Fly Like You've Never Been Grounded (Summer Lake, #4) (30 page)

Once they got back to the suite, Laura couldn't hold it in any longer. The tears started to fall in earnest. Michael wrapped his arms around her. “It'll be okay, darl'.”

She shook her head. “You don't know him, Michael. He feels like I don't trust him. He won't come back from that.”

“He will. I can promise you that. I've watched the two of you together. It might take him a while, but he won't be able to stay away forever.”

She wiped both hands across her face, not caring that she was spreading tears and mascara stains everywhere. “What makes you so sure?”

“I've been where he is. As much pain as he's in right now, feeling you don't trust him, it's nothing compared to the pain that'll come once he starts thinking about a future without you in it.”

She shook her head. “I don't want him to be in any pain at all, Michael. He's known too much already.”

“Give him time, darl'. It'll work itself out. Do you want me to stay or go? Want me to send one of the girls up?”

“No. Thank you. You go, you'll be missed. And please don't send anyone, don't say anything. Let them enjoy their night.”

“Are you sure?” He raised his eyebrows. “You know you're setting me up for more grief from Miss when she finds out I didn't tell her.”

Laura smiled. He really was a good guy, trying to make her smile even now. “You can handle it. Do me a favor though? Don't let Leanne come back up here. She truly meant well, but I don't want to talk to her right now.”

Michael frowned. “Yeah. She explained to me while you went after him.”

“Don't look like that, Michael. She really did mean well.”

“I know. I just hate how it turned out for you. She should have stayed out of your business, no matter what she thought she was doing.”

Laura shrugged. “It's done now.” She went to the door and opened it, needing for him to leave—needing to call to Smoke, and needing to lie down and cry on the bed where only hours before Smoke had been loving her.

Once she'd closed the door behind Michael, she dug her phone out of her purse. She dialed Smoke's number and listened to it ring. The tears started again when she heard his voice. It was his voicemail, but at least it was the sound of his voice, and his familiar message.

“This is Smoke. You know what to do.”

“I'm going to keep calling, Smoke. So you may as well pick up.”

She hit the end call button and stared at her phone, hoping against hope that he would call her back. After a few minutes she tried again. This time it went straight to voicemail. He must have switched it off.

“I'm not giving up, you big Neanderthal. I'm going to keep calling until you talk to me.”

She hung up again and went to check the mini bar. Fresh tears came when she saw the Hamilton Groves logo on some of the bottles. She decided on a miniature bottle of whiskey. What had Ben said? Whiskey was for when serious stuff hit the fan. This was pretty serious stuff. It shouldn't be. It wouldn't be if Smoke would listen to her, let her explain, but he refused to. He was running scared and hurt. She took her drink through to the bedroom. Seeing the rumpled sheets, she wondered how they could have come to this after being so happy together just a few short hours ago.

***

W
hen she opened her eyes, Laura squeezed them shut again. Her head was pounding. She lay there and winced as it all came back to her. Smoke's face when he'd thought she'd set him up to see if he would cheat on her—as if she would do that! The hurt in his eyes as he'd looked down at her.
You don't trust me.
His sad, lost face in the moment before he got in the cab.
This is me gone.

She groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. She'd emptied all the little bottles of whiskey while she kept trying to call him. She reached for her phone which was lying next to her. Lying where he should be.

He'd sent her an email!

Laura

Love you always, lady.

Cole

xxx

Go to the airport with the others. Jason will drop you in San Francisco.

As she read it the tears came. Why wouldn't he just talk to her? Listen to her? She closed her eyes and shook her head. He was giving up on them because he thought she didn't trust him. Yet he'd jumped to that conclusion—
he
didn't trust
her
enough to let her explain! He was a coward. He'd run. And she couldn't even be mad at him, because she understood why.

No way was she going to the airport, though. She couldn't face flying in the back of the plane with everyone. If she couldn't sit up front, with Smoke, then she didn't want to fly at all.

S
moke didn't trust himself to fly. He'd hardly slept. He couldn't focus, and that was no state to be in the cockpit. So he had left Papa Charlie at Santa Monica Municipal. The guys at the FBO there would take care of him. Smoke rented a car from them, told them it was a one week return, but he had no clue where he was going, or when he'd come back. He just needed to get out of here. That was all he knew.

When what was going on with Leanne last night had sunk in, he'd felt sick to his stomach. He still did. He'd rolled it around in his head all night. Laura hadn't said that
she
thought he would make a move on another woman. But she had said she knew what Leanne was doing. And what she'd been doing was setting him up and testing him. He shook his head. He couldn't think about it anymore. His head hurt, but not as much as his heart hurt. Why had he let himself fall in love with her? He'd broken his own rules, broken the promises he'd made to himself. It served him right. He pointed the car towards the San Gabriel Mountains. He might not know where he was going, but he was determined to get out of LA as fast as he could.

***

E
veryone was quiet as they got off the plane at Summer Lake. It had been a great night, but this morning a cloud hung over them.

Jack waited at the top of the steps after the others had gone down. “What did he say to you, Jason?”

“Just that he'd be going dark for the week. Papa Charlie is still in Santa Monica, but he'll have it back here next weekend. He said you guys weren't flying this week, but if anyone needs to I can take you in this.”

“And he just said he was going dark? Didn't say anything about where?”

“No. I asked but he said he didn't know.”

Jack nodded. That sounded about right for Smoke. “Well, thanks for the ride. I doubt we'll need you, but I'll give you a shout if we do. Let me know if you hear from him, will you?”

“Will do. But I'm not expecting to. He covered everything that he and I needed to get into this week so that he wouldn't have to be in touch.”

