The Teacher (29 page)

“My clients, Mr. Lewis,
demand and deserve the best of me whether I get a bonus added to my paycheck or
suffer a pay cut in the middle of the year. The children in my class will grow
up to be the next CEO, stockholder or international celebrity that your firm
will represent.”

The table was silent, all
eyes on her and suddenly she felt the need to escape.

“Please excuse me,” she said,
getting up from table. Stepping outside of the dining room—a safe distance from
anyone’s view—Emma paused raising her hand that held her clutch to her
forehead.

She couldn’t believe what
just happened. She couldn’t believe those words came out of her mouth. Not only
had she embarrassed herself, but probably Marcus too. Why had she let Bill get
to her?

Now this whole night was
ruined. She was surprised they hadn’t laughed her out of the room.

That’s what they were
probably doing now, though, Bill and his shiny red nose. The mark of loser,
Marcus had called it. He wasn’t the loser, she was. At least, they made her
feel like she was. They all worked with millionaire clients, drove luxury cars
and lived in perfect, gigantic houses. How did she ever think she could fit
into Marcus’s life as anything other than Brayden’s teacher?

Especially now, leaving him
in there to suffer the embarrassment of her outburst alone. She should have
bitten her tongue, for his sake, but it was too late, she’d just confirmed his
mother’s appraisal of her—unfit for a man like Marcus.

She stepped back toward the
dining room listening for their hysterical laughter, but there was none. Maybe
it was safe for her to return. Maybe her outburst hadn’t made as much of an
impression as she’d thought. Then Mrs. Lewis’s voice piped up.

“Well, Marcus,” she huffed.
“It’s a good thing you and Brayden are moving back here. You won’t find any
ill-mannered flighty teachers like that at St. Mary’s.”

Emma froze—not because of the
insult, she’d expected that—she was shocked that Marcus and Brayden were moving
back to Seattle. When did this happen? Why hadn’t he told her? Why had…

Her clutch vibrated. Emma
nearly jumped out of her skin from the sudden shaking. She pulled out her
phone.

“Hello,” she answered in a
hushed tone, slinking away from the dining room.

“Emma, it’s Finn. Thank God
I got a hold of you. Something’s happened.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Audrey, she’s been in
an accident.”

“Oh God, Finn. Is she okay?”

“I don’t know yet. Emma…”

“Yeah?”

“I think she’d been
drinking.”

*     *     *

“She didn’t make a very
compelling argument, did she?” Uncle Bill belted out and chuckled at the scene
he’d created, while the other guests laughed politely.

Marcus had had enough.

“Yes she did,” he said,
throwing his napkin down on the table.

“Honestly, Marcus,” his
mother chided. “Can’t we forget all of this unpleasantness and get on with our
evening.” Turning back to her guests, she smiled. “Maricella has the most
decadent chocolate torte with a raspberry drizzle prepared for dessert
tonight.” She clapped her hands together and smiled trying to change the mood
in the room.

“Honestly Mother,” Marcus
replied. “No. We can’t just forget this. You’ve been rude to Emma since you
arrived home. She has made an incredible difference in my life and Brayden’s.
And since we’re on the subject of your grandson I thought you should know that
I’ll be attending therapy with him this week.” A look of horror flashed in his
mother’s eyes as he publicly aired this information. “That’s right. Brayden’s
been in counseling since April. He’s being treated for Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder. And in case you all haven’t heard,” he paused, scanning their faces.
“Vanessa is dead. She suffered a heart attack from an overdose of drugs a few
weeks ago. The police found her in an abandoned house and she’s buried at the
cemetery next to the church. In case any of you wanted to pay your respects or
offer condolences to the Grimes.” He looked right at his mother when he said
this and she looked shamefully away. “And Dad, I
honestly
have no desire
to return to Seattle. Portland is my home and its Brayden’s home. So, you can
drop any other schemes to get me here. I’m happy where I am. And as for Ms.
Hewitt she makes a far bigger difference in this world than any of you.”

