Merry Christmas, Paige (11 page)

A knock on the bedroom door stole his attention, but not before he saw Sylvia roll her eyes. He walked to the door and opened it.

From where Janis stood she had a straight shot to see Sylvia sitting on his bed. Her face reddened. “I’m sorry to bother you, but Cami is asking for you both.”

“Can’t you sing a song or read her a book? We’re busy here,” Sylvia barked.

“Um. Of course, I’m so sorry.” Janis started to back away.

“Tell her we’ll be in shortly.” He closed the door and raised a brow as he turned to Sylvia.

“What?” She shrugged, raising her palms upward. “She’ll be okay. Besides, it’s time for her to be asleep.”

He shook his head. “Then why did you get her up out of bed to take a boat ride on an unstable ocean in this weather?”

When would it dawn on Sylvia that it wasn’t all about her?

She looked at him, her expression softening. “To be with you. I love you.”

His laugh held no humor. Their conversation was leading nowhere. He cleared his throat. “Let me tell you how this is going down. Both of us will go upstairs to say good night to Cami. Then you’ll tell her that you’ve made a mistake and that you’re returning to New York tomorrow morning. You can stay in one of the guest bedrooms. In the morning we’ll have breakfast and you can watch Cami open the presents that you brought for her. When she’s finished, you’ll say your goodbyes and then you’ll get on the broom you came in on and leave.”

Sylvia’s jaw dropped.

Before she could respond, he continued. “This game is over. You can either help me make this easy on Cami or I swear I’ll take you to court and fight for full custody. And believe me, Sylvia, I will win.” He said the last three words with a confidence that made her mouth snap shut.

Both their families came from money. A court battle would be nasty and drawn out. His ace in the hole was that while he had been the doting father these past five years, Sylvia had not even attempted to cover her many indiscretions. He had a file of pictures and witnesses that he hadn’t used on the first custody go-round because he believed Cami needed both her mother and father.

“Our daughter isn’t a tool to be used at your beck and call. I won’t let you hurt her. Either way, I’m marrying Paige.”

“You fool.” Sylvia spat the words. She sprang from the bed. Her eyes burned with resentment. “I’m not the one hurting Cami, you are.” Anger reddened her face as she shook with fury. “If you think for a minute I’ll allow that woman in my home, around my daughter, you’re fucking crazy.”

“My home. My daughter too,” he said firmly.

He had never heard her growl, but the low, raspy sound bubbled up from her throat. She stomped by him and he grabbed her wrist. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

She jerked her hand, but he held fast. “To get my daughter. We’re out of here.”

“Uh, no. I have court papers that say she’s to be with me this holiday. Remember, it cost me a Ferrari.” The damn woman had sold her time with her daughter for a car. He had never been so disgusted in his life. “Lay a single finger on that child and I’ll have you arrested.” In fact, he relished seeing the woman in handcuffs and behind bars. It would only make his case stronger.

She swung her free hand, but he caught it inches from his cheek.

“Bastard,” she fumed. “Then you can explain to Cami why her mother isn’t here in the morning or for that matter why you forced me to leave tonight without saying goodbye.”

This time when she pulled away he let her go. Did her cruelty know no bounds? Would she really leave Cami without saying goodbye?

Before Sylvia made it to the door, she whipped around to face him. “Enjoy your life, Nathan, because I plan to make it a living hell.” She jerked open the door and slammed it behind her.

The silence was bittersweet. Sylvia was gone, but now he had to face Cami.

Eleven o’clock shined in neon orange from the clock on his nightstand. He couldn’t believe that it would soon be Christmas Eve and a shitty one at that. Maybe he should call Paige now. Let her know that he’d probably be late. Spearing his fingers through his hair, he knew he was avoiding the inevitable—facing Cami. He’d call Paige after he got Cami settled and asleep.

Each step felt leaden as he headed for the door. This was one confrontation he wasn’t looking forward to. He just had to remember that children were incredibly resilient. With the right guidance he and Paige could work through this with Cami.

