“We’ve got baby duty. You all get kitchen duty,” Reagan announces.
I set my plate on the table, and scoop Beck out of his seat, while Reagan grabs Ben. Seth places Knox on his feet and he clasps Kendall’s hand as we head down the hall to get them cleaned up.
“You ready to head home?” Mark asks.
Ridge and Kendall are packing up the kids, and the twins are already upstairs napping. “Yeah—” I stop talking when my phone vibrates in my back pocket. I assume it’s my parents; they leave tomorrow for their cruise and Mom promised no less than five times she’d call me today. Pulling it out, I glance at the screen. It’s not a number I recognize, but the area code is from my hometown. Swiping at the screen, I place the phone to my ear. “Hello.”
“D-Dawn….” a female voice sobs.
“Destiny?” It sounds like her, but I’m not sure. It’s hard to determine from the sobs that are coming through the line. “Is that you? What’s wrong?” I fire off questions to my little sister.
“There was an accident.” Her voice cracks.
My heart falls to the pit of my stomach. “What kind of accident?” I manage to ask. I feel Mark’s arm slip around my waist, silently offering me comfort.
“I’m sorry,” she cries.
“Destiny,” I say, my voice stern. “Tell me what happened.” It’s been months since I’ve talked to her, and even then, she was so strung out I doubt that she remembers. She’s twenty-two. I’ve lost track of the number of times she’s been in rehab. It’s almost impossible to help those who are not willing to help themselves.
“They’re gone,” she says, her voice breaking.
My chest tightens. “Who’s gone?” I whisper the question when my gut tells me I already know.
This isn’t happening.
“Mom and Dad. I’m so sorry,” she says again, and the line goes dead. Nothing but silence greets me on the other end.
My hand falls to my side and I feel the phone slip from my grip, but I can’t move to stop it. My parents are gone. My sister dropped the news and hung up on me. I have to know. Frantic, I drop to my knees for my phone, but Mark stops me.
“Hey,” he says soothingly. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“I-I need my phone.”
“Here,” Kent says, appearing beside us. He bends to pick up my phone, offering it to me.
“Dawn.” Mark frames my face with his large calloused hands. “Talk to me.”
“I have to call the hospital.”
“Okay, we can do that, but you have to tell me what’s wrong.”
“M-My parents,” I choke out. “They’re gone.”
I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to look, causing Mark to drop his hands. I see Kendall. “That was Destiny,” I tell her. “She said that… that Mom and Dad are gone.”
“Oh, honey,” she says and pulls me into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”
“I-I don’t know what that means. I mean, I think I do, but she just hung up on me. She fucking hung up on me,” I say, louder this time. I smack my hand over my mouth as my eyes dart to the kids.
“It’s fine,” Kendall soothes. “What do you need?” Kendall asks. My best friend has always been there for me. She’s been there for many of the drama-filled situations with my little sister.
“Breathe,” Mark murmurs softly. His arm slides around my waist and he pulls me close, offering me comfort.
Doing as he says, I take a deep breath and slowly exhale. “I need to call the hospital. I need to know what’s going on.”
“Let me,” Kendall says, pulling her phone from her back pocket.
It makes sense for her to call. We worked there together right out of nursing school. Maybe there will be an old connection she can reach out to and find out what’s going on. I need to know what happened to my parents. I’m in no shape to call, but I need answers. With shaking hands, I hit the number that just called me, and it rings, and rings, and rings before going to voice mail. A generic message prompts me to leave a message, but I don’t bother. It’s hard to tell whose phone it is, and I can guarantee that Destiny’s not going to call me back regardless.
“I’ve got you,” Mark whispers in my ear. His hold on me is tight.
I hear Kendall talking, but I can’t focus on what she’s saying. I just keep hearing my sister’s voice telling me she’s sorry and that our parents are gone. Why is she sorry? What does that mean? What did she do this time?