He pushed back in his chair,
grating the wood legs across the floor and rose, leaving the company behind. He
wanted to find Emma, to whisk her away from here and tell her how important she
was to him and how much he loved and admired her. These were things he’d given
up on ever finding, but with her all things seemed possible. First, he had to
check on Brayden.

Upstairs Brayden was asleep
on the couch with the babysitter, Melony, who sat at the end by his feet.
Marcus scooped his son up and carried him to the bedroom, covering him with a
blanket.

“I’m going to head out for a
few more hours, can you stay?” he asked Melony and she nodded.

“Thanks,” he said, reaching
for his wallet and pulling out a couple of fresh bills. Melony took them and
stuffed them into her pocket. Turning on his heel, Marcus trotted down the
stairs in search of Emma.

He knocked gently on her
half-opened bedroom door. There was no answer, but he could hear movement
inside. He pushed the door and saw her carelessly tossing clothes into a
suitcase on the bed. Her back was to him.

“Hey, what’s going on?” he
asked gently, not wanting to startle her.

She turned and he saw her
puffy red-rimmed eyes. “I have to go,” she said in an almost whisper and pushed
past him, disappearing into the master bathroom.

“You don’t have to leave.
I’m sorry about my Uncle Bill. He was way out of line up there. Please don’t
go, not like this,” he pleaded with her as she returned with an armful of
clothes.

“I have to,” she said, not
turning around to look at him. She threw her clothes like fastballs into the
suitcase.

He reached for her elbow,
stopping her and she turned to face him, “Emma please.”

“No, I have to go.” Her face
crumpled and tears began to fall. “I have to go home,” she choked on the words.
“It’s my sister. She’s been in an accident and I have to go. She’s in the
hospital.”

He pulled her close and
stroked her hair. “I’m so sorry. How can I help? What can I do?”

“Nothing,” she said into his
shirt and then pulled back. “I have to finish packing.” She turned back to the
suitcases.

“Don’t worry about it. Take
what you need and I’ll have Maricella pack up the rest for you and ship it out
first thing Monday morning.”

Emma nodded and zipped up
the smaller of the two suitcases.

“Have you checked with the
airport, do you want me to call and check on a flight for you?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I
already did, the last flight out is in less than an hour and it’s booked.”

“Then, I’ll drive you. Let
me get my car and I can have you there in a few hours.” He turned and was about
to run out the door.

“You can’t just leave. What
about your mother’s dinner party and Brayden? You can’t just leave Brayden. Oh
God,” she gasped. “Neither can I. I don’t want to upset him by disappearing
like this.” Her eyes were wide and Marcus felt his heart swell with love for
her again, thinking of his son in her time of crisis. That’s what he loved
about her, the way she thought about other people. He stepped in and took her
hands.

“Don’t worry about Brayden,
he’ll be fine. Now, let me drive you.”

“No, it’s okay. I called
Seth. He’s on his way over. He should be here any minute.” She glanced at the
clock next to her bed. Marcus couldn’t help but feel deterred that she’d called
her roommate for help before asking him. He wanted to be the one comforting her
and holding her hand tonight, the thought of someone else in that place made
him feel crazy inside. There was so much he wanted to say to her. He wanted her
to know how she’d changed his life. He couldn’t let her go without telling her
something.

He looked into her eyes and
then pulled her close pressing his lips to hers. Her lips were parted and he
felt her give into him. It was the deepest most meaningful and hungry kiss he’d
ever experienced. When Emma stepped back, she was breathless and her eyes
searched his.

Neither one of them heard Luke
enter the room.

“Emma there’s someone here
to see you,” he said from the doorway.

“I have to go,” she
whispered and grabbed her suitcase.

Marcus stood motionless,
pressing his lips together. He couldn’t turn around. He couldn’t watch her
leave.

“I’m taking Kimmy home,”
Luke said, keys jingling in his hand. “Do you want to ride along and get a
beer?”

“Yeah, I think I do.”

Chapter Thirty-four

The three-hour drive down
I-5 from Seattle to Portland was quiet. The dark night stretched out in front
of them, only the glow of the lights from the eighteen-wheelers kept them
company. Seth drove with one hand on the wheel and the other clasped over her
hand. Emma wiped the tears that relentlessly escaped with a tissue. They didn’t
talk. Emma was wrapped in concern for her sister and haunted by the kiss that
left her breathless.

