She wouldn’t have been heartbroken.
“Maybe you should go,” Raina said gently. “She shouldn’t be getting upset.”
Elliott started to stand but Ridley grabbed his hand. “No, don’t leave. Please. Just stay and talk for a little while longer. I’ve been stuck in this bed for three days. I’d love to know how everyone is doing. How are your parents?”
“Worried about you. I filled them in on what happened. I think my mom was ready to storm the hospital because she thought you were in here alone.” He turned to Raina. “She didn’t realize you were back in town.”
He pointed to the cluster of flower arrangements that Raina had corralled next to the window. “Anyway, they sent flowers. It’s one of those. Nick sent flowers, too.”
“Hmm. Fat lot of good that does,” Raina muttered.
“Raina! Don’t start anything. Eli saved my life.”
Raina immediately looked chagrined. “I know and I’m so grateful he was there.” She looked at Eli. “If I was the touchy-feely type I would hug you for that. Thank you for saving my sister.”
Eli shrugged but Ridley could tell he was a little embarrassed at the praise. “In all honesty, Ridley saved herself. That was a brave thing you did. You carried it off like a pro, too.”
Ridley snorted. “You were the one who told me what to do. If I hadn’t talked to you on Sunday, I wouldn’t have thought of that on my own. I guess things really do happen for a reason, huh?”
A nurse came in the room then and Elliott moved back so she could get to Ridley’s side. She knew it was necessary but hated the constant poking and prodding. Ever since she’d woken up, it seemed like there was someone there taking her temperature and blood pressure every hour.
How the hell was she supposed to get strong enough to leave the hospital when she couldn’t get any sleep? She waited, impatiently, for the nurse to take the temperature bulb out of her mouth before she turned back to Eli.
“So, how’s everyone else?”
“We’re all fine. Mara and Matt came to the hospital afterward but you were in surgery so we told them to come back.”
Ridley sighed. “You’re really going to make me ask how he’s doing?”
Elliott looked down at his hands but didn’t say anything else. “I don’t know,” he said finally.
“Eli—”
“Honestly,” he added. “I haven’t talked to him since. None of us have. He won’t talk to us.”
They sat quietly for a few minutes. Raina shifted in her chair,picked up a magazine and held it up in front of her face.
“There’s no point pretending you can’t hear us, Raina. It doesn’t matter.”
Eli tried unsuccessfully to hide his smile. “Oh, before I leave. I have a present for you.” He reached in his jacket again and pulled out another photograph. He held it out to her. She leaned forward and then did a double take.
“Hey! That’s him. That’s the guy that was following me at the mall!”
Raina got up and leaned over so she could see the picture. “Are you sure? Who is this?” she asked Elliott.
“That is William Rainier-Ridley. Your father.”
Ridley gaped at him. “What?”
“It appears David wasn’t lying when he said he found your father. Unfortunately, David pretended to be you and blackmailed the guy out of about a hundred thousand before he went underground. That’s why he was following you. He was trying to figure out why his own daughter was blackmailing him.”
“This is too much.” Ridley lay back against the pillows and sighed.
“I know and you don’t have to do anything with this information if you don’t want to. I just wanted you to have the choice. There’s been enough secrets lately.”
Elliot stood and then tapped her on the nose. “By the way, if my idiot brother hasn’t told you, he loves you, Ridley. Now, get better so you can kick his ass personally.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
JACKSON HAD NEVER known how empty a house could seem despite being occupied by three people. The one thing he wanted to do was off limits—visit Ridley to see how she was doing. According to Eli, she’d been released from the hospital a week ago.
He’d called probably hundreds of times and she’d ignored every one. He was already in stalker territory. He had to keep his dignity if nothing else.
The house below seemed unnaturally quiet. The boys were starting to adjust to Ridley’s absence. He could hear it in the rare peal of laughter or the sound of commotion coming from the playroom. They were trying to be on their best behavior having sensed that Ridley’s “vacation” was especially trying for Jackson. He tried to put on a nonchalant face but as perceptive as they were, they could probably see right through it.
Pushing back from his desk he decided to call it quits for the day. He hadn’t gotten any work done anyway, so he might as well go down and spend some quality time with the boys. Since Ridley had come, he had seen a lot of positive changes in both boys but especially Jase. Normally quiet and introspective, Jase had said more in the last two weeks than he had in the prior two months. But ever since Ridley had left, Jase had barely said two words to him.
The sound of the doorbell stopped him in his tracks. He turned around and peered through the peephole. Shocked by what he saw, he immediately pulled the door open,
“What the… Eli? I thought you’d gone home?” The two brothers clasped hands and slapped each other on the back.