Chapter Four
Mark
She’s shaking. I hold her close to my chest as her body trembles from the bomb that her sister just dropped on her. They’re not close, and from what she’s told me, it’s been that way since high school. I’ve never met her. I’ve never talked to her, but right now, I wish I had her number so I could call her and give her a piece of my mind. Who calls and delivers that kind of information and just hangs up?
“I’m right here,” I comfort her. I don’t know what she needs. Hell, I have no experience with this. I’ve never cared this much, never had a woman in my life longer than a few weeks. All I can do is hold her and be here for whatever she needs.
“Okay,” Kendall says, ending the call. “They didn’t tell me much. Just that there was an accident. Destiny was in the car with them, but she’s okay. They just released her.”
“M-My parents?” Dawn asks, and you can hear the pain in her voice.
Kendall grimaces. “I’m so sorry.” She steps forward and wraps her arms around both of us. No way am I letting her go right now.
“I have to go,” Dawn says through her tears.
Kendall steps back, and her eyes find mine. “I’ve got her.”
“I’ll drive,” Seth offers.
I’m ready to tell him that’s not necessary but the way Dawn’s clinging to me, it’s probably a good idea. I don’t want to let her go. Not right now. Not when she needs me most. “Thanks, man.”
“I’ll come too,” Kendall offers, looking at Ridge. He nods.
“You don’t have to,” Dawn says, but even I can hear that she wants her there.
“I want to.”
“Be safe. Call me when you get there.” Ridge leans in and kisses Kendall on the cheek.
“Leave the kids with us,” Tyler says. “Go with them.”
“No, that’s okay,” Kendall says. “I’d rather them be in their own beds. It’s only an hour and a half drive. We’ll be home tonight.”
“Okay, sweet girl, you call me if you need me,” he tells her.
“I’ll help Ridge with the littles,” Kent offers.
“Let’s go,” I whisper softly. Clinging to me, Dawn allows me to help her into her coat, and lead her out to Kendall’s SUV. Seth tells Kendall that he’ll drive, and she doesn’t argue, climbing into the passenger seat. Once we’re on the road, she turns to look at us in the back seat. Dawn is curled into my chest, and from the damp feel of my shirt, I know she’s still crying. Kendall gives me a sad smile, then turns back around.
By the time we make it to the hospital, my arm is stiff from holding her so tightly and my shirt is soaked, but my pixie has calmed down. Her last sniffle was almost ten minutes ago. I wish there was something that I could do to take her pain away. I can’t imagine losing one of my parents, let alone both of them. On top of that, I can’t imagine my sister and her family—her husband and their twins—not being in my life.
“Dawn, we’re here,” I say softly. I’m not sure if she’s sleeping. I know her breathing has evened out and her whimpers have stopped.
She sits up and blinks. “Okay,” she says, reaching for the door handle. I move across the seat and follow her out. I’m going to be stuck to her like glue.
“Mary told me for us to go to the Emergency Room,” Kendall says, appearing beside us. Seth walks along beside her; he too is giving her silent support.
“Okay.” Dawn’s broken reply comes out as barely a whisper.
One word. Okay. Softly spoken when we all know that she’s anything but okay. I kee
p my arm around her, letting her lean on me as we make our way to the ER. Kendall stops at the desk and lets them know that we’re here representing the Miller family. From the grim expression on the receptionist’s face, I know that the phone call is real. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was hoping that maybe this was just a stunt from her sister. Maybe a ploy to bring her home. A shitty one, but from what I know of her sister, that’s to be expected.
“This way. I’ll let the doctor know you’re here.” Seth and Kendall lead the way, following along behind the receptionist. “Have a seat. The doctor will be right in.”
“You want to sit?” I whisper to Dawn.
She doesn’t say anything as she clings to me. I decide we’ll stand like this and I can give her my strength. The strength to hold her up and hopefully the strength to get through this.
“Hello,” a short dark-haired man, who looks barely old enough to drive let alone be practicing medicine, says, entering the room. He quietly closes the door behind him. “I’m Doctor Travis. I was the one who worked on Tina and Don Miller. Are you family?” he asks.
“Yes,” Kendall replies.