Chasing Air (19 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Mak paced the baggage claim area, waiting for her family to arrive. The plane had taken off from LaGuardia Airport on time, but for some reason it hadn’t arrived when due. It was the first time she’d let her mind drift to the “what if’s” of the criminal behavior Drew’s family was capable of. The threat of retaliation had always been there, but with therapy, she had managed to keep the negative thoughts away.

Forty-five minutes later, she was still waiting and the airport personnel couldn’t tell her if her family was on the flight or what was causing the delay.

“They’re not here and no one can tell me where they are?” Makenzie shouted into the phone.

“Calm down. I’m sure there’s a simple explanation.” Ryler immediately pictured her telling off the airport personnel and didn’t want to read about a TSA scuffle involving her in the paper.

She could hear the clicking of his computer and heard him speaking to someone on another phone. “They’re on their scheduled flight, but the flight was diverted in air because of an unruly passenger. They should be landing any moment.”

“You would think someone around here would know that!” Mak barked loudly. She was pissed and she didn’t care who heard her.

“Stay calm, it’s all going to be okay. I can only imagine where your mind went. I love you, see you at home?”

“Yep. I love you more.”

“You can show me more when you get home.” His laugh was low and sexy, making her skin tingle.

***

“Mom! Dad! Over here!” Mak rushed to her parents.

They started telling her about the unruly passenger and how they were worried about being so late. “I knew you’d be frantic. Your dad and I were hoping that the airline would let you know what was going on.”

Makenzie noticed that the lines around her mom’s eyes were distinct and she looked very tired.

“You’re right, I was, but Ryler was able to check on things. Now I can settle down. I have so much to tell you and I can’t wait to show you our new home.”

“Where’s Cessa?”

“She and Rob were sitting closer to the back of the plane. They’ll be out in a minute. I can’t wait for you to meet him. He’s nothing like what you’ve imagined.”

After a few moments, Makenzie got a glimpse of her sister’s tall, modelesque figure coming towards her accompanied by a surfer-looking guy with curly blonde-haired.

“Hey, sis.” Makenzie embraced her younger sister. She wanted to get a jump on the introduction, not wanting an issue about her name. “Hi, I’m Makenzie Holder. Everyone calls me Mak.”

“Mak, it’s great to finally meet you.” He shook Mak’s extended hand.

“Just so you know, I’ve filled him in on everything on the way here, so if we slip with the name, he won’t be freaked.” Cessa whispered into Mak’s ear as she dragged her away from the others. Mak nodded, but didn’t expand the conversation. “Where’s my future brother-in-law, the sexy lawman?”

“Hey, just worry about your own hunky guy,” Mak laughed. “He’s really cute. Nothing like what I expected.” They both looked in Rob’s direction. “Ryler’s at work for a bit. He’ll be home later.”

The family members grabbed their bags from the conveyer and it looked like they were staying for a month with the amount of luggage. Makenzie was glad she drove a sport utility, but thought she might need a moving van for the luggage.

“Rob and I have to pick up the rental car. Is there room in your car to drop us or do we need to shuttle?”

“I’ve got room.”

Daisy let out a “brrrrrllll.” She was making her own introduction.

“Everybody, this is our new family addition, Daisy. She can’t get out until we get home, she’ll run off.”

“I never thought I’d see my sister with a dog,” Cessa quipped She peeked into the carrier to get a glimpse of the tiny fur ball.

“Sis, she’s adorable. I bet she’s a handful and then some,” Cessa said through her laugh.

“You have no idea. She’s tiny, but she’s mighty when it comes to disasters. Let’s just say she’s still in training mode.”

Makenzie let her sister and Rob out at the rental car center.

Makenzie: Mission accomplished,
on our way home. Love you more

Ryler: C, everything okay. I love you most, and I’ll show you more, don’t tease unless you can pay up

Makenzie: ha, glad the guest rooms are upstairs, I like to pay my debts early.

Ryler: hmm ready 2 collect, c u soon.

***

Makenzie and her mom were busy in the kitchen with a secret family recipe and Cessa and Rob were playing with Daisy in the living room while their Dad napped in the recliner.

“Mom, does Dad nap a lot these days?”

“He has for the past few weeks. I think he’s catching up on the sleep he lost while we thought you were dead or when you were in hiding. He paced the floors at night back then, didn’t sleep much.”

“I’m so sorry, Mom. I should’ve never married Drew. You said something wasn’t right about him.”

“Don’t revisit that time in your life, Mak. Ryler is wonderful, be blessed and move on.”

“I love him. He’s amazing, so patient, so understanding. He picks wildflowers for me, he even took me skydiving.”

“I heard about that. You’ll make a great family with him.”

Makenzie turned to her mom and got all serious. “Speaking of family, we’re hoping that we’ll start a family really soon.”

“Are you pregnant?”

“Oh, gosh. No, not yet. But we’re going to let nature take its course from here on out,” Makenzie blurted.

“Being so far away would be even harder when you have our grandchild. You’re dad and I’ve talked about that and discussed getting a place here. Would you be okay with that?”

“I’d love it, but Cessa might be upset.”

