Champagne Kisses (The Kisses 4)

"It's Daniel. He's not doing well. And he's asking for you. You need to come soon." I could practically hear the tears running down her face. She loved the old man. I felt the phone tremble in my hand.

"I'll be there in just a couple of minutes."

"Okay. Hurry," Emma said. I clicked off the phone and stared at it for a moment.

Dean took my hands in his. "I'll drive you. Let's go."

Chapter 27

Present Day

I pulled my hair up into a bun as Dean parked the car in front of the Saunders' mansion. Even from here I could tell something was wrong. The feeling of a string about to be cut vibrated out of the house. Dark shadows cast up onto the porch, the autumn morning sun still cold. I shivered and pulled a sweater up around my shoulders.

I stepped out of the car, making sure my shirt hung straight. I always carried a change of clothes in my car. In my line of work, you never knew when you would be stuck at the office overnight. Or sleeping at your boyfriend's place for the first time.

Emma hurried out to greet us. She ran barefoot across the wet grass, the hem on her pants growing darker with every step. She hugged her arms around her, keeping herself warm as well as from falling apart. Tear stains already streaked her face. She didn't even bat an eyelash at the fact that we had arrived together, instead grabbing my hand and hurrying me toward the house.

"What happened, Emma? Is he..." I asked. A lump in my throat had started forming the instant she had called, and it hadn't stopped growing. I didn't want to be late. I had to say goodbye.

"No, he's still here. He woke up early and started having trouble breathing. The oxygen wasn't helping anymore, and we got the doctor... he says it won't be long now." Emma choked on the last few words, her voice failing her.

I stopped in my tracks, pulling Emma in for a hug. She clung to me like a child, her bare feet cold on the wooden porch, her sobs shaking her body. I held her, my own heart numb. I had dreaded this day for months. If not for the cold wind making Emma's hair whip against my face, I would have thought it a bad dream. It didn't feel real.

Dean opened the main door, making it creak and shaking us out of our hug. A tension was floating through the house, like the calm before a storm; I knew we didn't have much time. We hurried into the house, Dean a solid presence behind us. I knew he wasn't close to Daniel, but the two women in his life were. Emma and I bounded up the main staircase, my fear of losing him before I got to say goodbye spurring me to go faster.

I slowed once I reached the door. Bianca was sitting on the floor outside his room. She looked as though a giant child had simply set her down after playing with her like a doll. Bianca's blonde hair was perfectly coiffed, her pantsuit pressed and neat, but her legs splayed out in front of her and her eyes stared, unseeing. Jack had her hand in his as he knelt beside her, whispering soft words to try and move her to a chair nearby. She just kept shaking her head and staring into space.

I swallowed against the tears that threatened to rise out of my chest. If I wasn't careful, it felt as though a sob would just explode out of me, so I kept it inside, feeling its claws rip me apart. Dean placed his hand on my shoulder. It was a small gesture, but just having him beside me was enough to give me strength. I didn't know what I would do if I didn't have him there. Emma hurried to Jack's side, taking Bianca's other hand and pulling gently. Between the two of them, they managed to get her into a high-backed chair next to the door.

The door was cracked open, and I peeked inside. Jack shook his head, warning me not to go inside yet. I could see Robbie kneeling by the head of his father's bed. Daniel's hand rested on his shoulder, a soft smile across his thin lips. Robbie's shoulders shook slightly, and Daniel motioned him to come closer. I watched as Daniel whispered something into Robbie's ear, Robbie's spine going stiff. From my vantage point, I could see Daniel smile, pulling his son toward him for a hug with weak arms.

Robbie leaned into his father for a moment, a sob shaking out of his chest, but then broke away and ran blindly for the door. I stepped aside before he could hit me on his way out, tears streaking his face. A mask of pain twisted his features as he hurried to a space down the hall. He wanted to run out the door, run away from the pain, but something held him firm to the hallway, so he paced it like a caged animal.

I watched him for a moment, wondering what Daniel could have said to make him react like that. My heart ached for the boy. There was so much pain today. I wanted to chase after him, to hold him in my arms like I did when he was small and tell him it was going to be all right. I knew that wasn't what he wanted right now, though, so I stayed by the door.

"Rachel," Daniel called weakly. I turned to see him smiling at me through the open door. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me firmly. Everyone in the hallway had already spoken with him, and I wanted a moment alone with the man I considered a father.

"Hi, Daniel," I said. My voice trembled on his name. He patted the bedspread beside him, his hand struggling at the simple motion. The room seemed immensely large as I crossed it, and Daniel, suddenly tiny in his huge bed. I sat down, taking his hand in both of mine.

"Rachel, you know I love you like a daughter? I've only ever wanted what was best for my children, and it seems I've failed all of them in some way. I'm hoping that I can change some of that." He stopped, a fit of coughing overtaking him. Death stalked the corners of the room. I waited until he regained his breath before speaking.

"You've never failed me, Daniel. You're the closest and best thing I've ever had to a father. I'm proud that you consider me one of your own," I said. A tear trickled down my cheek, and I wiped it away with the back of my hand.

Daniel gave me a weak smile. The light was fading from his eyes. They looked clouded and distant, as if the spark was fading. He looked at me, but he was seeing through me. "There should be love in your life. He's good for you, Rachel. I wish I could have seen it earlier, but the two of you complement one another. He is the shadow to your light. Neither one is complete without the other," he whispered.

"I don't understand." I shook my head and felt another tear escape. This one I didn't even bother wiping.

"You don't have to. Just an old man rambling on his deathbed." His eyes focused back on me. "I love you, Rachel, as I love all my children." His breath caught again, his lungs struggling for air, but his body was so weak the bed didn't even tremble with his effort. I held his hand, unable to do anything. When it stopped again, he squeezed my hand and smiled. "Will you send in my wife? She's been my constant for my entire life. Everyone deserves a love like ours. Something that will never end."

I nodded, sniffling back my tears. With shaking hands, I released his bony one, placing it gently on the white bedspread. I kissed his forehead, and one of my tears dripped off my cheek and onto his pillow. He closed his eyes and smiled up at me. His face was losing the lines of pain, paling as he came closer to finding relief.

I opened the door, leaning heavily against the door-frame. My mind was nothing but fog and tears. Bianca floated from the chair to the door, as if she had heard him calling. He smiled, his eyes growing bright for a moment as he saw her approach. She wiped her cheek with her hand and crawled up into the bed with him. He wrapped his thin arms around her, pulling her close to him and whispering into her ear. She nodded, and he smiled, stroking her hair for a moment.

Daniel

's children stood in the doorway. Jack held Emma close to him, his hand smoothing her hair as she cried quietly into his chest. Robbie leaned against the wall, his face now devoid of emotion. He stood there staring off into space, his breathing short and choppy. Dean stood off to the side and out of the way, but he put his hand on my shoulder. I reached up and grabbed it, drawing on his strength to get me through this. We all stood there, waiting.

Daniel's hands went still. His chest stopped moving. But Bianca never let him go.