The Broken Road (The Broken Series) (27 page)

“He
wanted to buy the plane ticket, but he said you wouldn’t accept it from him. He
asked me to lie… to tell you that I was getting the plane ticket, so you
wouldn’t know it was coming from him. I just wanted to help you get home, but Justin
made me promise that he’d get some time alone with you. He said you two had
some things to work out.”  

I
choked on bile as it burned its way up my throat. “I told Justin I never wanted
to see him again.”

Ann
sighed heavily. “Kri, he’s already purchased the ticket. He’s going to lose all
that money. You should still come.”

“Ann,
you have no idea what Justin has done to me. There’s no way I’m flying to
Montana on his dime. I won’t owe him. Justin is a lying, manipulative cheat. My
days of being manipulated are over. I won’t go down that road again.”

Ann
began sobbing. She spoke between deep, shuddering breaths. “I’m so sorry, Kri.
Please forgive me.”

I
bit back my own tears. “There’s nothing to forgive, Ann. You were just trying
to help. Justin manipulated you the same way he manipulates everyone else. You
did the right thing by telling me the truth.”

“So
you aren’t coming?” she asked dejectedly.

“No,
Ann. I’m not coming,” I admitted sadly. “Thank you for trying to help. I have
to go.” I tried not to cry as I ended the call.

Patrick
shot me a concerned look as I texted a quick message to Kadyn.
I’m heading
home. Please come by after work. I really need to see you.

I
shut down my computer, gathered up my things, and gave Patrick a quick hug.
“Thanks for trying to help, Patrick. You’re a good friend.”

I
held it together until I climbed into my jeep… the same jeep I’d driven to
Lexie’s house a million times. She used to live ninety minutes away.
Ninety
minutes
. If I were still living in Helena, I would have been there by now. But,
now? She was an entire continent away.

There
was no gradual succumbing to tears. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and
curled in on myself as they claimed me in huge overpowering waves.

*
* * * * *

Kadyn
beat me home. He was standing in front of my apartment door in his uniform
looking capable and strong. He turned toward me when he heard my heels. He
froze the moment he saw my face. “Kri?”

I
was immediately reduced to tears.

Kadyn
gathered me into his arms. “Kri, what’s going on?”

“It’s
my cousin, Lexie. She's in the hospital in Great Falls. There’s been some
complications with her transplanted kidney. She… she could die, and I can’t get
home.” I sobbed into his perfectly pressed shirt.

Kadyn
slipped the keys from my hand. He unlocked the door to my apartment and steered
me toward the couch. “Why can’t you go home? Did Ellen refuse to grant you
leave?” He walked to the bathroom to retrieve a box of tissues, then joined me
on the couch.

I
tugged a couple of tissues out of the box and swiped at my cheeks. “No. Ellen
gave me the time off. The plane ticket costs close to three thousand dollars. I
don’t have that kind of money, even with my credit cards.”

He
handed me a couple more tissues. “What about your parents?”

I
shook my head. “No. There’s no way they can afford an expense like that.” I buried
my face in the soggy tissues as I began sobbing all over again.

Kadyn
held me until my tears ran dry. “Hey,” he interjected softly. “I’m going to run
home so I can change clothes. Why don’t you slip into something more
comfortable, fix yourself a cup of tea, call the hospital, and check on your
cousin? I’ll order a pizza and bring it by in a little bit.”

I
shook my head. “I’m not hungry. I just want to go to bed.”

Kadyn
pulled me to my feet. “I think you should go lie down then. Do you mind if I take
your house key so I can come by to check on you and walk Cade later?”

“No,
not at all.” I handed him my keys as I walked him to the door. “Thanks, Kadyn.
Thanks for being here for me and for putting up with all the tears.”

He
pulled me in for a soft kiss. “There’s no place else I’d rather be. Go lie
down. I’ll be back to check on you in a little while.”

I
changed into my Eeyore pajamas before dragging a pillow and blanket to the
couch. Cade settled in next to me as I dialed Lexie’s husband, Nate.

