Ragan's Song (Fairfield Corners #2) (17 page)

Chapter 38

With his feet up on the porch railing, Adam strummed the guitar, working out the special melody in his head as he wrote the lyrics on the pad of paper. Marveling at the sight of the ocean, the beach, and his children building a sand castle in front of the cottage with Will and Colt, he was glad the kids had accepted the bodyguards as a part of their lives, at least for now. Adam hoped that life would settle into some form of normal once the press moved on to another story; the sensationalism of Ragan’s kidnapping and rescue wouldn’t last, and some else would garner their attention.

The screen door squeaked and Ragan’s arms wrapped around his neck, her chin resting on the back of his head.

“Did the music wake you? I’m sorry,” he apologized while stroking her affectionately.

“No, I was awake. I was just thinking about how you need to get that song written so Logan can sing it at our wedding reception.” She pulled the guitar out of his hands and leaned it against the house. Climbing onto his lap, she leaned back against him and sighed. One of his hands went to her stomach, rubbing the slight swelling of their child growing there.

“You still look tired. Why don’t I have one of the guys go pick up some dinner so you won’t have to cook tonight?”

“Sounds good to me. I’m always tired these days, but I think it’s to be expected. It’s the same as when I was pregnant with Skylar.” She turned in his lap to face him and kissed him long and hard. “I’m going to get a glass of water and go play in the sand with our kids.”

“I love the sound of that. Our kids. And I can’t wait to meet our next one.” She went back into the beach cottage and he returned to working on the song.

After finishing the verse he was working on, he stood and stretched, deciding family time took precedence over songwriting. A scream came from inside the house, followed by the sound of breaking glass. His heart thumped in his chest as he ran inside the house yelling Ragan’s name.

Running into the kitchen, he spotted the glass shattered on the floor, but didn’t see Ragan anywhere. He darted around the breakfast bar and found her sitting on the floor with her head on her knees. He picked her up and carried her into the living room, ignoring the small glass shards had cut into his feet. “Ragan, what is it?”

The screen door slammed shut. Will stood there, his gun drawn, scanning the room.

She looked up, her eyes haunted. “I need my phone. Where’s my phone?”

He handed her his instead. “What’s wrong?” Motioning to Will that he could stand down, he focused on Ragan as she dialed a number and looked up at him with an expression of fear on her face.

“Something’s wrong with Robbie. It’s bad…” her face paled when the call went to voicemail. Scrolling to another number, she waited for the call to connect. When Cassie answered, Ragan asked her to go down and check on Robbie. “I can feel him slipping away, please hurry.”

“Logan just pulled into the driveway. I’ll send him down. Don’t worry, Cassie, I’m sure he’s fine.”

Ragan shivered and grabbed her arms. “Hold on, Robbie,” she whispered, “help is coming.”

Adam frowned at how cold her skin felt and reached for the throw off the back of the couch to wrap it around her. After a few minutes he asked, “Do you know what happened to him? Is he hurt or sick?”

“I can’t tell. It’s got something to do with his leg…” she jumped when the phone in her hand rang. “I’m too scared to answer it.”

Adam took it from her. “Is he okay? What happened?”

“Adam, it’s bad. Robbie fell into the glass doors of the antique built-ins in the dining room at his parents’ place and cut himself up pretty good. He nicked his femoral artery. Logan had to use a tourniquet to slow the bleeding. If Ragan hadn’t called when she did, he might have died.”

“We’ll be there in a couple of hours.” He ended the call. “It’s bad. We need to get home as fast as possible. I’ll call the airport and have them get the jet ready.”

“Is he dead?”

“No, Baby, you saved him. I’ll explain once we get in the air; right now we need to get packed. Will, go get Colt and the kids; we’re leaving as soon possible.”

A short time later, they were on the jet waiting for takeoff. Adam finally had time to explain to Ragan what had happened to Robbie.

“He was drunk, wasn’t he?” she moaned. “I knew I shouldn’t have left him. Something’s been off with him ever since he came home.”

“Yes, he was.” He took her hand, gently raised it to his lips and kissed it, then squeezed it when she started to tremble. “How did you know? Was it a vision?”

“No. I’ve always known when something was seriously wrong with him. Probably a twin thing.”

Later that evening while Ragan sat in a chair next to Robbie’s hospital bed, she held his hand and waited for him to wake up. She frowned at the stitches holding the jagged cut on his face closed. The blanket hid the bandages wrapped around his leg.

“Just when my life is finally back on track, you go completely off the rails. I knew I shouldn’t have left,” she whispered as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

Robbie gripped her hand. Her heart finally seemed to settle back into its normal rhythm when she noticed his eyes were open. “Hey, little brother.”

“Hey, Sis,” he croaked. “What happened?”

“You were drinking and had an accident; you almost bled to death. What the hell, Robbie?”

He turned his face away from Ragan, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Whatever ‘it’ is almost killed you,” she said with a sob. “Do you know what it was like, feeling you slipping away?” She stood and stared out the window, tears silently running down her face. “It was awful. I thought I had lost you.” She wiped the tears away and turned to face him. “I was so freaked out that Adam thought I was going to lose the baby. I had to have a checkup before Adam would let me in here to see you.”

Ragan’s mention of Adam’s fears for their unborn child finally forced Robbie to see what his actions were doing to those around him. “God, I just want the hurt to go away,” he breathed.

“What hurt, Robbie?” she asked as she held his face in her hands.

“They’re dead, and it’s my fault,” he stammered.

“Who, Robbie?”

Unable to look Ragan in the eye, he took a deep breath to hold back the emotion and finally let the truth out. “Madison and our baby.”