“She said Rob is looking to move. Do your best sales job and talk him into a practice here.”

“Oooh, that would be great! Consider it done.”

Ryler walked in with his arms full of flowers. He’d purchased roses for Mak, Katherine, and Cessa.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Dad chuckled as he got up from his lounging spot in the living room.

“Oh no, sir, one of the guys helped me out with a great pair of cigars for you.” They embraced and Makenzie looked on with such admiration for both of the men in her life.

“Congratulations, son. Welcome to the family!”

The next morning, Mak and Ryler enjoyed an early run before she went off to work. Working on a holiday was part of the routine for her over the last couple of years. It was much easier than the alternative of sitting home alone and missing her family.

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” Ryler said as she pulled on her scrubs.

“Come see me for lunch and stay for dinner?” she taunted him.

“Bad girl. We have guests, that wouldn’t be fair. But I will stop by and hopefully you’ll make it to my parents
’ by dinner.”

“You’re right, I’m just being greedy. I love you.”

***

Makenzie was well into her boring morning, shuffling paperwork in her office, when David called with the news that Metro was rolling with a full trauma code. She ran to the ER desk and listened to the radio traffic, trying to prepare the team for the patient’s arrival.

“Notify the blood bank and get a grief counselor down here for the family. Where’s radiology?”

“They’re on the way, Mak,” Veronica answered as she gathered gowns and gloves.

Metro unloaded the patient, an eighteen-year-old male hit by a car while training for a bicycle race.

“Mak, he was hit so hard, his bicycle was thrown almost sixty feet on impact,” the paramedic blurted out.

The ER team moved the patient from the ambulance stretcher via a spine-immobilizing board to the hospital gurney without missing a beat. Everyone in the room had their attention focused on the young man and the innocent life that rested in their hands. His body was badly battered, with so many cuts and bruises. He was completely unresponsive and bleeding from his nose and ears, the worst sign of all.

Time ticked away on the clock at an unfair pace. The room buzzed with proficiency. Even though everyone in that room gave their best and worked as a team, they were unable to save the young man’s life. Makenzie put her stethoscope around her neck, looked at the clock, and called the time of death.

With a deep breath, she bowed her head along with the others for a moment of silence. She said a prayer for the young man and his family, knowing that the loss would be an immeasurable devastation.

“Does anyone know if we have donor rights?” Makenzie asked the personnel in the room.

Mike, one of the paramedics, looked over at Mak, “Troop’s outside. He had his ID.”

“The parents are
in family waiting,” Veronica stated softly.

Makenzie left the room to inform the family. She stopped at the desk to grab some tissues and gather her thoughts. The state trooper was filling out his report. “Officer, did you find his donor request signed?”

“Yes ma’am, he’d signed it.” 

Makenzie walked into the family room and took a seat across from the parents. “I’m Dr. Holder,” she cleared her throat. “We did everything we could, but we just couldn’t get Aaron to come back to us. I’m so sorry.”

“Did my son suffer?”

“No, Mrs. Jackson, I don’t think he did. The impact was just too much for his body to handle, I’m so sorry.”

“Do you have children, Dr. Holder?”

“Hm, no, I don’t yet, Mr. Jackson. Was Aaron your only child?”

“He has a sister, Emily. She’s only twelve. How do I tell her Aaron isn’t coming home?”

“I can’t give you the words, but I’m sure the right ones will come to you. You could tell her how much he loved her and remind her of their best times.”

The parents took the news too well. Mak felt they were in shock. She informed him that Aaron was an organ donor and asked what their final wishes were for him. They discussed the pros and cons and decided to honor his unspoken final request, but it was sad that he never talked with them about it.

“It takes a very special person to give the gift of life. When you remember your son, remember him with the light in his beautiful blue eyes.” Makenzie patted Mrs. Jackson’s hand.

“You saw them. They were beautiful, weren’t they?” the mother cried.

“Yes,” Mak nodded. She left them with the grief counselor so that she could notify the surgery team on call and start the organ donor process. When she was done, she decided to take a walk to clear her mind and catch her breath.

She found herself hiding out at the smoker’s patio. She sat there staring out at the tree line, her heart hurting for the family’s loss, when she heard footsteps approaching from a distance.

“Didn’t take you for a smoker,” the male voice said behind her.

“Didn’t take you for a stalker.” She jumped up and ran to his arms, grateful for his timing. “You feel so good. Perfect timing as always, I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Veronica said you were out here. She told me that y’all had a trauma code.”

“Yes. I could have them every day and it would never get any easier.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I am, now that you’re here. Everything going okay with my family invading yours?”

“They’re great. We’re having a blast with Trey’s kids. Did you mention to your mom about us starting a family?”

“Hm, yes. You wished I’d waited?” Mak searched his eyes for disappointment, but she didn’t find any. His beautiful grin met his baby blues.

“No, not at all. They want to look for a house after the wedding. I gave her Cooper’s number. I can’t think of anything better than to have all of our family here. She said you have to sell the bill of goods to Cessa and Rob. By the way, he’s proposing to her sometime soon. Keep that to yourself.”

He kissed her with a deep and wanting taste of her mouth. She knew he strived to comfort her and make her happy.