When Jack caught up with the others in the parking lot, Pete was frowning. “I don't like it, partner. What do you think?”

As usual, Jack knew Pete was thinking the same thing he was. “Let's give him today. What do you say we all meet up at the Boathouse tomorrow night? We can see if anyone's heard anything, and then decide.”

Pete nodded. “Okay. Around seven tomorrow night? Does that work for everyone?”

They all nodded their agreement.

“I'm going to call Laura when we get home. See if she's made it back to San Francisco yet.” Missy scowled at Michael. “She spent last night by herself and now she's driving home by herself too. I wish I'd known.”

Michael hung his head. “Sorry, critter. But she asked me not tell anyone. She wanted to be by herself.”

Missy nodded begrudgingly. “I know. You only did what she wanted. I'm just worried about her. I just wish I'd known. I'll get back in that damned plane and go up there if she wants me.”

Jack smiled to himself, knowing she meant it, no matter how scared she was of flying. “If you get hold of her and want to go, Miss, let me know. I'll set it up, or come with you.”

“There's nothing we can achieve all standing around here, though,” said Pete. “And we need to get out to my folks place. Keep the grapevine open guys, and we'll see you tomorrow.”

***

L
aura wandered around her apartment. She felt as if she was in shock. She still couldn't believe that what should have been a little misunderstanding had led to this. She jumped and ran for her phone when she heard it ring, hoping it would be him. Of course it wasn't.

“Hey, Jack.”

“Hey, sweetie. Are you home yet?”

“Yeah. I'm back now. Sorry I didn't pick up earlier. I was still on the road. Have you heard anything from him? Is he back there?”

“No, nothing. He's gone dark.”

“Jack if you hear from him, please will you explain what happened? I
do
trust him. I didn't know that Leanne was going to do that. When she said I knew what she up to, I agreed because I understood
what
she was doing. But he thought I'd set it up!”

“It's okay, sweetie. I know. Michael explained what went down. If I can find him, I'll explain it to him. But don't be surprised if we don't hear anything for a while. When are you leaving for London?”

“Thursday.”

“I hate to say it, but I doubt he will resurface till after you're gone.”

Laura nodded. She was kind of expecting that herself. “He's a big coward, Jack! But I love him.”

“I know, sweetie. He loves you too. I know that for sure. I talked with him last night before everything got started. He was one happy man.”

Laura couldn't help but seek reassurance. “He actually told you that he loved me?”

Jack laughed. “He told me that a week ago, before he even told you!”

That surprised her, but it made her smile, too. “It was probably a whole lot easier for him to tell you than it was to tell me.”

Jack let out a short laugh. “You know, you're probably right, and seeing how he struggled to tell me, I can only imagine what he went through with you.”

The tears threatened again as she remembered what it had taken for him to finally say those words to her—in the shower. “Did you want anything, Jack, or were you just checking in?” She needed to get off the phone.

“I just wanted to make sure you're okay, sweetie.”

“I wish you were being more reassuring. I wish you were
telling
me that it's all going to be okay. That he'll be fine when he's had chance to calm down and think about it.”

“I wish I was I too, but I've seen him hurt before. He shuts down, puts up walls. Even when he comes back, it's like the real him isn't even there. He just hides behind the cocky Smoke screen. I've never seen him as happy as he was about you. To fall so hard from that height is going have him hurting real bad. I just want to find him before he can build too many walls up and shut us all out.”

“Not very reassuring, Jack.”

“Sorry, sweetie, but at least it's honest.”

“Yeah. Call me if you hear anything, okay.”

“Will do. Keep your chin up.”

“Thanks, Jack. See ya.”

Once she'd hung up, she decided to try a text.

Her eyes filled with tears. That was just plain mean. She put her face in her hands and let a few tears fall before she pulled herself together. She knew he wasn't really mean at all, he was hurting. He might be coward, but he wasn't an asshole. At least he'd sent something.

***

J
ack had tried calling and texting Smoke, but had heard nothing, yesterday or today. He hadn't really expected to. He sat on the front deck looking out at the lake. Emma came out and planted a kiss on his lips before sitting beside him.

“Do you think it'll all work out?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I don't know, baby. I hope so, but I know Smoke. I need to talk to him soon. The more time he spends by himself, the more walls he'll put up. If I don't get to him soon it won't matter anymore. Even when he understands that Laura had nothing to do with Leanne's stupid idea, he won't risk letting her in again.”

Emma nodded sadly. “He sounds like me when I saw you with Laura and freaked out. Even when I found out she was your cousin, I was too scared. What I thought I'd seen had already hurt me too much. I thought being with you would only leave me open to more hurt.”

Jack wrapped an arm around her. “I know. I just hope I can find Smoke and persuade him he needs to be as brave as my little Mouse. I'm going to call Pete. I don't feel like going into town and sitting around with everyone tonight. I know he's thinking of calling Smoke's parents and I'm going to say we do it.”

Emma smiled at up him. “I love that the two of you kept in touch with his parents all these years.”

“Yeah. They're good people. They screwed up, but they were quick to admit it when they realized what they'd done. Smoke shut them out completely, but they reached out to us. We were their go-betweens for a long time. The fact that he took Laura to meet them says how far he's come—with them, as well as with her.

***

P
ete hung up and looked at Holly. Jack and Em aren't coming in to town tonight. “He's going to call Smoke's folks. I'm going to call Ben, see if Smoke has shown up at the resort at all. I doubt it though.”

Holly nodded. “I could throttle, Leanne. I could throttle Smoke, too!”

Pete laughed. “Don't be like that, sweetheart. Everyone wanted to throttle me not so long ago. We all get there in our own time and our own way.”