Blossom Street Brides (Blossom Street #10)(90)

Before she could speak, Elisa held up her hands, imploring her, “I was wrong, and I apologize.”

“You called Todd?” Even now, Lauren couldn’t believe her friend, her dearest friend, would turn on her like this.

“Yes. It was stupid of me, and I’ve regretted it every minute since. I had no idea Todd would do anything like this.”

“What were you thinking?” Lauren demanded.

“I don’t know,” Elisa admitted, shaking her head. “It was right after we got back from being with Katie and Dietrich and you told me you’d married Rooster. It was one shock after another, and when I met him, it was like seeing my daughter with that onion farmer. Instinctively, I felt the marriage was all wrong.”

“Katie’s marriage wasn’t a mistake, and mine isn’t, either. I happen to love my husband.”

“I know that now,” Elisa said, and tears filled her eyes. “I was wrong about you and Rooster. I’ve watched you these last two weeks, and I’ve seen how miserable you are. You honestly love him.”

Lauren bit her lower lip. “I do, I really do.”

“It shows, Lauren, and when he came into the shop and asked for you I could see how much he loved you, too. He’s crazy about you. He could hardly wait to take you away, and maybe, just maybe … I’ve asked myself this a dozen times. Maybe I was afraid you would move to California and I would lose you, both as an employee and a friend. I couldn’t bear that, and so I selfishly made you doubt yourself.”

“It was more than the questions you made me face,” she whispered. Elisa didn’t know about Rooster’s first marriage.

Although she’d already made her decision, Lauren had yet to tell Elisa her plans. “I’m going to Rooster. I’m going to California.”

“Yes, go,” Elisa urged. “I can’t bear to see you this miserable. I’m your boss, but I’m also your friend, and as your friend I want you to be happy. If that means you leaving Seattle, then so be it. Go, and be happy, Lauren.”

They hugged and then cried together. Lauren couldn’t wait until she had a private moment. As soon as she was sure no one could listen in on her conversation, she tried to contact Rooster. His phone immediately went to voice mail. Waiting a half hour between calls, she kept trying, but each time he didn’t pick up. Unwilling to be thwarted, Lauren returned to her condo and called the airlines.

She retrieved her suitcase from beneath the bed and tossed a few items into it. After several more fruitless tries, she decided either Rooster was purposely not responding or his cellphone wasn’t with him. It didn’t matter; she was going to him.

To be on the safe side, not wanting to make a complete idiot of herself, she phoned Bethanne.

“You told me to listen to my heart,” she said, without bothering with the exchange of niceties.

“Lauren?”

“Yes, it’s me, and I’ve decided I need to be with Rooster.”

The line went silent for a few seconds before Bethanne burst out enthusiastically, “That’s wonderful.”

“I love him.”

“And I know he feels the same way about you. Lauren, if only you knew.”

“Knew what?”

“Knew what Rooster’s been going through. Max said that in all the years he’s known Rooster, he’s never seen him like this. He isn’t eating, he isn’t sleeping. He looks dreadful. Max said there’s no talking to him.”

Her stomach clenched. “If that’s the case, then why won’t he answer my calls? I’ve tried to reach him again and again, but he isn’t picking up.”

Silence followed, and then Bethanne said, “That’s odd.”

“I thought the same thing. It doesn’t matter. I’ve booked the next flight to Santa Rosa … I leave first thing in the morning.”

“Oh, Lauren, I’m so glad. Rooster is a good man, and he loves you so much.”

Lauren felt like she wanted to cry, and at the same time a sense of exhilaration filled her. She felt jubilant, as if she could walk on water. Her top priority was to reach Rooster and find her way back into his arms. When she rolled over in bed at night she wanted the security of him at her side. And, God willing, one day to have a family with him.

All night Lauren tossed and turned while she waited for Rooster to return her calls, voice messages, and texts. It seemed she woke every hour in order to check her cell to see if she might have inadvertently missed a reply. The silence was torture.

Undeterred, she caught a taxi to the airport and boarded the flight to Santa Rosa Sunday morning. The flight was miserable, but thankfully short.

It was still morning when she landed, and to her surprise she found Max at baggage claim waiting for her. Immediately, her heart went into overdrive. The only reason she could think that Rooster’s best friend would meet her was if something bad had happened to her husband. Had she been so obtuse not to think of this sooner? Not once had she considered that Rooster might have been in an accident or hurt.

By the time she reached Max, her heart was beating so fast it sounded like a race-car engine in her ears. “What’s happened to Rooster?” she begged, grabbing hold of Max’s arm.

“Nothing. At least nothing that I know of, anyway.”

Her relief was instantaneous. She closed her eyes and whispered, “Thank God.” Then another thought came to her. “Then why are you here?”