“Hi,
Kri,” he answered tiredly.

I
closed my eyes as I braced myself for the worst. “How is she?” I asked
hesitantly.

“She’s
stable now. She just fell asleep.”

I
breathed a small sigh of relief before the questions came tumbling out. “What
are the doctors saying? Does she have to go on dialysis? Will she need another kidney
transplant?”

“It’s
too soon to tell how badly the kidney has been damaged,” he responded cautiously.

I
hated drilling him with questions when I knew he’d been fielding them all day.
I vowed this would be my last one. “Do you know how long she’ll be in the
hospital?”

“My
guess is a week, maybe longer. It depends on whether they need to place a
dialysis catheter in her. They’re trying to sort through her drug protocol
first. The nephrologist is adjusting her meds, so it’s going to take some time
to see how her kidney responds.”

I
sighed miserably. “Okay. I’m trying to get there, but I’m having a hard time
finding an affordable flight. I’ll keep trying, I promise. When Lexie wakes up,
tell her I love her. Tell her my kidney’s still got her name written all over
it. Make sure the nephrologist knows she has a potential donor.”

“Thanks,
Kri. I’ll let them both know.”

“Hang
in there, Nate. I know it’s difficult, but try to get some rest.”

“You
too, Kri.”

I
disconnected the call and immediately dialed my parents to see how they were
coming along with their drive to Great Falls.

My
mom answered on the first ring. “Hi, honey. Did you have any luck finding a
flight?”

I
fell back against the couch. “No. Maybe I should just drive back.”

My
mom gasped. “Kri! That would take days. You can’t make that kind of drive
alone. It’s too dangerous.”

“She’s
not driving!” my dad bellowed in the background. “Tell her she’s not allowed to
drive back here.”

I
couldn’t help it. I started laughing at my father’s stern tone. I was twenty-eight
years old, and he was still laying down the law.

“Promise
me you won’t, Kri... not unless you find someone who can help you with the
drive,” my mom interjected in a pleading tone.

“Mom,”
I groaned. “No one can take that kind of time off from work.” My confidence
crumbled as tears stole through my lashes. “What if she needs me? What if she
needs my kidney?”

My
mom’s voice grew firm. “Then I’ll get tested. She can have mine.”

“Oh,
God,” I sobbed. “Mom, you can’t go through that kind of surgery, not without me
there. I couldn’t bear it.”

My
mom sighed. That single breath revealed more than any words ever could. “We’ll
figure something out, Kri. Just… keep her in your prayers.”

I
reached for the box of tissues Kadyn had left sitting on the coffee table. “I
will. How far are you guys from Great Falls?”

“We're
about three hours away,” my mom responded. She sounded every bit as tired as I
felt.

I
sniffled loudly. “Be safe, okay? Hug her for me. Hug dad, too… and tell him to
hug you.”

My
mom laughed. “I will, Kri. I’ll call you when we get there.”

“I
love you, mom.”

“Love
you, too.”

I
set my cell phone on the table and fell back against the pillow. Cade whimpered
softly as he curled up next to my chest. I tugged the blanket over both our
heads and burst into tears.

*
* * * * *

I
woke four hours later. Kadyn was sitting in the chair across from me. He was
typing something into his phone. “Good. You’re awake,” he observed without
looking up.

The
blanket slid from my shoulders as I sat up. “How long have you been here?”

His
thumb hung suspended over the phone as he glanced up at me. “Two hours. I’ve
already walked Cade. There’s pizza in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”

I
shuffled into the kitchen to grab a piece of pizza and a glass of water. Cade
padded after me.

“How
soon can you be ready?” Kadyn called out from the living room.

“Ready
for what?” I mumbled around a mouthful of pizza. My head was still foggy from sleep.

“To
fly to Spokane.”

I
swallowed my food with some difficulty, then cleared my throat. “Spokane, Washington?”