Chapter Eleven

Sitting with her feet tucked beneath her on the couch, Paige wrung her hands together. She raised her troubled gaze for the umpteenth time from the television to the cable box that sat on the shelf above. Eleven forty-five. It had been almost two hours since she had left Nathan’s home. Each minute that slipped by added to her anxiety.

He isn’t coming back
, her subconscious cried.

“You’re being ridiculous.” Disgusted with her insecurity, she unfolded her legs and stood, tightening the sash around her waist. When she had arrived at the cottage she had stripped out of her wet clothes, opting for just the robe.

Outside the moon shone through the dark clouds, while the rain lightly fell. She knew this because she had opened the front door at least fifty times looking for Nathan.

“There are a number of things that could have detained him. Maybe the telephone lines are out.” She walked back to the couch where the telephone sat on the coffee table and picked up the receiver. Her heart sank at the dial tone blaring in her ear. Slowly she placed the receiver back in its cradle. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

Do you really think that speaking aloud will change the outcome?

“Stop it.” She stomped her bare foot like a child. “He wouldn’t do this to me again.” She shored her shoulders. Even as she listened to her reassuring words, she wondered if she was fooling herself. Cami would always come first in Nathan’s life. Paige didn’t begrudge the child. She just wanted the opportunity to share him and to become part of their lives. She loved children. All she needed was a chance.

Once again, she paced to the front door, opened it and peered out. No headlights. No Nathan. The clean scent of the falling rain didn’t soothe her like it usually did. Even the roar of the ocean went unnoticed.

Briiiing. Briiiing
.

Paige almost jumped out of her skin. Not to mention, tripped over her feet as she slammed the door and ran toward the telephone. Breathless with anticipation, she raised the receiver to her ear. “Nathan?”

“Ahhh. You did wait up. How charming, but stupid.” A sick sensation settled in the pit of Paige’s belly at the sound of Sylvia’s voice. “Honey, I’ll take another glass of wine.”

Oh my God. Paige clutched the receiver. Her heart stuttered. Was that Nathan’s voice in the background? It was definitely male.

“Mmmm.” The sexy moan Sylvia released made Paige’s breath freeze in her lungs.

This couldn’t be happening again.

Sylvia released a satisfied chuckle. “Like I said before, what Cami wants, Cami gets. Merry Christmas, Paige. I hope you enjoy your trip back home.”

“Come here, baby,” the man whispered. The creak of bedsprings was a blow to Paige’s midsection that bent her at the waist.

With a click the telephone went dead.

Paige blinked hard as the receiver slipped out of her hand and fell with a thud to the floor. One needed breath and then another, she gulped each down as if she was starving for air. She felt fragmented, dazed. Pain echoed through her soul.

How could he do this to her again?

She slapped a palm over her mouth. This was all her fault. Why hadn’t she listened to her mother? Why had she let him deceive her again?

Damn Nathan Cross to hell.

Damn the airplane that brought her to this wretched place.

Her hand fell to her side as she slowly rose, staring around the cottage where she and Nathan had loved and laughed. Lies. All lies. The bungalow was next on her list to curse when her sight fell upon the naupaka flower lying in two pieces on the table. How long had it been separated?

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. She felt dizzy, lightheaded, the air in her lungs seized.

Oh God. She couldn’t breathe.

Her hands flew to her throat as tears streamed down her face.
Calm down. Get a hold of yourself
. But shudders whipped through her, making her body jerk uncontrollably. The need to get out of the cottage, out of Kauai and get away from the memories that were crashing in on her all at once was overwhelming. Everywhere she looked she saw Nathan’s face. Felt his touch, his kiss.

Grasping a hold of the sliding glass doors, she pushed them wide and ran outside onto the balcony. Every gulp of oxygen stung her lungs, burned like she was swallowing fire. She moved from beneath the cover, and rain came down hard, stinging her skin, but she didn’t care. The physical and mental agony all blended together into one big mass of nothingness.

In a blinding frenzy she swung open the gate and started down the wrought-iron steps. Her foot slipped. She fell down two steps, grappling for the banister for support. When she finally touched ground, she didn’t stop running. Mud squished through her toes. Before she knew it, cold stone was beneath her feet. The angry ocean below called to her, and she fled in its direction.

