get someone over there. Okay?”

He sighed. ”Okay. But I think you're a fool.”

”Yeah.” Frowning, he disconnected. ”So do I,” he said into the silence.

Drew turned and faced his empty living room. Aside from the storm, the house was utterly quiet. Such a contrast to Alison's house, where laughter and conversation and life abounded.

I love you.

He heard her words as clearly as if she were standing right beside him. He'd been inside her when she'd said those words. They'd been as close as a man and a woman could be, and yet he hadn't been able to tell her what was in his heart. What the h.e.l.l kind of coward did that make him?

The memory of the way she'd looked at him when they'd been making love struck him like a blow. Drew wasn't sure why his mind chose this moment to torture him, but there was no escaping it. They hadn't made love just once. He had been inside her half the night. He'd kissed every part of her body. She'd kissed every part of his body in return. He knew her inside and out and every place in between.

They'd talked all night, but not once did he tell her he loved her. Not once. He knew that had hurt her. He knew that made him a b.a.s.t.a.r.d. But what could he do?

Take care...Alison and Kevin...

Rick's dying words rang inside his head. That he hadn't been able to come through for his friend shamed him. As far as Drew was concerned, he'd made a mockery of them. He'd slept with his best friend's wife. He'd hurt her and her little boy. Then he'd left them.

Feeling worse than he'd felt in a very long time, he walked to the window and watched the storm tear at the palms, felt as if the same forces were tearing him apart inside.

He didn't know how he was going to get through this. He didn't know how he was going to live with himself. Worse, he didn't know how he was going to live without Alison and her boy.

Alison found Kevin lying on his bed, staring at his Zoomer 57 Skyeagle. ”Hey, kiddo,” she said. ”You feeling okay?”

Her little boy turned chocolate-brown eyes on her. ”Hi, Mommy.”

”Whatcha doing?”

He lifted a skinny little shoulder and ran his finger along the wingtip of the toy jet. ”Thinking.”

”Oh yeah?” She sat on the bed beside him. ”About what?”

”Drew. He didn't even say goodbye.”

”Oh, honey, I think he just had some business to take care of.”

”I heard you arguing. You made him go away.”

Because he was hurting, she couldn't bring herself to remind him that eavesdropping wasn't polite. She was still trying to decide how to handle the situation when he hit her with another zinger.

”Drew's mad at you, and he's mad at me. And he's not going to come back ever!”

”Oh, honey, he's not mad at you.”

”He said we could go to the plane graveyard, Mommy. He promised.”

”I'll tell you what. Maybe you and I can take a drive over to the plane graveyard as soon as the storm pa.s.ses. Drew said it's pretty close. Maybe we can go tomorrow.”

”I don't want to go with you. I want to go with Drew!”

”Kevin,” she said firmly. ”Drew...has a lot on his mind right now. He's not mad at you. And he's not mad at me. Okay? He's just...trying to work through some problems.”

Kevin's shoulders slumped. ”I thought he was my friend.”

”Oh, he is, honey. He cares for you very much.”

”Why did he leave, then?”

”He just...had some things to take care of today.” The words sounded hollow even to her. ”He's an adult. He has a business to take care of. You understand, don't you?”

His thin shoulders rose and fell. ”I guess so.”

Alison took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ”I have a really exciting surprise for you.”

Kevin looked up at her with hopeful eyes. ”Really?”

”Yep.” She brushed the hair off his forehead. ”I just got off the phone with your uncle Roger. Do you remember Roger? From San Diego?”

”Yeah. He's bald.” Kevin nodded. ”And I threw up in his car when he took me for ice cream.”

Alison reached out and tugged on his earlobe, chuckling. ”Well, Roger was telling me that the asthma clinic in San Diego is really good, and they're looking for smart little boys just like you. He and his wife have a big house near the beach and invited us to stay with them for a little while.”

When that elicited nothing more than a blank stare she trudged on, doing her best to sound enthusiastic. ”How would you feel about moving out to San Diego, honey?”

Kevin blinked at her. ”But I like it here, Mommy.”

”Oh, but just think: in San Diego you have the Pacific Ocean. Disneyland isn't too far away. I'll bet you'll like San Diego even better.”

”What about Drew?”

Her smile faltered at the mention of Drew, but she held on to it with all of her might. She wasn't going to let Drew do this to them. She wasn't going to let him make her and her son unhappy. For too long she'd fought her way through heartbreak. She wasn't going to go through it again. d.a.m.n it, she wasn't.

”Drew's life is here in Florida, honey.”

”I don't wanna go to San Deego.”

”San Diego. And you could always call him.”