Ragan crawled into the bed and pulled Robbie into her arms, rocking him as she would when Skylar needed to sleep. “I’m here Robbie. I’ll share your pain. Let it go…”

Ragan listened as Robbie poured out his grief, and with some prompting, he told her the whole story. He explained about getting married in Las Vegas after he and his girlfriend, Madison, had discovered that she was pregnant. Deciding to come home to announce their marriage and the baby, they had been so happy.

But when it came time to leave, he’d sent Madison to the airport without him so he could finalize a deal and catch a later flight. Tears streaked her face when he shared how the police had shown up at his door, destroying his whole world. For eighteen months he had held in his anguish before convincing Ragan to meet him at their parents’ place.

Chapter 39

Three days later Ragan drove into the pub’s parking lot with Robbie in the passenger seat. “Are you sure you’re up for this, Robbie? You’ve only been out of the hospital for a day.”

“I’m sure, Ragan. There’s no way I would miss this party. You and Adam deserve it. Everyone knows about my drinking problem, so I’m sure no one will be offering me anything other than soda. Besides, I’m leaving for rehab tomorrow and I know you don’t want to wait twelve weeks to have your wedding reception.”

“Promise me you’ll tell me if it gets to be too much for you. This is just a small party and everyone would understand if we have to cut it short,” she insisted. She walked around the car and pulled his crutches out of the back seat. “Let’s go. I’m sure Adam is wondering where we are.”

Robbie pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. “Love you, Sis.”

“Love you too, little brother.”

Neither one of them saw Cassie sneaking back into the pub, a huge smile on her face at the moment she had just captured with the camera on her phone.

Ragan opened the door and let Robbie make his way through first. Inside, she gasped at the beautiful surprise that awaited her. Hundreds of twinkle lights had been strung around the pub, giving the appearance of a starry night sky. “Oh my,” she breathed as she surveyed the room. Everyone she loved had gathered together to celebrate her marriage to Adam. Her eyes glistening with tears, “Damn, pregnancy hormones,” she muttered with a sniffle.

Streamers and banners hung everywhere. She was preoccupied with admiring the decorations when Adam walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Hey, Baby; you ready to get this party started?”

She pulled him around to kiss him. “Does that answer your question?” She blushed when everyone clapped.

Motioning to Logan, who was standing up on the stage, Adam indicated that it was time for
Ragan’s Song
; the song that Adam had finally composed.

Logan picked up his guitar and stepped to the microphone. “Hey everyone, can I have your attention, please?” He tuned a few strings and continued, “A little over three years ago, my cousin, Adam, came to Fairfield Corners when I ended up in the hospital.” Logan looked at Cassie, blowing her a kiss. “He met a girl who knocked him for a loop, and that wasn’t easy to do. You all know about Adam’s other life as a famous singer, but he found Fairfield Corners a place to call home. For years, Adam heard this tune in his dreams, but was unable to put it down on paper until he finally married Ragan. So, here it is, the world premiere of
Ragan’s Song
. It’s fitting, because this is their first dance as husband and wife.” He strummed the opening chords and said, “Congrats cousin,” and then he began to sing:

Our destinies started so far apart

Fate drew us ever closer together

You are my heart, my soul, my life

The melody in my heart as light as a feather

The melody of our love

Flowing through this song

My heart is on the line

Where we both belong

You destroyed our lives without a second thought

How could I tell you I love you

When you disappeared without a trace?

My world was grey, so lonely and blue

The melody of our love

Flowing through this song

My heart is on the line

Where we both belong

The days without you hardened my heart

Living through the pain and sorrow

Taking it day by day as my heart learned to beat again

Thoughts of you getting me through to tomorrow

The melody of our love

Flowing through this song

My heart is on the line

Where we both belong

Now you’re back, with a crash of metal and cold

Reminding my heart why I was so broken and lost

I fought the feelings not wanting to lose you again

But our love won out, love no matter what the cost

The melody of our love

Flowing through this song

My heart is on the line

Where we both belong

Adam and Ragan swayed, barely moving as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“When did you have time to finish it?” Ragan asked, her head tucked under his chin and her hand wrapped in his, over his heart.

“While you were with Robbie at the hospital. Logan just started practicing it with the band this morning.”

“It’s perfect. The melody is just how I remember it from my vision. I am so glad that was the vision that came true. I love you, Adam.”

Two hours later, Ragan walked out of the ladies’ room and spotted Adam in front of the office, talking to another blonde. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Ragan heading their way with a frown on her face. The woman threw her arms around Adam’s neck and kissed him passionately.

Ragan stormed over and seized the woman by the wrist, pulling her away from Adam.

“Let go of me you crazy bitch,” Krista yelled as she tried to pry Ragan’s fingers off of her.

“I’m not the crazy one here, Krista. Adam chose me. You don’t get to come in here and do this today, of all days.”

Adam leaned back against the wall and watched his wife defend what was hers with a smirk on his face and his arms lying across his chest.

“You will leave and never set foot in this pub again. Better yet, why don’t you just leave town? No one wants you here.” Ragan took Adam’s hand and led him down the hall while calling over her shoulder, “Hey, Logan! Will you please help Krista find her way outside?”

“No problem, Ragan. Come on Krista, fly your broom back to LA where you belong.” He forced her towards the door as she muttered obscenities about him, Adam, Ragan, and Fairfield Corners.

Adam followed Ragan back to the main room of the pub, wondering if Ragan’s anger was going to be directed at him next.

Ragan stopped and turned to face him, “I want you to tell me if she ever contacts you again, so I can really let her have it.” She inhaled a long, deep breath to calm her racing heart and smiled when the band started to play the cover of
God Gave Me You
. Settling into Adam’s arms for a dance, she said, “My heart is yours, forever. Here, where we both belong.”