The natural steps were slippery, but she didn’t care. Not until a loud thunderclap shook the very ground. Her heart stuttered as the rock beneath her feet shifted, throwing her off balance. A squeak of surprise, of terror, slipped from her trembling lips. She attempted to offset her weight, leaning the other way, but failed. Her arms flailed. Face first, she fell into the sticky mud.

Before she could rise, a loud rumble sounded. The roar grew louder and louder, like the earth would open up and swallow her, and then there was an eerie silence. As she fought to stand, the image of a volcano erupting popped into her mind.

Was there a volcano on Kauai? Oh God. She couldn’t remember. And if so, how close to the cottage?

The thought of spewing red-hot lava made her claw desperately at the gooey mud. If she could make it to the rock shelves, she could pull herself to safety. The now-soiled robe was hindering her movement. Her modesty was the least of her worries. She shrugged out of the wrap, laid it before her and crawled atop. It began to slip down the cliff, but not before her fingertips grasped the sharp edge of a rock. Using all her strength, she pulled herself onto the stone. Quickly and carefully, she stood.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived.

The ground moved again. This time the force was so great it pitched her several feet from safety. She barely had time to brace herself for impact before the rolling noise began once more. She looked up to see the hillside above her shift and the side give way. An avalanche of mud, rock, trees and debris barreled toward her.

Fear was like a living substance engulfing her. Her feet and hands clawed through the sludge, fighting to get to the steps before it was too late. Frantically, she grabbed for the stone, the tips of her fingers touching the cold rock, but the pull of the slick mud surrounding her swept her up in the flow, carrying her with incredible speed down the cliff.

Whether it was training or a survival instinct, she curled her body, throwing her arms over her head for protection. As she slid farther down the incline, the debris mixed in the sandy mire scraped and scratched her limbs. The thick substance sucked her deeper within its grasp.

The rollercoaster ride ended two-thirds of the way down the mountainside, leaving Paige trapped up to her chest with one arm pinned to her side. Her legs wouldn’t move. The pressure on her chest was suffocating. Nauseated and dizzy, she hung on the verge of unconsciousness. Maybe it was the most merciful thing that could happen to her, because the next wave of earth would bury her alive.

~ * ~

Nathan’s palm struck the steering wheel of his Lexus sedan as he pulled onto the highway. It had taken Cami longer to fall asleep than he had planned. She had been so upset. Her sobs broke his heart.

Looking through the fast-moving windshield wipers, he curled his fingers tightly around the wheel. “Damn this rain and damn you, Sylvia,” he snarled.

Cami had taken her mother’s disappearance hard. Even more devastating was that the bitch left without saying goodbye. It nearly killed him when his daughter had claimed her mother’s leaving was his fault. Maybe she was right, but he couldn’t let that woman back into his life. He just couldn’t, not even for Cami. He briefly squeezed his tired eyes closed, opening them as he approached a curve in the road. He jerked the wheel and tires squealed as the car skidded sideways around the turn.

“Fuck.” Anxiety knotted his stomach. “Pull it together.”

Nathan needed to talk to Paige in person, assure her that things were good between them, and then get back to Cami. Hopefully, Paige would understand. His place right now was with his child. If she woke up during the night and found him gone, it would crush her. He couldn’t do that to her.

An image of Paige’s crestfallen expression when he had tossed her the Hummer keys rose in his mind. Her expression had been one of disbelief and then pain. But he didn’t know what else to do. He hadn’t wanted her exposed to Sylvia any longer than necessary. The woman had a way of drawing blood with just a look.

Nathan glanced at the radio clock. “Sonofabitch.” It was almost midnight, minutes before Christmas Eve. So busy with Cami, he’d forgotten to call Paige. When he had, the telephone had been busy. Hopefully he hadn’t blown it. She had to be really upset to call her mother this late at night. He steered the car off the road and headed toward the cottage. Before he’d left the house he had tried once more to call her, only to receive no answer. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind he would owe Paige a shitload of apologies, if she would even accept them.

