Accidental Homecoming Read online

  “Good to know.” Danny filed away that tidbit and stared out of the window as this all percolated in his brain. Especially the successful-ranch part. Though he had no idea what to expect, no idea what the will actually said. With any luck, he might inherit enough money to pay off his debts and maybe have a little left over to start up life somewhere else. Somewhere far from Vegas. The idea gave him hope. Something he wasn’t used to feeling. Naturally, he didn’t trust it.

  He sat up a little straighter as he caught a glimpse of a town on the horizon. It grew as they approached, the image of it waffling in the heat, making it seem like a mirage. As they drove down the main street, Danny caught sight of neatly painted storefronts and a town green with an actual gazebo. Just what you’d think a small town would be like. Where everybody knew your name and folks looked out for each other.

  Yeah. A mirage.

  Chase pulled up in front of a rather grand facade with William Watney, Esquire, emblazoned on the shingle. He snorted, pointing to a sign hanging on the doorknob. Watney had apparently Gone Fishin’.

  “Looks like Bill’s off the clock,” Chase said, backing out of the spot. “Where are you staying?”

  Danny blinked. Where was he staying? He had some cash, but not a lot. He’d been planning to sleep in his car, as he had on the way here, to save money. Obviously, that plan was shot. “I... Is there a hotel?”

  “Sure. The Butterscotch Inn. Just down the road.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Listen, I’ll drop you there so you can check in, then come on by the B&G—” he pointed to a rambling, large-windowed establishment, which proclaimed it had the best steak in the Columbia Valley, as they passed “—and I’ll buy you dinner.”

  “You don’t need to do that.” The guy had already helped him immensely. He hated to take advantage.

  “I know.” Chase winked. “Let’s call it a down payment on the scoop you’re gonna give me once you talk to Bill.”

  That sounded like a plan. Besides, Danny’s belly was starting to grumble. Still, after Chase dropped him off at the hotel, and he checked into his—air-conditioned!—room, Danny flopped down on the bed. He needed a moment or two to reflect on everything he’d learned. And everything he hadn’t.

  Of course, he ended up thinking mostly about Lizzie. He always did. Even though it was water under a very old bridge.

  Even now, more than five years later, he wished he could go back and change things. Wished he hadn’t said or done whatever had made her realize he wasn’t the man she’d needed him to be. He could only imagine that she’d decided she deserved someone better. Someone less...broken. His mother had told him he didn’t deserve Lizzie. Apparently, she’d been right.

  If only Lizzie hadn’t changed her cell number. If only he knew where she was, and that she was safe and whole.

  But mostly, he wished she was here. That he could talk to her about all this. He missed talking to her. Mostly, he missed having someone he could trust in his life.

  With a grimace, he reminded himself harshly that he couldn’t trust her. Couldn’t depend on her.

  After all, she’d up and left him. Just like everyone else in his life had done.

  Granted, they’d been fighting, but they’d fought before—mostly about his mother, or Darla—and Lizzie had stayed by his side. What had been different about that fight that had driven her away? He’d asked himself that question a thousand times and never found an answer.

  It was a damn shame he couldn’t ask her, because after that night, she’d disappeared, and he’d never been able to track her down.

  Yep. Somehow, he’d blown the best thing that ever happened to him. What he wouldn’t give to have a chance—any chance—to win her back.

  * * *

  Elizabeth Michaels toyed with her necklace as she stared out of the windows of Seattle Children’s Hospital. She barely noticed the bright and shiny day, or the hint of Lake Washington in the distance, or the snow-capped mountains on the horizon.

  When she realized what she was doing, she let the necklace fall. Emma had noticed she fiddled with it when she was worried, and she didn’t want to let on.

  Emma noticed everything.

  Lizzie glanced back at the bed, where her daughter was solving a maze in a puzzle book one of the nurses had brought by. She’d always been a curious child, and clever beyond her years. Not satisfied to simply color, she needed more of a challenge.