“I’ll drop you at the
front,” Seth said as they neared the hospital. “I’ll park and then come find
you.”

“You don’t have to. Go home.
I’ll call you in the morning,” Emma told him.

“Absolutely not.” He stopped
at the front door. “I’m here for you kiddo.” He pulled her hand to his lips and
kissed it. She smiled.
Seth,
what was she going to do without him? Who’s
shoulder would she cry on or lean on when she needed help? Her envy of Kelly
seeped in again as she stepped from the car.

The midnight air was cool as
she walked under the bright light of the hospital’s entrance and into the
serene setting of the main floor. She walked past a pool of water with a
cascading waterfall and stepped into a waiting elevator. At the third floor,
she got off and walked the length of the hall, passing three waiting areas
before finding Finn.

Her brother-in-law was
slouched in a waiting room chair. His chin hung down to his chest, his dark
curls tumbled forward. Emma thought he might be sleeping and sat down quietly
in the turquoise and mauve upholstered chair. His head shot up and she saw that
he hadn’t been sleeping, but crying. He wiped at the tears and drew in a
breath. He looked broken.

“How is she?” Emma asked.

“The doc says she’s fine.
Her shoulder was dislocated from the seatbelt and they fixed it, but no major
injuries. Just a lot of bumps and bruises, I guess.” He folded his arms over
his chest, “Thank God.”  (
Tank gawd.)

“Do you know how much she
had to drink?” Emma’s voice quivered, she still couldn’t imagine Audrey getting
behind the wheel of her car intoxicated.

He shook his head. “The
police were here. There was alcohol in her system, but it was below the legal
limit. She’ll still be charged with reckless driving.”

Even though this was good news,
Emma was still shocked. How could this happen to Audrey? Her perfect and flawless
sister.

“Did she tell you what
happened?”

He shook his head again,
inhaling. Using the back of his hand, he wiped at his nose. “Nah, she won’t see
me.” He dropped his gaze to his lap. “She told the nurses not to let me back
there. Oh Emma, this is my fault. We were having such a row. I yelled at her
and then she just took off.” He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows
on the knees of his worn jeans. Emma could see his body shake as he dropped
more tears.

“Hey,” Emma said, trying to
console him. “She’s going to be okay.”

“I know,” he said, sitting
straighter. “I know, but I could’ve lost her today. I can’t bear to think how
this could’ve turned out differently. She’s my life, ya know. She’s my
everything and I could’ve lost her.”

Emma wrapped her arms around
Finn and they held each other. “Do you think she’ll see me?”

“I hope so,” Finn replied.
“She’s in room three, twenty-five. Tell her I love her.”

“Of course,” Emma said,
standing and smoothing the skirt of her dress. She walked down the hall and
stopped at her sister’s door. Through the small rectangle window, she could see
a nurse writing on a clipboard. The nurse turned and pulled the door open. She
looked at Emma and then back at Audrey, who had turned to face the dark window.

“I’m her sister,” Emma
whispered and the nurse let her pass.

Audrey turned when she heard
footsteps, but didn’t look at her. Her sister’s hair pooled on the paper
pillowcase of the hospital bed, a patch of gauze covered her forehead, and an IV
tube was stuck in her arm. Her other arm was fastened in a sling and her face
was puffy and bruised.

“What are you doing here?”
Audrey asked, her voice dry and hoarse.

“I couldn’t wait to get my
new cashmere scarf,” Emma said, trying to be lighthearted, but it didn’t work.
Audrey said nothing. Emma stepped closer to the side of the bed. “You know I
saw this hunk of an Irishman out in the waiting room. He asked me to find him a
hot date for tonight. You in?”

Audrey closed her eyes.
“Don’t Emma.”

“Don’t what?” she asked, gripping
the cold metal railing of the bed.

“Don’t let him in here.”

“Why won’t you see him, Aud?
He’s beside himself out there, blaming himself and aching to see you.”