“Yes.
I can get us on a military hop to Fairchild Air Force Base, but it leaves early
tomorrow morning. We’ll have to drive to Montana from there. Unfortunately,
there aren’t any hops into Malmstrom since it’s almost exclusively a missile
base.” Malmstrom was the Air Force base in Great Falls.

My
hand fell to the counter. I abandoned the pizza and slowly walked around the
breakfast bar while staring at Kadyn. “What is a military hop?”

Kadyn
shoved the phone in his pocket. “When you’re in the military, you can ride on
military aircraft scheduled for your destination. Typically it’s done on a
stand-by basis and only when there are extra seats available. Shawn pulled some
strings and got us both on a military flight to Fairchild Air Force Base in
Spokane. As best I can tell, Great Falls is five and half hours from Spokane. I’ve
already lined up a rental car.”

“What’s
the catch?” I asked nervously.

“Nothing.”

I
stilled. “What’s the cost?”

“Nothing.”

I
stared at him in complete shock.

Kadyn
rose to his feet. “Come on, let’s get you packed up.”

I
shifted nervously. “What about you?”

He
nodded toward a duffle bag by the door. “I’m already packed.”

My
eyes grew wide. “Just like that?”

A
smile crept across Kadyn’s face as he closed the distance between us. “Just like
that.”

I
threw my arms around him and burrowed into his chest. “Thank you, Kadyn. Thank
you so much!”

He
wrapped his arms around me. “You're welcome. I hope you don’t mind that I’m tagging
along. It was the only way I could get you on a military hop.”

I
looked up at him and smiled. “I'm thrilled you’re coming. I can’t wait for you
to meet Lexie, my parents, Kimme, Charlie, and Dan…” I pulled away as a new
thought struck me. “Oh, no. What do I do about Cade?”

Kadyn
chuckled. “I’ve already called the dog walker. She’s going to pick Cade up at
noon. She’ll keep him at her place until we get back.”

I
shook my head. “Is there anything you haven’t thought of?”

He
grinned. “Nope. I think we’re good to go.”

I
rolled up to my tiptoes and kissed him softly on the lips.

He
scooped me into his arms as he sought a more thorough kiss. I braced my elbows
on his shoulders as my feet dangled a few inches from the floor. My body slid
down his until my feet touched the floor. I groaned softly when I felt Kadyn
harden against me. My breasts pebbled against his chest, betraying me. His
tongue swept through my mouth in slow, seductive strokes. I lingered in the
kiss, my tongue coaxing and teasing him toward something more.

Kadyn
groaned as he pulled away. “You keep kissing me like that and we’ll never leave
this apartment.” He smiled as he swatted me on the bottom. “Let’s get you
packed.”

I
called my parents and Nate back while Kadyn helped me pack. He wandered back
into the living room when I called Kimme. I knew we wouldn’t have much time in
Helena, but it was on the way to Great Falls. I wanted to see Kimme, Dan, and
Charlie, even if it was only for a few minutes.

I
grabbed a piece of pizza and joined Kadyn on the couch when I ended the call. “What
time do we have to leave for the airport?”

Kadyn
raked his hand over his head. He suddenly looked tired. “Our flight leaves BWI
at seven, so we should leave for Baltimore in four hours.”

I
glanced at him nervously. “Would you mind staying here tonight? We’re both
tired, and four hours isn’t very long to sleep. I don’t want to risk sleeping
through my alarm. If you sleep here, we can each make sure the other one’s
awake in time to leave.”

Kadyn
nodded. “Sure. I’ll crash on the couch.”

I
shifted nervously. “Kadyn, I… I know this is a bit forward, but I was really
hoping you would sleep with me.”

Kadyn’s
eyes widened in surprise.

“Just
sleep,” I clarified. “Well… hold me and sleep.”

Kadyn
studied me. “That sounds difficult… but nice. I’ll give it a try. If it proves
too difficult, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

I
stood and pulled him from the couch, suddenly anxious to be back in his arms.
“I’ll behave. I promise.”