In the distance he could see the lights of the cottage. “Please God, let her be there.” If not, he had no choice but to follow her to the airport, because he wasn’t letting her go this time. As he turned in front of the bungalow, his anxiety rose. Braking, he jammed the car into park and was out of the vehicle in a flash. He wasted no time making his way to the front door and pushed it open.

Lights flashed from the television that played softly, but other than that there were no signs of Paige. He rushed into the bedroom and then the bathroom, but no Paige.

“This can’t be happening.” When he reentered the living room he noticed the glass doors of the veranda were wedged wide. As he headed for the balcony, he saw the naupaka flower lying on the table in two pieces and it drew him up short. Had she separated the flowers?

His throat tightened. “Paige.” He stared into the moonlit night. Was she standing in the dark thinking the worst?

Moving toward the balcony, he flipped the switch and light flooded the area. On a cursory look he didn’t see her, so he stepped outside.

No Paige.

The wrought-iron gate clanked, drawing his attention. Maybe she had gone down to the beach. Before he reached the stairs the deck creaked, and then it shook with a vengeance, throwing his weight to one side. He tensed, fighting to gain his footing, when a loud moan similar to a nail forced from a board slithered up his spine. In a heartbeat the sound turned into a deafening rumble. The floor quaked again and the awning swayed. It felt as if the whole damn house was coming apart at the seams.

“What the hell—” Acid churned in his stomach. “Paige!”

Without a second thought he started down the staircase. “Paige!” The iron steps were slick, and twice he almost lost his footing. Trepidation built with each hastened step. He had to find her.

As he touched ground, sandy mud oozed over his sandals. The sticky stuff tugged at his feet, slowing his pace, but he continued to wade through the mire, heading for the stone steps which led to the ocean and hopefully Paige.

Thankfully the moon bled through the clouds, lighting his way. He took one more step and then froze, the sight chilling him to the bone. Half the mountainside was torn away. Even the steps had been disturbed, some lying crooked, some gone. Yet more importantly no shadowy form stood upon the beach looking out at the angry ocean crashing against the shore.

Desperately, he scanned the cliffside. The majority of vegetation was uprooted, trees lying on their side or covered in thick mud. He looked farther down the mountainside. Something moving caught his eye, and the breath he held escaped in a single gush. He felt the blood drain from his face. Paige was buried chest deep in the mud.

“Paige!” His feet moved on their own down the unstable steps. He literally had to jump from one platform to the next, nearly losing his footing. With the instability of the ground he knew he had to get to her, now.

Then the rumbling started anew. The teeth-grinding sound grew louder and louder until it exploded with a deafening crack that shook the very ground he stood on. Nathan glanced in the direction of the cottage. In slow motion, the veranda swayed, creaked. The support beams beneath the roof broke in two as if they were toothpicks flicked away, and the roof collapsed with a powerful bang. As the debris fell, what was left of the mountainside below began to shift and move, a slow, viscous flow at first down the slope that gathered speed on its descent—straight for Paige.

She screamed. The terror in her raucous cry ripped through him. She must have seen him because she desperately waved one arm high in the air.

He had only seconds before the mire covered her completely.

“Paige! Hold on, baby, I’m coming.” Thankfully, she was close to the rock shelf that he made his way down, slipping several times. The threat of falling into the treacherous flow slowed his pace. If he joined her, he would be no help.

As close as he was able to get to her, Nathan fell to his hands and knees on the cold, hard rock and extended his hand. The sight of her familiar shape lost in the mud covering her was gut-wrenching. “Paige. Baby. Hold on.”

God. Please help him.

“Nathan.” Her scratchy voice was a whisper over the ocean and the noise from the mudslide.

Their fingertips touched. Her muddy hand slipped through his. He had to get closer. Get a better hold. He leaned dangerously forward and was about to circle his fingers around her wrist when the avalanche of mud struck. Within a heartbeat it swallowed her up.

He screamed her name, but the nightmare continued as the flow whisked her away from him. Her muffled cry was the last thing he heard, before she disappeared below the dark surface.