“I can’t,” she said, shaking
her head. “I can’t let him see me like this. He doesn’t deserve this, any of
this.”

“Any of what Audrey? What’s
really going on? You haven’t been yourself for months now. What’s up with the
drinking?” Emma walked around to the other side of the bed and pulled up a
chair.

“It just got too hard,” Audrey’s voice shook in a whisper.
“What was hard?”

“Being at home all day with
the girls. Being alone, feeling tired and empty. I started drinking just to get
through the day. I never have more than one drink while I’m alone with the
girls, but without it I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t stand being home all
day with them. I’m an awful mother. I’m an awful wife. They deserve better than
this.”

Tears fell from Audrey’s eyes.
Emma reached for her sister’s hand. “Audrey if you were that miserable why
didn’t you just go back to work?”

Her sister turned her head
on her pillow. “I couldn’t. I didn’t quit Emma, I was laid off. My position was
eliminated while I was on maternity leave. The job market is so competitive now
I couldn’t find another firm to take me. We thought we could make it work, at
least for a while, but each month we came up short.

“I worked my ass off in
school to become an accountant and to be able to afford our house and cars and
send our girls to private school. I was used to going shopping and buying
whatever I wanted. I couldn’t stand it that it was slipping away from me, so I
started having a glass of wine at lunch and dinner just to take the edge off
the reality. We’re going to file for bankruptcy. We’re going to lose the
house.”

“Hey,” Emma said, reaching
for Audrey’s hand. Her sister squeezed her eyes shut, but that didn’t stop the
fresh stream of tears.

“Finn is going to hate me
for all of this. He left the finances to me, being the accountant and all, he
trusted me. I knew we couldn’t pay our bills and I still went out shopping.
That’s what we were fighting about today. I’d gone shopping and he found the
credit card bills and the foreclosure notice on the house. I’ve ruined
everything. We’ve lost everything.”

Emma squeezed her sister’s
hand.

“No, you haven’t.” Emma stood
next to her sister. “You have everything. A devoted, loving and committed
husband waiting out there, who gave up his family and his country to be with
you. And you two have the most amazing little girls that admire their mother.
You, Audrey, have more love surrounding you than most people can ever imagine.
You are their world and don’t forget that.”

Emma reached down for her
sister and they hugged each other tight. “You are so lucky,” she whispered into
Audrey’s ear.

“I know,” she whispered
back. They both pulled away, wiping at their tears and Emma plucked two tissues
from the box beside the bed handing one to Audrey.

“What’s with the dress? You
didn’t put that on just to come see me, did you?” Audrey asked when her eyes
were dry.

“I was at a dinner party
when Finn called,” Emma said, sitting back down in the chair and dropping her
hands on her lap.

“I’m sorry if you left early
on my account,” Audrey said weakly.

“Don’t worry about it, I’d
already made my grand exit,” Emma told her sister, rolling her eyes.

Audrey looked at her
puzzled.

“I’ll tell you about it
another time.” She smiled and squeezed her sister’s hand. “Right now, I’d like
to go kiss my nieces. And I think there is someone out there, blaming himself
and feeling as wretched as someone in here.” Emma nodded her head to the door
where Finn stood, peering through the small window on the door. His eyes were
dark and shadowed. He forced a smile as more tears slid down his cheeks. “What
do you say? You ready to see that gorgeous Irish hottie I was telling you
about?”

Audrey nodded. Emma squeezed
her hand and kissed her sister’s cheek before walking to the door. Without a word,
Emma opened it and smiled at Finn. He walked inside. From outside the door she
watched through the window as her sister reached for her husband and he buried
his head in the pillow next to hers. She could tell they both were crying. Finn
pulled back and kissed Audrey on the forehead, the nose and her lips. He held
her hand and kissed it.

From Audrey’s lips Emma
could read the words, “I love you too.” She raised her hand to her mouth and
sucked in a trembling breath. A hand slipped around her waist and she rested
her head on Seth’s shoulder. She’d just witnessed the depth of love in that
tiny hospital room. They would heal—their love and the love of their family
would see them through.

“Let’s go,” Seth said,
leading Emma from the hospital room.