Page 15 of Loving You Always

“What’s this about?”

“It’s Kerris.”

The words landed in his chest like a meteor, cratering his composure and stealing his air. He couldn’t form the question. Her answer could decimate him. He relished the last few seconds of not knowing for sure. He looked at Trish with a steady, waiting intensity.

“There’s been an accident.”

“No.”

“Yes, Walsh she—”

“Donotsay she’s dead.” He shook his head and swallowed convulsively. “Don’t tell me that.”

“No, Walsh,” she rushed to correct. “But she’s badly injured.”

“How do you know?”

“Her friend Meredith called me.”

He leaned against the wall, propping his head against it and holding her eyes.

“What happened?”

“A car accident.”

“But she’s alive? And the baby?”

“It doesn’t look good…for either of them.”

“No, I don’t believe that. She’s strong.”

“Walsh, her car hydroplaned and slammed into a tree.”

“Oh, God.” He slid to the floor, sitting with his back to the wall and his elbows on his knees. His head fell between his arms, his hand reaching behind his neck to grip it as if holding on for dear life.

“She’s in surgery now. They’re performing an emergency C-section trying to save the baby.”

Walsh’s head snapped up, eyes pinning Trisha to the spot.

“What about Kerris?”

Trisha squatted, resting on her haunches, clasping her hands dangling between her knees. “She has internal injuries. Her window shattered, and a limb from the tree pierced her side.”

Walsh moaned, a shudder shredding through his chest. He sprang to his feet and strode back to his bedroom.

“You said Meredith called you, right?”

“Um, yeah.”

“Send me her contact. I need to get to Rivermont like an hour ago.”

“Your father has the Bennett jet, but I’ll check on the next available flight.” She stopped at the entrance to his bedroom, watching him stuff clothes haphazardly into his Louis Vuitton carryall.

“I’ll call Sheikh Kassim.” Walsh trimmed his voice of everything but determination. “He has a private jet. I want it ready to go within the hour.”

“Walsh, do you have any idea what time it is? I know you’re anxious to get there, but you can’t just wake a sheikh up at this hour and expect him to jump through hoops for you.”

He reached for his cell phone on his bedside table without sparing Trisha a glance.