  Well, life had certainly given her a challenge. One she might not survive this time. This time, her weakened immune system didn’t seem to be responding to treatment.

  As emotion bubbled up in Lizzie’s throat, she turned back to the window.

  “What is it, Mommy?” Emma asked, her voice slightly muffled through her Minnie Mouse mask.

  “Nothing, hon. I just thought I saw an eagle. But wouldn’t you know? It was just another seagull.”

  Emma’s tinkle of a laugh made her smile. Made tears prick at Lizzie’s eyes. “Mommy, we’re in the city. Eagles don’t like the city.”

  “Don’t they?” She pinned a smile on her face and moved across the room to plop on the bed. “Who told you that?”

  “Everyone knows that.” Emma’s eyes crinkled above the mask, so Lizzie knew she was grinning.

  “I think we should ask Dr. Blake. He would know.”

  “Mmm. Dr. Blake.” Emma’s eyebrows did a tango. “He’s cute.”

  “Yes. He’s very cute.” Also very young. Like, way young. “Maybe you can date him when you get older.”

  Emma dissolved into giggles and fell back on her pillow. “He’s too old for me.”

  “Is he?”

  “Yeah. I thought he would be cute for you, Mommy.”

  “For me?” Egads. The thought was a little frightening. Lizzie had been single for so long, she didn’t even think she would remember how things worked.

  Well, she probably would remember, but it hardly mattered. She had too much on her plate to even consider romance with her daughter’s doctor, or anyone. Not only was Emma’s illness complicated and deadly, it was also expensive. This stay alone would cost thousands. As a contract employee for a local accounting firm, all insurance and most medical costs were out of pocket. Her pocket.

  Lizzie thrust her financial apprehensions out of her head and focused on her daughter. Nothing was more important than Emma. She would do whatever it took to make her well again.

  “Ms. Michaels?”

  She bolted off the bed and whirled around as Dr. Blake entered the room. And, yes, he was handsome. Tall and dark-haired, with sculpted features. But he was a baby. Practically. “Dr. Blake. Perhaps you can solve a riddle for us?” she said.

  He leaned down and ruffled Emma’s hair. “I’d be happy to.”

  “It’s about eagles,” Emma said.

  “Hmm. Not my area of expertise, but shoot.”

  “Do they live in the city?”

  He grinned down at Lizzie’s daughter. “Indeed they do.” Emma groaned, and he added, “I saw one in a video from the Woodland Park Zoo just the other day.”

  “Zoos don’t count!” Emma insisted.

  “Don’t they?” Dr. Dreamboat winked at Lizzie. “I think they do.”

  “Oh, brother,” Emma huffed, and went back to her maze.

  The second the child looked away, the doctor’s expression sobered. “Ms. Michaels, can I speak to you for a moment?”

  Lizzie’s belly plummeted. Those were not words a parent wanted to hear at Children’s Hospital. Not after a week like this. “Um, sure. Emma, honey, Dr. Blake and I are going to have a chat. You know where your button is if you need anything, right?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” She was too engrossed in her maze to even look up.

  Dr. Blake took her arm—another bad sign—and Lizzie swallowed heavily. He led her down the sunnily painted hall to a con
sult room, which was also done up in incongruous cheer. He shot her a conciliatory glance as he waved at a chair.

  And she knew.

  “It’s not working,” she said. Might as well face it outright.

  He eased a box of tissues toward her and she took one, just in case. “It’s not. I’m sorry. We had hoped the bone-marrow stimulants would take before the immunosuppressants began undermining her immune system.”

  Lizzie sighed and mangled her tissue. She knew what that meant. Only one option left. “So we need to look for a donor.”

  “Yes. I see she doesn’t have any siblings, which are our first choice in these cases. How about close family?”

  Lizzie shook her head. “I have a sister, but the minute Emma was diagnosed, we both got tested. Neither of us are compatible.” It was hard to keep her voice from cracking under the enormous weight of such simple words.

