Your Kate
Allison folded the pages, slipped them back into the envelope, and put the letters away. She couldn’t imagine being as strong as Kate. Yes, she was facing her own crisis and trying to bear up under stress, but it was nothing compared to what Kate had gone through. This heartbreaking letter had been timely, a lesson in resignation and acceptance.
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Still musing over the letter, Allison climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to Brianna’s room. The family photograph sat in its place on the bookshelf. She picked it up and studied the image of the young girl, a cherished child, lavished with love and attention—a child whose world would all too soon be shattered by the loss of her mother.
Kate’s death would have had a deep effect on Brianna. But the girl had survived to grow up strong and resilient, like her mother. Allison had always thought of her as Burke’s daughter—stubborn, willful, possessive, and quick to defend her territory. But she was Kate’s child, too, loyal and loving, with a woman’s strength.
Maybe if she made an effort to see Brianna as Kate’s daughter, it would be easier to understand and deal with her, Allison thought. That might be worth remembering in the difficult days ahead. Maybe the shared secret of Brianna’s boyfriend would grow into a bond between them. Or maybe not. Maybe, in Brianna’s eyes, Allison would always be the wicked stepmother.
Allison replaced the photograph, closed the door, and made her way down the hall to the master bedroom. A long shower and an old pair of warm flannel pajamas helped relax her for bed, but she still felt restless. Before turning off the bedside lamp, she called the nurses’ station outside Burke’s room. The nurse who answered told her he was sleeping peacefully. Maybe, knowing that, she could do the same.
She turned off the lamp, punched her pillow into shape, and stretched out in the bed. The house was eerily quiet, every small settling sound making her nerves jump. She would have to get used to sleeping without Burke for the near future. A hospital bed and other equipment for his recovery was to be set up in the downstairs guest room, where he would stay until he was strong enough to climb stairs, which could take weeks, even months.
What would their relationship be by then? Would he even want her? Up until the night of the accident, their sex life had been wonderful. But the man in that hospital bed was a stranger behind a closed door. She no longer knew what to expect from him.
She was beginning to drift. Grateful for sleep, she let it pull her under like a riptide, deeper into the soothing dark.
Sometime later her cell phone rang. Startled awake, she turned on the lamp and grabbed the phone where she’d left it on the nightstand.
“Hello?” she mumbled.
“Allison, this is Garrett.”
“What is it?” She sat bolt upright, her heart pounding. “Is Burke—”
“Burke’s fine, as far as I know. But I just got a call from Brianna.”
“Is she all right?”
“She’s fine, except—”
“Except what?” Allison struggled to clear the sleep from her mind.
“Just this,” Garrett said. “She was calling from the police station. Evidently she’s been arrested.”
CHAPTER 8
“Arrested? For what?” Allison blinked her eyes into focus and glanced at the bedside clock. It was 2:25.
“The police stopped her because of a missing taillight,” Garrett said. “She had some alcohol on her breath, and because she was driving the company car, she had no proof that she hadn’t stolen it.”
“And she called you?”
“It wasn’t as if she could call her father.”
And she wouldn’t call me, Allison thought. “I’m assuming one of us needs to go and get her.”
“Brianna asked me to come,” Garrett said. “But it might not look so good, me showing up at this hour to pick up a girl. I mean, I’m not even family.” There was a moment of silence on the line, broken by a female giggle in the background.
Clearly he wasn’t alone, but she wasn’t about to mention it. “Fine,” she said. “I should probably be the one to do it. I’ll go and get her. But for now we won’t say anything to upset Burke. Agreed?”
“Of course. Thanks, Allison.” She could hear the giggle again as Garrett ended the call. The man hadn’t wasted any time since his separation from his wife. But that was none of her business. Right now her concern was dealing with Brianna and getting her safely home.
Dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt, and a light jacket, she grabbed her purse and headed for her car. A misting rain was falling outside. She turned on the wipers to clear the windshield as she drove. What was she going to say to her stepdaughter? Nineteen was a typical age for sowing wild oats; but to get into trouble while her father was in the hospital was crossing the line. Brianna needed a crash course in responsibility. But would she listen to the stepmother she viewed as an interloper?
The police station was on Maddux Street, west of the Landing. Allison pulled into an empty parking space, turned off the key, and took a deep breath. There was just one way—if any—that she might be able to reach Brianna. Tell her the truth.