  Dr. Blake set his hand on hers and squeezed. “Related donors are best, but don’t worry. There are a lot of success stories with unrelated donors. And Emma is a strong girl. She’s a fighter.”

  How Lizzie hated those words. They were true, but why should a five-year-old have to fight at all? Why should she have to fight for her life?

  “What about...?” The doctor cleared his throat. “On the father’s side?”

  Lizzie’s chin came up so fast she bit her tongue. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Emma’s father? Would he be willing to—?”

  “No.” He wouldn’t be willing to...anything.

  “Is there a chance? If he or his family are matches—”

  “He doesn’t have any family.” Just a heartless mother. “Besides, I don’t even know where he is.” She hadn’t seen him since—since that awful fight. What was it? Five and a half years ago?

  Dr. Blake nodded. “All right. I just thought I’d bring it up. We’ll go ahead and start the process of searching for donors. I’m not going to sugarcoat this, Ms. Michaels.” She wished he’d stop calling her that. “But with Emma’s blood type, it may take some time to find a good match. You do understand what that means.”

  She did. A chill racked her. Everything else had failed. Emma had only one slim hope left: finding a compatible donor with an extremely rare blood type.

  They both stood, but as Lizzie turned to leave the room, the doctor sighed and scrubbed at his face. “I just want you to know, Ms. Michaels, everyone here is determined to do our best for your daughter. We care deeply about Emma, too.” When his voice broke, it nearly broke her.

  “I know, Doctor.” She patted his hand. The irony that she was comforting him was not lost on her.

  She watched him head back to the nurses’ station with a heavy heart, confronted with the harsh reality that she’d been able to hold back for months. This time, Emma might not win.

  The facts were plain and simple. Emma needed a marrow donor. Blood relatives were the best options. She had no choice other than to track down Danny Diem—and fast—and ask for his help to save their daughter. Which was complicated, because he had no idea he had a daughter. He had no idea that he was a father at all.

  Chapter Two

  Lizzie’s gut roiled.

  The thought of telling Danny about Emma terrified her. He’d been pretty clear how he felt about any kind of commitment, the last time they’d talked—although talked was hardly the word for it.

  She probably should have just told him about the pregnancy then, but she hadn’t wanted him to feel obligated to be with her because of the baby. She’d never expected his discouraging response when she broached the subject of marriage and children. I will never get married, he’d said. I will never have children, he’d said. It had broken her heart. Because she knew it meant they couldn’t stay together.

  She’d packed up and left the next day, never to look back.

  And now, it seemed, she needed him.

  Or Emma did. Emma needed him desperately.

  There was no running from that.

  So she would find Danny Diem and ask him to be tested to see if he was a viable donor. And she’d be damned if anything was going to stop her.

  Except...finding Danny was harder than she expected.

  The first thing she did was call his cell phone, but the woman who answered made it clear there was no Danny at that number. Then Lizzie went to Facebook and Google and even LinkedIn in an attempt to track him down online, but that failed, as well.

  How aggravating! Who wasn’t on social media?

  She spent the rest of the day calling all their mutual friends in Vegas, but none of them had seen Danny for ages. It was as though he’d dropped off the planet. Or dropped all his old friends.

  His mother, apparently, had skipped bail on a petty theft charge and disappeared, so there was no help there, and Danny’s landlord said his apartment had been cleaned out.

  Finally, realizing she had no other options, she called Darla.

  Darla Wheeler was last on her list for a reason. The woman had been in love with Danny for years, and while she wasn’t the reason he and Lizzie had broken up, her constant plots and ploys to lure him away hadn’t helped. Frankly, making nice through an entire conversation with Darla—for the sole benefit of one’s child—should be grounds for sainthood.

  It annoyed her to no end that Darla, of all people, had the scoop on Danny’s whereabouts. After a long, circuitous conversation, she finally revealed that the scuttlebutt was that Danny had left Vegas for a town called Butterscotch Ridge because he’d been named in someone’s will.

  Lizzie had no idea who might be inclined to leave Danny anything—since his only known relative was his mother, who wouldn’t share a stick of gum—and she had no clue where Butterscotch Ridge might be. It took a quick internet search to discover it was in eastern Washington, just over the mountains. Just a five-hour drive from Seattle.

  Something about his proximity lifted her soul and, for the first time since Dr. Blake’s pronouncement, she felt a whisper of hope.

  Darla didn’t have Danny’s cell number—or wouldn’t give it to her—so Lizzie decided to go to this town and try to find him. She couldn’t take Emma, of course. It was too risky, not knowing what lay ahead. She would not expose her daughter to rejection, if that was the way it went. Aside from that, Emma needed a sterile environment. Hotels and ranches were notoriously germy. She couldn’t take even the smallest chance of Emma picking up a bug. Not with her immune system so vulnerable.

  As it happened, the doctors decided to extend Emma’s hospital stay over the weekend. Oh, they’d assured Lizzie that everything looked fine—they just wanted to observe her and run a few tests—but over the past six months, Lizzie had become super sensitized to hidden messages. She couldn’t help but think that time was running out.

  She needed to find Danny and talk to him, now.

  It only made sense that she leave for Butterscotch Ridge right away.

  * * *

  “I don’t like the idea,” Nan said bluntly.

  Lizzie sighed as she pulled her suitcase out of the closet and dropped it on the bed. “What don’t you like?”

  Her sister shook her head. “All of it. I mean, you’re heading off to track down the ex who broke your heart. Do you remember how you were when you got here? Because I do. That guy crushed you. People don’t change.”

  “Emma needs him.”

  “There’s no guarantee he’s a match.” Nan caught Lizzie’s expression and sighed. “Look, it’s your life. Your daughter. Your heart. Do what you need to do. I’m behind you no matter what. Just be careful.”

  “Thank you.” Lizzie hugged her sister. “That’s exactly what I needed right now. Oh. That, and someone to stay with Emma at the hospital.”

  Nan grinned. “You know I will.” She was as much a mom to Emma as Lizzie. “Be sure you keep me posted while you’re gone.”

 
“Of course.”

  “My phone is always on for you.”

  “I know.”

  Nan was quiet for a second, then she said, “She’ll be all right, you know? It’ll only be for a few days.”

  “I know she will.”

  Nan sat on the bed next to the open suitcase and gusted a sigh. “Of course, it’s not us I’m worried about.”

  “Me? I’ll be fine.” She would. No matter what. And she refused to let any lurking fear claim her.

  “It’s a long drive to eastern Washington.”

  “Only five hours or so.” Lizzie stared at the outfits she’d laid out on the bed. She didn’t know why she couldn’t decide what to take. It wasn’t as though she needed to impress Danny. She was going to see him for one reason only. Emma.

  It still made her mind spin to know Danny was so close. She totally ignored any emotions other than relief. Shoved them back into the dark box that had held them for so long. Emotions were a luxury she couldn’t afford. And thinking about Danny—about their troubled past—was pointless.

  Nan flopped back on the pillows, her bottle-blond hair splaying in dramatic fashion. “What on earth is he doing in some tiny cow town, of all places?”

  Lizzie shrugged and picked the dress with red cherries, rolled it up and placed it in her suitcase. She’d always loved that dress. “Darla said something about an inheritance.”

  Nan’s brow wrinkled. “I thought he didn’t have family...other than that horrible mother of his.”

  “Now, now.” Lizzie forced a smile, though it wasn’t funny. Danny’s mother had done everything she could to break them up, way back when. For no reason whatsoever, she shoved her little black dress into her bag, too. Just in case something came up. Not that it would.

  She closed her suitcase and sat next to her sister with a sigh. Nan slipped her arm around Lizzie’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “It’s going to be all right,” she said, though they both knew the outcome was far from certain. Because Lizzie was headed out to confront the man she’d once loved. The man who hadn’t loved her enough to want more.